Elevator system

Abstract

To provide an elevator system capable of performing grouping for divided operation with little bias in the number of passengers in each car.SOLUTION: An elevator system according to an embodiment comprises: a group management control device that performs divided operation for dividing floors on which each car can operate into a plurality of groups and causing each car to operate; a camera installed in each car; passenger detection means that detects passengers and their attributes from the captured image; boarding and alighting floor detection means that detects boarding and alighting floors indicating the floors at which the detected passengers boarded on the car and the floors at which the passengers alighted from the car; weighted number of passengers calculation means that calculates a weighted number of passengers for each boarding and alighting floor, which is equivalent to the number of passengers weighted by the attribute, based on the detected attribute, a coefficient preset for the attribute, and the detected boarding and alighting floors; and grouping means that performs grouping suitable for divided operation based on the calculated weighted number of passengers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to an elevator system. [Background technology]

[0002] During times when there are many elevator users and the majority of users board from the departure reference floor (for example, during rush hour), "divided operation" is implemented, in which each elevator car operates on at least two sets (groups) of floors that it can operate on.

[0003] In divided operation, the floors at which each car can operate (floors at which it can stop) are limited, which shortens the average time it takes for each car to make one revolution around the elevator shaft, thereby increasing the number of people that can be transported per hour. In this type of divided operation, it is necessary to group the number of passengers in each car so that there is little bias.

[0004] One method for grouping passengers so that there is little bias in the number of passengers in each car is to count the number of passengers at each floor and group them so that the difference in the number of passengers at each floor is small. However, with this method, passengers who are expected to take different amounts of time to board and disembark, such as general users and wheelchair users, are counted as one person, which can result in bias in the number of passengers in each car when the train is actually divided. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7284115 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an elevator system that is capable of grouping passengers for divided operation in a way that minimizes bias in the number of passengers in each car. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An elevator system according to one embodiment includes a group management control device that divides a plurality of cars and floors that each car can operate on into a plurality of groups and performs divided operation by operating each of the cars; a camera installed in each of the cars; a passenger detection means that detects passengers and their attributes from images captured by the camera; a boarding and alighting floor detection means that detects boarding and alighting floors indicating the floors at which the detected passengers boarded the car and the floors at which the passengers disembarked from the car; a weighted number of passengers calculation means that calculates a weighted number of passengers for each boarding and alighting floor, equivalent to the number of passengers weighted by the attributes, based on the detected attributes, a coefficient preset for the attributes, and the detected boarding and alighting floors; and a grouping means that performs grouping suitable for the divided operation based on the calculated weighted number of passengers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of an elevator system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the functions of the camera and an example of the schematic configuration of the information processing device in the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of the boarding and alighting information in the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the processing executed in the weighted number of people calculation unit in the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the processing executed in the weighted number of people calculation unit in the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the processing executed in the weighted number of people calculation unit in the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of weighted number-of-persons data in the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of weighted number-of-persons data in the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the processing executed in the grouping unit in the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the processing executed in the grouping unit in the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the processing executed in the grouping unit in the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation executed in the elevator system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the disclosure is merely an example, and the invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Modifications that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art are naturally included in the scope of the disclosure. For clearer explanation, the size, shape, etc. of each part may be changed from the actual embodiment and shown schematically in the drawings. In multiple drawings, corresponding elements may be given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations may be omitted.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an elevator system according to one embodiment, in which a configuration in which multiple elevators are group-managed is shown. Note that the term "elevator" here basically refers to a "car." The example in FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which two cars, designated as car A and car B, are group-managed, but the number of cars to be group-managed can be any number as long as it is two or more. Note that in this embodiment, the building in which the cars are installed is described as having five floors.

[0011] In the figure, 11a and 11b are elevator control devices (also called car control devices), and 12a and 12b are cars. The elevator control device 11a controls the operation of the car 12a. Specifically, the elevator control device 11a controls a motor (hoisting machine) (not shown) for raising and lowering the car 12a, and controls the opening and closing of doors. Similarly, the elevator control device 11b controls the operation of the car 12b. These elevator control devices 11a and 11b are configured by computers equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc.

[0012] The cars 12a and 12b are driven by motors to move up and down in the elevator shaft. Inside the car 12a, a car operation panel 13a is installed, which has various buttons including destination floor buttons, door open buttons, door close buttons, etc. Signals from these buttons are transmitted to the group management control device 30 via the elevator control device 11a of car A.

[0013] Similarly, a car control panel 13b having various buttons including a destination floor button, a door open button, a door close button, etc. is installed inside the car 12b. The signals of these buttons are transmitted to the group supervisory control device 30 via the elevator control device 11b of car B.

[0014] Although details will be described later, a camera 14a is installed inside the car 12a, and a camera 14b is installed inside the car 12b. The cameras 14a and 14b are connected to an information processing device 40 described later so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0015] Hall call buttons 21a, 21b are installed at the landing (elevator hall) as registration devices for passengers (users) to register hall calls. The number of hall call buttons is determined arbitrarily taking into consideration the number of cars, etc. In this embodiment, as in the example of FIG. 1, it is described that the same number of hall call buttons 21a, 21b as the number of cars are installed. In reality, the same number of hall call buttons 21a, 21b as the number of cars are installed at the landing on each floor.

[0016] The hall call buttons 21a and 21b consist of an up button and a down button, and are configured to press either the up button or the down button depending on the passenger's destination (up / down). Note that the lowest floor has only the up button, and the top floor has only the down button.

[0017] A "hall call" is a call signal registered by operating a hall call button installed at the landing of each floor, and includes information on the registered floor (the floor where the hall call is registered) and the destination direction (upward or downward). Also, a "car call" is a call signal registered by operating a destination floor button installed inside the car, and includes information on the destination floor.

[0018] In the following description, unless there is a need to particularly distinguish between the elevator control devices 11a, 11b, the cars 12a, 12b, the car operating panels 13a, 13b, the cameras 14a, 14b, and the hall call buttons 21a, 21b, the suffixes "a" and "b" will be omitted.

[0019] The group management control device 30 is a device for group management control of the operation of multiple cars 12, and, like the elevator control device 11, is composed of a computer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. When a hall call is registered, the group management control device 30 performs allocation control, selecting the most suitable car from the multiple cars 12 and having it respond to the registered floor of the hall call. Under specific conditions, the group management control device 30 also performs split operation, dividing the floors at which each car 12 can operate into at least two groups. Split operation limits the floors at which each car can operate (floors at which it can stop), thereby shortening the average time required for each car 12 to complete one revolution around the elevator shaft and increasing the number of passengers that can be transported per hour. In such split operation, it is necessary to group the cars 12 so that there is little bias in the number of passengers in each car 12.

[0020] The group management control device 30 specifies at least one of the conditions of date, time period, day of the week, etc., and transmits a grouping request to the information processing device 40, requesting suitable grouping when performing divided operation under the specified conditions. As will be described in detail later, upon receiving the grouping request from the group management control device 30, the information processing device 40 performs grouping suitable for performing divided operation under the conditions included in the grouping request (i.e., grouping with little imbalance in the number of passengers in each car 12). The group management control device 30 performs divided operation in accordance with the grouping results determined by the information processing device 40.

[0021] Next, the camera 14 installed in the car 12 and the information processing device 40 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 2, a camera 14 is installed above the entrance / exit of the car 12. Specifically, the camera 14 is installed in a panel covering the upper part of the entrance / exit of the car 12, with the lens portion facing directly downward. The camera 14 has an ultra-wide-angle lens, such as a fisheye lens, and captures a wide range of subjects, including the interior of the car 12 and the hall 17, with a viewing angle of 180 degrees or more. The camera 14 can continuously capture several frames per second (e.g., 30 frames / second).

[0023] The camera 14 does not have to be installed above the entrance / exit of the car 12, as long as it is near the car door 15. For example, it may be installed on the ceiling surface near the entrance / exit of the car 12, or in any other location that can capture an image of the entire car interior including the entire floor area inside the car 12, and the landing 17 near the entrance / exit when the door is open.

[0024] At the landing 17 on each floor, a landing door 16 is installed at the arrival entrance of the car 12 so that it can be opened and closed freely. The landing door 16 engages with the car door 15 when the car 12 arrives and opens and closes. The power source (door motor) is located on the car 12 side, and the landing door 16 simply opens and closes following the car door 15.

[0025] The images (videos) continuously captured by the camera 14 are transmitted to the information processing device 40, and are analyzed and processed by the information processing device 40 in real time.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 40 includes a passenger detection unit 41, a boarding / alighting floor detection unit 42, a storage unit 43, a weighted number-of-person calculation unit 44, and a grouping unit 45.

[0027] The passenger detection unit 41 uses the images captured by the camera 14 to detect passengers in the car 12 or at the landing 17, and also detects the attributes of the passengers. Passenger attributes indicate the type of passenger, which is one of the factors that affect the time it takes to get on and off the car 12, and examples include, but are not limited to, general users, elderly people, children, wheelchair users, stroller users, passengers in groups, and people with canes.

[0028] The boarding and alighting floor detection unit 42 tracks the movement of the passenger detected by the passenger detection unit 41, thereby detecting that the passenger has boarded the elevator car 12 and detecting the floor at which the passenger boarded the elevator car 12 (hereinafter referred to as the boarding floor).

[0029] In addition, the boarding and alighting floor detection unit 42 tracks the movements of passengers detected by the passenger detection unit 41 (more specifically, by tracking the movements of a specific passenger who has been detected to have boarded the elevator 12), thereby detecting that the passenger has alighted from the elevator 12 and detecting the floor from which the passenger alighted from the elevator 12 (hereinafter referred to as the alighting floor).

[0030] With respect to the above-mentioned specified passenger, the attributes detected by the passenger detection unit 41 and the boarding and disembarking floors (boarding and disembarking floors) detected by the boarding and disembarking floor detection unit 42 are stored in the memory unit 43 in correspondence with the date and time when the specified passenger was detected by the passenger detection unit 41.

[0031] The storage unit 43 stores boarding and alighting information relating to passengers detected by the passenger detection unit 41. Here, the data structure of the boarding and alighting information stored in the storage unit 43 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the boarding and alighting information is information in which the date and time, attributes, boarding floor, and alighting floor are associated with each other.

[0033] For example, according to the boarding and alighting information i1 shown in Figure 3, it is shown that the passenger detected by the passenger detection unit 41 on "2023 / 9 / 28 15:01" was a "general user," that the passenger boarded the elevator 12 from the "1st floor," and that the passenger alighted from the elevator 12 on the "5th floor."

[0034] Furthermore, according to the boarding and alighting information i2 shown in Figure 3, it is shown that the passenger detected by the passenger detection unit 41 on "2023 / 9 / 29 15:01" was an "elderly person," that the passenger boarded the elevator 12 from the "5th floor," and that the passenger disembarked from the elevator 12 on the "4th floor."

[0035] Furthermore, according to the boarding and alighting information i3 shown in Figure 3, it is shown that the passenger detected by the passenger detection unit 41 on "2023 / 9 / 30 15:01" was a "wheelchair user," that the passenger boarded the elevator 12 from the "second floor," and that the passenger disembarked from the elevator 12 on the "first floor."

[0036] Here, the boarding and alighting information i1 to i3 has been specifically described, but the same applies to the boarding and alighting information i4 and i5. The boarding and alighting information may further be associated with the weather at the date and time when the passengers are detected by the passenger detection unit 41. This makes it possible to deal with the case where the group management control device 30 specifies weather as a condition included in the grouping request.

[0037] Returning to the explanation of Figure 2 again. The weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 extracts (reads out) from the storage unit 43 boarding and alighting information that matches the conditions included in the grouping request received from the group management control device 30, from the boarding and alighting information stored in the storage unit 43.

[0038] The weighted number-of-passengers calculation unit 44 counts the number of passengers of each attribute for each floor, based on the attributes and floors included in the extracted boarding and alighting information.

[0039] The weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 calculates the number of passengers weighted by attributes (hereinafter referred to as the weighted number of passengers) for each floor based on a coefficient preset for each attribute. More specifically, the weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 calculates the weighted number of passengers for each attribute for each floor by multiplying the counted number of passengers for each attribute for each floor by a coefficient preset for each attribute. The weighted number of passengers for each attribute is summed for each floor to generate weighted number of passengers data indicating the weighted number of passengers for each floor.

[0040] 4 to 7, the processing executed in the weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 will be described in more detail. It is assumed here that the boarding and alighting information i1 to i5 shown in FIG. 3 is stored in the storage unit 43, and a grouping request including the time period "15:00-16:00" as a condition is received from the group management control device 30.

[0041] In this case, the weighted number of people calculation unit 44 extracts from the memory unit 43 boarding and alighting information i1 to i4, which indicate times within the range of "15:00-16:00" indicated by the date and time, as boarding and alighting information that meets the conditions included in the grouping request received from the group management control device 30.

[0042] The weighted number-of-passengers calculation unit 44 counts the number of passengers of each attribute for each floor, based on the attributes and floors included in each of the extracted boarding and alighting information i1 to i4.

[0043] Specifically, the number of passengers with the attribute of "general user" boarding and alighting at each floor is counted as "1 person" for a passenger who boards at the first floor indicated by boarding and alighting information i1 and alights at the fifth floor, and as "1 person" for a passenger who boards at the fourth floor indicated by boarding and alighting information i4 and alights at the second floor, as shown in Figure 4(a).

[0044] In addition, the number of passengers with the attribute of "elderly" boarding and alighting at each floor is counted as "1 person" for a passenger who boards at the 5th floor indicated by boarding and alighting information i2 and alights at the 4th floor, as shown in Figure 4(b).

[0045] Furthermore, the number of passengers with the attribute of "wheelchair user" boarding and alighting at each floor is counted as "1 person" for a passenger who boards on the second floor indicated by boarding and alighting information i3 and alights on the first floor, as shown in Figure 4(c).

[0046] The weighted number-of-people calculation unit 44 calculates the weighted number of people for each attribute for each floor. Specifically, the weighted number-of-people calculation unit 44 calculates the weighted number of passengers with the attribute of "general users," the weighted number of passengers with the attribute of "elderly people," and the weighted number of passengers with the attribute of "wheelchair users" for each floor.

[0047] Here, as shown in Figure 5, we assume that the coefficient set for the attribute of "general users" is "1," the coefficient set for the attribute of "elderly people" is "1.5," and the coefficient set for the attribute of "wheelchair users" is "2," but the values ​​of the coefficients set for each attribute are not limited to these.

[0048] The weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 calculates the weighted number of passengers per floor weighted by the attribute of "general users" by multiplying the number of passengers per floor with the attribute of "general users" by a coefficient of "1" (see Figure 6(a)).

[0049] In addition, the weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 calculates the weighted number of passengers per floor weighted by the attribute of “elderly” by multiplying the number of passengers per floor with the attribute of “elderly” by a coefficient of “1.5” (see Figure 6(b)).

[0050] Furthermore, the weighted number of people calculation unit 44 calculates the weighted number of people per boarding and alighting floor weighted by the attribute of "wheelchair users" by multiplying the number of passengers per boarding and alighting floor who have the attribute of "wheelchair users" by a coefficient of "2" (see Figure 6(c)).

[0051] The weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 calculates the weighted number of passengers for each floor weighted by the attributes by summing up the calculated weighted number of passengers for each attribute. As a result, the weighted number of passengers data shown in FIG. 7 is generated.

[0052] According to the weighted number of passengers data shown in Figure 7, between 15:00 and 16:00, there was "1" passenger who boarded on the 1st floor and disembarked on the 5th floor, "1.5" passengers who boarded on the 5th floor and disembarked on the 4th floor, "2" passengers who boarded on the 2nd floor and disembarked on the 1st floor, and "1" passenger who boarded on the 4th floor and disembarked on the 2nd floor.

[0053] For ease of explanation, it is assumed here that the boarding and alighting information stored in the storage unit 43 is only boarding and alighting information i1 to i5, and that the boarding and alighting information that meets the conditions included in the grouping request is only boarding and alighting information i1 to i4, but in reality, more boarding and alighting information is stored in the storage unit 43, and the weighted number of people calculation unit 44 generates weighted number of people data as shown in Fig. 8 by adding up the calculated weighted number of people of each attribute for each boarding and alighting floor. Note that when the weighted number of people for each boarding and alighting floor is a value that includes a decimal point, such as "1.5 people" in Fig. 7, the weighted number of people may be converted to an integer value by a method such as rounding off, rounding up, or rounding down.

[0054] In addition, when a passenger detected by the passenger detection unit 41 includes multiple attributes (for example, when a passenger with the attributes of "elderly person" and "wheelchair user" is detected by the passenger detection unit 41), the weighted number of people calculation unit 44 may refer to a coefficient set in advance for each attribute, and consider the passenger to be a passenger with an attribute with a larger coefficient, and perform various processes.

[0055] Here, it is assumed that one coefficient is set for one attribute, but this is not limiting, and one coefficient may be set for multiple attributes. For example, a coefficient may be set for the attribute "elderly person, wheelchair user" in addition to a coefficient set for the attribute "elderly person" and a coefficient set for the attribute "wheelchair user." In this way, even if a passenger detected by the passenger detection unit 41 has multiple attributes, the weighted number-of-persons calculation unit 44 can perform various processes in the same way as when the passenger has one attribute.

[0056] In addition, here, the weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 counts the number of passengers of each attribute for each floor based on the attributes and floors included in the extracted boarding and alighting information, but this is not limited to this, and the weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 may calculate the number of passengers weighted by the attributes included in the boarding and alighting information for each piece of extracted boarding and alighting information, and add up the calculated weighted numbers for each floor, thereby generating the weighted number of passengers data described above. This makes it possible to omit the process of counting the number of passengers of each attribute for each floor.

[0057] In the present embodiment, the weighted number-of-passengers calculation unit 44 counts the number of passengers of each attribute for each boarding / alighting floor based on the attributes and boarding / alighting floors included in the extracted boarding / alighting information. However, the process of counting the number of passengers of each attribute for each boarding / alighting floor may be executed before receiving a grouping request from the group management control device 30. When the above-described counting process is executed before receiving a grouping request from the group management control device 30, the counting process is executed every 10 minutes, for example, if the minimum time interval that can be specified as a condition included in the grouping request is 10 minutes. This allows data indicating the number of passengers of each attribute for each boarding / alighting floor (e.g., data corresponding to FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c)) to be constantly stored in the storage unit 43. In this case, the weighted number-of-passengers calculation unit 44 can execute the process of calculating the weighted number of passengers of each attribute by extracting data indicating the number of passengers of each attribute for each boarding / alighting floor that matches the condition from the storage unit 43, rather than extracting boarding / alighting information that matches the condition included in the grouping request received from the group management control device 30 from the storage unit 43.

[0058] Returning to the explanation of Figure 2 again. The grouping unit 45 performs grouping suited to the conditions included in the grouping request received from the group management control device 30, based on the weighted number of people data generated by the weighted number of people calculation unit 44.

[0059] Specifically, first, the grouping unit 45 generates a plurality of grouping candidates consisting of a plurality of groups (for example, the same number of groups as the number of cars) each including an operable floor. Note that the plurality of groups included in each of the plurality of grouping candidates includes a floor corresponding to the reference floor. In the following, a case will be described in which the grouping unit 45 generates grouping candidates such that each group includes a floor corresponding to the reference floor and includes the same number of floors, and covers all combinations of floors. However, this is not limited to this, and the grouping unit 45 may generate grouping candidates in which each group does not include the same number of floors. For example, if it is estimated from past data that the number of times that the car 12 stops at the first floor corresponding to the reference floor and at a certain floor, the fifth floor, is significantly higher than at other floors, the grouping unit 45 may generate grouping candidates including two groups, "first floor, fifth floor" and "first floor, second floor, third floor, fourth floor" (i.e., each group does not include the same number of floors).

[0060] Furthermore, the grouping unit 45 may generate multiple grouping candidates by taking the above-mentioned attributes into consideration. Specifically, the grouping unit 45 may identify boarding and alighting floors that are frequently used by passengers with specific attributes who have difficulty moving between floors without using an elevator, such as "wheelchair users" or "stroller users," based on the attributes and boarding and alighting floors included in the extracted boarding and alighting information, and generate grouping candidates by including these identified boarding and alighting floors in the same group. This can prevent passengers with specific attributes from becoming dissatisfied as described above (for example, dissatisfaction that there is no elevator car that stops at a floor where it is difficult to move between floors without using an elevator).

[0061] Furthermore, when the grouping unit 45 identifies floors where passengers with specific attributes who have difficulty moving between floors without using an elevator are frequently traveling, the grouping unit 45 may generate grouping candidates by including these identified floors in all groups, as with the reference floors described above. This can further prevent dissatisfaction among passengers with specific attributes, as described above.

[0062] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the number of cars 12 is two, the building in which these cars 12 are installed is five stories tall, and the reference floor is the first floor. For this reason, the grouping unit 45 generates a first grouping candidate including two groups of "1st floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor" and "1st floor, 4th floor, 5th floor", a second grouping candidate including two groups of "1st floor, 2nd floor, 4th floor" and "1st floor, 3rd floor, 5th floor", and a third grouping candidate including two groups of "1st floor, 3rd floor, 4th floor" and "1st floor, 2nd floor, 5th floor".

[0063] The grouping unit 45 determines, from among the generated plurality of grouping candidates, the grouping candidate with the smallest difference in the weighted number of people in each group included in the grouping candidate, as the grouping suitable for the divided operation.

[0064] 9 to 11, the processing executed by the grouping unit 45 will be described in more detail. It is assumed here that the above-mentioned first grouping candidate, second grouping candidate, and third grouping candidate are generated as grouping candidates, and the weighted number-of-people data shown in FIG. 8 is generated by the weighted number-of-people calculation unit 44.

[0065] The grouping unit 45 calculates the weighted number of people for each of the two groups included in the first grouping candidates in order to calculate the difference in the weighted number of people for each of the two groups included in the first grouping candidates. Specifically, the weighted number of people for the "1st, 2nd, 3rd floor" group (i.e., the weighted number of passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st, 2nd, 3rd floors") corresponds to the sum of the weighted numbers marked with diagonal lines in Figure 9(a), and is calculated as "320 people." Note that passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st, 2nd, 3rd floors" are passengers who board the car 12 from any of the "1st, 2nd, 3rd floors" and disembark from the car 12 on any of the "1st, 2nd, 3rd floors."

[0066] Furthermore, the weighted number of people for the set of "1st floor, 4th floor, 5th floor" (i.e., the weighted number of passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st floor, 4th floor, 5th floor") corresponds to the sum of the weighted numbers marked with dots in Figure 9(a), and is calculated as "682 people." Note that passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st floor, 4th floor, 5th floor" are passengers who board the car 12 from any of the "1st floor, 4th floor, 5th floor" floors and disembark from the car 12 on any of the "1st floor, 4th floor, 5th floor" floors.

[0067] According to this, the grouping unit 45 calculates "362 people (=|320-682|)" as the difference in the weighted number of people between the two groups (Group 1 and Group 2) included in the first grouping candidate, as shown in Figure 9(b).

[0068] Similarly, the grouping unit 45 calculates the weighted number of people for each of the two groups included in the second grouping candidates in order to calculate the difference in the weighted number of people for each of the two groups included in the second grouping candidates. Specifically, the weighted number of people for the "1st, 2nd, 4th floor" group (i.e., the weighted number of passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st, 2nd, 4th floors") corresponds to the sum of the weighted numbers marked with diagonal lines in Figure 10(a), and is calculated as "415 people." Note that passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st, 2nd, 4th floors" are passengers who board the car 12 from any of the "1st, 2nd, 4th floors" and disembark from the car 12 on any of the "1st, 2nd, 4th floors."

[0069] Furthermore, the weighted number of people for the "1st, 3rd, 5th floor" set (i.e., the weighted number of passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st, 3rd, 5th floors") corresponds to the sum of the weighted numbers marked with dots in Figure 10(a), and is calculated as "636 people." Passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st, 3rd, 5th floors" are passengers who board the car 12 from any of the "1st, 3rd, 5th floors" and disembark from the car 12 on any of the "1st, 3rd, 5th floors."

[0070] According to this, the grouping unit 45 calculates "221 people (=|415-636|)" as the difference in the weighted number of people between the two groups (Group 1 and Group 2) included in the second grouping candidate, as shown in Figure 10(b).

[0071] Furthermore, the grouping unit 45 calculates the weighted number of people for each of the two groups included in the third grouping candidates in order to calculate the difference in the weighted number of people for each of the two groups included in the third grouping candidates. Specifically, the weighted number of passengers for the set of "1st floor, 2nd floor, 5th floor" (i.e., the weighted number of passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st floor, 2nd floor, 5th floor") corresponds to the sum of the weighted number of passengers marked with diagonal lines in Figure 11(a), and is calculated as "545 passengers." Note that passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st floor, 2nd floor, 5th floor" are passengers who board the car 12 from any of the "1st floor, 2nd floor, 5th floor" floors and disembark from the car 12 on any of the "1st floor, 2nd floor, 5th floor" floors.

[0072] Furthermore, the weighted number of people for the "1st, 3rd, 4th floor" set (i.e., the weighted number of passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st, 3rd, 4th floors") corresponds to the sum of the weighted numbers marked with dots in Figure 11(a), and is calculated as "500 people." Passengers riding in cars 12 whose operable floors are "1st, 3rd, 4th floors" are passengers who board the car 12 from any of the "1st, 3rd, 4th floors" and disembark from the car 12 on any of the "1st, 3rd, 4th floors."

[0073] According to this, the grouping unit 45 calculates "45 people (=|545-500|)" as the difference in the weighted number of people between the two groups (group 1 and group 2) included in the third grouping candidate, as shown in Figure 11(b).

[0074] The grouping unit 45 determines, from among the generated plurality of grouping candidates, the grouping candidate with the smallest difference in the weighted number of people in each group included in the grouping candidate as the grouping suitable for the split operation, and therefore determines the above-mentioned third grouping candidate as the grouping suitable for the split operation. Grouping information indicating the determined grouping is transmitted from the information processing device 40 to the group management control device 30.

[0075] Here, the grouping unit 45 may add the weighted number of people that do not fall into either of the two groups included in the grouping candidates (i.e., the weighted number of people at boarding and alighting floors that are not hatched in Figures 9(a), 10(a), and 11(a)) to the weighted number of people for one of the groups.

[0076] For example, when calculating the weighted number of people for two groups included in the above-mentioned third grouping candidate, a passenger who boards from the second floor and gets off on the fourth floor cannot move directly from the second floor to the fourth floor even if he / she boards a car 12 whose operable floors are "first, second, and fifth floors" or a car 12 whose operable floors are "first, third, and fourth floors." Therefore, the passenger is expected to first travel by elevator from the departure floor (second floor) to the nearest floor (floor 5) to the destination floor, and then travel from the nearest floor to the destination floor (floor 4) using stairs or an escalator. In other words, since a passenger who boards from the second floor and gets off on the fourth floor is expected to board a car 12 whose operable floors are "first, second, and fifth floors," the grouping unit 45 may add the weighted number of people of passengers who board from the second floor and get off on the fourth floor to the weighted number of people of the group "first, second, and fifth floors." In this way, by adding (allocating) the weighted number of people who do not fall into either of the two groups included in the grouping candidates to the weighted number of people in one of the groups, it is possible to make groupings that take the actual situation into greater consideration.

[0077] However, the weighted number of passengers who do not fall into either of the two groups included in the grouping candidates and who travel between adjacent floors does not have to be assigned to either group. For example, when calculating the weighted number of passengers for the two groups included in the third grouping candidate described above, passengers traveling between adjacent floors, such as passengers who board from the second floor and get off on the third floor, are expected to use stairs or escalators instead of elevators if there is no elevator that can take them directly from the departure floor to the destination floor. This makes it possible to perform grouping that takes actual conditions into further consideration.

[0078] Next, an example of the operation executed in the elevator system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0079] The images captured by the camera 14 are constantly collected by the information processing device 40 (step S1). The passenger detection unit 41 of the information processing device 40 uses the images collected from the camera 14 to detect passengers in the car 12 or at the landing 17 and the attributes of the passengers (step S2).

[0080] The boarding and alighting floor detection unit 42 of the information processing device 40 detects the boarding floor and the alighting floor (boarding and alighting floor) of the passenger by tracking the movement of the passenger detected in the processing of step S2 (step S3). Thereafter, the boarding and alighting floor detection unit 42 stores boarding and alighting information in which the date and time and attributes at which the passenger was detected in the processing of step S2 are associated with the boarding floor and the alighting floor detected in the processing of step S3 in the storage unit 43 (step S4).

[0081] The above-mentioned processing of steps S1 to S4 is always executed. On the other hand, the processing shown below is executed when the information processing device 40 receives a grouping request from the group management control device 30.

[0082] When a grouping request is received from the group management control device 30 (step S5), the weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 of the information processing device 40 extracts boarding and alighting information that meets the conditions included in the received grouping request from the memory unit 43 (step S6).

[0083] Next, the weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 counts the number of passengers of each attribute for each floor based on the attributes and floors included in the boarding and alighting information extracted in the processing of step S6, and calculates the weighted number of passengers of each attribute for each floor based on the counted number of passengers of each attribute for each floor and a coefficient preset for each attribute (step S7). Thereafter, the weighted number of passengers calculation unit 44 calculates the weighted number of passengers for each floor by summing the weighted number of passengers of each attribute calculated in the processing of step S7 for each floor (step S8). As a result, weighted number of passengers data indicating the weighted number of passengers for each floor is generated.

[0084] Next, the grouping unit 45 of the information processing device 40 generates a plurality of grouping candidates each consisting of a plurality of groups each including operable floors (step S9). Thereafter, the grouping unit 45 calculates the weighted number of people for each of the grouping candidates generated in the processing of step S9, and calculates the difference between the weighted number of people for each group (step S10). Then, the grouping unit 45 determines the grouping candidate with the smallest difference calculated in the processing of step S10 as the grouping suitable for divided operation (step S11). Grouping information indicating the determined grouping is transmitted from the information processing device 40 to the group management control device 30.

[0085] Thereafter, the group management control device 30 carries out divided operation in accordance with the grouping indicated by the grouping information received from the information processing device 40 (step S12), and ends this series of operations.

[0086] In the elevator system according to the embodiment described above, the number of passengers on each floor is not simply counted to determine the grouping for split operation, but the number of passengers on each floor is weighted by the attributes of the passengers (weighted number of passengers) and then calculated to determine the grouping for split operation, so that it is possible to determine the grouping for split operation taking into consideration the actual situation.

[0087] For example, if the number of passengers at each floor is simply counted, passengers who are expected to take different times to board and alight, such as general users and wheelchair users, are counted as one person. However, in the elevator system according to this embodiment, general users and wheelchair users are counted as different numbers of people (for example, if the coefficient set for general users is "1" and the coefficient set for wheelchair users is "2," one general user is counted as one passenger and one wheelchair user is counted as two passengers), so it is possible to perform grouping for divided operation that takes actual conditions into consideration. In other words, according to the elevator system according to this embodiment, it is possible to perform grouping with less bias in the number of passengers in each car 12 compared to when grouping for divided operation is performed by simply counting the number of passengers at each floor, and it is possible to reduce bias in waiting times for each car 12.

[0088] According to the embodiment described above, it is possible to provide an elevator system that can perform grouping for performing divided operation with little bias in the number of passengers in each car.

[0089] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 12a, 12b...cars, 14a, 14b...cameras, 30...group management control device, 40...information processing device, 41...passenger detection unit, 42...boarding and alighting floor detection unit, 43...memory unit, 44...weighted number of people calculation unit, 45...grouping unit.

Claims

1. Multiple carriages, A group management control device that divides the floors on which each car can operate into a plurality of groups and performs divided operation to operate each car; A camera installed in each of the cars; passenger detection means for detecting passengers and attributes of the passengers from the images captured by the camera; a floor detection means for detecting a floor at which the detected passenger boarded the car and a floor at which the passenger disembarked from the car; a weighted number-of-people calculation means for calculating a weighted number of people corresponding to the number of passengers weighted by the attributes for each floor based on the detected attributes, a coefficient preset for the attributes, and the detected floors; a grouping means for performing grouping suitable for the divided operation based on the calculated weighted number of people; An elevator system comprising:

2. further comprising a storage means for storing boarding and alighting information in which the detected attributes and the detected boarding and alighting floors are associated with each other, The weighted number of people calculation means When a grouping suitable for division operation to be performed under predetermined conditions is requested by the group management control device, boarding and alighting information that matches the conditions is extracted from the storage means, counting the number of passengers with each attribute for each floor based on the attributes and the floors included in each of the extracted boarding and alighting information; multiplying the counted number of passengers for each floor for each attribute by a coefficient set for each attribute, thereby calculating a weighted number of passengers for each floor for each attribute; The calculated weighted number of people for each attribute is summed for each floor, and a weighted number of people for each floor is calculated.

10. The elevator system of claim 1.

3. The boarding and alighting information further includes a date and time when the passenger was detected by the passenger detection means, The predetermined condition includes at least one of a date, a time period, or a day of the week.

3. The elevator system of claim 2.

4. The grouping means generating a plurality of grouping candidates each consisting of a plurality of groups each including an operable floor; Among the generated plurality of grouping candidates, a grouping candidate having the smallest difference in the weighted number of people between the groups is determined as a grouping suitable for the divided operation; The weighted number of people in each group is the sum of the weighted number of people of the boarding and alighting floors corresponding to the floors included in each group.

3. The elevator system of claim 2.

5. The grouping means identifying a floor on which passengers with a predetermined attribute are frequently traveling based on the attribute and the floor included in each of the extracted boarding and alighting information; generating the grouping candidates so that the specified floors with a high traffic volume of the predetermined attribute are included in the same group; 5. The elevator system of claim 4.

6. The grouping means generating the grouping candidates so that each group includes a floor with a high traffic volume of the specified predetermined attribute; 6. The elevator system of claim 5.

7. The predetermined attribute is a type of passenger who has difficulty moving between floors without using the elevator car.

7. An elevator system according to claim 5 or claim 6.

8. The grouping means generating the grouping candidates so that each group includes a floor corresponding to a reference floor; 8. The elevator system of claim 7.

9. The grouping means The weighted number of passengers at floors other than the floors corresponding to the floors included in each group is added to the weighted number of passengers of any of the groups.

5. The elevator system of claim 4.

10. the group management control device performs the divided operation in accordance with the result of the grouping.

10. The elevator system of claim 1.

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