Elevator system, elevator system control method, and program

Abstract

The invention provides an elevator system, a control method for the elevator system, and a program, which, when a disaster occurs, enable an autonomous moving body to use an elevator while suppressing the influence on the use of the elevator by a refugee, and enable refuge of the autonomous moving body to be achieved on the basis of ensuring refuge of people. An elevator system is provided with: a disaster information acquisition unit (111) that acquires information relating to the occurrence of a disaster in a building provided with an elevator; an evacuation emergency degree determination unit (112) that determines the emergency degree of evacuation by people in the building during the disaster on the basis of information relating to the occurrence of the disaster; a refuge planning unit (113) that determines a first number, which is the number of elevator cars used in refuge of the autonomous moving body in the building in a disaster, on the basis of the emergency degree of refuge by people in the building; and an elevator control unit (120) that controls the cars such that the first number of cars are used for evacuation of the autonomous moving body in the building in the disaster.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to elevator systems, elevator system control methods, and procedures. Background Technology

[0002] The following technology is known: In an elevator system, the elevator control device includes: a robot handling detection unit that detects whether the system is in the process of robot handling; a status change detection unit that detects changes in operating status from normal operation to emergency operation; an emergency operation communication unit that communicates with the elevator-utilizing robot regarding the change in operating status from normal operation to emergency operation and information about the floor where the system is stopped; a selection request receiving unit that receives selection requests from the elevator-utilizing robot for continuing to ride / descent; a continuing to ride assurance unit that, when the elevator-utilizing robot selects to continue riding, disables the detection of the safety device monitoring continuing to ride; and a descent preparation completion communication unit that, when the elevator-utilizing robot selects to descent, communicates with the elevator-utilizing robot to ensure that the system is ready to descent. The elevator-utilizing robot communicates that the elevator disembarkation preparation is complete. Furthermore, the elevator-utilizing robot comprises: a status data receiving unit that receives from the elevator control device information indicating a change in operating status from normal operation to emergency operation, as well as information about the floor to be stopped; an action selection unit that selects either continuing to ride the elevator or disembarking, and if disembarking is selected, also selects the floor to which disembarkation is requested; a selection request instruction unit that, based on the conclusion of the action selection unit, instructs the elevator control device as either continuing to ride the elevator or disembarking, and, if applicable, the floor to which disembarkation is requested; and a disembarkation preparation completion identification unit that, if applicable, receives a notification from the elevator control device that disembarkation preparation is complete (e.g., see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-193863

[0004] In the elevator system shown in Patent Document 1, during a disaster, the elevator is switched from normal operation to emergency operation, and an autonomous transfer vehicle such as a robot is notified. The autonomous transfer vehicle then chooses whether to continue riding the elevator or to disembark. However, since the use of the elevator for human evacuation during a disaster is not considered, if the autonomous transfer vehicle chooses to continue riding the elevator during the emergency operation accompanying a disaster, it may affect human evacuation. Conversely, if the necessity for human evacuation using the elevator is low during a disaster, and the autonomous transfer vehicle chooses to disembark, it may also be damaged by the disaster. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention was developed to solve this problem. Its purpose is to provide an elevator system, an elevator system control method, and a program that, in the event of a disaster or a anticipated disaster, enables autonomous moving objects within a building to use the elevator while suppressing the impact on people using the elevator, thus achieving the evacuation and protection of autonomous moving objects while ensuring the safety and protection of people.

[0006] The elevator system of the present invention comprises: a disaster information acquisition unit that acquires information related to the occurrence of a disaster in a building where an elevator is installed; an evacuation urgency determination unit that determines the urgency of evacuation of people in the building during the disaster based on the information related to the occurrence of the disaster; an evacuation planning unit that determines, based on the urgency of evacuation of people in the building, the number of elevator cars, i.e., the first number, to be used for evacuation of autonomous mobile bodies in the building during the disaster; and a control unit that controls the cars so that the first number of cars are used for evacuation of autonomous mobile bodies in the building during the disaster.

[0007] The elevator system control method of the present invention comprises: a disaster information acquisition step, acquiring information related to the occurrence of a disaster in a building equipped with an elevator; an evacuation urgency determination step, determining the urgency of evacuation of people in the building during the disaster based on the information related to the occurrence of the disaster; an evacuation planning step, determining the number of elevator cars, i.e., the first number, to be used for evacuation of autonomous mobile bodies in the building during the disaster based on the urgency of evacuation of people in the building; and a control step, controlling the elevator cars such that the first number of elevator cars is used for evacuation of autonomous mobile bodies in the building during the disaster.

[0008] The program of this invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the control method of the elevator system described above.

[0009] The elevator system, elevator system control method and program according to the present invention have the following effects: in the event of a disaster or in the event of a anticipated disaster, it is possible to enable autonomous moving bodies within a building to use the elevator while suppressing the impact on people using the elevator, and to achieve the refuge and protection of autonomous moving bodies while ensuring the refuge and protection of people. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the structure of the elevator system according to Embodiment 1.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the situation where an autonomous mobile body in the elevator system of Embodiment 1 uses an elevator to seek refuge.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the elevator system according to Embodiment 1.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the elevator system according to Embodiment 1.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the elevator system according to Embodiment 1.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the elevator system according to Embodiment 1.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure that realizes the function of the control device, etc., of the elevator system of Embodiment 1.

[0017] Label Explanation

[0018] 10: Elevator car; 20: Autonomous mobile body; 100: Control device; 101: Processor; 102: Memory; 103: Dedicated hardware; 111: Disaster information acquisition unit; 112: Evacuation urgency assessment unit; 113: Evacuation planning unit; 114: Elevator utilization rate acquisition unit; 115: Building occupancy acquisition unit; 120: Elevator control unit; 200: Mobile body management server; 300: External server; 400: Building system. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the elevator system, control method, and program for implementing the present invention will be described. In the drawings, identical or equivalent parts are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are simplified or omitted as appropriate. In the following description, for convenience, the positional relationships of the structures are sometimes shown based on the illustrated states. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments; free combinations of embodiments, modifications of arbitrary structural elements of each embodiment, or omissions of arbitrary structural elements of each embodiment are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0020] Implementation method 1.

[0021] Reference Figures 1 to 7 The following describes Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the structure of an elevator system. Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a situation where an autonomous moving body in an elevator system uses an elevator to seek refuge. Figures 3-6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an elevator system. Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a structure that realizes the functions of a control device for an elevator system.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the elevator system of this embodiment includes a control device 100. The control device 100 is a device that controls the overall operation of the elevator in this system. In the structural example shown in the figure, the elevator in this system has two cars 10. However, the number of cars 10 in the elevator system of the present invention is not limited to two. The number of cars 10 in the elevator system of the present invention can also be three or more. Furthermore, the elevator system of the present invention is particularly suitable for cases where the number of cars 10 is two or more, but the number of cars 10 can also be one.

[0023] An autonomous mobile body 20 is used in the building where the elevator is installed. The autonomous mobile body 20 is, for example, a mobile robot, capable of moving autonomously. Each main mobile body 20 can communicate with a mobile body management server 200. The mobile body management server 200 controls the actions of each main mobile body 20 and manages the state of each main mobile body 20. The control device 100 and the mobile body management server 200 are connected in a manner capable of bidirectional communication. In the elevator system of this embodiment, information can be exchanged between the control device 100 and the mobile body management server 200, enabling the elevator operation to coordinate with the actions of the autonomous mobile bodies 20.

[0024] The control device 100 includes a disaster information acquisition unit 111. The disaster information acquisition unit 111 acquires information related to the occurrence of a disaster in the building where the elevator is installed. The information related to the occurrence of a disaster may be actual disaster information, or it may be information about a anticipated disaster, or both. Actual disaster information refers to information about a disaster that has actually occurred at the current moment. Anticipated disaster information refers to information about a disaster that may occur in the future. The information related to the occurrence of a disaster includes the type and severity of the disaster. Furthermore, if the information related to the occurrence of a disaster is actual disaster information, it also includes the time when the disaster occurred (disaster occurrence time); if the information related to the occurrence of a disaster is anticipated disaster information, it also includes the time when the disaster is expected to occur (anticipated disaster occurrence time).

[0025] In the illustrated structural example, the disaster information acquisition unit 111 obtains information related to the occurrence of a disaster in the building where the elevator is installed from an external server 300. The external server 300 is a server that provides information related to the occurrence of disasters. For example, the external server 300 provides any one or more of the following as information related to the occurrence of a disaster: weather information, flood information, earthquake information, tsunami information, debris flow disaster information, and fire information.

[0026] Examples of meteorological information related to the occurrence of a disaster include actual and projected rainfall in the area where the building is located, heavy rain warnings and heavy rain alerts (flooding) for the area, special heavy rain warnings, information on record-breaking short-duration heavy rain, and meteorological information related to significant heavy rain. In this case, the type of disaster in the information related to the occurrence of the disaster is flooding. The severity of the disaster is indicated, for example, by the rainfall amounts shown in this information. The time of occurrence of the disaster (or the time expected to occur) is indicated, for example, by the time when rainfall exceeding a specified value is actually observed or when rainfall exceeding a specified value is expected.

[0027] Examples of flood information that is relevant to the occurrence of a disaster include flood warnings and flood alerts for the area where the building is located, actual and projected river levels in the area, flood forecasts (flood warning, flood alert, flood danger, flood occurrence) for the river basin / area in the area, and flood prevention warnings. In this case, the type of disaster in the information related to the occurrence of the disaster is also flood. The severity of the disaster is indicated, for example, by the rainfall or river levels shown in this information. The time of occurrence (or the expected time of occurrence) of the disaster is indicated, for example, by the time when the water level actually exceeds the flood danger level or the time when the water level is expected to exceed the flood danger level.

[0028] Examples of earthquake information that are relevant to the occurrence of a disaster include measurements from earthquake detectors in the area where the building is located, emergency earthquake bulletins for the area, magnitude bulletins, and source / magnitude information. In this case, the type of disaster in the information related to the occurrence of the disaster is earthquake. The severity of the disaster is indicated by the magnitude, etc., shown in these information. The time of the disaster is indicated by the earthquake occurrence time, etc., shown in these information.

[0029] Examples of tsunami information that serves as relevant information about a disaster include large tsunami warnings, tsunami alerts, and tsunami caution warnings targeting the area where the building is located. In such cases, the type of disaster mentioned in the disaster-related information is, for example, flooding caused by a tsunami. The severity of the disaster is indicated by the height of the tsunami shown in this information. The time of the disaster's occurrence (or the expected time of occurrence) is indicated by the arrival time of the tsunami or the expected arrival time shown in this information.

[0030] Examples of debris flow disaster information that are considered relevant to the occurrence of a disaster include heavy rain warnings and heavy rain alerts (debris flow disasters) and debris flow disaster alerts targeting the area where the building is located. In these cases, the type of disaster in the information related to the occurrence of the disaster is debris flow disaster. In the event of a debris flow disaster such as a landslide, mudslide, or mudslide, the damage to the building is anticipated to be substantial; therefore, the severity of the disaster is generally high in the case of a debris flow disaster. Furthermore, the anticipated time of the disaster is indicated, for example, by the period of highest risk associated with debris flow disasters.

[0031] As an example of fire information that relates to the occurrence of a disaster, one could cite the detection results of fire detectors installed in the building or nearby buildings. In this case, the type of disaster in the disaster-related information is fire. The severity of the disaster is indicated, for example, by the number of detectors that detected the fire. The time when the disaster occurred is indicated, for example, by the time when the detectors first detected the fire.

[0032] The control device 100 also includes an evacuation urgency determination unit 112. The evacuation urgency determination unit 112 determines the urgency (hereinafter referred to as "evacuation urgency" in this invention) of evacuation for people inside buildings affected by a disaster based on information related to the occurrence of a disaster obtained by the disaster information acquisition unit 111. As described above, the information related to the occurrence of a disaster includes the type of disaster, the severity of the disaster, and the time of the disaster (or the anticipated time of the disaster). The evacuation urgency determination unit 112 determines the evacuation urgency based on this information. In the example described here, the evacuation urgency is assumed to have two stages: "high" and "low". However, the evacuation urgency is not limited to two stages. Furthermore, for example, the evacuation urgency may have three stages: "high", "medium", and "low", or it may have four or more stages.

[0033] Examples of evacuation urgency determination by the evacuation urgency determination unit 112 will be explained. For example, if the type of disaster is fire, the evacuation urgency determination unit 112 determines the evacuation urgency to be "high". Furthermore, if the type of disaster is flood, and the disaster has already occurred, the evacuation urgency determination unit 112 determines the evacuation urgency to be "high". On the other hand, if the type of disaster is flood, and the disaster has not yet occurred but is anticipated to occur in the future, the evacuation urgency determination unit 112 determines whether the evacuation urgency is "high" or "low" based on the time from the current time to the anticipated time. That is, if the time from the current time to the anticipated time is more than a predetermined reference time, the evacuation urgency determination unit 112 determines the evacuation urgency to be "low". On the other hand, if the time from the current time to the anticipated time is less than the reference time, the evacuation urgency determination unit 112 determines the evacuation urgency to be "high".

[0034] Regarding other types of disasters, the evacuation urgency determination unit 112 also determines the evacuation urgency of the disaster based on factors such as the type of disaster, the severity of the disaster, whether the disaster has already occurred, and the time from the current moment to the anticipated moment of occurrence if the disaster has not yet occurred. Generally speaking, the greater the severity of the disaster, the higher the evacuation urgency. Furthermore, if a disaster has already occurred, the evacuation urgency of the disaster increases. Moreover, the shorter the time from the current moment to the anticipated moment of occurrence if the disaster has not yet occurred, the higher the evacuation urgency. Alternatively, for example, scores can be pre-set for each type of disaster, the severity of the disaster, whether the disaster has already occurred, and the time from the current moment to the anticipated moment of occurrence if the disaster has not yet occurred. The evacuation urgency determination unit 112 then uses the sum of these scores to determine the evacuation urgency of the disaster for the current situation.

[0035] The control device 100 also includes an evacuation planning unit 113. The evacuation planning unit 113 formulates an evacuation plan based on the evacuation urgency level of the people inside the building, as determined by the evacuation urgency determination unit 112. The evacuation plan formulated by the evacuation planning unit 113 includes at least a first number. The first number refers to the number of elevator cars 10 used for evacuation of autonomous mobile units 20 within the building during the disaster. The evacuation planning unit 113 determines the first number based on the evacuation urgency level determined by the evacuation urgency determination unit 112, i.e., the evacuation urgency level of the people inside the building.

[0036] For example, the higher the evacuation urgency determined by the evacuation urgency determination unit 112, the more the evacuation planning unit 113 reduces the number of units in the first phase; conversely, the lower the evacuation urgency, the more the number of units in the first phase is increased. In the structural example described here, as mentioned above, the evacuation urgency has two stages: "high" and "low". Therefore, when the evacuation urgency is "high", the evacuation planning unit 113 determines the number of units in the first phase to be a pre-set number; when the evacuation urgency is "low", the number of units in the first phase is determined to be fewer than the number in the case of "high" evacuation urgency.

[0037] Furthermore, as described above, the elevator system of the present invention is particularly suitable for situations where the number of cars 10 is two or more; however, the number of cars 10 can also be one. When the number of cars 10 is one, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines whether to set the first number to one or zero based on the evacuation urgency determined by the evacuation urgency determination unit 112; that is, it determines whether to use the elevator for evacuation of autonomous mobile bodies 20 within the building during the disaster.

[0038] The evacuation plan formulated by Evacuation Planning Department 113 includes, in addition to the first evacuation order, evacuation floors, etc. In the case of a flood, Evacuation Planning Department 113 designates the evacuation floors as the upper floors of the building. In the case of a fire or other disaster, Evacuation Planning Department 113 designates floors other than the floor where the disaster occurred as evacuation floors. Furthermore, floors where safety can be ensured can be pre-registered as evacuation floors.

[0039] The evacuation planning unit 113 obtains the status of the autonomous mobile bodies 20 from the mobile body management server 200, including the number of autonomous mobile bodies 20 located in the building, their current locations, and whether the autonomous mobile bodies 20 have elevator access capabilities. Furthermore, the evacuation planning unit 113 obtains information on the operating status of the elevator cars 10 in the building from the elevator control unit 120. Then, using the determined first elevator number and evacuation floor, the status of the autonomous mobile bodies 20, and the operating status of the elevator cars 10, the evacuation planning unit 113 formulates an evacuation plan for the people and autonomous mobile bodies 20 within the building.

[0040] The elevator control unit 120 controls the elevator car 10 according to the evacuation plan formulated by the evacuation planning unit 113. Therefore, the elevator control unit 120 controls the car 10 so that the autonomous mobile body 20 within the building during the disaster uses the first car 10 determined by the evacuation planning unit 113 for evacuation. That is, the elevator control unit 120 allocates the first car 10 for the evacuation of the autonomous mobile body 20. Furthermore, the mobile body management server 200 controls the movement of the autonomous mobile body 20 according to the evacuation plan formulated by the evacuation planning unit 113 to enable the autonomous mobile body 20 to evacuate. That is, it enables the autonomous mobile body 20 to board the first car 10 allocated by the elevator control unit 120, thus enabling the autonomous mobile body 20 to evacuate. Figure 2 ).

[0041] According to the elevator system configured as described above, in the event of a disaster or a anticipated disaster, the number of elevator cars 10 used for the evacuation of autonomous mobile bodies 20 is determined based on the urgency of the evacuation of people affected by the disaster. This allows autonomous mobile bodies within the building to use the elevators for evacuation while minimizing the impact on people using the elevators. Therefore, the evacuation and protection of autonomous mobile bodies 20 can be achieved simultaneously, ensuring the evacuation and protection of people.

[0042] Next, several variations of the method for determining the first elevator number in Evacuation Planning Department 113 will be explained. First, in the first variation, when the evacuation urgency level is "high," the first elevator number is determined based on the utilization rate of the elevators by people. In this first variation, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the control device 100 also includes an elevator utilization rate acquisition unit 114. The elevator utilization rate acquisition unit 114 acquires the elevator utilization rate of people in the building. The elevator utilization rate of people refers, for example, to the proportion of time during which the elevator car 10 operates to allow people to use the elevator (ride to the car 10) within a certain fixed period.

[0043] The elevator utilization rate acquisition unit 114 uses, for example, the travel status of each car 10, the call registration status of each car 10, and the load applied to each car 10 to calculate the operating time of each car 10 based on human use, and calculates the human utilization rate of each car 10, i.e., the human utilization rate of the elevator. The elevator utilization rate acquisition unit 114 obtains from the elevator control unit 120 the travel status of each car 10, the call registration status of each car 10, and the load applied to each car 10 required for calculating the human utilization rate of the elevator.

[0044] Furthermore, in this first variation, when the evacuation urgency determination unit 112 determines the evacuation urgency level to be "high," the evacuation planning unit 113 determines the first elevator number based on the elevator utilization rate obtained by the elevator utilization rate acquisition unit 114. Specifically, for example, when the evacuation urgency level is "high," the higher the elevator utilization rate, the more the evacuation planning unit 113 reduces the first elevator number; conversely, the lower the elevator utilization rate, the more the first elevator number increases. Thus, priority can be given to evacuation using elevators, and the autonomous mobile body 20 can also use elevators for evacuation.

[0045] Furthermore, for example, if the evacuation urgency level is determined to be "high" by the evacuation urgency determination unit 112, the evacuation planning unit 113 may, after the elevator utilization rate obtained by the elevator utilization rate acquisition unit 114 is less than a preset baseline utilization rate, increase the number of elevators one by one at fixed time intervals, starting from 0. This baseline utilization rate is, for example, set to a value at which the evacuation of people in the building can be considered complete. That is, in this case, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines whether the evacuation of people in the building has been completed based on the elevator utilization rate.

[0046] Here, if this first variation is generalized to a case where the evacuation urgency is greater than the two stages of "high" and "low", then when the evacuation urgency of people inside the building is higher than or equal to a pre-set baseline urgency, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines the first number of elevators based on the elevator utilization rate obtained by the elevator utilization rate acquisition unit 114. Furthermore, when the evacuation urgency of people inside the building is higher than or equal to the aforementioned baseline urgency, the evacuation planning unit 113 may also increase the first number of elevators in stages after the elevator utilization rate falls below the aforementioned baseline utilization rate. Additionally, when the evacuation urgency is one of the two stages of "high" and "low", the baseline urgency is set to "high". Therefore, when the evacuation urgency is "high", the evacuation urgency is higher than the baseline urgency, and when the evacuation urgency is "low", the evacuation urgency is lower than the baseline urgency.

[0047] Next, a second variation of the method for determining the first number of evacuation units in Evacuation Planning Department 113 will be explained. In this second variation, when the evacuation urgency level is "high," the first number of units is determined based on the number of people remaining inside the building. In this second variation, as... Figure 1 As shown, the control device 100 also has a building occupancy acquisition unit 115.

[0048] The control device 100 is capable of communicating with the building system 400. The building system 400 is a building management system that manages the building. The building system 400 includes, for example, an access control system and a surveillance camera system, and can use these systems to track the number of people residing in the building. The building occupancy acquisition unit 115 obtains the number of people remaining in the building from the building system 400.

[0049] Furthermore, in this second variation, when the evacuation urgency determination unit 112 determines the evacuation urgency level to be "high," the evacuation planning unit 113 determines the first elevator number based on the number of people remaining in the building obtained by the building occupancy acquisition unit 115. Specifically, for example, when the evacuation urgency level is "high," the more people remaining in the building, the less the number of elevators the evacuation planning unit 113 reduces; conversely, the fewer people remaining in the building, the more the number of elevators the evacuation planning unit 113 increases. Thus, priority can be given to people using elevators for evacuation, and the autonomous mobile unit 20 can also use elevators for evacuation.

[0050] Furthermore, for example, if the evacuation urgency level is determined to be "high" by the evacuation urgency determination unit 112, the evacuation planning unit 113 can also calculate a second number of elevators based on the number of people remaining in the building obtained by the building occupancy acquisition unit 115. The second number of elevators is the number of elevator cars 10 required to allow people remaining in the building to evacuate using the elevators without waiting time. Moreover, in this case, the evacuation planning unit 113 subtracts the calculated second number of elevator cars 10 from the total number of elevator cars 10 to calculate the first number of elevators.

[0051] Furthermore, similar to the first variation described above, if this second variation is generalized to cases where the evacuation urgency is greater than the "high" and "low" stages, then when the evacuation urgency of people inside the building is higher than or equal to a pre-set baseline urgency, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines the first number of elevators based on the number of people remaining in the building obtained by the building occupancy acquisition unit 115. Additionally, when the evacuation urgency of people inside the building is higher than or equal to the aforementioned baseline urgency, the evacuation planning unit 113 may also calculate, based on the number of people remaining in the building, the number of elevator cars 10 required for those remaining in the building to evacuate using the elevator without waiting time—that is, the second number—and determine the first number by subtracting the second number from the total number of elevator cars 10.

[0052] Next, a third variation of the method for determining the first number of autonomous mobile units in the evacuation planning unit 113 will be described. In this third variation, when the evacuation urgency level is "low," the first number is determined based on the grace period until the autonomous mobile units 20 within the building suffer damage caused by the disaster. As described above, the mobile unit management server 200 manages the status of the autonomous mobile units 20. In this third variation, when the evacuation urgency level is "low," the evacuation planning unit 113 obtains the status of the autonomous mobile units 20 from the mobile unit management server 200, i.e., information such as the number of autonomous mobile units 20 located within the building and their current locations. Furthermore, the evacuation planning unit 113 obtains information on the operating status of the elevator car 10 of the building from the elevator control unit 120.

[0053] Furthermore, the evacuation planning unit 113 estimates the grace period until the autonomous mobile body 20 inside the building suffers damage caused by the disaster, based on the operation information of the elevator car 10, the status of the autonomous mobile body 20, and the disaster information acquisition unit 111's information related to the occurrence of the disaster (e.g., the predicted time of the disaster). The evacuation planning unit 113 calculates the minimum number of autonomous mobile bodies 20 that can be evacuated within the building before the calculated grace period expires, and designates this calculated number as the first number. In this way, since the elevator car 10, which has the minimum number of autonomous mobile bodies 20 that can be evacuated within the grace period, is used for the evacuation of the autonomous mobile body 20, the evacuation and protection of the autonomous mobile body 20 can be achieved, and people can also use the elevator for evacuation.

[0054] Here, if this third variation is also generalized to the case where the evacuation urgency is greater than the two stages of "high" and "low", then when the evacuation urgency of people in the building is less than the preset baseline urgency, the evacuation planning department 113 estimates the grace period until the autonomous mobile body 20 in the building is damaged by the disaster, and determines the minimum number of autonomous mobile bodies 20 that can be evacuated before the grace period expires as the first number.

[0055] Furthermore, the first or second variation and the third variation described above can be combined. In this case, the baseline urgency in the first or second variation is the criterion for determining whether the evacuation urgency is high, while the baseline urgency in the third variation is the criterion for determining whether the evacuation urgency is low. Therefore, in particular, when the evacuation urgency has three or more stages, the baseline urgency in the first or second variation and the baseline urgency in the third variation can be different.

[0056] Next, refer to Figures 3-6The flowcharts illustrate the operation of the elevator system in this embodiment. Furthermore, in these flowcharts, "robot" refers to the autonomous mobile body 20, "robot evacuation vehicle" refers to the car 10 used for evacuation within the autonomous mobile body 20, "number of robot evacuation vehicles" refers to the first number mentioned above, "evacuee" refers to a person needing to take refuge in the building, and "person evacuation vehicle" refers to the car 10 used for person evacuation.

[0057] First of all, Figure 3 In step S1 of the flowchart, the disaster information acquisition unit 111 of the control device 100 obtains information related to the occurrence of a disaster in the building from the external server 300. In the next step S2, the control device 100 determines, based on the disaster-related information obtained in step S1, whether a disaster has occurred in the building or whether a disaster is anticipated. If no disaster has occurred in the building and no disaster is anticipated, the control device 100 returns to step S1 and continues processing. On the other hand, if a disaster has occurred in the building or a disaster is anticipated, the control device 100 then proceeds to step S3.

[0058] In step S3, the evacuation urgency determination unit 112 of the control device 100 determines the evacuation urgency of the disaster based on the information related to the occurrence of the disaster obtained in step S1. Furthermore, if the evacuation urgency is high, i.e., the evacuation urgency is "high", the elevator system begins the emergency robot evacuation operation in step S4. On the other hand, if the evacuation urgency is low, i.e., the evacuation urgency is "low", the elevator system begins the normal robot evacuation operation in step S5.

[0059] Figure 4 The flowchart shows that in Figure 3 The processing in step S4 is an example of applying the first variation described above in the processing related to robot evacuation operations during emergencies. In this case, when an emergency robot evacuation operation begins, firstly, in step S101, the evacuation planning unit 113 of the control device 100 determines the evacuation floor based on information (especially the type of disaster) related to the occurrence of a disaster in the building obtained by the disaster information acquisition unit 111. In the next step S102, the evacuation planning unit 113 obtains information on autonomous mobile bodies 20 that have retreated to the evacuation floor from the mobile body management server 200. After step S102, the control device 100 then proceeds to the processing in step S103.

[0060] In step S103, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines whether there are any remaining autonomous mobile bodies 20 requiring evacuation based on the information obtained in step S102. If no remaining autonomous mobile bodies 20 require evacuation, the robot evacuation operation in the emergency ends. On the other hand, if there are remaining autonomous mobile bodies 20 requiring evacuation, the control device 100 then proceeds to step S104.

[0061] In step S104, the elevator utilization rate acquisition unit 114 of the control device 100 acquires the elevator utilization rate by people. In the next step S105, it is determined whether it can be considered that the elevator utilization rate by people acquired in step S104 is less than a fixed value and that the evacuation of people in the building has been completed, that is, whether the utilization rate is less than the aforementioned benchmark utilization rate. If the utilization rate is not less than the benchmark utilization rate, the control device 100 then proceeds to step S106.

[0062] In step S106, the evacuation planning unit 113 sets the number of robot evacuation units, i.e., the first number, to 0. After step S106, the control device 100 returns to step S104 and continues processing. On the other hand, if the utilization rate is less than the baseline utilization rate in step S105, the control device 100 then proceeds to step S107. In step S107, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines whether the number of robot evacuation units, i.e., the first number, is an upper limit value. Here, the upper limit value of the number of robot evacuation units (the first number) is preset to be less than or equal to the total number of elevator cars 10 in the building. If the number of robot evacuation units (the first number) is not an upper limit value, the control device 100 then proceeds to step S108.

[0063] In step S108, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines whether a certain amount of time has elapsed since the last time the number of robot evacuation units (number 1) was increased, i.e., since the processing of step S109, which will be described next. If a certain amount of time has elapsed since the last time the number of robot evacuation units (number 1) was increased, the control device 100 then proceeds to the processing of step S109.

[0064] In step S109, the evacuation planning unit 113 increases the number of robot evacuation units (the first number) by one. Thus, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines the number of robot evacuation units (the first number) and formulates an evacuation plan. After step S109, the control device 100 proceeds to step S110. Furthermore, if the number of robot evacuation units is the upper limit in step S107, or if no certain time has elapsed since the last increase in the number of robot evacuation units (the first number) in step S108, the control device 100 will proceed to step S110 without performing step S109.

[0065] In step S110, the elevator control unit 120 controls the car 10 according to the evacuation plan formulated by the evacuation planning unit 113. That is, the elevator control unit 120 allocates the elevator car 10 of the robot evacuation number (the first number) to the autonomous mobile body 20. After step S110, the control device 100 then performs the processing of step S111.

[0066] In step S111, the mobile body management server 200 controls the autonomous mobile body 20 according to the evacuation plan formulated by the evacuation planning unit 113. That is, the mobile body management server 200 sends a command to the autonomous mobile body 20 that needs to evacuate, causing the elevator car 10 allocated in step S110 to retreat to the evacuation floor. Then, the autonomous mobile body 20 that receives the command boards the elevator car 10 allocated in step S110. In the next step S112, when the elevator car 10 carried by the autonomous mobile body 20 arrives at the evacuation floor, the autonomous mobile body 20 disembarks from the elevator car 10 at the evacuation floor. After step S112, the control device 100 returns to step S103 and continues processing, repeating steps S103 to S112 until the evacuation of all autonomous mobile bodies 20 that need to evacuate is completed.

[0067] According to this Figure 4 The flowchart illustrates an example of the operation where, if elevator utilization is high, it is assumed that there are still people inside the building who have not completed evacuation, so the first elevator number is set to 0, and evacuation using the autonomous mobile vehicle 20 is not initiated. Then, after elevator utilization has sufficiently decreased, the first elevator number is increased, and evacuation using the autonomous mobile vehicle 20 begins. Furthermore, even after evacuation using the autonomous mobile vehicle 20 has begun, if elevator utilization exceeds the baseline utilization rate, the first elevator number is again set to 0, temporarily suspending evacuation using the autonomous mobile vehicle 20 to prioritize human evacuation. Therefore, in situations where the urgency of human evacuation during a disaster is high, priority can be given to evacuating people using elevators, ensuring human evacuation and protection. Then, after evacuation using the autonomous mobile vehicle 20 begins, the first elevator number is increased in stages over time, thereby enabling rapid evacuation and protection of the autonomous mobile vehicle 20. In addition, an upper limit is set for the number of elevators, so that even if there are people who have not completed evacuation after the start of evacuation of the autonomous moving body 20 based on the elevator, the evacuation car 10 can be immediately dispatched to people.

[0068] Figure 5 The flowchart shows that in Figure 3The processing in step S4 is an example of applying the second variation described above in the processing related to robot evacuation operations during emergencies. In this case, when the robot evacuation operation during an emergency begins, firstly, in step S201, the evacuation planning unit 113 of the control device 100 determines the evacuation floor based on information (especially the type of disaster) related to the occurrence of a disaster in the building obtained by the disaster information acquisition unit 111. In the next step S202, the evacuation planning unit 113 obtains information on autonomous mobile bodies 20 that have retreated to the evacuation floor from the mobile body management server 200. After step S202, the control device 100 then proceeds to the processing in step S203.

[0069] In step S203, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines whether there are any remaining autonomous mobile bodies 20 requiring evacuation based on the information obtained in step S202. If no remaining autonomous mobile bodies 20 require evacuation, the emergency robot evacuation operation ends. On the other hand, if there are remaining autonomous mobile bodies 20 requiring evacuation, the control device 100 then proceeds to step S204.

[0070] In step S204, the building occupancy acquisition unit 115 of the control device 100 acquires the number of remaining evacuees from the building system 400. In the next step S205, the evacuation planning unit 113 calculates, based on the number of remaining evacuees acquired in step S204, the number of elevator cars 10 that can be deployed to the remaining evacuees without waiting time, i.e., the aforementioned second number of cars. Then, the calculated second number of elevator cars 10 are designated as evacuation vehicles. After step S205, the control device 100 proceeds to step S206.

[0071] In step S206, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines whether the total number of human evacuation machines and robot evacuation machines (i.e., the sum of the first and second machines) is greater than or equal to the total number of elevator cars 10 in the building. If the total number of human evacuation machines and robot evacuation machines (the sum of the first and second machines) is greater than or equal to the total number of elevator cars 10 in the building, the control device 100 then proceeds to step S207.

[0072] In step S207, the evacuation planning unit 113 reduces the number of robot evacuation vehicles, i.e., the first number mentioned above, by one. After step S207, the control device 100 returns to step S206 and continues processing. On the other hand, if in step S206 the total number of human evacuation vehicles and robot evacuation vehicles (the sum of the first and second numbers) is not greater than the total number of elevator cars 10 in the building, the control device 100 then proceeds to step S208.

[0073] In step S208, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines whether a certain amount of time has elapsed since the last time the number of robot evacuation units (number 1) was increased, i.e., since the processing of step S209, which will be described next. If a certain amount of time has elapsed since the last time the number of robot evacuation units (number 1) was increased, the control device 100 then proceeds to the processing of step S209.

[0074] In step S209, the evacuation planning unit 113 increases the number of robot evacuation units (the first number) by one. Thus, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines the number of robot evacuation units (the first number) and formulates an evacuation plan. After step S209, the control device 100 proceeds to step S210. Furthermore, if no time has elapsed since the last increase in the number of robot evacuation units (the first number) in step S208, the control device 100 will proceed to step S210 without performing step S209.

[0075] In step S210, the elevator control unit 120 controls the car 10 according to the evacuation plan formulated by the evacuation planning unit 113. That is, the elevator control unit 120 allocates the elevator car 10 of the robot evacuation number (the first number) to the autonomous mobile body 20. After step S210, the control device 100 then performs the processing of step S211.

[0076] In step S211, the mobile body management server 200 controls the autonomous mobile body 20 according to the evacuation plan formulated by the evacuation planning unit 113. That is, the mobile body management server 200 sends a command to the autonomous mobile body 20 that needs to evacuate, causing the elevator car 10 allocated in step S210 to retreat to the evacuation floor. Then, the autonomous mobile body 20 that receives the command boards the elevator car 10 allocated in step S210. In the next step S212, when the elevator car 10 carried by the autonomous mobile body 20 arrives at the evacuation floor, the autonomous mobile body 20 disembarks from the elevator car 10 at the evacuation floor. After step S212, the control device 100 returns to step S203 and continues processing, repeating steps S203 to S212 until the evacuation of all autonomous mobile bodies 20 that need to evacuate is completed.

[0077] In such Figure 5In the flowchart shown in the example, the evacuation planning unit 113 simulates evacuation using elevators. If an evacuee registers for elevator access, the unit calculates the waiting time until elevators are allocated to each floor. Then, evacuation using the autonomous mobile unit 20 is not implemented until the waiting time for all floors reaches zero. Therefore, in situations where the urgency of evacuation is high during a disaster, priority can be given to elevator evacuation, ensuring evacuation and protection. Furthermore, within the range where the evacuee's elevator waiting time is zero, more elevator cars 10 can be used for evacuation using the autonomous mobile unit 20, and the number of cars can be increased incrementally over time after the start of elevator-based autonomous mobile unit 20 evacuation, thereby enabling rapid evacuation and protection of the autonomous mobile unit 20. Additionally, an upper limit is set for the number of cars, so that even if there are people who have not completed evacuation after the start of elevator-based autonomous mobile unit 20 evacuation, evacuation cars 10 can be allocated immediately.

[0078] Figure 6 The flowchart shows Figure 3 Step S5 is an example of processing related to normal robot evacuation operations. When a normal robot evacuation operation begins, firstly, in step S301, the evacuation planning unit 113 of the control device 100 determines the evacuation floor based on information (especially the type of disaster) related to the occurrence of a disaster in the building obtained by the disaster information acquisition unit 111. In the next step S302, the evacuation planning unit 113 obtains the predicted time of disaster occurrence, information related to the occurrence of a disaster in the building obtained by the disaster information acquisition unit 111. Then, in the following step S303, the evacuation planning unit 113 obtains information from the mobile body management server 200 regarding the autonomous mobile bodies 20 that have retreated to the evacuation floor. After step S303, the control device 100 proceeds to step S304.

[0079] In step S304, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines whether there are any remaining autonomous mobile bodies 20 requiring evacuation based on the information obtained in step S303. If no remaining autonomous mobile bodies 20 require evacuation, the normal robot evacuation operation ends. On the other hand, if there are remaining autonomous mobile bodies 20 requiring evacuation, the control device 100 then proceeds to step S305.

[0080] In step S305, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines whether the number of robot evacuation units, i.e., the first number mentioned above, is at the upper limit. Furthermore, as described above, the upper limit for the number of robot evacuation units (the first number) is preset to be less than or equal to the total number of elevator cars 10 in the building. If the number of robot evacuation units (the first number) does not reach the upper limit, the control device 100 then proceeds to step S306.

[0081] In step S306, the evacuation planning unit 113 increases the number of robot evacuation units (the first number) by one. In the next step S307, the evacuation planning unit 113 obtains information on the operating status of the elevator cars 10 in the building from the elevator control unit 120. Then, based on the operating status of the elevator cars 10, the evacuation planning unit 113 uses all the robot evacuation units (the first number of cars 10) to calculate the time until all the autonomous mobile bodies 20 requiring evacuation have completed their evacuation. After step S307, the control device 100 proceeds to step S308.

[0082] In step S308, the evacuation planning unit 113 compares the time calculated in step S302 until the autonomous mobile body 20 completes evacuation with the anticipated disaster occurrence time obtained in step S302, and determines whether the autonomous mobile body 20 has completed evacuation before the anticipated disaster occurrence time. If the autonomous mobile body 20 has not completed evacuation before the anticipated disaster occurrence time, the control device 100 returns to step S305 and continues processing. On the other hand, if the autonomous mobile body 20 has completed evacuation before the anticipated disaster occurrence time, the evacuation planning unit 113 determines the robot evacuation number (number 1) at the current time and completes the evacuation plan. Then, the control device 100 proceeds to step S309.

[0083] Furthermore, if the number of robot evacuation units (the first unit) reaches the upper limit in step S305, the evacuation planning unit 113 sets the number of robot evacuation units (the first unit) to the upper limit and completes the evacuation plan. Then, in this case, the control device 100 skips the processing of steps S306 to S308 and proceeds to the processing of step S309.

[0084] In step S309, the elevator control unit 120 controls the car 10 according to the evacuation plan formulated by the evacuation planning unit 113. That is, the elevator control unit 120 allocates the elevator car 10 of the robot evacuation number (the first number) to the autonomous mobile body 20. After step S309, the control device 100 then performs the processing of step S310.

[0085] In step S310, the mobility management server 200 controls the autonomous mobility body 20 according to the evacuation plan formulated by the evacuation planning unit 113. Specifically, the mobility management server 200 sends a command to the autonomous mobility body 20 that needs evacuation, causing the elevator car 10 allocated in step S309 to retreat to the evacuation floor. Then, the autonomous mobility body 20 receiving the command boards the elevator car 10 allocated in step S309. In the next step S311, when the elevator car 10 carrying the autonomous mobility body 20 arrives at the evacuation floor, the autonomous mobility body 20 disembarks from the elevator car 10 at the evacuation floor. After step S311, the control device 100 returns to step S304 and continues processing, repeating steps S304 to S311 until the evacuation of all autonomous mobility bodies 20 that need evacuation is completed.

[0086] According to this Figure 6 The flowchart illustrates an example of the operation where, in the evacuation of the autonomous mobile body 20, the minimum number of elevator cars 10 capable of completing the evacuation of the autonomous mobile body 20 before the anticipated moment of the disaster occurs are used. Therefore, evacuation and protection of the autonomous mobile body 20 can be achieved, and people can also use the elevator for evacuation. Furthermore, an upper limit is set for the first number of cars, so that even if there are people who have not completed evacuation after the start of elevator-based evacuation of the autonomous mobile body 20, evacuation cars 10 can be immediately allocated to them.

[0087] In this embodiment of the elevator system, if the elevator capacity of the building is insufficient for the autonomous mobile body 20 to evacuate, the autonomous mobile body 20 can be instructed to use an elevator in a different building for evacuation. Furthermore, "different building" refers to a building that the autonomous mobile body 20 can enter and exit via, for example, a lobby floor or connecting passageway. Additionally, in cases of disasters such as floods or tsunamis where evacuation to higher ground is necessary, the autonomous mobile body 20 can move from the building via ground-level structures, and may also be located in other buildings.

[0088] In this situation, the evacuation planning unit 113 estimates a grace period until the autonomous mobile body 20 inside the building suffers damage caused by the disaster. This grace period estimation can be performed as described above. The evacuation planning unit 113 determines whether the elevator capacity of the building is insufficient to complete the evacuation of the autonomous mobile body 20 inside the building before the estimated grace period expires. Then, if the elevator capacity is insufficient, the evacuation planning unit 113 uses an elevator from a different building to formulate an evacuation plan for the autonomous mobile body 20.

[0089] The mobility management server 200 controls the actions of the autonomous mobile body 20 according to the evacuation plan formulated by the evacuation planning department 113. Specifically, the mobility management server 200 notifies the autonomous mobile body 20 to use an elevator in a building different from the one in question for evacuation. Then, based on the notification from the mobility management server 200, the autonomous mobile body 20 moves from one building to another and uses the elevator in that other building for evacuation. In this case, the mobility management server 200 functions as a notification unit that, if the elevator capacity of the building is insufficient to complete the evacuation of the autonomous mobile body 20 within the building before the aforementioned grace period, it notifies the autonomous mobile body 20 to use an elevator in a building different from the one in question for evacuation. Therefore, if the autonomous mobile body 20 is unable to evacuate in time before a disaster occurs solely by using the elevator in that building, the likelihood of the autonomous mobile body 20 suffering damage due to the disaster can be reduced.

[0090] Figure 7 This figure illustrates an example of the structure for implementing the respective functions of the control device 100 and the mobility management server 200 in this embodiment. The functions of the control device 100 and the mobility management server 200 are implemented, for example, by a processing circuit. The processing circuit may also have a processor 101 and a memory 102. The processing circuit may also be dedicated hardware 103. A portion of the processing circuit is formed as dedicated hardware 103, and this processing circuit may also also have a processor 101 and a memory 102. In the example shown in this figure, a portion of the processing circuit is formed as dedicated hardware 103. Furthermore, in the example shown in this figure, the processing circuit also has a processor 101 and a memory 102.

[0091] A portion of the processing circuitry, consisting of at least one dedicated hardware component 103, may be a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmable processor, a parallel programmable processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof. When the processing circuitry has at least one processor 101 and at least one memory 102, the functions of the control device 100 and the mobility management server 200 are implemented through software, firmware, or a combination of both.

[0092] Software and firmware are described as programs and stored in memory 102. Processor 101 reads and executes the programs stored in memory 102 to implement the functions of each part. Processor 101 is also called CPU (Central Processing Unit), central processing unit, processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP. Memory 102 is, for example, non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, and EEPROM, or disks, floppy disks, optical disks, compact disks, mini disks, and DVDs.

[0093] In this way, the processing circuits of the control device 100 and the mobility management server 200 can implement their respective functions through hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. When the processing circuits of the control device 100 and the mobility management server 200 each have at least a processor 101 and a memory 102, the hardware and software of the control device 100 and the mobility management server 200 cooperate to execute the program stored in the memory 102, thereby realizing the functions of each component of the control device 100 and the mobility management server 200. Furthermore, the elevator system is not limited to a structure controlled by a single control device 100. The elevator system can also be controlled by the cooperation of multiple devices.

[0094] The elevator system control method of the present invention includes: a disaster information acquisition step, which acquires information related to the occurrence of a disaster in a building where an elevator is installed; an evacuation urgency determination step, which determines the urgency of evacuation of people in the building during a disaster based on the information related to the occurrence of the disaster; an evacuation planning step, which determines the number of elevator cars 10, i.e., the first number, to be used for evacuation of autonomous mobile bodies 20 in the building during a disaster based on the urgency of evacuation of people in the building; and a control step, which controls the elevator cars 10 so that the first number of elevator cars 10 are used for evacuation of autonomous mobile bodies 20 in the building during a disaster.

[0095] Furthermore, the program of the present invention is used to cause the computer of the control device 100 to execute the above-described elevator system control method. Moreover, the recording medium of the present invention stores such a program, which can be read by the computer of the control device 100.

[0096] Furthermore, in this invention, various embodiments, structural examples, and modifications can be combined arbitrarily without departing from the spirit of the invention. Hereinafter, examples of various aspects of the invention are summarized as appendices.

[0097] [Postscript 1]

[0098] An elevator system, wherein the elevator system has:

[0099] The Disaster Information Acquisition Department acquires information related to the occurrence of disasters in buildings equipped with elevators;

[0100] The evacuation urgency determination unit determines the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building during the disaster based on information related to the occurrence of the disaster.

[0101] The evacuation planning department, based on the urgency of the evacuation of people within the building, determines the number of elevator cars (i.e., the first elevator) to be used for the evacuation of autonomous mobile entities within the building during the disaster; and

[0102] A control unit controls the car so that the first number of cars are used for evacuation of autonomous mobile bodies within the building during the disaster.

[0103] [Postscript 2]

[0104] According to the elevator system described in Appendix 1, wherein,

[0105] The elevator system also includes a utilization rate acquisition unit, which acquires the utilization rate of the elevator by people inside the building.

[0106] When the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building is above a pre-set baseline urgency, the evacuation planning department determines the first number of elevators based on the elevator utilization rate.

[0107] [Postscript 3]

[0108] According to the elevator system described in Appendix 2, wherein,

[0109] When the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building is higher than the baseline urgency, the evacuation planning department increases the number of elevators in stages after the utilization rate of the elevator is lower than the preset baseline utilization rate.

[0110] [Postscript 4]

[0111] According to the elevator system described in Appendix 1, wherein,

[0112] If the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building is higher than a pre-set baseline urgency, the evacuation planning department determines the first number of units based on the number of people remaining inside the building.

[0113] [Postscript 5]

[0114] According to the elevator system described in Appendix 4, wherein...

[0115] When the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building is higher than the baseline urgency, the evacuation planning department calculates, based on the number of people remaining in the building, the number of elevator cars required to enable those remaining in the building to evacuate using the elevator without waiting time, i.e., the second number of cars. The first number of cars is determined by subtracting the second number of cars from the total number of cars in the elevator.

[0116] [Postscript 6]

[0117] According to any one of the appendices 1 to 5, the elevator system wherein,

[0118] If the urgency of evacuation of people in the building is less than a pre-set baseline urgency, the evacuation planning department estimates a grace period until the autonomous mobile vehicles in the building suffer damage caused by the disaster, and determines the minimum number of autonomous mobile vehicles that can be evacuated before the grace period expires as the first number.

[0119] [Postscript 7]

[0120] According to any one of the appendices 1 to 6, the elevator system wherein,

[0121] The evacuation planning department estimates a grace period until autonomous mobile entities within the building suffer damage caused by the disaster.

[0122] The elevator system also has a notification unit that, if the elevator's carrying capacity in the building is insufficient to complete the evacuation of the autonomous mobile body within the building before the grace period has elapsed, the notification unit notifies the autonomous mobile body to use an elevator in a different building for evacuation.

[0123] [Postscript 8]

[0124] A control method for an elevator system, wherein the control method for the elevator system comprises:

[0125] The steps for obtaining disaster information are to acquire information related to the occurrence of disasters in buildings equipped with elevators;

[0126] The urgency determination step involves determining the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building during the disaster based on information related to the occurrence of the disaster.

[0127] The evacuation plan steps include determining, based on the urgency of the evacuation of people inside the building, the number of elevator cars (i.e., the first elevator) to be used for the evacuation of autonomous mobile entities within the building during the disaster; and...

[0128] The control step involves controlling the car so that the first number of cars are used for evacuation of the autonomous mobile body within the building during the disaster.

[0129] [Postscript 9]

[0130] A program, wherein the program is used to cause a computer to execute the control method of the elevator system described in Appendix 8.

Claims

1. An elevator system, wherein, This elevator system has the following features: The Disaster Information Acquisition Department acquires information related to the occurrence of disasters in buildings equipped with elevators; The evacuation urgency determination unit determines the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building during the disaster based on information related to the occurrence of the disaster. The evacuation planning department, based on the urgency of the evacuation of people within the building, determines the number of elevator cars (i.e., the first elevator) to be used for the evacuation of autonomous mobile entities within the building during the disaster; and A control unit controls the car so that the first number of cars are used for evacuation of autonomous mobile bodies within the building during the disaster.

2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein, The elevator system also includes a utilization rate acquisition unit, which acquires the utilization rate of the elevator by people inside the building. When the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building is above a pre-set baseline urgency, the evacuation planning department determines the first number of elevators based on the elevator utilization rate.

3. The elevator system according to claim 2, wherein, When the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building is higher than the baseline urgency, the evacuation planning department increases the number of elevators in stages after the utilization rate of the elevator is lower than the preset baseline utilization rate.

4. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein, If the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building is higher than a pre-set baseline urgency, the evacuation planning department determines the first number of units based on the number of people remaining inside the building.

5. The elevator system according to claim 4, wherein, When the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building is higher than the baseline urgency, the evacuation planning department calculates, based on the number of people remaining in the building, the number of elevator cars required to enable those remaining in the building to evacuate using the elevator without waiting time, i.e., the second number of cars. The first number of cars is determined by subtracting the second number of cars from the total number of cars in the elevator.

6. The elevator system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, If the urgency of evacuation of people in the building is less than a pre-set baseline urgency, the evacuation planning department estimates a grace period until the autonomous mobile vehicles in the building suffer damage caused by the disaster, and determines the minimum number of autonomous mobile vehicles that can be evacuated before the grace period expires as the first number.

7. The elevator system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The evacuation planning department estimates a grace period until autonomous mobile entities within the building suffer damage caused by the disaster. The elevator system also has a notification unit that, if the elevator's carrying capacity in the building is insufficient to complete the evacuation of the autonomous mobile body within the building before the grace period has elapsed, the notification unit notifies the autonomous mobile body to use an elevator in a different building for evacuation.

8. A control method for an elevator system, wherein, The control method of this elevator system has the following characteristics: The steps for obtaining disaster information are to acquire information related to the occurrence of disasters in buildings equipped with elevators; The urgency determination step involves determining the urgency of evacuation for people inside the building during the disaster based on information related to the occurrence of the disaster. The evacuation plan steps involve determining the number of elevator cars (i.e., the first elevator car) to be used for the evacuation of autonomous mobile bodies within the building during the disaster, based on the urgency of the evacuation of people inside the building. as well as The control step involves controlling the car so that the first number of cars are used for evacuation of the autonomous mobile body within the building during the disaster.

9. A program, wherein, This program is used to enable a computer to execute the control method of the elevator system as described in claim 8.

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