Elevator control system and control method for elevator control system

Abstract

To provide air conditioning inside an elevator car using a self-propelled device equipped with an air conditioner.SOLUTION: An elevator control system (100) includes a state determination unit (412) that determines whether or not the air state in a car (51) of an elevator (5) satisfies a first criterion, and a self-propelled device management unit (211) that manages a self-propelled device (3) capable of autonomous travel and is equipped with an air conditioner (31). When the air state in the car (51) satisfies the first criterion, the self-propelled device management unit (211) instructs the self-propelled device (3) to get into the car (51).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an elevator control system and a control method for an elevator control system that assists in improving air inside an elevator car. [Background technology]

[0002] In the rainy season, summer, and other times, the temperature and humidity inside an elevator car can rise, making users feel uncomfortable. In order to improve the comfort of elevator users, various elevator air conditioning controls have been proposed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a car heating and cooling device that detects the temperature inside the car with a thermosensor and controls an air conditioner installed in the car based on the detected temperature, thereby conditioning the air inside the car. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-077429 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, self-propelled devices having various functions have become capable of moving using elevators.

[0006] A primary object of the present invention is to provide an elevator control system capable of conditioning the air inside an elevator car by using a self-propelled device equipped with an air conditioning device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, an elevator control system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a state determination unit that determines whether the air condition inside an elevator car satisfies a first criterion, and a self-propelled device management unit that manages a self-propelled device capable of autonomous travel that is equipped with an air conditioning device, and when the air condition inside the car satisfies the first criterion, the self-propelled device management unit instructs the self-propelled device to enter the car.

[0008] In addition, a control method of an elevator control system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a state determination step of determining whether or not the air state inside the elevator car satisfies a first criterion, and a boarding instruction step of instructing an autonomously-propelled device equipped with an air conditioning device to board the car if the air state inside the elevator car satisfies the first criterion.

[0009] The elevator control system according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control program of the information processing system that realizes the information processing system on a computer by causing the computer to operate as each part (software element) of the information processing system, and the computer-readable recording medium on which it is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a self-propelled device including an air conditioner can be used to provide air conditioning inside an elevator car. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an elevator control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of self-propelled device information. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of each floor information. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart for explaining an outline of a processing flow performed by the elevator control system. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by an elevator control device. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by an elevator control device. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by the self-propelled device management device in response to a boarding request. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of updated self-propelled device information. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by the self-propelled device management device in response to a boarding instruction. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of updated self-propelled device information. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by the self-propelled device management device in response to a disembarking instruction. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of updated self-propelled device information. [Figure 13] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by a self-propelled device in response to a movement instruction. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by a self-propelled device in response to a boarding instruction. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by a self-propelled device in response to a disembarking instruction. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an elevator control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of car number information. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by a group management control device. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by a group management control device. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of updated car number information. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of updated car number information. [Figure 22]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of updated car number information. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of updated car number information. [Figure 24] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by the self-propelled device management device in response to a boarding request. [Diagram 25] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by the self-propelled device management device in response to a boarding instruction. [Figure 26] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing performed by the self-propelled device management device in response to a disembarking instruction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] (Overview of elevator control system 100) Elevator cars are often equipped with ventilation devices. For example, when the inside of an elevator car becomes humid during humid seasons, ventilation alone may not improve the air condition inside the car.

[0013] In order to improve the air inside the car, it is effective to use an air conditioner equipped with a cooling function and a dehumidifying function, but few elevators have an air conditioner installed inside the car. An elevator control system according to an embodiment of the present invention (for example, elevator control systems 100 and 100a described below) can improve the state of the air inside the car 51 of the elevator 5 by using a self-propelled device 3 equipped with an air conditioner 31.

[0014] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an elevator control system 100. As shown in Fig. 1, the elevator control system 100 may include a self-propelled device management device 2, a self-propelled device 3 having an air conditioning device 31, an elevator control device 4, an elevator 5, a building management device 6, and an imaging device 7.

[0016] In the elevator control system 100, the self-propelled device management device 2, the self-propelled device 3, the elevator control device 4, the building management device 6, and the imaging device 7 are connected via a network capable of transmitting information. The elevator control system 100 may use a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.

[0017] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the elevator control system 100 is applied to a building that is provided with one elevator control device 4 and one elevator 5. Note that the elevator control system 100 may include one or more of the self-propelled device management device 2, the self-propelled device 3, and the imaging device 7.

[0018] <Self-propelled device management device 2> The self-propelled device management device 2 manages various operations including the movement of the self-propelled device 3. The self-propelled device management device 2 transmits various instructions to the self-propelled device 3 and receives communication from the self-propelled device 3. The various instructions may include, for example, a movement instruction, an instruction to get into the car 51 of the elevator 5, an instruction to get off from the car 51, and the like.

[0019] The self-propelled device management device 2 also receives boarding instructions and disembarking instructions from the elevator control device 4. The boarding instruction is a control signal that instructs the self-propelled device 3 to board in the car 51 of the elevator 5. In response to the boarding instruction from the elevator control device 4, the self-propelled device management device 2 instructs the self-propelled device 3 to board in the car 51. On the other hand, the disembarking instruction is a control signal that instructs the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from inside the car 51 of the elevator 5. In response to the disembarking instruction from the elevator control device 4, the self-propelled device management device 2 instructs the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from inside the car 51.

[0020] The self-propelled device management device 2 may receive a boarding request and an alighting request from the elevator control device 4. The boarding request is a control signal requesting the self-propelled device 3 to board the car 51 of the elevator 5. The boarding request may be output before the boarding instruction is output from the elevator control device 4. In response to the boarding request from the elevator control device 4, the self-propelled device management device 2 (for example, the self-propelled device management unit 211 described later) notifies the elevator control device 4 of the self-propelled device ID and boarding floor information indicating the floor at which the self-propelled device 3 boards the car 51. In addition, the self-propelled device management device 2 (for example, the self-propelled device management unit 211 described later) may instruct the self-propelled device 3 to move to the landing of the elevator 5. In response to the alighting request from the elevator control device 4, the self-propelled device 3 may start the operation of the air conditioning device 31. On the other hand, the alighting request is a control signal requesting the self-propelled device 3 to alight from the car 51 of the elevator 5. The disembarking request may be output before the disembarking instruction is output from the elevator control device 4. In response to the disembarking request from the elevator control device 4, the self-propelled device management device 2 may instruct the self-propelled device 3 to perform preparation processing for disembarking from inside the car 51. Here, as the preparation processing for disembarking, for example, the elevator control device 4 may output a voice announcement from inside the car 51 to the effect that the person will disembark, and register a car call. In response to the disembarking request from the elevator control device 4, the self-propelled device 3 may stop the operation of the air conditioning device 31.

[0021] The self-propelled device management device 2 is configured using a computer, and includes a control unit 21 and a storage unit 22. The storage unit 22 stores various information used in the self-propelled device management device 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the storage unit 22 stores self-propelled device information 221.

[0022] The self-propelled device information 221 may include information on the current operating status and current location of the self-propelled device 3, and on future operation schedules. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the self-propelled device information 221. Here, an example will be described in which there are three self-propelled devices 3, but the number of self-propelled devices 3 may be one or two, or may be four or more.

[0023] The self-propelled device information 221 may include a "self-propelled device ID", a "status", a "current location", a "reserved time", and a "work end time" as shown in FIG. 2. The "self-propelled device ID" is identification information that can identify each of the self-propelled devices 3, and may be the name of each of the self-propelled devices 3. The "status" is information indicating the current operating status of each of the self-propelled devices 3. The "current location" is information indicating the current position of each of the self-propelled devices 3. The "reserved time" is information indicating the time when the self-propelled device 3 responding to a boarding request from the elevator control device 4 will arrive at the landing (i.e., the time when the self-propelled device 3 will be able to board the car 51). The "work end time" is information indicating the time when the work currently being performed by the self-propelled device 3 will end. In FIG. 2, for example, the self-propelled device 3 with the self-propelled device ID "Robot1" is currently waiting on the 5th floor, and the self-propelled device 3 with the self-propelled device ID "Robot2" is currently working on the 6th floor, and the work will end at 13:30.

[0024] The control unit 21 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit) in one example. The control unit 21 reads a control program, which is software stored in the storage unit 22, and deploys it in a memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) to execute various functions. The control unit 21 includes a self-propelled device management unit 211.

[0025] The self-propelled device management unit 211 manages the movement of the self-propelled device 3, the assignment of work to the self-propelled device 3, and the progress of work by the self-propelled device 3. The self-propelled device management unit 211 transmits, to the self-propelled device 3, instructions to move to a landing, instructions to get into the car 51, instructions to get off from the car 51, and the like, based on a boarding request, a boarding instruction, a disembarking request, and an alighting instruction from the elevator control device 4. The self-propelled device management unit 211 may appropriately update the self-propelled device information 221 in response to transmitting a moving instruction, a boarding instruction, and an alighting instruction to the self-propelled device 3. For example, when the self-propelled device management unit 211 transmits a boarding instruction to the self-propelled device 3, the self-propelled device management unit 211 may update the "status" of the self-propelled device information 221 to "working", "riding", and the like.

[0026] The self-propelled device management unit 211 may manage a plurality of self-propelled devices 3. In this case, the self-propelled device management unit 211 may instruct the self-propelled device 3 that can be boarded in the car 51 earliest among the plurality of self-propelled devices 3, to board the car 51 in response to a boarding request from the elevator control device 4. Also, the self-propelled device management unit 211 may instruct the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from the car 51 in response to a disembarking request. According to this configuration, the elevator control system 100 can quickly improve the air condition in the car 51.

[0027] The self-propelled device management unit 211 acquires various information from the self-propelled device 3. For example, it may receive from the self-propelled device 3 a boarding completion report indicating that boarding into the car 51 has been completed, and a disembarking completion report indicating that disembarking from the car 51 has been completed. The self-propelled device management unit 211 may be configured to report to the elevator control device 4 in real time that the boarding completion report and the disembarking completion report have been received from the self-propelled device 3. This allows the elevator control device 4 to control the operation of the car 51 based on the boarding status and disembarking status in the car 51 of the self-propelled device 3 corresponding to the boarding instruction and the disembarking instruction.

[0028] Here, a configuration in which various instructions for the self-propelled device 3 are transmitted from the self-propelled device management device 2 to the self-propelled device 3 in the elevator control system 100 will be described, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the elevator control device 4 may have the function of the self-propelled device management unit 211, and in that case, the elevator control system 100 may be configured to be able to transmit various instructions directly from the elevator control device 4 to the self-propelled device 3.

[0029] <Self-propelled device 3> The self-propelled device 3 is equipped with an air conditioner 31 and is capable of autonomous travel. Here, the air conditioner 31 has at least one of a cooling function, a heating function, a dehumidifying function, and a humidifying function. The self-propelled device 3 may be a robot equipped with a running function and / or a walking function using any of legs, wheels, caterpillar tracks, and the like. The self-propelled device 3 can also move between floors by using an elevator 5.

[0030] The self-propelled device 3 that has received the boarding instruction may transmit a boarding completion report to the self-propelled device management device 2 at the time when boarding into the car 51 is completed. In addition, the self-propelled device 3 that has received the disembarking instruction may transmit a disembarking completion report to the self-propelled device management device 2 at the time when disembarking from the car 51 is completed.

[0031] <Imaging device 7> The imaging device 7 is installed on each floor of the building and is capable of capturing an image of the hall of the elevator 5. The imaging device 7 may be a digital camera or a surveillance camera. Hereinafter, an image captured by the imaging device 7 will be referred to as a "hall image."

[0032] <Building Management Device 6> The building management device 6 monitors and manages the status of each floor of the building. In one example, the building management device 6 may be a cloud server managed by a company that maintains and manages the building.

[0033] The building management device 6 is configured using a computer, and includes a control unit 61 and a memory unit 62. The memory unit 62 stores various information used in the building management device 6. As shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 61 includes a floor information management unit 611, and the memory unit 62 stores floor information 621.

[0034] The floor information management unit 611 acquires the measurement results measured by various sensors installed on each floor of the building, and stores them in the floor information 621. The various sensors may include a temperature sensor capable of measuring the air temperature on each floor, a humidity sensor capable of measuring the humidity, and the like.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of each floor information 621. Here, an example will be described in which a building has floors 1 to 12. Each floor information 621 includes the measurement results of temperature and humidity measured on each floor. In FIG. 3, for example, the temperature on the first floor is "29°C" and the humidity is "65%." Each floor information 621 may include the measurement results (hall information indicating the status of the hall) measured by various sensors installed at the elevator halls on each floor.

[0036] Furthermore, the floor information management unit 611 may acquire a landing image from the imaging device 7. In this case, the floor information management unit 611 may store the acquired landing image of each floor in the storage unit 62 (for example, the floor information 621). Alternatively, the floor information management unit 611 may determine the degree of congestion at the landing of each floor based on the acquired landing image, and store the determination result (landing information indicating the status of the landing) in the storage unit 62 (for example, the floor information 621).

[0037] In response to an information request from the elevator control device 4, the floor information management unit 611 may provide the elevator control device 4 with floor information such as information regarding the temperature and humidity of each floor contained in the floor information 621, and landing information such as the judgment results regarding the degree of congestion at the landings on each floor.

[0038] <Elevator 5> The elevator 5 moves the car 51 between floors and opens and closes the doors under the control of the elevator control device 4. The elevator 5 includes a car 51 in which a user and the self-propelled device 3 can ride, and an in-car sensor 52 that measures the air condition inside the car 51. In the following, a case will be described as an example in which the in-car sensor 52 is a sensor that can measure the temperature and humidity inside the car 51, but is not limited to this. For example, the in-car sensor 52 may be a sensor that can only measure the temperature inside the car 51, or a sensor that can only measure the humidity.

[0039] <Elevator control device 4> The elevator control device 4 comprehensively controls the operation of the elevator 5, such as the ascent, descent, stopping, and running speed of the car 51, by controlling the operation of the hoist etc. The elevator control device 4 also acquires measurement results from the in-car sensor 52. The elevator control device 4 may store the acquired measurement results in car information 421 of the memory unit 42.

[0040] When the acquired measurement result satisfies the first criterion, the elevator control device 4 outputs a boarding instruction for allowing the self-propelled device 3 to board the car 51. Note that when the acquired measurement result satisfies the first criterion, the elevator control device 4 may output a boarding request before outputting the boarding instruction.

[0041] The elevator control device 4 is configured using a computer, and includes a control unit 41 and a storage unit .

[0042] First, a description will be given of the storage unit 42. The storage unit 42 stores various information used in the elevator control device 4. As shown in Fig. 1, the storage unit 42 stores at least car information 421 and boarding floor information 422.

[0043] The car information 421 is a measurement result obtained from the in-car sensor 52. The measurement result includes information indicating the temperature and humidity inside the car 51. In the following, an example will be described in which the elevator control device 4 obtains the current measurement result of the temperature and humidity inside the car 51 from the in-car sensor 52 at regular time intervals. Here, the frequency of obtaining the measurement result can be set arbitrarily so that the length of time during which the air condition inside the car 51 satisfies the first criterion (i.e., a state that may cause discomfort to users) is not excessively long. In one example, the frequency of obtaining the measurement result may be every 5 seconds, every 10 seconds, every 30 seconds, or every minute.

[0044] The boarding floor information 422 is information indicating the self-propelled device ID and the floor at which the self-propelled device 3 boards in the car 51, which is notified from the self-propelled device management device 2 to the elevator control device 4 in response to a boarding request from the elevator control device 4. Note that in response to a boarding request from the elevator control device 4, the self-propelled device management device 2 may further notify the elevator control device 4 of a boarding available time at which the self-propelled device 3 is able to board the car 51. In this case, the boarding floor information 422 may store the self-propelled device ID, the boarding available time, and the boarding floor information.

[0045] Next, the control unit 41 will be described. In one example, the control unit 41 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 41 reads a control program, which is software stored in the storage unit 42, and deploys it in a memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) to execute various functions. The control unit 41 includes an acquisition unit 411, a state determination unit 412, a request unit 413, an instruction unit 414, and a hall status determination unit 415.

[0046] The acquisition unit 411 acquires various types of information, and appropriately stores and manages the acquired information in the storage unit 42. For example, the acquisition unit 411 stores the measurement results acquired from the in-car sensor 52 in the car information 421 in the storage unit 42. The acquisition unit 411 may also acquire information on the temperature and humidity of each floor, and information on the degree of congestion at the landings on each floor (determination results) from the building management device 6.

[0047] The state determination unit 412 determines whether or not the state of the air in the car 51 of the elevator 5 satisfies a first criterion. Here, the first criterion is a criterion set to determine whether or not the state is such that a user in the car 51 may feel uncomfortable. For example, a state that satisfies the first criterion is a state in which the measured values ​​of temperature and / or humidity are not within a preset appropriate range. The appropriate range may differ depending on the season (and weather). In one example, in a period when the temperature is high and it is muggy, the appropriate range may be set to "temperature 28°C or lower," "humidity 60% or lower," or "temperature 28°C or lower and humidity 60% or lower." On the other hand, in a period when the temperature is low and it is cold and dry, the appropriate range may be set to "temperature 18°C ​​or higher," "humidity 30% or higher," or "temperature 18°C ​​or lower and humidity 30% or higher."

[0048] The state determination unit 412 may determine whether the state of the air in the cage 51 of the elevator 5 satisfies a second standard. Here, the second standard is a standard set as an ideal state (i.e., a state that is desirable to be maintained) for the air in the cage 51. That is, the second standard is a target standard when the air in the cage 51 is improved by the self-propelled device 3. For example, the state that satisfies the second standard is a state in which the measured values ​​of temperature and / or humidity are within a preset standard range. The standard range may differ depending on the season (and weather). In one example, in a period when the temperature is high and it is muggy, the standard range may be set to "temperature 26°C or lower", "humidity 50% or lower", or "temperature 26°C or lower and humidity 50% or lower". On the other hand, in a period when the temperature is low and it is cold and dry, the standard range may be set to "temperature 20°C or higher", "humidity 40% or higher", or "temperature 18°C ​​or lower and humidity 40% or higher".

[0049] When it is determined that the air condition in the car 51 satisfies the first criterion, the request unit 413 may output a boarding request to the self-propelled device management device 2 (self-propelled device management unit 211) to board the self-propelled device 3 in the car 51. According to this configuration, the elevator control device 4 can request that the self-propelled device 3 be boarded in the car 51 in which the air condition needs to be improved.

[0050] There is a possibility that some users are unable to board the car 51 due to the self-propelled device 3 being in the car 51. Therefore, when the air condition in the car 51 after the self-propelled device 3 has boarded satisfies the second standard (i.e., when the air condition in the car 51 has improved), the request unit 413 may output a disembarking request to the self-propelled device management device 2 (self-propelled device management unit 211) to cause the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from the car 51. According to this configuration, the elevator control system 100 causes the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from the car 51 if the air condition in the car 51 has improved. In this way, the elevator control system 100 can allow more users to board the car 51 with the improved air condition.

[0051] The state determination unit 412 may be configured to determine whether or not the state of air in the cage 51 of the elevator 5 satisfies the second criterion before determining whether or not the state of air in the cage 51 of the elevator 5 satisfies the first criterion. That is, the state determination unit 412 may determine whether or not the state of air in the cage 51 satisfies the first criterion only when it is confirmed that the state of air in the cage 51 of the elevator 5 does not satisfy the second criterion. For example, when the state of air in the cage 51 satisfies the second criterion, the state of air in the cage 51 is good. When the state of air in the cage 51 further deteriorates from a state in which the air in the cage 51 does not satisfy either the first criterion or the second criterion to a state in which the air satisfies the first criterion, the elevator control system 100 instructs the self-propelled device 3 to get into the cage 51 in order to improve the state of air in the cage 51.

[0052] The request unit 413 may output a disembarking request for the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from within the car 51 to the self-propelled device management device 2 (self-propelled device management unit 211).

[0053] When the acquired measurement result satisfies the first criterion, the instruction unit 414 outputs a boarding instruction to the self-propelled device management device 2 for boarding the self-propelled device 3 into the car 51. The instruction unit 414 may output a boarding instruction to the self-propelled device management device 2 when the car 51 stops at a floor stored in the boarding floor information 422 and the door opens.

[0054] The landing status determination unit 415 determines whether the landing information regarding the status of the landing of the elevator 5 is a floor that satisfies a predetermined condition. The landing status determination unit 415 may determine a floor that satisfies a predetermined condition and register a car call with the floor as the destination floor. In this case, the instruction unit 414 (and the request unit 413) may output an alighting instruction (and alighting request) specifying a floor for disembarking the self-propelled device 3 from the car 51 based on the determination result by the landing status determination unit 415. According to this configuration, the elevator control system 100 determines the floor for disembarking the self-propelled device 3 from the car 51 by referring to the landing status of the floor. This makes it possible to avoid the possibility that the improved air condition in the car 51 will deteriorate due to the influence of the landing status when the self-propelled device 3 disembarks from the car 51 with the improved air condition.

[0055] (Outline of Processing Performed by Elevator Control System 100) The following describes the processing performed by the elevator control system 100. FIG.

[0056] First, the acquisition unit 411 acquires the state of the air in the car 51 (step S1).

[0057] Next, the state determination unit 412 determines whether or not the state of the air in the car 51 satisfies the first standard (step S2: state determination step). If the state of the air in the car 51 does not satisfy the first standard (NO in step S2), it is determined that improvement of the air state is not necessary, and the process returns to step S1.

[0058] On the other hand, if the air condition inside the cage 51 satisfies the first standard (YES in step S2), the self-propelled device management device 2 instructs the self-propelled device 3 to board the cage 51 (in response to a boarding instruction from the elevator control device 4) (step S3: boarding instruction step).

[0059] According to the above configuration, when the air condition inside the car 51 satisfies the first standard, the elevator control system 100 allows the self-propelled device 3 equipped with the air conditioner 31 to ride inside the car 51. This allows the elevator control system 100 to use the self-propelled device 3 to improve the air condition inside the car 51 in a timely manner.

[0060] (Processing flow performed by elevator control system 100) The flow of the process performed by the elevator control system 100 will be described below with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 15. Note that the following description will be given by taking as an example the process performed during a period when the temperature is high and the inside of the car 51 is likely to become muggy.

[0061] <Processing performed by elevator control device 4> First, the process performed by the elevator control device 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are flowcharts showing an example of the flow of the process performed by the elevator control device 4.

[0062] The acquisition unit 411 acquires the state of the air inside the car 51 (same as step S1 in FIG. 4), and the state determination unit 412 determines whether or not the temperature and humidity inside the car 51 are within the standard range (step S41). If the temperature and humidity inside the car 51 are not within the standard range (NO in step S41), the state determination unit 412 determines whether or not the temperature and humidity inside the car 51 are within the appropriate range (step S42).

[0063] If the temperature and humidity in the car 51 are not within the appropriate range (NO in step S42), the request unit 413 outputs a boarding request to the self-propelled device management device 2 to board the self-propelled device 3 in the car 51 (step S43a), and waits until the self-propelled device ID and boarding floor information indicating the floor at which the self-propelled device 3 boards the car 51 are received from the self-propelled device management device 2. If the self-propelled device ID and boarding floor information are received from the self-propelled device management device 2 (YES in step S43b), the request unit 413 stores the received self-propelled device ID and boarding floor information in the storage unit 42 (boarding floor information 422) (step S43c). If the boarding time is received from the self-propelled device management device 2, the request unit 413 may store the boarding time together with the self-propelled device ID and boarding floor information in the storage unit 42 (boarding floor information 422).

[0064] In the example shown in Fig. 5, in step S43c, a car call for stopping the car 51 at a floor indicated in the boarding floor information is not registered. This is because if a user in the car 51 registers an unintended car call, the user may feel uneasy. In step S43c, a configuration may be adopted in which an announcement is output to notify the user in the car 51 that the self-propelled device 3 is boarding, and a car call for stopping the car 51 at a floor indicated in the boarding floor information is registered.

[0065] If the cage 51 stops at the floor indicated by the boarding floor information and the door opens (YES in step S43d), the processing proceeds to "P" in Figure 6, and the instruction unit 414 outputs a boarding instruction to the self-propelled device management device 2 to board the self-propelled device 3 into the cage 51 (step S43e).

[0066] When the acquisition unit 411 receives a boarding completion report indicating that the self-propelled device 3 has completed boarding into the cage 51 (YES in step S44), the status determination unit 412 determines whether the temperature and humidity inside the cage 51 are within the standard range (step S45).

[0067] If the temperature and humidity inside the car 51 are within the standard range (YES in step S45), the hall status determination unit 415 determines a disembarking floor that satisfies a predetermined condition and registers a car call (step S46). If the car 51 stops at the disembarking floor determined in step S46 and the door opens (YES in step S47), the request unit 413 outputs a disembarking request to the self-propelled device management device 2 to disembark the self-propelled device 3 from inside the car 51 (step S48a), and then the instruction unit 414 outputs a disembarking instruction to disembark the self-propelled device 3 from inside the car 51 (step S48b).

[0068] When the acquisition unit 411 receives a disembarking completion report indicating that the self-propelled device 3 has completed disembarking from within the car 51 (YES in step S49), the process ends.

[0069] <Processing performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding request> Next, the process performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding request will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing an example of the process performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding request. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of updated self-propelled device information 221.

[0070] When the self-propelled device management unit 211 receives a boarding request from the elevator control device 4 (YES in step S201), it selects the most suitable self-propelled device 3 from among the self-propelled devices 3 whose "status" in the self-propelled device information 221 is "waiting". Then, the self-propelled device management unit 211 transmits the self-propelled device ID and boarding floor information of the selected self-propelled device 3 to the elevator control device 4 (step S202). Here, the self-propelled device management unit 211 may transmit the boarding available time of the selected self-propelled device 3 together with the self-propelled device ID and boarding floor information to the elevator control device 4.

[0071] Next, the self-propelled device management unit 211 registers the "status" of the selected self-propelled device 3 as "reservation" and the "reserved time" as the available boarding time in the self-propelled device information 221 (step S203). FIG. 8 shows an example in which a self-propelled device 3 with a self-propelled device ID of "Robot1" is selected. FIG. 8 shows an example in which the available boarding time "13:20" is registered as the "reserved time".

[0072] Next, the self-propelled device management unit 211 transmits a movement instruction to the selected self-propelled device 3 to move it to a predetermined location by a predetermined time (step S204). Here, the predetermined location may be an elevator landing. The predetermined time may be a time set by the self-propelled device management device 2 and set based on the boarding time registered for the self-propelled device 3. If the boarding time is registered as "13:20", a time earlier than the boarding time (for example, "13:15") may be set as the predetermined time.

[0073] <Processing performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding instruction> Next, the process performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding instruction will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of the process performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding instruction. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of updated self-propelled device information 221.

[0074] When the self-propelled device management unit 211 receives a boarding instruction from the elevator control device 4 (YES in step S205), it instructs the self-propelled device 3 to board the car 51 (step S206).

[0075] Thereafter, when a boarding completion report is received from the self-propelled device 3 (YES in step S207), the self-propelled device management unit 211 notifies the elevator control device 4 that the self-propelled device 3 has boarded in the car 51 (step S208).

[0076] Then, the self-propelled device management unit 211 sets the "status" of the self-propelled device 3 to "working", sets the "current location" to "in the car", and deletes (leaves blank) the "reserved time" in the self-propelled device information 221, and registers it (step S209). FIG. 10 shows the update result from the self-propelled device information 221 shown in FIG. 8 for the self-propelled device 3 whose self-propelled device ID is "Robot1". FIG. 10 shows an example in which the "status" has been updated from "reserved" to "working", the "current location" has been changed from "5F" to "in the car", and the "reserved time" has been updated from "13:20" to blank.

[0077] <Processing performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a disembarking instruction> Next, the process performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a dismounting instruction will be described with reference to Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. Fig. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the process performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a dismounting instruction. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of updated self-propelled device information 221.

[0078] When the self-propelled device management unit 211 receives a disembarking instruction from the elevator control device 4 (YES in step S211), it instructs the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from the car 51 (step S212).

[0079] Thereafter, when a disembarking completion report is received from the self-propelled device 3 (YES in step 213), the self-propelled device management unit 211 notifies the elevator control device 4 that the self-propelled device 3 has disembarked from inside the car 51 (step S214).

[0080] Then, the self-propelled device management unit 211 registers the "status" of the self-propelled device information 221 for the self-propelled device 3 as "waiting" and the "current location" as the disembarking floor (step S215). FIG. 12 shows the update result from the self-propelled device information 221 shown in FIG. 10 for the self-propelled device 3 whose self-propelled device ID is "Robot1". FIG. 12 shows an example in which the "status" is updated from "working" to "waiting" and the "current location" is changed from "in the car" to "7F" (the self-propelled device 3 whose self-propelled device ID is "Robot1" gets into the car 51 from the 5th floor and disembarks on the 7th floor).

[0081] <Processing performed by the self-propelled device 3 in response to a movement instruction> Next, the process performed by the self-propelled device 3 in response to a movement instruction will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of the process performed by the self-propelled device 3 in response to a movement instruction.

[0082] When the self-propelled device 3 receives a movement instruction from the self-propelled device management device 2 (YES in step S301), it moves so as to arrive at a predetermined location by a predetermined time (step S302). Then, when the self-propelled device 3 has completed its movement to the predetermined location (YES in step S303), it notifies the self-propelled device management device 2 that it has arrived at the predetermined location (step S304).

[0083] <Processing performed by the self-propelled device 3 in response to a boarding instruction> Next, the process performed by the self-propelled device 3 in response to a boarding instruction will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of the process performed by the self-propelled device 3 in response to a boarding instruction.

[0084] When the self-propelled device 3 receives a boarding instruction from the self-propelled device management device 2 (YES in step S305), it boards the car 51 (step S306). Then, when boarding into the car 51 is completed (YES in step S307), it transmits a message to the self-propelled device management device 2 that boarding has been completed (step S308).

[0085] <Processing performed by the self-propelled device 3 in response to a disembarking instruction> Next, the process performed by the self-propelled device 3 in response to a dismounting instruction will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of the process performed by the self-propelled device 3 in response to a dismounting instruction.

[0086] When the self-propelled device 3 receives a disembarking instruction from the self-propelled device management device 2 (YES in step S309), the self-propelled device 3 disembarks from the car 51 (step S310). Then, when disembarking from the car 51 is completed (YES in step S311), the self-propelled device 3 transmits a message to the self-propelled device management device 2 indicating that disembarking has been completed (step S312).

[0087] [Embodiment 2] A system for controlling the operation of multiple vehicles may have the following configuration. Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals will be used to designate members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0088] 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an elevator control system 100a. As shown in FIG. 16, the elevator control system 100a may include a group management control device 1, a self-propelled device management device 2, a self-propelled device 3 having an air conditioner 31, an elevator control device 4a, an elevator 5, a building management device 6, and an imaging device 7.

[0089] In the elevator control system 100a, the group management control device 1, the self-propelled device management device 2, the self-propelled device 3, the elevator control device 4a, the building management device 6, and the imaging device 7 are connected via a network capable of transmitting information. The elevator control system 100 may use a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.

[0090] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the elevator control system 100a is applied to a building that is equipped with a plurality of elevator control devices 4a and elevators 5. The elevator control system 100a may include one or more of the self-propelled device management device 2, the self-propelled device 3, and the imaging device 7.

[0091] <Self-propelled device management device 2> The self-propelled device management device 2 receives boarding instructions and disembarking instructions from the group management control device 1. The boarding request is a control signal that instructs the self-propelled device 3 to board a car whose air condition inside the car 51 needs to be improved (hereinafter, the target car). In response to the boarding instruction from the group management control device 1, the self-propelled device management device 2 instructs the self-propelled device 3 to board the target car. On the other hand, the disembarking instruction is a control signal that instructs the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from the target car of the elevator 5. In response to the disembarking instruction from the group management control device 1, the self-propelled device management device 2 instructs the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from the target car.

[0092] The self-propelled device management device 2 may receive a boarding request and an alighting request from the group management control device 1. The boarding request may be output before the boarding instruction is output from the group management control device 1. In response to the boarding request from the group management control device 1, the self-propelled device management device 2 may instruct the self-propelled device 3 to move to the elevator 5 landing. The alighting request may be output before the alighting instruction is output from the group management control device 1. In response to the alighting request from the group management control device 1, the self-propelled device management device 2 may instruct the self-propelled device 3 to perform preparation processing for alighting from the target device.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 16, the self-propelled device management device 2 is configured using a computer, and includes a control unit 21 and a memory unit 22. The memory unit 22 stores self-propelled device information 221. As shown in FIG. 2, the self-propelled device information 221 may include a "self-propelled device ID," a "status," a "current location," a "reserved time," and a "work end time." The "reserved time" is information indicating the time at which the self-propelled device 3 responding to a boarding request from the group management control device 1 will arrive at the boarding station (i.e., the time at which the self-propelled device 3 will be able to board the target device).

[0094] The control unit 21 includes a self-propelled device management unit 211. The self-propelled device management unit 211 manages the movement of the self-propelled device 3, the assignment of work to the self-propelled device 3, and the progress of work by the self-propelled device 3. The self-propelled device management unit 211 transmits, to the self-propelled device 3, instructions to move to a boarding area, instructions to board a target device, instructions to disembark from a target device, and the like, based on a boarding request, a boarding instruction, a disembarking request, and an alighting instruction from the group management control device 1. The self-propelled device management unit 211 may appropriately update the self-propelled device information 221 in response to transmitting a moving instruction, a boarding instruction, and an alighting instruction to the self-propelled device 3.

[0095] The self-propelled device management unit 211 may manage a plurality of self-propelled devices 3. In this case, the self-propelled device management unit 211 may instruct the self-propelled device 3 that can be boarded in the car 51 earliest among the plurality of self-propelled devices 3 to board the car 51 in response to a boarding request from the group management control device 1. Also, the self-propelled device management unit 211 may instruct the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from the car 51 in response to a disembarking request. With this configuration, the elevator control system 100 can quickly improve the air condition in the car 51.

[0096] The self-propelled device management unit 211 acquires various information from the self-propelled device 3. For example, it may receive from the self-propelled device 3 a boarding completion report indicating that boarding to the target vehicle has been completed, and a disembarking completion report indicating that disembarking from the target vehicle has been completed. The self-propelled device management unit 211 may be configured to report to the group management control device 1 in real time that it has received the boarding completion report and the disembarking completion report from the self-propelled device 3. This allows the group management control device 1 to control the operation of the car 51 based on the boarding status and disembarking status of the target vehicle of the self-propelled device 3 corresponding to the boarding instruction and the disembarking instruction.

[0097] Here, a configuration in which various instructions for the self-propelled device 3 are transmitted from the self-propelled device management device 2 to the self-propelled device 3 in the elevator control system 100a will be described, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the group management control device 1 may have the function of the self-propelled device management unit 211, and in that case, the elevator control system 100a may be configured to be able to transmit various instructions directly from the group management control device 1 to the self-propelled device 3.

[0098] <Building Management Device 6> The building management device 6 monitors and manages the status of each floor of the building. In one example, the building management device 6 may be a cloud server managed by a company that maintains and manages the building.

[0099] The building management device 6 is configured using a computer, and includes a control unit 61 and a memory unit 62. The memory unit 62 stores various information used in the building management device 6. As shown in Fig. 16, the control unit 61 includes an individual floor information management unit 611, and the memory unit 62 stores individual floor information 621.

[0100] The floor information management unit 611 acquires the measurement results measured by various sensors installed on each floor of the building and stores them in the floor information 621. The various sensors may include a temperature sensor capable of measuring the air temperature on each floor and a humidity sensor capable of measuring the humidity. In response to an information request from the group management control device 1, the floor information management unit 611 may provide the group management control device 1 with information on the temperature and humidity of each floor contained in the floor information 621 and a determination result regarding the degree of congestion at the landing on each floor.

[0101] <Elevator control device 4a> The elevator control device 4a comprehensively controls the operation of the elevator 5, such as the ascent, descent, stopping, and running speed of the corresponding car 51, by controlling the operation of the hoist etc. The elevator control device 4a differs from the elevator control device 4 in the first embodiment in that it does not include the acquisition unit 411, the state determination unit 412, the request unit 413, the instruction unit 414, and the hall status determination unit 415.

[0102] <Group management control device 1> The group management control device 1 comprehensively controls the operation of cars 51 (hereinafter, may be referred to as cars) of the elevator 5 through communication with the elevator control device 4a. The group management control device 1 is configured using a computer, and includes a control unit 11 and a memory unit 12.

[0103] First, a description will be given of the storage unit 12. The storage unit 12 stores various information used in the group management control device 1. As shown in FIG.

[0104] The car information 121 is a measurement result acquired from the in-car sensor 52 of each car. The measurement result includes information indicating the temperature and humidity inside the car 51 of each car. In the following, an example will be described in which the group management control device 1 acquires the measurement results of the current temperature and humidity inside the car 51 of each car from the in-car sensor 52 at regular time intervals.

[0105] Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle number information 121. Here, an example will be described in which the group management control device 1 controls the operation of six vehicles. As shown in Fig. 17, the vehicle number information 121 may include, for each vehicle, "vehicle number name," "temperature," "humidity," "capacity," "boarding information," "boarding available time," "boarding floor" (boarding floor information), and "self-propelled device ID."

[0106] The "vehicle name" may be a name or a vehicle ID unique to each vehicle. The "temperature" and "humidity" are information indicating the current temperature and humidity inside the cage 51 of each vehicle, respectively, measured by a sensor inside the cage of each vehicle. The "capacity" is information indicating the upper limit of the number of users that can board each vehicle. It is set in advance according to the size of the cage 51 of each vehicle. The "capacity" can be changed by the group management control device 1. The "boarding information" is information regarding the movement status and boarding status of the self-propelled device 3 corresponding to the boarding instruction (and boarding request). The "boarding available time" is the time when the self-propelled device 3 corresponding to the boarding instruction (and boarding request) can board the target vehicle. The "boarding available time" can be notified to the group management control device 1 from the self-propelled device management device 2. The "boarding floor" is information indicating the floor at which the self-propelled device 3 corresponding to the boarding instruction (and boarding request) boards the target vehicle. In Fig. 17, for example, the current temperature inside the cage 51 of "Car A" is "29°C" and the humidity is "65%." In addition, in the car information 121 shown in Fig. 17, the "boarding information" for "Car A" is "none," and the "boarding time," "boarding floor," and "self-propelled device ID" are all blank. This indicates that boarding instructions and boarding requests from the group management control device 1 have not yet been output.

[0107] Next, the control unit 11 will be described. In one example, the control unit 11 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 11 reads a control program, which is software stored in the storage unit 12, and deploys it in a memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) to execute various functions. The control unit 11 includes an acquisition unit 111, a state determination unit 112, a request unit 113, an instruction unit 114, a hall status determination unit 115, and an allocation unit 116.

[0108] The acquisition unit 111 acquires various types of information and appropriately stores and manages the acquired information in the storage unit 12. For example, the acquisition unit 111 stores the measurement results acquired from the in-car sensor 52 of each car in the car information 121 of the storage unit 12. The acquisition unit 111 may also acquire information on the temperature and humidity of each floor, and information on the degree of congestion at the landings on each floor (determination results) from the building management device 6.

[0109] The state determination unit 112 determines whether or not the state of air in the cage 51 of each car satisfies a first criterion. The state determination unit 112 may determine whether or not the state of air in the cage 51 of each car satisfies a second criterion.

[0110] When it is determined that the air condition in the cage 51 of any car satisfies the first criterion (i.e., when the target car is detected), the request unit 113 may output a boarding request to the self-propelled device management device 2 (self-propelled device management unit 211) to have the self-propelled device 3 board the cage 51 of the target car. According to this configuration, the elevator control system 100a can request that the self-propelled device 3 be boarded in the cage 51 of the target car in which the air condition needs to be improved.

[0111] There is a possibility that some users will not be able to board the car 51 of the target car due to the self-propelled device 3 being on board. In this case, if the air condition in the car 51 of the target car after the self-propelled device 3 has boarded satisfies the second standard, the request unit 113 may output an alighting request to the self-propelled device management device 2 (self-propelled device management unit 211) to have the self-propelled device 3 alight from the target car. According to this configuration, the elevator control system 100a allows the self-propelled device 3 to alight from the target car if the air condition in the car 51 of the target car improves. In this way, the elevator control system 100a can allow more users to board the target car with the improved air condition.

[0112] The request unit 113 may output a disembarking request for the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from the target device to the self-propelled device management device 2 (self-propelled device management unit 211).

[0113] When the air condition inside the cage 51 of any of the vehicles is determined to satisfy the first criterion (i.e., when the target vehicle is detected), the instruction unit 114 outputs a boarding instruction to the self-propelled device management device 2 to board the self-propelled device 3 into the target vehicle.

[0114] The hall status determination unit 115 determines whether the hall information regarding the status of the hall of the elevator 5 is a floor that satisfies a predetermined condition. In this case, the request unit 113 may specify a floor for the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from the target vehicle based on the determination result by the hall status determination unit 115. According to this configuration, the elevator control system 100a determines the floor for the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from the target vehicle by referring to the hall status of the floor. This makes it possible to avoid the possibility that the improved air condition in the car 51 of the target vehicle will deteriorate due to the influence of the hall status when the self-propelled device 3 disembarks from the target vehicle with improved air condition.

[0115] The allocation unit 116 determines which car to allocate from among a plurality of cars to a hall-destination floor call by a user of the elevator 5. Therefore, the allocation unit 116 can control the number of hall-destination floor calls to be allocated to each car. The allocation unit 116 may update the car information 121 as appropriate. For example, when the allocation unit 116 updates the "capacity" of the car information 121 related to car A from "15" to "10", the upper limit of the number of hall-destination floor calls to be allocated to car A is limited to 10 or less. The process of updating the car information 121 by the allocation unit 116 will be described later with a specific example.

[0116] If the target vehicle is crowded, there may be no space in the target vehicle for the self-propelled device 3 to board, and the self-propelled device 3 may not be able to board. In addition, if the target vehicle is crowded, even if the self-propelled device 3 is in the target vehicle, air circulation may be poor and it may take a long time to improve the air condition in the car 51. Therefore, the allocation unit 116 may set the upper limit of the number of hall destination floor calls that can be allocated to the target vehicle lower than a predetermined value during the period from when the target vehicle in which the air condition in the car 51 satisfies the first criterion is detected to when the self-propelled device 3 gets off the target vehicle. This allows the air condition of the target vehicle to be improved quickly.

[0117] In addition, the allocation unit 116 may return the upper limit of the number of hall destination floor calls that can be allocated to the target vehicle to a predetermined value after the self-propelled device 3 gets off the target vehicle. This makes it possible to restore the convenience of the target vehicle that was reduced while the self-propelled device 3 was on board after the self-propelled device 3 gets off.

[0118] (Outline of Processing Performed by Elevator Control System 100a) The process performed by the elevator control system 100a will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0119] First, the acquisition unit 111 acquires the state of air inside the car 51 of each car (step S1).

[0120] Next, the state determination unit 112 determines whether the state of air in the cage 51 of each car satisfies the first standard (step S2: state determination step). If the state of air in the cage 51 of all cars does not satisfy the first standard (NO in step S2), it is determined that improvement of the air state is not necessary, and the process returns to step S1.

[0121] On the other hand, if the air condition inside the cage 51 of any of the cars meets the first standard (YES in step S2), the self-propelled device management device 2 (in response to the boarding instruction from the group management control device 1) instructs the self-propelled device 3 to board into the cage 51 of that car (step S3: boarding instruction step).

[0122] According to the above configuration, when the air condition in the car 51 of a certain car satisfies the first standard, the elevator control system 100a causes the self-propelled device 3 equipped with the air conditioner 31 to ride in the car 51 of the car. This allows the elevator control system 100a to use the self-propelled device 3 to improve the air condition in the car 51 of each car in a timely manner.

[0123] (Flow of processing performed by elevator control system 100a) The flow of the process performed by the elevator control system 100a will be described below with reference to Fig. 18 to Fig. 26. Note that the following description will be given by taking as an example the process performed during a period when the temperature is high and the inside of the car 51 is likely to become muggy.

[0124] <Processing performed by the group management control device 1> Next, the processing performed by the group management control device 1 will be described using Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 while also referring to Fig. 20 to Fig. 23. Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 are flow charts showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the group management control device 1.

[0125] The acquisition unit 111 acquires the state of the air in the cage 51 of each car (same as step S1 in FIG. 4), and the state determination unit 112 determines whether the temperature and humidity in the cage 51 of each car are within the standard range (step S101). If the temperature and humidity in the cage 51 of any car are not within the standard range (NO in step S101), the state determination unit 112 determines whether the temperature and humidity in the cage 51 of that car are within the appropriate range (step S102). In the following, a case where the car A is the car whose air needs to be improved is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. Also, the number of cars whose air needs to be improved may not be one but may be multiple.

[0126] If the temperature and humidity inside car 51 of car A are not within the appropriate range (NO in step S102), the allocation unit 116 updates car information (e.g., "boarding information" and "capacity") for car A (step S103). FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of updated car information 121. FIG. 20 shows the update result from the car information 121 shown in FIG. 17 for car A, in which the temperature inside car 51 is "29°C" and the humidity is "65%, and the air inside car 51 should be improved. FIG. 20 shows an example in which the "boarding information" for car A has been updated from "none" to "waiting to board" and the "capacity" has been updated from "15" to "10".

[0127] Next, the request unit 113 outputs a boarding request to the self-propelled device management device 2 to allow the self-propelled device 3 to board the A-unit (step S104).

[0128] When the acquisition unit 111 receives the "boarding time", "boarding floor", and "self-propelled device ID" from the self-propelled device management device 2 (YES in step S105), the allocation unit 116 updates the information of vehicle A ("boarding time", "boarding floor", and "self-propelled device ID") (step S106). FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of updated vehicle information 121. FIG. 21 shows the update result from the vehicle information 121 shown in FIG. 20 for vehicle A. FIG. 21 shows an example in which the "boarding time" of vehicle A has been updated from a blank space to "13:20", the "boarding floor" has been updated from a blank space to "5F", and the "self-propelled device ID" has been updated from a blank space to "Robot1".

[0129] If the time has passed the "boarding time" (YES in step S107), the process proceeds to "Q" in Fig. 19, and the allocation unit 116 registers a car call in the elevator control device 4a that controls car A (step S108). In this car call, the boarding floor of the self-propelled device 3 (the fifth floor in the example shown in Fig. 21) is registered.

[0130] When vehicle A stops at the boarding floor of the self-propelled device 3 and the door opens (YES in step S109), the instruction unit 114 outputs a boarding instruction to the self-propelled device management device 2 to allow the self-propelled device 3 to board vehicle A (step S110).

[0131] When boarding of the self-propelled device 3 is completed (YES in step S111), the allocation unit 116 then updates the vehicle information 121 ("boarding information," "available boarding time," and "boarding floor") for vehicle A (step S112). FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the updated vehicle information 121. FIG. 22 shows the update result from the vehicle information 121 shown in FIG. 21 for vehicle A. FIG. 22 shows an example in which the "boarding information" for vehicle A has been updated from "waiting to board" to "boarding," the "available boarding time" has been updated from "13:20" to blank, and the "boarding floor" has been updated from "5F" to blank.

[0132] Next, the acquisition unit 111 acquires the temperature and humidity in the cage 51 of the A-vehicle, and the state determination unit 112 determines whether the temperature and humidity in the cage 51 of the A-vehicle are within the standard range (step S113). If the temperature and humidity in the cage 51 of the A-vehicle are within the standard range (YES in step S113), the instruction unit 114 outputs a disembarking instruction to disembark the self-propelled device 3 from the cage 51 of the A-vehicle (step S114). At this time, the allocation unit 116 may register a floor determined by the hall status determination unit 115 to satisfy a predetermined condition as a disembarking floor for the self-propelled device 3. The allocation unit 116 may register a cage call in the elevator control device 4a that controls the A-vehicle. In this cage call, the disembarking floor for the self-propelled device 3 is registered.

[0133] When disembarking of the self-propelled device 3 is completed (YES in step S115), the allocation unit 116 then updates the vehicle information 121 for vehicle A ("capacity," "boarding information," and "self-propelled device ID") (step S116). FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of the updated vehicle information 121. FIG. 23 shows the update result for vehicle A from the vehicle information 121 shown in FIG. 22. FIG. 23 shows an example in which the "capacity" for vehicle A has been updated from "10" to "15," the "boarding information" has been updated from "boarding" to blank, and the "self-propelled device ID" has been updated from "Robot1" to blank.

[0134] <Processing performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding instruction> Next, the process performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding request will be described with reference to Fig. 24. Fig. 24 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of the process performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding request.

[0135] When the self-propelled device management unit 211 receives a boarding request from the group management control device 1 (YES in step S201a), it selects the most suitable self-propelled device 3 from among the self-propelled devices 3 whose "status" in the self-propelled device information 221 is "waiting". Then, the self-propelled device management unit 211 transmits the self-propelled device ID, boarding available time, and boarding floor information of the selected self-propelled device 3 to the group management control device 1 (step S202a).

[0136] Next, the self-propelled device management unit 211 registers the "status" of the selected self-propelled device 3 as "reservation" and the "reservation time" as the boarding available time in the self-propelled device information 221 (step S203a).

[0137] Next, the self-propelled device management unit 211 transmits a movement instruction to the selected self-propelled device 3 to move it to a predetermined location by a predetermined time (step S204a). Here, the predetermined location may be an elevator landing. The predetermined time is a time set by the self-propelled device management device 2, and may be a time set based on the boarding available time registered for the self-propelled device 3.

[0138] <Processing performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding instruction> Next, the process performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding instruction will be described with reference to Fig. 25. Fig. 25 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of the process performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a boarding instruction.

[0139] When the self-propelled device management unit 211 receives a boarding instruction from the group management control device 1 (YES in step S205a), it instructs the self-propelled device 3 to board device A (step S206a).

[0140] Thereafter, when a boarding completion report is received from the self-propelled device 3 (YES in step S207a), the self-propelled device management unit 211 notifies the group management control device 1 that the self-propelled device 3 has boarded vehicle A (step S208a).

[0141] Then, the self-propelled device management unit 211 registers the self-propelled device 3 in the self-propelled device information 221 with the “status” set to “working” and the “current location” set to “in car”, and deletes the “reserved time” (leaving it blank) (step S209a).

[0142] <Processing performed by the self-propelled device management device 2 in response to a disembarking instruction> Next, the process that the self-propelled device management device 2 performs in response to a dismounting instruction will be described with reference to Fig. 26. Fig. 26 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of the process that the self-propelled device management device 2 performs in response to a dismounting instruction.

[0143] When the self-propelled device management unit 211 receives a disembarking instruction from the group management control device 1 (YES in step S211a), it instructs the self-propelled device 3 to disembark from device A (step S212a).

[0144] Thereafter, when a disembarking completion report is received from the self-propelled device 3 (YES in step S213a), the self-propelled device management unit 211 notifies the group management control device 1 that the self-propelled device 3 has disembarked from device A (step S214a).

[0145] Then, the self-propelled device management unit 211 registers the "status" of the self-propelled device 3 as "waiting" and the "current location" as the disembarking floor in the self-propelled device information 221 (step S215a).

[0146] [Software implementation example] The functions of elevator control systems 100, 100a (hereinafter referred to as the "system") can be realized by a program for causing a computer to function as the system, and a program for causing a computer to function as each control block of the system (particularly each part included in the control units 11, 21, 41, 61).

[0147] In this case, the system includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The control device and storage device execute the program to realize each function described in each of the above embodiments.

[0148] The program may be non-transiently recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0149] In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0150] Furthermore, each process described in each of the above embodiments may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may be operated by the control device or may be operated by another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0151] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0152] 〔summary〕 The elevator control system according to aspect 1 of the present disclosure includes a state determination unit that determines whether the air condition inside an elevator car satisfies a first criterion, and a self-propelled device management unit that manages a self-propelled device capable of autonomous travel that is equipped with an air conditioning device, and when the air condition inside the car satisfies the first criterion, the self-propelled device management unit instructs the self-propelled device to enter the car.

[0153] The elevator control system according to aspect 2 of the present disclosure, in aspect 1, further includes a request unit that outputs a boarding request to the self-propelled device management unit to board the self-propelled device into the car when it is determined that the air condition inside the car satisfies the first standard, and the self-propelled device management unit may manage a plurality of the self-propelled devices and, in response to the boarding request, instruct a self-propelled device among the plurality of self-propelled devices that can board the car the earliest to board the car, to board the car.

[0154] The elevator control system according to aspect 3 of the present disclosure, in aspect 1 or 2, further includes a request unit that outputs a boarding request to the self-propelled device management unit to board the self-propelled device into the car when it is determined that the air condition inside the car satisfies the first standard, and the self-propelled device management unit may instruct the self-propelled device to board the car in response to the boarding request.

[0155] In an elevator control system according to aspect 4 of the present disclosure, in aspect 3, when the air condition inside the cage after the self-propelled device boards satisfies a second standard, the request unit outputs a disembarkation request to the self-propelled device management unit to cause the self-propelled device to disembark from the cage, and the self-propelled device management unit may instruct the self-propelled device to disembark from the cage in response to the disembarkation request.

[0156] The elevator control system according to aspect 5 of the present disclosure, in accordance with aspect 4, further includes a landing status determination unit that determines whether or not landing information regarding the status of the elevator landing is a floor that satisfies a predetermined condition, and the request unit may output the disembarkation request to the self-propelled device management unit for the self-propelled device to disembark from the car at a floor that is determined to satisfy the predetermined condition.

[0157] An elevator control system according to aspect 6 of the present disclosure, in any of aspects 1 to 5, further comprises an allocation unit that determines which elevator from the multiple elevators to allocate in response to a hall destination floor call by a user of the elevator, and the allocation unit may set an upper limit on the number of hall destination floor calls that can be allocated to the target elevator lower than a predetermined value during the period from when a target elevator whose air condition in the car satisfies the first criterion is detected to when the self-propelled device disembarks from the target elevator.

[0158] An elevator control system according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is, in the sixth aspect, wherein the allocation unit returns the upper limit to the predetermined value after the self-propelled device disembarks from the target elevator.

[0159] A control method for an elevator control system according to aspect 8 of the present disclosure includes a state determination step of determining whether or not the air state inside an elevator car satisfies a first criterion, and a boarding instruction step of instructing an autonomously-propelled device equipped with an air conditioning device to board the car if the air state inside the car satisfies the first criterion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0160] 3 Self-propelled device 5. Elevator 31 Air conditioner 51 Basket 100, 100a Elevator Control System 111, 411 Acquisition Department 112, 412 Status determination unit 113, 413 Request Department 114, 414 Instruction section 115, 415 Platform status determination unit 116 Allocation Section 211 Self-propelled equipment management department

Claims

1. a state determination unit that determines whether or not a state of air in an elevator car satisfies a first criterion; a self-propelled device management unit that manages a self-propelled device capable of autonomous travel that is equipped with an air conditioning device; Equipped with The self-propelled device management unit If the air condition inside the car satisfies the first criterion, instruct the self-propelled device to enter the car. Elevator control system.

2. a request unit that outputs a boarding request to the self-propelled device management unit to board the self-propelled device into the car when it is determined that the air condition in the car satisfies the first criterion, The self-propelled device management unit Managing a plurality of the self-propelled devices; instructing a self-propelled device that can be boarded in the car earliest among the plurality of self-propelled devices in response to the boarding request to board the car; 10. The elevator control system of claim 1.

3. a request unit that outputs a boarding request to the self-propelled device management unit to board the self-propelled device into the car when it is determined that the air condition in the car satisfies the first criterion, The self-propelled device management unit In response to the boarding request, instruct the self-propelled device to move to the elevator hall.

10. The elevator control system of claim 1.

4. The request unit: When the air condition in the car after the self-propelled device has boarded satisfies a second criterion, a disembarking request for disembarking the self-propelled device from the car is output to the self-propelled device management unit; The self-propelled device management unit instructing the self-propelled device to disembark from the car in response to the disembarkation request; 4. The elevator control system of claim 3.

5. The elevator further includes a hall status determination unit that determines whether hall information related to the status of the elevator hall satisfies a predetermined condition, The request unit: outputting, to the self-propelled device management unit, the disembarking request for the self-propelled device to disembark from the car at a floor determined to satisfy the predetermined condition; 5. The elevator control system of claim 4.

6. The elevator includes a plurality of elevator cars, An allocation unit that determines a car number to be allocated from the plurality of cars in response to a landing destination floor call by a user of the elevator, The allocation unit, setting an upper limit of the number of hall destination floor calls that can be assigned to the target car lower than a predetermined value during a period from when a target car in which the air condition inside the car satisfies the first criterion is detected to when the self-propelled device disembarks from the target car; An elevator control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The allocation unit, After the self-propelled device dismounts from the target vehicle, the upper limit is returned to the predetermined value.

7. The elevator control system of claim 6.

8. a state determination step of determining whether or not the state of air in the elevator car satisfies a first criterion; a boarding instruction step of instructing an autonomously-traveling self-propelled device having an air conditioning device to board the car when the air condition inside the car satisfies the first criterion; A control method for an elevator control system, comprising:

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