Control method and communication apparatus

Abstract

To provide an elevator capable of easily and inexpensively using a self-propelled robot by the minimum improvement of an existing elevator system.SOLUTION: When an operation performed in a car of an elevator is controlled by a remote operation instruction, a communication device such as an autonomous traveling robot 201 using the elevator transmits instruction information regarding the operation performed in the car of the elevator, and a communication device (for example, a monitoring device 203) that communicates with the elevator and the communication device such as the robot 201 receives the instruction information and transmits an operation signal to the elevator on the basis of the received instruction information. The position information of the basket is acquired, and the acquired position information of the basket is transmitted to the communication device such as the robot 201.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control method, a communication device, and a monitoring device for controlling operations performed by an elevator car occupant through remote control instructions. [Background technology]

[0002] Inside the elevator car, users (passengers) can operate the car, such as moving it or opening and closing the doors, by operating, i.e., pressing or touching, operation buttons provided inside the car.

[0003] Specifically, by pressing or touching the button with the desired floor number inside the car, the car can be moved to that floor. In this way, to move the car to the desired floor, a passenger must enter the car and operate the operation button inside the car. In addition, by pressing or touching the "open" button, the door opening time can be extended. In addition, by pressing or touching the "close" button, the door can be closed.

[0004] Recently, there is a technology for using a self-propelled robot to transport luggage and the like, in which the robot gets into an elevator together with a passenger and moves between floors of a building (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 8 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-83144 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-95724 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2019 / 193718 [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. 2019 / 193718 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-182400 [Patent Document 6] China Publication No. 105858368 [Patent Document 7] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-21616 [Patent Document 8] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-77065 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, it is difficult for a robot to operate the operation buttons, so in order to move the robot to the desired floor, it is necessary to replace the elevator control panel with a robot-compatible control panel or to upgrade it to a robot-compatible control panel.The replaced or upgraded robot-compatible control panel then receives the movement request from the robot and controls the movement of the car.

[0007] This posed a problem (issue) in that it required a lot of time and money to carry out work such as replacing and improving the control panels for each elevator that the robot was to enter.

[0008] Another issue was the need for the elevator to quickly and reliably receive movement request information from the robot, allowing the robot to get in and out of the car more smoothly.

[0009] The present invention solves the problems of the prior art described above by enabling the use of communication devices including self-propelled robots more simply and inexpensively, and by enabling smooth boarding and disembarking of the robots. The present invention aims to provide a control method, a communication device, and a monitoring device that can realize an elevator that can perform the above-mentioned functions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the control method of the present invention is a control method for controlling operations performed inside an elevator car by remote operation instructions, characterized in that an autonomously traveling robot using the elevator executes a process of transmitting instruction information regarding operations performed inside the elevator car to a communication device that communicates with the elevator and the robot, and the communication device receives the instruction information, transmits an operation signal to the elevator based on the received instruction information, obtains position information of the car, and transmits the obtained position information of the car to the robot.

[0011] Furthermore, the control method of the present invention is a control method for controlling operations performed in an elevator car by remote operation instructions, characterized in that the communication device executes a process of transmitting instruction information regarding operations performed in the elevator car to a communication device that communicates with the elevator and the communication device, and the communication device receives the instruction information, transmits an operation signal to the elevator based on the received instruction information, obtains position information of the car, and transmits the obtained position information of the car to the communication device.

[0012] In addition, the communication device of the present invention is a communication device that communicates with an elevator and an autonomously traveling robot that uses the elevator, and is characterized in that it receives instruction information from the robot regarding operations to be performed inside the elevator car, sends an operation signal to the elevator based on the received instruction information, obtains position information of the car, and transmits the obtained position information of the car to the robot.

[0013] In addition, the communication device of the present invention is a communication device that communicates with an elevator and a communication device, and is characterized in that it receives instruction information regarding operations to be performed inside the elevator car from the communication device, transmits an operation signal to the elevator based on the received instruction information, obtains position information of the car, and transmits the obtained position information of the car to the communication device.

[0014] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the control method of the present invention is a control method for controlling operations performed by a user in an elevator car by remote operation instructions, characterized in that an autonomously traveling robot using the elevator executes a process for transmitting instruction information regarding operations performed by the user in the elevator car, and a monitoring device provided near the elevator and monitoring the status of the elevator receives the instruction information and, based on the received instruction information, executes a process for transmitting operation signals to an operation panel that receives operation signals from each operation button provided in the car, or to a control panel of the elevator. In addition, the control method of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the robot executes a process of transmitting the instruction information to a communication terminal device connected to the robot via wireless communication, and the communication terminal device receives the instruction information transmitted from the robot and transmits the received instruction information to the monitoring device. In addition, the control method of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the robot executes a process of sending the instruction information to a management server that manages the robot, and the communication terminal device executes a process of receiving the instruction information via the management server. In addition, the control method of this invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the robot is provided at a location remote from the elevator, is connected to the monitoring device, and executes a process of transmitting the instruction information to a remote monitoring server that manages the elevator, and the monitoring device executes a process of receiving the instruction information via the remote monitoring server. Furthermore, the control method of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the robot executes a process of sending the instruction information to a management server that manages the robot, and the monitoring device executes a process of receiving the instruction information via the management server and a remote monitoring server that is provided in a location remote from the elevator, is connected to the monitoring device, and manages the elevator.

[0015] Furthermore, the control method of the present invention is a control method for controlling operations performed by a user in an elevator car by remote operation instructions, characterized in that a communication device executes a process of transmitting instruction information regarding operations performed by the user in the elevator car, and a monitoring device provided near the elevator and monitoring the status of the elevator receives the instruction information and, based on the received instruction information, executes a process of transmitting operation signals to an operation panel that receives operation signals from each operation button provided in the car, or to a control panel of the elevator.

[0016] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the monitoring device of the present invention is a monitoring device that is installed near an elevator and monitors the status of the elevator, and is characterized in that it receives instruction information regarding operations performed by a user inside the elevator car from an autonomous robot that uses the elevator, and transmits operation signals based on the received instruction information to an operation panel that receives operation signals from each operation button installed inside the car, or to a control panel of the elevator.

[0017] The monitoring device according to the present invention is provided in the vicinity of an elevator and monitors the state of the elevator, and receives information from a communication device about the elevator car. The elevator receives instruction information regarding operations to be performed by the user, and based on the received instruction information, transmits an operation signal to an operation panel that receives operation signals from each operation button provided in the car, or to the elevator control panel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The control method, communication device, and monitoring device of the present invention make it possible to realize an elevator that allows the use of communication devices, including self-propelled robots, more simply and inexpensively with minimal modifications to existing elevator systems.Furthermore, the control method and monitoring device of the present invention make it possible to realize an elevator that allows robots to board and disembark more smoothly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of elevator car movement control. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an elevator car movement control system including an on-car control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a robot. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram showing a communication configuration (communication pattern A) between a robot and a monitoring device. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram showing a communication configuration (communication pattern B) between the robot and the monitoring device. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4C is an explanatory diagram showing a communication configuration (communication pattern C) between the robot and the monitoring device. [Figure 4D] FIG. 4D is an explanatory diagram showing a communication configuration (communication pattern D) between the robot and the monitoring device. [Figure 4E] FIG. 4E is an explanatory diagram showing a communication configuration (communication pattern E) between the robot and the monitoring device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the robot. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the device management server. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the appliance communication terminal. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6C is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the monitoring device. [Figure 6D] FIG. 6D is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the remote monitoring server. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the on-car control device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the configuration of a portion of the elevator car movement control system including the on-car control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a portion of an elevator car movement control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a portion of an elevator car movement control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a control method and a communication device (monitoring device) according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of elevator car movement control. In Figure 1, reference numeral 101 denotes operation buttons provided inside the elevator car where passengers board, reference numeral 102 denotes an in-car operation panel provided in the car, reference numeral 103 denotes a car control board provided on the car, and reference numeral 104 denotes a control panel provided in the elevator machine room or the like.

[0022] The operation buttons 101 are usually attached to the sides of the door in the elevator car or the wall of the car. The operation buttons 101 are provided on the surface of the elevator car at a predetermined height that can be operated by the elevator car passengers. The operation buttons 101 are made up of buttons indicating the number of the floor (desired floor) to which the passenger wishes to travel (go up or down). In FIG. 1, a five-story building is assumed, and five buttons "1" to "5" corresponding to each floor (first floor to fifth floor) are provided as the operation buttons 101. Although not shown in the figure, in addition to the five buttons "1" to "5", buttons such as an "open" button and a "close" button for opening and closing the door may also be provided.

[0023] Each of the buttons "1" to "5" is connected to the car-mounted operation panel 102 via a wired signal line 111 to 115, and when each button is operated (for example, touched or pressed), the button operation signal (car call signal) is input in parallel to the car-mounted operation panel 102 via one of the signal lines 111 to 115 corresponding to each button.

[0024] The car internal operation panel 102 is installed inside the elevator car. Specifically, it is installed at a position outside the car relative to the inner wall surface of the car, such as behind the operation buttons 101, and is not visible to users. The car internal operation panel 102 receives operation signals from each button of the operation buttons 101 via signal lines 111 to 115.

[0025] The car internal operation panel 102 and the car control board 103 are connected by a wired signal line 116. Signal exchange between the car internal operation panel 102 and the car control board 103 is not limited to wired (signal line 116) but may be via wireless communication (such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark)).

[0026] Based on the operation signal received via signal lines 111 to 115, the car internal operation panel 102 determines which of signal lines 111 to 115 the operation signal comes from, and based on the result of the determination, transmits the operation signal (car call signal) for the corresponding floor to the car control board 103 via signal line 116.

[0027] The car control board 103 is installed on the car, for example, and performs centralized control of car-related devices. Specifically, the car control board 103 performs controls within the car, such as determining which of the operation buttons 101 has been pressed, displaying information on a display in the car that indicates floors and direction arrows, controlling the door opening and closing motors, and understanding the status of safety switches.

[0028] The control panel 104 is connected to the car control board 103 by a wired signal line (for example, a tail cord 117), and transmits and receives signals to and from the car control board 103. The car control board 103 receives an operation signal (car call signal) from the car internal operation panel 102 via a signal line 116, and transmits the operation signal to the control panel 104 via the tail cord 117.

[0029] The control panel 104 drives and controls each part of the elevator. For example, the control panel 104 drives and controls the hoisting machine to move (raise and lower) the car. Although not shown, the control panel 104 may be connected via a network to a management server computer installed in a remote location from the elevator. In this case, the management server computer can monitor and remotely control the operation of the elevator via the control panel 104 by communicating with the control panel 104 wirelessly or via a wire.

[0030] The control panel 104 receives an operation signal (car call signal) via the tail cord 117 and controls the hoist based on the operation signal to move (raise or lower) the car to the corresponding floor. In this way, the car occupant can move the car to the desired floor by operating the operation button 101.

[0031] Next, the flow of elevator car movement control will be explained in more detail. For example, when a passenger presses button "5" on operation buttons 101, the signal is input to car internal operation panel 102 via signal line 115. Car internal operation panel 102 sends a car call signal for "5" (fifth floor) to car control board 103 via wired signal line 116. Car control board 103 transmits a car call signal for the fifth floor to control panel 104 via tail cord 117. Control panel 104 receives the car call signal for the fifth floor and controls the elevation of the car, thereby moving the car to the fifth floor.

[0032] When button "4" of operation buttons 101 is pressed, the signal is input to car intermediate operation panel 102 via signal line 114, and similarly, control of raising and lowering the car to the fourth floor is performed. When button "3" is pressed, the signal is input to car intermediate operation panel 102 via signal line 113, when button "2" is pressed, the signal is input to car intermediate operation panel 102 via signal line 112, and when button "1" is pressed, the car call signal is input to car intermediate operation panel 102 via signal line 111 and sent to control panel 104 via car control board 103, and control panel 104 controls the raising and lowering of the car to the third, second, and first floors, respectively.

[0033] In this way, the car is moved to the desired floor by the passenger inside the car operating the operation button 101. Since buttons "1" to "5" of the operation button 101 and the car internal operation panel 102 are connected in parallel by signal lines 111 to 115, when two or more of buttons "1" to "5" of the operation button 101 are operated, for example, when buttons "2" and "4" are operated, operation signals are input to the car internal operation panel 102 from signal lines 112 and 114, respectively, and the car internal operation panel 102 sends a car call signal for "2" (second floor) and a car call signal for "4" (fourth floor) to the car control board 103 via signal line 116.

[0034] (Embodiment 1) 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an elevator car movement control system including an on-car control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Note that components that are the same as those shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0035] In Figure 2, symbol 201 is a robot that can enter an elevator, symbol 202a is a remote monitoring server that controls and manages multiple elevators from a remote location, symbol 202b is an equipment management server that manages various equipment including the robot 201, symbol 203 is a monitoring device installed near the elevator that monitors the elevator, symbol 204 is an equipment communication terminal that controls communication between the robot 201 and the remote monitoring device 203, symbol 205 is an on-car control device installed on the car, symbol 206 is a communication unit provided in the on-car control device 205, and symbol 207 is a control unit provided in the on-car control device 205.

[0036] The robot 201 is, for example, a self-propelled autonomous transport robot that can move by itself, actually get into an elevator car, and move between floors of a building without relying on human intervention. A detailed description of the robot 201 will be given later with reference to FIG. 3.

[0037] The remote monitoring server 202a is an information processing device that is usually installed in a remote location away from the building where the elevator is installed, and that remotely monitors the operation of the elevator and distributes and collects various information. The server 202 may be the management server computer described above, or may be another information processing device.

[0038] The device management server 202b is provided separately from the server for remotely monitoring the operation of the elevator, and controls and manages the robot 201 and manages communication between the robot 201 and the elevator. This is a server for managing robots, exchanging information and other data.

[0039] The remote monitoring server 202a and the device management server 202b are connected to the robot 201 via a wireless communication method such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), and can transmit and receive various information to and from the robot 201. The wireless communication method between the remote monitoring server 202a and the device management server 202b and the robot 201 is not limited to LTE, and may be wireless communication using other communication methods.

[0040] The remote monitoring server 202a and the equipment management server 202b are connected via the IP protocol. The remote monitoring server 202a is provided with a predetermined input / output port of an API (Application Programming Interface), so that it can receive elevator operation instructions from the equipment management server 202b.

[0041] The monitoring device 203 can be realized by a so-called remote monitoring device that is attached near the elevator, for example, to a housing that houses the elevator control panel 104 or to the wall of the elevator shaft.

[0042] More specifically, an I / O board integrated with the remote monitoring device can be used as an interface to communicate directly with the control panel 104 via serial or parallel, or it can be connected in parallel to the circuit of the operation button 101 in the car via the on-car control device 205, allowing the button to be operated externally. The I / O board of the monitoring device 203 can also be used for remote monitoring. This makes it possible to receive commands from devices such as remote monitoring, remote inspection, and the robot 201 and control the elevator using the same device.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, the monitoring device 203 is connected to the control panel 104, acquires signals (control signals) output from the control panel 104 to each part of the elevator, generates notification information (including information about the elevator's status and identification information of the elevator that is the sender of the notification information) based on the acquired control signals, and transmits the generated notification information to a management server computer (not shown in the figure) (the management server computer may be the remote monitoring server 202a).

[0044] In this way, in the case of a relatively new elevator, the monitoring device 203 can obtain information from the control panel 104, and based on the obtained information, the monitoring device 203 can determine the car position, i.e., where the car is located in the elevator shaft.

[0045] However, in the case of a relatively old elevator, it may not be possible to obtain information from the control panel 104, and therefore the monitoring device 203 may not be able to reliably determine the car position. In such cases, the car position can be identified using, for example, UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) wireless communication. Specifically, a communication device (not shown) is installed at the top of the elevator shaft, and by using an ultra-wideband frequency bandwidth, the distance from the communication device to the car is measured, and the car position is identified based on the measured distance.

[0046] The monitoring device 203 has a wireless communication function, is connected to the remote monitoring server 202a via a wireless communication method such as LTE, and can transmit and receive various information such as operation signals and car position information to and from the remote monitoring server 202a. The wireless communication method between the monitoring device 203 and the remote monitoring server 202a is not limited to LTE, and wireless communication using other communication methods is also possible.

[0047] The monitoring device 203 can also change the elevator's operation depending on the source of the instruction. For example, in the case of an operation instruction from the robot 201, after the door opens, the robot finishes riding. The door can be set not to close until the car is opened. In addition, if an instruction is given by the car occupant, the door can be set to close after a certain time has passed since the door was opened. In addition, if an instruction is given by the autolock, the car can be moved to a floor with an entrance, and the door can be set to wait with the door open.

[0048] Furthermore, the monitoring device 203 can be directly connected to the robot 201 by a wireless communication method such as LTE without going through the remote monitoring server 202a, and can transmit and receive various information such as operation signals and cage position information to and from the robot 201. Details will be explained later with reference to FIG. 4C.

[0049] The equipment communication terminal 204 is connected to equipment such as the robot 201 via wireless communication and communicates with the equipment such as the robot 201, and is also connected to the monitoring device 203 via wired or wireless communication and manages communication between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203.

[0050] The on-car control device 205 is provided on the car, for example, near the car control board 103. Alternatively, the on-car control device 205 may be provided integrally with the car control board 103. The on-car control device 205 has a communication unit 206 and a control unit 207.

[0051] The on-car control device 205 can transmit and receive various information to and from the monitoring device 203 using the communication unit 206 via a short-range wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi. The communication between the communication unit 206 and the monitoring device 203 is not limited to Wi-Fi, and other wireless communication methods may be used, or communication may be performed via a wired connection.

[0052] The control unit 207 is connected to the communication unit 206 in the on-car control device 205 by a wired signal line or the like, and a signal received by the communication unit 206 is input via the signal line. The control unit 207 and the communication unit 206 may be formed as an integrated device (single housing) as the on-car control device 205, or the communication unit 206 may be provided as a communication device separate from the on-car control device 205.

[0053] The control unit 207 connects signal lines 211-215 individually to the signal lines 111-115 between the operation button 101 and the car-mounted operation panel 102, for example, using crimp terminals. In this way, branch wiring (signal lines 211-215) is connected to the existing wiring (signal lines 111-115) between the operation panel and the control unit 207, which receives the operation signals of each operation button. The control unit 207 can then transmit signals similar to the button operation signals (car call signals) transmitted when each button of the operation button 101 is operated, to each signal line 111-115 via each signal line 211-215.

[0054] In this way, for example, when an operation signal is sent (output) from control unit 207 to signal line 211, the operation signal is input to car internal operation panel 102 via signal line 111 from the contact point between signal line 211 and signal line 111. When the signal is input, car internal operation panel 102 determines that an operation to call a car for the first floor has been performed and sends a signal to that effect via signal line 116 to car control board 103, and car control board 103, which has received the signal, sends a signal related to the operation to call a car for the first floor to control panel 104 via tail code 117. This enables control panel 104 to perform the operation to move the car to the first floor.

[0055] Therefore, the control unit 207 of the on-car control device 205 can simply send an operation signal to the signal line 211, and the car can be moved to the first floor in the same way as if the occupant had operated button "1" of the operation button 101 inside the car, even if the occupant inside the car does not operate button "1" of the operation button 101. When the control unit 207 sends operation signals to the signal lines 212 to 215, the car can also be moved to each floor (second floor to fifth floor) in the same way.

[0056] Next, the flow of the operation of the robot 201 will be described. Assume that the robot 201, which is on the first floor, moves to the desired floor, the fourth floor. First, information about the floor on which the robot 201 is currently located, i.e., the floor on which the robot wishes to board (the first floor), is input to the robot 201. The information about the floor on which the robot wishes to board may be input manually to the robot 201 directly by an operator using a touch panel, which will be described later, or may be input remotely by wireless communication. Furthermore, the information about the floor on which the robot 201 is currently located may be input to the robot 201 in advance, or the robot 201 itself may acquire information about the floor on which the robot is currently located.

[0057] When information regarding the desired floor (first floor) to board is input, the robot 201 transmits request information requesting that the car be moved to that floor (first floor) to the monitoring device 203 via the remote monitoring server 202a, the equipment management server 202b, the equipment communication terminal 204, etc. This request information includes information regarding the desired floor (first floor) to board, as well as ID information of the robot 201 itself and ID information of the elevator (car) to board. The robot 201 may transmit the request information directly to the monitoring device 203 without going through these routes. The communication configuration between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203 will be described in detail later.

[0058] When the remote monitoring server 202a receives the request information, it identifies the corresponding elevator based on the request information, and transmits operation command information including information about the desired floor (first floor) and the ID information of the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 installed near the identified elevator.

[0059] When the monitoring device 203 receives the operation command information, it transmits information relating to the desired boarding floor (first floor) to the communication unit 206 of the on-car control device 205. Having received the information relating to the desired boarding floor (first floor), the communication unit 206 passes the information relating to the desired boarding floor (first floor) to the control unit 207. Then, the control unit 207 sends an operation signal to the signal line 211 based on the information relating to the desired boarding floor (first floor).

[0060] This allows the car to be moved to the first floor, so that the robot 201 can get into the car on the first floor without manually operating the button "1" of the operation button 101 in the car or operating the call button at the boarding area on the first floor.

[0061] Next, after getting into the elevator car, the robot 201 transmits request information requesting movement to a desired floor (fourth floor) to the monitoring device 203 via the remote monitoring server 202a, the equipment management server 202b, the equipment communication terminal 204, etc. This request information may include information about the desired floor (fourth floor), as well as ID information of the robot 201 and ID information of the elevator that will move the car.

[0062] For example, when the remote monitoring server 202a receives request information from the robot 201, it identifies the corresponding elevator based on the request information and transmits operation command information including information about the desired floor (fourth floor) and the ID information of the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 installed near the identified elevator.

[0063] When the monitoring device 203 receives the operation command information, it transmits information about the desired floor (fourth floor) to the communication unit 206 of the on-car control device 205. Having received the information about the desired floor (fourth floor), the communication unit 206 passes the information about the desired floor (fourth floor) to the control unit 207. Then, the control unit 207 sends an operation signal to the signal line 214 based on the information about the desired floor (fourth floor).

[0064] As a result, the robot 201 that gets into the car on the first floor can move up to the fourth floor in the car and then get off the car on the fourth floor, so that the robot can move from the first floor to the fourth floor without manually operating an operation button.

[0065] (Configuration of Robot 201) Next, the configuration of the robot 201 will be described. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the robot. In Fig. 3, reference numeral 301 denotes the robot body (housing), reference numeral 302 denotes a luggage placement space, reference numeral 303 denotes wheels, and reference numeral 304 denotes a display screen (touch panel).

[0066] Also, reference numeral 305 is a display control unit, reference numeral 306 is an information input unit, reference numeral 307 is a communication unit, reference numeral 308 is an imaging unit, reference numeral 309 is a driving control unit, reference numeral 310 is a wheel drive unit, and reference numeral 311 is a storage battery.

[0067] The robot body (casing) 301 is provided with a luggage placement space 302, where luggage, food, etc. can be placed and transported. Specifically, this robot 201 can be used in a hotel, for example, where the robot 201 can transport guests' luggage to guest rooms on each floor and deliver room service meals. In addition, even in buildings other than hotels, the robot can be used to transport items between different floors of the building.

[0068] For this purpose, the robot body (casing) 301 is provided with a plurality of wheels 303, which enable the robot to move independently in any desired direction, including turning, over 360 degrees.

[0069] A lid member may also be provided in the luggage placement space 302. This lid member may be equipped with a locking mechanism to prevent theft or vandalism of luggage, etc., and may be designed so that only the owner of the luggage can unlock it using a personal identification number or the like.

[0070] The robot body (housing) 301 is also provided with a display screen 304. The robot body (housing) 301 is also provided with a camera that takes pictures of the surroundings of the robot 201, various sensors for grasping the situation around the robot 201, a speaker that outputs sound, and the like, all of which are not shown in the figure.

[0071] The dimensions of the robot 201 are not particularly limited, but it must be large enough to pass through the entrance of the elevator car when the elevator doors are open. In addition, since the robot boards the elevator together with the passenger, it is desirable that the size of the robot 201 does not obstruct the passenger's entry when the robot boards the elevator. The dimensions of the robot 201 can be optimized depending on the type and size of the luggage to be transported. In addition, the luggage placement space 302 can be made variable depending on the type and size of the luggage.

[0072] The robot 201 includes hardware such as a CPU, memory, a communication interface, and an input / output interface, and realizes various functions such as a display control unit 305, an information input unit 306, a communication unit 307, an imaging unit 308, and a driving control unit 309.

[0073] The display control unit 305 can display various types of information using the display screen 304. The information input unit 306 realizes its functions using an input / output interface, and can accept input of information related to movement commands and various types of information by an operator touching the surface of the display screen 304 using, for example, the touch panel function of the display screen 304.

[0074] The communication unit 307 realizes its functions through a communication interface and can transmit information about the floor to which the elevator moves to an external device. It can also receive information about a movement command for the robot 201 transmitted by wireless communication from an external device, and information about the position of the elevator car that the robot 201 is to board.

[0075] The imaging unit 308 controls a camera (not shown) to capture images of the surroundings, and transmits the captured information to the outside via the communication unit 307, or to the traveling control unit 309. The traveling control unit 309 controls the wheel drive unit 310 to move (travel) the robot main body 301 based on movement commands received by the information input unit 306 or the communication unit 307. At that time, the robot 201 can be safely traveled by avoiding obstacles based on information from the imaging unit 308 and various sensors (not shown).

[0076] The wheel drive unit 310 realizes its function using a motor or the like. The wheel drive unit 310 can rotate the motor based on a control signal from the travel control unit 309 and transmit the rotation to the wheels 303. This allows the robot body 301 to move.

[0077] The storage battery 311 is a rechargeable battery such as a lithium battery, and supplies power to each component of the robot 201. Although not shown, a charging station may be provided and the robot 201 may be moved there to charge the storage battery 311. The storage battery 311 may be a fuel cell that generates electricity using hydrogen, in addition to a lithium battery.

[0078] 3, the robot 201 is self-propelled using wheels 303, but is not limited to this as long as it is self-propelled. Specifically, for example, it may be a bipedal humanoid robot or a quadrupedal walking animal-type robot.

[0079] (Communication configuration between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203) Next, a description will be given of the communication configuration between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203. Figures 4A to 4E are explanatory diagrams showing the communication configurations (communication patterns A to E) between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203, respectively.

[0080] The communication patterns A and B are configured using the equipment communication terminal 204, and the communication patterns C to E are configured without using the equipment communication terminal 204.

[0081] 4A shows an example of a communication configuration (communication pattern A) between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203. As shown in FIG. 4A, information transmission from the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 in communication pattern A is performed via the device management server 202b and the device communication terminal 204.

[0082] That is, information transmitted from the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 is first transmitted from the robot 201 to the device management server 202b. The device management server 202b identifies the device communication terminal 204 connected to the relevant monitoring device 203, and the information is transmitted from the device management server 202b to the identified device communication terminal 204. Furthermore, the information is transmitted from the device communication terminal 204 to the monitoring device 203, and the monitoring device 203 receives the information.

[0083] FIG. 4B shows another example (communication pattern B) of the communication configuration between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203. As shown in FIG. 4B, in communication pattern B, information is transmitted from the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 via the equipment communication terminal 204. Therefore, in communication pattern B, unlike pattern A shown in FIG. 4A, the robot 201 does not have to communicate with the equipment management server. The device communication terminal 204 connected to the corresponding monitoring device 203 is identified without going through the server 202b. Then, the robot 201 is directly connected to the identified device communication terminal 204, and information is transmitted from the robot 201 to the device communication terminal 204.

[0084] That is, information transmitted from the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 is first transmitted from the robot 201 to the specified device communication terminal 204. Then, the information is transmitted from the device communication terminal 204 to the monitoring device 203, and the monitoring device 203 receives the information.

[0085] 4C shows another example (communication pattern C) of the communication configuration between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203. As shown in FIG. 4C, information from the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 in communication pattern C is transmitted directly. Therefore, unlike pattern A shown in FIG. 4A and pattern B shown in FIG. 4B, communication pattern C is such that the robot 201 is directly connected to the corresponding monitoring device 203 without going through the device management server 202b or the device communication terminal 204. In other words, information transmitted from the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 is transmitted directly to the corresponding monitoring device 203. The information is then received by the monitoring device 203.

[0086] Fig. 4D shows another example (communication pattern D) of the communication configuration between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203. As shown in Fig. 4D, information transmission from the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 in communication pattern D is performed via the device management server 202b and the remote monitoring server 202a.

[0087] That is, information transmitted from the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 is first transmitted from the robot 201 to the device management server 202b. The information is then transmitted from the device management server 202b to the remote monitoring server 202a. The information is then transmitted from the remote monitoring server 202a to the monitoring device 203, and is received by the monitoring device 203.

[0088] Fig. 4E shows another example (communication pattern E) of the communication configuration between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203. As shown in Fig. 4E, information transmission from the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 in communication pattern E is performed via the remote monitoring server 202a.

[0089] That is, information transmitted from the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 is first transmitted from the robot 201 to the remote monitoring server 202a. The information is then transmitted from the remote monitoring server 202a to the monitoring device 203, and is received by the monitoring device 203.

[0090] Although the information from the robot 201 to the monitoring device 203 (upstream information) has been described, information from the monitoring device 203 to the robot 201 (downstream information) also follows the same route as the upstream information and is transmitted to the robot 201. Alternatively, the upstream information may be transmitted to the robot 201 via a route different from that of the downstream information. Specifically, for example, the upstream information may be transmitted by communication pattern A, and the downstream information may be transmitted by communication pattern C.

[0091] Here, the communication between the robot 201 and the device management server 202b in the communication patterns A and D can use a wireless communication method such as a mobile phone network such as LTE, as described above.

[0092] Furthermore, a wireless communication method such as a mobile phone network such as LTE can also be used for communication between the device management server 202b and the device communication terminal 204 in communication pattern A. The wireless communication method between the device management server 202b and the device communication terminal 204 is not limited to LTE, and wireless communication using other communication methods may also be used.

[0093] Furthermore, in communication patterns A and B, communication between the equipment communication terminal 204 and the monitoring device 203 can be performed by wired communication such as USB, LAN, CAN (Controller Area Network), or RS232C / 422, since they are located nearby. It can also be performed by wireless communication using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a sub-GHz transceiver. In the case of a wireless connection, whether communication can be performed properly depends on the elevator installation environment and the building structure. Sub-GHz is preferable because the frequency band is low, which allows for radio wave diffraction and makes communication easier.

[0094] In communication with the equipment communication terminal 204, the monitoring device 203 provides an area in a header file for identifying the equipment (robot 201), and records the type of equipment and the content of the operation instructions in a device-specific operation table (not shown) in advance. There may be multiple operation instructions for one equipment. Then, the type of equipment can be identified by reading the header file, and operation instructions tailored to the equipment can be sent to the elevator by referring to the device-specific operation table. If the IP protocol is used for communication with the equipment communication terminal 204, the equipment may be identified based on the IP address and port.

[0095] The appliance communication terminal 204 may be configured to transmit information to the monitoring device 203 using an external network (not shown) rather than being directly connected to the monitoring device 203. This does not necessarily require the appliance communication terminal 204 to be installed near the monitoring device 203, increasing the degree of freedom in installing the appliance communication terminal 204. In particular, installing the appliance communication terminal 204 in a location where communication is easy can improve the quality of communication with the robot 201 and the crisis management server 202b.

[0096] Furthermore, a wireless communication method such as a mobile phone network such as LTE can be used for communication between the robot 201 and the device communication terminal 204 in communication pattern B. The wireless communication method between the robot 201 and the device communication terminal 204 is not limited to LTE, and may be wireless communication using other communication methods.

[0097] Furthermore, a wireless communication method such as a mobile phone network, such as LTE, can also be used for communication between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203 in communication pattern C. The wireless communication method between the robot 201 and the monitoring device 203 is not limited to LTE, and wireless communication using other communication methods may also be used.

[0098] In communication with the robot 201, the monitoring device 203 may, for example, provide an area in a header file for identifying the device (robot 201), and record the type of device and the content of the operation instructions in a device-specific operation table (not shown) in advance. There may be multiple operation instructions for one device. Then, the type of device can be identified by reading the header file, and operation instructions tailored to the device can be sent to the elevator by referring to the device-specific operation table. If the IP protocol is used for communication with the device communication terminal 204, the device may be identified based on the IP address and port.

[0099] Furthermore, in communication pattern D, communication between the device management server 202b and the remote monitoring server 202a is established, for example, by the IP protocol. The remote monitoring server 202a can be provided with an input / output port of a predetermined API (Application Programming Interface) so as to receive elevator operation instructions from the device management server 202b. When an elevator operation instruction is received as an API input to the remote monitoring server 202a, the type of the device management server 202b and the content of the operation instruction received by the API can be transmitted to the monitoring device 202.

[0100] In addition, a wireless communication method such as a mobile phone network, such as LTE, can be used for communication between the remote monitoring server 202a and the monitoring device 203 in communication pattern D. The wireless communication method between the remote monitoring server 202a and the monitoring device 203 is not limited to LTE, and may be wireless communication using other communication methods.

[0101] In communication with the remote monitoring server 202a, the monitoring device 203 records in advance the type of device management server 202b and the content of the operation instruction in, for example, a device-specific operation table (not shown). There may be multiple operation instructions for one device. Then, based on the type of device management server and the content of the operation instruction received from the remote monitoring server 202a, the monitoring device 203 can refer to the device-specific operation table and transmit to the elevator an operation instruction that matches the type of device management server 202b and the content of the operation instruction.

[0102] Furthermore, a wireless communication method such as a mobile phone network, such as LTE, can also be used for communication between the robot 201 and the remote monitoring server 202a in communication pattern E. The wireless communication method between the robot 201 and the remote monitoring server 202a is not limited to LTE, and wireless communication using other communication methods may also be used.

[0103] In addition, a wireless communication method such as a mobile phone network, such as LTE, can be used for communication between the remote monitoring server 202a and the monitoring device 203 in communication pattern E. The wireless communication method between the remote monitoring server 202a and the monitoring device 203 is not limited to LTE, and may be wireless communication using other communication methods.

[0104] In communication with the remote monitoring server 202a, the monitoring device 203 provides an area in a header file for identifying the device (robot 201), and records the type of device and the content of the operation instructions in a device-specific operation table (not shown) in advance. There may be multiple operation instructions for one device. Then, the type of device can be identified by reading the header file, and operation instructions tailored to the device can be sent to the elevator by referring to the device-specific operation table.

[0105] (Robot 201 processing procedure) Next, the processing procedure of the robot 201 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the robot. In the flowchart of FIG. 5, the robot 201 determines whether or not an instruction to move to another floor has been input (step S501). Here, the robot 201 waits for the input of the instruction to move (step S501: No), and if the instruction to move has been input (step S501: Yes), it transmits information (current floor information) about the desired floor to board, i.e., the floor where the robot 201 is currently located (step S502). The transmission destination is the device communication terminal 204 in communication patterns A and B, the monitoring device 203 in communication pattern C, the device management server 202b in communication pattern D, and the remote monitoring server 202a in communication pattern E.

[0106] The current floor information includes identification information of the device itself (device itself ID) and identification information of the elevator (car) to be moved (elevator ID). It may also include information indicating that the user is moving to the current floor. It may also include information regarding the desired boarding time (desired time = current time, desired time = yymmdd, hhmmss (year, month, day, hour, minute, second), or "7 minutes and 30 seconds from now", etc.).

[0107] Next, the robot 201 receives information (car position information) about the floor on which the elevator car is located from either the equipment management server 202b (communication patterns A and D), the equipment communication terminal 204 (communication pattern B), the remote monitoring device 203 (communication pattern C), or the remote monitoring server 202a (communication pattern E) (step S503). Based on the location information, it is determined whether the car has arrived at the current floor (the floor where the device itself is located) (step S504).

[0108] Here, the robot waits for the car to arrive at the current floor (step S504: No), and if it is determined that the car has arrived at the current floor (step S504: Yes), it drives itself and performs an operation for getting into the car (step S505), and transmits information about the desired floor to move to (desired floor information) to server 202 (step S506). As a result, the car door closes, and the car carrying robot 201 starts moving.

[0109] The desired floor information includes the identification information of the device itself (device ID) and the identification information of the elevator to which the user is to move (elevator ID). It may also include information indicating that the user is moving to the desired floor (car call).

[0110] Then, the robot 201 receives information (car position information) regarding which floor the elevator car is located at from either the equipment management server 202b, the equipment communication terminal 204, the remote monitoring device 203, or the remote monitoring server 202a (step S507), and determines whether the car has arrived at the desired floor (the floor to which the robot itself wishes to move) based on the received car position information (step S508).

[0111] Here, the robot 201 waits for the car to arrive at the desired floor (step S508: No), and if it determines that the car has arrived at the desired floor (step S508: Yes), the robot 201 confirms (by using a camera or various sensors, etc.) that the door has opened, and then moves on its own to dismount from the car (step S509), thereby completing the series of processes of the robot 201.

[0112] (Processing procedure of device management server 202b) Next, the processing procedure of the device management server 202b will be described. Fig. 6A is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the device management server. In the flowchart of Fig. 6A, the device management server 202b determines whether or not movement floor information (current floor information, desired floor information) has been received from the robot 201 (step S601).

[0113] Here, the system waits for reception of travel floor information (step S601: No), and if it has been received (step S601: Yes), it next determines whether the destination is the equipment communication terminal 204 (step S602). That is, it determines whether communication is to be performed using communication pattern A. If the communication pattern has been determined in advance, this determination process is omitted.

[0114] Here, if the transmission destination is the appliance communication terminal 204 (communication pattern A) (step S602: Yes), the target appliance communication terminal 204 is identified (step S603). The target appliance communication terminal 204 can identify the appliance communication terminal 204 corresponding to the elevator based on the elevator ID included in the received information.

[0115] Then, the device management server 202b transmits the movement floor information (current floor information or desired floor information) to the identified device communication terminal 204 (step S604), and proceeds to step S606.

[0116] In step S602, if the destination is not the equipment communication terminal 204 (not communication pattern A) (step S602: No), the destination is the remote monitoring server 202a (communication pattern D), so the travel floor information (current floor information or desired floor information) is sent to the remote monitoring server 202a (step S605), and the process proceeds to step S606.

[0117] Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the basket position information has been received from the equipment communication terminal 204 (step S606). Here, the equipment management server 202b waits for reception of the basket position information (step S606: No), and if received (step S606: Yes), the equipment management server 202b transmits the received basket position information to the robot 201 (step S607). This completes the series of processes of the server 202.

[0118] (Processing procedure of device communication terminal 204) Next, the processing procedure of the device communication terminal 204 will be described. Fig. 6B is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the device communication terminal. In the flowchart of Fig. 6B, the device communication terminal 204 determines whether or not it has received moving floor information (step S611). Here, the sending source of the moving floor information is the device management server 202b (communication pattern A) or the robot 201 (communication pattern B).

[0119] In step S611, the equipment communication terminal 204 waits to receive the moving floor information (step S611: No), and if it has been received (step S611: Yes), it transmits the moving floor information to the monitoring device 203 (step S612).

[0120] Thereafter, the equipment communication terminal 204 determines whether or not it has received basket position information from the monitoring device 203 (step S613). Here, it waits for reception of basket position information (step S613: No), and if it has been received (step S613: Yes), it transmits the received basket position information (step S614). The basket position information is transmitted to the equipment management server 202b (communication pattern A) or the robot 201 (communication pattern B). This completes the series of processes of the equipment communication terminal 204.

[0121] (Processing procedure of monitoring device 203) Next, the processing procedure of the monitoring device 203 will be described. FIG. 6C is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the monitoring device. In the flowchart of FIG. 6C, the monitoring device 203 determines whether or not it has received moving floor information from the robot 201 (step S621). The moving floor information is information that was transmitted by the robot 201 in step S503 of the flowchart in FIG. 5, reached the monitoring device 203 by any one of communication patterns A to E, and received by the monitoring device 203.

[0122] In step S621, the monitoring device 203 waits to receive the floor information to be moved (step S621: No), and if the information has been received (step S621: Yes), it transmits the floor information to the car control device 205 (step S622).

[0123] Thereafter, the monitoring device 203 acquires the car's position information (step S623). Specifically, for example, information about the car's position (information about the location of the car) can be acquired from the elevator control panel 104.

[0124] Furthermore, depending on the model of the elevator, the monitoring device 203 may not be able to acquire car position information from the elevator control panel 104. In that case, the monitoring device 203 identifies the car position using UWB wireless communication as described above.

[0125] Then, the monitoring device 203 transmits the acquired car position information to the robot 201 using one of the communication patterns A to E (step S624). The car position information may be, for example, information about the current car position, or information indicating that the car has arrived at a floor to which the robot 201 is to travel (or will soon arrive at a floor to which the robot 201 is to travel). The car position information may be any information that allows the robot 201 to recognize that the car has arrived at a floor to which the robot 201 is to travel when it receives the information. This completes the series of processes of the monitoring device 203.

[0126] (Processing procedure of the remote monitoring server 202a) Next, the processing procedure of the remote monitoring server 202a will be described. Fig. 6D is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the remote monitoring server in the elevator car movement control system. In the flowchart of Fig. 6D, the remote monitoring server 202a determines whether or not it has received moving floor information (step S631). Here, the sending source of the moving floor information is the equipment management server 202b (communication pattern D) or the robot 201 (communication pattern E).

[0127] The moving floor information is either the current floor information transmitted in step S502 or the desired floor information transmitted in step S506 shown in the flowchart of Fig. 5. In step S501, the server 202 treats both the current floor information and the desired floor information transmitted from the robot 201 as moving floor information without distinguishing between them, but the transmitted information may be distinguished and treated as either current floor information or desired floor information. To enable distinguishing between the two, the information transmitted by the robot 201 may include information for identifying whether it is current floor information or desired floor information.

[0128] In step S631, the remote monitoring server 202a waits to receive moving floor information (step S631: No), and if the information is received (step S631: Yes), it identifies the target elevator (step S632). The target elevator can be identified based on the elevator ID included in the received information.

[0129] Then, the remote monitoring server 202a transmits the moving floor information (current floor information or desired floor information) to the monitoring device 203 of the identified elevator (step S633).

[0130] Thereafter, it is determined whether or not basket position information has been received from the monitoring device 203 (step S634). Here, the remote monitoring server 202a waits for reception of basket position information (step S634: No), and if received (step S634: Yes), it transmits the received basket position information (step S635). The basket position information is transmitted to the device management server 202b (communication pattern D) or the robot 201 (communication pattern E). This completes the series of processes of the server 202.

[0131] (Processing procedure of on-car control device 205) Next, the processing procedure of the on-car control device 205 will be explained. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the on-car control device of the first embodiment according to the present invention. In the flowchart of Fig. 7, the on-car control device 205 determines whether the communication unit 206 has received moving floor information from the monitoring device 203 (step S701). The moving floor information is information that the monitoring device 203 sent to the on-car control device 205 in step S602 of the flowchart of Fig. 6.

[0132] In step S701, the car on-board control device 205 waits to receive the floor information to be moved (step S701: No), and if it has received the information (step S701: Yes), it identifies a signal line from among the signal lines 211 to 215 through which the control unit 207 will transmit an operation signal based on the received floor information to be moved (step S702), and transmits the operation signal from the identified signal line (step S703). This completes the series of processes of the car on-board control device 205.

[0133] In this way, the control device (on-car control device 205) is a control device 205 that controls the operations performed by the user in the elevator car by remote operation instructions, and the control device 205 connects branch wiring (signal lines 211 to 215) to the existing wiring (signal lines 111 to 115) between each operation button 101 provided in the car and the operation panel (in-car operation panel 102) that receives the operation signal of each operation button 101, and the receiving unit (communication unit 206) of the elevator Based on information regarding the operation instruction of the operation button 101 received by wireless communication from (monitoring device 203, server 202, robot 201, other communication terminal device, etc.), an operation signal can be sent to the operation panel (car-internal operation panel 102) using the branch wiring (signal lines 211 to 215) corresponding to the operation instruction.

[0134] Therefore, with this on-car control device 205, it is possible to perform call operations using the robot 201, and to have the robot 201 enter the car and move the car to the desired floor without making any changes to the elevator configuration (operation buttons 101, in-car operation panel 102, car control board 103, control panel 104, etc.).

[0135] 2 and the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the robot 201 transmits the floor information to be moved, but this is not limited to the robot 201, and communication devices such as a personal computer with a communication function or a smartphone may be used instead of the robot 201. This makes it possible to easily and reliably issue instructions to move the car even when it is not possible to directly operate the call button at the elevator hall or the operation button inside the car.

[0136] Specifically, when the floor information is sent using a computer or smartphone, the on-car control device 205 receives the floor information via the remote monitoring server 202a, the equipment management server 202b, the equipment communication terminal 204, or the like, or directly, and the control unit 207 outputs an operation signal to predetermined signal lines 211 to 215, causing the car to move to the desired floor. This allows the elevator to be remotely controlled to move to a destination floor depending on the time, such as a floor with many users.

[0137] Furthermore, by transmitting moving floor information using a server or the like, it becomes possible to more easily manage the movement of elevator cars by installing an on-car control device 205 or the like, even for multiple types of elevators from different manufacturers.

[0138] As explained above, the control method of the first embodiment of the present invention is a control method for controlling operations performed by a user in an elevator car by remote operation instructions, in which a communication device such as an autonomously traveling robot 201 that uses the elevator executes a process for transmitting instruction information regarding operations performed by the user in the elevator car, and a monitoring device 203 that is provided near the elevator and monitors the status of the elevator receives the instruction information and, based on the received instruction information, executes a process for transmitting an operation signal to an in-car operation panel 102 that receives operation signals from each operation button 101 provided in the car, or to the elevator control panel 104 (communication patterns A to E).

[0139] In addition, this control method involves the robot 201 executing a process of transmitting instruction information to an equipment communication terminal 204 connected to the robot 201 via wireless communication, and the equipment communication terminal 204 receiving the instruction information transmitted from the robot 201 and transmitting the received instruction information to the monitoring device 203 (communication pattern B).

[0140] In addition, in this control method, the robot 201 executes a process of sending instruction information to an equipment management server 202b that manages the robot 200, and the monitoring device 203 executes a process of receiving the instruction information via the equipment management server 202b (communication pattern A).

[0141] In addition, in this control method, the robot 201 is installed in a location remote from the elevator, is connected to a monitoring device 203, and executes a process of transmitting instruction information to a remote monitoring server 202a that manages the elevator, and the monitoring device 203 executes a process of receiving the instruction information via the remote monitoring server 202a (communication pattern E).

[0142] Furthermore, in this control method, the robot 201 executes a process of sending instruction information to an equipment management server 202b that manages the robot 201, and the monitoring device 203 executes a process of receiving the instruction information via the equipment management server 202b and a remote monitoring server 202a that is provided in a location remote from the elevator, is connected to the monitoring device 203, and manages the elevator (communication pattern D).

[0143] Furthermore, the monitoring device of the first embodiment of the present invention is a monitoring device 203 that is installed near an elevator and monitors the status of the elevator, and receives instruction information regarding operations performed by users inside the elevator car from communication devices such as an autonomously traveling robot 201 that uses the elevator, and based on the received instruction information, transmits operation signals to an in-car operation panel 102 that receives operation signals from each operation button 101 installed inside the car, or to an elevator control panel 104.

[0144] Furthermore, the control device (on-car control device 205) of embodiment 1 of the present invention is a control device 205 that controls operations performed by users inside the elevator car by remote operation instructions, and connects branch wiring (signal lines 211 to 215) to existing wiring (signal lines 111 to 115) between each operation button 101 provided inside the car and an operation panel (in-car operation panel 102) that receives operation signals from each operation button 101, and based on information regarding operation instructions for the operation button 101 received by a receiving unit (communication unit 206) of the elevator from an external device (monitoring device 203) via wireless communication, transmits an operation signal to the operation panel (in-car operation panel 102) using the branch wiring (signal lines 211 to 215) corresponding to the operation instruction.

[0145] According to the control device (on-car control device 205) of embodiment 1 of the present invention, it is possible to perform a call operation using the robot 201, and to have the robot 201 enter the car and move the car to the desired floor without making any changes to the elevator configuration (operation button 101, in-car operation panel 102, car control board 103, control panel 104, etc.).

[0146] This makes it possible to realize an elevator that allows the use of self-propelled robots more simply and inexpensively with minimal modifications to existing elevator systems.

[0147] (Another embodiment of the first embodiment (part 1)) Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the configuration of a portion of an elevator car movement control system including an on-car control device according to another embodiment of this embodiment 1. Note that components that are the same as those shown in Figures 1 and 2 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Also, Figure 8 includes the same components (reference numerals 201 to 207) as those in Figure 2, but these are not shown.

[0148] In FIG. 8, reference numerals 801 to 805 denote connectors, reference numerals 811 to 815 denote signal lines between the control unit 207 and the connectors 801 to 805, and reference numerals 821 to 825 denote signal lines between the connectors 801 to 805 and the car intermediate operation panel 102.

[0149] Signal lines (existing wiring) 111-115 are connected by wire between each of operation buttons "1"-"5" and connectors 801-805, respectively, and signal lines 821-825 corresponding to each of signal lines 111-115 are connected between connectors 801-805 and car intermediate operation panel 102. Therefore, when each button is operated (for example, touched or pressed), the button operation signal (car call signal) is input in parallel to car intermediate operation panel 102 via each of signal lines 111-115 corresponding to each button → connectors 801-805 → each of signal lines 821-825.

[0150] Furthermore, signal lines 811-815 are connected by wire between the control unit 207 of the on-car control device 205 (not shown in FIG. 8) and each of the connectors 801-805. Therefore, when an operation signal is output from the control unit 207 to each of the signal lines 811-815, the operation signal passes through each of the signal lines 811-815 → connectors 801-805 → each of the signal lines 821-825, and is input in parallel to the car intermediate control panel 102.

[0151] In this way, in the first embodiment, instead of the control unit 207 individually connecting the signal lines 211-215 with crimp terminals or the like to the signal lines 111-115 between the operation button 101 and the car internal operation panel 102, the control unit 207 can use connectors 801-805 and signal lines 811-815 similar to the signal lines 211-215 to send operation signals from the control unit 207 to the car internal operation panel 102. Note that the connectors 801-805 may be, for example, branch harnesses or the like.

[0152] In this way, for example, when an operation signal is sent (output) from control unit 207 to signal line 811, the operation signal is input from connector 801 to car internal operation panel 102 via signal line 821. When the signal is input, car internal operation panel 102 determines that an operation to call a car for the first floor has been performed and sends a signal to that effect via signal line 116 to car control board 103, and car control board 103 sends a signal related to the car call operation for the first floor to control panel 104 via tail code 117. This enables control panel 104 to perform an operation to move the car to the first floor.

[0153] Therefore, the control unit 207 of the on-car control device 205 can simply send an operation signal to the signal line 811, and the car can be moved to the first floor in the same way as if the occupant had operated button "1" of the operation button 101 inside the car, even if the occupant inside the car did not operate button "1" of the operation button 101. Similarly, when the control unit 207 sends operation signals to the signal lines 812 to 815, the car can be moved to each floor (2nd to 5th floors).

[0154] The other configurations are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0155] As described above, the control device 205 of this embodiment is a control device 205 that controls operations performed by users in the elevator car by remote operation instructions, and is characterized by having connectors 801 to 805 provided between each operation button 101 provided in the car and an operation panel that receives operation signals from each operation button 101, and using the connectors 801 to 805 to transmit operation signals of the operation buttons corresponding to the operation instructions to the car operation panel 102 based on information regarding operation instructions for the operation buttons 101 that the elevator receiving unit (communication unit 206) receives from the monitoring device 203 by wireless communication.

[0156] According to the control device 205 of this embodiment, as with the control devices of the above-described embodiments, it is possible to perform a call operation using the robot 201, have the robot 201 enter the car, and move the car to the desired floor without making any changes to the elevator configuration (operation buttons 101, car-mounted operation panel 102, car control board 103, control panel 104, etc.). This makes it possible to realize an elevator that allows the use of a self-propelled robot more simply and inexpensively, with minimal improvements to existing elevator systems. Furthermore, the use of connectors 801 to 805 allows for easy installation by simply plugging and unplugging.

[0157] (Another embodiment (part 2) of the first embodiment) Although not shown in the figure, the control unit 207 controls the operation buttons 101 provided in the car. Alternatively, a pressing mechanism may be provided to individually press each of the operation buttons 101.

[0158] Specifically, this pressing mechanism includes, for example, an electromagnetic solenoid arm, and in response to an operation signal from the control unit 207, the electromagnetic solenoid arm is driven and the tip of the arm presses each operation button 101, thereby generating a car call signal.

[0159] Multiple electromagnetic solenoid arms (the same number as the buttons) may be provided for each of the operation buttons 101, and a moving mechanism for moving one or more electromagnetic solenoid arms may be further provided, and after the electromagnetic solenoid arms are moved to the position of the desired button, the button may be pressed by the tip of the arm.

[0160] In this way, this control device 205 is a control device 205 that controls operations performed by users in the elevator car by remote operation instructions, and is characterized in that it has a pressing mechanism that individually presses each operation button 101 provided near each operation button 101 provided in the car, and based on information regarding the operation instruction of the operation button 101 received by the elevator's receiving unit (communication unit 206) from the monitoring device 203 via wireless communication, the pressing mechanism presses the operation button 101 corresponding to the operation instruction.

[0161] As a result, by simply installing the pressing mechanism near the operation button 101, there is no need to perform branch wiring as in the first embodiment. Also, there is no need to use a connector as in the second embodiment. Therefore, such construction work is not required. Furthermore, each button can be physically pressed or contacted with the tip of the electromagnetic solenoid arm, so that the car call signal can be generated more reliably.

[0162] (Another embodiment (part 3) of the first embodiment) Although not shown in the figure, the control unit 207 may be provided with a capacitance switch provided near each operation button 101 provided inside the car, which changes the individual capacitance of each operation button 101.

[0163] Specifically, for example, when each operation button 101 is an electrostatic touch switch, this capacitance switch may be a circuit attached to the electrostatic touch button, which is adjusted to make the electrostatic switch react, and by sending a signal to the circuit, the capacitance can be changed and each operation button 101 can be operated.

[0164] In this way, this control device 205 is a control device 205 that controls operations performed by users inside the elevator car by remote operation instructions, and is characterized by having a capacitance switch attached to each operation button 101 provided inside the car, and changing the capacitance of the capacitance switch attached to the operation button 101 corresponding to the operation instruction based on information regarding the operation instruction of the operation button 101 received by the elevator's receiving unit (communication unit 206) from an external device (monitoring device 203, server 202, robot 201, other communication terminal device, etc.) by wireless communication.

[0165] This eliminates the need for branch wiring as in the above-described embodiment. Also, it eliminates the need for connectors as in the above-described embodiment (part 2). Furthermore, since the capacitance switch can perform the same function as pressing or touching each button, when each operation button 101 is an electrostatic touch switch, it is possible to generate a car call signal more reliably.

[0166] (Embodiment 2) FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a movement control system for an elevator car according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the components. Note that components that are the same as those shown in Figures 1 and 2 are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. Also, Figure 9 has the same components (reference numerals 201 to 207) as those in Figure 2, but these are not shown.

[0167] As shown in FIG. 9, the elevator car movement control system in the second embodiment is made up of two cars (car A and car B), which can move (rise and fall) in conjunction with each other.

[0168] Car A is equipped with a control panel 104a and an on-car control device 205a, and car B is equipped with a control panel 104b and an on-car control device 205b. A group management device 902 is connected to the control panel 104a of car A and the control panel 104b of car B, and the movements of car A and car B can be linked by this group management device 902 controlling the respective control panels.

[0169] 9 differs from embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 2 in that a parent monitoring device 901 is provided instead of monitoring device 203 in Fig. 2, and this parent monitoring device 901 is provided with a child monitoring device 203a for cage A and a child monitoring device 203b for cage B. The configurations of parent monitoring device 901 and child monitoring devices 203a and 203b are the same as those of monitoring device 203 in embodiment 1, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0170] When the parent monitoring device 901 receives instruction information from the robot 201 through any of the communication patterns A to E, it controls the two child monitoring devices 203a and 203b based on the received instruction information to send operation signals to the on-car control devices 205a and 205b. Alternatively, the parent monitoring device 901 controls the two child monitoring devices 203a and 203b to send operation signals to the elevator control panels 104a and 104b.

[0171] In this way, by using parent monitoring device 901 with a group management function and child monitoring devices 203a and 203b as monitoring devices, it is possible to manage two cars as a group. Specifically, when a command signal is received from robot 201, parent monitoring device 901 acquires information about the elevator status from child monitoring devices 203a and 203b, determines to which car the command signal should be sent, and transmits (outputs) an operation signal to the child monitoring device of the determined car. Therefore, it is possible to operate the two cars efficiently and move robot 201 more quickly.

[0172] (Embodiment 3) Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a portion of an elevator car movement control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Note that components that are the same as those shown in Figures 1, 2, and 9 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Also, Figure 10 includes the same components (reference numerals 201 to 207) as those in Figure 2, but these are not shown.

[0173] As shown in Fig. 10, the elevator car movement control system in the third embodiment is composed of two cars (car A and car B), which can move (rise and descend) in conjunction with each other. It differs from the movement control system in the second embodiment shown in Fig. 9 in that it does not have child monitoring devices 203a and 203b. The configuration of monitoring device 1001 is the same as that of monitoring device 203 in the first embodiment, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0174] In Fig. 10, when the monitoring device 1001 receives instruction information from the robot 201 by one of the communication patterns A to E, it identifies either the on-car control device 205a or the on-car control device 205b based on the received instruction information, and transmits an operation signal to the on-car control device that has been identified. Either the control panel 104a or the control panel 104b is identified, and an operation signal is transmitted to the identified control panel.

[0175] In this way, the monitoring device 1001 is provided with a group management function for two cars, and is therefore able to manage the two cars as a group. Therefore, similar to the second embodiment, the two cars can be operated efficiently, and the robot 201 can be moved more quickly.

[0176] In embodiments 2 and 3, two cages (cage A and cage B) are described, but even if there are three or more cages, each embodiment can be realized using a similar configuration (parent monitoring device and child monitoring devices in the same number as the number of cages). [Industrial Applicability]

[0177] As described above, the control method and monitoring device of the present invention are useful for a control method that controls operations performed by a user inside an elevator car by remote control instructions and for a monitoring device that is installed near an elevator and monitors the status of the elevator, and are suitable for a control method and monitoring device that controls the movement of the car in an elevator used by communication devices such as self-propelled robots. [Explanation of symbols]

[0178] 101 Operation Button 102 In-car operation panel 103 Cage control board 104, 104a, 104b control panel 111 Signal line (call signal line for operation button "1" (1st floor)) 112 Signal line (call signal line for operation button "2" (2nd floor)) 113 Signal line (call signal line for operation button "3" (3rd floor)) 114 Signal line (call signal line for operation button "4" (4th floor)) 115 Signal line (call signal line for operation button "5" (5th floor)) 116 Signal line (signal line between car operation panel and car control board) 117 Signal line (tail cord between car control board and control panel) 201 Robot 202a Remote monitoring server 202b Device management server 203, 203a, 203b, 901, 1001 Monitoring device (remote monitoring device) 204 Communication terminal for equipment 205, 205a, 205b On-car control device 206 Communications Department 207 Control Unit 211 Signal line (branch wiring of signal line 111) 212 signal line (branch wiring of signal line 112) 213 Signal line (branch wiring of signal line 113) 214 signal line (branch wiring of signal line 114) 215 Signal line (branch wiring of signal line 115) 301 Robot body (chassis) 302 Luggage space 303 wheels 304 Display screen (touch panel) 305 Display control unit 306 Information Input Section 307 Communications Department 308 Imaging unit 309 Driving control unit 310 Wheel drive unit 311 Storage battery 801~805 Connectors 811~815 Signal lines (signal lines between the control unit and the connector) 821~825 Signal line (signal line between connector and car operation panel)

Claims

1. A control method for controlling operations performed in an elevator car by remote control instructions, comprising: an autonomously traveling robot using the elevator executes a process of transmitting instruction information relating to operations to be performed in the elevator car to a communication device that communicates with the elevator and the robot; A control method characterized in that the communication device receives the instruction information, transmits an operation signal to the elevator based on the received instruction information, acquires position information of the car, and transmits the acquired position information of the car to the robot.

2. A control method for controlling operations performed in an elevator car by remote control instructions, comprising: the communication device executes a process of transmitting instruction information related to an operation performed in the elevator car to a communication device that communicates with the elevator and the communication device; A control method characterized in that the communication device receives the instruction information, transmits an operation signal to the elevator based on the received instruction information, acquires position information of the car, and transmits the acquired position information of the car to the communication equipment.

3. A communication device that communicates with an elevator and an autonomously traveling robot that uses the elevator, receiving instruction information from the robot regarding an operation to be performed inside the elevator car; A communication device characterized by transmitting an operation signal to the elevator based on the received instruction information, obtaining position information of the car, and transmitting the obtained position information of the car to the robot.

4. A communication device that communicates with an elevator and a communication device, receiving instruction information relating to an operation to be performed in the elevator car from the communication device; A communication device characterized by transmitting an operation signal to the elevator based on the received instruction information, obtaining position information of the car, and transmitting the obtained position information of the car to the communication equipment.

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