Passenger conveyor system

Abstract

To provide a passenger conveyor system capable of starting a passenger conveyor without the presence of a facility manager, and diagnosing a state of the passenger conveyor.SOLUTION: A passenger conveyor system according to one embodiment comprises: a control device for controlling an operation of a passenger conveyor; and a detection device installed near a boarding-alighting part of the passenger conveyor to detect a user on the passenger conveyor. The control device has: a storage part for storing time information indicating a start time to start the passenger conveyor; a determination part for continuously determining whether or not there is a user on the passenger conveyor based on a detection result from the detection device after the start time indicated by the time information; and an information processing part for starting the passenger conveyor, operating the passenger conveyor in a first operation mode, and diagnosing a state of the passenger conveyor, when the determination result performed by the determination part at the start time indicates no user on the passenger conveyor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a passenger conveyor system.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a passenger conveyor (e.g., an escalator, a moving walkway, etc.) has a structure that can be used as a staircase or a walkway even when the operation is stopped. Therefore, even when the operation of the passenger conveyor is stopped, there may still be passengers (users) on the passenger conveyor. If the passenger conveyor is activated while there are passengers on it and the operation of the passenger conveyor is started, accidents such as falls may occur. For this reason, when starting or stopping a passenger conveyor, the administrator of the facility where the passenger conveyor is installed (hereinafter referred to as the facility administrator) needs to visually confirm on-site that there are no passengers on the passenger conveyor and then start or stop the passenger conveyor.

[0003] By the way, in an elevator, information (operation information) indicating the states of various devices constituting the elevator is collected by an automatic diagnostic operation. However, as described above, since the presence of the facility administrator is required when starting or stopping a passenger conveyor, there is a situation where it is difficult to perform an automatic diagnostic operation like an elevator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a passenger conveyor system capable of starting a passenger conveyor and diagnosing the state of the passenger conveyor without the presence of a facility manager.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] A passenger conveyor system according to an embodiment diagnoses the state of a passenger conveyor. The passenger conveyor system includes a control device that controls the operation of the passenger conveyor, and a detection device that is installed near the boarding and alighting area of the passenger conveyor and detects users on the passenger conveyor. The control device includes a storage unit that stores time information indicating a start time for starting the passenger conveyor, a determination unit that continuously determines whether there is a user on the passenger conveyor based on a detection result from the detection device after the start time indicated by the time information, and an information processing unit that, when the result of the determination made by the determination unit at the start time indicates that there is no user on the passenger conveyor, starts the passenger conveyor, operates the passenger conveyor in a first operation mode, and diagnoses the state of the passenger conveyor.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the disclosure is merely an example, and the invention is not limited by the content described in the following embodiments. Modifications that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art are naturally included in the scope of the disclosure. For the sake of clearer explanation, in the drawings, the sizes, shapes, etc. of each part may be changed with respect to the actual implementation mode and represented schematically. In a plurality of drawings, the same reference numerals may be assigned to corresponding elements, and detailed descriptions may be omitted.

[0009] In addition, in the following, the case where the passenger conveyor included in the passenger conveyor system is an "escalator" will be described.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a passenger conveyor system according to this embodiment. The passenger conveyor system includes an escalator 10 and is a system capable of diagnosing the states of various devices constituting the escalator 10 (a system capable of collecting the operation information of various devices constituting the escalator 10). As shown in FIG. 1, the escalator 10 is installed, for example, inclined between the lower floor and the upper floor of a building. In the example shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that the lower floor side is the boarding entrance of the escalator 10 and the upper floor side is the alighting exit of the escalator 10.

[0011] The escalator 10 shown in FIG. 1 is configured to convey passengers (users) boarding on the steps 11 by circulating and moving a plurality of steps 11 connected without gaps between the lower machine room 12 (boarding entrance) and the upper machine room 13 (alighting exit).

[0012] The plurality of steps 11 are connected by an endless connecting chain 14 and are arranged in a truss 15 installed under the floor of the building. Inside the truss 15, a lower sprocket 16 and an upper sprocket 17 are arranged, and the connecting chain 14 is wound around between them.

[0013] In the example shown in FIG. 1, a driving device 18 having a motor, a speed reducer, etc. is connected to the upper sprocket 17. By this driving device 18, the lower sprocket 16 and the upper sprocket 17 around which the connecting chain 14 is wound rotate, and a plurality of steps 11 circulate and move between the lower machine room 12 and the upper machine room 13 while being guided by a guide rail (not shown) via the connecting chain 14. In FIG. 1, the driving device 18 is connected to the upper sprocket 17, but the driving device 18 may be connected to the lower sprocket 16.

[0014] Also, on the upper part of the truss 15, a pair of skirt guards (not shown) are installed along the moving direction of the steps 11 so as to face both side surfaces of each step 11. Railings 19 are erected on the upper parts of this pair of skirt guards respectively. In other words, the railings 19 are erected on both sides of each step 11 respectively. A belt-shaped handrail 20 is attached around the railing 19. The handrail 20 is a handrail that a passenger boarding the step 11 holds, and for example, by the driving force of the driving device 18 being transmitted, it circulates in synchronization with the movement of the step 11.

[0015] The boarding and alighting openings (boarding opening and alighting opening) of the escalator 10 are located above the lower machine room 12 and the upper machine room 13, and boarding and alighting plates 22 and 23 are respectively detachably installed at the boarding and alighting openings. The boarding and alighting plates 22 and 23 correspond to the ceilings of the lower machine room 12 and the upper machine room 13. When boarding the escalator 10 (step 11), a passenger passes over the boarding and alighting plate 22, and when getting off the escalator 10 (step 11), the passenger passes over the boarding and alighting plate 23.

[0016] In the upper machine room 13, in addition to the driving device 18, a control device 21 is installed. The control device 21 controls the operations of various devices (for example, the operation of the driving device 18) installed in the escalator 10 in order to control the operation of the escalator 10.

[0017] The detection device 24 is an infrared beam sensor including, for example, a light projector 24a and a light receiver 24b. The light projector 24a and the light receiver 24b are installed near the boarding and alighting area so as to face each other. For example, the light projector 24a is installed on the deck cover near the boarding gate with the irradiation port for irradiating the infrared beam facing the alighting side (facing the light receiver 24b side), and the light receiver 24b is installed on the deck cover near the alighting gate with the light receiving surface for receiving the infrared beam facing the boarding side (facing the light projector 24a side).

[0018] The remote monitoring device 25 is installed near the control device 21 and is connected to the control device 21 by wire. Further, the remote monitoring device 25 is communicably connected to a monitoring center (not shown).

[0019] The remote monitoring device 25 transmits information indicating the states of various devices constituting the escalator 10 (diagnosis result information, details of which will be described later) and information indicating the operating state of the escalator 10, which are obtained from the control device 21, to the monitoring center. Further, the remote monitoring device 25 receives various instructions (for example, diagnosis instructions) from the monitoring center and outputs the received various instructions to the control device 21.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of some elements included in the passenger conveyor system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 21 is connected to both the detection device 24 and the remote monitoring device 25.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 21 includes a storage unit 21a, a user presence determination unit 21b, an information processing unit 21c, and an operation control unit 21d.

[0022] The storage unit 21a stores start time information indicating the start time (operation start time) of the escalator 10. Note that the storage unit 21a may further store stop time information indicating the stop time (operation end time) of the escalator 10. Further, the storage unit 21a may store operation schedule information including the start time information and the stop time information.

[0023] The user presence determination unit 21b continuously (repeatedly) determines whether there is a user on the escalator 10 based on the detection result obtained from the detection device 24 after the start time of the escalator 10 indicated by the start time information stored in the storage unit 21a. Here, as an example, it is assumed that when the start time of the escalator 10 arrives, the detection device 24 switches the power from off to on and starts irradiating an infrared beam from the light projector 24a toward the light receiver 24b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the detection device 24 may continuously irradiate an infrared beam from the light projector 24a toward the light receiver 24b. Further, the detection device 24 may have its power switched from on to off, for example, when a series of processes shown in FIG. 3 described later is completed.

[0024] When the result of the determination made by the user presence determination unit 21b at the start time indicates that there is no user on the escalator 10, the information processing unit 21c outputs an instruction to start the escalator 10 and set the operation mode of the escalator 10 to the low-speed operation mode (the first operation mode) to the operation control unit 21d. When the operation control unit 21d receives an instruction to set the operation mode of the escalator 10 to the low-speed operation mode from the information processing unit 21c, it controls the operation of the drive device 18 so that the escalator 10 operates at low speed. The low-speed operation mode is, for example, an operation mode in which the escalator 10 operates at a moving speed of 10 m / min.

[0025] When the result of the determination made by the user presence determination unit 21b when the low-speed operation is started indicates that there is no user on the escalator 10, the information processing unit 21c diagnoses various devices constituting the escalator 10 while the escalator 10 is operating in the low-speed operation mode.

[0026] Further, when the result of the determination made by the user presence determination unit 21b when the diagnosis in the low-speed operation mode is completed indicates that there is no user on the escalator 10, the information processing unit 21c outputs an instruction to the operation control unit 21d to switch the operation mode of the escalator 10 from the low-speed operation mode to the energy-saving operation mode (second operation mode). When the operation control unit 21d receives an instruction from the information processing unit 21c to switch the operation mode of the escalator 10 from the low-speed operation mode to the energy-saving operation mode, it controls the operation of the drive device 18 so that the escalator 10 operates in the energy-saving operation mode. Note that the energy-saving operation mode is, for example, an operation mode in which the escalator 10 operates at a moving speed of 20 m / min.

[0027] When the result of the determination made by the user presence determination unit 21b when the energy-saving operation is started indicates that there is no user on the escalator 10, the information processing unit 21c performs diagnosis of various devices constituting the escalator 10 in a state where the escalator 10 operates in the energy-saving operation mode.

[0028] Furthermore, when the result of the determination made by the user presence determination unit 21b when the diagnosis in the energy-saving operation mode is completed indicates that there is no user on the escalator 10, the information processing unit 21c outputs an instruction to the operation control unit 21d to switch the operation mode of the escalator 10 from the energy-saving operation mode to the normal operation mode (third operation mode). When the operation control unit 21d receives an instruction from the information processing unit 21c to switch the operation mode of the escalator 10 from the energy-saving operation mode to the normal operation mode, it controls the operation of the drive device 18 so that the escalator 10 operates in the normal operation mode. Note that the normal operation mode is, for example, an operation mode in which the escalator 10 operates at a moving speed of 30 m / min.

[0029] When the result of the determination made by the user presence determination unit 21b when the normal operation is started indicates that there is no user on the escalator 10, the information processing unit 21c performs diagnosis of various devices constituting the escalator 10 in a state where the escalator 10 operates in the normal operation mode.

[0030] Diagnosis result information indicating the results of diagnoses performed in the low-speed operation mode, energy-saving operation mode, and normal operation mode is stored in the storage unit 21a and transmitted to a monitoring center (not shown) via the remote monitoring device 25.

[0031] Note that when the result of the determination made by the user presence determination unit 21b at the startup time indicates that there is a user on the escalator 10, the information processing unit 21c does not start the escalator 10 because there is a possibility that the user may fall.

[0032] In addition, when the escalator 10 starts operating in each operation mode or when the diagnosis in each operation mode is completed, if the result of the determination made by the user presence determination unit 21b indicates that there is a user on the escalator 10, the information processing unit 21c outputs an instruction to the operation control unit 21d to switch the operation mode of the escalator 10 to the normal operation mode. In this case, the information processing unit 21c transmits diagnosis result information indicating that the diagnosis of various devices constituting the escalator 10 has failed to the monitoring center via the remote monitoring device 25. Alternatively, the information processing unit 21c transmits, via the remote monitoring device 25, diagnosis result information indicating the results of diagnoses performed before it is determined that there is a user on the escalator 10 among the diagnoses performed in each operation mode to the monitoring center.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the remote monitoring device 25 includes a communication unit 25a and a control unit 25b. The communication unit 25a is a communication interface for communicating with the control device 21 and the monitoring center. The control unit 25b controls the operation of the remote monitoring device 25.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the passenger conveyor system according to the present embodiment. When it reaches the startup time indicated by the startup time information stored in the memory unit 21a (step S1), the user presence determination unit 21b determines whether there is a user on the escalator 10 based on the detection result obtained from the detection device 24 at this timing (step S2).

[0035] If, as a result of the determination in step S2, it is determined that there is a user on the escalator 10 (Yes in step S2), the information processing unit 21c re-executes the process of step S2 above without starting the escalator 10.

[0036] On the other hand, if, as a result of the determination in step S2, it is determined that there is no user on the escalator 10 (No in step S2), the information processing unit 21c starts the escalator 10 and outputs an instruction to the operation control unit 21d to set the operation mode of the escalator 10 to the low-speed operation mode (the first operation mode). The operation control unit 21d controls the operation of the drive device 18 so as to operate the escalator 10 at low speed according to the above instruction from the information processing unit 21c (step S3).

[0037] When the escalator 10 starts operating in the low-speed operation mode, the user presence determination unit 21b determines whether there is a user on the escalator 10 based on the detection result obtained from the detection device 24 at this timing (step S4).

[0038] If, as a result of the determination in step S4, it is determined that there is a user on the escalator 10 (Yes in step S4), the information processing unit 21c outputs an instruction to the operation control unit 21d to switch the operation mode of the escalator 10 to the normal operation mode. The operation control unit 21d controls the operation of the drive device 18 so as to operate the escalator 10 normally according to the above instruction from the information processing unit 21c (step S5). Thereafter, the information processing unit 21c transmits diagnosis result information indicating that the diagnosis of various devices constituting the escalator 10 has failed to the monitoring center via the remote monitoring device 25 (that is, notifies the monitoring center that the diagnosis has failed) (step S6), and ends the series of operations here.

[0039] On the other hand, if it is determined as a result of the determination in step S4 that there is no user on the escalator 10 (No in step S4), the information processing unit 21c performs diagnosis of various devices constituting the escalator 10 in a state where the escalator 10 is operated in the low-speed operation mode (step S7).

[0040] When the diagnosis in the low-speed operation mode is completed, the user presence / absence determination unit 21b determines whether there is a user on the escalator 10 based on the detection result acquired from the detection device 24 at this timing (step S8).

[0041] If it is determined as a result of the determination in step S8 that there is a user on the escalator 10 (Yes in step S8), the processes of steps S5 and S6 described above are executed in order.

[0042] On the other hand, if it is determined as a result of the determination in step S8 that there is no user on the escalator 10 (No in step S8), the information processing unit 21c outputs an instruction to the operation control unit 21d to switch the operation mode of the escalator 10 from the low-speed operation mode to the energy-saving operation mode (second operation mode). The operation control unit 21d controls the operation of the drive device 18 so as to operate the escalator 10 in the energy-saving operation according to the above instruction from the information processing unit 21c (step S9).

[0043] When the escalator 10 starts operating in the energy-saving operation mode, the user presence / absence determination unit 21b determines whether there is a user on the escalator 10 based on the detection result acquired from the detection device 24 at this timing (step S10).

[0044] If it is determined as a result of the determination in step S10 that there is a user on the escalator 10 (Yes in step S10), the processes of steps S5 and S6 described above are executed in order.

[0045] On the other hand, if it is determined as a result of the determination in step S10 that there is no user on the escalator 10 (No in step S10), the information processing unit 21c performs diagnosis of various devices constituting the escalator 10 in a state where the escalator 10 is operating in the energy-saving operation mode (step S11).

[0046] When the diagnosis in the energy-saving operation mode is completed, the user presence determination unit 21b determines whether there is a user on the escalator 10 based on the detection result acquired from the detection device 24 at this timing (step S12).

[0047] If it is determined as a result of the determination in step S12 that there is a user on the escalator 10 (Yes in step S12), the processes of steps S5 and S6 described above are executed in order.

[0048] On the other hand, if it is determined as a result of the determination in step S12 that there is no user on the escalator 10 (No in step S12), the information processing unit 21c outputs an instruction to the drive control unit 21d to switch the operation mode of the escalator 10 from the energy-saving operation mode to the normal operation mode (the third operation mode). The drive control unit 21d controls the operation of the drive device 18 so as to normally operate the escalator 10 according to the above instruction from the information processing unit 21c (step S13).

[0049] When the escalator 10 starts operating in the normal operation mode, the user presence determination unit 21b determines whether there is a user on the escalator 10 based on the detection result acquired from the detection device 24 at this timing (step S14).

[0050] If it is determined as a result of the determination in step S14 that there is a user on the escalator 10 (Yes in step S14), the processes of steps S5 and S6 described above are executed in order.

[0051] On the other hand, if it is determined as a result of the determination in step S14 that there is no user on the escalator 10 (No in step S14), the information processing unit 21c performs diagnosis of various devices constituting the escalator 10 in a state where the escalator 10 is operating in the normal operation mode (step S15).

[0052] After that, the information processing unit 21c transmits (notifies) the diagnosis result information indicating the results of the diagnoses respectively performed in the states of the respective operation modes to the monitoring center via the remote monitoring device 25 (step S16), and ends the series of operations here.

[0053] As described above, when it reaches the start time indicated by the start time information preliminarily stored in the storage unit 21a, the passenger conveyor system according to the present embodiment determines whether there is a user on the escalator 10 based on the detection result acquired from the detection device 24 at the start time, and when it is determined that there is no user, the escalator 10 is started. According to this, since the escalator 10 can be started safely and automatically, it is not necessary for the facility manager to go to the site to start the escalator 10, and the burden on the facility manager can be reduced.

[0054] In addition, when starting the escalator 10, the passenger conveyor system according to the present embodiment operates the escalator 10 in the low-speed operation mode, the energy-saving operation mode, and the normal operation mode with different moving speeds in order, and performs diagnosis of various devices constituting the escalator 10. According to this, every time the escalator 10 is started, the automatic diagnosis of the escalator 10 can be performed, so that it is possible to detect an abnormality that may occur in the escalator 10 at an early stage. In addition, since the maintenance staff can perform the regular inspection work based on the results of the automatic diagnosis performed every time the escalator 10 is started, it is also possible to expect a reduction in the work man-hours at the time of regular inspection (that is, a reduction in the burden on the maintenance staff at the time of regular inspection work).

[0055] In this embodiment, the case where the escalator 10 is started safely and automatically has been described. However, by performing the same processing as when the escalator 10 is started (that is, by executing the processing of steps S1 and S2 shown in FIG. 3), the escalator 10 can also be stopped safely and automatically. According to this, it is possible to reduce the burden on the facility manager not only when the escalator 10 is started but also when the escalator 10 is stopped.

[0056] In addition, in this embodiment, the case where the diagnosis of various devices constituting the escalator 10 is performed when the escalator 10 is started has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the diagnosis of various devices constituting the escalator 10 may be performed, for example, when the escalator 10 is stopped. In this case, the information processing unit 21c can perform the diagnosis in each operation mode by changing the operation mode of the escalator 10 in the order of, for example, the normal operation mode, the energy-saving operation mode, and the low-speed operation mode.

[0057] Furthermore, the diagnosis of various devices constituting the escalator 10 may be performed at the timing when the operation mode is switched during operation, rather than at the time of starting or stopping the escalator 10.

[0058] In this embodiment, the case where the detection device 24 is an infrared beam sensor has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the detection device 24 may be any device as long as it can detect the presence of a user on the escalator 10. For example, the detection device 24 may be a camera attached to the sensor pole and capable of photographing the escalator 10.

[0059] In addition, in this embodiment, the case where the passenger conveyor included in the passenger conveyor system is the escalator 10 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the passenger conveyor included in the passenger conveyor system may be, for example, a "moving walkway".

[0060] According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to provide a passenger conveyor system that can start the passenger conveyor and diagnose the state of the passenger conveyor without the presence of a facility manager.

[0061] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0062] 10... escalator, 21... control device, 21a... storage unit, 21b... user presence determination unit, 21c... information processing unit, 21d... operation control unit, 24... detection device, 24a... projector, 24b... light receiver, 25... remote monitoring device.

Claims

1. A passenger conveyor system for diagnosing the state of a passenger conveyor, comprising: a control device for controlling the operation of the passenger conveyor; a detection device installed near the boarding and alighting area of the passenger conveyor for detecting a user on the passenger conveyor; The control device includes: a storage unit for storing time information indicating a start time for starting the passenger conveyor; a determination unit for continuously determining whether there is a user on the passenger conveyor based on a detection result from the detection device after the start time indicated by the time information; an information processing unit for starting the passenger conveyor, operating the passenger conveyor in a first operation mode, and diagnosing the state of the passenger conveyor when the result of the determination made by the determination unit at the start time indicates that there is no user on the passenger conveyor. The passenger conveyor system is characterized by comprising: A passenger conveyor system.

2. When the result of the determination made by the determination unit when the diagnosis in the first operation mode is completed indicates that there is no user on the passenger conveyor, the information processing unit operates the passenger conveyor in a second operation mode with a moving speed faster than that of the first operation mode, further diagnoses the state of the passenger conveyor, and When the result of the determination made by the determination unit when the diagnosis in the second operation mode is completed indicates that there is no user on the passenger conveyor, the information processing unit operates the passenger conveyor in a third operation mode with a moving speed faster than that of the second operation mode, and further diagnoses the state of the passenger conveyor. The passenger conveyor system according to claim 1 is characterized by this. The passenger conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein: The passenger conveyor system according to claim 1.

3. The information processing unit is characterized by transmitting diagnosis result information indicating the results of the diagnoses performed in each of the operation modes to a monitoring center via a remote monitoring device connected to the control device. The passenger conveyor system according to claim 2.

4. When the result of the determination made by the determination unit at the start time indicates that there is a user on the passenger conveyor, the information processing unit does not start the passenger conveyor, and When the result of the determination made by the determination unit when the diagnosis in the first operation mode is completed, or when the diagnosis in the second operation mode is completed, indicates that there is a user on the passenger conveyor, the information processing unit transmits diagnosis result information indicating that the diagnosis has failed to the monitoring center. The passenger conveyor system according to claim 3 is characterized by this. The passenger conveyor system according to claim 3.

5. The passenger conveyor system according to claim 4.

5. The information processing unit when the result of the determination made by the determination unit at the startup time indicates that there is a user on the passenger conveyor, does not start the passenger conveyor; when the result of the determination made by the determination unit when the diagnosis in the first operation mode is completed indicates that there is a user on the passenger conveyor, transmits diagnosis result information indicating the result of the diagnosis in the first operation mode to the monitoring center; when the result of the determination made by the determination unit when the diagnosis in the second operation mode is completed indicates that there is a user on the passenger conveyor, transmits diagnosis result information indicating the results of the diagnoses performed in the first operation mode and the second operation mode, respectively, to the monitoring center, characterized in that The passenger conveyor system according to claim 3.

6. The first operation mode is a low-speed operation mode; The second operation mode is an energy-saving operation mode; The third operation mode is a normal operation mode, characterized in that The passenger conveyor system according to claim 2.

7. The detection device is an infrared beam sensor including a light emitter and a light receiver; the light emitter is installed on the deck cover near the boarding area with an irradiation port for irradiating an infrared beam facing the disembarking side; the light receiver is installed on the deck cover near the disembarking area with a light receiving surface for receiving the infrared beam facing the boarding side, characterized in that The passenger conveyor system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The detection device is a camera capable of photographing the passenger conveyor; The passenger conveyor system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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