Elevator system

Abstract

To provide an elevator user with means for displaying the exact waiting time until the elevator car reach the boarding floor.SOLUTION: An elevator system 1 includes a control device 2 that controls elevator operation and calculates waiting times. The control device 2 detects a portable terminal device 3 carried by an elevator user 15 and pre-linked to the elevator, and upon receiving from the portable terminal device 3 a boarding floor signal and a destination floor signal stored in the portable terminal device 3, calculates the waiting time from departure from the car floor until a car 14 arrives at the boarding floor, transmits the obtained waiting time data to the portable terminal device 3, and causes the portable terminal device 3 to display the waiting time on a countdown display, which stops while the car 14 arrives at each floor and the doors are open.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to elevator systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Elevators allow passengers to move between floors by ascending and descending in a building's hoistway. However, the waiting time that occurs between when a passenger calls for an elevator at the landing and when the elevator arrives at the floor can be stressful for the user.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an elevator control device that displays information selected by the user from a variety of content information, such as news, weather information, and the time until the elevator car arrives, on a touch panel display installed at the elevator hall or on the user's mobile terminal, allowing the user to view the information while waiting for the elevator, thereby reducing the stress of users caused by waiting times. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-51840 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, providing content information such as news and weather information is unlikely to reduce users' stress. Also, elevator users' main purpose is to move between floors, and it is thought that many users would like to know more accurate waiting times.

[0006] Therefore, a system that allows users to obtain and view accurate elevator waiting time information is desirable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The elevator system of the present invention is equipped with a control device that controls elevator operation and calculates waiting times. The control device detects a portable terminal device carried by an elevator user and pre-linked to the elevator, and when it receives from the portable terminal device a boarding floor signal and a destination floor signal stored in the portable terminal device, calculates the waiting time from the departure of the car from the car floor until the car arrives at the boarding floor, transmits the obtained waiting time data to the portable terminal device, and causes the portable terminal device to display the waiting time in a countdown display, and the countdown display stops while the car has arrived at each floor and the doors are open. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when the elevator car is moving to the boarding floor, the portable terminal device of the elevator user displays a countdown of the waiting time until the elevator car reaches the boarding floor, and when the elevator car reaches another floor and the doors open and other users are getting on or off, the countdown of the waiting time displayed on the portable terminal device is stopped, thereby providing the user with the accurate waiting time until the elevator car reaches the boarding floor and reducing the user's stress. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration for explaining an elevator mechanism. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an elevator system according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a flow of displaying a waiting time in an elevator system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display on a mobile terminal to which an elevator system according to an embodiment is applied; [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of displays on a mobile terminal to which an elevator system according to another embodiment is applied. [Figure 6]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of a display on a mobile terminal to which an elevator system according to another embodiment is applied. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of a display on a mobile terminal to which an elevator system according to another embodiment is applied. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of displays on a mobile terminal to which an elevator system according to another embodiment is applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration for explaining an elevator mechanism.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, an elevator has a machine room 11 above a long vertical space called a hoistway 10, and a hoisting machine 12 is installed inside the machine room 11. When the hoisting machine 12 winds up or pays out a wire rope 13, a car 14 connected to one end of the wire rope 13 moves up and down inside the hoistway 10, allowing passengers 15 to travel between floors 50 (described below). A counterweight 16 is connected to the other end of the wire rope 13 opposite the car 14, and has the function of balancing the load on both sides of the hoisting machine 12 between the car 14 and the car 14.

[0012] The car 14 includes a car door 17. The car door 17 is a door that allows users 15 to get on and off at each floor 50 described later, and is configured to engage with a hall door 18 to open and close.

[0013] A floor 50 is a floor on each floor of a building where an elevator is installed, and when the elevator car 14 stops at a floor 50, it is called "arriving at the floor." Each floor 50 is provided with a landing 51 where users 15 get on and off.

[0014] The control device 2 is installed in the machine room 11 and has the function of communicating with the hoisting machine 12 to control the operation of the elevator. It can also communicate with the portable terminal device 3 carried by the user 15, and has the function of calculating the waiting time of the elevator based on a signal from the portable terminal device 3.

[0015] The mobile terminal device 3 is, for example, a smartphone. To use this system, a specific floor registration system application (hereinafter referred to as the dedicated application) must be pre-installed on the mobile terminal device 3. The user 15 can link the elevator with the mobile terminal device 3 by following a predetermined procedure in the dedicated application. The dedicated application is set to launch when the user 15 approaches a hall 51 and receives radio waves from a beacon device 19 installed in the hall 51.

[0016] The elevator system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an elevator system that is an example of an embodiment.

[0017] The control device 2 is configured to be able to communicate with the portable terminal device 3 via the external communication unit 21 and the external communication unit 31 that constitutes the portable terminal device 3. If the portable terminal device 3 is pre-linked to the elevator by a dedicated application, when the user 15 approaches the hall 51 and the dedicated application starts up, identification information for identifying the portable terminal device 3 is transmitted from the external communication unit 31 to the external communication unit 21. Based on the identification information received by the external communication unit 21, the detection unit 22 detects the portable terminal device 3.

[0018] The portable terminal 3 further includes a floor storage unit 32. The floor storage unit 32 stores in advance information about the boarding floor and destination floor of the user 15 who owns the portable terminal 3. When the detection unit 22 detects the portable terminal 3 linked to the elevator, the information stored in the floor storage unit 32 is transmitted to the floor signal receiving unit 23 via the external communication unit 31 and the external communication unit 21 as a boarding floor signal and a destination floor signal.

[0019] The floor signal receiving unit 23 transmits the received boarding floor signal and destination floor signal to the control unit 24. The control unit 24 creates control information based on the received boarding floor signal and destination floor signal, and transmits it to the hoist 12 via the hoist communication unit 25. The hoist 12 is controlled based on the transmitted control information, causing the car 14 to rise and fall within the elevator shaft 10.

[0020] The car position detection unit (not shown) detects the position of the car 14, and if the car 14 has landed, identifies the floor at which the car 14 has landed, or if the car 14 is ascending or descending, identifies the floor near the car 14 (hereinafter referred to as the car floor), creates car floor information, and transmits it to the control unit 24.

[0021] The control information created by the control unit 24 and the car floor information received by the control unit 24 are transmitted to the waiting time calculation unit 26. Based on the transmitted control information and car floor information, the waiting time calculation unit 26 calculates the waiting time from when the car 14 departs from the car floor until it arrives at the boarding floor, and generates waiting time data. The obtained waiting time data is transmitted to the mobile terminal 3 via the external communication unit 21 and the external communication unit 31.

[0022] The display output unit 33 of the portable terminal device 3 has a function of displaying a countdown of the waiting time on the portable terminal device 3 based on the waiting time data transmitted from the control device 2. While the elevator car 14 has landed at each floor 50 and the doors are open, transmission of control information from the control unit 24 to the waiting time calculation unit 26 is stopped, and therefore the countdown display of the waiting time on the portable terminal device 3 is also stopped.

[0023] In addition to displaying a countdown of the waiting time, the display output unit 33 can display on the mobile terminal device 3 the car floor, the planned landing floor of the car 14, the direction of travel of the car 14, the movement status of the car 14, and the open / closed status of the car door 17 based on the control information created by the control unit 24 and the car floor information received by the control unit 24.

[0024] When the floor signal receiving unit 23 receives a boarding floor signal from a mobile terminal 3 pre-linked to the elevator and carried by another user 55 (not shown) who is on a floor 50 different from the landing floor of the user 15, or when it receives a destination floor signal for a floor 50 different from the boarding floor of the user 15 from the mobile terminal 3 of the other user 55, the control unit 24 creates new control information and transmits it to the hoist 12 via the hoist communication unit 25 to control the hoist 12. The waiting time calculation unit 26 recalculates the waiting time based on the new control information created by the control unit 24.

[0025] A specific example of control of the waiting time display in the elevator system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flow diagram showing the flow of waiting time display in the elevator system as an example of an embodiment.

[0026] When the portable terminal 3 receives radio waves from the beacon device 19 installed at the platform 51, the portable terminal 3 starts a dedicated application (S100).

[0027] After the dedicated application is started, the detection unit 22 detects the mobile terminal 3 that is pre-bound to the elevator based on predetermined identification information transmitted by the mobile terminal 3 (S101).

[0028] When a mobile terminal device 3 that has been pre-linked to the elevator is detected, the information stored in the floor memory unit 32 as the boarding floor information and destination floor information of the user 15 carrying the mobile terminal device 3 is transmitted to the floor signal receiving unit 23 as a boarding floor signal and a destination floor signal (S102).

[0029] Based on the boarding floor signal and the destination floor signal received by the floor signal receiving unit 23, the control unit 24 creates control information and transmits it to the waiting time calculation unit 26. Based on the transmitted control information, the waiting time calculation unit 26 calculates the waiting time from the departure from the car floor until the car 14 arrives at the boarding floor of the user 15 (S103).

[0030] The waiting time data calculated by the waiting time calculation unit 26 is transmitted to the mobile terminal 3 (S104).

[0031] The display output unit 33 of the portable terminal 3 causes the portable terminal 3 to display a countdown of the waiting time based on the transmitted waiting time data (S105).

[0032] After the countdown display starts, if the car 14 lands on another floor and the door opens before it lands on the boarding floor of the user 15 (Yes in S106), the countdown display of the waiting time stops (S107).

[0033] If the car 14 does not resume movement, i.e., if the car 14 has landed on another floor and the door is still open (S108 No), the waiting time countdown display continues to be stopped. If the car 14 resumes movement (S108 Yes), the waiting time countdown display is resumed (S105).

[0034] After the countdown display starts, if the floor signal receiving unit 23 receives a boarding floor signal for a floor other than the boarding floor of the user 15 or a destination floor signal for a floor other than the boarding floor of the user 15 (S109 Yes), the waiting time calculation unit 26 recalculates the waiting time (S103).

[0035] If the floor signal receiving unit 23 does not receive a boarding floor signal for a floor other than the boarding floor of user 15 or a destination floor signal for a floor other than the boarding floor of user 15 (S109 No), the countdown display of the waiting time continues.

[0036] When the elevator car 14 arrives at the boarding floor of the user 15, the display on the mobile terminal 3 ends and the dedicated application stops (S110).

[0037] The display of waiting times and the like on the mobile terminal device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display on a mobile terminal device to which an elevator system as an example of an embodiment is applied.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 4, the mobile terminal 3 is provided with a waiting time display unit 41 that displays a countdown of waiting time data obtained from the waiting time calculation unit 26. When the car 14 is moving within the elevator shaft 10, the waiting time is displayed as a countdown on the waiting time display unit 41, and when the car 14 has landed on any floor 50 and the doors have opened, the countdown display of the waiting time on the waiting time display unit 41 stops. By linking the movement state of the car 14 with the countdown display of the waiting time, the user 15 can obtain accurate waiting time information.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, the mobile terminal 3 further includes a car floor display unit 42 that displays a car floor based on control information created by the control unit 24. The car floor display units 42 are installed in accordance with the number of floors 50 at which the car 14 can land. When the car 14 is ascending or descending, the mobile terminal 3 causes the car floor display unit 42 corresponding to the floor 50 near the car 14 to flash in a predetermined color. When the car 14 has landed at a predetermined floor 50, the corresponding car floor display unit 42 lights up in a predetermined color. By visually recognizing the car floor, the user 15 can understand the details of the waiting time displayed on the waiting time display unit 41.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 4, the mobile terminal 3 further includes a destination floor display unit 43 that displays the scheduled destination floor based on the control information created by the control unit 24. The destination floor display units 43 are also installed corresponding to the number of floors 50 at which the elevator car 14 can land. In addition to the boarding floor of the user 15, if there are boarding floors of other users 55 on different floors and destination floors of other users 55 different from the boarding floor of the user 15, these are displayed in a predetermined color. To avoid complication, the destination floor of the user 15 is not displayed in a light.

[0041] The arrival floor display unit 43 can light up and display in different colors the boarding floor of the user 15 and the scheduled arrival floors of other users 55. For example, the boarding floor of the user 15 can be lighted up in red, and the scheduled arrival floors of other users 55 can be lighted up in yellow. By visually recognizing the car floor indicated by the car floor display unit 42 as well as the user's own boarding floor and the other scheduled arrival floors indicated by the arrival floor display unit 43, the user 15 can grasp the specific movements of the car 14 until the car 14 arrives at the user's own boarding floor.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 4, the mobile terminal 3 further includes a direction of travel display unit 44 that displays the direction of travel of the car 14 based on control information created by the control unit 24. When the car 14 is ascending, the direction of travel display unit 44-1 lights up in a predetermined color, and when the car 14 is descending, the direction of travel display unit 44-2 lights up in a predetermined color. This allows the user 15 to grasp the specific movement of the car 14.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 4, the mobile terminal 3 further includes a car status display unit 45 that displays the movement state of the car 14 and the open / closed state of the car door 17 based on the control information created by the control unit 24. For example, when the car 14 has landed at a predetermined floor 50 and the door has opened and passengers are getting on or off, "car door open" is displayed, and when the car 14 is moving in the elevator shaft 10, "car ascending or descending" is displayed. By visually recognizing the movement state of the car 14 and the open / closed state of the car door 17 together with the countdown display of the waiting time, the user 15 can grasp the details of the waiting time more specifically.

[0044] Changes in the display of waiting time and the like on the mobile terminal device 3 will be explained using Figs. 5 to 7. For the explanation, an example will be taken in which the car 14 is on the fifth floor, a user 15 transmits a boarding floor signal on the first floor, and then another user 55 transmits a boarding floor signal and a destination floor signal for the second floor on the third floor while the car 14 is moving. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display on a mobile terminal device to which an elevator system according to another embodiment is applied. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing another example of a display on a mobile terminal device to which an elevator system according to another embodiment is applied. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing another example of a display on a mobile terminal device to which an elevator system according to another embodiment is applied.

[0045] When the car 14 is descending from the fifth floor to the first floor, as shown in FIG. 5, the waiting time display unit 41 displays a countdown of the waiting time data obtained from the waiting time calculation unit 26. Because the floor near the car 14 is the fifth floor, the car floor display unit 42-5 shown with a light hatching flashes in a predetermined color. Because the car 14 is not ascending or descending near the first to fourth floors, the car floor display units 42-1 to 42-4 do not flash. Because the user 15 transmitted a boarding floor signal on the first floor, the arrival floor display unit 43-1 shown with a diagonal line lights up in a predetermined color. Because boarding floor signals and destination floor signals have not been transmitted for the other floors 50, the arrival floor display units 43-2 to 43-5 do not light up. Since the car 14 is descending, the travel direction display unit 44-2 shown in light shading is lit, and the travel direction display unit 44-1, which indicates that the car 14 is ascending, is not lit. The car status display unit 45 displays "car ascending / descending".

[0046] Next, Figure 6 shows the state when the elevator car 14 moves near the fourth floor while descending from the fifth floor to the first floor, and receives a boarding floor signal and a destination floor signal from another user 55 on the third floor.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 6, the waiting time display unit 41 displays a countdown of the waiting time data obtained by recalculation by the waiting time calculation unit 26. As the car 14 has moved to the vicinity of the fourth floor, the flashing of the car floor display unit 42-5 is stopped, and the car floor display unit 42-4 shown in light shading is flashing in a predetermined color. The arrival floor display unit 43-1, which indicates the boarding floor of the user 15, continues to light up in a predetermined color. The arrival floor display unit 43-3 shown in vertical lines in response to the boarding floor signal of another user 55 on the third floor, is lit up in a color different from the arrival floor display unit 43-1. The arrival floor display unit 43-2 shown in vertical lines in response to the destination floor signal of the other user 55 to the second floor, is lit up in a color different from the arrival floor display unit 43-1. As the car 14 continues to descend, the travel direction display unit 44-2 shown in light shading continues to light up. The car state display unit 45 continues to display "car ascending / descending".

[0048] In Figure 6, the waiting time indicated by the waiting time display unit 41 has increased, but by lighting up the arrival floor display unit 43-3, it is indicated that the train is scheduled to arrive at a different floor, so user 15 can understand the reason for the increase in waiting time.

[0049] Next, FIG. 7 shows a state in which the car 14 has received a boarding floor signal from another user 55 and has landed on the third floor and the door has opened.

[0050] As shown in Figure 7, the waiting time display unit 41 stops displaying the countdown of the waiting time. As the car 14 has landed on the third floor, the flashing display of the car floor display unit 42-4 and the lighting display of the landing floor display unit 43-3 are stopped, and the car floor display unit 42-3 shown in light shading is lit in a predetermined color. The landing floor display unit 43-1, which indicates the boarding floor of the user 15, continues to light up. The landing floor display unit 43-2, which corresponds to the destination floor signal for the second floor of another user 55, also continues to light up. As the car 14 continues to descend, the travel direction display unit 44-2 shown in light shading continues to light up. The car status display unit 45 displays "car door open".

[0051] Although not shown in the figure, the elevator car 14 then departs from the third floor, arrives at the second floor in response to the destination floor signal of another user 55, opens its doors to allow passengers to board and disembark, and arrives at the first floor in response to the boarding floor signal of user 15 and opens its doors. When the elevator car 14 arrives at the first floor, the display on the mobile terminal 3 of user 15 ends and the dedicated application stops.

[0052] As described above, by using the elevator system 1 having the above configuration, when the car 14 is moving, the portable terminal device 3 of the user 15 displays a countdown of the elevator waiting time, and when the car 14 has landed on another floor and the doors have opened, the countdown display of the waiting time on the portable terminal device 3 is stopped, thereby providing the user 15 with the accurate waiting time until the car 14 reaches the boarding floor, and reducing the stress of the user 15 caused by the waiting time.

[0053] Here, the elevator system 1 of the present invention is particularly effective in an elevator device in which a hall indicator display showing the car floor, the direction of travel of the car 14, etc. is not installed at the hall 51.

[0054] The above embodiment can be appropriately modified in design without impairing the object of the present invention. For example, the waiting time calculation unit may be provided in the mobile terminal device 3. In this case, the control information created by the control unit 24 and the car floor information received by the control unit 24 are transmitted to the mobile terminal device 3 via the external communication unit 21 and the external communication unit 31, and the waiting time is calculated based on the transmitted control information and car floor information.

[0055] The arrival floor display unit 43 may also display the car floor. Specifically, the car floor display unit 42 only displays the number of floors 50, and the car floor is displayed by lighting or flashing the corresponding floor part in the arrival floor display unit 43 in a color different from the arrival floor. For example, if the boarding floor of user 15 is displayed in red and the arrival floor for another user 55 is displayed in yellow, the car floor may be displayed in green and flashing.

[0056] The arrival floor may be visually displayed without installing the arrival floor display unit 43 by lighting up the corresponding floor portion of the car floor display unit 42 in a color different from that of the car floor (see Figure 8).

[0057] The car status display unit 45 may display the movement status of the car 14 using an illustration and arrow that resembles the car 14, or may display the open / closed status of the car door 17 using an illustration that resembles the car door 17. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 elevator system, 2 control device, 3 portable terminal, 10 elevator shaft, 11 machine room, 12 hoisting machine, 13 wire rope, 14 car, 15 user, 16 counterweight, 17 car door, 18 landing door, 19 beacon device, 21 external communication unit, 22 detection unit, 23 floor signal receiving unit, 24 control unit, 25 hoisting machine communication unit, 26 waiting time calculation unit, 31 external communication unit, 32 floor memory unit, 33 display output unit, 41 waiting time display unit, 42 car floor display unit, 43 landing floor display unit, 44 travel direction display unit, 45 car status display unit, 50 floor, 51 landing

Claims

1. An elevator system equipped with a control device that controls elevator operation and calculates waiting time, The control device detects a portable terminal device carried by a user of the elevator and pre-linked to the elevator, and when it receives from the portable terminal device a boarding floor signal and a destination floor signal stored in the portable terminal device, calculates the waiting time from the departure from the car floor until the car arrives at the boarding floor, transmits the obtained waiting time data to the portable terminal device, and causes the portable terminal device to display the waiting time in a countdown display, The elevator system is characterized in that the countdown display stops while the elevator car has landed at each floor and the doors are open.

2. 2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the control device recalculates the waiting time when the control device receives the boarding floor signal from a portable terminal device of another user at a different floor, or when the control device receives a destination floor signal of a floor different from the boarding floor of the user from a portable terminal device of another user.

3. The elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein the portable terminal displays the elevator car floor.

4. The elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein the portable terminal displays a direction of travel of the elevator car.

5. The elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile terminal displays the boarding floor of the user.

6. The elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile terminal displays boarding floors and destination floors of other users.

7. 2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the portable terminal displays a moving state of the elevator car and an open / closed state of the car door.

8. 2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the display on the portable terminal is terminated when the elevator car has landed at the boarding floor.

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