Elevator simulator

Abstract

To enable verification of the performance of an actual elevator trained using training data on a simulator without transferring the training data to the simulator.SOLUTION: An elevator simulator comprises a generation processing unit, a virtual realization processing unit, a communication unit, and a synchronization processing unit. The generation processing unit virtually generates elevator users and calls. The virtual realization processing unit virtually realizes an elevator and virtually realizes getting on / off of the users generated by the generation processing unit. The communication unit communicates with a group management control device of an actual elevator. The synchronization processing unit synchronizes the movement of the virtual elevator with the movement of the actual elevator using operation data received by the communication unit from the group management control device. The group management control device of the actual elevator then controls the movement of the actual elevator using the call and door opening extension signals received from the communication unit of the simulator, and outputs data indicating the resulting movement of the actual elevator as operation data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for verifying elevator performance through simulation. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for verifying elevator performance through simulation by virtually realizing elevators and their group management within a simulator.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a technology in which operational data of an actual elevator (including call and allocation data, operational data showing the movement of the actual elevator, etc.) is accumulated as learning data, and the learning data is used to perform learning to achieve efficient group management (for example, learning to improve the prediction accuracy of group management). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7310967 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-184752 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] On the other hand, if one were to accurately verify the elevator performance of an actual machine (a trained actual machine) that had been trained using the technology of Patent Document 2 through simulation using the technology of Patent Document 1, it would be necessary to reproduce the behavior of the trained actual machine in a simulator.To make this possible, all of the training data (including copied data) stored in the actual machine would have to be transferred to the simulator, which would require cumbersome data transfer work.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable the elevator performance of an actual elevator that has been trained using training data to be verified by a simulator without transferring the training data to the simulator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The elevator simulator according to the present invention comprises a generation processing unit, a virtual realization processing unit, a communication unit, and a synchronization processing unit (Aspect 1). The generation processing unit virtually generates elevator passengers and calls. The virtual realization processing unit virtually realizes an elevator and virtually realizes boarding and alighting of the passengers generated by the generation processing unit. The communication unit communicates with a group management control device of a real elevator. In transmission to the group management control device, the generation processing unit sends a call when the generation processing unit generates the call, and sends a door opening extension signal when the virtual realization processing unit allows passengers to board and alight. In reception from the group management control device, the communication unit receives operation data indicating the movement of the real elevator. The synchronization processing unit uses the operation data received by the communication unit to synchronize the operation of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit with the operation of the real elevator. The group management control device of the real elevator then controls the operation of the real elevator using the call and door opening extension signal received from the simulator's communication unit, and outputs data indicating the resulting movement of the real elevator as operation data.

[0008] According to the above-mentioned aspect 1, by synchronizing the behavior of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit with the behavior of the actual elevator, it is possible to reproduce the learned behavior of the actual elevator in the simulator as is, without transferring the learning data (including copied data) to the simulator. Moreover, by transmitting the call and door opening extension signals generated by the simulator to the group management control device of the actual elevator, it is possible to perform group management based on this information with high prediction accuracy in the actual elevator, and it is also possible to synchronize the behavior of the virtual elevator with the behavior of the actual elevator that occurs accordingly. Therefore, it is possible to reflect the behavior of the actual elevator that occurs when the users generated by the simulator are assumed to be actual users in the actual elevator in the behavior of the virtual elevator in the simulator, which can verify elevator performance.

[0009] The elevator simulator according to the above-described aspect 1 may have the following configuration (aspect 2). This simulator further includes a group management processing unit and a drive processing unit. The group management processing unit performs group management of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit independently from the group management control device of the actual elevator. The drive processing unit operates the virtual elevator in accordance with the group management performed by the group management processing unit. The simulator then selectively performs a first verification process that verifies elevator performance by operating the virtual elevator using the group management processing unit and the drive processing unit, and a second verification process that verifies elevator performance by synchronizing the movement of the virtual elevator with the movement of the actual elevator using the communication unit and the synchronization processing unit.

[0010] According to the above-mentioned second aspect, it becomes possible to selectively perform a normal simulation (first verification process) that is performed without using an actual device and a new simulation (second verification process) that is performed using an actual device using a single simulator.

[0011] In this manner, the elevator simulator may store the generated data used by the generation processing unit to generate users and calls when the first verification process is performed, and then, when the second verification process is executed, generate users and calls using the generated data, thereby performing the second verification process in a state that reproduces the virtual generation of users and calls during the first verification process (Aspect 3).

[0012] According to the above-mentioned aspect 3, it becomes possible to compare the elevator performance obtained in a normal simulation (first verification process) with the elevator performance obtained in a simulation using an actual elevator (second verification process) under the same conditions for users and call generation. This makes it possible to use the simulator to accurately verify whether the elevator of the actual elevator is operating as expected (in other words, verify whether the elevator performance obtained in the first verification process is being exhibited by the actual elevator). [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to verify the elevator performance of an actual elevator that has been trained using training data using a simulator without transferring the training data to the simulator. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an elevator simulator according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an elevator simulator according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] [1] Implementation FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an elevator simulator 1 according to an embodiment. The simulator 1 is a device that verifies elevator performance through simulation. Here, elevator performance is expressed, for example, as the average waiting time of users or the time it takes for the elevator car to make one rotation (for example, the time it takes for the elevator car to leave the lobby floor and return to the same lobby floor). In this embodiment, the simulator 1 is configured to be able to verify the elevator performance of an actual machine 2 (see FIG. 1; hereinafter, referred to as the "trained actual machine 2") that has been trained using training data Dp, without transferring the training data Dp to the simulator 1. A specific description will be given below.

[0016] The simulator 1 includes a communication unit 10, a storage unit 11, and a control unit 12.

[0017] The communication unit 10 functions as an interface, enabling wired or wireless communication with the group management control device 21 provided in the real machine 2. The communication unit 10 enables data to be transmitted and received between the simulator 1 and the real machine 2.

[0018] The storage unit 11 is a part configured with storage devices such as ROM and RAM. The storage unit 11 stores data necessary for the simulation (verification process for verifying elevator performance) performed by the simulator 1, data generated by the simulation, and the like. Here, the data necessary for the simulation includes a simulation program installed in the simulator 1. Note that, before being installed in the simulator 1, the simulation program may be stored in a readable state on a portable storage medium (for example, a flash memory, etc.), or may be stored in a downloadable state on another server, etc.

[0019] The control unit 12 is responsible for executing a simulation (a verification process for verifying elevator performance), and is composed of processing devices such as a CPU and an MPU. In this embodiment, the control unit 12 executes a generation process, a virtual realization process, and a synchronization process as processes required for the simulation. Specifically, these processes are executed by a generation processing unit 121, a virtual realization processing unit 122, and a synchronization processing unit 123, which are constructed by software within the control unit 12 using a simulation program (see FIG. 1). The following describes the details of these processing units.

[0020] The generation processing unit 121 virtually generates elevator users and calls. Specifically, during the execution of the simulation, the generation processing unit 121 generates users at each floor where the elevator can stop, with either the up or down direction as the destination direction Hc. By virtually generating users and destination directions Hc in this way, a state in which a user presses either the up or down button at a landing at a floor where the elevator can stop is virtually realized. Then, the generation processing unit 121 sets the floor where the user can be stopped as the departure floor Fc of the user, and transmits the departure floor Fc and the destination direction Hc of the user to the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10, thereby requesting the group management control device 21 to assign the landing call to the car Gr of the actual elevator 2.

[0021] When the group management control device 21 receives an allocation request from the generation processing unit 121, it assigns the departure floor Fc and destination direction Hc of the user received from the communication unit 10 at that time as one hall call to any one of the car Gr equipped in the actual machine 2. Furthermore, the group management control device 21 outputs the result of the allocation performed in response to the request (information on the assigned car Gr), and returns the result to the generation processing unit 121 via the communication unit 10 of the simulator 1. Thereafter, the group management control device 21 moves the car Gr to the departure floor Fc indicated by the hall call assigned to the car Gr (responding to the hall call).

[0022] The group management control device 21 then sequentially accumulates the operation data of the real machines 2 generated by such group management control as learning data Dp. Here, the operation data includes various data related to the operation of the real machines 2, such as data related to allocation and operation data Dx indicating the movement of the real machines 2 (such as the movement of the car Gr and the opening and closing of the doors). In addition, the group management control device 21 sequentially outputs the operation data Dx indicating the movement of the real machines 2, and transmits the operation data Dx to the synchronization processing unit 123 via the communication unit 10 of the simulator 1.

[0023] The virtual realization processing unit 122 virtually realizes an elevator in the simulator 1, and also virtually realizes the getting on and off of the users generated by the generation processing unit 121.

[0024] When the synchronization processing unit 123 receives the operation data Dx from the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10, it uses the operation data Dx to synchronize the movement of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit 122 with the movement of the real machine 2. As a result, in the virtual elevator, the corresponding virtual car Gv also moves to the departure floor Fc in synchronization with the movement of the car Gr of the real machine 2 to which a hall call is assigned when the car Gr moves to the departure floor Fc. In this way, the movement of the car Gr of the real machine 2 (movement of the car Gr) when responding to a hall call is reproduced in the virtual elevator.

[0025] Then, when the elevator car Gr of the actual vehicle 2 to which the hall call has been assigned arrives at the departure floor Fc and the door opening is completed, the group management control device 21 outputs a door opening completion signal Sx and transmits the door opening completion signal Sx to the virtual realization processing unit 122 via the communication unit 10 of the simulator 1.

[0026] When the virtual realization processing unit 122 receives a door-opening completion signal Sx from the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10, it virtually boards a user generated by the generation processing unit 121 at the departure floor Fc into a virtual car Gv that has arrived at the departure floor Fc in synchronization with the movement of the car Gr of the actual device 2. At this time, if the generation processing unit 121 has generated multiple users at the departure floor Fc, the virtual realization processing unit 122 boards these users one by one in order. Then, each time a user boards, the virtual realization processing unit 122 transmits a door-opening extension signal Sy to the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10 to extend the door-open time so that the door remains open until the user has boarded the car.

[0027] When the group management control device 21 receives the door open extension signal Sy from the virtual realization processing unit 122, it extends the door open time of the car Gr of the real device 2 stopped at the departure floor Fc. Then, the operation data Dx generated by this control is sent to the synchronization processing unit 123, whereby the door open time of the corresponding virtual car Gv is also extended in synchronization with the extension of the door open time of the real device 2. Such extension of the door open time is executed for the number of users generated by the generation processing unit 121 at the departure floor Fc. As a result, the movement of the car Gr of the real device 2 when the users get on (extension of the door open time) is reproduced in the virtual elevator.

[0028] Furthermore, each time a passenger boards a car Gv at a departure floor Fc, the virtual realization processing unit 122 virtually generates a destination floor Fd for that passenger in the destination direction Hc (the destination direction Hc generated by the generation processing unit 121 when generating the passenger). By virtually generating the destination floor Fd in this manner, a state in which each passenger boarding a car Gr presses one of the destination floor buttons is virtually realized. Then, the virtual realization processing unit 122 transmits the destination floor Fd generated for each passenger to the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10, thereby requesting the group management control device 21 to register a car call. In this way, in this embodiment, the virtual realization processing unit 122 also functions as the generation processing unit 121 that virtually generates calls.

[0029] When the group management control device 21 receives a request to register a car call from the virtual realization processing unit 122, it registers the destination floor Fd of each user received from the communication unit 10 at that time as a car call in the car Gr of the actual device 2 corresponding to the virtual car Gv in which the user boarded. Thereafter, the group management control device 21 moves the car Gr to the destination floor Fd indicated by the car call registered in the car Gr (responding to the car call).

[0030] In this case, too, the group management control device 21 sequentially accumulates the operation data of the real machines 2 generated by such group management control as learning data Dp. In addition, the group management control device 21 sequentially outputs operation data Dx indicating the movement of the real machines 2, and transmits the operation data Dx to the synchronization processing unit 123 via the communication unit 10 of the simulator 1. As a result, in synchronization with the movement of the car Gr of the real machine 2 in which a car call is registered when it moves to the destination floor Fd, the corresponding virtual car Gv also moves to the destination floor Fd in the virtual elevator. In this way, the movement of the car Gr of the real machine 2 (movement of the car Gr) when responding to a car call is reproduced in the virtual elevator.

[0031] Then, when the elevator car Gr of the actual machine 2 that has registered the elevator call arrives at the destination floor Fd and the door opening is completed, the group management control device 21 outputs a door opening completion signal Sx and transmits the door opening completion signal Sx to the virtual realization processing unit 122 via the communication unit 10 of the simulator 1.

[0032] When the virtual realization processing unit 122 receives a door-opening completion signal Sx from the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10, it virtually causes passengers to disembark from a virtual car Gv that has arrived at the destination floor Fd in synchronization with the movement of the car Gr of the actual device 2. At this time, if multiple passengers disembark at one destination floor Fd, the virtual realization processing unit 122 causes these passengers to disembark one by one in order. Then, each time a passenger is disembarked, the virtual realization processing unit 122 transmits a door-opening extension signal Sz to the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10 to extend the door-open time so that the doors remain open until the passenger has completely disembarked.

[0033] When the group management control device 21 receives the door open extension signal Sz from the virtual realization processing unit 122, it extends the door open time of the car Gr of the real device 2 stopped at the destination floor Fd. Then, the operation data Dx generated by this control is sent to the synchronization processing unit 123, whereby the door open time of the corresponding virtual car Gv is also extended in synchronization with the extension of the door open time of the real device 2. Such extension of the door open time is executed for the number of passengers getting off at each destination floor Fd. In this way, the movement of the car Gr of the real device 2 when passengers get off (extension of the door open time) is reproduced in the virtual elevator.

[0034] According to such simulator 1, by synchronizing the behavior of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit 122 with the behavior of the real machine 2, it is possible to reproduce the learned behavior of the real machine 2 as is in the simulator 1 without transferring the learning data Dp (including copied data) to the simulator 1. Moreover, by transmitting the call and door opening extension signals Sy and Sz generated by the simulator 1 to the group management control device 21 of the real machine 2, it is possible to perform group management based on this information with high prediction accuracy in the real machine 2, and it is also possible to synchronize the behavior of the virtual elevator with the behavior of the real machine 2 that occurs accordingly. Therefore, it is possible to reflect the behavior of the real machine 2 that occurs when the users generated by the simulator 1 are assumed to be actual users in the real machine 2 in the behavior of the virtual elevator in the simulator 1, which can verify elevator performance.

[0035] Therefore, according to the simulator 1, the elevator performance of the actual machine 2 that has been learned using the learning data Dp can be verified by the simulator 1 without transferring the learning data Dp to the simulator 1.

[0036] [2] Variation A modified example of the above-described embodiment will now be described. Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an elevator simulator 1 according to the modified example.

[0037] The simulator 1 of this modified example is configured to be able to selectively execute, as a simulation (verification process) for verifying the elevator performance of the real machine 2, a simulation (hereinafter referred to as a "first verification process") for verifying the elevator performance using only data generated within the simulator 1 without communicating with the real machine 2 or transferring learning data Dp from the real machine 2, and a simulation (hereinafter referred to as a "second verification process") for verifying the elevator performance by synchronizing the movement of the real machine 2 described in the above embodiment. These will be explained in detail below.

[0038] The control unit 12 executes a generation process, a virtual realization process, a group management process, and a drive process as processes required for the first verification process. The control unit 12 also executes a generation process, a virtual realization process, and a synchronization process as processes required for the second verification process. Specifically, these processes are executed by a generation processing unit 121, a virtual realization processing unit 122, a synchronization processing unit 123, a group management processing unit 124, and a drive processing unit 125, which are constructed as software within the control unit 12 using a simulation program (see FIG. 2).

[0039] During the simulation, the generation processing unit 121 generates a passenger at each floor where the elevator can stop, with the destination direction Hc being either up or down. Then, the generation processing unit 121 sets the floor where the passenger is generated as the departure floor Fc of the passenger, and transmits the departure floor Fc and the destination direction Hc of the passenger to the group management processing unit 124 during the first verification process, and transmits them to the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10 during the second verification process. In this way, during the first verification process, the generation processing unit 121 requests the group management processing unit 124 to allocate a hall call to a car Gv in a virtual elevator (a virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit 122), and during the second verification process, requests the group management control device 21 to allocate a hall call to a car Gr in the actual elevator 2.

[0040] The group management processing unit 124 executes group management for the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit 122, independently from the group management control device 21 of the actual elevator 2. Here, the group management processing unit 124 is configured to be able to execute the same processing as the group management processing performed by the group management control device 21. Therefore, the group management processing unit 124 can independently (in other words, without using the learning data Dp accumulated in the actual elevator 2) accumulate operation data of the virtual elevator as learning data Dq in the virtual elevator, and use the learning data Dq to perform learning to realize efficient group management.

[0041] During execution of the first verification process, the drive processing unit 125 operates the virtual elevator in accordance with the group management performed by the group management processing unit 124. On the other hand, the synchronization processing unit 123 is a processing unit that operates the virtual elevator independently of the group management performed by the group management processing unit 124, and operates the virtual elevator in synchronization with the movement of the real machine 2, as described in the above embodiment.

[0042] According to such a simulator 1, it is possible to selectively execute a first verification process in which elevator performance is verified by moving only the virtual elevator using the group management processing unit 124 and the drive processing unit 125, and a second verification process in which elevator performance is verified by synchronizing the movement of the virtual elevator with the movement of the actual elevator 2 using the communication unit 10 and the synchronization processing unit 123.

[0043] Therefore, according to this modified example, it is possible to selectively perform a normal simulation (first verification process) without using the actual device 2 and a new simulation (second verification process) using the actual device 2 using a single simulator 1.

[0044] Furthermore, according to such a simulator 1, after the first verification process is executed, the generated data Dr used to generate the users and calls therein is stored in the memory unit 11 (see Figure 2), and then, when the second verification process is executed, the generated data Dr is used to generate users and calls, thereby making it possible to perform the second verification process in a state where the virtual generation of users and calls during the first verification process is reproduced.

[0045] By performing the second verification process using the same generated data Dr in this way, it becomes possible to compare the elevator performance obtained in the normal simulation (first verification process) with the elevator performance obtained in the simulation (second verification process) using the actual machine 2, under the same conditions for users and call generation. This makes it possible to use the simulator 1 to accurately verify whether the elevator operation of the actual machine 2 is being performed as expected (in other words, verify whether the elevator performance obtained in the first verification process is being exhibited by the actual machine 2).

[0046] The above-described embodiments and modifications should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined not by the above-described embodiments and modifications, but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications that are equivalent to the scope of the claims and fall within the scope thereof.

[0047] Furthermore, from the above-described embodiments and modifications, the subject matter of the invention is not limited to the simulator 1, but may be extracted individually or partially from the simulations and programs executed by the simulator 1. Also, a part or all of an elevator system including the simulator 1 and the actual elevator 2 may be extracted as the subject matter of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1. Simulator 2 Actual machine 10. Communications Department 11 Storage section 12 Control Unit 21 Group management control device Dp, Dq training data Dr. Generated Data Dx Operational Data Fc Departure Floor Fd Destination floor Gr, Gv car Hc destination direction Sx door open completion signal Sy, Sz Door open extension signal 121 Generation processing unit 122 Virtual Realization Processing Unit 123 Synchronization processing section 124 Group Management Processing Unit 125 drive processing unit

Claims

1. a generation processing unit that virtually generates elevator users and calls; a virtual realization processing unit that virtually realizes an elevator and virtually realizes the getting-on and getting-off of users generated by the generation processing unit; a communication unit that communicates with a group management control device of the actual machine, and in transmission to the group management control device, sends the call when the generation processing unit generates the call, and sends a door opening extension signal when the virtual realization processing unit allows a user to board or disembark, and in reception from the group management control device, receives operation data that indicates the movement of the actual machine; a synchronization processing unit that synchronizes the movement of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit with the movement of the actual elevator using the operation data received by the communication unit; Equipped with The elevator simulator includes a group management control device for the actual elevator, which controls the movement of the actual elevator using the call and the door opening extension signal received from the communication unit, and outputs data indicating the resulting movement of the actual elevator as the operation data.

2. a group management processing unit that executes group management of the virtual elevators realized by the virtual realization processing unit independently from the group management control device of the actual elevators; a drive processing unit that operates the virtual elevator in accordance with the group management performed by the group management processing unit; Further provided with 2. The elevator simulator according to claim 1, which selectively executes a first verification process that verifies elevator performance by operating the virtual elevator using the group management processing unit and the drive processing unit, and a second verification process that verifies elevator performance by synchronizing the movement of the virtual elevator with the movement of an actual elevator using the communication unit and the synchronization processing unit.

3. 3. The elevator simulator according to claim 2, wherein the generation processing unit stores generation data used to generate users and calls when the first verification process is performed, and then, when the second verification process is executed, generates users and calls using the generation data, thereby performing the second verification process in a state where the virtual generation of users and calls during the first verification process is reproduced.

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