Route calculation device, route calculation method, and route calculation program

Abstract

To efficiently perform patrol in a building.SOLUTION: A route calculation device according to an embodiment includes a reception unit configured to receive destination information on a plurality of destinations from a user terminal, an acquisition unit configured to execute acquisition processing of acquiring position information of a user, operation information of an elevator, and a captured image obtained by imaging an inside of a building, a congestion situation analysis unit configured to execute analysis processing of analyzing a congestion situation in an imaging range on the basis of the captured image, and a candidate route generation unit configured to execute candidate route generation processing of generating a candidate route from a current location of the user to each of destinations that the user has not visited among the plurality of destinations. The navigation device includes a determination unit that executes recommended route determination processing for determining a recommended route including a destination to which the user moves next among the candidate routes, a transmission unit that executes transmission processing for transmitting the recommended route to the user terminal, and a control unit that controls each unit to repeatedly execute each processing from the acquisition processing to the transmission processing every time the user reaches each of the plurality of destinations.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a route calculation device, a route calculation method, and a route calculation program. [Background technology]

[0002] A system has been proposed that provisionally registers elevator hall calls in advance based on the location information of users with fixed schedules (Patent Document 1). Also, a system has been proposed that calculates a travel route to a destination within a building based on the location information of users and elevator operation information (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-193062 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7363895 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the technology of Patent Document 1, when a user travels to multiple destinations, it is necessary to create a schedule for each destination in advance. Also, with the technology of Patent Document 2, when a user travels to multiple destinations, it is necessary to calculate a travel route for each destination. As such, with the conventional technology, when a user travels to multiple destinations, it is necessary to create a schedule for each destination and calculate a travel route, which may prevent efficient travel.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a route calculation device, a route calculation method, and a route calculation program that enable efficient patrol within a building. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A route calculation device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a receiving unit that receives, from a user terminal carried by an elevator user, destination information relating to a plurality of destinations on a route traveled by the user within a building; an acquiring unit that executes an acquiring process to acquire location information of the user within the building, operation information of the elevator, and captured images of the inside of the building; a congestion status analyzing unit that executes an analyzing process to analyze a congestion status of an image capture area based on the captured images; and a candidate route generating unit that generates, based on the location information and the destination information, candidate routes from the current location of the user to each of the plurality of destinations that the user has not yet visited. The system is equipped with a candidate route generation unit that executes processing, a determination unit that executes a recommended route determination process that determines a recommended route from the candidate routes that includes the user's next destination based on the elevator operation information and the congestion status within the building, a transmission unit that executes a transmission process that transmits the recommended route to the user terminal, and a control unit that controls the acquisition unit, the congestion status analysis unit, the candidate route generation unit, the determination unit, and the transmission unit, and repeatedly executes the acquisition process, the analysis process, the candidate route generation process, the recommended route determination process, and the transmission process each time the user reaches each of the multiple destinations on the circular route. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a route calculation system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the route calculation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for inputting destination information and priority information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a route calculation process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a route calculation device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a route calculation process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a destination priority input screen according to the third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a route calculation process according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a route calculation device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen for selecting whether or not to calculate the tour completion time in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a route calculation process according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for calculating a tour completion time according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Embodiment 1] The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0009] The route calculation system SA of the first embodiment is a system capable of providing a recommended route to a user M who travels to multiple destinations in a building BL equipped with an elevator.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a route calculation system SA according to the first embodiment.

[0011] 1, the route calculation system SA includes a route calculation device 100a, an external server 200, an image capture device 300, an elevator control device 400, and a user terminal 500. The route calculation device 100a is connected to the external server 200, the image capture device 300, the elevator control device 400, and the user terminal 500 via a network (not shown). The route calculation device 100a, the image capture device 300, the elevator control device 400, and the user terminal 500 are installed in a building BL or are used in the building BL.

[0012] The external server 200 is a server that has building information for each floor of a building. The building information includes information that enables generation of a floor plan for each floor, such as location information within the building BL and position information for elevators, stairs, etc. The external server 200 transmits the building information to the route calculation device 100a.

[0013] The imaging devices 300 are, for example, surveillance cameras. The imaging devices 300 are installed at multiple locations within the building BL and capture images of the corridors, elevator halls, etc. within the building BL. Each of the imaging devices 300 transmits the captured images to the route calculation device 100a.

[0014] The elevator control device 400 is an information processing device that controls the operation of elevators installed in the building BL. The elevator control device 400 transmits operation information indicating the current position and elevation status of the elevator car to the route calculation device 100a.

[0015] The user terminal 500 is a terminal device carried by a user M who uses the elevator, such as a building manager or security guard. A smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like can be used as the user terminal 500. The user terminal 500 transmits and receives various information to and from the route calculation device 100a.

[0016] Specifically, for example, the user terminal 500 receives a recommended route from the route calculation device 100a and controls displaying the recommended route on a display screen (not shown). The recommended route is the next destination for the user M in the building BL and the route to the destination.

[0017] Furthermore, for example, the user terminal 500 receives an input screen for inputting destination information and priority information from the route calculation device 100a, and controls displaying the information on a display screen (not shown). The destination information is information that identifies multiple destinations to be visited. The priority information is information that identifies the items that the user M prioritizes when determining a recommended route, among the travel distance to the destination, the required time, and the congestion situation. The user terminal 500 transmits the destination information and priority information input by the user M via the input screen to the route calculation device 100a. The user M inputs the destination information and priority information before starting the tour.

[0018] The user terminal 500 also has a GPS (Global Positioning System) function. The user terminal 500 transmits location information of the current location to the route calculation device 100a.

[0019] The route calculation device 100a is an information processing device that generates a recommended route based on various information and transmits it to the user terminal 500. The route calculation device 100a is managed by a user M, for example.

[0020] The route calculation device 100a has, as its hardware configuration, a CPU 11 which is a processor, a RAM 12 which temporarily stores the calculation results of the CPU 11, a ROM 13 which pre-stores a route calculation program and the like, and a storage unit 14 such as an HDD, SSD, or CD drive device.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the route calculation device 100a according to the first embodiment.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the route calculation device 100a includes, as functional components, an acquisition unit 111, a congestion status analysis unit 112, a candidate route generation unit 113, a determination unit 114, a transmission / reception unit 115, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 14.

[0023] The transmitting / receiving unit 115 is a processing unit capable of transmitting and receiving various information to and from the user terminal 500. Specifically, for example, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 executes a transmission process of transmitting a recommended route determined by the determining unit 114, which will be described later, to the user terminal 500. Furthermore, for example, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 transmits an input screen for inputting destination information and priority information to the user terminal 500 to display it, and receives the destination information and priority information input by the user M via the input screen from the user terminal 500.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for inputting destination information and priority information according to the first embodiment.

[0025] As described above, the destination information is information relating to a plurality of destinations on the travel route of user M within building BL. When the input screen shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the user terminal 500, user M inputs the destination information via the input screen. For example, if user M's destinations are destination A, destination B, and destination C, user M inputs destinations A to C in the respective fields of "destination 1" to "destination 3" on the input screen. In this way, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 receives the input of destination information from the user terminal 500 via the input screen.

[0026] As described above, the priority information is information that specifies which of the travel distance to the destination, the required time, and the congestion situation is prioritized by the user M when determining a recommended route. When the input screen shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the user terminal 500, the user M inputs the priority information via the input screen. For example, if the user M wants to prioritize a route with a shorter travel distance, the user M inputs the priority information by selecting the "travel distance" button. In this way, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 receives the input of the priority information from the user terminal 500 via the input screen. The transmitting / receiving unit 115 is an example of a transmitting unit and a receiving unit.

[0027] The acquisition unit 111 is a processing unit that executes an acquisition process for acquiring various types of information.

[0028] Specifically, the acquisition unit 111 acquires location information of the user M in the building BL from the user terminal 500. The acquisition unit 111 also acquires current elevator operation information from the elevator control device 400. The acquisition unit 111 also acquires captured images of the current interior of the building BL from the imaging device 300. In this way, as an acquisition process, the acquisition unit 111 acquires the current location information of the user M, the current elevator operation information, and the captured images of the current interior of the building BL.

[0029] Furthermore, as an acquisition process, the acquisition unit 111 acquires building information from the external server 200. Specifically, the acquisition unit 111 requests the building information from the external server 200, and acquires the building information transmitted from the external server 200 in response to the request. The acquisition unit 111 stores the acquired building information in the storage unit 14.

[0030] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 111 acquires the destination information and priority information received by the transmission / reception unit 115. The acquisition unit 111 stores the acquired destination information and priority information in the storage unit .

[0031] The storage unit 14 stores building information, destination information, priority information, etc. The storage unit 14 also stores past location information of the user M. This makes it possible to identify destinations that the user M has already visited.

[0032] The congestion situation analysis unit 112 is a processing unit that executes an analysis process to analyze the congestion situation in the imaging range based on the captured image. Specifically, the congestion situation analysis unit 112 analyzes the captured image to determine the congestion situation in the imaging range. For example, if the number of people in aisle X as the imaging range exceeds a predetermined reference value, the congestion situation analysis unit 112 determines the congestion situation of aisle X to be "3 (very crowded)", and if the number is below the reference value, the congestion situation of aisle X to be "1 (unoccupied)". The congestion situation analysis unit 112 determines the congestion situation for each of the acquired captured images.

[0033] The candidate route generation unit 113 is a processing unit that executes a candidate route generation process that generates candidate routes from the current location of the user M to each of the destinations that the user M has not visited yet among multiple destinations, based on the location information, destination information, and building information of the user M. Specifically, when the candidate route generation unit 113 identifies that the destinations that the user M has not visited yet are destination A and destination C based on the user M's past location information, for example, among destinations A, B, and C that are scheduled to be visited, the candidate route generation unit 113 generates a route a from the current location to destination A and a route c from the current location to destination C as the candidate route generation process. Alternatively, the candidate route generation unit 113 may generate multiple candidate routes for one destination, such as a route a1 that uses an elevator and a route a2 that uses stairs for destination A.

[0034] The determination unit 114 is a processing unit that executes a recommended route determination process to determine a recommended route that includes the next destination of user M from among multiple generated candidate routes based on elevator operation information and the congestion status within building BL.

[0035] Specifically, first, the determination unit 114 calculates the travel distance from the current location of the user M for each of the generated candidate routes. The travel distance is calculated by referring to the location information, destination information, and building information of the user M used to generate the candidate routes.

[0036] Furthermore, the determination unit 114 calculates the required time from the current location for each of the generated candidate routes based on elevator operation information. For example, the candidate route generation unit 113 determines which elevator car should be assigned to route a1 to destination A based on the current position and elevation status of the elevator car, and calculates the required time to reach destination A if that car is used. This makes it possible to obtain the required time according to the current elevator operation status in real time. Note that the candidate route generation unit 113 does not need to refer to elevator operation information for routes that do not use elevators. In this case, the candidate route generation unit 113 calculates the required time based on the movement speed of user M.

[0037] Furthermore, the determination unit 114 calculates the congestion level for each of the generated candidate routes based on the congestion level in the imaging range. Specifically, the determination unit 114 calculates the congestion level for each of the candidate routes within the building BL based on the analysis result of the congestion level analysis unit 112.

[0038] Specifically, for example, when route a includes aisle X and aisle Y, the determination unit 114 determines the congestion state of the entire route a based on the congestion state of the imaging range of aisle X and aisle Y. For example, when the congestion state of aisle X is "3 (very crowded)" and the congestion state of aisle Y is "3," the candidate route generation unit 113 determines the congestion state of route a to be "3," and when the congestion state of aisle X is "1" and the congestion state of aisle Y is "2," the candidate route generation unit 113 determines the congestion state of route a to be, for example, "1.5 (slightly less crowded)." This makes it possible to obtain the congestion state of each candidate route within the building BL in real time.

[0039] Then, the determination unit 114 determines a recommended route from the multiple candidate routes based on the travel distance from the user's current location, the required travel time, the congestion level within the building BL, and the priority information received from the user terminal 500, calculated for each of the generated candidate routes.

[0040] For example, if "travel distance" is specified as the priority information, the determination unit 114 determines, as the recommended route, the route with the shortest travel distance among the multiple candidate routes. Alternatively, if "required time" is specified as the priority information, the determination unit 114 determines, as the recommended route, the route with the shortest travel time among the multiple candidate routes. Alternatively, if "congestion level" is specified as the priority information, the determination unit 114 determines, as the recommended route, the route with the least congestion among the multiple candidate routes. That is, based on the priority information, the determination unit 114 determines, as the recommended route, the candidate route among the multiple candidate routes that minimizes at least one of the travel distance, the required time, and the congestion level within the building BL.

[0041] The control unit 120 is a processing unit that controls the above-mentioned acquisition unit 111, congestion status analysis unit 112, candidate route generation unit 113, determination unit 114, and transmission / reception unit 115. The control unit 120 repeatedly executes the above-mentioned acquisition process, analysis process, candidate route generation process, recommended route determination process, and transmission process every time the user M reaches each of the multiple destinations on the tour route. As a result, the user M can be provided with a recommended route to an unvisited destination every time the user M reaches each of the destinations on the tour plan.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a route calculation process according to the first embodiment.

[0043] In step S10, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 transmits an input screen for inputting destination information and priority information to the user terminal 500 and causes it to be displayed.

[0044] When the user M inputs the destination information and priority information, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 receives the destination information and priority information from the user terminal 500 in step S11.

[0045] In step S12, the acquisition unit 111 executes an acquisition process to request the building information from the external server 200 and acquire the building information transmitted from the external server 200 in response to the request.

[0046] In step S13, the acquisition unit 111 executes an acquisition process for acquiring the current location information of the user M.

[0047] In step S14, the acquisition unit 111 executes an acquisition process for acquiring current elevator operation information.

[0048] In step S15 , the acquisition unit 111 executes an acquisition process for acquiring the currently captured image from the imaging device 300 .

[0049] In step S16, the congestion state analysis unit 112 executes an analysis process for analyzing the congestion state of the imaging range based on the captured image.

[0050] In step S17, the candidate route generation unit 113 executes a candidate route generation process to generate candidate routes from the current location of user M to each of the multiple destinations that have not yet been visited, based on user M's current location information, destination information, and building information.

[0051] In step S17, the determination unit 114 executes a recommended route determination process to determine a recommended route including the next destination of user M from among the generated candidate routes, based on the elevator operation information and the congestion status within the building BL. Specifically, the determination unit 114 calculates the travel distance from the current location of user M for each of the generated candidate routes. The determination unit 114 also calculates the required time from the current location of user M for each of the candidate routes, based on the elevator operation information. The determination unit 114 calculates the congestion status within the building BL of user M for each of the candidate routes, based on the analysis result of the congestion status within the imaging range.

[0052] The determination unit 114 determines a recommended route from the candidate routes based on the travel distance from the current location of the user M, the required travel time, the congestion state in the building BL, and the priority information.

[0053] In step S18, the determination unit 114 determines whether or not the travel distance is specified as the priority item information.

[0054] If the travel distance is specified as the priority information (step S18: Yes), in step S19, the determination unit 114 determines the route with the shortest travel distance from among the plurality of candidate routes as the recommended route.

[0055] If the travel distance is not specified as the priority information (step S18: No), in step S20, the decision unit 114 determines whether the required time is specified as the priority information.

[0056] If the required time is specified as the priority information (step S20: Yes), in step S21, the determination unit 114 determines the route with the shortest required time from among the plurality of candidate routes as the recommended route.

[0057] If the required time is not specified as the priority information (step S20: No), in step S22, the determining unit 114 determines whether or not the congestion state is specified as the priority information.

[0058] If congestion is specified as the priority information (step S22: Yes), in step S23, the determination unit 114 determines the route with the least congestion from among the multiple candidate routes as the recommended route.

[0059] If the congestion status is not specified as the priority information (step S22: No), the process returns to step S10.

[0060] In step S24, the transmitter / receiver 115 transmits the determined recommended route to the user terminal 500 and executes control to display it on the user terminal 500. The user M refers to the recommended route displayed on the user terminal 500, and starts traveling to a destination included in the recommended route as the next destination.

[0061] In step S25, the candidate route generation unit 113 determines whether or not there are any unvisited destinations among the multiple destinations to be visited, based on the destination information and the past location information of the user M stored in the storage unit 14. For example, if destination A is the only destination that has been visited among destinations A, B, and C to be visited, the candidate route generation unit 113 determines that there are any unvisited destinations.

[0062] If the candidate route generation unit 113 determines that there is an unvisited destination (step S25: Yes), the process returns to step S13, and the control unit 120 controls the repeated execution of the acquisition process, analysis process, candidate route generation process, recommended route determination process, and transmission process of steps S13 to S24. This allows the recommended route to be continuously provided to the user M. If the candidate route generation unit 113 determines that there is no unvisited destination (step S25: No), the process ends. This concludes the route calculation process of the first embodiment.

[0063] [Summary] The route calculation device 100a of the first embodiment acquires position information of user M within a building BL, elevator operation information, and captured images of the inside of the building. Based on the position information of user M and destination information regarding multiple destinations on the circular route, the route calculation device 100a generates candidate routes from the current location of user M to each of the unvisited destinations. Based on the congestion situation in the building BL based on the analysis results of the captured images and the elevator operation situation, the route calculation device 100a determines a recommended route and transmits it to the user terminal 500. The route calculation device 100a repeats the above-described process each time user M arrives at each of the multiple destinations on the circular route.

[0064] In this way, user M can be provided with recommended routes to unvisited destinations each time he or she arrives at a destination that he or she plans to visit, thereby enabling user M to efficiently visit multiple destinations within building BL.

[0065] The route calculation device 100a of the first embodiment receives priority information that specifies which of the travel distance, required time, and congestion level the user M prioritizes in determining a recommended route from the user terminal 500. The route calculation device 100a calculates the travel distance from the current location of the user M, the required time, and the congestion level within the building BL for each of the generated candidate routes, based on the location information of the user M, destination information, elevator operation information, and the congestion level within the imaging range. Based on the priority information, the route calculation device 100a determines, as a recommended route, a route from among the candidate routes that minimizes at least one of the travel distance, required time, and congestion level.

[0066] In this way, a recommended route is determined based on the priority information entered by user M and provided to user M, allowing user M to more efficiently tour multiple destinations within building BL in accordance with his or her wishes.

[0067] [Embodiment 2] The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0068] The second embodiment is an embodiment that explains a route calculation process for when an emergency occurs in a building BL and a user M heads to a specific destination as quickly as possible. The route calculation device 100b of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, upon receiving an emergency signal notifying the occurrence of an emergency, the route calculation device 100b transmits to the elevator control device 400 a dispatch instruction that preferentially allocates an elevator to the floor where the user M currently resides. Note that, in the following, the same components as those in the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted.

[0069] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a route calculation device 100b according to the second embodiment.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 5, the route calculation device 100b includes, as its functional configuration, an acquisition unit 111, a congestion status analysis unit 112, a candidate route generation unit 113, a determination unit 114, a transmission / reception unit 115, a memory unit 14, an emergency signal reception unit 117, a vehicle dispatch instruction unit 118, and a control unit 120.

[0071] The emergency signal receiving unit 117 is a processing unit that receives an emergency signal indicating that an emergency has occurred within the building BL. An emergency is a situation in which the user M must immediately go to the emergency location, such as when a person suddenly falls ill within the building BL or when a problem occurs. The emergency signal may be input by a user other than the user M via the route calculation device 100a, or may be transmitted from an external information processing device. The emergency signal includes location information of the location where the emergency has occurred. When the emergency signal is received, the emergency signal receiving unit 117 identifies the location information of the location where the emergency has occurred based on the received emergency signal. That is, the emergency signal includes the location information of the location where the emergency has occurred.

[0072] The dispatch instruction unit 118 is a processing unit that transmits a dispatch instruction to the elevator control device 400 instructing that an elevator be preferentially allocated to the floor where user M is currently located. Specifically, when the emergency signal receiving unit 117 receives an emergency signal, the dispatch instruction unit 118 identifies the floor where user M is currently located based on the current location information of user M. The dispatch instruction unit 118 transmits a dispatch instruction to the elevator control device 400 instructing that an elevator be preferentially allocated to the identified floor. The dispatch instruction includes the location information of user M and information identifying the floor where user M is currently located.

[0073] When the elevator control device 400 receives a dispatch instruction, it performs a process to change the operation of the elevator. For example, when the elevator control device 400 receives a dispatch instruction, it changes the setting of one elevator car in the building BL to be used exclusively for the user. Alternatively, when the elevator control device 400 receives a dispatch instruction, it does not assign a new car to one of the elevators currently in operation, but performs a process to change the setting of that car to be exclusively for the user.

[0074] The candidate route generating unit 113 generates candidate routes from the current location of the user M to the location where the emergency has occurred, based on the location information of the user M, the building information, and the location information of the location where the emergency has occurred identified by the emergency signal receiving unit 117. The determining unit 114 calculates the required time from the current location of the user M for each candidate route, based on elevator operation information.

[0075] The determination unit 114 determines a recommended route from among the generated candidate routes. Specifically, the determination unit 114 determines the route with the shortest required time from among the candidate routes as the recommended route.

[0076] The transmitting / receiving unit 115 transmits the recommended route determined by the determining unit 114 to the user terminal 500. This enables the user M to arrive at the location where the emergency has occurred in the shortest time possible.

[0077] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a route calculation process according to the second embodiment. However, the flowchart shown in Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a process executed when an emergency signal is received by the emergency signal receiving unit 117. That is, in normal times when no emergency signal is received, the process shown in the flowchart in Fig. 4 is executed, and when an emergency signal is received, the process shown in the flowchart in Fig. 6 is executed as an interrupt process.

[0078] In step S32, the emergency signal receiving unit 117 determines whether or not an emergency signal has been received. If the emergency signal receiving unit 117 determines that an emergency signal has not been received (step S32: No), the processing ends. If the emergency signal receiving unit 117 determines that an emergency signal has been received (step S32: Yes), the emergency signal receiving unit 117 identifies the location information of the location where the emergency has occurred based on the received emergency signal.

[0079] In step S33, the acquisition unit 111 acquires the current location information of the user M.

[0080] In step S34, the vehicle allocation instruction unit 118 transmits to the elevator control device 400 a vehicle allocation instruction to instruct the elevator control device 400 to allocate an elevator preferentially to the floor where the user M is currently located.

[0081] In step S35, the acquisition unit 111 acquires elevator operation information.

[0082] In step S36, the candidate route generation unit 113 generates candidate routes from the current location of user M to the location where the emergency occurred based on the current location information of user M, the location information of the location where the emergency occurred, and building information.

[0083] In step S37, the determination unit 114 calculates the required time from the current location of the user M for each of the candidate routes based on the elevator operation information, and determines the route with the shortest required time as the recommended route.

[0084] In step S38, the transmitter / receiver 115 transmits the determined recommended route to and displays it on the user terminal 500. This completes the route calculation process of the second embodiment.

[0085] [Summary] When the route calculation device 100b of the second embodiment acquires an emergency signal indicating that an emergency has occurred in the building BL, it transmits to the elevator control device 400 a dispatch instruction to instruct the elevator to preferentially allocate an elevator to the floor where the user M currently resides. The route calculation device 100b calculates candidate routes from the current location of the user M to the location where the emergency has occurred and the travel times from the current location for the candidate routes, based on the location information of the user M, the location information of the location where the emergency has occurred, and the elevator operation information. The route calculation device 100b determines, as a recommended route, the route that minimizes the travel time from the current location among the candidate routes.

[0086] As a result, in the event of an emergency, the user M can quickly head to the location of the emergency. According to the route calculation device 100b of the second embodiment, convenience for the user M can be improved.

[0087] [Embodiment 3] A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0088] The third embodiment is an embodiment that describes a route calculation process when priorities are assigned to multiple destinations to be visited. The route calculation device 100c of the third embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that when multiple candidate routes that are similar in travel distance, required time, and congestion status are calculated, the route calculation device 100c determines a recommended route based on predetermined priorities. Note that, in the following, configurations that are similar to those of the above-described embodiments are assigned the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted.

[0089] The transmitting / receiving unit 115 receives priority information indicating the priority of visiting each of a plurality of destinations via the input screen of the user terminal 500.

[0090] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a destination priority input screen according to the third embodiment.

[0091] 7 is displayed on the user terminal 500, the user M inputs the priority of the destinations via the input screen. For example, if the travel times to destinations A, B, and C are approximately the same, the user M inputs the priority in order of the destinations that he or she wants to go to first. In this way, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 receives the input of priority information.

[0092] The acquisition unit 111 acquires priority information indicating the priority, and stores it in the storage unit 14 in association with the destination information.

[0093] The determination unit 114 determines a recommended route based on the generated multiple candidate routes, the priority information, and the priority level information. Specifically, the determination unit 114 extracts, from the multiple candidate routes, a first candidate route that has the shortest travel distance, required time, or congestion level specified in the priority information, and a second candidate route that has the next shortest travel distance, required time, or congestion level specified in the priority level information. If the difference between the first candidate route and the second candidate route is below a predetermined reference value, the determination unit 114 determines the candidate route that includes the destination with the higher priority as the recommended route.

[0094] For example, when the "travel distance" is specified in the priority information, the determination unit 114 extracts, from among multiple candidate routes, a route a1 heading to destination A as a first candidate route, and a route a3 heading to destination C as a second candidate route. When the difference in travel distance between route a1 and route a3 is below a reference value, the determination unit 114 refers to the priority information associated with destinations A and C, and determines route a3, which includes destination C with a higher priority, as the recommended route.

[0095] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a route calculation process according to the third embodiment.

[0096] In step S50, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 transmits an input screen for inputting destination information, priority item information, and priority level information to the user terminal 500 and causes it to be displayed.

[0097] When the user M inputs the destination information, the priority item information, and the priority level information, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 receives the destination information, the priority item information, and the priority level information in step S51.

[0098] In step S52, the acquisition unit 111 executes an acquisition process to request the building information from the external server 200 and acquire the building information transmitted from the external server 200 in response to the request.

[0099] The processing in steps S53 to S58 corresponds to the processing in steps S13 to S18 in FIG. 4, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0100] If the travel distance is specified as the priority information (step S58: Yes), in step S59, the determination unit 114 extracts, from among the multiple candidate routes, the route with the shortest travel distance as the first candidate route, and the route with the next shortest travel distance after the first candidate route as the second candidate route.

[0101] In step S60, the determination unit 114 determines whether the difference in travel distance between the first and second candidate routes is below a reference value.

[0102] If the difference in travel distance between the first and second candidate routes is below the reference value (step S60: Yes), in step S61, the determination unit 114 determines, as the recommended route, the candidate route that includes the destination with the higher priority out of the first and second candidate routes.

[0103] If the difference between the first and second candidate routes is not below the reference value (step S60: No), then in step S62, the determination unit 114 determines the first candidate route as the recommended route.

[0104] On the other hand, if the travel distance is not specified as the priority information in step S58 (step S58: No), in step S65, the decision unit 114 determines whether the required time is specified as the priority information.

[0105] If the required time is specified as the priority information (step S65: Yes), in step S66, the determination unit 114 extracts, from among the multiple candidate routes, the route with the shortest required time as the first candidate route, and the route with the next shortest required time after the first candidate route as the second candidate route.

[0106] In step S67, the determination unit 114 determines whether the difference in the travel time between the first and second candidate routes is below a reference value.

[0107] If the difference in the travel time between the first and second candidate routes is below the reference value (step S67: Yes), in step S68, the determination unit 114 determines, as the recommended route, the candidate route that includes the destination with the higher priority out of the first and second candidate routes.

[0108] If the difference between the first and second candidate routes is not below the reference value (step S67: No), then in step S69, the determination unit 114 determines the first candidate route as the recommended route.

[0109] Furthermore, in step S65, if the required time is not specified as the priority information (step S65: No), in step S70, the decision unit 114 determines whether or not the congestion state is specified as the priority information.

[0110] If congestion status is identified as priority information (step S70: Yes), in step S71, the determination unit 114 extracts, from among the multiple candidate routes, the route with the least congestion status as the first candidate route, and the route with the second least congestion status after the first candidate route as the second candidate route.

[0111] In step S72, the determination unit 114 determines whether the difference in the congestion states of the first and second candidate routes is below a reference value.

[0112] If the difference in congestion status between the first and second candidate routes is below the reference value (step S72: Yes), in step S71, the determination unit 114 determines, as the recommended route, the candidate route that includes the destination with the higher priority out of the first and second candidate routes.

[0113] If the difference between the first and second candidate routes is not below the reference value (step S72: No), then in step S74 the determination unit 114 determines the first candidate route as the recommended route.

[0114] If the congestion status is not specified as the priority information (step S70: No), the process returns to step S50.

[0115] When the processes of steps S61, S62, S68, S69, S73, and S74 are completed, the process proceeds to step S63. The processes of steps S63 to S64 correspond to the processes of steps S24 to S25 in Fig. 4, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. This completes the route calculation process of the third embodiment.

[0116] [Summary] The route calculation device 100c of the third embodiment acquires priority information input in advance by the user M, which indicates the priority of each of a plurality of destinations to be visited. The route calculation device 100c extracts, from the plurality of candidate routes, a first candidate route that has the shortest travel distance, the shortest travel time, and the shortest congestion level, and a second candidate route that has the next shortest travel distance after the first candidate route. If the difference between the first and second candidate routes is below a reference value, the route calculation device 100c determines, as the recommended route, the candidate route that includes the destination with the higher priority.

[0117] In this way, the recommended route is determined taking into consideration the priority information indicating the priority of the tour in addition to the priority item information. This allows the user M to receive a recommended route that is more in line with his or her purpose. The route calculation device 100c of the third embodiment can further improve convenience for the user M.

[0118] [Embodiment 4] The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0119] The fourth embodiment is an embodiment that explains the process of estimating the tour completion time. The route calculation device 100d of the fourth embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that it can predict the tour completion time before the tour starts. Note that, in the following, the same components as those of the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted.

[0120] Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a route calculation device 100d according to embodiment 4. As shown in Fig. 9, the route calculation device 100d includes, as functional components, an acquisition unit 111, a congestion state analysis unit 112, a candidate route generation unit 113, a determination unit 114, a transmission / reception unit 115, a tour completion time calculation unit 119, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 14.

[0121] The transmitter / receiver 115 transmits to the user terminal 500 an input screen on which the user M can input whether or not the patrol completion time needs to be calculated, and displays the input screen, and receives information indicating whether or not the patrol completion time needs to be calculated, input by the user M via the input screen from the user terminal 500. The patrol completion time is the estimated time at which the user M will complete patrol of all of the multiple destinations on the patrol route within the building BL.

[0122] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen for selecting whether or not to calculate the tour completion time in the fourth embodiment.

[0123] 10 is displayed on the user terminal 500, the user M inputs whether or not the tour completion time needs to be calculated via the input screen. For example, if the user M wants to calculate the tour completion time, the user M selects the "Calculate" button. In this way, the transmitter / receiver 115 receives an input of information indicating whether or not the tour completion time needs to be calculated from the user terminal 500.

[0124] The storage unit 14 stores past information that associates the user M's past round times with the waiting time for the elevator at the round times and the user M's moving speed within the building BL at the round times.

[0125] The candidate route generation unit 113 determines whether or not it is necessary to calculate the tour completion time, based on the information indicating whether or not it is necessary to calculate the tour completion time, received by the transmission / reception unit 115. When it determines that information requiring calculation of the tour completion time has been received, the candidate route generation unit 113 generates a tour candidate route that travels from the current location of user M to all of the multiple destinations, based on location information of user M within building BL and destination information.

[0126] The determination unit 114 calculates the travel distance along the generated candidate travel routes. Furthermore, the determination unit 114 calculates the required time and the congestion state within the building BL for each of the generated candidate travel routes based on elevator operation information and the congestion state within the imaging range. The determination unit 114 determines a tentative recommended travel route based on the calculated travel distance, required time, congestion state, and priority information. That is, the determination unit 114 determines a tentative recommended travel route from the generated candidate routes based on the elevator operation information and the congestion state within the building BL.

[0127] The tour completion time calculation unit 119 calculates the tour completion time when user M starts the tour at a certain time, based on the tentative recommended tour route and past information stored in the storage unit 14. The certain time is, for example, the time when the transceiver unit 115 receives information indicating whether or not it is necessary to calculate the tour completion time. For example, if the transceiver unit 115 receives information requiring calculation of the tour completion time at 9:00 AM on Monday, the tour completion time calculation unit 119 calculates the tour completion time when user M starts the tour at 9:00 AM on Monday. More specifically, the tour completion time calculation unit 119 estimates the elevator waiting time and user M's movement speed at 9:00 AM on Monday based on the past information. The tour completion time calculation unit 119 calculates the tour completion time based on the estimated elevator waiting time and user M's movement speed. At this time, the tour completion time calculation unit 119 may use a trained model that can input the time and day of the week when the tour starts and output the waiting time for the elevator and the moving speed of the user M.

[0128] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a route calculation process according to the fourth embodiment.

[0129] In step S80, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 transmits to the user terminal 500 and causes it to display an input screen for inputting destination information, priority information, and whether or not calculation of the tour completion time is required.

[0130] When user M inputs destination information, priority information, and whether or not calculation of tour completion time is required, in step S81, the transmitter / receiver 115 receives the destination information, priority information, and whether or not calculation of tour completion time is required.

[0131] The processing in steps S82 to S86 corresponds to the processing in steps S12 to S16 in FIG. 4, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0132] In step S87, the candidate route generating unit 113 determines whether or not information requiring calculation of the tour completion time has been received. If information requiring calculation of the tour completion time has not been received (step S87: No), the process proceeds to step S88. The processes of steps S88 to S96 correspond to the processes of steps S17 to S25 in FIG. 4, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0133] On the other hand, if the candidate route generating unit 113 receives information that requires calculation of the tour completion time (step S87: Yes), then in step S97, the tour completion time calculation process is started.

[0134] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the tour completion time calculation process according to the fourth embodiment. The tour completion time calculation process is performed as part of the route calculation process. For the sake of simplicity, in the fourth embodiment, "travel distance" is specified as the priority information. Past information is stored in the storage unit 14.

[0135] In step S971, the candidate route generation unit 113 generates a candidate route for traveling from the current location of user M to all of the multiple destinations that are planned to be visited and to arrive at the final destination based on the location information of user M within building BL and destination information.

[0136] In step S972, the determination unit 114 determines a tentative recommended route based on the generated candidate route, current elevator operation information, the current congestion state in the building BL, and the priority information. Specifically, the determination unit 114 calculates the travel distance, required time, and congestion state for each candidate route based on the candidate route, current elevator operation information, and the current congestion state in the building BL, and determines a tentative recommended route based on the calculation results and the priority information. In the fourth embodiment, since "travel distance" is specified as the priority information, the determination unit 114 determines the route with the shortest travel distance as the tentative recommended route.

[0137] In step S973, the tour completion time calculation unit 119 calculates the tour completion time when the user M starts the tour, based on the tentative recommended tour route and the past information stored in the storage unit 14.

[0138] In step S974, the transmitting / receiving unit 115 transmits the tour completion time to the user terminal 500. This completes the tour completion time calculation process. When the tour completion time calculation process is completed, the process returns to step S88 of the route calculation process.

[0139] [Summary] The route calculation device 100d of the fourth embodiment accumulates past information that associates past tour times of user M with elevator waiting times and the movement speed of user M at the tour times. The route calculation device 100d generates a tentative recommended tour route for visiting all of multiple destinations, based on location information of user M, destination information, elevator operation information, and the congestion status within building BL. Based on the past information, the route calculation device 100d calculates the tour completion time when user M starts to tour according to the tentative recommended tour route.

[0140] This allows user M to know the time when the tour will be completed before starting the tour. This can improve convenience for user M.

[0141] [Other embodiments] The route calculation program executed by the route calculation devices 100a to 100d of the above-described embodiments may 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 digital versatile disk (DVD).

[0142] Furthermore, the route calculation program executed by the route calculation devices 100a to 100d of the above-described embodiments may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Also, the route calculation program executed by the route calculation devices 100a to 100d of the above-described embodiments may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0143] The route calculation program executed by the route calculation devices 100a to 100d of the above-described embodiments has a modular configuration including the above-described functional units, and in actual hardware, the CPU 11 (processor) reads out the route calculation program from the ROM 13 and executes it, thereby loading the above-described functional units (acquisition unit 111, congestion status analysis unit 112, candidate route generation unit 113, determination unit 114, transmission / reception unit 115, memory unit 14, emergency signal reception unit 117, vehicle dispatch instruction unit 118, tour completion time calculation unit 119, control unit 120) onto the main storage device, and each functional unit is generated on the main storage device.

[0144] In the above embodiment, the route calculation devices 100a to 100d are described as measuring the congestion level in the building BL, but this is not limiting. For example, the imaging device 300 may measure the congestion level in the building BL and transmit the measurement results to the route calculation devices 100a to 100d.

[0145] In the above embodiment, the user M operates the user terminal 500 to input the destination information, priority information, etc., but this is not limiting. The user M may input the destination information and priority information via the route calculation devices 100a to 100d, or via a destination registration device and a target registration device connected to the route calculation devices 100a to 100d via a network (not shown).

[0146] In an embodiment, the congestion status may be reflected in the required time to reach the destination. For example, if the congestion status of aisle Y is "3 (very crowded)", the moving speed of user M moving along aisle Y will decrease, so this decrease may be added to the required time.

[0147] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, they 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]

[0148] 100a to 100d... route calculation device, 111... acquisition unit, 112... congestion status analysis unit, 113... candidate route generation unit, 114... determination unit, 115... transmission / reception unit, 117... emergency signal receiving unit, 118... vehicle dispatch instruction unit, 119... tour completion time calculation unit, 120... control unit, 200... external server, 300... imaging device, 400... elevator control device, 500... user terminal, BL... building, M... user, SA... route calculation system.

Claims

1. a receiving unit that receives, from a user terminal carried by an elevator user, destination information relating to a plurality of destinations on a route that the user takes within the building; an acquisition unit that executes an acquisition process to acquire location information of the user within the building, operation information of the elevator, and a captured image of the inside of the building; a congestion status analysis unit that executes an analysis process to analyze a congestion status in an imaging area based on the captured image; a candidate route generating unit that executes a candidate route generating process to generate candidate routes from the current location of the user to each of the plurality of destinations that the user has not yet visited, based on the location information and the destination information; a determination unit that executes a recommended route determination process to determine a recommended route including a next destination of the user from among the candidate routes based on the elevator operation information and the congestion state in the building; a transmission unit that executes a transmission process to transmit the recommended route to the user terminal; a control unit that controls the acquisition unit, the congestion status analysis unit, the candidate route generation unit, the determination unit, and the transmission unit, and repeatedly executes the acquisition process, the analysis process, the candidate route generation process, the recommended route determination process, and the transmission process each time the user reaches each of the plurality of destinations on the circular route; A route calculation device comprising:

2. The receiving unit receiving priority information from the user terminal, the priority information specifying which of a travel distance, a required time, and a congestion state in the building is to be prioritized for determining the recommended route; The determination unit For each of the generated candidate routes, calculate the travel distance from the user's current location, the required time, and the congestion state within the building based on the location information, the destination information, the elevator operation information, and the congestion state within the imaging range, and determine, as the recommended route, the route among the candidate routes that minimizes at least one of the travel distance, the required time, and the congestion state within the building based on the priority information received from the user terminal. The route calculation device according to claim 1 .

3. an emergency signal receiving unit that receives an emergency signal indicating that an emergency has occurred in the building; a dispatch instruction unit that, when receiving the emergency signal, transmits a dispatch instruction to an elevator control device that controls the elevator, instructing the elevator to be preferentially assigned to the floor where the user currently resides, based on location information of the user within the building; and Furthermore, the emergency signal includes the location information of a location where the emergency has occurred; The candidate route generation unit When the emergency signal is received, the candidate route is generated from the current location of the user to the location where the emergency has occurred based on location information of the user within the building and the location information of the location where the emergency has occurred; The determination unit calculating a required time from the user's current location for each of the generated candidate routes based on the elevator operation information, and determining, among the candidate routes, the route with the shortest required time as the recommended route; The route calculation device according to claim 1 .

4. The receiving unit receiving priority information indicating a priority of visiting each of the plurality of destinations from the user terminal; The determination unit extracting, from the candidate routes, a first candidate route having the smallest travel distance, the smallest travel time, and the smallest congestion state within the building, and a second candidate route having the next smallest travel distance, the smallest travel time, and the second smallest travel time, and determining, as the recommended route, the candidate route including the destination with the higher priority if the difference between the first and second candidate routes is below a reference value; The route calculation device according to claim 2 .

5. The receiving unit receiving, from the user terminal, information indicating whether or not it is necessary to calculate a tour completion time, which is an expected time at which the user will complete visiting all of the plurality of destinations on the tour route; The candidate route generation unit When receiving information indicating whether or not it is necessary to calculate the tour completion time, generating a tour candidate route that travels from the user's current location to all of the plurality of destinations based on the location information and the destination information, The determination unit determining a tentative recommended route from the candidate routes based on the elevator operation information and the congestion status in the building; The route calculation device a storage unit that stores past information that associates the user's past round times with the waiting time for the elevator at the round times and the user's moving speed; a tour completion time calculation unit that calculates a tour completion time when the user starts a tour along the tentative recommended tour route at a certain time based on the past information and the tentative recommended tour route, The transmission unit transmitting the tentative recommended tour route and the tour completion time to the user terminal; The route calculation device according to claim 1 .

6. A route calculation method executed by a route calculation device, comprising: receiving, from a user terminal carried by an elevator user, destination information relating to a plurality of destinations on a route traveled by the user within the building; executing an acquisition process for acquiring location information of the user within the building, operation information of the elevator, and a captured image of the inside of the building; executing an analysis process for analyzing a congestion state in an imaging area based on the captured image; executing a candidate route generation process for generating candidate routes from the current location of the user to each of the plurality of destinations that the user has not yet visited, based on the location information and the destination information; executing a recommended route determination process for determining a recommended route including a next destination of the user from among the candidate routes based on the elevator operation information and the congestion status in the building; executing a transmission process for transmitting the recommended route to the user terminal; repeatedly executing the acquisition process, the analysis process, the candidate route generation process, the recommended route determination process, and the transmission process each time the user reaches each of the plurality of destinations on the circular route; Including, Route calculation method.

7. A route calculation program to be executed by a computer of a route calculation device, receiving, from a user terminal carried by an elevator user, destination information relating to a plurality of destinations on a route traveled by the user within the building; executing an acquisition process for acquiring location information of the user within the building, operation information of the elevator, and a captured image of the inside of the building; executing an analysis process for analyzing a congestion state in an imaging area based on the captured image; executing a candidate route generation process for generating candidate routes from the current location of the user to each of the plurality of destinations that the user has not yet visited, based on the location information and the destination information; executing a recommended route determination process for determining a recommended route including a next destination of the user from among the candidate routes based on the elevator operation information and the congestion status in the building; executing a transmission process for transmitting the recommended route to the user terminal; repeatedly executing the acquisition process, the analysis process, the candidate route generation process, the recommended route determination process, and the transmission process each time the user reaches each of the plurality of destinations on the circular route; to cause the computer to execute Route calculation program.

Images