Passenger conveyor

Abstract

To provide a passenger conveyor allowing a passenger to step onto steps smoothly.SOLUTION: An escalator 10 comprises a detection part 40 that detects a boarding place 12 and a person around the boarding place 12, a calculation part 56 that calculates a movement speed of the person using detection results of the detection part 40, and an operation control part 54 that includes a normal operation mode for driving an endless conveying body 20 (refer to Fig. 1) at a predetermined speed and a stop mode for stopping the endless conveying body 20, and controls the operation of the endless conveying body 20. The operation control part 54 controls a timing for changing the mode from the stop mode to the normal operation mode on the basis of the movement speed of the person calculated by the calculation part 56 when the person is detected via the detection part 40 during execution of the stop mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a passenger conveyor. [Background technology]

[0002] Some passenger conveyors are equipped with a function to temporarily stop or temporarily slow down an endless conveyance body made up of multiple connected steps if a state in which no passengers approaching a landing continues for a preset time, thereby reducing the power consumption of the passenger conveyor. Such passenger conveyors are configured to accelerate the endless conveyance body to its rated speed if a passenger approaching a landing is detected while the endless conveyance body is stopped or slowed down.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a passenger conveyor that, when a passenger is detected within a first detection range of a landing via an area sensor, sends a detection signal including a detection distance to a control unit, and when the detection signal is input, the control unit accelerates the endless conveyor from a stopped state to a low speed, and when the detection distance included in the detection signal becomes shorter than a set distance, accelerates the endless conveyor from a low speed to a rated speed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-95340 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The passenger conveyor described in Patent Document 1 above is configured to accelerate the endless conveying body to a rated speed (a preset operating speed) when the detection distance becomes shorter than a set distance, but the walking speeds of passengers (people) approaching the platform vary individually.

[0006] Therefore, if the walking speed of a person approaching the landing is relatively fast, the operating speed of the steps may not reach the preset operating speed when the person steps onto the steps from the landing. In such cases, the difference between the walking speed of the person and the moving speed of the steps is large, making it difficult for the person to step onto the steps.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a passenger conveyor that allows passengers to smoothly step onto steps. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A passenger conveyor according to one aspect of the present invention is a passenger conveyor including an endless transport body that is arranged to move in a circular motion between a landing and a disembarkation area, and is equipped with a detection unit that detects people at the landing and around the landing, an indexing unit that calculates the movement speed of the people using the detection results of the detection unit, and an operation control unit that controls the operation of the endless transport body, including a normal operation mode in which the endless transport body is driven at a predetermined operating speed and a stop mode in which the endless transport body is stopped, and when a person is detected via the detection unit while the stop mode is being executed, the operation control unit controls the timing of changing from the stop mode to the normal operation mode based on the movement speed of the person calculated by the indexing unit.

[0009] A passenger conveyor according to another aspect of the present invention is a passenger conveyor including an endless transport body that is arranged to move in a circular motion between a landing and a disembarkation area, and is equipped with a detection unit that detects people at the landing and around the landing, an indexing unit that calculates the movement speed of the people using the detection results of the detection unit, and an operation control unit that controls the operation of the endless transport body, including a normal operation mode in which the endless transport body is driven at a predetermined operating speed and a deceleration mode in which the endless transport body is driven at a speed slower than the predetermined operating speed, and when a person is detected via the detection unit while the deceleration mode is being executed, the operation control unit controls the timing of changing from the deceleration mode to the normal operation mode based on the movement speed of the person calculated by the indexing unit.

[0010] In the passenger conveyor of the present invention, the indexing unit may use the detection results of the detection unit to index the direction in which people will move, and the operation control unit may control the timing of changing to the normal operation mode based further on the direction in which people will move indexed by the indexing unit.

[0011] In a passenger conveyor according to one aspect of the present invention, the identification unit identifies the position of a person using the detection results of the detection unit, and the operation control unit may execute a normal operation mode instead of the stop mode if the position of the person identified by the identification unit during execution of the stop mode is within a predetermined area including the boarding area.

[0012] In a passenger conveyor according to another aspect of the present invention, the identification unit identifies the position of a person using the detection results of the detection unit, and the operation control unit may execute the normal operation mode instead of the deceleration mode if the position of the person identified by the identification unit during execution of the deceleration mode is within a predetermined area including the boarding area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, the timing of switching from the stop mode to the normal operation mode can be controlled based on the speed of people detected at and around the landing. This makes it possible to switch to the normal operation mode so that a predetermined operating speed is reached when a person steps onto the steps from the landing. As a result, the person can step onto the steps smoothly.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, the timing of switching from the deceleration mode to the normal operation mode can be controlled based on the speed of people detected at and around the landing. This makes it possible to switch to the normal operation mode so that a predetermined operating speed is reached when a person steps onto the steps from the landing. As a result, the person can step onto the steps smoothly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an escalator in a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the lower part of the balustrade on the landing side and a functional block formed in part of the control device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the landing and the surrounding area of ​​the landing in a plan view. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating how the distance to the passenger is measured by the detection unit shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the change over time in the position of a passenger moving toward a landing. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows the position of a passenger approaching the landing from the front side. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows the position of a passenger approaching the landing from the right side. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows the position of a passenger approaching the landing from the left side. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation mode switching control in the control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation mode switching control in the control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The escalator 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, "X" indicates the horizontal direction X that is approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the escalator 10 when viewed from above, "Y" indicates the horizontal direction Y that is perpendicular to the horizontal direction X, and "Z" indicates the vertical direction Z.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an escalator (passenger conveyor) 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the escalator 10 includes a passenger passage SW extending from a landing 12 on a lower floor to a landing 14 on an upper floor, and is equipped with an endless conveying body 20 having a function of transporting passengers from the landing 12 to the landing 14, and a control device 50 that controls the operation of the endless conveying body 20.

[0018] The endless conveyance body 20 is configured by endlessly connecting a plurality of steps 22A, 22B, 22C, . . . (hereinafter, when no particular distinction is required, they will be referred to as "steps 22") via a step chain 21.

[0019] A rotatably supported step sprocket 14P is provided in an upper floor machine room 14M located directly below the landing 14. Meanwhile, a rotatably supported step sprocket 12P is provided in a lower floor machine room 12M located directly below the landing 12. A step chain 21 constituting a part of the endless conveying body 20 described above is wound around each of the step sprockets 12P, 14P, and as the step chain 21 is rotationally driven via a driven sprocket 14Q described below, the steps 22 move cyclically along the passenger passage SW from the landing 12 towards the landing 14, i.e., along the conveying direction A.

[0020] An electric motor 24 is installed in the upper floor machine room 14M, and the driving force of the electric motor 24 is transmitted to rotate a drive sprocket 24P. The rotational power of the drive sprocket 24P is transmitted to a driven sprocket 14Q via a roller chain 24C. The driven sprocket 14Q is attached to a shaft 14X together with a step sprocket 14P, and rotating the driven sprocket 14Q also rotates the step sprocket 14P in conjunction with it.

[0021] As a result, the step chain 21 described above travels in a circular motion along the guide rail (not shown), and the steps 22 each connected endlessly to the step chain 21 travel in a circular motion accordingly.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, balustrades 31 and 32 (see Figure 3) are provided along the passenger passage SW. The balustrades 31 and 32 (see Figure 3) are symmetrical with respect to the passenger passage SW and are made up of similar components. In the following explanation, the balustrade 31 will be mainly described, and the explanation of the balustrade 32 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0023] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a side configuration around the landing 12 and a portion of the functional blocks centered around the control device 50. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the balustrade section 31 includes a support section 34 provided along the passenger passage SW and a balustrade panel 35 supported by the support section 34. A movable handrail 36 is movably attached to the outer periphery of the balustrade panel 35. This movable handrail 36 is configured to move in a circular manner in conjunction with the movement of the endless conveying body 20 described above. Also, as shown in Fig. 2, a detection section 40 that detects the approach of a person is provided at the end of the balustrade section 31 on the landing 12 side.

[0024] The detection unit 40 is installed on the underside of the deck board 34D, which constitutes part of the end of the balustrade 32 on the landing 12 side, and serves to detect passengers located in the first area R1 to the fourth area R4 shown in FIG. 3 and their surrounding areas. The detection unit 40 is a range sensor composed of a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor or the like, and incorporates a main body 40A consisting of a light source and a light receiving element. The detection unit 40 has the function of outputting the distance to an object as an output value for each rotation angle of the main body 40A based on the time it takes for laser light emitted from the light source to be reflected by the object and detected by the light receiving element while the main body 40A is rotated. This allows the detection unit 40 to scan the landing 12 and the horizontal plane at the height near the feet of passengers around the landing 12 in a planar manner, thereby detecting the distance and direction to objects such as passengers. The detection unit 40 is not limited to a ToF sensor.

[0025] The installation location of the detection unit 40 is not limited to this, and it may be installed in another location such as a skirt guard, or a separate support pillar may be provided near the landing 12 and the detection unit 40 may be installed on the support pillar. The detection unit 40 may be provided only on either the left or right balustrade portion 31, 2, or may be provided on each of the left and right balustrade portions 31, 32.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the landing 12 and its surrounding area, as well as detection areas (first to fourth areas) described below. In Fig. 3, the boundaries of the first area R1 to the fourth area R4 are indicated by dashed lines, and the first area R1 is indicated by hatching. In Fig. 3, the floor plate 12F is not shown to avoid complication.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 3, control device 50 is placed in upper floor machine room 14M (see Fig. 1) and has the function of comprehensively controlling the operation of escalator 10. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, control device 50 includes a memory unit 52 including a ROM, RAM, HDD, etc. in which various control programs are stored, and an arithmetic processing device (not shown) such as a CPU.

[0028] The control device 50 functions as an operation control unit 54 that controls the drive of the electric motor 24 by having the arithmetic processing unit read out the control program from the memory unit 52 and perform arithmetic processing, and as an indexing unit 56 that indexes the position, movement speed, and movement direction of a person based on the detection results of the detection unit. The operation control unit 54 has a normal operation mode in which the endless conveying body 20 is circulated so that the steps 22 move in the conveying direction A (see FIG. 1) within the passenger passage SW at a predetermined speed (for example, 30 m per minute) by controlling the drive of the electric motor 24, and a stop mode in which the endless conveying body 20 is temporarily stopped if a certain period of time has passed without detecting a person via the detection unit 40 during the normal operation mode.

[0029] The driving control unit 54 is configured to determine whether or not to switch the driving mode to the normal driving mode based on the position, moving speed, and moving direction of the person identified by the identification unit 56 while the stop mode is being executed.

[0030] More specifically, when the passenger position determined by the determination unit 56 is located within any of the first area R1 to fourth area R4 shown in Figure 3, the driving control unit 54 determines whether or not to switch driving modes based on whether or not the passenger position satisfies the predetermined conditions set for each area R1 to R4.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the first area (predetermined area) R1 is installed so as to cover the landing plate 12L that constitutes the floor surface of the landing 12 and the floor plate 12F (see FIG. 6) that is installed in front of the landing plate 12L and constitutes part of the floor surface. The first area R1 is a generally rectangular area in a plan view that is closest to the position where a person steps onto the steps 22. The second area R2 is a peripheral area of ​​the landing 12 that excludes the first area R1 from a generally semicircular area centered on the center of the first area R1. The third area R3 is an area that excludes the first area R1 and the second area R2 from a generally semicircular area centered on the center of the first area R1 and wider than the second area R2. The fourth area R4 is set as an area that excludes the third area from the first area from a generally semicircular area centered on the center of the first area R1 and wider than the third area R3.

[0032] The identification unit 56 identifies in which of the first to fourth areas R1 to R4 the identified person's position is located based on the detection result of the detection unit 40. Then, the operation control unit 54 determines whether or not to switch the operation mode based on the result of the identification by the identification unit 56. Specifically, if a person is present in the first area R1, the operation control unit 54 switches from the pause mode to the normal operation mode. This allows passengers present at the landing 12 and in the vicinity of the landing 12 to smoothly board the steps 22.

[0033] On the other hand, when a person is present in any of the second area R2 to the fourth area R4, the operation control unit 54 switches the operation mode from the pause mode to the normal operation mode if the person's movement speed is equal to or greater than the speed thresholds α1 to α3 set for each area and the person's movement direction satisfies a predetermined condition. Here, the predetermined condition includes a condition that the person is moving in a direction toward the hall 12. More specifically, the predetermined condition includes a condition that the angle that the person's movement direction makes with respect to the Y direction (hereinafter referred to as the "approach angle") is within a predetermined range. This makes it possible to switch from the pause mode to the normal operation mode so that the operation speed of the steps 22 reaches a predetermined speed in time with the passenger getting on the steps 22 from the hall 12.

[0034] In this embodiment, an example is given in which the driving control unit 54 switches the driving mode to the normal driving mode based on the position, movement speed, and movement direction of the person identified by the identification unit 56 while the stop mode is being executed, but the driving control unit 54 may also determine whether or not to switch based only on the position and movement speed of the person identified.

[0035] In this embodiment, the speed thresholds α1 to α3 in the second area R2 to the fourth area R4 are set to satisfy the relationship α1<α2<α3. By setting the speed threshold to be smaller in an area closer to the hall 12 in this way, if the moving speed of a person is slow, the normal operation mode is executed at a timing when the person approaches the hall 12 relatively closely. This makes it possible to prevent the execution time of the normal operation mode from becoming unnecessarily long.

[0036] Conversely, when the person is moving at a high speed, the normal operation mode is executed when the person is located at a position relatively far from the landing 12. This allows the endless conveyance body 20 to be driven so that the steps 22 reach a predetermined speed when the passenger steps onto the steps 22 from the landing 12, even when the passenger is walking at a relatively high speed. This allows the passenger to step onto the steps 22 smoothly from the landing 12.

[0037] Next, a method for detecting a passenger's position based on the detection results of the detection unit 40 in the indexing unit 56 and a method for calculating the passenger's movement speed and approach angle will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating the trajectory of light emitted toward the above-mentioned detection area while the main body 40A included in the detection unit 40 rotates. To avoid a cumbersome illustration, FIG. 4 mainly illustrates the trajectory of light emitted at a rotation angle in a direction in which the light is blocked by the pedestrian's feet FP1 and FP2, and appropriately omits the trajectories of light emitted at other rotation angles. Furthermore, FIG. 4 illustrates only the trajectory of light extracted as the passenger's position with a solid line, while the other trajectories of light are illustrated with dashed lines.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 4, light is emitted from main body 40A of detection unit 40 at each predetermined rotation angle, and any light that is blocked by an object such as a passenger's feet is reflected, and this reflected light reaches a light-receiving element included in detection unit 40, thereby detecting the distance to each of the objects. At this time, the distances to passenger feet FP1 and FP2 are obtained as a plurality of output values ​​(distances) (hereinafter referred to as a group of output values) corresponding to the reflected light of the light emitted at each predetermined rotation angle. In this embodiment, indexing unit 56 extracts, from the group of output values, an output value corresponding to light indicated by a solid arrow that provides the shortest distance to hall 12, and calculates the passenger position using the extracted output value.

[0039] The identification unit 56 calculates the moving speed V of the passenger based on the change over time in the passenger position detected by the above-mentioned method. As an example of a method for calculating the moving speed of the passenger, calculation may be based on the change over time in the passenger position over two seconds. More specifically, when a passenger position P0 is detected via the detection unit 40 and a passenger position detected two seconds after the detection of passenger position P0 is defined as passenger position P2, calculation may be based on the distance DS between passenger position P0 and passenger position P2.

[0040] In this case, it is sufficient to determine whether passenger position P2 indicates a position related to the same passenger as passenger position P0 based on whether the distance DS is within the maximum distance that a passenger would normally travel based on passenger position P0, i.e., the maximum distance that a passenger can travel (walk) in 2 seconds (for example, 1.5 m).

[0041] In this embodiment, the movement speed of a passenger is calculated using the change in passenger position over a two-second period, but the movement speed may also be calculated based on the change in passenger position over a time interval shorter than two seconds, or may be calculated based on the change in passenger position over a time interval longer than two seconds.

[0042] When a person walks, they need to move their left and right feet alternately in the direction of travel, and so they walk by alternating between a state in which each foot is moving in the direction of travel and a state in which each foot is stationary.

[0043] For this reason, there may be cases where the passenger position is the same as the last detected position and no change is observed, depending on the timing at which the detection unit 40 detects the passenger's feet and the passenger's walking speed. Since the passenger's traveling direction cannot be determined by comparing passenger positions that are the same as the last detected position, the determination unit 56 is set to determine the change in passenger position over time after previously excluding passenger positions that are the same as the last detected passenger position based on the detection results of the detection unit 40.

[0044] Figure 5 is a diagram that schematically shows the change over time in the position of a passenger approaching a landing identified by the indexing unit 56, along with an enlarged view of a portion around the passenger's position. In Figure 5, a virtual line parallel to the Y direction is indicated by a dashed dotted line. In addition, to avoid complication, the floor plate 12F is not shown in Figure 5.

[0045] 5, when the passenger positions from passenger position P0 to passenger position P2 change over time in the order of P0, ... Pt0, Pt1, Pt2, Pt3, ... P2, the angle that a virtual line connecting passenger position Pt0 and passenger position Pt1 makes with the Y direction will be referred to as approach angle θt0, the angle that a virtual line connecting passenger position Pt1 and passenger position Pt2 makes with the Y direction will be referred to as approach angle θt1, and the angle that a virtual line connecting passenger position Pt2 and passenger position Pt3 makes with the Y direction will be referred to as approach angle θt2. Note that, hereinafter, unless there is a particular need to distinguish between them, the approach angles θt0, θt1, θt2, ... will be referred to as approach angle "θt" as appropriate, and passenger positions Pt0, Pt1, Pt2, ... will be referred to as passenger position "P" as appropriate.

[0046] 5, the indexing unit 56 calculates the average value θave of the approach angle θt from passenger position P0 to passenger position P2, and determines the direction of movement of the passenger based on whether the average value θave is within a predetermined range. Also, a virtual line horizontal to the Y direction is indicated by a dashed line.

[0047] Here, a method for setting the predetermined range will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 8. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing passenger position P of a passenger approaching the landing 12 from the front side. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing passenger position P of a passenger approaching the landing 12 from the right side. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing passenger position P of a passenger approaching the landing 12 from the left side.

[0048] 6 to 8, imaginary line L1 is an imaginary line connecting passenger position P and landing-side end 32P of moving handrail 37 on balustrade portion 32, and imaginary line L2 is an imaginary line connecting passenger position P and landing-side end 31P of moving handrail 36 on balustrade portion 31. Imaginary line L3 is an imaginary line connecting passenger position P and left corner LP on floor plate 12F opposite to step 22, and imaginary line L4 is an imaginary line connecting passenger position P and right corner RP on floor plate 12F opposite to step 22. Furthermore, boundary line 32L is an imaginary line that passes through landing-side end 32P and is parallel to the X direction, and boundary line 31L is an imaginary line that passes through landing-side end 31P and is parallel to the X direction. Imaginary lines that are horizontal in the Y direction are shown by dashed dotted lines. θL1 is the angle that the virtual line L1 makes with the Y direction, θL2 is the angle that the virtual line L2 makes with the Y direction, θL3 is the angle that the virtual line L3 makes with the Y direction, and θL4 is the angle that the virtual line L4 makes with the Y direction.

[0049] 6, when the passenger position P is located on the front side of the landing 12, that is, in the area between the boundary line 32L and the boundary line 31L, the indexing unit 56 calculates the angles θL1 and θL2 from the relationship between the passenger position P and the landing-side ends 32P and 31P. When θL1≦θL2, the indexing unit 56 determines that the average value θave is within a predetermined range if it satisfies the relationship of the following formula (1): θL1≦θave≦θL2 (1)

[0050] In this way, the predetermined range is set one by one based on the passenger position P, so it is possible to accurately determine whether or not a person is heading toward the landing 12, i.e., whether or not they intend to use the escalator 10.

[0051] 7, when the passenger position P is located on the right side of the landing 12, that is, in an area to the right of the boundary line 31L, the indexing unit 56 calculates the angles θL3 and θL2 from the relationship between the passenger position P, the left corner LP of the floor plate 12F, and the landing-side end 31P. Then, when the average value θave satisfies the relationship of the following formula (2), the indexing unit 56 determines that it is within the predetermined range. θL3≦θave≦θL2 (2)

[0052] In this way, by using θL3, which has a smaller value than θL1 instead of the above-mentioned θL1, to widen the angle range, it becomes possible to capture within the specified range not only passengers proceeding in a straight line from the right side toward the landing 12, but also passengers who are going around slightly from the right side toward the front.

[0053] Next, as shown in Fig. 8, when the passenger position P is located on the left side of the landing 12, that is, in an area to the left of the boundary line 32L, the indexing unit 56 calculates the angles θL1 and θL4 from the relationship between the passenger position P, the right corner portion RP of the floor plate 12F, and the landing-side end portion 32P. Then, when the average value θave satisfies the relationship of the following equation (3), the indexing unit 56 determines that it is within the predetermined range. θL1≦θave≦θL4 (3)

[0054] In this way, by using θL4, which has a larger value than θL2 instead of the above-mentioned θL2, to widen the angle range, it is possible to capture not only passengers proceeding in a straight line from the left side toward the landing 12, but also passengers proceeding from the left side while turning slightly toward the front side, within the specified range.

[0055] In this embodiment, in order to detect passengers approaching the landing 12 from both the left and right sides, θL3 and θL4 are used, which are angles formed by imaginary lines L3 and L4 connecting the left and right corners LP and RP of the floor plate 12F and the passenger position P, respectively, with respect to the Y direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, θL1 may be multiplied by a correction coefficient less than 1 and used instead of θL3, and similarly, θL2 may be multiplied by a correction coefficient greater than 1 and used instead of θL4.

[0056] In addition, in this embodiment, the predetermined range is calculated using the above formula (1) on the front side of the landing 12, the above formula (2) on the right side, and the above formula (3) on the left side, but depending on the surrounding environment, the predetermined range may also be calculated using the above formula (1) on the right and left sides.

[0057] In this embodiment, the indexing unit 56 determines the moving direction of the passenger using the average value θave of the approach angles θt0, θt1, θt2, ..., but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the moving direction of the passenger may be determined using the angle θse formed by the line segment connecting the above-mentioned passenger positions P0 and P2 and the Y direction instead of the average value θave.

[0058] 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing for determining whether to switch the operation mode to the normal operation mode while the control device 50 is in the stop mode. As shown in FIG. 9, when the identification unit 56 detects the presence of an object approaching the landing 12 via the detection unit 40 while the stop mode is being executed, the identification unit 56 calculates the position of the object (hereinafter referred to as "passenger position") (step S1: YES, step S2: YES, step S3). If the passenger position identified by the identification unit 56 in step S3 is within the first area R1, the operation control unit 54 executes the normal operation mode (step S4: YES, step S20). As a result, when a passenger is located at the landing 12 or an area close to the landing 12, the operation mode is quickly switched to the normal operation mode, thereby enabling the passenger to smoothly enter the step 22.

[0059] Furthermore, if the passenger position detected in step S3 is within the second area R2 (step S4: NO, step S5: YES), the identification unit 56 calculates the passenger's movement speed V (step S6). Then, if the movement speed V calculated in step S6 is equal to or greater than the speed threshold value α1 (step S7: YES), the identification unit 56 calculates the average value θave, and if the average value θave is an angle within a predetermined range, the operation control unit 54 switches the operation mode to the normal operation mode and executes it (step S8, step S9: YES, step S20).

[0060] If the passenger position detected in step S5 is not within the second area R2 (step S5: NO), the identification unit 56 determines whether the passenger position is within the third area R3 (step S10). If the passenger position is within the third area in step S10 (step S10: YES), the identification unit 56 calculates the passenger's movement speed V (step S11) and determines whether the calculated movement speed V is equal to or greater than a threshold value α2 (step S12). If the movement speed V is equal to or greater than the threshold value α2 in step S12 (step S12: YES), the identification unit 56 calculates the average value θave (step S13). If the average value θave is within a predetermined range, the operation control unit 54 switches the operation mode to the normal operation mode and executes the normal operation mode (step S14: YES, step S20).

[0061] If the passenger position detected in step S10 is not within the third area R3 (step S10: NO), the identification unit 56 determines whether the passenger position is within the fourth area R4 (step S15). If the passenger position is within the fourth area R4 in step S15 (step S15: YES), the identification unit 56 calculates the passenger's movement speed V (step S16) and determines whether the calculated movement speed V is equal to or greater than a threshold value α3 (step S17). If the movement speed V is equal to or greater than the threshold value α3 in step S17 (step S17: YES), the operation control unit 54 causes the identification unit 56 to calculate an average value θave (step S18). If the average value θave is within a predetermined range, the operation mode is switched to the normal operation mode and executed (step S19: YES, step S20).

[0062] According to the escalator 10 of the first embodiment, the timing of changing the operation mode from the stop mode to the normal operation mode is controlled based on the moving speed of people detected by the detector 40 at the landing 12 and around the landing 12. This makes it possible to switch the endless conveying body 20 from the stop mode to the normal operation mode so that the moving speed of the steps 22 reaches a predetermined speed when a person steps onto the steps 22 from the landing 12. As a result, passengers can smoothly step onto the steps 22.

[0063] Furthermore, escalator 10 determines whether the direction of movement of the person is toward hall 12 based on whether the approach angle is within a predetermined range. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the person detected by detection unit 40 intends to use escalator 10 based on the approach angle, and then determine whether to switch to normal operation mode. This makes it possible to prevent the operation mode from being unnecessarily switched from stop mode to normal operation mode when, for example, a person who does not intend to use escalator 10 happens to be passing by the vicinity of hall 12.

[0064] In the first embodiment, the operation control unit 54 switches the operation mode to the normal operation mode based on the position, movement speed, and movement direction of the person identified by the indexing unit 56 during the stop mode. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the escalator 10, the operation control unit 54 may provide a deceleration mode, instead of the stop mode, in which the endless conveying body 20 moves in a circular motion so that the steps 22 move at a slower speed than in the normal operation mode. The operation control unit 54 may also control the timing of switching the operation mode from the deceleration mode to the normal operation mode based on the position, movement speed, and movement direction of the person identified by the indexing unit 56 during the deceleration mode. The configuration of an escalator 10 according to this second embodiment will be described below. In the following description, components identical to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals as appropriate and will not be described as necessary. Differences will be mainly described with reference to FIG. 10 .

[0065] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing in the control device 50 when determining whether or not to switch the operation mode to the normal operation mode while the deceleration mode according to the second embodiment is being executed.

[0066] 10, step S31 is a step for performing control processing that is substantially the same as the processing of step S1 in the first embodiment, except that it determines whether or not the indexing unit 56 is in the deceleration mode. Also, steps S32 to S50 each have substantially the same configuration as the control processing of steps S2 to S20 in the first embodiment.

[0067] According to the escalator 10 of the second embodiment, the timing of changing the operation mode from the deceleration mode to the normal operation mode can be controlled based on the moving speed of people detected by the detector 40 at the landing 12 and around the landing 12. This makes it possible to switch the endless conveying body 20 from the deceleration mode to the normal operation mode so that the moving speed of the steps 22 reaches a predetermined speed when a person steps onto the steps 22 from the landing 12. As a result, passengers can smoothly step onto the steps 22.

[0068] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the operation control unit 54 unconditionally switches from the sleep mode to the normal operation mode when a person is present in the first area R1, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the operation control unit 54 may be configured to switch to the normal operation mode when a predetermined condition is met, as in the other areas (the second area R2 to the fourth area R4).

[0069] In the above first and second embodiments, the escalator 10 is taken as an example of a passenger conveyor, but the present invention may also be applied to a moving walkway.

[0070] The present invention can be implemented in various forms, including improvements, modifications, and variations based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the invention can be implemented in a form in which any of the features of the invention are replaced with other technology, as long as the same action or effect is achieved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10 Escalator (passenger conveyor) Platform 12 14 Drop-off point 20 Endless conveyor 22,22A,22B,22C Steps 24 Electric motor 31,32 Parapet section 34 Support part 40 Detection unit 50 Control device 52 Storage section 54 Operation control unit 56 Indexing section AR1 front area AR2 left side area AR3 right side area R1 Area 1 (pre-defined area) R2 2nd Area R3 Third Area R4 4th Area S1~S50 steps X,Y horizontal direction Z vertical direction

Claims

1. A passenger conveyor including an endless conveyor that is provided to move cyclically between a landing and a disembarking area, A detection unit that detects people at the landing and around the landing; an indexing unit that indexes a moving speed of a person using a detection result of the detection unit; an operation control unit that controls the operation of the endless conveying body, the operation control unit including a normal operation mode in which the endless conveying body is driven at a predetermined operating speed and a stop mode in which the endless conveying body is stopped; Equipped with the operation control unit controls the timing of changing from the stop mode to the normal operation mode based on the movement speed of the person determined by the determination unit when a person is detected via the detection unit during execution of the stop mode. Passenger conveyor.

2. A passenger conveyor including an endless conveyor that is provided to move cyclically between a landing and a disembarking area, A detection unit that detects people at the landing and around the landing; an indexing unit that indexes a moving speed of a person using a detection result of the detection unit; an operation control unit that controls the operation of the endless conveying body, the operation control unit including a normal operation mode in which the endless conveying body is driven at a predetermined operation speed and a deceleration mode in which the endless conveying body is driven at a speed slower than the predetermined operation speed; Equipped with When a person is detected via the detection unit during execution of the deceleration mode, the operation control unit controls the timing of changing from the deceleration mode to the normal operation mode based on the movement speed of the person determined by the determination unit. Passenger conveyor.

3. the determining unit determines a direction in which the person is moving using the detection result of the detection unit; The operation control unit controls the timing of changing to the normal operation mode further based on the direction of movement of the person identified by the identification unit.

3. A passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the determining unit determines the position of the person using the detection result of the detection unit; the operation control unit executes the normal operation mode instead of the stop mode when the position of the person identified by the identification unit during execution of the stop mode is within a preset area including the hall; 2. A passenger conveyor according to claim 1.

5. the determining unit determines the position of the person using the detection result of the detection unit; the operation control unit executes the normal operation mode instead of the deceleration mode when the position of the person identified by the identification unit during execution of the deceleration mode is within a predetermined area including the hall; 3. A passenger conveyor according to claim 2.

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