Elevator robot getting on / off system

Abstract

To provide an elevator robot getting on / off system.SOLUTION: The system comprises: an elevator control box 20 disposed in a car 220 of an elevator 200 for obtaining elevator operation information, transmitting information on the presence or absence of passengers in the car, and capable of switching the operation of the car to an independent operation mode; a router 30 for transmitting the operation information obtained by the elevator control box; a robot 10 including communication means 16 for obtaining the operation information from the router, a camera 12 for obtaining image data of a moving environment and an obstacle sensor 14 for obtaining a distance to a surrounding obstacle, for moving to a destination by estimating the current position by comparing map information obtained in advance with obstacle sensor information, and getting into the car when it is determined that there is no person getting into the car based on the information on the presence or absence of passengers in the car and / or image data of a moving passage into the car; and a server 100 for transmitting destination instruction information to the robot.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-elevator robot boarding / alighting system in which a robot boards and alights an elevator car by determining whether or not there is a passenger in the elevator car. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been a growing need for unmanned delivery by robots in multi-story facilities such as hotels and hospitals due to labor shortages and infectious disease countermeasures. To meet this need, it is essential that the robot has the ability to grasp the elevator operating status, determine whether it is possible to board the car, and get on and off by itself.

[0003] In order for the robot to get on and off the car by itself, it needs to determine whether there are passengers in the car. If the robot did not determine whether there are passengers in the car, it could try to force its way into the car even if there is someone in it, which could cause unexpected trouble. It is also necessary to realize a function at the elevator hall that identifies whether someone is trying to get in the car.

[0004] Furthermore, in order to realize such functions, it is desirable to configure the system so that modifications to facilities in hotels, hospitals, etc. and installation of additional equipment can be minimized as much as possible.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses an elevator management device, an information processing device, an elevator management system, and a control method for an elevator management device for instructing and managing destinations of a plurality of robots using elevators. Specifically, the elevator management device calculates the time it takes for each robot to reach a desired destination based on the elevator operation status, and identifies at least one robot based on the calculated time. Then, the device is configured to output destination information including information about elevators that can be used by the identified robot to move to the desired destination.

[0006] Patent Document 2 also discloses a map information distribution system and map information distribution method that includes a robot that travels along a route based on map information, an elevator that transports the robot, and a server that stores map information, the server having a map transmission unit that transmits map information of the area to which the elevator has transported the robot when the elevator transports the robot, to the robot.

[0007] Patent Document 3 discloses a remote control system for an elevator, which is composed of a monitoring center that performs remote control or changes settings at the request of the building owner, and a robot that moves within the building. Specifically, the robot uses the building's wireless equipment to transmit the floor where the robot is currently located, the destination floor, and the scheduled time of movement to the elevator via a monitoring center server installed in the monitoring center, and the elevator that receives the information moves the car to the floor where the robot is currently located at that time, and then moves to the destination floor, performing a series of controls. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-31264 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-113917 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-70578 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The technology described in Patent Document 1 is configured to provide destination information to a specific robot among multiple operating robots to control and manage the movement of the specific robot, enabling the robot to move to a desired destination. However, the technology in Patent Document 1 does not provide a specific system for allowing a robot to get in and out of an elevator car and move freely to different floors.

[0010] In addition, the technology described in Patent Document 2 transmits and provides map information related to the area of ​​the destination floor when the robot is transported by elevator, and is intended to enable smooth self-location estimation and path tracking. Therefore, it cannot be said that the technology described in Patent Document 2 can provide a specific system for a robot to get on and off the elevator car and move freely to different floors.

[0011] Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 3 provides a control method that enables cooperation between a robot and an elevator using only existing equipment, and is configured so that the robot itself creates movement request information, and the monitoring center server controls and manages the elevator based on this movement request information. In other words, since the elevator is remotely controlled via the monitoring center server, significant system changes, including the monitoring center server, are required to build the system, which increases costs and may not be possible to easily and quickly modify a normal elevator system.

[0012] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an in-elevator robot boarding and alighting system configured so that the robot can board and alight the elevator once it has determined that there are no passengers in the elevator car or anyone attempting to board. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The invention described in claim 1 includes an elevator control box that is attached to an elevator car to obtain operation information of the elevator, transmit information on the presence or absence of passengers in the car, and switch the operation of the car to an independent operation mode; a router for communicating the operation information acquired by the elevator control box; a robot having a communication means for acquiring the driving information from the router, a camera for acquiring image data of the surrounding environment in which the robot is moving, and a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor for acquiring distances to surrounding obstacles, for example, and estimating a current position by comparing previously acquired map information with the LiDAR sensor information and moving to a destination, and getting into the elevator when it is determined that there is no passenger in the elevator based on information on the presence or absence of passengers in the elevator and / or image data of the passageway leading to the elevator; a server for communicating destination instruction information to the robot; The robot boarding and alighting system in an elevator is characterized by having:

[0014] The invention described in claim 2 is the elevator robot boarding and alighting system described in claim 1, characterized in that the image data of the movement passage is configured to detect the space when the elevator doors are open.

[0015] The invention described in claim 3 is the elevator robot boarding and alighting system described in claim 1, characterized in that the elevator control box calculates the slope of a regression line of weight data obtained by sampling the car a predetermined number of times within a section going back a predetermined time, and determines that there are no passengers or the like in the car when the calculated value is within a predetermined threshold range. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the invention described in claim 1, the elevator control box can determine whether or not a passenger can enter the car based on operation information obtained, such as floor information, car weight information, and door opening / closing information, that there is no passenger in the car, and / or based on information showing that there is no one getting in the car based on image data of the open door space taken by a camera. This makes it possible to prevent a robot from forcibly entering an elevator car where a passenger is present. In addition, since the robot is configured to switch the cage to an independent operation mode when the robot gets in the cage, it is possible to prevent passengers from getting in the cage as much as possible while the robot is on its way to the destination floor. The robot is also configured to estimate its current location by comparing previously acquired map information with information from the obstacle sensors, and move to its destination. This eliminates the need to install devices that transmit location information to serve as directions or devices to guide the robot, as well as the associated construction work for laying communication systems, making it possible to provide a system with a simple configuration and low cost.

[0017] According to the invention described in claim 2, the determination that no one is getting on in the car is made based on image data captured by a camera of the space where the elevator doors are open, so that people who are away from the passageway leading to the car can be masked and only people getting on and off in the car can be detected. Therefore, for example, it is possible to reliably detect only people getting on and off in the elevator car without falsely detecting people on either side of the elevator door. Also, it is possible to reduce the memory capacity required for image processing of the image data captured by the camera, and at the same time, to speed up image processing.

[0018] According to the invention described in claim 3, the slope of the regression line of the weight data obtained by sampling a predetermined number of times within a section going back a predetermined time of the car is calculated, and when the calculated value is within a predetermined threshold range, it is determined that there are no passengers or the like in the car. This makes it possible to eliminate minute fluctuations due to the confusion of passengers getting on and off and noise, and to accurately measure the weight of the car. Another advantage is that it is possible to provide a low-cost system without the need for installation work such as a human sensor inside the car. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an elevator robot getting on and off system according to the present invention; [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a method for switching an elevator car to an independent operation mode. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of another example of a method for switching an elevator car to an independent operation mode. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a method for "opening" or "closing" an elevator car door. [Diagram 5] 4 is a time chart illustrating an example of the operation of an elevator including a car of the in-elevator robot getting on and off system according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an elevator's general structure. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram (part 1) of a method for calculating the weight of a basket. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram (part 2) of a method for calculating the weight of a basket. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram (part 3) of a method for calculating the weight of a basket. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram of a method for checking that no one is getting into the elevator car at the elevator hall (part 1). [Figure 11] This is an explanatory diagram of a method for checking that no one is getting into the elevator car at the elevator hall (part 2). [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram of a method for checking that no one is getting into the elevator car at the elevator hall (part 3). [Figure 13] 4 is a schematic flowchart of boarding control of the in-elevator robot getting on and off system according to the present invention. [Figure 14] 4 is a schematic flowchart of an elevator robot getting on and off control of the elevator getting on and off system according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Next, an embodiment of an in-elevator robot getting on and off system according to the present disclosure will be described in the following order with reference to the drawings. In the drawings related to the following description, the same or similar parts are denoted with the same or similar reference numerals. However, the drawings are schematic, and the dimensional ratios of each part do not necessarily match the actual ones. In addition, the drawings naturally include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios. 1. Example of the robot configuration of the elevator robot boarding / alighting system according to the present invention 2.Independent operation of elevator cars by elevator control box 3.How to switch to independent operation mode 4. Tension of the main rope as the elevator car rises and falls 5. Method for determining whether a passenger is present or not by using the tension of the elevator car 6. Method for determining whether a robot can enter an elevator car 7. Controlling a robot entering an elevator car 8. Controlling a robot disembarking from an elevator car

[0021] <1. Configuration Example of the Robot in the Elevator Robot Getting on and off System According to the Present Invention> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an in-elevator robot getting on and off system 1 according to the present invention (hereinafter, sometimes abbreviated as "this system 1"). The robot 10 performs tasks such as unmanned delivery of meals, drinks, etc. to lodging guests and recuperating patients in buildings such as accommodation facilities such as multi-story hotels and hospital wards. Of course, the robot can also perform tasks such as collection of used linen in hotels and hospitals, or delivery of disinfected, clean linen to each guest room.

[0022] In the present system 1, the main body 10a of the robot 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with curved surfaces at the four corners of the circumferential side surface as shown in the figure, and the front side surface of the main body 10a is extended upward to form a front part 10b, and two delivery shelves 15, 15 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction on the rear surface of the front part 10b. The delivery shelves 15, 15 are spaces for placing delivery items to the delivery destination. In this embodiment, the delivery shelves 15 are shown as an example of two shelves, but are not limited to two shelves. In addition, when the delivery items are large, one or both of the delivery shelves 15, 15 may be configured to be removable. In addition, the delivery items can be placed on the upper surface of the main body 10a. In addition, the upper surface of the main body 10a may be configured to store items that are likely to fall during movement or small items by forming a recess of a predetermined depth.

[0023] A traveling and moving device 11 for the robot 10 to move by itself is disposed on the bottom surface of the main body 10a. The traveling and moving device 11 is configured such that, for example, drive wheels (for example, four wheels) disposed on the bottom surface of the main body 10a are driven by a motor (not shown) built into the main body 10a. The motor is driven by a battery (not shown) built into the main body 10a.

[0024] The top of the front portion 10b has a first bent portion and a second bent portion that are bent in two stages at approximately 45 degrees toward the rear, and a camera 12 is erected on the horizontal plane formed by the second bent portion so as to be able to capture images in the forward direction. The camera 12 is for determining whether or not a person is present in front by image processing. The details of the camera 12 will be described later.

[0025] A communication device 16 including an antenna is built into the upper part of the front part 10b. The communication device 16 transmits information between the robot 10 and the robot server 100 or the elevator control system 250 via, for example, the Internet. For this purpose, an elevator control box 20 and an LTE (Long Term Evolution) router 30 are installed in the ceiling of the car 220 of the elevator 200. The elevator control box 20 obtains operation information of the elevator 200 from the elevator control system 250 via the LTE router 30, and communicates with the robot 10 and the robot server 100. In other words, the LTE router 30 is a communication interface for exchanging various signals and data between the elevator control box 20 and the robot 10, the robot server 100, and the elevator control system 250.

[0026] In addition, although the above information transmission is shown as an example via the cloud 400 through the Internet, it may be, for example, a communication means dedicated to the elevator control system 250, and is not limited to a specific communication means. In addition, the contents of the information transmission include, for example, instructions on the delivery destination, the working status of the robot 10 such as the completion of delivery, and operation information including weight data and floor information of the car 220 of the elevator 200, and the open / closed state of the car door 221.

[0027] 1, a control device 17 is built in below the communication device 16 in the front part 10b. The control device 17 is a device that executes overall control of the robot 10, and includes, for example, a microcomputer that performs arithmetic processing such as self-position estimation of the robot 10 and creation of an environmental map, a memory for storing control programs necessary for arithmetic control, memory for storing map information such as floor plan data of buildings and for temporarily storing data, a processor for processing image data captured by the camera 12, an input / output circuit for sensor signals from the obstacle detection sensor 14 described later, an input / output circuit for driving and controlling the traveling / moving device 11, and a communication interface circuit with the communication device 16.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, an obstacle detection sensor 14 is provided on the front surface of the front portion 10b. The obstacle detection sensor 14 is a sensor for detecting obstacles in the path along which the robot 10 moves. When the obstacle detection sensor 14 detects that there is an obstacle in the path along which the robot 10 moves, the robot 10 takes a path that avoids the obstacle, or stops moving until the obstacle has passed. The obstacle detection sensor 14 is also used for estimating the robot 10's own position and creating an environmental map. Details of the obstacle detection sensor 14 will be described later.

[0029] An operation panel 13 is disposed on the inclined surface formed by the first and second bent portions of the front portion 10b. The operation panel 13 is formed by bonding a display such as a color liquid crystal display to a touch pad for operation, for example. The operation panel 13 is used for setting the delivery destination during use, starting and stopping the travel of the robot 10, confirming the completion of receipt of the delivery item, setting various parameters and data required for the operation of the system, and for operations during maintenance and inspection.

[0030] As a method of operating the operation panel 13, for example, the user places the delivery item on the delivery item shelf 15, operates the operation panel 13 to set the room number of the delivery destination, and presses the start button. This causes the robot 10 to start moving to deliver the delivery item to the set room. The delivery destination room number can be set by the operation panel 13, or can be configured to be set via the Internet from the robot server 100 described later.

[0031] The robot 10 has a function (SLAM) for estimating its own current position and creating an environmental map in order to head to a set delivery destination. The robot 10 then travels by itself to reach the destination while searching for a specific floor and room as the delivery destination based on floor plan data and landmark data of the building that are stored in advance in the memory.

[0032] Here, SLAM is an abbreviation for "Simultaneous Localization and Mapping," a technology that "simultaneously performs self-location estimation and environmental map creation." Self-location estimation refers to recognizing one's current location and the direction in which one is moving, while "environmental map creation" refers to understanding one's surrounding environment and creating a map.

[0033] However, sensors are essential for the robot 10 to estimate its own position. For this purpose, the robot 10 is provided with the obstacle detection sensor 14 as described above. If the robot 10 is configured to be able to move backwards, a rear obstacle sensor 14 capable of capturing an image of the rear of the robot 10 may be further provided. Similarly, an obstacle detection sensor 14 may be provided on the rear of the main body 10a. Alternatively, the camera 12 may be configured to be rotatable 360 ​​degrees.

[0034] Next, a description will be given of sensors that can be used in the SLAM technique. Generally, the following types of sensors can be considered as sensors that can be used in the SLAM technique of the robot 10 in the present system 1. The first is LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). LiDAR is a sensor that uses an infrared laser. Specifically, it emits an infrared laser, detects the infrared laser that is reflected off an object, and creates two-dimensional or three-dimensional point cloud data. It can be configured to measure changes in this point cloud data to estimate the vehicle's position and create an environmental map. Point cloud data created using LiDAR has high distance accuracy and can be acquired over long distances. In addition, since it does not use visible light, the accuracy is not affected even in darkness, and it can be used in environments without lighting. However, there is an issue that the density of the point cloud data becomes low.

[0035] The second is the camera. Specifically, it is configured to grasp the surrounding environment based on the image data acquired from the camera, recognize the feature points of objects in the image data, and measure the changes in the feature points in the image data to estimate the self-position and create an environmental map. For example, a stereo camera having two lenses or a multi-camera having three or more lenses can be used to measure the distance to an object by the principle of triangulation based on the image data from the multiple lenses and the parallax between the lenses. Moreover, the object can be grasped three-dimensionally. The camera is inexpensive because it estimates its own position and creates an environmental map based on image data captured by visible light. However, it has a problem that it cannot be used in the dark. However, if an infrared camera is used, it can be used for SLAM technology even in the dark without lighting. In addition, if an illuminance sensor and a lighting device are installed on the robot 10, and when the robot moves through an unlit passage at night, the illuminance sensor reacts to turn on the lighting device to illuminate the passage, the drawbacks of the camera can be overcome.

[0036] The third is a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor. Time of Flight literally means the flight time of light. Specifically, it measures distance by emitting laser light or ultrasound and detecting the laser light that is reflected off an object. This makes it possible to estimate the self-position and create an environmental map. ToF sensors are very similar to LiDAR, but ToF sensors differ from LiDAR in that they obtain distance information as depth image data that expresses depth through the shade of the image. Also, compared to LiDAR, ToF sensors can only measure short distances, but this is sufficient for indoor use.

[0037] The fourth is an ultrasonic sensor. As the name suggests, an ultrasonic sensor is a sensor that measures distance by emitting ultrasonic waves. Specifically, ultrasonic waves are emitted from a sensor head, and the ultrasonic waves reflected from an object are received by the sensor head, and the distance to the object is measured by measuring the "time" from emission to reception. However, since ultrasonic sensors are suitable for detecting objects at close range (for example, 10 m or less), they are more suitable for detecting obstacles in the path of movement of the robot 10 or approaching obstacles when the robot 10 moves, rather than being primarily used for SLAM technology. Therefore, when the ultrasonic sensor detects that an object is approaching and within a predetermined distance, the ultrasonic sensor can be configured to take measures such as changing the path of movement of the robot 10 or stopping the movement.

[0038] In the present embodiment, the robot 10 in the system 1 uses the obstacle sensor 14 as a sensor for SLAM. However, the sensor is not limited to the obstacle sensor 14, and may be a camera, a ToF sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor. In addition, there is no problem in using these sensors in combination. In addition, in this embodiment, the robot 10 uses a LiDAR as the obstacle detection sensor 14, but the obstacle detection sensor is not limited to a LiDAR.

[0039] <2. Independent operation of elevator cars using elevator control boxes> When the robot 10 delivers an item to a specified room in a hotel or the like, if the hotel or the like where the delivery work is performed is a single-story building, it is sufficient to make the delivery within the same floor. However, since hotels and the like are usually multi-story buildings, the robot 10 must get on and off the elevator 200 by itself to move to a different floor.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 1, elevator 200 has car 220 ascending and descending in hoistway 210. When elevator 200 arrives at the called floor, it stops in front of hall 300, elevator door 231 opens, and then car door 221 opens. With car door 221 open, passengers disembark from car 220 to hall 300. After disembarking, other passengers then board from hall 300 into car 220. However, if hall 300 or car 220 are crowded, passengers getting on and off may become confused.

[0041] Therefore, when the robot 10 gets into the car 220, it is necessary to confirm that there is no person in the car 220. Also, at the hall 300, it is necessary to confirm that there is no person getting into the space that serves as a passageway between the elevator door 231 and the robot 10. Otherwise, there is a risk that the robot 10 will be forced to enter the car 220, which may result in unexpected trouble.

[0042] For this purpose, the elevator control box 20 installed in the ceiling of the car 220 obtains operation information of the car 220 from the elevator control system 250, and transmits this information to the robot 10 via the LTE router 30 also installed in the ceiling of the car 220 and the cloud 400. The robot 10 then determines whether or not it is possible to board the car 220 based on the operation information of the car 220.

[0043] Specifically, the elevator control box 20 acquires, by a predetermined communication means, data on the weight of the car 220, the open / closed state of the elevator doors 231 and the car doors 221, the ascending / descending state of the car 220 (including a stopped state), and information on the floor where the car 220 is currently located, from the existing elevator control system 250. Then, the elevator control box 20 determines whether or not there is a passenger in the car 220 from the weight data of the car 220, and transmits information on whether or not the passenger can board the car 220 to the robot 10 via the LTE router 30.

[0044] When the robot 10 receives the operation information and boarding availability information of the car 220, it confirms that there is no person in the boarding passage at the hall 300. Then, after confirming that there is no person in the boarding passage, it gets into the car 220. Details will be described later. When the robot 10 gets into the car 220, it is necessary to prevent passengers from getting into the car 220 while the robot 10 is on its way to the destination floor. This is to prevent unexpected trouble from occurring when a passenger gets into the car 220 with the robot 10 in it. Therefore, in the present system 1, the car 220 of the elevator 200 is configured to be able to switch to an independent operation mode.

[0045] For this purpose, the elevator control box 20 has a function of controlling a changeover switch 241 between independent operation and normal operation of the car 220 of the elevator 200. Here, the "independent operation" of the elevator 200 is an operation mode in which the call operation of the hall push button 232 for calling the car 220 installed at the hall 300 is not accepted and is invalidated, and the elevator 200 operates according to the operation of the car operating panel 240 installed in the car 220. The "independent operation" is an operation mode used when a through operation is required, for example, for moving, and therefore cannot be used by general users in normal circumstances.

[0046] To put the car 220 of the elevator 200 into the independent operation mode, first, the door of the car operating panel 240 installed in the car 220 is opened. Then, a changeover switch 241 for switching between "normal operation" and "independent operation", for example, is built into the car operating panel 240. When this switch is set to "normal operation", the operation mode becomes the one that is used daily by ordinary users of the elevator 200. That is, when a call operation is performed on the hall push button 232 installed at the hall 300, the car 220 is called and arrives at the hall 300, and passengers can get on and off.

[0047] On the other hand, when the changeover switch 241 is set to "independent operation", the call operation of the hall push button 232 is ignored and disabled as described above, and the elevator enters an independent operation mode in which the elevator operates according to the operation of the car operation panel 240 in the car 220. Specifically, by pressing a floor button on the car operation panel 240 in the car 220, the car 220 moves to the destination floor, where the car 220 stops, and the elevator doors 231 and car doors 221 open automatically.

[0048] Next, when boarding / disembarking is finished and the car door 221 is to be closed, even after pressing the "close" button, it is necessary to continue pressing the "close" button until the car door 221 is completely closed. If the "close" button is released when the car door 221 is partially closed, the car door 221 will immediately reverse and open, so care must be taken.

[0049] <3. How to switch to independent operation mode> The elevator control box 20 operates the elevator 200 in the independent operation mode from when the robot 10 gets into the car 220 until the robot 10 finishes getting off at the delivery destination floor. For this purpose, the changeover switch 241 is externally switched to "independent operation".

[0050] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a handle 243 linked to a motor 242 is attached to the lever of a changeover switch 241 for changing over between "normal operation" and "independent operation" built into the car operation panel 240. The motor 242 has both poles connected in series to the contact 21 and the DC power source 22 built into the elevator control box 20. In this connection, the voltage of the DC power source 22 is applied to the motor 242 when the contact 21 is turned on. When the voltage is applied to the motor 242, the motor 242 rotates, and the handle 243 is driven in conjunction with this, and the lever of the changeover switch 241 is operated to change over from "normal operation" to "independent operation". As a result, a circuit is formed in which the terminal 244a and the terminal 244c of the control circuit 244, to which the contact on the "independent operation" side of the changeover switch 241 is connected, are connected, and the car 220 changes over from the normal operation mode to the independent operation mode.

[0051] When switching from the independent operation mode to the normal operation mode, the motor 242 is rotated in the reverse direction to drive the handle 243 in the reverse direction, and the changeover switch 241 is switched from "independent operation" to "normal operation." This forms a circuit that connects the terminals 244b and 244c of the control circuit 244, to which the contact on the "normal operation" side of the changeover switch 241 is connected, and the car 220 switches from the independent operation mode to the normal operation mode. In addition, a configuration may be adopted in which further rotation of motor 242 activates a cam mechanism (not shown) to drive handle 243, and reverses the lever of changeover switch 241 to switch from "independent operation" to "normal operation."

[0052] Alternatively, it may be configured as shown in Fig. 3. Specifically, the common side of the changeover switch 241 is connected to a terminal 241b in the car operating panel 240, and the terminal 241b is connected to a terminal 21b on the b-contact side of the contact 21 built into the elevator control box 20. Similarly, the a-contact side of the changeover switch 241 is connected to the terminal 241a, and the terminal 241a is connected to the a-contact side terminal 21a of the contact 21. Moreover, a terminal 21c on the common side of the contact 21 is connected to a terminal 241c in the car operating panel 240. The terminal 241c is connected to a terminal 244c of a control circuit 244.

[0053] With the above circuit configuration, when the contact 21 built into the elevator control box 20 is connected to terminal 21b, and the contact on the "normal operation" side of the change-over switch 241 is connected to terminal 244b of the control circuit 244, a circuit connected to terminal 244c of the control circuit 244 is formed, and the normal operation mode is entered. When the contact on the "independent operation" side of the changeover switch 241 is connected to the terminal 244a of the control circuit 244, a circuit is formed that connects the terminals 244a and 244c of the control circuit 244, and the independent operation mode is entered. In addition, when the contact 21 built into the elevator control box 20 is connected to the terminal 21a, the changeover switch 241 is disabled regardless of whether it is connected to the "normal operation" or "independent operation" side, and a circuit is formed that connects the terminals 244a and 244c of the control circuit 244, thereby entering the independent operation mode. With the above circuit configuration, the elevator control box 20 can be forced to switch to the independent operation mode from the outside by operating the contact 21 built in the elevator control box 20.

[0054] In this manner, by configuring the car 220 to be switchable to the independent operation mode from the elevator control box 20, the car 220 can be operated in the independent operation mode from the time the robot 10 boards the car 220 until it completes disembarking at the delivery destination floor. This eliminates the risk of passengers getting on from intermediate floors while the robot 10 is in the car 220 of the elevator 200. This makes it possible to prevent unexpected trouble between the robot 10 and passengers, and ensures that the delivery items are delivered reliably.

[0055] When switching to the independent operation mode, it is necessary to perform the "open" and "close" operations of the car door 221. This control can be realized, for example, by connecting contacts 25 and 26 built into the elevator control box 20 in parallel to an open push button 245 and a close push button 246, which are connected to a control circuit 244 built into the car operation panel 240, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4.

[0056] Specifically, contact 25 is connected in parallel to open push button 245 by connecting terminals 25a and 245a, and terminals 25b and 245b. Contact 26 is connected in parallel to close push button 246 via terminals 26a and 246a, and terminals 26b and 246b. Therefore, by turning on contact 25 built into elevator control box 20, car door 221 is opened, and by turning on contact 26, car door 221 is closed.

[0057] In addition, the robot 10 may be configured to transmit a signal requesting operation of an open push button 245, a close push button 246, etc., and the elevator control system 250 receiving this signal may transmit a control signal to the control circuit 244 of the car operating panel 240, thereby remotely controlling the operation mode of the car 220 to be switched from "normal operation" to "independent operation" and for operating the car door 221 to be "open" or "closed."

[0058] <4. Tension of the main rope as the elevator car rises and falls> As described above, in order to allow only the robot 10 to ride in the car 220, it is necessary to determine that there are no passengers in the car 220 and to communicate the result of this determination to the robot 10.

[0059] Therefore, in order to allow the robot 10 to board the car 220, the elevator control box 20 determines whether or not there is a passenger in the car 220, and transmits the passenger presence / absence determination result to the robot 10 via the LTE router 30. In this case, since the weight of the car 220 alone is known, the elevator control box 20 can determine that there are no passengers in the car 220 by measuring the weight of the car 220. The weight of the car 220 during operation can be known, for example, by measuring the magnitude of the tension T of the main rope (main rope) 260 that suspends the car 220. However, the weight of the car 220 during operation (i.e., tension T) varies greatly depending on the number of passengers getting on and off and the value of the acceleration α acting when the car 220 rises or falls. First, the tension T of the main rope 260 associated with the number of passengers getting on and off and the rise and fall in the car 220 of the elevator 200 will be described.

[0060] Fig. 5 is a time chart explaining the mechanism of judging whether or not there is a passenger in the cage 220 of this system 1. In this figure, Fig. 5A is a time chart showing floor information of the cage 220, Fig. 5B is a time chart showing opening / closing information of the cage door 221, Fig. 5C is a time chart showing upward operation information of the cage 220, and Fig. 5D is a time chart showing downward operation information of the cage 220. Also, Fig. 5E is a time chart showing weight information of the cage 220 accompanying the above-mentioned upward and downward movement of the cage 220 and changes in boarding and alighting.

[0061] In Fig. 5A, the vertical axis indicates floors (1st to 6th floors), and the horizontal axis indicates time (the same applies to the horizontal axes in Figs. 5B to 5E). In Fig. 5B, "open" (upper side) on the vertical axis indicates that the car door 221 is open, and "closed" (lower side) indicates that it is closed. In Fig. 5C, "1" (upper side) on the vertical axis indicates that the car door 221 is in an upward operation, and "0" (lower side) indicates that the car door is not in an upward operation. In addition, in FIG. 5D, "1" (upper side) on the vertical axis indicates that the vehicle is in a descending operation, and "0" (lower side) indicates that the vehicle is not in a descending operation. 5E, the vertical axis indicates the weight of car 220 (i.e., tension T of main rope 260 suspending car 220 shown in FIG. 6). The weight of car 220 can be measured using a weight sensor such as a strain gauge.

[0062] Here, the weight of the car 220, that is, the tension T of the main rope 260 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the general structure of the elevator 200. In this figure, the elevator 200 is configured such that the car 220 is suspended from one end of the main rope 260 wound around a hoist 270 installed at the upper end of the hoistway 210, and a counterweight 280 is suspended from the other end of the wound main rope 260. The car 220 ascends or descends in the hoistway 210 by the hoist 270 while guide rollers (not shown) arranged at predetermined positions of the car 220 slide on a predetermined number of guide rails (not shown) arranged in the vertical direction in the hoistway 210.

[0063] The tension T of the main rope 260 suspending the cage 220 when the cage 220 is ascending is T = (M + n m) (g + α), where M is the mass of the cage 220, m is the average mass of the passengers, n is the number of passengers, g is the gravitational acceleration of the Earth, and α is the acceleration when the cage 220 is ascending or descending. Moreover, the tension T when the car 220 descends is T=(M+n·m)(g−α). Moreover, since the tension T while the car 220 is stopped is α=0, the tension T is T=(M+n·m)g.

[0064] The mass of the counterweight 280 suspended from the other end of the main rope 260 is generally determined so as to balance the mass of the car 220 when half the passenger load of the car 220 is loaded. Therefore, the difference between the tension of the counterweight 280 and the tension T of the car 220 is borne by the hoist 270.

[0065] An example of the operation of the elevator 200 including the car 220 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. In FIG. 5A to FIG. 5E, the car 220 starts from the first floor (601a). In this case, the car door 221 goes from closed (602a) to open (602b). When one person gets on from a state where no one is on board (605a), the weight of the car 220 increases by one person (605b). When the passenger who has boarded presses the destination floor button, the car door 221 closes (602c). Then, the car 220 starts to rise (603b), passes through the second floor (601b) and the third floor (601c), and when it arrives at the fourth floor (601d) where passengers are present, it stops rising here (603c) and the car door 221 opens (602d).

[0066] During this time, as shown in FIG. 5E, the tension T of the main rope 260 at the start of ascent increases due to the effect of the acceleration α of the increase in speed, and becomes T = (M + 1 m) (g + α) (605c). Then, when the acceleration stops and the car starts running at a constant speed, the tension T becomes T = (M + 1 m) g (605d). Furthermore, as the car approaches the 4th floor, which is the arrival floor, the acceleration α of the decrease occurs, so the tension T becomes T = (M + 1 m) (g - α) (605e), and when the car arrives at the 4th floor, the acceleration α = 0, so the tension T becomes T = (M + 1 m) g (605f). During this time, the descent of the car 220 shown in FIG. 5D is not descending, so the time chart shown in this figure is obtained (604a).

[0067] 5A to 5E, when the car door 221 opens (602d), two passengers board in turn (605g, 605h). Then, the car door 221 closes (602e), and the car 220 starts ascending (603d). Then, as described above, the tension T of the main rope 260 at the start of ascent is initially accelerated with an acceleration α, so it becomes T = (M + 3 m) (g + α) (605i), and when the acceleration stops and the car starts to operate at a constant speed, the tension T becomes T = (M + 3 m) g (605j). Then, after passing the 5th floor (601e) and approaching the 6th floor, which is the next arrival floor, the acceleration becomes α, so the tension T becomes T = (M + 3 m) (g - α) (605k). Furthermore, when the car arrives at the 6th floor (601f), the ascent stops here (603e), and the car door 221 opens (602f). In this case, the acceleration α = 0, so the tension T becomes T = (M + 3 m) g (605l).

[0068] Next, in Fig. 5A to Fig. 5E, with the car door 221 open (602f), one passenger gets off, and two passengers remain on board (605m). Then, the car door 221 closes (602g), and the car 220 starts descending (604b). The car 220 continues descending (604b), passing through the fifth floor (601g), fourth floor (601h), third floor (601i), and second floor (601j) and arriving at the first floor (601k), where it stops descending (604c), and the car door 221 opens (602h).

[0069] During this time, tension T of the main rope 260 at the start of descent is initially an increasing acceleration α, so it becomes T = (M + 2 m) (g - α) (605n), and when the acceleration stops and the car starts running at a constant speed, tension T becomes T = (M + 2 m) g (605o). Then, as the car approaches the first floor, the next arrival floor, it becomes a decelerating acceleration α, so tension T becomes T = (M + 2 m) (g + α) (605p). Furthermore, when the car arrives at the first floor (601k), the descent stops here (604c). In this case, acceleration α = 0, so tension T becomes T = (M + 2 m) g (605q).

[0070] Next, in Fig. 5A to Fig. 5E, when the car door 221 opens (602h), two passengers disembark in turn (605r, 605s). In this case, the number of passengers is zero, so n = 0. Therefore, the tension T at this time is T = (M + 0 m) g = Mg. Then, when the car door 221 closes (602i), the car 220 now begins ascending (603f). Then, the car 220 starts to ascend (603f). The rest of the process is the same as the ascending operation of the car 220 described above, so a description will be omitted.

[0071] <5. How to determine whether a passenger is present or not by the tension of the elevator car> The elevator control box 20 determines whether there is a passenger in the car 220 based on the magnitude of the tension T of the main rope 260 that suspends the car 220. The method of this determination will be described below based on the example of FIG. 5 described above.

[0072] In Fig. 5E, the magnitude of tension T of main rope 260 suspending car 220 varies greatly due to the influence of passengers getting on and off inside car 220 and the acceleration α during ascent and descent, as shown in the figure. Therefore, rather than the tension T during ascent and descent, attention is focused on when car 220 stops at a specified floor and passengers get on and off. In this figure, passengers get on and off at 605A to 605D surrounded by dashed lines. Therefore, a method of determining whether or not there is a passenger in car 220 will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 9, taking 605D surrounded by dashed lines as an example.

[0073] The elevator control box 20 acquires a predetermined number of sampling data of the weight (value of tension T) of the car 220 during a predetermined time interval W going back most recently, for example, 8 seconds, from the elevator control system 250. Then, the slope of the regression line is calculated based on the weight data during the interval W obtained by the sampling, and it is determined whether the slope of the regression line is within a predetermined threshold range H.

[0074] In Fig. 7, the slope of the regression line is calculated based on the weight data for section W going back from the present (605s) immediately after two passengers disembark in turn to (605r, 605q) at 605D surrounded by a dashed line. In this figure, the slope of the regression line for the weight data for a given section W is within a range H of a given threshold, so the average value Y1 of the weight data for that section W is adopted as the weight data (tension T) of the car 220. In other words, the value Y1, which is approximately close to the weight data (605q) before the passengers disembark, is adopted as the weight data of the car 220. In this case, since the weight data of the cage 220 differs from the value T=Mg when n=0 (605s) in which no passenger is aboard the cage 220, it is determined that there is a passenger.

[0075] 8 shows the slope of the regression line calculated based on the weight data for section W going back from the present (605s) to (605r, 605q) in 605D surrounded by a dashed line, where the time (605s) going back from when two passengers disembarked in turn is approximately the same as the time elapsed since disembarking (605r, 605q). In this figure, the slope of the regression line for the weight data for a given section W is outside the range H of a given threshold, so the weight data for that section W is not used as the tension T. In other words, the weight data for car 220 in this section W has a large fluctuation range, so it is not used as the weight data for car 220.

[0076] 9 shows the slope of the regression line calculated based on the weight data for section W going back from the present (605s) to (605r, 605q) at 605D surrounded by a dashed line when two passengers disembarked in turn and some time has passed. In this figure, the slope of the regression line for the weight data for a given section W is within a range H of a given threshold, so the average value Y2 of the weight data for that section W is adopted as the weight data (tension T) of the car 220. In other words, the value Y2, which is approximately close to the weight data (605s) after all passengers have disembarked, is adopted as the weight data of the car 220. In this case, the weight data of the cage 220 is a known value T=Mg (≈Y2) because no passenger is in the cage 220 (605s). Therefore, it can be determined that there are no passengers.

[0077] Since the determination as to whether or not there is a passenger in the car 220 is performed in the manner described above, minute fluctuations due to noise in the weight sensor itself can be eliminated, making it possible to perform a more accurate determination.

[0078] <6. How to determine whether a robot can enter an elevator car> Next, a method of determining whether or not the robot 10 can enter the car 220 of the elevator 200 will be described.

[0079] When the car 220 of the elevator 200 arrives at the called floor and the elevator doors 231 and car doors 221 are opened, the robot 10 photographs the inside of the open door space of the elevator doors 231 with the camera 12 and determines from the photographed data that there is no passenger in the car 220. In addition, the robot 10 also confirms that there is no one trying to get on in the passageway leading to the car 220 at the hall 300. Here, in the explanation of 6., "elevator doors 231" is a general term for the elevator doors 231 and the car doors 221.

[0080] 10 to 12 are explanatory diagrams of a method for confirming that no one is riding the robot 10 in the passageway leading to the car 220 of the hall 300 of the elevator 200. In these drawings, Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the case where the distance to the elevator door 231 at the hall 300 of the elevator 200 is 2 m as seen through the camera 12 of the robot 10.

[0081] The robot 10 photographs the inside of the open door space of the elevator doors 231 at the landing 300 with the built-in camera 12, and performs image analysis to determine whether there are passengers in the car 220 and whether there is a person trying to get on the car 220 from the landing 300. In this presence / absence determination, since the outside photographing range area 233 of the elevator doors 231 (the hatched area in this figure) is outside the range of the passageway for the robot 10 to move into the car 220, a masking process is performed so as not to recognize unrelated people.

[0082] 11 is a diagram showing a case where the distance to the elevator door 231 in the hall 300 is 1 m as seen through the camera 12 of the robot 10. If the distance to the elevator door 231 is shortened, the outside-of-image-capture-range area 233 on which masking is performed becomes narrower.

[0083] 12 is a diagram showing the case where the distance to the elevator door 231 in the hall 300 is 0.3 m as seen through the camera 12 of the robot 10. If the distance to the elevator door 231 is made closer, the outside-of-image-capture-range area 233 where mask processing is performed becomes narrower and narrower. As described above, depending on the distance from the current position of the robot 10 to the elevator door 231, masking is performed on the outside shooting range areas 233 on the left and right sides of the elevator door 231, which serves as the passageway for the robot 10 to move into the cage 220, and the outside shooting range areas 233 hatched in Figures 10 to 12 are excluded from the target for determining whether or not a passenger is present.

[0084] As mentioned above, camera 12 can be a stereo camera with two lenses or a multi-camera with multiple lenses, which allows the distance to the object to be measured accurately and the object to be grasped in three dimensions, thereby enabling accurate determination of whether passengers are present.

[0085] With the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the memory capacity required for image processing of the image data captured by the camera 12, and at the same time, to speed up the image processing. Furthermore, since the determination of the presence or absence of passengers does not require high-definition images, and it is sufficient to be able to determine whether or not there is a person inside the car 220 and on the passageway of the robot 10 leading to the car 220, the number of pixels of the image can be suppressed to the minimum necessary.

[0086] The robot 10 itself ultimately determines whether or not the robot can enter the car 220. There are three possible methods for this determination: (1) If it is determined based on the weight data of the cage 220 that there are no passengers, board the cage according to that determination. (2) When the car door 221 is opened, the camera 12 of the robot 10 takes an image of the inside of the car 220, and if it is confirmed from the image data that there are no passengers and that no one is attempting to board the car 220 from the platform 300, then the robot 10 boards the car. (3) Use (1) and (2) above together.

[0087] (1) is applicable when there is almost no ingress or egress by outsiders and users of the elevator 200 are aware of the precautions to take when the robot 10 gets in the elevator. (2) is applicable when the number of users of the elevator 200 is small and there is no confusion between passengers getting on and off inside the car 220 or at the landing 300. (3) should preferably be applied when neither (1) nor (2) above applies. The method by which the robot 10 determines whether to get into the car 220 may be selected according to the actual usage of the elevator 200.

[0088] <7. Controlling a robot riding in an elevator car> Fig. 13 is a schematic flowchart of the boarding control of the robot 10 in the present system 1. In the flowchart shown in this figure, the above example (3) will be described in detail below with respect to a case where the robot 10 moves to a delivery destination on a floor other than the floor on which it is currently located by using the elevator 200.

[0089] In FIG. 13, the robot 10 places a delivery item on the delivery item shelf 15 in a predetermined waiting area (step S101). The robot server 100 transmits the delivery destination of the delivery item to the robot 10. Alternatively, the operator manually sets the delivery destination from the setting screen of the operation panel 13 of the robot 10. For example, the delivery destination is a room number in the case of a hotel (step S102). The robot 10 that has received or input the delivery destination moves toward the delivery destination using the SLAM function (step S103).

[0090] The robot 10 moves to the hall 300 of the elevator 200 (step S103), and when it arrives at the hall 300, it requests the elevator control box 20 to switch the elevator 200 to an independent operation mode via the robot server 100. The elevator control box 20 uses various elevator information (door opening / closing, floor, up / down lift direction, and weight sensor information) to suspend switching to the independent operation mode until the elevator 200 is in an unused state. Then, when it is determined that the elevator 200 is in an unused state, the elevator control box 20 switches the elevator 200 to the independent operation mode and calls the car 220 to the elevator control system 250 (step S104). A service for calling the car 220 and specifying a destination floor using a smartphone has already been put into practical use by some elevator manufacturers. Therefore, the present system 1 uses such a service.

[0091] Meanwhile, the car 220 of the elevator 200 ascends or descends in response to a call made by a passenger operating the hall push button 232 (step S105). The elevator control system 250 monitors the operation status of the car 220, and sequentially acquires operation information such as the current floor of the car 220, weight data, and the opening and closing of the car door 221 (step S106). Note that steps S105 and S106 are executed continuously at all times. In this figure, the following description is omitted to avoid complexity.

[0092] In step S104, the elevator control system 250 receives a call for the car 220 from the robot 10 and moves the car 220 to the floor where the robot 10 is waiting according to a predetermined operating procedure such as group management (step S107).

[0093] When the car 220 arrives at the floor where the robot 10 is waiting and the elevator door 231 and the car door 221 are opened (step S108), the elevator control system 250 detects this (step S109). Note that in Figures 13 and 14, "elevator door 231 and car door 221" are abbreviated to "door".

[0094] The elevator control system 250 transmits operation information, such as the current floor of the car 220, weight data, and the open state of the car door 221, to the elevator control box 20 (step S110). The elevator control box 20, which has received the operation information of the car 220, determines whether there is a passenger in the car 220. The determination of whether there is a passenger is performed by focusing on the weight of the car 220 and following the procedures described in the above-mentioned Figures 5, 6, and 7 to 9. Then, the elevator control box 20 transmits to the robot 10 information that the car 220 has arrived, that the car door 221 is open, and the determination result of whether there is a passenger in the car 220 (hereinafter referred to as the "car vacancy determination result") (step S111).

[0095] The robot 10 receives the arrival information of the car 220 and the car vacancy determination result from the elevator control box 20 (step S112). Then, it determines whether or not to allow boarding based on the received car vacancy determination result. Specifically, if the car vacancy determination result indicates that there is a passenger, boarding to the car 220 is postponed, and the process proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, if the car vacancy determination result indicates that there is no passenger, the robot 10 proceeds to a step of confirming that there is no person in the passageway from the hall 300 to the car 220 (step S113).

[0096] The confirmation that no occupant is present in the passageway leading to the car 220 at the hall 300 is performed according to the procedure described above with reference to Figs. 10 to 12 (step S114). If it is confirmed that there is a person in the passageway leading to the car 220, the robot 10 passes on the boarding and proceeds to step S104. If it is confirmed that there is no person in the passageway leading to the car 220 (step S115), the robot 10 transmits a boarding request signal to the elevator control box 20 (step S116).

[0097] When the elevator control box 20 receives the independent operation start request signal, it determines whether the elevator 200 is being used or not, and then switches the operation mode of the car 220 of the elevator 200 from "normal operation" to "independent operation". After that, when it receives a boarding start request signal from the robot 10 (step S117), it outputs a door open signal to "open" the car door 221 just in case. The specific method of switching to the "independent operation" mode and the method of outputting the door open signal are performed according to the procedures described in Figs. 2 to 4 above (step S118).

[0098] The elevator control system 250 detects that the operation mode of the car 220 of the elevator 200 has been switched from "normal operation" to "independent operation" (step S119). The elevator control box 20 switches the operation mode of the car 220 from "normal operation" to "independent operation" and opens the car door 221, and then transmits a boarding OK signal to the robot 10 (step S120). When the robot 10 receives the boarding OK signal (step S121), the robot 10 moves along the passageway from the hall 300 to the elevator door 231 and gets into the car 220 (step S122).

[0099] When the robot 10 has completed boarding into the car 220, it transmits a boarding completion signal and a destination floor signal to the elevator control box 20 and the elevator control system 250 (step S123). The elevator control box 20 and the elevator control system 250 receive the boarding completion signal and the destination floor signal from the robot 10 (S124 to S125). The elevator control box 20, which has received the boarding completion signal from the robot 10, outputs a door close signal to the car operation panel 240 until the car door 221 is closed (step S126).

[0100] When the elevator control system 250 detects that the elevator door 231 and the car door 221 are closed (step S127), it controls the elevator 200 to move the car 220 to the destination floor (step S128). As a result, the car 220 moves to the destination floor (step S129). At the same time, the robot 10 riding in the car 220 also moves to the destination floor (step S130).

[0101] Since the boarding control of the robot 10 in the elevator robot getting on and off system 1 according to the present invention can be performed according to the flow described above, it is possible to prevent the robot 10 from riding in the car 220 together with a passenger as much as possible. In addition, the robot 10 will not forcibly get into the car 220 in which a passenger is riding, and conversely, a passenger will not get into the car 220 in which the robot 10 is riding. Therefore, there is no risk of unexpected trouble occurring, and the delivery item can be safely delivered to the specified delivery destination.

[0102] <8. Controlling the robot's disembarkation from the elevator car> Fig. 14 is a schematic flowchart of disembarking control of the robot 10 in the present system 1. In this diagram, as described in step S130 of Fig. 13, the robot 10 gets into the car 220 and moves to the floor of the delivery destination (step S201). Therefore, the robot 10 moves to the floor of the delivery destination together with the car 220 (step S202).

[0103] The elevator control system 250 monitors and sequentially acquires operation information of the elevator 200 and the car 220 (step S203). When the car 220 arrives at the destination floor (step S204), the elevator control system 250 detects that the car 220 has arrived at the destination floor and transmits arrival information to the elevator control box 20 (step S205).

[0104] The elevator control box 20 receives information that the car 220 has arrived at the destination floor from the elevator control system 250 (step S206). The elevator control box 20 transmits information that the car 220 has arrived at the destination floor to the robot 10 (step S207), and the robot 10 receives the information (step S208).

[0105] The elevator control box 20 outputs a door open signal to the car operating panel 240 (step S209). As a result, the elevator door 231 and the car door 221 are opened. The elevator control system 250 detects that the elevator door 231 and the car door 221 are open, and then transmits information that the car door 221 is open to the elevator control box 20 (step S210).

[0106] The elevator control box 20 receives information that the car door 221 has been opened (step S211), and transmits a disembarking OK signal to the robot 10 (step S212). With the car door 221 open, the robot 10 confirms with the camera 12 and the obstacle detection sensor 14 that no passengers are trying to get on (step S213), and disembarks from the car 220 while confirming (step S214). In this case, the robot 10 may issue a voice message saying, "The robot is getting off, so please make way for the car," to alert passengers who are trying to get on to make way for the car.

[0107] When the robot 10 gets off the car 220, it transmits a disembarking completion signal to the elevator control box 20 (step S215). When the elevator control box 20 receives the disembarking completion signal (step S216), it outputs a door close signal to the car operation panel 240 until the car door 221 is closed (step S217). As a result, the elevator door 231 and the car door 221 are closed.

[0108] The elevator control system 250 detects that the car door 221 has been closed. Then, it transmits information that the elevator door 231 and the car door 221 have been closed to the elevator control box 20 (step S218). The elevator control box 20, which has received the information that the elevator door 231 and the car door 221 have been closed (step S219), switches the operation mode of the car 220 of the elevator 200 from "independent operation" to "normal operation" and cancels the door open signal (step S220). A specific method of switching to the "normal operation" mode is performed according to the procedure described above with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

[0109] The elevator control system 250 detects that the operation mode of the car 220 of the elevator 200 has been switched from "independent operation" to "normal operation" (step S221). The car 220 of the elevator 200 moves to the next destination floor (step S222).

[0110] After getting off the car 220, the robot 10 starts the delivery operation to the delivery destination room on the delivery destination floor (step S223). When the robot 10 finishes the delivery operation on the delivery destination floor (step S224), it transmits information that the delivery operation is completed to the robot server 100 (step S225). When the robot server 100 receives the information that the delivery operation is completed (step S226), it transmits the next destination information to the robot 10 (step S227). Having received the next operation instruction from the robot server 100, the robot 10 moves to the next destination and performs the next delivery operation (step S228).

[0111] Because the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to provide an in-elevator robot boarding / alighting system 1 in which the robot 10 is configured to board and alight the elevator 200 by determining that there are no passengers in the car 220 or that no one is attempting to board the elevator.

[0112] The in-elevator robot getting on and off system 1 according to the present invention is configured as described above, but the above description is merely one embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1. Robotic elevator boarding and alighting system 10. Robot 10a Main unit 10b Front section 11 Traveling device 12 Camera 13 Operation Panel 14 Obstacle detection sensor 15 Delivery Shelf 16 Communication equipment 17 Control device 20 Elevator Control Box 21 Contacts Terminals 21a~21c 22 DC power supply 25 Contacts 26 Contacts 25a, 25b terminal 26a, 26b terminals 30 LTE Router 100 Robot Servers 200 Elevator 210 Hoistway 220 Basket 221 Cage Door 231 Elevator Door 232 Platform push button 233 Outside the shooting range 240 Cage operation panel 241 Changeover Switch 241a~241c terminal 244a~244c Terminals 245a, 245b terminal 246a, 246b terminals 242 Motor 243 Handle 244 Control circuit 245 Open push button 246 Close push button 250 Elevator Control System 260 Main Rope 270 Hoisting machine 280 Counterweight 300 platform 400 Cloud M Mass of the cage m Average passenger mass n Number of passengers T tension g gravitational acceleration α acceleration

Claims

1. an elevator control box configured to be attached to an elevator car to obtain operation information of the elevator, transmit information on the presence or absence of a passenger in the elevator car, and switch the operation of the elevator car to an independent operation mode; a router for communicating the operation information acquired by the elevator control box; a robot having a communication means for acquiring the driving information from the router, a camera for acquiring image data of the surrounding environment in which the robot is moving, and an obstacle sensor for acquiring distances to surrounding obstacles, the robot estimating its current position by comparing previously acquired map information with the obstacle sensor information and moving to a destination, and getting into the elevator when it is determined that there is no passenger in the elevator based on information on the presence or absence of passengers in the elevator and / or image data of the passageway leading to the elevator; a server for communicating destination instruction information to the robot; An elevator robot getting on and off system comprising:

2. 2. The robot getting on and off in an elevator according to claim 1, wherein the image data of the passageway is configured to detect a space where the elevator doors are open.

3. The elevator control box calculates the slope of a regression line of weight data obtained by sampling a predetermined number of times within a section of the car going back a predetermined time, and determines that there is no passenger or the like in the car when the calculated value is within a predetermined threshold range.

Images