Elevator system and control method for elevator system

Abstract

To provide an elevator system and a control method for the elevator system that enable a passenger to transmit more accurate information to a control center when an anomaly occurs in an elevator.SOLUTION: An elevator monitoring device includes a response generation unit that extracts a response sentence to be displayed on an operation display unit, based on an input from the operation display unit. When an anomaly occurs in an elevator device, the response generation unit extracts a predetermined question sentence and extracts an answer instruction sentence for urging a passenger to input an answer to the question sentence. When the answer is input from the passenger, an input instruction sentence indicating whether or not the answer needs to be corrected is extracted. When an input indicating that the answer needs to be corrected is provided, the answer instruction sentence for urging the passenger to input an answer to the question sentence is extracted again.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an elevator system and a method for controlling an elevator system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, if an abnormality occurs while using an elevator, passengers can press an emergency call button installed in the elevator car to initiate a call with a controller at the control center. This allows passengers to inform the controller of the elevator malfunction or other occurrence.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in an elevator monitoring device in which, after an emergency call button in the car is pressed, a call with a monitoring center (control center) is not started immediately, but an appropriate question is displayed on a display unit in the car according to the state of the elevator. Patent Document 1 also discloses a process in which, instead of starting a call immediately after the emergency call button is pressed, it is determined whether the emergency call button was pressed by mistake, and if it was, the call is not started. This makes it possible to prevent a call being made when the emergency call button is pressed by mistake or by mischief by a passenger. Patent Document 1 also discloses a process in which, after a question about whether the emergency call button was pressed by mistake is displayed on the display unit, the answer to the question is determined according to the answer entered by voice from the passenger. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-105609 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, passengers have no opportunity to correct their answers after answering the questions displayed on the display unit. Therefore, even when there is no need to initiate a call to the control center, the call may be initiated without the passenger being able to make corrections. In addition, there is a concern that the inability to correct information may lead to problems such as a lack of communication with the control center's personnel.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides an elevator system that allows passengers to transmit more accurate information to a control center when an abnormality occurs in the elevator, and a control method for the elevator system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object of the present invention, an elevator system of the present invention includes an elevator apparatus having a car and an elevator monitoring device that monitors the state of the elevator apparatus, the elevator apparatus includes an operation display unit that displays information transmitted from the elevator monitoring device and allows passengers to input information by operation. The elevator monitoring device also includes a response generation unit that extracts a response sentence to be displayed on the operation display unit based on information input from the operation display unit. When an abnormality occurs in the elevator apparatus, the response generation unit extracts a predetermined question sentence and extracts an answer instruction sentence that prompts the passenger to input an answer to the question sentence, and when an answer is input by the passenger, extracts an input instruction sentence as to whether the answer needs to be corrected, and when it is input that correction is necessary, extracts again the answer instruction sentence to the passenger to the question sentence.

[0008] The control method for an elevator system of the present invention, in a control method for an elevator system having an elevator apparatus with a car and an elevator monitoring device that monitors the state of the elevator apparatus, includes a step of extracting a predetermined question sentence and an answer instruction sentence for a passenger to the question sentence based on an input from an operation display unit of the elevator apparatus when an abnormality occurs in the elevator apparatus, and a step of displaying a text message related to the generated question sentence and the answer instruction sentence on the operation display unit, and a step of generating an input instruction sentence for whether or not the answer needs to be corrected, and a step of displaying the text message related to the input instruction sentence for whether or not the answer needs to be corrected on the operation display unit, when an answer is input from the operation display unit. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, when an elevator abnormality occurs, passengers can transmit more accurate information to the control center. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an elevator system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is an enlarged view of an operation display unit 15 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a flowchart showing a control method for the elevator system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Fig. 4A is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 4 by the processes of steps S2 and S3. Fig. 4B is an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 4 after the passenger has input an answer. [Diagram 5] Fig. 5C is a diagram showing an example of a response from the automatic conversation device 110 when the passenger answers with the text message M3 "I pressed it by mistake." Fig. 5D is a diagram showing an example of a response from the automatic conversation device 110 when the passenger answers with the text message M3 "I'm trapped." [Figure 6]Fig. 6E is a diagram showing an example of a response from the automatic conversation device 110 when a text message M3 saying "There is an abnormal noise" is input by a passenger. Fig. 6F is an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 4 in step S12. [Figure 7] Fig. 7G is an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 4 when the determination in step S12 is "YES". Fig. 7H is an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 4 when the determination in step S12 is "NO". DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention and an example of an elevator system will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following example. In each of the drawings described below, the same reference numerals are used to denote common parts.

[0012] 1. Elevator System Configuration 1 is a diagram showing an example of an elevator system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as the present embodiment). The elevator system 1 of the present embodiment is composed of an elevator device 10 installed in a building 100, an elevator monitoring device 130 provided in the building 100 in which the elevator device 10 is installed, and a control system 260 installed in a control center 200 separate from the building 100.

[0013] 1-1. Elevator equipment The elevator device 10 is composed of an elevator 13 consisting of a car 12 and a hoist (not shown) that raises and lowers the car 12, and an elevator control unit 11 that controls the elevator 13.

[0014] The elevator 13 has a car 12 provided in the hoistway, as well as a main rope with one end attached to the car and a counterweight to which the other end of the main rope is attached and suspended in the hoistway (not shown). The elevator 13 also has a hoist around which the main rope is wound. The hoist is rotatably installed, for example, in a machine room provided at the top of the hoistway. The hoist is controlled and driven by the elevator control unit 11. As a result, the car 12 rises and falls relative to the counterweight.

[0015] The elevator control unit 11 is electrically connected to a monitoring control unit 111 of the elevator monitoring device 130, and controls each unit of the elevator device 10 based on signals from the monitoring control unit 111. For example, the elevator control unit 11 controls and drives a hoist to raise and lower the car 12. Furthermore, the elevator control unit 11 controls the opening and closing operation of a door unit (not shown) according to a predetermined timing. The elevator control unit 11 also controls an operation display unit 15 installed in the car 12. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the elevator control unit 11 controls input and output of the operation display unit 15.

[0016] The operation display unit 15 is attached in a position inside the car 12 where it can be operated by passengers. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the operation display unit 15 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the operation display unit 15 includes an operation unit 7 that can be operated by passengers, and a display unit 4. The operation unit 7 includes a destination floor button 3 for inputting a predetermined destination floor, an open / close button 2 for inputting an open / close operation for the car door, an emergency call button 6, and a voice input / output unit 5.

[0017] The destination floor buttons 3 are push-type and / or sensor-type input units provided for a predetermined number of floors (six floors in this embodiment) according to the stopping floors of the elevator device 10. A passenger can register a destination floor by operating the destination floor button 3.

[0018] The open / close button 2 is an input unit that can operate the opening and closing operation of the door section. By operating the open / close button 2, a passenger can operate the opening and closing operation of the door section when the elevator car 12 is stopped at a predetermined stopping floor.

[0019] The emergency call button 6 is an input unit operated by passengers in an emergency such as when an abnormality occurs in the elevator 13. By operating the emergency call button 6, passengers can start input operations in an emergency. This embodiment is characterized by the input operations of passengers in an emergency. The input operations in an emergency will be described in detail later.

[0020] The voice input / output unit 5 is composed of a microphone for inputting passenger voices in an emergency, and a speaker for outputting voice data transmitted from the elevator monitoring device 130. The voice signal input from the voice input / output unit 5 is input to the elevator monitoring device 130 via the elevator control unit 11. Moreover, the voice data transmitted from the elevator monitoring device 130 to the elevator control unit 11 is output from the voice input / output unit 5. Furthermore, the voice input / output unit 5 also serves as a communication unit for conducting communication with the control center 200.

[0021] The display unit 4 is a monitor configured with, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, and during normal operation, displays the floor the car 12 is passing through and the next floor to stop at. In this embodiment, after the emergency call button 6 is pressed, a conversation between an automatic conversation device 110 (described later) and a passenger, and a response sent from the control center 200 are displayed in chat format. In this embodiment, the display unit 4 also functions as a touch panel.

[0022] 1-2. Elevator monitoring device The elevator monitoring device 130 includes a monitoring control unit 111, an automatic conversation device 110, and a communication unit 120.

[0023] The monitoring control unit 111 is electrically connected to the elevator control unit 11 of the elevator apparatus 10, and transmits control signals for controlling each part of the elevator apparatus 10 to the elevator control unit 11 side, and receives signals transmitted from the elevator control unit 11 side. The monitoring control unit 111 also transmits and receives signals to and from a control system 260 provided in the control center 200 via the communication unit 120. The monitoring control unit 111 controls each part constituting the elevator monitoring device 130 based on signals transmitted from the control system 260 and the elevator control unit 11.

[0024] The automatic conversation device 110 is a device incorporating an automatic conversation program (so-called chatbot), and includes a voice-to-text conversion unit 112, a response generation unit 113, and a determination unit 114. The voice-to-text conversion unit 112 has a text conversion function for converting voice data input from the voice input / output unit 5 provided on the operation display unit 15 of the car 12 into text data, and a voice conversion function for converting text data into voice data.

[0025] The response generation unit 113 generates a response sentence for automatically responding in chat format to passengers in the car 12 when the emergency call button 6 is pressed, by extracting it appropriately from a storage unit (not shown). Note that the storage unit stores a plurality of response sentences for each predetermined condition. Furthermore, the response generation unit 113 generates display screen data for displaying a predetermined display screen on the display unit 4. The response sentence and display screen data generated by the response generation unit 113 will be described in detail later.

[0026] The determination unit 114 determines the contents of the answers input by the passengers and the contents of the input from the display screen. In this embodiment, for example, the determination unit 114 determines whether or not a connection to the control center 200 is required according to the contents of the answers from the passengers, and also determines whether or not the contents of the answers need to be corrected according to the input from the passengers. The contents of the determination by the determination unit 114 will be described in detail later.

[0027] The communication unit 120 is connected to the communication unit 250 of the control system 260 via a general public line network 300 such as a network. In this embodiment, when the emergency call button 6 is pressed and it is determined that a contact with the control system 260 is necessary, data indicating the status of the elevator device 10 is transmitted to the control center 200 side via the communication unit 120. Also, when the emergency call button 6 is pressed and it is determined that a call with the control center 200 side is necessary, a call is made between a passenger in the car 12 and a controller 222 of the control center 200 via the communication unit 120.

[0028] 1-3. Elevator control system A control system 260 installed in a control center 200 includes a communication unit 250, a voice data transmission / reception unit 210, a text data transmission / reception unit 220, a control terminal 230, and an elevator master 240. The communication unit 250 is connected to the communication unit 120 of the elevator monitoring device via a general public line network 300 such as a network.

[0029] The voice data transmitting / receiving unit 210 receives voice data transmitted from the elevator monitoring device 130 side, and transmits voice data input from the control terminal 230 to the elevator monitoring device 130 side. The text data transmitting / receiving unit 220 receives text data transmitted from the elevator monitoring device 130 side, and transmits text data input from the control terminal 230 to the elevator monitoring device 130 side.

[0030] The control terminal 230 is a terminal device that can be operated by the controller 222, and is configured, for example, by a personal computer. The control terminal 230 is provided with a display unit that displays text data transmitted from the elevator monitoring device 130, and an operation unit that can be operated by the controller 222. The controller 222 inputs an appropriate response to the text message displayed on the display unit into the control terminal 230. The data input into the control terminal 230 is transmitted to the elevator monitoring device 130.

[0031] The elevator master 240 is a database that stores various data related to the elevator device 10 managed by the control center 200. For example, the identification number of the elevator 13, the specifications of the elevator 13, the address of the building 100 in which the elevator 13 is installed, etc. are stored.

[0032] The functional configurations of the elevator system 1 of this embodiment have been described above. These functional configurations are realized by information processing devices (hardware) such as a microcontroller constituting each device or system. The information processing device includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a non-volatile storage, each of which is connected to a bus.

[0033] The CPU reads out the program code of the software that realizes each function according to the present embodiment from the ROM, and expands it in the RAM and executes it in each system or each device that constitutes each system. Note that the information processing device may include a processing device such as an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) instead of the CPU. Variables, parameters, etc. that are generated during the calculation process are temporarily written to the RAM.

[0034] Examples of non-volatile storage that can be used include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, and a non-volatile memory card. In addition to an operating system (OS), programs and data required for the CPU to operate are stored in this non-volatile storage. The non-volatile storage corresponds to a memory unit (not shown) configured in the elevator system 1. The programs may be stored in a ROM.

[0035] The program is stored in the form of a program code that can be read by the CPU, and the CPU sequentially executes operations according to the program code. In other words, a ROM or non-volatile storage is used as an example of a non-transitory recording medium that can be read by the CPU and stores a program to be executed by the CPU.

[0036] 2. Elevator system control method Next, a control method for the elevator system 1 in this embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the control method for the elevator system 1 in this embodiment. The flowchart in Fig. 3 is a flowchart executed when some abnormality occurs during operation of the elevator 13, so that a passenger in the car 12 can notify the abnormality. Figs. 4A to 7H are diagrams showing examples of display screens displayed on the display unit 4 of the operation display unit 15 when the flowchart in Fig. 3 is executed.

[0037] The flowchart in Fig. 3 starts when a passenger in the car 13 presses the emergency call button 6 provided on the operation display unit 15. In other words, the flowchart in Fig. 3 starts when an emergency call signal is transmitted to the monitoring control unit 111 via the elevator control unit 11.

[0038] First, the monitoring control unit 111 acquires information on the running state of the elevator 13 from the elevator control unit 11 (step S1). Here, examples of the information on the running state to be transmitted include emergency stop information indicating that the car 12 has made an emergency stop, normal operation information indicating that the car 12 is operating normally, and information on the door and other abnormal parts.

[0039] Next, the automatic conversation device 110 selects and extracts an appropriate question sentence, and displays the question sentence on the display unit 4 (step S2). First, the response generation unit 113 selects and extracts an appropriate question sentence from a storage unit (not shown) based on information related to the running state of the elevator 13 acquired by the monitoring control unit 111, and generates display screen data including the question sentence. The display screen data generated by the response generation unit 113 is transmitted to the elevator control unit 11 side via the monitoring control unit 111. The elevator control unit 11 displays a display screen including the question sentence on the display unit 4 based on the transmitted display screen data.

[0040] Next, the automatic conversation device 110 causes the display unit 4 to display a display screen that prompts the passenger to input an answer (step S3). Here, first, the response generation unit 113 extracts a response sentence that prompts the passenger to input an answer from a storage unit (not shown). Then, the response generation unit 113 generates display screen data for displaying the response sentence (answer instruction sentence) that prompts the passenger to input an answer. The display screen data generated by the response generation unit 113 is transmitted to the elevator control unit 11 side via the monitoring control unit 111. The elevator control unit 11 causes a predetermined display screen to be displayed on the display unit 4 based on the transmitted display screen data.

[0041] Fig. 4A is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 4 by the processing of steps S2 and S3. As shown in Fig. 4A, the display screen of the display unit 4 displays a text message M1 of a question generated by the response generation unit 113 and a read-aloud button b1 for reading out the text message M1. In addition, a text message M2 of a response sentence that prompts the passenger to input an answer generated by the response generation unit 113 and a read-aloud button b1 for reading out the text message M2 are displayed.

[0042] The read-aloud button b1 is a button for reading out the displayed text message as a voice message. When the read-aloud button b1 is operated by a passenger, the elevator control unit 11 transmits a voice message corresponding to the displayed text message from the speaker of the voice input / output unit 5 based on the voice data generated by the voice-to-text conversion unit 112.

[0043] In this embodiment, the read-aloud button b1 is displayed for each text message to be displayed. Therefore, a passenger can hear a voice message corresponding to a nearby text message by operating the read-aloud button b1. The read-aloud button b1 may be operated by input from a touch panel provided on the display unit 4, or may be operated from any of the input units of the operation unit 7. The same applies to the operation of various operation buttons subsequently displayed on the display unit 4.

[0044] 4A, an input button b2 is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 4. In this embodiment, for example, after pressing the input button b2, the passenger can orally input a response from the voice input / output unit 5 (microphone). Alternatively, the passenger may input a response from the passenger using the destination floor button 3 on the operation display unit 15 or a touch input unit displayed on the display unit 4.

[0045] Next, the determination unit 114 determines whether or not a response has been input from the passenger (step S4). Here, if it is determined that some input has been made by the voice input / output unit 5 or touch input, the determination is "YES". If there has been an input from the passenger in step S4, and the determination is "YES", the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if no response has been input from the passenger, the determination is "NO". If the determination is "NO" in step S4, the determination of step S4 is repeated.

[0046] Here, a display screen that is displayed on the display unit 4 when a passenger inputs an answer will be described. For example, when a passenger inputs an answer orally, the voice-to-text conversion unit 112 converts the input voice data into text data. The response generation unit 113 generates display screen data including the passenger's answer based on the text data converted by the voice-to-text conversion unit 112, and transmits the display screen data including the answer input by the passenger to the elevator control unit 11. This allows the elevator control unit 11 to display a display screen including the passenger's answer on the display unit 4 based on the transmitted display screen data.

[0047] FIG. 4B is an example of the display unit 4 after the passenger has input a response. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4B, text messages M1 and M2 from the automatic response and a text message M3 based on the passenger's response are displayed in a chat format (conversational format). In this manner, in this embodiment, a text message from the automatic conversation device 110 and a text message displaying the response entered by the passenger in text are displayed in a chat format. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a read aloud button b1 is also attached to the text message M3 based on the passenger's response.

[0048] Next, the determination unit 114 determines whether or not a connection to the control center 200 is necessary based on the contents of the inputted answer of the passenger (step S5). In this embodiment, the determination unit 114 determines whether or not a connection to the control center 200 is necessary, as well as whether or not a call with the control center 200 is necessary.

[0049] Here, the determination unit 114 makes a determination by, for example, referring to a table indicating a determination criterion for determining whether a connection and a call are necessary. The table indicating the determination criterion is, for example, a table in which a plurality of words expected to be included in the answer input by the passenger are linked to the respective determination results for each word, and is stored in advance in a storage unit (not shown). By referring to this table, the determination unit 114 determines the content of the answer input based on the words included in the answer input by the passenger, and extracts the determination results linked to the words, thereby making the determination in step S5.

[0050] For example, when the determination unit 114 determines from the passenger's answer that the passenger pressed the emergency call button 6 by mistake, the determination unit 114 determines that there is no need to talk to the controller 222 or to connect to the control center 200. In this case, the flow in FIG. 3 ends.

[0051] FIG. 5C is a diagram showing an example of a response from the automatic conversation device 110 when a text message M3 "I pressed it by mistake" is input by the passenger. In this case, in step S5, the determination unit 114 determines that neither a call with the controller 222 nor a connection using a chat function with the control center 200 is necessary based on the input words. Therefore, in the automatic conversation device 110, the response generation unit 113 extracts a response sentence with the content "Automatic response will end," generates display screen data including the response sentence, and transmits the display screen data to the elevator control unit 11 side. As a result, under the control of the elevator control unit 11, a text message M4 with the content "Automatic response will end" is displayed on the display unit 4 as shown in FIG. 5C.

[0052] On the other hand, when the determination unit 114 determines from the passenger's answer that an incident has occurred that requires an immediate call with the controller 222 at the control center 200, such as "trapped," the determination unit 114 determines that a call with the controller 222 is necessary. In this case, the process proceeds to step S6. When the determination unit 114 determines from the passenger's answer that an incident has occurred that does not require an immediate response, such as an abnormal noise, the determination unit 114 determines that a call with the controller 222 is not necessary and that a connection with the control center 200 using a chat function is necessary.

[0053] 5D is a diagram showing an example of a response from the automatic conversation device 110 when a text message M3 saying "I'm trapped" is input by a passenger. When the determination unit 114 determines that a serious malfunction, such as being trapped, has occurred based on the passenger's response (text message M3), the determination unit 114 determines in step S5 that a call with the control center 200 is necessary. In this case, for example, the response generation unit 113 extracts a response sentence saying "A call with the control center will start," and generates display screen data including the response sentence and transmits it to the elevator control unit 11 side.

[0054] As a result, under the control of the elevator control unit 11, as shown in Fig. 5D, the display unit 4 displays a text message M5 saying "Starting a call with the control center" as a text message from the automatic conversation device 110. After that, under the control of the elevator control unit 11, a call is started between the passenger in the car 12 and the controller 222 of the control center 200 by the voice input / output unit 5, which also serves as a call unit (step S6).

[0055] 6E is a diagram showing an example of a response from the automatic conversation device 110 when a passenger answers by inputting a text message M3 saying, "There is an abnormal noise." If the determination unit 114 of the automatic conversation device 110 determines from the passenger's answer (text message M3) that a report to the control center 200 is required, such as the occurrence of an abnormal noise, the determination unit 114 determines in step S5 that a connection using a chat function with the control center 200 is required. In this case, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0056] In step S7, the determination unit 114 determines whether or not the answer content (text message M3) entered by the passenger needs to be corrected. Here, first, the response generation unit 113 of the automatic conversation device 110 extracts the response sentence "Answer will be sent to the control center. Do you want to re-enter?" and generates display screen data for the display screen to be displayed on the display unit 4. Then, the display screen data is transmitted to the elevator control unit 11. The elevator control unit 11 causes the transmitted display screen data to be displayed on the display unit 4. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6E, the display unit 4 displays the text message M7 "Answer will be sent to the control center. Do you want to re-enter?", as well as an operation button b3 for the passenger to re-enter the answer and an operation button b4 for not re-entering the answer.

[0057] Then, in step S7, after the text message M7 and the operation buttons b3 and b4 shown in FIG. 6E are displayed, the passenger operates either the operation button b3 or the operation button b4, whereby the determination unit 114 makes a determination.

[0058] If the answer is "YES" in step S7, that is, if it is determined that the passenger needs to re-input by selecting the operation button b3, the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, the response generation unit 113 generates the response sentence and display screen shown in Fig. 4A, and causes the display unit 4 to display a passenger input screen similar to that shown in Fig. 4A. This allows the passenger to re-input the answer in the same manner as the procedure described in step S3.

[0059] Next, the determination unit 114 determines whether or not the passenger's answer has been input according to the same procedure as in step S4 (step S9). If the determination is "NO" in step S9, that is, if the passenger's answer has not been input, the determination in step S9 is repeated.

[0060] On the other hand, if the answer is determined to be "YES" in step S9, that is, if it is determined that the passenger's answer has been input, the process returns to step S7. In this way, in this embodiment, if the passenger wants to correct the answer content that he or she inputted, the passenger can appropriately correct it. For example, when the passenger inputs the answer orally, the text conversion may be performed different from the answer intended by the passenger due to erroneous recognition by the voice-to-text conversion unit 112. In this embodiment, the passenger can correct the answer until the answer intended by the passenger is displayed in text, so that more correct information can be transmitted to the control center 200 side in the flow after step S10. Then, if it is determined in step S7 that text correction is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0061] In step S10, the monitor and control unit 111 transmits the voice data and text data of the passenger's answer acquired by the automatic conversation device 110 from the communication unit 120 via the public line network 300 to the control center 200 (step S10).

[0062] At the control center 200 side, the voice data transmitted from the elevator monitoring device 130 side is input to the control terminal 230 via the communication unit 250 and the voice data transmission / reception unit 210. Furthermore, the text data transmitted from the elevator monitoring device 130 side is input to the control terminal 230 via the communication unit 250 and the text data transmission / reception unit 220. Although not shown in the figure, information on the identification number of the elevator 13 is also input to the control terminal 230 side via the communication unit 250 together with the voice data and text data.

[0063] In the control terminal 230, information on the elevator 13 is extracted from the elevator master 240 based on the input identification number of the elevator 13, and information on the building 100 in which the elevator 13 is installed and the input text data are displayed on the display unit 4. The controller 222 refers to various information displayed on the control terminal 230, and the controller 222 inputs a response to the displayed input information of the passenger. The controller 222's response input from the control terminal 230 may be input by voice or from a keyboard, as in the case of the passenger of the elevator 13. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of responses are exemplified on the display screen, and the controller 222 appropriately selects from the plurality of exemplified responses. When the control terminal 230 allows input of a response by voice, a configuration may be adopted in which re-input is possible, as in the control procedure in the automatic conversation device 110 in steps S7 to S9.

[0064] When the controller 222 inputs an answer in the control terminal 230, text data and voice data corresponding to the answer are transmitted from the communication unit 250 via the public line network 300 to the elevator monitoring device 130 side.

[0065] After that, the automatic conversation device 110 displays the answer of the controller 222 transmitted from the control terminal 230 on the display unit 4 (step S11). First, the response generation unit 113 generates display screen data to be displayed on the display unit 4 based on the text data transmitted from the control center 200 side, and transmits the display screen data to the elevator control unit 11. Then, the elevator control unit 11 displays the text message M8 (see FIG. 6F) transmitted from the control center 200 on the display unit 4 based on the transmitted display screen data. As a result, the display screen shown in FIG. 6F is displayed on the display unit 4. In this case, too, the text message M6 from the control center 200 side can be made readable by setting a read-aloud button b1.

[0066] Next, in the automatic conversation device 110, the determination unit 114 determines whether the passenger's call subject has been resolved (step S12). Here, first, the response generation unit 113 extracts the response sentence "Has the subject been resolved?" and generates display screen data including this response sentence, and transmits the display screen data to the elevator control unit 11. The elevator control unit 11 causes the display unit 4 to display a display screen including the response sentence generated by the response generation unit 113 based on the transmitted display screen data.

[0067] 6F is an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 4 in step S12. As shown in FIG. 6F, the display unit 4 displays a text message M9 from the automatic conversation device 110 asking "Has your business been resolved?", as well as a "YES" button b5 and a "NO" button b6 as buttons that can be operated by the passenger. Then, in step S12, the determination unit 114 makes a determination when the passenger operates the "YES" button b5 or the "NO" button b6 shown in FIG. 6F.

[0068] In step S12, when the determination unit 114 determines that the passenger operates the "YES" button b5, the flow shown in Fig. 3 ends. Fig. 7G is an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 4 when the determination in step S12 is "YES".

[0069] In the process of step S12, when the passenger operates the "YES" button b5, first, the response generation unit 113 extracts a response sentence indicating the end of the chat, such as "Automatic response will end," and generates display screen data including this response sentence. Then, the response generation unit 113 transmits the display screen data to the elevator control unit 11. Based on the transmitted display screen data, the elevator control unit 11 causes the display unit 4 to display a display screen including the response sentence generated by the response generation unit 113. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7G, a text message M10 such as "Automatic response will end" is displayed on the display unit 4 from the automatic conversation device 110.

[0070] On the other hand, if the automatic conversation device 110 determines in step S12 that the passenger has operated the "NO" button b6, the process returns to step S8. Fig. 7H is an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit 4 when the determination in step S12 is "NO."

[0071] In the process of step S12, if the passenger operates the "NO" button b6, first, the response generation unit 113 extracts a response sentence that prompts the passenger to respond again, such as "Please enter your response," and generates display screen data including the response sentence. Then, the response generation unit 113 transmits the display screen data to the elevator control unit 11. Based on the transmitted display screen data, the elevator control unit 11 causes the display unit 4 to display a display screen including the response sentence generated by the response generation unit 113. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7H, a text message M2 such as "Please enter your response" is displayed on the display unit 4 from the automatic conversation device 110.

[0072] Thereafter, the passenger can input the answer in a manner similar to that described in step S3.

[0073] As described above, in this embodiment, the automatic conversation device 110 can grasp the elevator status in a chat format. In particular, in this embodiment, the automatic conversation device 110 extracts an appropriate question sentence according to the elevator operation status acquired at the time the emergency call button 6 is pressed, and displays it on the display unit 4. This allows for smooth subsequent communication with passengers.

[0074] In addition, in the automatic conversation device 110, the determination unit 114 determines the content of the abnormality according to the passenger's verbal or touch input response, and determines whether or not a connection with the control center 200 is required. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary calls from being made to the control center 200, for example, when the emergency call button 6 is pressed by mistake.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the passenger needs to correct the answer due to an error in the input, etc., the passenger can re-input the answer. This allows more accurate information to be transmitted to the control center 200, and facilitates smooth communication between the passenger and the controller 222.

[0076] In this embodiment, the determination as to whether the passenger's answer needs to be corrected (step S7) is performed after the determination as to whether the passenger can connect to the control center (step S5), but the determination as to whether the passenger can correct the answer may be performed before the determination as to whether the passenger can connect to the control center 200. By performing the determination as to whether the passenger can correct the answer before the determination as to whether the passenger can connect to the control center 200, the determination as to whether the passenger can connect to the control center 200 can be performed more accurately.

[0077] In this embodiment, after the abnormality of the elevator 13 is detected in advance by chat of the automatic conversation device 110, the information is transmitted to the control center 200. This makes it possible to improve the efficiency of power reception on the control center 200 side, and also to improve the efficiency of the workload of the controller 222.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the voice-to-text conversion unit 112 can display a passenger's verbal input as a text message. This makes operation easier for passengers who are not familiar with operating a touch panel or the like. Furthermore, the read-aloud function of the voice-to-text conversion unit 112 allows a text message to be transmitted as a voice message. In this way, in this embodiment, since messages can be transmitted in both voice and text, passengers with visual or hearing impairments can also check the message displayed on the display unit 4. This allows smooth communication between various passengers.

[0079] The above-mentioned embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to having all of the configurations described. For example, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration, and it is also possible to add another configuration to the configuration of the embodiment. Also, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1... elevator system, 2... open / close button, 3... destination floor button, 4... display unit, 5... voice input / output unit, 6... emergency call button, 7... operation unit, 10... elevator device, 11... elevator control unit, 13... elevator, 15... operation display unit, 100... building, 110... automatic conversation device, 111... monitoring control unit, 112... voice-to-text conversion unit, 113... response generation unit, 114... judgment unit, 120... communication unit, 130... elevator monitoring device, 200... control center, 210... voice data transmission / reception unit, 220... text data transmission / reception unit, 222... controller, 230... control terminal, 240... elevator master, 250... communication unit, 260... control system, 300... public line network

Claims

1. An elevator system including an elevator apparatus having a car and an elevator monitoring device that monitors a state of the elevator apparatus, the elevator device includes an operation display unit that displays information transmitted from the elevator monitoring device and allows passengers to input information by operation, the elevator monitoring device includes a response generation unit that extracts a response sentence to be displayed on the operation display unit based on information input from the operation display unit, The response generation unit, when an abnormality occurs in the elevator device, extracts a predetermined question sentence and extracts an answer instruction sentence for prompting a passenger to input an answer to the question sentence, and when the answer is input by the passenger, extracts an input instruction sentence for whether or not the answer needs to be corrected, and when it is input that the correction is necessary, extracts again an answer instruction sentence for the passenger to the question sentence. Elevator system.

2. The response generation unit acquires information about a state of the elevator device when an abnormality occurs in the elevator device, and extracts an appropriate question sentence based on the information about the state of the elevator device.

2. The elevator system of claim 1.

3. The elevator monitoring device includes a determination unit that determines the status of the elevator device based on responses from passengers and determines whether or not a connection to a control center is required.

3. The elevator system of claim 2.

4. The operation display unit displays the response sentence extracted by the response generation unit and the answer input from the passenger input from the operation display unit in a chat format.

2. The elevator system of claim 1.

5. The elevator monitoring device includes a voice-to-text conversion unit that converts text data into voice data and also converts voice data into text data, When the passenger's answer is given by voice input from a voice input / output unit provided on the operation display unit, the voice-to-text conversion unit converts the voice-input answer into text data, The operation display unit displays the answer as a text message based on the text data.

2. The elevator system of claim 1.

6. the operation display unit displays a read-aloud button for each displayed text message; When the read-out button is operated, the voice input / output unit outputs a voice message corresponding to the text message from the voice input / output unit based on the voice data generated by the voice-to-text conversion unit.

6. The elevator system of claim 5.

7. The operation display unit has a communication unit capable of communicating with a control center, When the determination unit determines that a call to the control center is necessary, the call unit starts a call with the control center.

4. The elevator system of claim 3.

8. The elevator monitoring device has a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from a control center, When the determination unit determines that a connection to the control center is necessary, the communication unit transmits a response from the passenger to the control center and receives a response from the control center.

4. The elevator system of claim 3.

9. A control method for an elevator system having an elevator apparatus having a passenger car and an elevator monitoring device that monitors a state of the elevator apparatus, comprising: extracting a predetermined question sentence based on an input from an operation display unit of the elevator apparatus when an abnormality occurs in the elevator apparatus, and generating an answer instruction to the question sentence for a passenger; displaying the generated text message regarding the question sentence and the answer instruction on the operation display unit; generating an input instruction as to whether or not the answer needs to be corrected when the answer is input from the operation display unit; displaying a text message on the operation display unit regarding an input instruction for whether or not the correction is required; A method for controlling an elevator system having the following features:

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