Group management system for elevator, group management method and group management program

Abstract

To allow a car different from a car in responding to a prior user's call to be called at the same landing, without deteriorating the overall operational efficiency when performing the landing call of an elevator having a plurality of cars.SOLUTION: A group management system comprises: a first landing call acceptance unit that accepts registration of a first landing call specified in landing floor and travel direction from a registration device; a second landing call acceptance unit that accepts registration of a second landing call specified in landing floor and travel direction common to the first landing call from the registration device in a state where the first landing call is registered; and a landing call assignment unit that assigns a response to the first landing call to a first assigned car selected from among a plurality of cars when the registration of the first landing call is accepted, and selects a car satisfying specific conditions defining a specific state of the car from among the plurality of cars excluding the first assigned car and assigns a response to the second landing call when the registration of the second landing call is accepted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to technology for elevator group control systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that prohibits the reopening of an elevator car depending on the service status. In this technology, when a hall destination button is operated while the elevator car is responding to a destination call, if the probability of the elevator car stopping at the destination call floor operated this time is equal to or greater than a specified probability value, the elevator car is reopened, and if the stop probability is less than the specified probability value, the destination call floor operated this time is newly assigned to another elevator car. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-12246 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When making a hall call for an elevator with multiple cars, some users may wish to be assigned a car different from the one assigned to the hall call made by the previous user in order to avoid congestion, etc. However, with the technology in Patent Document 1, in order to improve transportation efficiency, the device determines the action to take when the hall destination button is operated while the elevator car is responding to a destination call, so the user cannot choose to newly assign the destination call floor that was just operated to another elevator car.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a group control system technology that, when making a hall call for an elevator with multiple cars, makes it possible to call a car other than the car currently responding to a hall call from a previous user at the same hall without deteriorating overall operational efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The elevator group control system disclosed herein is a group control system that controls hall calls for an elevator having a plurality of cars, and includes: a first hall call reception unit that receives, from a registration device, the registration of a first hall call, in which a hall floor and a running direction are specified; a second hall call reception unit that receives, from the registration device, the registration of a second hall call, in which a hall floor and a running direction common to those of the first hall call are specified, when the first hall call has been registered; and a hall call allocation unit that, when receiving the registration of the first hall call, allocates a response to the first hall call to a first assigned car selected from the plurality of cars, and, when receiving the registration of a second hall call, selects, from the plurality of cars excluding the first assigned car, a car that satisfies a specific condition that defines a specific state of the car, and allocates the response to the second hall call.

[0007] Furthermore, the elevator group management method disclosed herein is a group management method in which a computer manages the registration of hall calls for an elevator having a plurality of cars, and includes the steps of: accepting from a registration device the registration of a first hall call, the hall call having a specified hall floor and running direction; accepting from the registration device, in a situation in which the first hall call has been registered, the registration of a second hall call, the hall call having a specified hall floor and running direction common to the first hall call; and, when the registration of the first hall call has been accepted, assigning a response to the first hall call to a first assigned car selected from the plurality of cars; and, when the registration of a second hall call has been accepted, selecting from the plurality of cars, excluding the first assigned car, a car that satisfies a specific condition that defines a specific state of the car, and assigning a response to the second hall call.

[0008] Furthermore, the elevator group management program of the present disclosure is a group management program that causes a computer to manage the registration of hall calls for an elevator having a plurality of cars, and is configured to cause the computer to execute the following: accept from a registration device the registration of a first hall call, the hall call having a specified hall floor and running direction; when the first hall call has been registered, accept from the registration device the registration of a second hall call, the hall call having the same specified hall floor and running direction as the first hall call; when the registration of the first hall call has been accepted, assign a response to the first hall call to a first assigned car selected from the plurality of cars; and when the registration of the second hall call has been accepted, select a car from the plurality of cars, excluding the first assigned car, that satisfies a specific condition that defines a specific state of the car, and assign the response to the second hall call. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the technology disclosed herein, when making a hall call for an elevator with multiple cars, it is possible to call another car at the same hall as the car currently responding to a hall call from a previous user without deteriorating overall operating efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of an elevator group control system according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hall call registration device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a group management device. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart of a process for displaying car information on a car information display unit in the group management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart of a process for allocating a car to a first hall call in the group control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of a process for allocating a car to a second hall call in the group control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the hardware resources of the group management apparatus. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart of advance notification processing executed in the group management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example of the hall call registration device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example of the hall call registration device. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a modified example of the group management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functions of a group management system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart of a cancellation process executed in a group management system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that elements common to the various drawings are given the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0012] 1. Embodiment 1 1-1. Configuration of elevator group control system according to embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an elevator group control system according to a first embodiment. The group control system 100 of this embodiment is applied to a building such as a multi-story building. The group control system 100 includes a group control device 10, a plurality of elevators 20, a hall call registration device 30, and a hall display device 40.

[0013] Each elevator 20 is installed in a building. A hoistway for each elevator 20 is provided in the building. The hoistway is a long space extending vertically across multiple floors. A landing adjacent to the hoistway is provided at each floor. Each elevator 20 includes a car 22 and a control panel 24. The car 22 travels vertically in the hoistway to transport passengers between multiple floors. The control panel 24 of the elevator 20 controls the operation of the elevator 20. The control of the operation by the control panel 24 includes the running of the car 22. Destination buttons (not shown) are provided inside the car 22. When pressed by a passenger, the destination button registers the destination floor for the car 22. The call for the destination floor registered by the destination button is hereinafter referred to as a "car call." The car 22 is also provided with a scale (not shown) for calculating the car load.

[0014] The platform call registration device 30 is a registration device that accepts input operations by users who register platform calls. A "platform call" here means calling a car 22 to a platform. In this example, the platform call registration device 30 is disposed at each of the platform floors. The platform call registration device 30 accepts the registration of platform calls that specify the running direction to the destination floor. Furthermore, in platform calls registered through the platform call registration device 30 disposed at each platform, the floor on which the platform call registration device 30 is installed is specified as the registered platform floor where the user boards. In other words, the platform call registration device 30 accepts the registration of platform calls in which the registered platform floor and running direction are specified.

[0015] The platform call registration device 30 includes a first platform call input unit 32 and a second platform call input unit 34 as units that accept input operations by users who register platform calls. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the platform call registration device 30. The first platform call input unit 32 and the second platform call input unit 34 are platform buttons that include, for example, an up button and a down button, respectively, for specifying the traveling direction of the car 22. The buttons of the first platform call input unit 32 and the second platform call input unit 34 each have a built-in lamp that can be turned on independently.

[0016] The first hall call input unit 32 is a unit that accepts the registration of a hall call that has not been previously registered. A hall call input by the first hall call input unit 32 is hereinafter referred to as a "first hall call." When an operation to register a first hall call is input through the first hall call input unit 32, the hall call registration device 30 transmits information about the input first hall call to the group control device 10. The information about the first hall call here includes information about the registered hall floor and the running direction.

[0017] The second hall call input unit 34 is a unit that, in a situation where a hall call has been registered first, accepts the registration of a hall call that is common to the previously registered hall call. A hall call input by the second hall call input unit 34 will be referred to as a "second hall call" hereinafter. When an operation to register a second hall call is input through the second hall call input unit 34, the hall call registration device 30 transmits information about the input second hall call to the group control device 10. The second hall call information here includes information about the registered hall floor and the running direction.

[0018] The hall display device 40 is a part that displays display information indicating the status of each elevator 20 to users. In this example, the hall display device 40 is placed at each hall of multiple floors. The hall display device 40 includes a car information display unit 42. The car information display unit 42 is, for example, a digital signage or an LCD display. Examples of the displayed information include the floor on which each car 22 is located, the car load, and the call registration status for each floor. This allows users who refer to the displayed information to predict, for example, the arrival time of the car 22 at the floor in question or the number of people in the car at the time of arrival.

[0019] The group control device 10 manages operations in the group control system 100. Operation management in the group control device 10 includes assigning a hall call to one of the cars 22. An elevator 20 including a car 22 to which a hall call is assigned runs the car 22 to respond to the hall call via a control panel 24. That is, the car 22 runs to the registered hall floor specified by the hall call, then picks up the user who registered the call and runs to the destination floor specified by the car call. The group control device 10 is electrically connected to the hall call registration device 30, the hall display device 40, and the control panel 24 of each elevator 20 so as to be able to communicate with them. The group control device 10 may be connected to a communication network such as the Internet or a telephone line network.

[0020] 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a group management device 10. The group management device 10 is a microcomputer including at least one processor 50 and at least one memory 52. ​​The group management device 10 is also called an information processing device.

[0021] The memory 52 stores a group management program 54 and various data 56 for operating the group management program 54. The processor 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 50 reads and executes the group management program 54 to realize various functions of the group management device 10. The group management program 54 may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, or may be stored on a server capable of communicating with the group management device 10, such as a cloud server.

[0022] Returning to Figure 1 again, the group management device 10 includes a car information acquisition unit 11, a first hall call reception unit 12, a second hall call reception unit 13, a hall call allocation unit 14, and a display information generation unit 15, which are functions realized by the processor 50 reading and executing the group management program 54.

[0023] The car information acquisition unit 11 is a functional block for executing a process to acquire car information that indicates the status of the car 22 of each elevator 20. This process will be hereinafter referred to as "car information acquisition process." The car information acquired in the car information acquisition process includes the car position, running direction, car load, door open / close state, and car call allocation status of each car 22.

[0024] The first hall call reception unit 12 is a functional block for executing a process of receiving first hall call information from the hall call registration device 30. This process will be hereinafter referred to as "first hall call reception process." In the first hall call information received by the first hall call reception unit 12, the registered hall floor and running direction of the first hall call are identified.

[0025] The second hall call reception unit 13 is a functional block for executing a process of receiving information on a second hall call from the hall call registration device 30. This process will be hereinafter referred to as a "second hall call reception process." In the information on the second hall call received by the second hall call reception unit 13, the registered hall floor and running direction of the second hall call are identified.

[0026] The hall call allocation unit 14 is a functional block for executing a process of allocating an optimal car 22 to a hall call. This process will be referred to as the "allocation process" hereinafter. In the allocation process, when the first hall call reception unit 12 accepts the registration of a first hall call, the hall call allocation unit 14 refers to the information about the first hall call and allocates an optimal car to the first hall call. The "optimal car" here is, for example, the car that arrives earliest at the registered hall floor of the hall call. During the period from when a car 22 is allocated to a hall call until the car 22 arrives at the registered hall floor and completes closing the doors after opening, the state of this car 22 will be expressed as "responding." Furthermore, a car 22 in the "responding" state to a first hall call will be referred to as the "first allocated car" hereinafter.

[0027] Furthermore, in the allocation process, when the second hall call reception unit 13 receives the registration of a second hall call, the hall call allocation unit 14 refers to the information on the second hall call and allocates a car 22 that satisfies specific conditions. The car 22 that is in the "responding" state to the second hall call is hereinafter referred to as the "second allocated car."

[0028] The specific condition for a car to be able to immediately respond to a second hall call is that the car is empty with the doors closed and the number of passengers inside the car is zero. Whether car 22 is an empty car can be determined, for example, based on car information, by determining whether the car load is zero and the doors are closed.

[0029] As another example, the specific condition for determining that the congestion level is low throughout the group management system 100 is that the average predicted waiting time of the hall calls currently assigned to each cage 22 at floors other than the registered hall floor for the second hall call is smaller than the determination value.

[0030] The display information generation unit 15 is a functional block for executing processing to generate display information based on the car information acquired in the car information acquisition processing. This processing is hereinafter referred to as the "display information generation processing." The display information generated here includes, as information indicating the operating status of each car 22, for example, the car position, running direction, number of passengers, car call allocation status, and predicted waiting time at the registered boarding floor. The generated display information is sent to the hall display device 40.

[0031] 1-2. Specific processing executed by the group management device according to the first embodiment Various specific processes executed by the group management device 10 will be described below with reference to flowcharts.

[0032] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a process for displaying car information on the car information display unit in the group control system according to Embodiment 1. The routine shown in Figure 4 is executed by the processor 50 of the group control device 10 executing the group control program 54 stored in the memory 52. ​​Note that this routine also represents part of a group control method in which the group control system 100 assigns one of the cars 22 to a hall call registered by a user.

[0033] In step S100, the car information acquisition unit 11 acquires car information by executing car information acquisition processing. In the next step S102, the display information generation unit 15 executes display information generation processing to generate display information. In the next step S104, the display information generation unit 15 transmits the generated display information to the hall display device 40, and causes the car information display unit 42 to display the car information.

[0034] According to the above process, the operating status of each car 22 is displayed on the car information display unit 42 of the hall display device 40 installed at the hall. This allows passengers at the hall to refer to the displayed information and decide whether or not to make a hall call. In addition, passengers who have made a hall call can know the estimated waiting time until the car arrives.

[0035] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the process of allocating a car to a first hall call in the group control system according to embodiment 1. The routine shown in Figure 5 is executed by the processor 50 of the group control device 10 executing the group control program 54 stored in the memory 52. ​​Note that this routine also represents part of a group control method in which the group control system 100 allocates one of the cars 22 in response to a hall call registered by a user.

[0036] In step S110, the first hall call reception unit 12 determines whether or not a first hall call registration has been received from the first hall call input unit 32 of the hall call registration device 30. As a result, if the determination is not affirmative, the processing of this routine is terminated, and if the determination is affirmative, the processing proceeds to step S112.

[0037] In step S112, the hall call allocation unit 14 allocates the optimal car to the accepted first hall call as the first allocated car. Also, in step S114, in response to accepting the registration of the first hall call, the hall call allocation unit 14 lights up the button of the first hall call input unit 32 corresponding to the running direction of the first hall call in the hall call registration device 30 installed on the registered hall floor of the first hall call.

[0038] According to the above process, when the registration of a first hall call is accepted, the optimum car can be assigned as the first assigned car. Furthermore, when the registration of a first hall call is accepted, the button of the first hall call input unit 32 is lit, so that a user at the registered hall floor can know that a hall call has been registered at that registered hall floor.

[0039] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the process of allocating a car to a second hall call in the group control system according to embodiment 1. The routine shown in Figure 6 is executed by the processor 50 of the group control device 10 executing the group control program 54 stored in the memory 52. ​​Note that this routine also represents part of a group control method in which the group control system 100 allocates one of the cars 22 in response to a hall call registered by a user.

[0040] 6, the second hall call reception unit 13 determines whether or not the second hall call registration has been received from the hall call registration device 30. As a result, if the determination is not affirmative, the processing of this routine is terminated, and if the determination is affirmative, the processing proceeds to step S122.

[0041] In step S122, the second hall call receiving unit 13 determines whether a first hall call that has the same registered hall floor and running direction as the registered second hall call has been registered and whether the first assigned car is responding to the call. If the determination is not affirmative, the processing of this routine is terminated, and if the determination is affirmative, the processing proceeds to step S124.

[0042] In step S124, the hall call allocation unit 14 lights up the button of the second hall call input unit 34 corresponding to the running direction of the second hall call in the hall call registration device 30 installed at the registration hall floor of the registered second hall call. After the processing of step S124 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S126.

[0043] In step S126, the hall call allocation unit 14 determines, based on the acquired car information, whether or not there is an empty car parked with its doors closed and no passengers on board among the multiple cars 22. If the determination is found to be true, the process proceeds to step S130, and if the determination is found to be false, the process proceeds to step S128.

[0044] In step S128, the hall call allocation unit 14 determines whether the average value of the predicted waiting times of the hall calls allocated to each car 22 at floors other than the registered hall floor of the second hall call is equal to or less than a determination value. The determination value here is a value that is set in advance as a threshold value for determining that the congestion level of the group control system 100 is low. As a result, if the determination is found to be successful, the process proceeds to step S130, and if the determination is found to be unsuccessful, the process proceeds to step S132.

[0045] In step S130, the hall call allocation unit 14 allocates a car other than the first allocated car currently responding to the registration of the second hall call as the second allocated car. Typically, when an empty car exists among the multiple cars 22, the hall call allocation unit 14 allocates that empty car as the second allocated car. Furthermore, when an empty car does not exist among the multiple cars 22, the hall call allocation unit 14 allocates the optimal car among the multiple cars 22 as the second allocated car. When the processing of step S130 is completed, this routine is ended.

[0046] In step S132, the hall call allocation unit 14 waits for the responding car to start closing its door at the registered hall floor, and then newly allocates the optimal car to the second hall call registration. When the processing of step S132 is completed, this routine is ended.

[0047] According to the processing of the group control system 100 of the first embodiment described above, when a registration of a second hall call is accepted, the timing of allocation of the second assigned car is changed depending on the operation status of each car 22. As a result, when the number of users of the multiple elevators 20 is low, a car 22 can be immediately allocated to the second hall call, and when the number of users of the elevators 20 is high, the timing of allocation of the car 22 can be shifted. This makes it possible to meet the needs of users who want to call a car other than the one for the current user without deteriorating overall operation efficiency.

[0048] 1-3. Variations The group management system 100 of the first embodiment may employ the following modified aspects: These modified aspects may also be applied to group management systems of other embodiments described later.

[0049] 1-3-1. Hardware resources of the group management device 10

[0050] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of the hardware resources of a group management device. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the group management device 10 comprises, for example, a processor 50, a memory 52, and a processing circuit 62 including dedicated hardware 60. Fig. 7 shows an example in which some of the functions of the group management device 10 are realized by the dedicated hardware 60. All of the functions of the group management device 10 may also be realized by the dedicated hardware 60. The dedicated hardware 60 can be a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination of these.

[0051] In addition, in the group control system 100, all or part of the functions of the group control device 10 may be installed in the hall call registration device 30, the hall display device 40, or the elevator 20.

[0052] 1-3-2. Platform call allocation unit 14 The hall call allocation unit 14 may allow a user to determine in advance whether a hall can be immediately allocated to the second hall call. Typically, when a hall can be immediately allocated to the second hall call, the hall call allocation unit 14 executes a process of flashing the corresponding hall button of the second hall call input unit 34 in advance. This process is hereinafter referred to as "advance notification process." Figure 8 is a flowchart of the advance notification process executed in the group management system according to the first embodiment. The routine shown in Figure 8 is executed by the processor 50 of the group management device 10 executing the group management program 54 stored in the memory 52. ​​Note that this routine also represents a part of a group management method in which the group management system 100 allocates one of the cars 22 in response to a hall call registered by a user.

[0053] In step S140 of the routine shown in Fig. 8, the hall call allocation unit 14 determines whether the first hall call is registered. If the determination is not affirmative, the processing of this routine is terminated, and if the determination is affirmative, the processing proceeds to step S142.

[0054] In step S142, the hall call allocation unit 14 determines, based on the acquired car information, whether or not there is an empty car parked with its doors closed and the number of passengers at 0 among the multiple cars 22. If the determination is found to be true, the process proceeds to step S146, and if the determination is found to be false, the process proceeds to step S144.

[0055] In step S144, the hall call allocation unit 14 determines whether the average value of the predicted waiting times of the hall calls allocated to each car 22 at floors other than the registered hall floor of the registered first hall call is equal to or less than a determination value. The determination value here is a predetermined value used as a threshold value for determining whether the congestion level of the group control system 100 is low. As a result, if the determination is found to be successful, the process proceeds to step S146, and if the determination is found to be unsuccessful, the process proceeds to step S148.

[0056] In step S146, the hall call allocation unit 14 causes the second hall call input unit 34 of the hall call registration device 30 installed at the registered hall floor of the registered first hall call to flash a button corresponding to the running direction of the first hall call. On the other hand, in step S148, the hall call allocation unit 14 causes the second hall call input unit 34 of the hall call registration device 30 installed at the registered hall floor of the registered first hall call to turn off a button corresponding to the running direction of the first hall call. When the processing of step S146 or S148 is executed, the processing of this routine is ended.

[0057] According to the advance notification process described above, it is possible to determine in advance whether to immediately allocate a car to a second hall call, so that users can easily determine whether there is a high possibility that two cars will arrive consecutively when they press the button on the second hall call input unit 34.

[0058] 1-3-3. Platform call registration device 30 The configuration of the platform call registration device 30 is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 2. That is, the first platform call input unit 32 and the second platform call input unit 34 of the platform call registration device 30 may have button shapes different from those shown in Fig. 2.

[0059] Furthermore, the first hall call input unit 32 and the second hall call input unit 34 of the hall call registration device 30 may be of a type that accepts the registration of hall calls that specify a destination floor. FIGS. 9 and 10 are diagrams showing modified examples of the hall call registration device. The hall call registration device 30 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is configured as a hall call registration device 30 with a touch panel display installed at a hall. The first hall call input unit 32 is configured with destination floor selection buttons displayed. The first hall call input unit 32 is displayed as off when a destination floor has been registered, and is displayed as on when a destination floor has not been registered. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the first hall call input unit 32 displays the third and fourth floors, where first hall calls have already been registered, as off, and displays the second floor, where first hall calls can be registered, as on.

[0060] The second hall call input unit 34 is displayed when a first hall call is registered at the hall, i.e., when at least one destination floor is registered in the first hall call input unit 32. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the first hall call input unit 32 can register only the second floor as a destination floor, and the second hall call input unit 34 can register floors 2 to 4 as destination floors. In this situation, a user who wants to go to the second floor can press either the first hall call input unit 32 or the second hall call input unit 34. When a user presses the second floor button on the first hall call input unit 32, the user will board the first assigned car. At this time, the second floor button on the first hall call input unit 32 is switched to an unlit display. On the other hand, when a user presses the second floor button on the second hall call input unit 34, a new second hall call is registered, and the screen changes to the state shown in FIG. 10. The screen shown in FIG. 10 allows further second hall calls. The number of second assigned cars that can be registered in the second hall call input unit 34 may be limited to a maximum of two cars, for example.

[0061] 1-3-4. Landing display device 40 The hall display device 40 may be configured integrally with the hall call registration device 30 having a touch panel display as shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. In this case, the car information display unit 42 is configured as a part that displays car information on the touch panel display of the hall display device 40. In Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, the estimated time until arrival at the hall and the number of passengers are respectively displayed as car information. With this configuration, a user who inputs a destination floor on the touch panel display of the hall display device 40 can check the status of each car 22 on the screen and determine whether or not a second hall call is necessary.

[0062] 1-3-5. Functions of the platform call registration device 30 and the platform display device 40 The group control system 100 may be configured to enable hall calls to be made from a mobile terminal carried by a user. FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a modified example of the group control system according to the first embodiment. The modified group control system 100 illustrated in FIG. 11 includes a mobile terminal 70 carried by a user. The mobile terminal 70 is a portable terminal device equipped with wireless communication capabilities, such as a smartphone or tablet. The mobile terminal 70 is connected to the group control device 10 via a communication network, such as the Internet or a telephone line. In this example, the mobile terminal 70 has a touch panel display with a display function for displaying information on an input screen to the user and an operation function for accepting input from the user. A call registration application for registering the elevator user's hall floor and destination floor is installed on the mobile terminal 70. When the user activates the call registration application on the mobile terminal 70, the functions of the first hall call input unit 32, the second hall call input unit 34, and the car information display unit 42 are realized.

[0063] 2. Embodiment 2 In the second embodiment, differences from the example disclosed in the first embodiment will be described in particular detail. For features not described in the second embodiment, any of the features of the example disclosed in the first embodiment may be adopted.

[0064] 2-1. Functional configuration of the group management system of the second embodiment The group control system 100 of the second embodiment is characterized by the process of canceling a second hall call that is no longer needed. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the functions of the group control system according to the second embodiment. The hall call registration device 30 of the group control system 100 further includes a cancellation request unit 36. The cancellation request unit 36 ​​is a part that accepts a user's operation to cancel a second hall call. Typically, when an operation requesting cancellation of a second hall call is input through the second hall call input unit 34, the cancellation request unit 36 ​​transmits information of the input cancellation request to the group control device 10. The operation to request cancellation is, for example, an operation to press a lit button on the second hall call input unit 34, and the information of the cancellation request here includes information on the cancellation requested floor and running direction corresponding to the button. Furthermore, when an operation requesting cancellation of a second hall call is input, the hall call registration device 30 turns off the light of the operated button.

[0065] If a second hall call registration corresponding to the received cancellation request exists, the hall call allocation unit 14 of the group control device 10 cancels the registration of the second hall call and the allocation of the second car. This process will be referred to as the "cancellation process" hereinafter.

[0066] 2-2. Specific processing executed by the group management system according to the second embodiment Fig. 13 is a flowchart of the cancellation processing executed in the group management system according to embodiment 2. The routine shown in Fig. 13 is executed by the processor 50 of the group management device 10 executing the group management program 54 stored in the memory 52. ​​Note that the cancellation processing routine shown in Fig. 13 is executed independently of the allocation processing routines shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

[0067] 13, the hall call allocation unit 14 determines whether or not cancellation request information has been received from the cancellation request unit 36 ​​of the hall call registration device 30. As a result, if the determination is found to be true, the process proceeds to step S202, and if the determination is found to be false, the process of this routine is terminated.

[0068] In step S202, the hall call allocation unit 14 determines whether a second hall call has been registered for the cancellation request floor and running direction included in the cancellation request information. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S204, and if the determination is negative, the process of this routine is terminated.

[0069] In step S204, the hall call allocation unit 14 cancels the registered second hall call, and if there is a second assigned car responding to the second hall call, cancels the allocation to the second assigned car. When the processing of step S204 is completed, the processing of this routine ends.

[0070] According to the group control system 100 of the second embodiment described above, it is possible to cancel the corresponding second hall call in response to a cancellation request from a user. This makes it possible to suppress unnecessary calls and prevent a deterioration in overall operation efficiency.

[0071] 2-3. Variations The group management system 100 of the second embodiment may employ the following modified aspects.

[0072] The cancellation request unit 36 ​​may be configured to be provided in a location other than the hall call registration device 30. That is, for example, if a camera is installed at the hall of each floor, the camera can determine whether or not there are passengers on each floor. Therefore, the cancellation request unit 36 ​​may be configured as a part having a function of transmitting cancellation request information to the group control device 10 when it determines, based on data captured by the camera, that a second hall call is no longer necessary. Note that a situation in which a second hall call is no longer necessary can be assumed, for example, when all passengers at the hall have boarded the first assigned car that is responding to the first hall call at the floor where the second hall call is registered.

[0073] Alternatively, if a cancel button is provided inside the car 22, the cancellation request unit 36 ​​may be configured as a part that accepts operation of the cancel button. With such a configuration, when a user who has registered the second hall call is able to board the first assigned car that is responding to the first hall call, the user can press the cancel button from inside the car 22 to request cancellation of the second hall call.

[0074] 4.Other Although the preferred embodiments have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0075] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0076] (Appendix 1) A group control system for managing hall calls for an elevator having a plurality of cars, a first hall call receiving unit that receives, from a registration device, a registration of a first hall call in which a hall floor and a running direction are specified; a second hall call receiving unit that receives, in a situation where the first hall call is registered, a registration of a second hall call in which the hall floor and the running direction common to the first hall call are specified, from the registration device; a hall call allocation unit that, when the registration of the first hall call is accepted, allocates a response to the first hall call to a first assigned car selected from the plurality of cars, and, when the registration of the second hall call is accepted, selects a car that satisfies a specific condition that defines a specific state of the car from among the plurality of cars excluding the first assigned car, and allocates the response to the second hall call; An elevator group control system equipped with: (Appendix 2) The specific condition includes that the number of passengers in the car is 0 and the door is stopped. 1. An elevator group control system as described in Appendix 1. (Appendix 3) The specific condition includes that an average value of predicted waiting times of currently assigned hall calls at floors other than the hall floor corresponding to the second hall call is smaller than a determination value. 1. An elevator group control system as described in Appendix 1. (Appendix 4) The hall call allocation unit, If there is no car that satisfies the specific condition, the second hall call is assigned to a car selected from the plurality of cars after the first assigned car that has opened its door at the hall floor of the first hall call starts closing its door. An elevator group control system according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 3. (Appendix 5) a cancellation request unit that receives a cancellation request to cancel allocation of a car to the second hall call received by the second hall call reception unit, The hall call allocation unit cancels the allocation of the car to the second hall call based on the cancellation request. 5. The elevator group control system according to claim 1, configured as follows: (Appendix 6) The second hall call reception unit is a hall button provided at each of the halls on a plurality of floors, The cancellation request unit receives the cancellation request for the second hall call in response to the hall button corresponding to the second hall call being pressed. 6. The elevator group control system according to claim 5, configured as follows: (Appendix 7) The cancellation request unit receives the cancellation request in response to pressing a cancellation button provided in the car. 6. The elevator group control system according to claim 5, configured as follows: (Appendix 8) a car information acquisition unit that acquires car information representing states of the plurality of cars; a display information generating unit that generates display information to be displayed on a display device based on the car information; 8. The elevator group control system according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 7, comprising: (Appendix 9) 9. The elevator group control system of claim 8, wherein the display information includes any one of the car position, running direction, number of passengers, hall call allocation status, and predicted waiting time at each hall floor for each of the plurality of cars. (Appendix 10) the registration device is a hall call registration device provided at each of the halls on a plurality of floors, The hall call registration device a first hall call input unit that inputs the registration of the first hall call; a second hall call input unit that inputs the registration of the second hall call; 10. An elevator group control system according to any one of appendix 1 to appendix 9, including: (Appendix 11) The second hall call input unit includes an up button and a down button for specifying the traveling direction, The up button and the down button are configured to be illuminated, When the first hall call is registered and there is a car among the plurality of cars excluding the first assigned car that satisfies a specific condition that defines a specific state of the car, the hall call allocation unit causes the button corresponding to the running direction of the first hall call, among the up button and the down button, in the second hall call input unit of the hall floor of the registered first hall call, to flash. 11. The elevator group control system according to claim 10, configured as follows: (Appendix 12) the registration device is a mobile terminal carried by a user, The mobile terminal displaying an input screen for registering the first hall call or the second hall call; Accepting registration of the first hall call or the second hall call based on an input operation from the input screen 10. The elevator group control system according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 9, configured as follows: (Appendix 13) A group management method in which a computer manages hall call registrations for an elevator having multiple cars, comprising: receiving, from a registration device, a registration of a first hall call in which a hall floor and a running direction are specified; receiving, from the registration device, registration of a second hall call in which the hall floor and the running direction common to those of the first hall call are specified, in a situation in which the first hall call is registered; a step of, when the registration of the first hall call is accepted, assigning a response to the first hall call to a first assigned car selected from the plurality of cars, and, when the registration of the second hall call is accepted, selecting a car that satisfies a specific condition that defines a specific state of the car from among the plurality of cars excluding the first assigned car, and assigning the response to the second hall call; An elevator group control method comprising: (Appendix 14) A group management program that causes a computer to manage hall call registrations for an elevator having multiple cars, comprising: Accepting from the registration device the registration of a first hall call in which the hall floor and running direction are specified; In a situation where the first hall call is registered, a registration of a second hall call in which the hall floor and the running direction common to the first hall call are specified is accepted from the registration device, When the registration of the first hall call is accepted, a response to the first hall call is assigned to a first assigned car selected from the plurality of cars, and when the registration of the second hall call is accepted, a car that satisfies a specific condition that defines a specific state of the car is selected from the plurality of cars excluding the first assigned car, and assigned to the response to the second hall call. A group management program configured to cause a computer to execute the following: [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 10 group control device, 11 car information acquisition unit, 12 first hall call reception unit, 13 second hall call reception unit, 14 hall call allocation unit, 15 display information generation unit, 20 elevator, 22 car, 24 control panel, 30 hall call registration device, 32 first hall call input unit, 34 second hall call input unit, 36 cancellation request unit, 40 hall display device, 42 car information display unit, 50 processor, 52 memory, 54 group control program, 56 data, 60 dedicated hardware, 62 processing circuit, 70 mobile terminal, 100 group control system

Claims

1. A group control system for managing hall calls for an elevator having a plurality of cars, a first hall call receiving unit that receives, from a registration device, a registration of a first hall call in which a hall floor and a running direction are specified; a second hall call receiving unit that receives, in a situation where the first hall call is registered, a registration of a second hall call in which the hall floor and the running direction common to the first hall call are specified, from the registration device; a hall call allocation unit that, when the registration of the first hall call is accepted, allocates a response to the first hall call to a first assigned car selected from the plurality of cars, and, when the registration of the second hall call is accepted, selects a car that satisfies a specific condition that defines a specific state of the car from among the plurality of cars excluding the first assigned car, and allocates the response to the second hall call; An elevator group control system equipped with:

2. The specific condition includes that the number of passengers in the car is zero and the door is stopped. The elevator group control system according to claim 1.

3. The specific condition includes that an average value of predicted waiting times of currently assigned hall calls at floors other than the hall floor corresponding to the second hall call is smaller than a determination value. The elevator group control system according to claim 1.

4. The hall call allocation unit, If there is no car that satisfies the specific condition, the second hall call is assigned to a car selected from the plurality of cars after the first assigned car that has opened its door at the hall floor of the first hall call starts closing its door. The elevator group control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. a cancellation request unit that receives a cancellation request to cancel allocation of a car to the second hall call received by the second hall call reception unit, The hall call allocation unit cancels the allocation of the car to the second hall call based on the cancellation request.

4. The elevator group control system according to claim 1, wherein the elevator group control system is configured as follows:

6. The second hall call reception unit is a hall button provided at each of the halls on a plurality of floors, The cancellation request unit receives the cancellation request for the second hall call in response to the hall button corresponding to the second hall call being pressed. The elevator group control system according to claim 5, configured as follows:

7. The cancellation request unit receives the cancellation request in response to pressing a cancellation button provided in the car. The elevator group control system according to claim 5, configured as follows:

8. a car information acquisition unit that acquires car information representing states of the plurality of cars; a display information generating unit that generates display information to be displayed on a display device based on the car information; The elevator group control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising:

9. 9. The elevator group control system according to claim 8, wherein the display information includes any one of a car position, a running direction, a number of passengers, an allocation status of hall calls, and a predicted waiting time at each hall floor for each of the plurality of cars.

10. the registration device is a hall call registration device provided at each of the halls on a plurality of floors, The hall call registration device a first hall call input unit that inputs the registration of the first hall call; a second hall call input unit that inputs the registration of the second hall call; The elevator group control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

11. The second hall call input unit includes an up button and a down button for specifying the traveling direction, The up button and the down button are configured to be illuminated, When the first hall call is registered and there is a car among the plurality of cars excluding the first assigned car that satisfies a specific condition that defines a specific state of the car, the hall call allocation unit causes the button corresponding to the running direction of the first hall call, among the up button and the down button, in the second hall call input unit of the hall floor of the registered first hall call, to flash. The elevator group control system according to claim 10, configured as follows:

12. the registration device is a mobile terminal carried by a user, The mobile terminal displaying an input screen for registering the first hall call or the second hall call; Accepting registration of the first hall call or the second hall call based on an input operation from the input screen 4. The elevator group control system according to claim 1, wherein the elevator group control system is configured as follows:

13. A group management method in which a computer manages hall call registrations for an elevator having multiple cars, comprising: receiving, from a registration device, a registration of a first hall call in which a hall floor and a running direction are specified; receiving, from the registration device, registration of a second hall call in which the hall floor and the running direction common to those of the first hall call are specified, in a situation in which the first hall call is registered; a step of, when the registration of the first hall call is accepted, assigning a response to the first hall call to a first assigned car selected from the plurality of cars, and, when the registration of the second hall call is accepted, selecting a car that satisfies a specific condition that defines a specific state of the car from among the plurality of cars excluding the first assigned car, and assigning the response to the second hall call; An elevator group control method comprising:

14. A group management program that causes a computer to manage hall call registrations for an elevator having multiple cars, comprising: Accepting from the registration device the registration of a first hall call in which the hall floor and running direction are specified; In a situation where the first hall call is registered, a registration of a second hall call in which the hall floor and the running direction common to the first hall call are specified is accepted from the registration device, When the registration of the first hall call is accepted, a response to the first hall call is assigned to a first assigned car selected from the plurality of cars, and when the registration of the second hall call is accepted, a car that satisfies a specific condition that defines a specific state of the car is selected from the plurality of cars excluding the first assigned car, and assigned to the response to the second hall call. A group management program configured to cause a computer to execute the following:

Images