Elevator system and elevator operation method

Abstract

To cancel automatic registration of a destination floor and suppress useless movement of an elevator when there is no user in a car.SOLUTION: This elevator system moved between two floors with a destination floor fixed comprises: a landing user detection unit; an in-car user detection unit; a call registration unit; and a call registration cancel unit. The landing user detection unit is installed at each landing of an elevator, and detects a user of the elevator. The in-car user detection unit is installed in a car, and detects a user in the car. The call registration unit registers a landing call and a car call when the landing user detection unit detects the elevator user. The call registration cancel unit cancels the registration of the car call when the in-car user detection unit does not detect the user in the car after the elevator has arrived at a landing floor to open a door in response to the landing call.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an elevator system and an elevator operation method.

Background Art

[0002] There is a technique in an elevator that moves between two floors, where when a landing call is made on one floor, a car call (also referred to as a "destination floor call") on the other floor is automatically registered. There is also a technique of installing a sensor that detects people on the landing button, determining whether there is a person on the landing after a landing call using the sensor, and canceling the landing call when there is no person. Furthermore, a technique has been established where after a wheelchair user enters a predetermined area on the landing, an announcement is made to move forward for an upward call or backward for a downward call, the operation is detected by a camera, and a landing call is generated.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the conventional example, after a passenger is detected by the landing sensor and a landing call and a car call are automatically registered, when the passenger enters the car and moves to the automatically registered destination floor, after the car moves and the passenger gets off, the landing sensor executes a process of detecting the passenger who got off.

[0005] However, the landing sensor determines the passenger who got off as a new passenger and generates a car call to another floor, so there is a problem that the car moves to another floor with no passenger, resulting in a wasteful running operation.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an elevator system and an elevator operation method capable of canceling automatic registration of the destination floor when there is no user in the car and suppressing unnecessary elevator movement.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] An embodiment for achieving the above object is an elevator system that moves between two floors with a fixed destination floor, and includes a landing user detection unit, a car user detection unit, a call registration unit, and a call registration cancellation unit.

[0008] The landing user detection unit is installed at each landing of the elevator and detects users of the elevator. The car user detection unit is installed in the car and detects users in the car. The call registration unit registers a landing call and a car call when a user of the elevator at the landing is detected by the landing user detection unit. The call registration cancellation unit cancels the registration of the car call when no user in the car is detected by the car user detection unit after the elevator that has responded to the landing call arrives at the landing floor and the door opens.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the elevator system according to the embodiment.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the elevator system 1A (1B) assumes an elevator having a car 4 that moves in a hoistway 3 between the first and second floors of a building 2. Landing buttons 5 are installed at the first-floor landing and the second-floor landing, respectively, and destination floor buttons 6 are installed inside the car 4. In addition, at least one of a landing occupancy sensor (landing sensor) 11 as a landing user detection unit 10 for detecting a user 7 at the landing, a landing load sensor 12, and a landing camera 13 is installed at the landing on each floor. Further, at least one of an in-car occupancy sensor (in-car sensor) 21 as an in-car user detection unit 20 for detecting a user 7 inside the car, an in-car load sensor 22, a photoelectric tube sensor 23, and an in-car camera 24 is installed in the car 4. The photoelectric tube sensor 23 is installed, for example, on the four sides of the sill inside the car and detects the user 7 inside the car.

[0012] <First Embodiment> FIG. 2 shows the control configuration of the elevator system 1A according to the first embodiment.

[0013] An elevator control device 30A that serves as a control center of the elevator system 1A includes a landing user detection signal input unit 31, an in-car user detection signal input unit 32, a call registration unit 33, a call registration cancellation unit 34, and a travel control unit 35.

[0014] The landing user detection signal input unit 31 inputs a detection signal when a landing user 7 is detected by at least one of a landing occupancy sensor (landing sensor) 11, a landing load sensor 12, and a landing camera 13 as a landing user detection unit 10.

[0015] When the in-car user detection signal input unit 32 detects an in-car user 7 by at least any one of the in-car occupancy sensor (in-car sensor) 21 as the in-car user detection unit 20, the in-car load sensor 22, the phototube sensor 23, and the in-car camera 24, it inputs the detection signal.

[0016] When the boarding user detection unit 10 detects an elevator user 7 in the boarding area, the call registration unit 33 registers the boarding call and the car call (destination floor call).

[0017] When the elevator that has responded to the boarding call arrives at the boarding floor and the door opens, and the in-car user detection unit 20 does not detect an in-car user 7, the call registration cancellation unit 34 cancels the registration of the car call.

[0018] The travel control unit 35 controls the travel of the elevator moving between the first floor and the second floor.

[0019] FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are flowcharts showing the processing procedure of the elevator system according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, "boarding sensor" refers to "boarding occupancy sensor 11", and "in-car sensor" refers to "in-car occupancy sensor 21". Also, the example shown in the figure assumes that the user 7 moves between the first floor and the second floor.

[0020] The boarding user detection signal input unit 31 determines whether the boarding occupancy sensor 11 on the first floor detects the user 7 (step S1). When the user 7 is detected, the boarding call is automatically registered by the call registration unit 33 (step S1 YES, S2). Then, in response to the boarding call, the car 4 arrives at the first floor, which is the boarding call registration floor (departure floor) (steps S3, S4). After that, the car door opens, and the car call is automatically registered (steps S5, S6).

[0021] Next, it is determined whether or not the in-car occupancy sensor 21 has detected the user 7 (step S7). If the user 7 is not detected, the car call is canceled and the process returns to step S1 (step S8). When the user 7 gets into the car 4 and the in-car occupancy sensor 21 detects the user 7, door closing is started (step S9). After the start of door closing, when the landing occupancy sensor 11 detects the user 7 (step S10 YES), the car door is opened as if there is still the user 7 in the landing, and the user 7 is taken on board (step S11).

[0022] When the user 7 boards the car and door closing is completed, movement to the destination floor (the floor to which the car is going) is started (steps S12, S13). When the car arrives at the destination floor, the door is opened and the user 7 gets off (steps S14, S15, S16). When the landing occupancy sensor 11 on the destination floor detects the user 7 who has gotten off, a car call with the departure floor being the first floor is automatically registered (steps S17, S18).

[0023] After the car call is automatically registered, it is determined whether or not the in-car occupancy sensor 21 has detected the user 7 (step S19). If the user 7 is detected (step S19 YES), the door is closed, the car moves to the departure floor which is the destination floor, and when it arrives, the series of processes ends (steps S20, S21, S22). On the other hand, if the user is not detected (step S19 NO), the car call is canceled, the door is closed, and the car enters the standby state (steps S23, S24).

[0024] The operation of the first embodiment will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. In the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, the case of moving from the second floor as the departure floor to the first floor is taken as an example.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 4(a), when the landing occupancy sensor 11 installed on the ceiling of the second-floor landing detects the user 7, the landing button 5 lights up, the elevator arrives, and the door opens. At that time, the destination floor registration is automatically registered, and the destination floor button 6 of the car 4 lights up. The user 7 gets into the car 4 and moves to the first floor. Then, as shown in Fig. 4(b), after arriving at the first floor, the car door opens, and the user 7 gets off. When the landing occupancy sensor 11 detects the user 7 who has gotten off the car, the car call (destination floor call) is automatically registered even in the unoccupied state. However, when the landing occupancy sensor 11 detects the user at the time of getting off, if the in-car occupancy sensor 21 does not detect the user 7, the car call to the second floor is canceled.

[0026] Also, as shown in Fig. 5, when the landing occupancy sensor 11 detects the user 7 on the landing, the landing button 5 lights up and the landing call is registered. When the elevator arrives and the door opens, the destination floor registration is automatically registered and the destination floor button of the car 4 lights up. However, after the door closes, if the user 7 is not in the car 4, the car call is automatically canceled.

[0027] Thus, according to the first embodiment, when the landing occupancy sensor 11 detects the user 7, the landing call and the car call are automatically registered, but when it is confirmed that no user gets into the car 4, the car call is canceled. For this reason, it is possible to suppress wasteful running such as the car 4 moving while the user 7 is not present.

[0028] <Second Embodiment> The elevator system 1B of the second embodiment includes two landing sensors, namely, a first landing user detection unit (first landing occupancy sensor) 14 and a second landing user detection unit (second landing occupancy sensor) 15, as the landing user detection unit 10. Further, the elevator control device 30B includes a first detection signal input unit 36 that inputs a landing user detection signal from the first landing user detection unit (first landing occupancy sensor) 14, and a second detection signal input unit 37 that inputs a landing user detection signal from the second landing user detection unit (second landing occupancy sensor) 15. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0029] Specifically, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a first landing occupancy sensor 14 is installed on the landing ceiling at a position far from the car 4, and a second landing occupancy sensor 15 is installed on the side closer to the car 4 than the first landing occupancy sensor 14. When a user 7 in the landing tries to use the elevator and comes to the landing, a landing user detection signal is output in the order of the first landing occupancy sensor 14 → the second landing occupancy sensor 15. The first detection signal input unit 36 and the second detection signal input unit 37 also input the landing user detection signal in this order. Thereby, the call registration unit 33 automatically registers the landing call and the car call.

[0030] On the other hand, when the user 7 in the car arrives at the destination floor, opens the door, and gets off the car, a landing user detection signal is output in the order of the second landing occupancy sensor 15 → the first landing occupancy sensor 14. The second detection signal input unit 37 and the first detection signal input unit 36 also input the landing user detection signal in this order. Thereby, the call registration unit 33 determines that the user 7 is getting off the car and does not register the landing call or the car call.

[0031] Thus, according to the second embodiment, since it is determined whether the action of the user 7 is boarding or alighting and whether to register a call, it is possible to suppress wasteful running such as the car 4 moving while the user 7 is not present.

[0032] In each of the above embodiments, the landing occupancy sensor 11 and the in-car occupancy sensor 21 are used for user detection, but it is not limited thereto. As the landing user detection unit 10, in addition to the landing occupancy sensor (landing sensor) 11, at least one of the landing load sensor 12 and the landing camera 13, or a combination thereof may be used. As the in-car user detection unit 20, in addition to the in-car occupancy sensor (in-car sensor) 21, at least one of the car load sensor 22, the phototube sensor 23, and the in-car camera 24, or a combination thereof may be used.

[0033] In addition, in each embodiment, an elevator that moves between the first floor and the second floor is assumed, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to all elevators that move fixedly between specific floors.

[0034] As described above, some embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, these embodiments are presented as examples 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 its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0035] 1A, 1B... elevator system, 2... building, 3... hoistway, 4... car, 5... landing button, 6... destination floor button, 7... user, 10... landing user detection unit, 11... landing occupancy sensor (landing sensor), 12... landing load sensor, 13... landing camera, 14... first landing user detection unit (first landing occupancy sensor), 15... second landing user detection unit (second landing occupancy sensor), 20... in-car user detection unit, 21... in-car occupancy sensor (in-car sensor), 22... car load sensor, 23... photoelectric tube sensor, 24... in-car camera, 30A, 30B... elevator control device, 31... landing user detection signal input unit, 32... in-car user detection signal input unit, 33... call registration unit, 34... call registration cancellation unit, 35... travel control unit, 36... first detection signal input unit, 37... second detection signal input unit

Claims

1. An elevator system that moves between two fixed floors with a fixed destination floor, comprising: A landing user detection unit installed at each landing of the elevator to detect elevator users; An in-car user detection unit installed inside the car to detect users inside the car; A call registration unit that registers a landing call and a car call when an elevator user at the landing is detected by the landing user detection unit; A call registration cancellation unit that cancels the registration of the car call when no user inside the car is detected by the in-car user detection unit after the elevator responding to the landing call arrives at the landing floor and opens the door. An elevator system comprising the above.

2. The landing user detection unit is installed at at least multiple locations on the landing; The call registration unit determines whether to register a call or cancel the call registration based on the input order of the detection signals from multiple landing user detection units. The elevator system according to Claim 1.

3. When the input order of the detection signals from the landing user detection unit is such that the detection signal from the landing user detection unit closer to the car door is input earlier than that from the unit farther from the car door, the call registration unit does not register the landing call, assuming that the user inside the car will get off. When the detection signal from the unit farther from the car door is input first, the call registration unit registers the landing call. The elevator system according to Claim 2.

4. The landing user detection unit is at least one of a presence sensor installed at the upper part of the landing, a landing load sensor, and a landing camera; The in-car user detection unit is at least one of a presence sensor installed in the car, a car load sensor, a photoelectric tube sensor, and an in-car camera. The elevator system according to Claim 1 or 2.

5. An elevator operation method for an elevator that moves between two fixed floors with a fixed destination floor, comprising a landing user detection unit installed at each landing of the elevator to detect elevator users and an in-car user detection unit installed inside the car to detect users inside the car. When an elevator user at the landing is detected by the landing user detection unit, the call registration unit registers a landing call and a car call. After the elevator responding to the landing call arrives at the landing floor and opens the door, if a user inside the car is detected by the in-car user detection unit, it moves to the destination floor. If no user inside the car is detected, it cancels the registration of the car call and waits. When an elevator user at the landing is detected by the landing user detection unit, the call registration unit registers a landing call and a car call; After the elevator responding to the landing call arrives at the landing floor and opens the door, if a user inside the car is detected by the in-car user detection unit, it moves to the destination floor. If no user inside the car is detected, it cancels the registration of the car call and waits. An elevator operation method.

6. When the elevator in which a user inside the car has been detected by the user detector inside the car arrives at the destination floor and the door opens, if a user is detected by the landing user detector and no user inside the car is detected by the user detector inside the car, it is determined that the user has gotten off and the car call is not registered. The elevator operation method according to claim 5.

7. When a user is detected by the landing user detector before the elevator arrives at the destination floor and the door opens, the elevator operation method according to claim 6, wherein a car call is registered.

8. The landing user detector is installed at at least a plurality of locations on the landing. When the input order of the detection signals of the plurality of landing user detectors in the call registration unit is such that the detection signal of the landing user detector closer to the car door is input earlier than that of the landing user detector farther from the car door, it is regarded that the user inside the car has gotten off and the landing call is not registered. When the detection signal of the landing user detector farther from the car door is input first, the landing call is registered. The elevator operation method according to claim 5.

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