Elevator cooperation system of autonomous traveling movable body and program

Abstract

To realize an elevator cooperation system of a robot capable of moving the robot in an elevator.SOLUTION: In an elevator cooperation system of an autonomous traveling movable body, an IOT device for operating an inside operation part and an AR marker for identifying an individual of an elevator from a remote site are provided inside the elevator, and an IOT device which is an outside auxiliary operation part is provided outside the elevator. The elevator cooperation system is provided with, at a part other than the elevator: destination accepting means for accepting an instruction for a destination of a robot; get-on floor arrival detection means for detecting which elevator has arrived when there are multiple elevators; a get-off floor arrival detection means for detecting that the elevator has arrived at a get-off floor; get-on / get- off determination means for determining the completion of the getting-on or getting-off of the robot on the elevator; and drive command means for remotely issuing a drive command to the outside auxiliary operation part before getting on the elevator on a destination route and to an inside auxiliary operation part after getting on the elevator.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an elevator cooperation system and program for an autonomous mobile body that can be suitably applied to an existing elevator.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, the use of so-called AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot), a self-propelled robot, has been spreading. The robot is used indoors (such as in a logistics warehouse or inside a building) or outdoors and is set to carry a load and self-drive to a target position.

[0003] In this case, in order to handle movement in an elevator, a method as shown in the following prior art documents has been studied.

[0004] Non-Patent Document 1 among the prior art documents is a method in which a communication module is attached to the control panel of an existing elevator to enable cooperation with an AMR.

[0005] Non-Patent Document 2 is a method in which an elevator is in cooperation with a cloud system, and an AMR can cooperate with the elevator by communicating with the cloud system.

[0006] Patent Document 1 is a method of cooperating with an elevator using an IOT device capable of pressing a button.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] However, the method of Non-Patent Document 1 has problems such as requiring a large amount of cost because a communication module has to be retrofitted to the elevator control panel and being outside the scope of warranty of the elevator manufacturer.

[0009] The method of Non-Patent Document 2 requires an elevator compatible with a cloud system, so it cannot be applied to existing elevators, and there are problems that a large amount of cost and time are required for introduction.

[0010] On the other hand, the method shown in Patent Document 1 can press the elevator button, but it only detects the arrival of the elevator by opening the door after pressing the destination floor. Therefore, there is a problem that it does not have a function to determine specifically which floor the elevator has arrived at and which elevator has arrived when two or more elevators are operating in parallel.

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to realize an elevator cooperation system and program for an autonomous mobile body that can be easily applied to existing elevators and can appropriately move an autonomous mobile body such as a robot by an elevator.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0012] The present invention takes the following means in order to achieve such an object.

[0013] That is, the elevator cooperation system for an autonomous mobile body according to the present invention is for linking an autonomous mobile body and an elevator, Inside the elevator hoistway, an in-hoistway auxiliary operation unit for operating the in-hoistway operation unit and an identification mark for identifying the elevator individually from a distance are provided, and outside the elevator hoistway, an out-hoistway auxiliary operation unit for operating the out-hoistway operation unit is provided, and at a part other than the elevator, there are provided a destination receiving means for receiving an instruction of the destination of the autonomous mobile body, a boarding floor arrival detection means for detecting the arrival of the elevator at the boarding floor including which elevator has arrived when there are a plurality of elevators, a disembarking floor arrival detection means for detecting that the elevator has arrived at the disembarking floor after the autonomous mobile body has boarded the elevator, a boarding / alighting determination means for determining the completion of boarding or alighting of the autonomous mobile body with respect to the elevator, and a drive command means for remotely issuing a drive command to the out-hoistway auxiliary operation unit and the in-hoistway auxiliary operation unit when boarding or alighting the elevator on the destination route, and it is characterized by being provided.

[0014] In this way, the in-hoistway auxiliary operation unit, the out-hoistway auxiliary operation unit, the identification mark, etc. can be easily provided in the existing elevator, and the destination receiving means, the boarding floor arrival detection means, the disembarking floor arrival detection means, the boarding / alighting determination means, and the drive command means can be provided outside the elevator. Therefore, when adopting the present invention, there is no need to attach a communication module to the control panel inside the elevator hoistway, nor is there a need to replace the elevator with a ride-sharing compatible elevator. Furthermore, the present invention does not simply detect the arrival of the elevator by opening the door, but the boarding floor arrival detection means determines the arrival of the elevator at the boarding floor including the identification of which elevator it is, and the disembarking floor arrival detection means detects that the elevator has actually arrived at the disembarking floor. For this reason, according to this system, even if it is retrofitted to elevators operating in parallel with two or more units, it is possible to appropriately perform boarding waiting, arrival at the boarding and disembarking floors, destination designation, boarding / alighting completion determination, etc. in cooperation with the elevator.

[0015] In particular, if all of the destination receiving means, the boarding floor arrival detection means, the disembarking floor arrival detection means, the boarding / alighting determination means, and the drive command means are provided on the autonomous mobile body, it is not necessary to incorporate them into the building structure side such as a warehouse or a building, which is preferable.

[0016] Of course, if at least a part of the boarding floor arrival detection means, alighting floor arrival detection means, and boarding / alighting determination means is attached to the structural body side such as the wall surface of the elevator hall, it is easy to secure a viewing angle in the case of optical detection, etc., and it can be a suitable countermeasure when detecting a large number of elevators.

[0017] If a pressure detection means for detecting the floor number is provided in the self-driving mobile body, it is possible to appropriately respond even when the boarding floor or alighting floor cannot be optically detected due to an obstacle. And it is preferable that the control means of such an elevator cooperation system is read into a computer in the form of an elevator cooperation program and executed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention described above, it is possible to provide an elevator cooperation system and program for a self-driving mobile body that can be easily applied to an existing elevator and enables the self-driving mobile body to be appropriately moved through the elevator.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1, the elevator cooperation system of the autonomous mobile body according to this embodiment coordinates the robot 1, which is an autonomous mobile body called an AMR, with the elevator 2, and enables the robot 1 to move between floors using the elevator 2. Inside the elevator hoistway S1 shown in Fig. 2, there are provided an in-hoistway operation assistance unit 31 that operates the in-hoistway operation unit 21, and an AR marker 32, which is an identification mark for remotely identifying the individual elevator. Outside the elevator hoistway S2, there is provided an out-hoistway operation assistance unit 33 that operates the out-hoistway operation unit 23. The AR marker 32 is generally used for reading purposes to overlay and display digital content in the real space. Here, it is used for identification to specify whether the captured image is of elevator 2A or 2B. For example, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) (quick response code) or a barcode, or an image that can identify the individual elevator (for example, an image such as "Elevator No. 1 and No. 2", "Elevator A and Elevator B") may be used as the identification mark. Also, as shown in Fig. 3, in addition to the elevator, there are provided a destination reception means 4 that receives an instruction for the destination of the robot 1, a boarding floor arrival detection means 5 that detects the arrival of the elevator 2 at the boarding floor, including which elevator 2 has arrived when there are multiple elevators 2, a disembarkation floor arrival detection means 6 that detects the arrival of the elevator 2 at the disembarkation floor after the robot 1 has boarded the elevator 2, a boarding and alighting determination means 7 that determines the completion of boarding or alighting of the robot 1 on the elevator 2, and a drive command means 8 that remotely issues a drive command to the out-hoistway auxiliary operation unit 33 and the in-hoistway auxiliary operation unit 31 during elevator boarding and alighting on the destination route.

[0022] The elevator 2 is not cloud-compatible. As shown in Fig. 4(a), it includes an in-car operation unit 21 provided on the elevator main body 20, which is a car, and arranged with landing buttons 21a, and an out-of-car operation unit 23 provided at a position facing the elevator hall H on each floor as shown in Fig. 4(b) and arranged with up / down buttons 23a for ascending or descending. It also includes an elevator control means 27 that receives operation inputs from each operation unit 21, 23 and controls the opening and closing of the outer door 24 and the inner door 25 of the elevator main body 20, and controls control targets such as the lifting means 26 shown in Fig. 1.

[0023] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7(a), two elevators 2A and 2B are operated in parallel. The elevator control means 27 shown in Fig. 1 receives inputs from the in-car operation units 21(21A, 21B) and the out-of-car operation units 23(23A, 23B), and performs optimal control (such as group management control, etc.) on each control target 24, 25, 26, etc. according to a predetermined convention.

[0024] The in-car operation unit 21 shown in Fig. 4(a) also functions as an in-car display unit that lights up the landing button 21a when pressed. The out-of-car operation unit 23 shown in Fig. 4(b) also functions as an out-of-car display unit that lights up the up / down button 23a when pressed. Reference numerals 21d and 23d in the figure are in-car display units and out-of-car display units indicating the current floor of the elevator 2.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 5, the robot 1 is equipped with a traveling unit 11 having wheels and an internal sensor, a camera 12, a touch panel 13, an external sensor 14, an obstacle sensor 15, a short-range communication unit 16, an air pressure detection unit 18 and other peripheral resources, a control unit 17 including a CPU 17a as a central arithmetic unit, a memory 17b as a storage unit, an interface 17c for controlling input and output, etc., and a communication unit 19. The robot 1 is also provided with a storage unit (not shown) capable of storing articles and has a transport function for transporting articles to the target position.

[0026] The camera 12 is configured such that its shooting direction, angle of view, etc. are appropriately set either on its own or in combination with the posture of the robot 1, and an angle of view that enables imaging of the AR markers 32A and 32B when the doors of the two elevators 2A and 2B are opened is set.

[0027] Also, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the camera 12 can image the out-of-car operation unit 23 when the elevator 2 is waiting for passengers, and as shown in Fig. 4(a), it can image the in-car operation unit 21 when entering the elevators 2A and 2B.

[0028] The touch panel 13 of the robot 1 shown in Fig. 5 provides an input reception screen that can selectively display the destination floor within the building structure where the robot 1 is to be placed in advance, as well as booths and tenants for each floor. In addition, input items for instructing, for example, a round-trip operation until delivering and returning luggage are prepared as needed. The input content is taken in by the control unit 17.

[0029] The external sensor 14 is, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection And Ranging), which irradiates laser light or the like around it and receives the reflected light to obtain scan data (point cloud data) including the relative coordinates of objects existing around the robot 1. The scan data is data that includes the two-dimensional coordinates of the measurement points around the robot 1 and information indicating the emission direction of the external sensor 14 in an associated state. In addition, if the external sensor 14 is configured to irradiate in three-dimensional directions, the scan data may include the three-dimensional coordinates of the measurement points. The control unit 17 can determine the relative distance from the robot 1 to surrounding objects based on each measurement information included in the scan data and the shape of the object based on the positional relationship of a plurality of measurement points (for example, autonomous driving using LiDAR SLAM technology). The external sensor 14 may be, in addition to LiDAR, a radar sensor, a camera (for example, autonomous driving using Visual SLAM technology), or a combination of these.

[0030] The obstacle sensor 15 may be composed of, for example, a camera sensor, etc. Here, the control unit 17 acquires the image data captured by the camera 12 and performs image processing to detect people, obstacles, AR markers 32, etc.

[0031] The short-range communication unit 16 is implemented in the control unit 17, and here, BLE communication (Bluetooth low Energy) is adopted. BLE communication is a low-power consumption communication mode, which has the advantage that the battery life can be extended even with a coin battery depending on the usage method like a beacon, and it establishes remote communication between the robot 1 and the IOT device (Internet of Things Device) 100. The IOT device is a general term for equipment connected to the Internet. Here, when a pressing signal is input through BLE communication, it has the function of an actuator configured to stroke the pressing part. The communication unit 19 is for communication with an external server.

[0032] The in-warehouse operation assistance unit 31 and the out-of-warehouse operation assistance unit 33 are configured using the above-mentioned IOT device 100. Specifically, they are installed around the descending floor button 21a that constitutes the in-warehouse operation unit 21 of the elevator 2 shown in Fig. 4(a) and the up-and-down button 23a that constitutes the out-of-warehouse operation unit 23 shown in Fig. 4(b). The IOT device 100 is composed of one actuator part and one actuator control unit, and one IOT device 100 presses one button of each operation unit, but it may also be composed of a plurality of actuator parts and one actuator control unit so that a plurality of buttons can be pressed. When a pressing signal is input to a specific IOT device 100, the IOT device 100 is configured to press the corresponding button. For this reason, it is possible to operate the out-of-warehouse operation unit 23 from the robot 1 to call the elevator 2, and to operate the in-warehouse operation unit 21 from the robot 1 to specify the destination floor. Hereinafter, the in-warehouse operation assistance unit 31 is referred to as the IOT device 31, and the out-of-warehouse operation assistance unit 33 is referred to as the IOT device 33.

[0033] The air pressure detection unit 18 detects the air pressure at the position where the robot 1 is located at an appropriate timing. The detection value is taken into the control unit 17.

[0034] In the memory 17b of the control unit 17, a travel program of the robot 1, a cooperation program between the robot 1 and the elevator 2, etc. are stored. The CPU 17a sequentially reads each program and, in cooperation with peripheral resources such as the camera 12, realizes functions such as autonomous travel of the robot 1, as well as the destination reception means 4, boarding floor arrival detection means 5, alighting floor arrival detection means 6, boarding / alighting determination means 7, drive command means 8, etc. of the present invention shown in FIG. 3. Further, map information MP is stored in the memory 17b. The map information MP is two-dimensional data, and a point group indicating a traveling path, a wall, an elevator, and other objects is stored in association with the absolute position of this point group. The map information MP may store tag information for identifying the type of object in association with each point group, and destination information in which the traveling speed of the robot 1, the position of the destination, etc. are associated. Also, if the external sensor 14 is configured to irradiate in three-dimensional directions, the map information MP is three-dimensional data.

[0035] When the destination reception means 4 receives an input of a destination from the touch panel 13, it delivers the destination to the travel program of the robot 1. Based on the information given in advance, the travel program specifies a route from the current position to the destination, and when boarding and alighting at the elevator 2 are required on the way, it executes hierarchical movement in cooperation with the elevator cooperation program. For example, when the robot 1 is on the second floor and a booth on the fifth floor, etc. is pointed out as the destination, a route is established to board the elevator 2 at a predetermined position on the second floor, get off the elevator 2 at a predetermined position on the fifth floor, and move to the target position.

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a control procedure executed by the control unit 17 in a flowchart. Hereinafter, the elevator cooperation procedure of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6 and other figures.

[0037] <Elevator boarding preparation> In this embodiment, since two elevators 2 are operated in parallel, when boarding, the control unit 17 gives a movement instruction to the robot 1 to move to a predetermined position (boarding standby position) near the two elevators 2A and 2B as shown in FIG. 7. Information on this position (such as coordinates and the orientation of the robot 1) is stored in the map information MP. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(a), when the two elevators open their doors, it is a position where the lift buttons 23a of the out-of-car operation units 23A and 23B and the AR markers 32A and 32B can be imaged simultaneously. Also, a landmark (for example, a mark similar to the identification mark 32 or a mark intended to arouse attention) regarding this position may be installed on the travel path of the robot 1. By installing the landmark, when the robot 1 boards, it prompts other elevator users to pay attention to using this position, and the elevators can be coordinated cooperatively.

[0038] Also, in FIG. 7, the AR markers 32A and 32B are arranged on the back side inside the elevator car. However, as long as it is a position where the lift buttons 23a of the out-of-car operation units 23A and 23B and the AR markers 32A and 32B can be imaged simultaneously when the two elevators open their doors, they may be arranged on the side surface inside the elevator car.

[0039] <Step S1> The control unit 17 determines whether the robot 1 has moved to the boarding standby position through the detection of the external sensor 14. At the position of the robot 1 in FIG. 7, the viewing angle of the camera 12 is a position where the out-of-car operation units 23A and 23B and the AR markers 32A and 32B can be imaged simultaneously when the two elevators open their doors, as shown by the broken line in the figure.

[0040] Note that the boarding standby position may be set in the map information MP at two positions: first, move to a position where the out-of-car operation assistance parts 33 of the two elevators can be imaged simultaneously, and then move to a position where the AR markers 32A and 32B can be imaged simultaneously when the two elevators open their doors.

[0041] Also, if there are few obstacles or restrictions on the running path of the robot 1 before boarding, the boarding waiting position may not need to be set in the map information MP. In this case, when the elevator door opens, the robot will travel along a route that allows the up / down button 23a of the out-of-car operation unit 23 and the AR marker 32 to be imaged simultaneously.

[0042] <Step S2> When the control unit 17 can recognize the up / down button 23a of either the out-of-car operation units 23A or 23B through image recognition, it drives the IOT device 33 shown in Fig. 8(a) by the drive command means 8 to press the up / down button 23a (shown as "↑" in the figure) of the out-of-car operation unit 23 corresponding to the destination. The state of the up / down button 23a is captured by the camera 12 shown in Fig. 4(b), and through image recognition, it is determined that the button can be pressed when the up / down button 23a lights up, and then it proceeds to Step S3. Also, for example, if a person stands in front of the out-of-car operation unit 23 or operates the up / down button 23a of the out-of-car operation unit 23, and thus the up / down button 23a of the out-of-car operation unit 23 cannot be recognized through image recognition, Step S2 is retried. Note that regardless of which up / down button of the out-of-car operation units 23A and 23B is operated, the lighting states of the respective up / down buttons are shared.

[0043] <Step S3> The boarding floor arrival detection means 5 recognizes the state of the up / down button 23a through image recognition, and determines whether the elevator 2 has arrived based on whether the up / down button 23a has turned off as shown in Fig. 8(a)→(b). When the downward button 23a turns off while the upward button 23a is being pressed, since the upward elevator 2 has not arrived, Step S3 does not become YES. Step S3 determines that it has arrived only when the up / down button 23a corresponding to the destination has turned off and becomes YES.

[0044] After that, when the doors 24 and 25 of the elevators 2A and 2B open, the in-car AR markers 32A and 32B are read. Fig. 9 shows a state where the elevator 2A arrives earlier than the elevator 2B and the camera 12 is about to read the in-car AR marker 32A of the elevator 2A.

[0045] Here, when the AR marker 32 is detected, it is determined that there are no obstacles such as people in the elevator 2, and when the AR marker 32 cannot be detected, it is determined that there are obstacles in the elevator 2. Also, it is realized by an algorithm that determines that there are obstacles such as people in the elevator 2 when the in-car display unit 21, etc. cannot be recognized. Also, the AR marker 32 is preferably arranged between the floor surface and the height corresponding to the installation of the handrail (75 to 85 mm recommended by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism). At this height, even when a person with a disability (for example, a wheelchair user) uses the elevator, the AR marker 32 is likely to be hidden, and it is likely to be determined that there are obstacles in the elevator.

[0046] Each elevator 2A, 2B has an in-car boarding position for boarding inside the car, and the information of this position (coordinates, orientation of the robot 1, etc.) is linked to the map information MP and stored. The orientation of the robot 1 is, for example, in the elevator car, at a position where the floor call button 21a and the close button 21b of the in-car operation unit 21 can be imaged simultaneously, considering the constraints inside the car (for example, the position of the in-car operation unit and the door, the structure (space) inside the car, the installation position of the handrail and the advertisement, etc.), and set so that the floor call button 21a and the close button 21b of the in-car operation unit 21 can be imaged simultaneously. For example, in the state of FIG. 7(b), since the door of the right elevator 2A is open, the boarding floor arrival detection means 5 delivers the in-car boarding position of the arrived elevator 2A to the travel program. Also, similar to the boarding standby position, a landmark (for example, a mark similar to the identification mark 32 or a mark intended to arouse attention) regarding this position may be installed inside the car. By installing the landmark, when the robot 1 is inside the car, it prompts other elevator users to notice that this position is being used, and the elevators can be coordinated cooperatively.

[0047] Furthermore, the in-car boarding position and orientation of the robot 1 for boarding inside the car may be at a position and posture where the floor number, etc. (display and marker of the floor number such as 1F) on the elevator hall side can be read when the elevator door is opened, instead of the position and posture where the floor call button 21a and the close button 21b of the in-car operation unit 21 inside the elevator car can be read as described above.

[0048] When the AR marker 32 cannot be read for a certain period of time, such as when the elevator 2 is crowded, a reading error occurs, and the process returns from step S3 to step S2 to retry. At that time, the robot 1 announces to the users inside the elevator 2 through voice or the display on the touch panel that it will not board, so that the elevator can be coordinated and linked cooperatively.

[0049] <Step S4> In step S3, when the AR marker 32 is read and it is determined which of the left and right elevators 2A and 2B has arrived, the travel program gives an instruction to the robot 1 to board the elevator 2, and the robot 1 starts to move to the in-warehouse boarding position as shown in FIG. 10. During that time, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the drive command means 8 intermittently presses the up and down button 23a of the out-of-warehouse operation unit 23 (here, the "↑" button for going to the 5th floor) with the IOT device 33 to extend the opening time of the doors 24 and 25 of the elevator 2.

[0050] <Step S5> The boarding and alighting determination means 7 determines whether the robot 1 has moved to the in-warehouse boarding position shown in FIG. 10 through the external sensor 14 in the same way as in step S1. When the robot 1 has moved to the in-warehouse boarding position, the intermittent pressing operation on the up and down button 23a of the out-of-warehouse operation unit 23 is released as shown in FIGS. 11(a)→11(b). Also, parallel to or after the movement to the in-warehouse boarding position, as shown in FIG. 12(a), the drive command means 8 gives an instruction to the IOT device 31 to press the alighting floor button 21a (here, "5" for the 5th floor). By pressing the alighting floor button 21a before the close button 21b, when a user other than the robot 1 uses the elevator first and the elevator door closes, if the alighting floor button 21a is not pressed, it will respond to calls from users on different floors, preventing the robot 1 from being unable to use the elevator it is supposed to board and delaying the arrival at the alighting floor. At the in-warehouse boarding position, the robot 1 changes its orientation in the set direction, and the alighting floor button 21a and the close button 21b of the in-warehouse operation unit 21 shown in FIG. 12 are within the viewing angle of the camera 12.

[0051] <Step S6> After the above step S5, as shown in Fig. 12(b), the drive command means 8 presses the close button 21b through the IOT device 31. The state of the close button 21b is recognized by image recognition through the camera 12 as shown in Fig. 4(a), and it is determined that the button can be pressed when the close button 21b lights up. The elevator 2 is controlled by the elevator control means 27 to start moving.

[0052] Also, in the above step S5, in order to prevent the arrival at the disembarkation floor from being delayed, the disembarkation floor button 21a was pressed before the close button 21b. However, if the delay in arrival can be tolerated or the information of users other than the robot 1 is known in advance, the processing of step S5 and step S6 may be reversed.

[0053] <Step S7> Monitor whether the disembarkation floor button 21a on the floor where the pressure was applied in the in-car operation unit 21 has switched from lighting to extinguishing as shown in Fig. 12(a) → Fig. 13(a) based on the image acquired by the camera 12, and determine that the elevator 2 has arrived at the disembarkation floor (5th floor) when the switch occurs.

[0054] In this case, the disembarkation floor button 21a may not be readable by the camera 12 due to being blocked by a person or the like. Therefore, the disembarkation floor arrival detection means 6 additionally detects the arrival at the disembarkation floor through the change in air pressure. For this purpose, in the above step S4, the air pressure of the boarding floor is detected by the air pressure detection unit 18 before boarding. In the memory 17b of the control unit 17, the relationship between each floor and the air pressure is tabulated and stored in advance, and the allowable range of the air pressure difference between each floor (for example, the allowable range of the air pressure difference between 1F and 2F, and between 2F and 3F) based on the structure of the elevator, the weather, etc. is set. The robot 1 corrects the table data with the value acquired before boarding, and at the same time, corrects the allowable range of the air pressure difference according to this data correction.

[0055] After that, the obtained barometric pressure value is compared with the barometric pressure value inside the elevator hall where the destination floor has been reached. If the difference is within the corrected allowable range, it is determined that the destination floor has been reached.

[0056] As a result, for example, when the weather changes during a period in which the elevator has been used for several days, it is assumed that there will be differences in the barometric pressure values of the same elevator depending on the day. However, since the barometric pressure can be detected without being affected by the differences, the arrival at the destination floor can be determined more accurately.

[0057] Note that the determination of arrival at the destination floor through the change in barometric pressure is performed when the destination floor button 21a cannot be read by the camera 12, but it may also be performed in parallel with the determination of arrival at the destination floor by the camera 12.

[0058] Also, in step S5, if there is an obstacle such as a person inside the elevator 2 and the direction of the robot 1 at the boarding position inside the elevator hall cannot be changed to the set direction, the determination of arrival at the destination floor by the camera 12 may not be performed, and the arrival at the destination floor may be determined through the change in barometric pressure.

[0059] <Step S8> When arrival is detected in step S7, the process proceeds to step S8. The drive command means 8 issues a disembarkation instruction from the elevator 2 to the robot 1. As shown in Fig. 13(a), while intermittently pressing the open button 21c of the in-elevator operation unit 21 with the auxiliary operation unit, the robot 1 is made to start advancing from the elevator 2 as shown in Fig. 14 during that time. The boarding / alighting determination means 7 determines whether or not the robot 1 has disembarked at a predetermined position outside the elevator hall (disembarkation position) through the external sensor 14.

[0060] When the boarding / alighting determination means 7 determines that the robot 1 has disembarked, as shown in Fig. 13(b), the intermittent pressing of the open button 21c is released, and an instruction to press the close button 21b is issued.

[0061] After boarding, if the elevator car 2 is crowded and the destination floor button 21a cannot be pressed, or if the disembarkation operation fails, etc., it will be considered a disembarkation error. At this time, from steps S6 and S7, the drive command means 8 in step 5 retries from the process of instructing the IOT device 31 to press the destination floor button 21a (here, "5" because it is the 5th floor). Also, after step S2, if multiple elevators 2 arrive at the same timing, including elevator calls by other users, the doors of elevators that are not the boarding target may open at the timing when the up / down buttons 23a of each elevator turn off.

[0062] In this case, the determination of the arrival of the elevator 2 by image recognition in step S3 and the reading of the AR marker when the elevator door opens may not be successful, and there is a possibility of boarding an elevator that should not be boarded. For example, in FIG. 9, elevator 2A and elevator 2B arrive at the same timing, and it is advisable to board elevator 2A which has no elevator call by other users. However, with the camera 12, the up / down buttons 23a of elevators 2A and 2B turn off, and instead of reading the AR marker 32A of elevator 2A, the AR marker 32A of elevator 2B is read, resulting in boarding elevator 2B which has an elevator call by other users instead of elevator 2A where one should board and moving to the lower floor. Thus, when boarding the wrong elevator 2, the control unit 17 detects the air pressure change with the air pressure detection unit 18 and retries from step S6, and does not disembark until the air pressure of the elevator that should be boarded can be detected.

[0063] <After elevator disembarkation> After step S8, the travel program continues to move the robot 1 towards the previously received destination position (e.g., a restaurant on the 5th floor, a predetermined booth, etc.).

[0064] If the obstacle sensor 15 detects an obstacle during boarding, the control unit 17 also temporarily stops the boarding and disembarking of the robot 1 and returns to step S2 or step S6 to retry the boarding and disembarking.

[0065] As described above, when the elevator cooperation system of the robot 1 according to the present embodiment cooperates the robot 1 and the elevator 2, in the interior S1 of the elevator 2, there are provided an IOT device 31 which is an in-warehouse auxiliary operation unit for operating the in-warehouse operation unit 21, and an AR marker 32 which is an identification mark for remotely identifying the individual of the elevator. In the exterior S2 of the elevator warehouse, there is provided an IOT device 33 which is an out-of-warehouse auxiliary operation unit for operating the out-of-warehouse operation unit 23.

[0066] In addition, at a part other than the elevator, there are provided a destination receiving means 4 for receiving an instruction of the destination of the robot 1, a boarding floor arrival detection means 5 for detecting the arrival of the elevator 2 at the boarding floor including which elevator has arrived when there are a plurality of elevators 2A and 2B, a disembarking floor arrival detection means 6 for detecting that the elevator 2 has arrived at the disembarking floor after the robot 1 has boarded the elevator 2, a boarding / alighting determination means 7 for determining the completion of boarding or alighting of the robot 1 with respect to the elevator 2, and a drive command means 8 for remotely issuing a drive command to the IOT device 33 which is an out-of-warehouse auxiliary operation unit and the IOT device 31 which is an in-warehouse auxiliary operation unit when boarding or alighting the elevator 2 on the destination route.

[0067] In this way, IoT devices 31 and 33, AR markers 32, etc. can be easily installed in the existing elevator 2, and the destination reception means 4, boarding floor arrival detection means 5, alighting floor arrival detection means 6, boarding / alighting determination means 7, and drive command means 8 can be installed outside the elevator. Therefore, there is no need to attach a communication module to the control panel in the elevator hoistway S1, nor is it necessary to replace the elevator 2 with a cloud-compatible elevator. Furthermore, instead of simply detecting the arrival of the elevator 2 by opening the door, the boarding floor arrival detection means 5 determines the arrival of the boarding floor of the elevator 2, including identifying which of the elevators 2A and 2B has arrived, and the alighting floor arrival detection means 6 detects that the elevator 2 has actually arrived at the alighting floor. For this reason, according to this system, even if it is retrofitted to elevators 2 operating in parallel with two or more units, it is possible to appropriately perform boarding standby, arrival at the boarding and alighting floors, destination designation, boarding / alighting completion determination, etc. in cooperation with the elevator 2.

[0068] In particular, since all of the destination reception means 4, boarding floor arrival detection means 5, alighting floor arrival detection means 6, boarding / alighting determination means 7, and drive command means 8 are provided in the robot 1, it is possible to eliminate the need to build them into the building structure side such as a warehouse or a building.

[0069] Also, since the robot 1 is provided with a pressure detection means 18 for detecting the number of floors, it is possible to surely perform alighting even when the arrival of the alighting floor cannot be optically detected.

[0070] And, when the elevator cooperation program is read into a computer, it functions as the control means 17 for the computer. Therefore, by simply attaching the IoT devices 31 and 33 and the AR marker 32 to the elevator 2 and attaching a minimum amount of resources such as the camera 12 to the robot 1 side, it is possible to make the robot 1 perform appropriate elevator cooperation.

[0071] As described above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the specific methods and configurations of each part are not limited to only the above-described embodiment.

[0072] For example, if the camera 12 can perform 360° shooting, even if there are four elevators in the front and back, the elevator can be identified.

[0073] Alternatively, at least a part of the boarding floor arrival detection means 5, the alighting floor arrival detection means 6, and the boarding / alighting determination means 7 may be attached to the structural housing side such as the wall surface of the elevator hall.

[0074] In this way, a wider angle of view can be ensured when detecting optically, and more appropriate position selection can be made when it is necessary to detect a large number of elevators.

[0075] Furthermore, if an RFID tag or the like is attached to the elevator main body 20 so that the elevator can be identified wirelessly, it is not necessary to fit it within the angle of view of the camera, so that the elevator arrangement can be more freely accommodated.

[0076] Also, in the above embodiment, the drive command means mounted on the robot is configured to directly input a drive command to the outside warehouse auxiliary operation unit or the inside warehouse auxiliary operation unit. However, the drive command means may be configured to input a drive command to the operation unit via an external server or via an external server → repeater (access point).

[0077] In addition, the form of the autonomous mobile body is not limited to the form of a robot, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0078] 1... Autonomous mobile body (robot) 2... Elevator S1... Inside the warehouse S2... Outside the warehouse 21... Inside warehouse operation unit 31... Inside warehouse auxiliary operation unit (IoT device) 32... Identification mark (AR marker) S2... Outside the warehouse 23... Outside warehouse operation unit 33…External auxiliary operation unit (IoT device) 4…Destination receiving means 5…Detection means for arrival at boarding floor 6…Detection means for arrival at alighting floor 7…Boarding determination means 8…Drive command means 18…Air pressure detection means

Claims

1. It is for making a self-driving mobile body cooperate with an elevator, inside the elevator hoistway, an in-hoistway auxiliary operation unit for operating the in-hoistway operation unit and an identification mark for identifying the individual elevator from a distance are provided, and outside the elevator hoistway, an out-hoistway auxiliary operation unit for operating the out-hoistway operation unit is provided, and at a part other than the elevator, a destination receiving means for receiving an instruction of the destination of the self-driving mobile body, a boarding floor arrival detection means for detecting the arrival at the boarding floor of the elevator including which elevator has arrived when there are a plurality of elevators, a disembarking floor arrival detection means for detecting that the elevator has arrived at the disembarking floor after the self-driving mobile body has boarded the elevator, a boarding / alighting determination means for determining the completion of boarding or alighting of the self-driving mobile body with respect to the elevator, and a driving command means for remotely issuing a driving command to the out-hoistway auxiliary operation unit and the in-hoistway auxiliary operation unit when boarding or alighting the elevator on the destination route are provided, A self-driving mobile body elevator cooperation system.

2. The self-driving mobile body elevator cooperation system according to claim 1, wherein all of the destination receiving means, the boarding floor arrival detection means, the disembarking floor arrival detection means, the boarding / alighting determination means, and the driving command means are provided on the self-driving mobile body.

3. The self-driving mobile body elevator cooperation system according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the boarding floor arrival detection means, the disembarking floor arrival detection means, and the boarding / alighting determination means are attached to the structural housing side such as the wall surface of the elevator hall.

4. The self-driving mobile body elevator cooperation system according to claim 1, wherein the self-driving mobile body is provided with a pressure detection means for detecting the floor number.

5. A self-driving mobile body elevator cooperation program, which causes a computer to function as the control means when read into the computer.

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