METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MONITORING THE OPERATION OF A PASSENGER CONVEYOR SYSTEM

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for monitoring the operation of one or more passenger conveyor systems and to a device for carrying out this method.

[0002] Passenger conveyor systems such as escalators and moving walkways are used in department stores and large shopping centers, as well as in train stations, subway stations, and airports. In the latter three areas, there can be an increased risk of accidents during rush hour if passengers rushing past other passengers on the passenger conveyor systems. This can cause passengers to fall onto the escalator's step belt or the moving walkway's pallet belt and sustain serious injuries if the step belt or pallet belt is not stopped by an emergency stop. Situations can also arise in which a reduction in speed is more beneficial for the passengers than an emergency stop.

[0003] Video cameras are used to monitor these passenger conveyor systems, whose video sequences are transmitted in real time to screens located in a monitoring room. From the monitoring room, the monitoring personnel usually monitor several passenger conveyor systems, with each group of passenger conveyors being supervised by a single monitor. In addition, the monitor often also monitors and operates the lighting, fire alarms, ventilation, and possibly other equipment such as security gates and the like within their assigned group of passenger conveyor systems.

[0004] This high density of monitoring activities can lead to rapid fatigue of the monitoring personnel and reduced attention. If a critical situation occurs on one of the passenger conveyor systems, the reduced attention can worsen the critical situation and, in severe cases, lead to serious injuries or, in the worst case, death of the affected user.

[0005] To solve the aforementioned problem, monitoring rooms are configured so that critical situations involving users on the conveyor system can be automatically detected by processing motion sequence recordings using image recognition. As soon as a critical situation is detected, the corresponding motion sequence recording is displayed on the monitoring room screen. The motion sequence recording is assigned an identification number, allowing the monitoring personnel to immediately identify which of their group's conveyor systems a critical situation has occurred on.

[0006] Below the screen, an equal number of physical emergency stop switches are arranged, corresponding to the number of monitored conveyors. Each emergency stop switch is connected to the safety circuit of the corresponding conveyor. As soon as a critical situation occurs, the monitoring room personnel must locate and activate the assigned emergency stop switch of the conveyor indicated by the identification number in the movement sequence recording.

[0007] This searching can significantly reduce the emergency response speed, resulting in the monitoring personnel's intervention being delayed. Furthermore, during dramatic scenes on the motion sequence recording, the monitoring room's monitoring personnel may panic and press the wrong emergency stop button, causing an emergency stop of another passenger conveyor that shouldn't have stopped. This does not defuse the critical situation, and users of the stopped passenger conveyor are inconvenienced, as the stopped system cannot be restarted immediately.

[0008] EP 1 013 599 A1, WO 2009 / 152766 A1 and JP 2008 174320 A disclose monitoring systems with image sensors to monitor the operation of escalators and moving walkways.

[0009] In order to solve the problems described above, the object of the present invention is to provide a monitoring system for a passenger transport system which enables the monitoring room personnel to react immediately and adequately to a critical situation in order to prevent a further aggravation of this critical situation.

[0010] This object is achieved by a method for monitoring the operation of a passenger conveyor system configured as an escalator or moving walkway using a monitoring system according to claim 1. The monitoring system comprises a hazard analysis module, an interaction module, a control module, and at least one motion detection module. The motion detection module is directed toward an associated passenger conveyor system and can capture electronically processable motion sequence recordings from it. In other words, one or more motion detection modules are directed toward an associated passenger conveyor system and continuously record the processes or situations currently occurring on the escalator or moving walkway.Video cameras, thermal imaging cameras, laser scanners, TOF cameras, a set of multiple sensors, and the like can be used as motion capture modules, whose motion sequence recordings are accordingly captured in electronically processable form as a video sequence, image sequence, thermal image sequence, etc. When using multiple motion capture modules per passenger conveyor system, each is preferably assigned to a specific section or area, so that not the entire escalator or moving walkway is visible in one of the motion sequence recordings.

[0011] According to the invention, the at least one motion detection module transmits its motion sequence recordings in real time to the interaction module and to the hazard analysis module. The interaction module serves to interact with the monitoring personnel and has at least one screen on which the motion sequence recordings can be displayed or visually represented.

[0012] While the motion sequence recordings are displayed on the screen, these motion sequence recordings are examined in the hazard analysis module using analysis algorithms to identify critical situations for users of the passenger conveyor system. In other words, automated detection processes or analysis methods known from the technical field of monitoring electronics, such as image analysis methods and corresponding algorithms, motion analysis methods and corresponding algorithms, statistical and heuristic evaluation methods, and the like, are used to detect user movements that deviate from normal or are atypical. Depending on the movement sequence of a deviating movement, the hazard analysis module can assume a critical situation. A possible implementation of this automated assessment process is described in more detail below.As soon as a critical situation is detected, the hazard analysis module sends a warning signal to the interaction module.

[0013] Based on the warning signal, the interaction module visually and / or acoustically highlights the motion sequence recording displayed on the screen and associated with the warning signal, and generates a confirmation input field on the screen. Visual highlighting can be achieved by enlarging the motion sequence recording associated with the warning signal on the screen using a zoom function as soon as the warning signal reaches the interaction module. Of course, other visual highlighting options can also be used, such as a yellow or red frame surrounding the motion sequence recording displayed on the screen. Flashing effects for this frame are also possible to draw the maximum attention of the monitoring personnel to the displayed motion sequence recording. Furthermore, acoustic attention to the critical situation can also be drawn by triggering a signal tone in the monitoring room.

[0014] The confirmation input field displayed on the screen is preferably also visually highlighted so that the supervisory personnel on duty can find it immediately. The screen can be a so-called "touchscreen," whose pressure-sensitive surface can detect touches and convert them into input signals. Instead of a touch-sensitive screen, sensors can also be present that scan the screen in a grid pattern and detect the position of a finger on the screen when the finger touches the screen surface. Manually tapping the confirmation input field displayed on the screen triggers the interaction module to send the warning signal to the control module. Based on the transmitted warning signal, the control module influences the operation of the passenger conveyor system for which the critical situation was detected by the hazard analysis module.

[0015] As mentioned above, the hazard analysis module performs an automated process of detecting and assessing critical situations. Deviating movement sequences identified by known analysis methods are extracted from the motion sequence recordings and subsequently assessed. To carry out the assessment process, a set of possible critical situations can be stored in the hazard analysis module. This set includes various atypical movement scenarios that can be compared with the movement sequences extracted from the motion sequence recordings.This set of atypical movement scenarios can be generated, for example, through a machine learning process. Typical critical situations such as falls or reckless actions on the passenger conveyor system are recreated using a dummy or stuntman, recorded, and the extracted movement sequences are added to the set as atypical movement scenarios. Of course, the set can also be supplemented with additional atypical movement scenarios that led to an accident during operation of the passenger conveyor system and were not detected by the hazard analysis module. If there is sufficient agreement between an extracted movement sequence and an atypical movement scenario, the hazard analysis module can assume or determine the existence of a critical situation and send a warning signal to the interaction module.

[0016] Preferably, the various atypical movement scenarios of the set have different weightings in the sense of a hierarchy. Different actions to influence travel operation can be defined according to these weightings. For example, a detected fall of a user can have a very high weighting, and for this high weighting the action defined is an emergency stop, which is initiated immediately when the monitoring personnel taps the confirmation input field. For example, if a user enters the passenger conveyor system against its conveying direction, this critical situation can have a medium weighting, and for this medium weighting the action defined is a very gentle reduction in the conveyor speed, which is initiated after a certain delay when the monitoring personnel taps the confirmation input field.A delay time is appropriate here, as a user walking in the wrong direction may do so inadvertently and turn around as soon as they realize the incorrect direction of travel. Further options for influencing travel operation, such as acoustic and / or visual warnings for the users of the passenger conveyor system, are described below.

[0017] In other words, the driving operation can be influenced based on the weighting, so that, based on the weighting, the control module immediately activates a safety switch on the affected passenger conveyor system and initiates an emergency stop. The control module can also activate a safety switch on the affected passenger conveyor system with a predefined delay time corresponding to the weighting and initiate an emergency stop. Furthermore, with an appropriate weighting, an instruction can also be sent to a controller of the affected passenger conveyor system. This instruction then causes the controller to reduce the travel speed of a conveyor belt on the affected passenger conveyor system according to a predefined deceleration profile.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention, the monitoring system can have multiple motion detection modules that record the motion sequence recordings from at least two different passenger conveyor systems. Each of the motion detection modules can have a code and assigns this code to its motion sequence recordings, or codes its motion sequence recordings accordingly. As soon as the hazard analysis module has detected a critical situation in a motion sequence recording, it can assign the same code to the output warning signal as the motion sequence recording with the critical situation. In the interaction module and / or control module, the motion detection modules are uniquely assigned to the passenger conveyor system they monitor via their codes. Based on a received warning signal, the interaction module visually and / or acoustically highlights only the motion sequence recording belonging to this warning signal.When the confirmation input field is tapped, the warning signal with the code is transmitted to the control module, where the influence on driving operation intended for the warning signal and, if applicable, based on its weighting, is initiated.

[0019] In a further embodiment of the invention and with implemented weighting, the hazard analysis module can send warning signals with the corresponding weighting to the interaction module in immediate succession when multiple critical situations are detected simultaneously. The motion sequence recordings are visually and / or acoustically highlighted one after the other based on their weighting. In other words, the motion sequence recording with the most critical situation is highlighted first. As soon as the monitoring personnel taps the confirmation input field, the motion sequence recording with the second most critical situation is highlighted, and so on.

[0020] Users can often save themselves from critical situations, for example, by just barely holding onto the handrail while falling, thus resolving the critical situation themselves. In such cases, the hazard analysis module may already have identified the user's movement sequences as a critical situation before the user has saved themselves. To account for these circumstances, in a further embodiment of the invention, the interaction module can generate a deletion input field in addition to the confirmation input field based on the warning signal on the screen. The deletion input field can be visually distinct from the confirmation input field so that monitoring personnel do not confuse the two fields.By manually tapping the deletion input field, the interaction module can be triggered to delete the warning signal and remove the associated visual and / or acoustic highlighting of the corresponding movement sequence recording. Pressing the deletion input field does not forward the message to the control module and therefore does not affect the operation of the affected passenger conveyor system.

[0021] In a further development, the confirmation input field and / or the deletion input field can be deleted from the screen after tapping the confirmation input field and / or the deletion input field. This allows the situation on the motion sequence recording to continue to be observed without being partially covered by these fields. This also indicates to the monitoring person that the selected response is being implemented by the monitoring system.

[0022] If there is any doubt that the monitoring person might, despite visual differentiation, in a hurry press the deletion input field instead of the confirmation input field, these doubts can be remedied with a further development. This development provides that immediately after tapping the deletion input field, the associated motion sequence recording is preferentially analyzed in the hazard analysis module for a predetermined period of time. In other words, this motion sequence recording is further examined for critical situations for a predetermined period of time. If the monitoring person mistakenly taps the deletion input field instead of the confirmation input field, the same motion sequence recording immediately "pops up" again along with the deletion input field and the confirmation input field, and the monitoring person can again select how the surveillance system should react.

[0023] In one embodiment of the monitoring system, the screen of the interaction module can be divided into several small screen areas and one large screen area, wherein there is an assigned screen area for each motion detection module and, when a warning signal is received, the interaction module visually displays the motion sequence recording assigned to the warning signal on the large screen area.

[0024] In a further embodiment, the interaction module can have a central screen and additional screens arranged in its immediate vicinity. Each motion detection module has an associated screen. Upon receiving a warning signal, the interaction module visually displays the motion sequence recording associated with the warning signal on the central screen. The central screen preferably has a larger screen area than the additional screens.

[0025] In a further embodiment, when a warning signal is present, the interaction module can issue an acoustic and / or visual warning to the users of the passenger conveyor system via an output module. The output module is arranged in the area of ​​the passenger conveyor system to which the warning signal is assigned. In other words, each passenger conveyor system is assigned at least one output module, which is operated depending on the coding of the warning signal. This output module is preferably directed towards the passenger conveyor system in such a way that the acoustic warning only addresses the users of this passenger conveyor system or individual users, and not the entire surrounding area. The output module can be a loudspeaker, a loudspeaker system, a screen display, a projector for two-dimensional representations or holograms, and the like.The most effective approach is a combination of audible and visual warnings. The warnings issued can be tailored to the critical situation in question and its resolution, so that if an emergency stop is initiated, other users are warned before the emergency stop is initiated. Ideally, a set of different warnings is available, from which a warning appropriate for the critical situation is automatically selected, for example, based on the weighting described above, and issued via the output module.

[0026] Dividing the screen into multiple screen areas or arranging multiple screens allows monitoring personnel to view the motion sequence recordings from all motion capture modules in real time, allowing them to detect even undetected critical situations. In this case, the monitoring person can tap the small screen area or screen where the critical situation is visible. The motion sequence recording is immediately displayed on the large screen area or screen, along with the confirmation input field and, if applicable, the deletion input field. In this situation, a warning signal is generated in the interaction module. This signal contains the coding of the assigned motion capture module and an instruction to initiate an emergency stop.When the confirmation input field is tapped, the warning signal is forwarded to the control module, which immediately initiates the emergency stop of the affected passenger conveyor system.

[0027] Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereby neither the drawings nor the description are to be interpreted as limiting the invention. Identical or equivalent features have the same reference numerals. They show: Figure 1: a passenger conveyor system in three-dimensional view, the operation of which is to be monitored, and a monitoring system for monitoring this passenger conveyor system; Figure 2: several passenger conveyor systems in three-dimensional view, the operation of which is to be monitored, and the monitoring system adapted to monitor several passenger conveyor systems. Figure 1 .

[0028] The Figure 1shows a monitoring system 1 for a passenger conveyor system 51. The monitoring system 1 comprises a hazard analysis module 11, an interaction module 21, a control module 31, and two motion detection modules 41, 42. The aforementioned modules 11, 21, 31, 41, 42 are connected to one another via a data network 3. The design of the data network 3 is not shown in detail, as it can be set up in a variety of ways, such as via a local wired and / or wireless data network 3, via internet connections to a data cloud 5, via CAN bus systems, Bluetooth connections, and the like. What is relevant to the invention is only that the individual modules 11, 21, 31, 41, 42 can exchange data with each other, whereby this data exchange between the individual modules 11, 21, 31, 41, 42 can be unidirectional or bidirectional as required.The most important connections of the data network 3 are symbolically represented by arrows. It should also be noted that at least the hazard analysis module 11, possibly also a computing unit 29 of the interaction module 21 and / or the control module 31 and their data storage can be implemented in the data cloud 5.

[0029] The two motion detection modules 41, 42 are directed toward the associated passenger conveyor system 51. Of course, only one motion detection module may be present if the conveying area 53 of the passenger conveyor system 51 is not too long and a single motion detection module 41, 42 is sufficient to survey or detect the entire conveying area 53 of the passenger conveyor system 51, its balustrades 54, 55, and its two access areas 56, 57.

[0030] The motion detection module 41, 42 can capture electronically processable motion sequence recordings 441, 442 of situations occurring on the associated passenger conveyor system 51. This can also include the immediate surroundings of the passenger conveyor system 51. This immediate surroundings include, for example, the areas of the structure (not shown) in front of the access areas 56, 57 in which the passenger conveyor system 51 is installed. The areas in front of the structure are also referred to as vestibules and may be monitored by proximity sensors of the passenger conveyor system 51, which transmit their detection data to an automatic start / stop system of the passenger conveyor system 51.

[0031] Video cameras, thermal imaging cameras, laser scanners, TOF cameras, a combination of several sensors and the like can be used as motion detection modules 41, 42, wherein their motion sequence recordings 441, 442 are accordingly recorded as a video sequence, image sequence, thermal image sequence, etc. in electronically processable form. When using several motion detection modules 41, 42 per passenger conveyor system 51, each motion detection module 41, 42 is assigned a specific section or area (see Figure 2 ). These areas preferably overlap so that there are no monitoring gaps in which critical situations 101 of users 102 can occur without being observed.

[0032] In order to efficiently and safely monitor the operation of the passenger conveyor system 51, the motion detection modules 41, 42 transmit their motion sequence recordings 441, 442 in real time in parallel to the interaction module 21 and to the hazard analysis module 11.

[0033] The motion sequence recordings 441, 442 of the two motion detection modules 41, 42 are also displayed side by side on a screen 22 of the interaction module 21, so that a monitoring person (not shown) of the monitoring personnel can view the entire travel operation F of the passenger conveyor system 51 in real time. In the present embodiment, the screen 22 is divided into several small screen areas 24, 25, 26 and a large screen area 23. For the motion sequence recordings 441, 442 of each motion detection module 41, 42, an associated small screen area 24, 25 is provided. As shown in the Figure 1As shown, a further small screen area 26 is defined in which, for example, operating data of the monitored passenger conveyor system, ventilation, fire monitoring and the like can be displayed.

[0034] Parallel to the display on screen 22 of interaction module 21, the motion sequence recordings 441, 442 are examined in the hazard analysis module 11 using analysis algorithms to identify critical situations for users 101 of the passenger conveyor system 51. These analysis algorithms are based, for example, on known image processing techniques that are optimized and applied in self-learning processes using artificial intelligence in neural networks. A common image processing technique for generating information from an image is, for example, the calculation of a histogram, which provides information about the statistical brightness distribution in the image. Such a histogram can serve, for example, as a configuration for further image processing steps or as information for a human user of a software. Other calculable information about an image includes, for example, its entropy or average brightness.Based on this information, vector analyses can be performed to determine how individual prominent points shift relative to one another, and conclusions can be drawn from this regarding movement scenarios of users 102. Once a movement sequence of a user 101 has been extracted, for example, as a skeletal movement sequence, and their movements have been recognized, it can be compared with a stored set of possible critical situations that represent possible critical situations 101 as atypical movement scenarios 15. Of course, instead of the method described above, other analysis techniques and methods known from the technical field of video surveillance can also be used to extract movement sequences of users 101 from the motion sequence recordings 441, 442.

[0035] As the example shows, the motion detection module 42, located further back with respect to the viewing plane, has recorded a motion sequence recording 442 with a critical situation 101 and sent it to the hazard analysis module 11. There, the critical situation is identified through extraction and comparison, and a warning signal 13 is sent from the hazard analysis module 11 to the interaction module 21. When the interaction module 21 receives this warning signal 13, the motion sequence recording 442 associated with the warning signal 13 is visually displayed on the large screen area 23.

[0036] As mentioned above, in the illustrated embodiment the Figure 1Small screen areas 24, 25 are defined according to the number of motion detection modules 41, 42, so that the motion sequence recording 442 displayed on the large screen area 23 is also shown in parallel on the associated small screen area 25. Of course, the screen layout of the interaction module 21 can also be selected such that the number of small screen areas 24, 25, 26 is one area less than the number of motion detection modules 41, 42, so that the motion sequence recording 441, 442 in which a critical situation 101 was last detected always continues to run on the large screen area 23. As soon as a warning signal 13 is sent to the interaction module 21 again, the corresponding motion sequence recording 441, 442 swaps places, or screen areas, with the motion sequence recording 441, 442 displayed on the large screen area 23.

[0037] Since the interaction module 21, due to the warning signal 13, also displays the motion sequence recording 441, 442 displayed on a small screen area 24, 25, 26 on a larger screen area 23, this is visually highlighted. Of course, this can be additionally highlighted, for example, by a flashing red or yellow border. Furthermore, the attention of the monitoring personnel can also be increased acoustically, for example, by defined signal tones 27. Other display layouts are also possible, for example, by zooming in on the corresponding small screen area 24, 25, 26 when a warning signal 13 is triggered, instead of a permanently present large screen area 23.

[0038] Since a critical situation 101 is usually a dynamic process, it is quite possible that it is first recorded in the motion sequence recording 442 of the motion detection module 42 arranged further back with respect to the viewing plane, and then in the motion sequence recording 441 of the motion detection module 41 arranged further forward. Since both motion sequence recordings 441, 442 are analyzed simultaneously by the hazard analysis module 11, corresponding warning signals 13, which have different codings, are transmitted one after the other to the interaction module. A processing unit 29 of the interaction module 21 implements logic that automatically switches the motion sequence recording 441, 442 displayed in the large screen area 23 according to the order of the warning signals 13.

[0039] The interaction module 21 not only highlights the corresponding movement sequence recording 441, 442, but also generates a confirmation input field 28 on the screen 22. Manually tapping the confirmation input field 28 causes the interaction module 21 to send the warning signal 13 to the control module 31. Based on the transmitted warning signal 13, the control module 31 influences the travel operation F of the passenger conveyor system 51. If the monitoring personnel recognizes from the highlighted movement sequence recording 441, 442 that the user 102 affected by the critical situation 101 can or has defused it themselves, they do not need to tap the confirmation input field 28, and the travel operation F is not influenced.

[0040] In other words, a set of possible critical situations 101 can be stored in the hazard analysis module 11. The set can include various atypical movement scenarios 15 with which movement sequences extracted from the movement sequence recordings 441, 442 are compared. If there is a sufficient match between an extracted movement sequence and an atypical movement scenario 15, the presence of a critical situation 101 is assumed and the warning signal 13 is sent to the interaction module 21. Depending on the detected movement scenario 15, different actions can be provided for influencing the travel operation F of the passenger conveyor system 51. For this purpose, a set of instructions 17 is stored in the hazard analysis module 11. The instructions 17 of the action to be performed can be sent from the hazard analysis module 11, depending on the detected critical situation 101, together with the warning signal 13 to the interaction module 21.When the confirmation input field 28 is tapped, the instructions 17 to be executed are sent to the control module 31 together with the warning signal 13.

[0041] Of course, it is also possible for the warning signal 13 to contain a weighting, which calls up instructions 17 stored in the interaction module 21 and corresponding to the weighting and sends them to the control module 31 together with the warning signal 13 when the confirmation input field 28 is tapped. The atypical movement scenarios 15, their weighting and the associated instructions 17 for influencing the travel operation F of the passenger conveyor system 51 are described below in connection with the Figure 2 described in more detail.

[0042] In Figure 1An example is shown of a user 102 of the passenger conveyor system 51 stumbling and falling in its conveyor area 53. The motion detection module 42 records this critical situation 101 in its motion sequence recording 442 and sends it, symbolically represented by the arrows, to the interaction module 21, where it is displayed in the small screen area 25 provided for this purpose. In parallel, the same motion sequence recording 442 is also sent to the hazard analysis module 11. The movement sequence of the user 102 is extracted from the motion sequence recording 442 using image processing methods and compared with the set of atypical movement scenarios 15 stored in the hazard analysis module 11.Since the extracted movement sequence sufficiently matches one of the atypical movement scenarios 15, which defines a stumble, the hazard analysis module 11 sends a warning signal 13 together with the associated instruction 17 "Emergency stop" to the interaction module 21. The transmission of the warning signal 13 is represented by a dash-dotted arrow.

[0043] With the transmission of the warning signal 13, the movement sequence recording 442 of the motion detection module 42 is also displayed on the large screen area 23 and together with the confirmation input field 28. As soon as the monitoring personnel taps the confirmation input field 28, the warning signal 13 and the instructions 17 sent by the hazard analysis module 11 are transmitted to the control module 31. The control module 31 opens a switch 33 of a safety circuit 35 of the passenger conveyor system 51, whereupon an emergency stop is immediately initiated by the control system 59 of the passenger conveyor system 51. As the dashed arrow shows, the safety circuit 35 reports the successful opening of the switch 33 back to the control module 31 and from there to the interaction module 21 and displays it in the small screen area 26.

[0044] The double-dotted arrow 37 shows that the control module 31 can also directly access the control system 59 of the passenger conveyor system 51 and transmit instructions 17 to it for influencing the travel operation F. This is the case, for example, when a user 102 enters the passenger conveyor system 51 opposite to the current conveying direction and a reduction in the conveying speed is provided as instruction 17 for this atypical movement scenario 15.

[0045] In the Figure 2 Several passenger conveyor systems 61, 71, 81 are shown in three-dimensional view, whose operation F is to be monitored. For this purpose, the monitoring system 1 of the Figure 1 adapted accordingly. This monitoring system 1 also has a hazard analysis module 11, an interaction module 21, and a control module 31.

[0046] In order to be able to monitor several passenger conveyor systems 61, 71, 81, the monitoring system 1 adapted for this purpose has several motion detection modules 43, 44, 45, 46, 46+n, 46+2n. In the present exemplary embodiment, two passenger conveyor systems 61, 71 designed as escalators are shown in detail. The balustrade sketched with a dashed line symbolizes a multitude of further passenger conveyor systems 81. Each of these passenger conveyor systems 61, 71, 81 is assigned two motion detection modules 43, 44, 45, 46, 46+n, 46+2n, which record movement sequence recordings 443, 444, 445, 446, ... from the driving operation F of "their" passenger conveyor systems 61, 71, 81. Each of the motion capture modules 43, 44, 45, 46, 46+n, 46+2n has a coding 443, 444, 445, 446, ... and encodes its motion sequence recordings 443, 444, 445, 446, ... accordingly. For clarity, the same reference symbol is used for a motion sequence recording 443, 444, 445, 446, ...also used for its coding 443, 444, 445, 446, ...

[0047] As in the example of the Figure 1 are also used in the example of Figure 2 The motion sequence recordings 443, 444, 445, 446, ... are sent in parallel to the hazard analysis module 11 and to the interaction module 21. In the event of a detected critical situation 101A, 101B, 101C, the hazard analysis module 11 assigns the corresponding coding 443, 444, 445, 446, ... to an output warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C and sends it to the interaction module 21, as symbolically indicated by the dot-dash arrow.

[0048] Unlike in the Figure 1 , the monitoring module 21 of the Figure 2a central screen 91 and, arranged in its immediate vicinity, further screens 93 to 96+2n, wherein for each motion detection module 43, 44, 45, 46, 46+n, 46+2n there is an associated screen 93 to 96+2n, which shows their respective motion sequence recordings 443, 444, 445, 446, ... Upon receipt of a warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C, the interaction module 21 visually displays the motion sequence recording 443, 444, 445, 446, ... associated with the warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C on the central screen 91. In order to visually highlight the associated motion sequence recording 443, 444, 445, 446, ..., the central screen 91 has a larger screen area than the other screens 93 to 96+2n.

[0049] Based on the transmitted coding 443, 444, 445, 446, ..., upon receiving a warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C, the interaction module 21 visually and / or acoustically highlights only the motion sequence recording 443, 444, 445, 446, ... associated with this warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C.

[0050] On the Figure 2In the illustrated passenger conveyor systems 61, 71 and in their immediate vicinity, various critical situations 101A to 101C are also shown as examples. A set of possible critical situations is stored in the hazard analysis module 11, corresponding to these critical situations 101A, 101B, 101C. Specifically, the set includes various atypical movement scenarios 15, with which movement sequences extracted from the movement sequence recordings 443, 444, 445, 446, ... are compared. The possible location at which such a critical situation 101A, 101B, 101C can occur can also play a role. An atypical movement scenario 15, which represents a fall in the sloping middle section of an escalator, cannot occur in the same way in the vestibule of the passenger conveyor system 61, 71, 81 or in one of the access areas 56, 57 (see Figure 1) occur. The set of atypical movement scenarios 15 can be generated, for example, through a machine learning process by using a dummy or stuntman to recreate typical critical situations 101A, 101B, 101C, such as falls or careless actions on the passenger conveyor system 61, 71, 81. The movement sequences recorded and extracted in this way can be included in the set as atypical movement scenarios 15. Of course, the set can also be supplemented with further atypical movement scenarios 15 that led to an accident during the operation of the passenger conveyor system 61, 71, 81 and that were not detected by the hazard analysis module 11. If there is sufficient agreement between an extracted movement sequence and an atypical movement scenario 15, the hazard analysis module 11 can assume or determine the existence of a critical situation and send a warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C to the interaction module 21.

[0051] As symbolically represented by differently sized weights 18X, 18Y, 18Z, the various atypical movement scenarios 15 of the set have different weightings 18X, 18Y, 18Z in the sense of a hierarchy. The critical situation 101A recorded by the motion detection module 43 is recognized in the hazard analysis module 11 as a "falling down," and the associated warning signal 13A is assigned the highest weighting 18Z, since continuing the movement F could lead to severe injuries to the fallen user 102A.

[0052] The critical situation 101B recorded by the motion detection module 44 is recognized in the hazard analysis module 11 as "entering in the wrong direction," and the associated warning signal 13B is assigned the lowest weighting 18X. By entering incorrectly, the user 102B does not directly endanger himself, but rather disturbs oncoming users exiting the passenger conveyor system 71.

[0053] The critical situation 101C recorded by the motion detection module 46 is recognized in the hazard analysis module 11 as "entering with a shopping cart," and the associated warning signal 13C is assigned a medium weighting of 18Y. In this case, the user 102C is only in danger when she reaches the rising central section of the passenger conveyor system 61 with her shopping cart.

[0054] Unlike in the Figure 1 , is in the Figure 2A set of instructions 17 is not stored in the hazard analysis module 11, but in a computer unit with a storage medium 29 of the interaction module 21. The instructions 17 can be retrieved according to the weighting 18X, 18Y, 18Z of the warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C and linked to it. Upon tapping the confirmation input field 28, the warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C, provided with the code 443, 444, 445, 446, ... and the instructions 17 to be implemented, is transmitted to the control module 31. The influence on the travel operation F of the passenger conveyor systems 61, 71, 81 is carried out based on the weighting or the instructions 17 assigned to this weighting 18X, 18Y, 18Z.For example, in the critical situation 101A detected by the motion detection module 43, instructions 17 are linked to the warning signal 13A, in which the control module 31 immediately activates a safety switch 33 of the affected passenger conveyor system 71 and initiates an emergency stop.

[0055] In the critical situation 101C detected by the motion detection module 46, instructions 17 are linked to the warning signal 13C, in which the control module 31 activates a safety switch 35 of the affected passenger conveyor system 61 with a predefined delay time T corresponding to the weighting 18Y. This provides sufficient time to warn the user 102C (see below) so that she leaves the anteroom of the passenger conveyor system 61 before reaching its conveying area 63 and a stop is initiated.

[0056] In the critical situation 101B detected by the motion detection module 44, instructions 17 are linked to the warning signal 13B, which, symbolically represented by a four-dotted arrow, are sent via the control module 31 to a controller 73 of the affected passenger conveyor system 71. These instructions 17 cause the controller 73 to reduce the travel speed of a conveyor belt 75 of the affected passenger conveyor system 71 according to a predetermined deceleration profile.

[0057] It goes without saying that if two critical situations 101A, 101B occur simultaneously on the same passenger transport system 71 and warning signals 13A, 13B are forwarded to the control module in quick succession, the instructions 17 with the higher weighting 18Z are preferentially implemented by the control module 31.

[0058] To ensure that the instructions 17 are implemented at the correct passenger conveyor system 61, 71, 81, the codes of the movement sequence recordings 443, 444, 445, 446, ... are stored in a storage medium 37 in the control module 31 and are uniquely assigned to the passenger conveyor systems 61, 71, 81 monitored by them. In other words, the control module 31 can implement the corresponding instructions 17 at the correct passenger conveyor system 61, 71, 81 upon forwarding the warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C.

[0059] Since the monitoring system 1 of the Figure 2If several passenger conveyor systems 61, 71, 81 are monitored, it is quite possible that several critical situations 101A, 101B, 101C occur simultaneously, as shown. In this situation, the hazard analysis module 11 sends warning signals 13A, 13B, 13C with the associated weighting 18X, 18Y, 18Z to the interaction module 21 in immediate succession. The movement sequence recordings 443, 444, 445, 446, ... are now visually and / or acoustically highlighted one after the other on the central screen 91 in the interaction module 21 based on their weighting 18X, 18Y, 18Z, so that the monitoring personnel can always assess the most critical situations 101A, 101B, 101C first.

[0060] This "sequence" can be implemented in different ways. For example, the corresponding motion sequence recording 443, 444, 445, 446, ... can be highlighted for a predetermined period of time before the next motion sequence recording 443, 444, 445, 446, ... is displayed. Switching to the next motion sequence recording 443, 444, 445, 446, ... can also be done by tapping the confirmation input field 28 or the deletion input field 20 described below.

[0061] In the present embodiment of the Figure 2Based on the warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C, the interaction module 21 generates a deletion input field 20 on the screen in addition to the confirmation input field 28. By manually tapping the deletion input field 20, the interaction module 21 is prompted to delete the warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C and to withdraw the associated optical and / or acoustic highlighting of the corresponding movement sequence recording 443, 444, 445, 446, ... or to no longer display it on the central screen 91.

[0062] To prevent accidental or incorrect deletion from leading to serious accidents, immediately after tapping the deletion input field 20, the associated motion sequence recording 443, 444, 445, 446, ... is further analyzed for a predetermined period of time, preferably in the hazard analysis module 11. Since both actuation of the confirmation input field 28 and the deletion input field 20 are registered and processed by the computing unit 29, further analysis of the motion sequence recording 443, 444, 445, 446, ... can be initiated by feedback from the computing unit 29 to the hazard analysis module 11, as symbolically represented by the three-dotted arrow.

[0063] In order to warn users 102A, 102B, 102C of an impending interference with driving operation F and / or to draw their attention to their incorrect behavior, the interaction module 21, in the presence of a warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C, issues an acoustic and / or visual warning to users 102A, 102B, 102C of the passenger conveyor system 61, 71, 81 via an output module 121, 122, 123. The output module 121, 122, 123 is arranged in the area of ​​the passenger conveyor systems 61, 71, 81. According to the invention, the control module 31 controls those output modules 121, 122, 123 that belong to the passenger conveyor system 61, 71, 81 to which the warning signal 13A, 13B, 13C is assigned. The optical and / or acoustic warning contains a message correlating with the critical situation 101A, 101B, 101C. Based on the Figure 2 The critical situations 101A, 101B, 101C shown are described in more detail below.

[0064] In the case of the critical situation 101A, a "fall" was detected by the hazard analysis module 11 and a corresponding warning signal 13A was generated. Its coding 443 causes the interaction module 21 to select the output module 123 closest to the motion detection module 43. For example, the acoustic warning "Caution: Escalator Emergency Stop," selected based on the weighting 18Z, is sent to this output module 123, which is configured as a loudspeaker, via a wireless connection 97.

[0065] In the case of the critical situation 101B, "access in the wrong direction" was detected by the hazard analysis module 11 and a corresponding warning signal 13B was generated. Its coding 444 causes the interaction module 21 to select the output module 121 closest to the motion detection module 44. For example, the acoustic warning "Caution: Wrong access area," selected based on the weighting 18X, is sent to this output module 123, configured as a loudspeaker, via the wireless connection 97.

[0066] In the case of the critical situation 101C, "prohibited entry with a shopping cart" was detected by the hazard analysis module 11 and a corresponding warning signal 13C was generated. Its coding 446 causes the interaction module 21 to select the output module 122 closest to the motion detection module 46. For example, an image of a crossed-out shopping cart is sent to this output module 122, designed as a screen, as a visual warning via a wireless connection 97 and displayed on the screen. Of course, a warning tone can also be emitted to increase the output module's attention. In principle, any devices capable of emitting an acoustic and / or visual warning can be used as output modules 121, 122, and 123.Particularly effective in this regard are so-called hologram projectors, by means of which, for example, virtual persons can issue warnings and hand gestures to the users 102A, 102B, 102C of the passenger conveyor systems 61, 71, 81.

[0067] Although based on the Figure 1 and 2 Different embodiments of the monitoring system are shown, it is obvious that, within the scope of the appended claims, characteristics of one embodiment can also be used in the other embodiment. For example, the Figure 2 The weighting shown also applies to a monitoring system according to Figure 1 be implemented. Furthermore, the associated with the Figure 1 described «automatic change» of the motion sequence recording shown in the large screen area also in a surveillance system according to the Figure 2be implemented if the same critical situation is detected by several motion detection modules during its temporal course. Of course, it is also possible that the Figure 2 The deletion input field shown and the functions described therein in a monitoring system according to the Figure 1 are implemented.

[0068] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "comprising," "having," etc., do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are not to be considered limiting.

Claims

1. Method for monitoring the travel operation (F) of a passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) configured as an escalator or moving walkway by means of a monitoring system (1), the monitoring system (1) comprising a hazard analysis module (11), an interaction module (21), a control module (31) and at least one motion-sensing module (41, ..., 46+2n), which is directed toward an associated passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) and can capture electronically processable motion sequence images (441, ..., 446+2n) of situations that occur on the associated passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81), characterized • in that the at least one motion-sensing module (41, ..., 46+2n) transmits the motion sequence images (441, ..., 446+2n) thereof in real time to the interaction module (21) and to the hazard analysis module (11); • in that the motion sequence images (441, ..., 446+2n) are displayed on a screen (22, 91, ..., 96+2n) of the interaction module (21); • in that at the same time, in the hazard analysis module (11) the motion sequence images (441, ..., 446+2n) are examined for critical situations (101, ..., 101C) for users (102, ..., 120C) of the passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) by means of analysis algorithms and, as soon as a critical situation (101, ..., 101C) is detected, a warning signal (13, ..., 13C) is sent to the interaction module (21); • and in that on the basis of the warning signal (13, ..., 13C), the interaction module (21) visually and / or acoustically emphasizes the motion sequence image (441, ..., 446+2n) displayed on the screen (22, 91, ..., 96+2n) and generates a confirmation input field (28) on the screen (22, 91, ..., 96+2n); a manual tap on the confirmation input field (28) causing the interaction module (21) to send the warning signal (13, ..., 13C) to the control module (31), and the control module (31) influencing the travel operation (F) of the passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) on the basis of the transmitted warning signal (13, ..., 13C).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein a set of possible critical situations is stored in the hazard analysis module (11), wherein the set comprises various atypical motion scenarios (15) with which motion sequences extracted from the motion sequence images (441, ..., 446+2n) are compared, and in the event of sufficient correspondence between an extracted motion sequence and an atypical motion scenario (15), the existence of a critical situation (101, ..., 101C) is assumed and a warning signal (13, ..., 13C) is sent to the interaction module (21).

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the various atypical motion scenarios (15) in the set have different weightings (18X, 18Y, 18Z) in the sense of a ranking.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the travel operation (F) is influenced on the basis of the weighting (18X, 18Y, 18Z) so that, according to the weighting (18X, 18Y, 18Z), • the control module (31) immediately actuates a safety switch (33, 35) of the affected passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) and initiates an emergency stop, or • the control module (31) actuates a safety switch (33, 35) of the affected passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) with a predefined delay time corresponding to the weighting (18X, 18Y, 18Z) and initiates an emergency stop, or • an instruction (17) is sent to a controller (59, 73) of the affected passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81), which instruction (17) causes the controller (59, 73) to reduce the travel speed of a conveyor belt (75) of the affected passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) according to a specified deceleration profile.

5. Method according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the monitoring system (1) has a plurality of motion-sensing modules (41, ..., 46+2n) that record motion sequence images (441, ..., 446+2n) from at least two different passenger conveyor systems (51, 61, 71, 81), wherein each of the motion-sensing modules (41, ..., 46+2n) has a coding and provides the motion sequence images (441, ..., 446+2n) thereof with said coding, wherein the hazard analysis module (11) provides the output warning signal (13, ..., 13C) with the corresponding coding (441, ..., 446+2n) and, in the control module (31), the motion-sensing modules (41, ..., 46+2n) are uniquely assigned to the passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) monitored thereby via the coding (441, ..., 446+2n) thereof, and wherein, on the basis of the received warning signal (13, ..., 13C), the interaction module (21) only visually and / or acoustically emphasizes the motion sequence image (441, ..., 446+2n) associated with this warning signal (13, ..., 13C) and, when the confirmation input field (28) is tapped, transmits the warning signal (13, ..., 13C) provided with the coding (441, ..., 446+2n) to the control module (31).

6. Method according to claim 5 when dependent on either claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the hazard analysis module (11) sends warning signals (13, ..., 13C) with the associated weighting (18X, 18Y, 18Z) to the interaction module (21) in immediate succession when a plurality of critical situations (101, 101A, ..., 101C) are detected simultaneously, wherein the motion sequence images (441, ..., 446+2n) are emphasized visually and / or acoustically successively on the basis of the weighting (18X, 18Y, 18Z) thereof.

7. Method according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein, on the basis of the warning signal (13, ..., 13C), the interaction module (21) also generates a deletion input field (20) in addition to the confirmation input field (28) on the screen (22, 91, ..., 96+2n), and, by manually tapping the deletion input field (20), the interaction module (21) is prompted to cancel the warning signal (13, ..., 13C) and to withdraw the associated visual and / or acoustic emphasis of the corresponding motion sequence image (441, ..., 446+2n).

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein, after the confirmation input field (28) or the deletion input field (20) has been tapped, the display of the confirmation input field (28) and / or the deletion input field (20) on the screen (22, 91, ..., 96+2n) is deleted.

9. Method according to either claim 7 or claim 8, wherein, immediately after the deletion input field (20) has been tapped, the associated motion sequence image (441, ..., 446+2n) is analyzed for a specified time, preferably in the hazard analysis module (11).

10. Method according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the screen (22) is divided into a plurality of small screen regions (24, 25, 26) and one large screen region (23), wherein an associated screen region (24, 25, 26) is provided for each motion-sensing module (41, ..., 46+2n) and, when a warning signal (13, ..., 13C) is received, the interaction module (21) visually displays the motion sequence image (441, ..., 446+2n) associated with the warning signal (13, ..., 13C) on the large screen region (23).

11. Method according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the interaction module (21) has a central screen (91) and additional screens (92, ..., 96+2n) arranged in the immediate vicinity thereof, wherein an associated screen (92, ..., 96+2n) is provided for each motion-sensing module (41, ..., 46+2n) and, when a warning signal (13, ..., 13C) is received, the interaction module (21) visually displays the motion sequence image (441, ..., 446+2n) associated with the warning signal (13, ..., 13C) on the central screen (91).

12. Method according to any of claims 1 to 11, wherein, in the event of a warning signal (13, ..., 13C), the interaction module (21) outputs an acoustic warning to the users (102, ..., 120C) of the passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) via an output module (121, 123), and wherein the output module (121, 123) is arranged in the region of the passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) with which the warning signal (13, ..., 13C) is associated.

13. Method according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein, in the event of a warning signal (13, ..., 13C), the interaction module (21) outputs a visual warning to the users (102, ..., 120C) of the passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) via an output module (122), and wherein the output module (122) is arranged in the region of the passenger conveyor system (51, 61, 71, 81) with which the warning signal (13, ..., 13C) is associated.

14. Method according to either claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the visual and / or acoustic warning contains a message correlating with the critical situation (101, ..., 101C).

15. Monitoring system (1) for carrying out the method according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the monitoring system (1) comprises at least the hazard analysis module (11), the interaction module (21), the control module (31) and the at least one motion-sensing module (41, ..., 46+ 2n), which are connected to one another via a data network (3).