Autonomous mobile body, system for getting on and off elevator, method for getting on and off elevator, and program

Abstract

To achieve more stable interlocked operation of an elevator and an autonomous mobile body in places where wireless communication is difficult.SOLUTION: An autonomous mobile body capable of getting on and off an elevator comprises: a communication unit capable of communicating, over a network, with a server that controls the autonomous mobile body; a reading unit capable of reading identification information provided in a prescribed place on the elevator if communication with the server is interrupted; and a control unit for controlling travel of the autonomous mobile body in accordance with the read identification information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an autonomous moving body, an elevator getting on and off system, an elevator getting on and off method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Elevator systems in which an autonomous mobile object such as a robot rides in an elevator and operates the elevator in tandem have been known for some time. In such elevator systems, the autonomous mobile object is wirelessly connected via Wi-Fi or the like to a cloud server that controls the autonomous mobile object, and travels within a building or uses the elevator according to wireless instructions from the cloud server. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-117854 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if an autonomous moving body enters an area in a building where an elevator is installed and radio waves such as Wi-Fi cannot reach, communication with the cloud server may be temporarily cut off, causing the operation of the autonomous moving body to be interrupted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The autonomous mobile body of the embodiment is an autonomous mobile body that can get on and off an elevator, and is equipped with a communication unit that can communicate with a server that controls the autonomous mobile body via a network, a reading unit that can read identification information provided at a predetermined location on the elevator when communication with the server is interrupted, and a control unit that controls the movement of the autonomous mobile body in accordance with the read identification information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an elevator getting on and off system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the robot according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control panel according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for elevator getting-on / off processing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the robot is at a platform in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the state in which the robot is at the platform in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the robot is in a car in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of an elevator getting on and off process according to the first modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an elevator getting on and off system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control panel according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the elevator getting on and off process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the control of the door 5 in accordance with the operation of the robot in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0008] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an elevator getting on and off system 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the elevator getting on and off system 1 of this embodiment mainly includes a control panel 100 provided for each elevator 2, a controller 150 provided for each elevator 2, a router 170 provided for each elevator, identification information 10 (see Figs. 5, 6, and 7) provided at a predetermined location in the elevator 2, a control room 160, a server 210 in an elevator cloud 200, a server 310 in a robot cloud 300, and a monitoring center 400.

[0009] In this embodiment, one elevator 2 is installed in a building 3 such as an office building or an apartment building. The elevator 2 has a car 50 in a hoistway 20. In addition, a hoist and a counterweight (not shown) are also provided in the hoistway 20. The car 50 and the counterweight are each supported so as to be able to rise and fall freely on a pair of guide rails (not shown) that are erected in the hoistway 20, and move up and down via ropes.

[0010] In addition to users, robots 500 serving as autonomous moving bodies can also ride in the elevator car 50.

[0011] The car 50 is provided with an operation panel 4B and a camera 7. The operation panel 4B receives various operations from users and issues various notifications to the car 50. The operation panel 4B is provided with a liquid crystal display 41 (see FIG. 7), push buttons for specifying a destination floor and for opening and closing the doors of the car 50, a non-contact sensor, a speaker, and the like (none of which are shown). The operation panel 4B is also connected to the control panel 100 by wire or wirelessly. When a user presses a destination floor push button or when detected by a non-contact sensor, a destination floor call is sent to the control panel 100.

[0012] Here, the destination floor call is an operation performed by a user or the robot 500 in the car 50 to direct the car 50 to a desired destination floor. The destination floor call includes the destination floor.

[0013] The camera 7 photographs the interior of the elevator car 50 and sends the photographed image to the control panel 100. Furthermore, when the door of the elevator car 50 is open at the platform 180, the camera 7 is capable of photographing the platform and sends the photographed image to the control panel 100.

[0014] Here, the platform 180 is a place where users and robots 500 wait for the arrival of the elevator car 50, and is provided on each floor.

[0015] A control panel 100, a controller 150, and a router 170 are provided inside the elevator shaft 20. The control panel 100 is connected to an operation panel 4B provided in the elevator car 50 wirelessly or by wire.

[0016] The control panels 100 control the operation of the cars 50 in the elevator 2. Each of the control panels 100 is connected to each of the controllers 150 by wire or wirelessly.

[0017] The controller 150 is connected via a network to the server 210 in the elevator cloud 200. The controller 150 is an intermediary device that controls communication between the control panel 100 and the server 210 and has an interface function and a hub function for intermediating various signals exchanged between the control panel 100 and the server 210.

[0018] The router 170 is a communication device for wirelessly connecting the server 310 of the robot cloud 300 and the robot 500 in the elevator 2 via Wi-Fi.

[0019] Each platform 180 is provided with an operation panel 4A. The operation panel 4A receives various operations from users and issues various notifications to the elevator car 50. The operation panel 4A is provided with a liquid crystal display 41 (see FIGS. 5 and 6), a push button for specifying the destination direction (upward or downward), a non-contact sensor, a speaker, and the like (none of which are shown). The operation panel 4A is also connected to the control panel 100 by wire or wirelessly. A platform call is sent to the control panel 100 when a user presses a push button for the destination direction or when the non-contact sensor detects the destination.

[0020] Here, a platform call is an operation performed by a platform user or the robot 500 to make the car 50 heading in either the up or down direction arrive at the platform. The platform call includes the destination direction and the floor at which the platform call is made.

[0021] Furthermore, identification information is attached to predetermined locations such as the floor and door rails of the car 50. The identification information is information that indicates to the robot 500 the status of the car 50, such as the open / closed state of the door, the distance to the waiting location in the car 50, etc., when the wireless connection between the robot 500 and the server 310 of the robot cloud 300 is lost.

[0022] Examples of the identification information include an IC tag, a two-dimensional code, etc. However, information other than these may also be used as the identification information.

[0023] The manager of building 3 is present in the control room 160 and gives various instructions to the control panel 100. The manager of the control room 160 also receives various instructions from the control panel 100 by email or the like via a PC or terminal device.

[0024] The server 210 in the elevator cloud 200 issues various control instructions for the car 50 of the elevator 2 to the control panel 100 via the controller 150, and receives various requests and data from the control panel 100 via the controller 150. The server 210 in the elevator cloud 200 is connected to a monitoring center 400 (an in-house server) and a server 310 in the robot cloud 300 via a network.

[0025] An in-house server (not shown) is installed in the monitoring center 400. The in-house server is a server installed in an affiliated company of the elevator 2, and collects information necessary for maintenance management and remote monitoring of the elevator 2 from the elevator 2. This allows maintenance personnel to deal with the malfunction by referring to the information necessary for maintenance management collected in the in-house server of the monitoring center 400. Furthermore, when functions or services are executed through the elevator cloud 200, the in-house server of the monitoring center 400 can be accessed as needed to refer to building and elevator information, or the maintenance personnel can obtain information necessary for elevator management.

[0026] The server 310 of the robot cloud 300 receives various requests and various data from the server 210 of the elevator cloud 200. The server 310 of the robot cloud 300 is connected to multiple robots 500 in the building 3 via a network, and transmits various instructions to each of the multiple robots 500.

[0027] The number of elevators is not limited to one, and two or more elevators may be installed in building 3.

[0028] Next, the robot 500 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the robot 500 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the robot 500 mainly includes an imaging unit 510, a reader 511, an analysis unit 501, a control unit 502, and a communication unit 503.

[0029] The imaging unit 510 is a camera or the like that captures an image of the surroundings of the robot 500. The imaging unit 510 captures an image of a two-dimensional code that serves as identification information. If the identification information is an IC tag, the reader 511 performs near field communication with the IC tag to read the information of the IC tag.

[0030] The analysis unit 501 analyzes the contents of the identification information. Specifically, if the identification information is a two-dimensional code, the analysis unit 501 analyzes the contents of the two-dimensional code captured by the imaging unit 510. If the identification information is an IC tag, the analysis unit 501 analyzes the information of the IC tag read by the reader 511.

[0031] The control unit 502 controls the running of the robot 500 based on the analysis results of the analysis unit 501. Details will be described later.

[0032] The communication unit 503 controls wireless communication with the server 310 of the robot cloud 300 via the router 170 .

[0033] Next, the control panel 100 will be described. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the control panel 100 according to the first embodiment. The control panel 100 is an example of an elevator control device. The control panel 100 has a general computer configuration, and as shown in FIG. 3, mainly includes a communication unit 101 and a control unit 102.

[0034] The communication unit 101 controls communication with the server 210 of the elevator cloud 200 via the controller 150 . The control unit 102 is made up of a hardware processor (CPU). The control unit 102 controls the operation of the elevator 2. As operation control, the control unit 102 performs, for example, a function of driving and controlling the hoisting machine, a speed control of the car 50, an opening and closing control of the doors of the car 50, and a control of registering hall calls and destination floor calls.

[0035] Next, the elevator getting-on / off process performed by the robot 500 according to this embodiment configured as above will be described.

[0036] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the elevator getting on and off process according to the first embodiment. Here, the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is executed when wireless communication between the robot 500 and the server 310 of the robot cloud 300 is interrupted.

[0037] When communication by the communication unit 503 is interrupted, the robot 500 first reads the identification information (S11). Specifically, if the identification information is an IC tag, the reader 511 performs near-field communication with the IC tag to receive the information from the IC tag. If the identification information is a two-dimensional code, the imaging unit 510 captures an image of the two-dimensional code.

[0038] Next, the analysis unit 501 analyzes the read identification information (S12). Specifically, if the identification information is an IC tag, the analysis unit 501 reads the information from the IC tag. If the identification information is a two-dimensional code, the analysis unit 501 analyzes the two-dimensional code.

[0039] Next, the control unit 102 controls the running of the robot 500 based on the analyzed information (S13). The details of the control will be described in detail below.

[0040] 5 and 6 are diagrams showing an example of a state in which the robot 500 is located at the landing 180 in the first embodiment. Fig. 5 shows a state in which the door 5 is closed, and Fig. 6 shows a state in which the door 5 is open.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the robot 500 is in a position where radio waves from the router 170 cannot reach it, and communication has been cut off. 5, identification information 10a is attached to the front surface (i.e., the surface facing the landing) of door 5. This identification information 10a stores information indicating that door 5 is closed and its position.

[0042] The robot 500 reads this identification information 10a, and the analysis unit 501 analyzes the contents of the read identification information 10a, and recognizes that the door 5 is closed. Therefore, the control unit 502 stops and waits at the platform 180 without moving until the identification information 10a can no longer be read. Here, when the identification information 10a is an IC tag, it means that the reader 511 can no longer perform near-field communication with the IC tag, and when the identification information is a two-dimensional code, it means that the two-dimensional code has moved out of the imaging range of the imaging unit 510.

[0043] The control unit 502 may be configured to determine that the door 5 is closed and control the travel of the vehicle when the identification information 10a attached to the front surface of the door 5 is read without analyzing the contents of the information.

[0044] Next, assume that the elevator car 50 arrives and the door 5 opens. In this case, as shown in Fig. 6, identification information 10c is attached to the rail surface of the door 5. This identification information 10c records information that indicates the entrance and that the door 5 is open, as well as the distance from the position of the identification information 10c to the waiting area inside the elevator car 50.

[0045] Furthermore, identification information 10b is attached to the floor surface of the car 50 at approximately the center thereof. This identification information 10b has registered therein information indicating that the position of the identification information 10b is a waiting area.

[0046] First, the robot 500 reads the identification information 10c, and the analysis unit 501 analyzes the contents of the read identification information to recognize that the door 5 is open and the distance to the waiting location. Therefore, the control unit 502 controls the robot 500 to move forward and travel the distance from the position of the door 5 to the waiting location read from the identification information 10c, and then stop.

[0047] The control unit 502 may be configured to determine that the door 5 is open and control the travel thereof without analyzing the contents when the identification information 10c attached to the rail surface of the door 5 is read. In this case, the robot 500 may read the identification information 10b to recognize the waiting location, and control the robot 500 to travel to the waiting location recognized by the control unit 502 and stop there.

[0048] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing an example of a state in which the robot 500 is in the elevator car 50 in the first embodiment. Fig. 7A shows a state in which the door 5 is closed, and Fig. 7B shows a state in which the door 5 is open.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 7(a), identification information 10d is attached to the surface of the door 5 facing the car. The identification information 10d registers information indicating that the door 5 is closed and its position.

[0050] The robot 500 reads this identification information 10d, and the analysis unit 501 analyzes the contents of the read identification information 10d, and recognizes that the door 5 is closed. Therefore, the control unit 502 stops and waits inside the car 50 without moving until the identification information 10d can no longer be read.

[0051] The control unit 502 may be configured to determine that the door 5 is closed and control the travel when the identification information 10d attached to the front surface of the door 5 is read without analyzing the contents of the information.

[0052] Next, assume that the elevator car 50 arrives and the door 5 opens. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7(b), identification information 10e is attached to the rail surface of the door 5. This identification information 10e records information that indicates that the elevator is at a boarding / alighting entrance and that the door 5 is open, as well as the distance from the position of the identification information 10c to the disembarking position.

[0053] First, the robot 500 reads the identification information 10e, and the analysis unit 501 analyzes the contents of the read identification information to recognize that the door 5 is open and the distance to the disembarkation position. Therefore, the control unit 502 controls the robot 500 to move forward and travel the distance from the position of the door 5 to the disembarkation position read from the identification information 10e, and then stop.

[0054] The control unit 502 may be configured to determine that the door 5 is open and control the travel when it reads the identification information 10c attached to the rail surface of the door 5 without analyzing the contents.

[0055] As described above, in this embodiment, when the robot 500 loses communication with the server 310 of the robot cloud 300, the imaging unit 510 or the reader 511 can read the identification information 10 provided at a predetermined location on the elevator 2, and the control unit 102 controls the travel of the robot 500 according to the read identification information 10. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the identification information, thereby realizing more stable linked operation of the elevator 2 and the robot 500.

[0056] Furthermore, in the robot 500 according to this embodiment, when the robot 500 is at the hall 180, the imaging unit 510 or the reader 511 can read the identification information 10a provided on the hall-side surface of the door 5 of the car 50, and when the control unit 502 reads the identification information 10a, it stops the robot 500 at the hall 180. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the identification information 10a, thereby realizing more stable linked operation of the opening and closing control of the door 5 of the elevator 2 and the running of the robot 500.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the identification information 10a records information indicating that the door 5 is closed and location information, and in the robot 500, the imaging unit 510 or the reader 511 reads the identification information 10a, and the control unit 502 stops the robot 500 at the landing 180 based on the information indicating that the door is closed and the location information recorded in the identification information 10a. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the identification information 10a, thereby making it possible to achieve more stable linked operation of the opening and closing control of the door 5 of the elevator 2 and the traveling of the robot 500.

[0058] Furthermore, in the robot 500 according to this embodiment, when the robot 500 is at a landing, the imaging unit 510 or the reader 511 is provided on the rail surface of the door 5 of the car 50 and can read identification information 10c indicating the distance to the waiting location within the car 50, and when the identification information 10c is read, the control unit 502 moves the robot 500 within the car 50 by the distance indicated by the identification information 10c. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the identification information 10c, thereby making it possible to achieve more stable linked operation of the opening and closing control of the door 5 of the elevator 2 and the running of the robot 500.

[0059] Furthermore, in the robot 500 according to this embodiment, the imaging unit 510 or the reader 511 can read the identification information 10b provided in the waiting area inside the car 50, and when the identification information 10b is read, the control unit 502 stops the robot 500. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the identification information 10b, thereby realizing more stable linked operation of the opening and closing control of the elevator 2 door 5 and the running of the robot 500.

[0060] Furthermore, in the robot 500 according to this embodiment, when the robot 500 is in the car 50, the imaging unit 510 or the reader 511 can read the identification information 10d provided on the car-side surface of the door 5 of the car 50, and when the identification information 10d is read, the control unit 502 causes the robot 500 to maintain a stopped state inside the car 50. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the identification information 10d, thereby making it possible to achieve more stable linked operation of the opening and closing control of the door 5 of the elevator 2 and the running of the robot 500.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the identification information 10d records information indicating that the doors are closed and location information, and the control unit 502 of the robot 500 maintains the autonomous moving body stopped in the elevator car based on the information indicating that the doors are closed and the location information recorded in the identification information 10d. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the identification information 10d, thereby making it possible to achieve more stable linked operation of the opening and closing control of the elevator door 5 and the running of the robot 500.

[0062] The robot 500 according to this embodiment can read the identification information 10e provided on the rail surface of the door 5 of the car 50 when the robot 500 is in the car 50, and when the control unit 502 reads the identification information 10e, it moves the robot 500 to disembark from the car 50. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the identification information 10e, thereby realizing more stable linked operation of the opening and closing control of the door 5 of the elevator 2 and the running of the robot 500.

[0063] In this embodiment, the identification information is an IC tag capable of short-range communication, and in the robot 500, the reader 511 receives the information from the IC tag, and the analysis unit 501 analyzes the received information. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the IC tag, thereby achieving more stable linked operation of the elevator 2 and the robot 500.

[0064] In this embodiment, the identification information is a two-dimensional code, and in the robot 500, the imaging unit 510 captures the two-dimensional code, and the analysis unit 501 analyzes the two-dimensional code captured by the imaging unit 510. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the two-dimensional code, thereby achieving more stable linked operation of the elevator 2 and the robot 500.

[0065] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, the identification information is affixed to the door 5, its rail surface, the floor surface of the car 50, etc., but this is not limited to this. For example, the control panel 100 can be configured to display a two-dimensional code as identification information on the liquid crystal display unit 41 of the operation panels 4A and 4B, and the robot 500 with which communication has been lost can read the two-dimensional code on the liquid crystal display unit 41.

[0066] Fig. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of elevator getting-on / off processing according to Modification 1 of the first embodiment. Here, the processing of the sequence diagram shown in Fig. 8 is executed when wireless communication between the robot 500 and the server 310 of the robot cloud 300 is interrupted.

[0067] First, the control panel 100 displays two-dimensional code identification information on the liquid crystal display 41 of the operation panels 4A and 4B (S21). Then, the robot 500 reads the identification information displayed on the liquid crystal display 41 (S22). The subsequent processes (S23, S24) are performed in the same manner as the processes (S12, S13) in the first embodiment.

[0068] It should be noted that the control panel may be configured so that instead of the liquid crystal display unit 41, a display device for signage is provided next to the operation panel 4A and the identification information is displayed on the display device as signage. This modification also provides the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0069] (Variation 2) In the above embodiment, the robot 500 determines whether the door 5 is open or closed based on the identification information attached to the surface of the door 5, but it can also be configured to determine whether the door 5 is open or closed using a captured image.

[0070] That is, when the door 5 is made up of two doors that open and close in the left-right direction, the contact portion between the left and right doors is imaged by the imaging unit 510, or in the case of a sliding door 5, the contact portion between the door 5 and the side edge of the entrance / exit opening is imaged by the imaging unit 510. Then, the analysis unit 501 can be configured to determine whether the door 5 is open or closed by determining the presence or absence of a gap at the contact portion from the captured image.

[0071] In this case, the open / closed state of the door 5 can be determined more accurately, and more stable linked operation of the elevator 2 and the robot 500 can be achieved.

[0072] (Second embodiment) In this embodiment, in addition to the functions of the first embodiment, the control panel is provided with a smart door function. The smart door function is a function that grasps the movement of the robot 500 at the landing 180 from captured images and quickly and smoothly opens and closes the door 5 in accordance with the movement of the robot 500.

[0073] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an elevator getting on / off system 1000 according to the second embodiment. The elevator getting on / off system 1000 according to the second embodiment includes a smart door camera 800 in addition to the configuration of the elevator getting on / off system 1 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 9, the smart door camera 800 is installed above the boarding / alighting entrance and captures images of the robot 500 at the platform 180. The smart door camera 800 is connected to the control panel 900 by wire or wirelessly, and transmits the captured images to the control panel 900.

[0075] The running control on the robot 500 side using the identification information is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0076] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control panel 900 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the control panel 900 according to this embodiment mainly includes a communication unit 101, a control unit 902, and a determination unit 901, and is connected to the smart door camera 800. The function of the communication unit 101 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0077] The determination unit 901 acquires and analyzes the captured image from the smart door camera 800, and determines the movement of the robot 500 in the captured image. The control unit 902 has the same functions as those in the first embodiment, and also has a so-called smart door function that controls the opening and closing of the door 5 in accordance with the operation of the flying bot 500 determined by the determination unit 901. Details of the control will be described later.

[0078] Next, the elevator getting-on / off process performed by the robot 500 according to this embodiment configured as above will be described.

[0079] Fig. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of elevator getting-on / off processing according to the second embodiment. Here, the processing of the sequence diagram shown in Fig. 11 is executed when wireless communication between the robot 500 and the server 310 of the robot cloud 300 is interrupted.

[0080] When communication by the communication unit 503 is interrupted, the robot 500 first reads the identification information (S31). Next, the analysis unit 501 analyzes the read identification information (S32). Next, the control unit 102 controls the running of the robot 500 based on the analyzed information (S33). The processes from S31 to S33 are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0081] Next, in the control panel 900, the determination unit 901 analyzes the captured image of the hall 180 transmitted from the smart door camera 800 to detect the robot 500 (S34). Next, the determination unit 901 determines the movement of the detected robot 500, and the control unit 902 controls the doors 5 of the elevator 2 in accordance with the movement of the robot 500 (S35). The content of this control will be specifically described below.

[0082] First, as shown in FIG. 9 described above, it is assumed that the robot 500 is waiting at the landing 180 where communication has been lost, and that the robot 500 is present within the imaging range of the smart door camera 800.

[0083] In the control panel 900, when the control unit 902 opens the door 5 when the elevator 50 arrives at a predetermined floor, the judgment unit 901 determines from the image captured by the smart door camera 800 that the robot 500 will maintain the open state of the door 5 while waiting at the landing 180, as shown in Figure 9.

[0084] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the control content of the door 5 in response to the operation of the robot 500 in the second embodiment. Fig. 12(a) shows an example of a state in which the robot 500 is in the middle of getting into the car 50. Fig. 12(b) shows an example of a state in which the robot 500 has finished getting into the car 50 and is waiting inside the car 50. Fig. 12(c) shows an example of a state in which the robot 500 has gotten off the car 50 and is heading toward the platform 180.

[0085] When the robot 500 gets into the car 50 based on the identification information as shown in Fig. 12(a) from the state shown in Fig. 9, the determination unit 901 in the control panel 900 determines the getting-in action from the image captured by the smart door camera 800. Then, when the determination unit 901 determines from the captured image that the robot 500 is no longer present at the platform 180, the control unit 902 determines that the robot 500 has completely gotten into the car 50, and performs control to close the door 5.

[0086] In this case, if the destination floor call is to be registered when the robot 500 gets into the elevator car 50, the control panel 900 can be configured to register the destination floor call at this timing.

[0087] After this, the car 50 moves in response to the destination floor call, and the robot 500 waits inside the car 50. In this case, the robot 500 is not present within the imaging range of the smart door camera 800 at the landing 180, so the judgment unit 901 judges that the robot 500 is currently inside the car 50. Then, the control unit 902 keeps the door 5 closed.

[0088] Then, when the elevator car 50 arrives at the desired floor and the control unit 902 opens the door 5, the robot 500 starts to disembark based on the identification information, as shown in Fig. 12(b). As long as the determination unit 901 determines that the robot 500 does not appear within the imaging range of the smart door camera 800, the control unit 902 maintains the open state of the door 5.

[0089] 12(c), when the robot 500 gets off and moves to the landing 180, the smart door camera 800 captures the getting off robot 500 within its imaging range. In this case, the determination unit 901 determines from the image captured by the smart door camera 800 that the robot 500 has appeared at the landing 180. Then, the control unit 902 closes the door 5.

[0090] As described above, according to this embodiment, the elevator getting on and off system 1000 includes the smart door camera 800, which is connected to the control panel 900 and is installed at the landing 180 to capture images of the landing 180, and in the control panel 900, the determination unit 901 analyzes the image captured by the smart door camera 800 to determine the movement of the robot 500, and the control unit 902 controls the opening and closing of the door 5 of the car 50 according to the determined movement of the robot 500. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the movement of the robot 500 is assisted by the identification information and the function of the smart door of the elevator 2, thereby making it possible to achieve more stable linked operation of the opening and closing control of the door 5 of the elevator 2 and the running of the robot 500.

[0091] Furthermore, in the control panel 900 according to this embodiment, when the car 50 arrives at a predetermined floor and opens the door 5, the control unit 902 maintains the open state of the door 5 while the robot 500 is present at the landing 180, and closes the door 5 when the robot 500 is no longer present at the landing 180. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the identification information and the smart door function of the elevator 2, thereby realizing more stable linked operation of the opening and closing control of the door 5 of the elevator 2 and the running of the robot 500.

[0092] Furthermore, in the control panel 900 according to this embodiment, when the robot 500 arrives at a predetermined floor with the car 50 with the robot 500 inside and the door 5 is opened, the control unit 902 maintains the door 5 in the open state while the robot 500 is not at the hall 180, and closes the door 5 when the robot 500 appears at the hall 180. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in places where wireless communication is difficult, the operation of the robot 500 is assisted by the identification information and the smart door function of the elevator 2, thereby realizing more stable linked operation of the opening and closing control of the door 5 of the elevator 2 and the running of the robot 500.

[0093] (Variation 3) In the second embodiment, a non-contact sensor (not shown) may be further provided on the side of the door 5, and the control unit 902 may be configured to close the door 5 when the non-contact sensor detects the passage of the robot 500. In this case, the opening and closing control of the door 5 can be performed more accurately and quickly.

[0094] The control panels 100, 900 according to the above embodiments and modifications have a hardware configuration including a control device such as a CPU, a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an external storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a CD drive.

[0095] The robot 500 according to the above embodiment and modified example has a hardware configuration including a control device such as a CPU, a storage device such as a ROM or RAM, an external storage device such as an HDD, SSD, or CD drive, a display device such as a display device, and an input device such as an operation button.

[0096] The elevator getting-on / off program executed by the robot 500 according to the above embodiment and the modified example is provided in a state that it is pre-installed in a ROM or the like.

[0097] The elevator boarding / deboarding program executed by the robot 500 according to the above-described embodiment and modified example may be configured to be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

[0098] Furthermore, the elevator getting on and off program executed by the robot 500 according to the above embodiment and modified example may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network.

[0099] Furthermore, the elevator getting-on / off program executed by the robot 500 according to the above embodiment and modifications may be configured to be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0100] The elevator boarding / deboarding program executed by the robot 500 according to the above embodiment and modified example has a modular structure including each of the above-mentioned functional units (analysis unit 501, control unit 502), and in actual hardware, the CPU reads out the elevator boarding / deboarding program from the above-mentioned ROM and executes it, thereby loading each of the above-mentioned units onto the main memory, and each of the functional units is generated on the main memory.

[0101] 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 scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1,1000...elevator boarding and alighting system, 2...elevator, 3...building, 4A, 4B...control panel, 5...door, 7...camera, 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e...identification information, 20...hoistway, 50...car, 100, 900...control panel (elevator control device), 101...communication unit, 102, 902...control unit, 150...controller, 160...control room, 200...elevator cloud, 210...server, 300...robot cloud, 310...server, 500...robot, 501...analysis unit, 502...control unit, 510...imaging unit, 511...reader, 901...judgment unit.

Claims

1. An autonomous moving body that can get on and off an elevator, a communication unit capable of communicating with a server that controls the autonomous moving body via a network; a reading unit that can read identification information provided at a predetermined location of the elevator when communication with the server is interrupted; a control unit that controls the traveling of the autonomous moving body in accordance with the read identification information; An autonomous moving body comprising:

2. the reading unit is capable of reading, when the autonomous moving body is at a landing where a user or the autonomous moving body is waiting, first identification information provided on a surface of a car door that moves up and down in the elevator and allows the user or the autonomous moving body to board, the surface being on the landing side; the control unit stops the autonomous moving body at the platform when the first identification information is read. The autonomous moving body according to claim 1 .

3. The first identification information records information indicating that the door is in a closed state and position information, the control unit stops the autonomous moving body at the platform based on the information that the door is in a closed state and the position information, which are recorded in the first identification information. The autonomous moving body according to claim 2 .

4. The reading unit is further provided on a rail surface of a door of a car that moves up and down in the elevator and carries the user or the autonomous moving body when the autonomous moving body is at a landing where the user or the autonomous moving body is waiting, and is capable of reading second identification information that indicates a distance to a waiting location in the car, When the control unit reads the second identification information, the control unit moves the autonomous moving body within the elevator car by a distance indicated by the second identification information. The autonomous moving body according to claim 2 .

5. The reading unit is further capable of reading third identification information provided in the waiting area in the elevator car, the control unit stops the autonomous moving body when the third identification information is read. The autonomous moving body according to claim 4 .

6. the reading unit is further capable of reading fourth identification information provided on a surface of the door of the car facing the car when the autonomous moving body is riding in the car, the control unit, when reading the fourth identification information, causes the autonomous moving body to maintain a stopped state within the elevator car; The autonomous moving body according to claim 5 .

7. The fourth identification information records information indicating that the door is in a closed state and position information, the control unit maintains the autonomous moving body in a stopped state within the elevator car based on the information that the door is in a closed state and the position information, which are recorded in the fourth identification information. The autonomous moving body according to claim 6 .

8. The reading unit is further capable of reading fifth identification information provided on a rail surface of the door of the car when the autonomous moving body is riding in the car, the control unit causes the autonomous moving body to disembark from the elevator car when the fifth identification information is read. The autonomous moving body according to claim 6 .

9. the identification information is an IC tag capable of near field communication, The reading unit a receiving unit that receives information from the IC tag; an analysis unit that analyzes the information received by the receiving unit; The autonomous moving body according to claim 1 .

10. the identification information is a two-dimensional code, The reading unit An imaging unit; an analysis unit that analyzes the two-dimensional code captured by the imaging unit; The autonomous moving body according to claim 1 .

11. The reading unit is capable of reading the identification information displayed on a display device provided at a platform where the autonomous moving body waits for a user or the autonomous moving body, or at a car that moves up and down and carries the user or the autonomous moving body. The autonomous moving body according to claim 1 .

12. An elevator getting on and off system including identification information, an autonomous moving body that can get on and off an elevator, and a server that can be connected to the autonomous moving body via a network, The identification information is provided at a predetermined location on the elevator, The autonomous moving body is a first communication unit capable of communicating with the server over the network; a reading unit that can read identification information provided at a predetermined location of the elevator when communication with the server is interrupted; a first control unit that controls the traveling of the autonomous moving body in accordance with the read identification information; An elevator boarding and alighting system comprising:

13. an elevator control device that controls the elevator; an imaging device connected to the elevator control device, provided at a hall where a user or the autonomous moving body is waiting, and capturing an image of the hall; The elevator control device includes: a determination unit that analyzes the captured image and determines the operation of the autonomous moving body; a second control unit that controls opening and closing of a door of a car that moves up and down and carries a user or the autonomous moving body, in accordance with the determined operation of the autonomous moving body; The elevator access system of claim 12, further comprising:

14. the second control unit, when the elevator car arrives at a predetermined floor and opens the door, maintains the door in the open state while the autonomous moving body is present at the platform, and closes the door when the autonomous moving body is no longer present at the platform.

14. The elevator access system according to claim 13.

15. the second control unit, when the car arrives at a predetermined floor with the autonomous moving body inside the car and opens the door, maintains the door in the open state while the autonomous moving body is not present at the platform, and closes the door when the autonomous moving body appears at the platform.

14. The elevator access system according to claim 13.

16. An elevator getting-on / off method executed in an elevator getting-on / off system including identification information, an autonomous moving body that can get on and off an elevator, and a server that can be connected to the autonomous moving body via a network, The identification information is provided at a predetermined location on the elevator, a step in which the autonomous moving body reads identification information provided at a predetermined location of the elevator when communication with the server is interrupted; controlling the traveling of the autonomous moving body in accordance with the read identification information; A method for getting on and off an elevator, including:

17. A program to be executed by a computer of an autonomous moving body that can get on and off an elevator, a step of reading identification information provided at a predetermined location of the elevator when communication with a server that controls the autonomous moving body and is connected via a network is interrupted; controlling the traveling of the autonomous moving body in accordance with the read identification information; A program for causing the computer to execute the above.

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