Monitoring device, mobile device, monitoring system, and monitoring method

Abstract

The present invention provides a monitoring device, mobile unit, monitoring system, and monitoring method for stopping elevators and passenger conveyors within a building according to the same standards and performing safety checks in the event of a disaster. [Solution] According to the embodiment, the monitoring device monitors a building in which an elevator and a passenger conveyor are installed, and is communicatively connected to the elevator and communicatively connected to the passenger conveyor via a mobile device. The monitoring device includes a control unit that, when it detects that either the elevator or the passenger conveyor has stopped operating due to a disaster, stops the operation of the other as well.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a monitoring device, a moving body, a monitoring system, and a monitoring method.

Background Art

[0002] In large buildings, both an elevator and an escalator, which is a passenger conveyor, may be installed. As a safety function, the elevator is equipped with a function to automatically stop operation when detecting the occurrence of a disaster that may cause a malfunction in the elevator, such as an earthquake or a fire.

[0003] With this function, when a disaster occurs, the operation of the car is stopped until a maintenance staff checks whether there is a malfunction in the elevator and confirms safety, ensuring the safety of users.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] On the other hand, escalators often do not have a function to stop operation due to external factors such as disasters. Therefore, when a disaster occurs, there may be a case where the escalator continues to operate even though the elevator has stopped. In such a case, there is a problem that the building managers and users may feel contradictory because the criteria for determining the necessity of safety confirmation between the elevator and the escalator are different.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a monitoring device, a mobile unit, a monitoring system, and a monitoring method for stopping elevators and passenger conveyors within a building according to the same standards and performing safety checks in the event of a disaster. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to an embodiment for achieving the above objective, the monitoring device monitors a building in which an elevator and a passenger conveyor are installed, and is communicatively connected to the elevator and communicatively connected to the passenger conveyor via a mobile device. The monitoring device includes a control unit that, when it detects that either the elevator or the passenger conveyor has stopped operating due to a disaster, also stops the operation of the other. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is an overall diagram showing the configuration of a monitoring system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram showing the processes executed by the elevator control device, monitoring device, and moving object when an earthquake occurs while a monitoring system according to one embodiment is in operation. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes a monitoring system utilizing a monitoring device and a mobile unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] <Configuration of a monitoring system according to one embodiment> Figure 1 is an overall diagram showing the configuration of a monitoring system 1 according to one embodiment. The monitoring system 1 comprises elevators 10 and escalators 20 installed within building X, a mobile body 30 which is an autonomous mobile vehicle, and a monitoring device 40 installed in a monitoring center located remotely from building X.

[0011] The elevator 10, the mobile unit 30, and the monitoring device 40 are connected via a wide-area communication network NW. The escalator 20 and the mobile unit 30 are connected via short-range wireless communication. The monitoring device 40 may be located in a monitoring cloud (not shown) for elevators and escalators built on the wide-area communication network NW. Communication between the monitoring device 40 and the mobile unit 30 may also be conducted via a mobile unit cloud (not shown) built on the wide-area communication network NW.

[0012] The elevator 10 has an elevator control device 11 that controls the equipment inside the elevator 10. The elevator control device 11 has the function of stopping the elevator 10 when it detects the occurrence of a disaster, which is an external factor that should stop the elevator 10, and transmitting stop information to the monitoring device 40 to notify it of the elevator 10 stopping due to the disaster.

[0013] The escalator 20 has an escalator control device 21 that controls the equipment inside the escalator 20. The escalator control device 21 has a function for short-range wireless communication.

[0014] The mobile unit 30 includes a moving mechanism 31, a vibration sensor 32, a camera device 33, a sound collection device 34, a short-range wireless communication unit 35, a mobile unit communication unit 36, and a mobile unit CPU 37.

[0015] The moving mechanism 31 is a mechanism for moving the mobile body 30. The vibration sensor 32 detects vibrations acting on the mobile body 30. The camera device 33 takes pictures of the area around the mobile body 30. The sound collection device 34 collects sounds from the area around the mobile body 30. The short-range wireless communication unit 35 performs short-range wireless communication with the escalator control device 21. The mobile body communication unit 36 ​​communicates with the monitoring device 40 via the wide-area communication network NW.

[0016] The mobile CPU 37 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) found in a general-purpose microcomputer, and by installing and executing a predetermined mobile control program, it configures one or more information processing units as shown below.

[0017] The mobile body CPU 37 includes a movement control unit 371, an inspection processing unit 372, and an escalator instruction unit 373. The movement control unit 371 controls the movement mechanism 31. The inspection processing unit 372 executes an inspection process of the escalator 20 using the vibration sensor 32, the camera device 33, and the sound collection device 34 based on an instruction from the escalator instruction unit 373, and transmits the inspection processing result to the monitoring device 40. The escalator instruction unit 373 issues an operation instruction regarding the escalator via the short-range wireless communication unit 35.

[0018] The monitoring device 40 monitors the building X and includes a monitoring device communication unit 41 and a monitoring device CPU 42 as a control unit. The monitoring device communication unit 41 communicates with the elevator control device 11 and the mobile body 30 via the wide-area communication network NW.

[0019] The monitoring device CPU 42 is, for example, a CPU (central processing unit) provided in a general-purpose microcomputer, and constitutes one or more of the following information processing units by installing and executing a predetermined monitoring program.

[0020] The monitoring device CPU 42 includes an elevator monitoring unit 421, an escalator monitoring unit 422, and a mobile body information processing unit 423. When the monitoring device CPU 42 detects that the operation of either the elevator 10 or the escalator 20 has stopped due to a disaster, it also stops the operation of the other.

[0021] The elevator monitoring unit 421 monitors the operation status of the elevator 10. The escalator monitoring unit 422 monitors the operation status of the escalator 20, and determines whether the escalator 20 can resume operation based on the inspection information transmitted from the mobile body 30 when the escalator 20 is stopped.

[0022] When the elevator monitoring unit 421 of the mobile body information processing unit 423 acquires stop information indicating that the elevator 10 has stopped due to a disaster from the elevator control device 11, it stops the escalator 20 and then transmits an instruction to execute an inspection process (hereinafter referred to as an "inspection instruction") to the mobile body 30. Also, after the mobile body information processing unit 423 transmits the inspection instruction to the mobile body 30, when the elevator monitoring unit 422 determines that the escalator 20 can operate, it transmits an instruction to resume the operation of the escalator 20 stopped for the inspection process to the mobile body 30.

[0023] <Operation of the monitoring system according to an embodiment> FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing the processes executed by the elevator control device 11, the monitoring device 40, and the mobile body 30 when an earthquake occurs during the operation of the monitoring system 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the operation of the monitoring system will be described. In the initial state, the mobile body 30 is installed at a predetermined position within the building.

[0024] When an earthquake occurs in the area where Building X is located, the elevator control device 11 detects the earthquake occurrence (S1) and automatically stops the operation of the elevator 10. When the elevator control device 11 stops the operation of the elevator 10, it generates stop information due to the earthquake and transmits it to the monitoring device 40 (S2).

[0025] In the monitoring device 40, the elevator monitoring unit 421 acquires the stop information due to the earthquake transmitted from the elevator control device 11 via the monitoring device communication unit 41. When the elevator monitoring unit 421 acquires the stop information due to the earthquake, the mobile body information processing unit 423 transmits an inspection instruction to the mobile body 30 (S3).

[0026] In the mobile unit 30, the mobile control unit 371 receives inspection instructions transmitted from the monitoring device 40 via the mobile unit communication unit 36. Upon receiving the inspection instructions, the mobile control unit 371 controls the mobile mechanism 31 to move the mobile unit 30 along a predetermined route to the entrance of the escalator 20 (S4) and stop it so as to block the opening of the entrance. By blocking the entrance of the escalator 20 in this way, no new users can board the escalator 20, and users who are already on board will sequentially get off the escalator 20 at the exit, resulting in a state where there are no users on the steps (not shown) of the escalator 20.

[0027] The inspection processing unit 372 confirms that there are no users on the steps of the escalator 20 based on the image information captured by the camera device 33 (S5), and then confirms whether the escalator 20 is stopped or not (S6). The inspection processing unit 372 either communicates with the escalator control device 21 to confirm the operating status or determines whether the escalator 20 is stopped or not based on the image information captured by the camera device 33.

[0028] If the escalator 20 has stopped automatically due to a malfunction caused by the shaking of an earthquake or the like (YES in S6), the inspection processing unit 372 determines whether it is possible to resume operation of the escalator 20 through inspection by the mobile unit 30, based on the cause of the automatic stop (S7). If the inspection processing unit 372 determines that it is possible to resume operation of the escalator 20 through inspection by the mobile unit 30 (YES in S7), it executes the inspection process for the escalator 20 (S8).

[0029] Furthermore, if the inspection processing unit 372 determines in step S6 that the escalator 20 is operating (NO in S6), the escalator instruction unit 373 transmits a stop instruction to the escalator control device 21 via the short-range wireless communication unit 35 (S9). Upon receiving the stop instruction, the escalator control device 21 stops the operation of the escalator 20. Once the escalator 20 has stopped operating, the inspection processing unit 372 performs an inspection process for the escalator 20 (S8).

[0030] In the inspection process for the escalator 20, for example, when the moving body 30 is on the steps and the escalator 20 is running according to instructions from the escalator instruction unit 373, the inspection processing unit 372 determines whether abnormal vibrations are detected by the vibration sensor 32 or abnormal noises are picked up by the sound collection device 34 due to foreign objects being caught in the gap between the skirt guard and the steps, whether there is any damage to parts (end skirt section, glass panel, boarding / alighting plate, comb, railing lighting, etc.), and whether any steps are missing, based on the imaging information captured by the camera device 33. When the inspection process is completed, the inspection processing unit 372 stops the escalator 20 according to instructions from the escalator instruction unit 373.

[0031] The inspection processing unit 372 transmits the inspection results obtained from the inspection process to the monitoring device 40 (S10). The monitoring device 40 receives the inspection results transmitted from the mobile body 30 via the escalator monitoring unit 422 and determines whether or not the escalator 20 is operational based on the acquired inspection results (S11).

[0032] When the escalator monitoring unit 422 determines that the escalator 20 is operational (YES in S11), the mobile unit information processing unit 423 transmits an instruction to the mobile unit 30 to resume operation of the escalator 20 (S12).

[0033] In the mobile unit 30, the escalator instruction unit 373 receives the operation return instruction transmitted from the monitoring device 40. Upon receiving the operation return instruction, the escalator instruction unit 373 transmits an operation instruction to the escalator control device 21 (S13). Based on the operation instruction transmitted from the mobile unit 30, the escalator control device 21 resumes operation of the escalator 20. Once the mobile unit 30 confirms that operation of the escalator 20 has resumed, the mobile control unit 371 controls the mobile mechanism 31 to move to a predetermined waiting location (S14).

[0034] In step S11, if the escalator monitoring unit 422 determines that the escalator 20 is not operational (NO in S11), the monitoring device 40 outputs information to notify the maintenance worker that maintenance work is required (S15).

[0035] Furthermore, in step S7, if the inspection processing unit 372 determines, based on the imaging information captured by the camera device 33, that there is significant damage inside the escalator 20 and that maintenance work is required (NO in S7), it notifies the monitoring device 40. The monitoring device 40 outputs information to notify the maintenance worker that maintenance work is required (S15).

[0036] Furthermore, in the case of elevator 10, once maintenance work has been performed and it is determined that it is operational (YES in S16), the elevator control device 11 resumes operation of elevator 10 (S17).

[0037] In the above-described embodiment, the process to be performed when the elevator 10 automatically stops due to an earthquake has been explained, but the invention is not limited to this. In the event that the elevator 10 automatically stops due to an external factor other than an earthquake that affects the entire building, such as a fire, the escalator 20 may also be stopped in the same manner, followed by an inspection process, and then operation may be resumed once safety has been confirmed.

[0038] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described a case in which the mobile body 30 is equipped with a vibration sensor 32, a camera device 33, and a sound collection device 34 as equipment used for inspection processing, the mobile body 30 only needs to be equipped with at least one of these.

[0039] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case in which the operation of the escalator 20 is stopped via the mobile body 30 when the monitoring device 40 detects that the elevator 10 has automatically stopped was explained. However, the operation of the elevator 10 may be stopped when the system detects that the escalator 20 has automatically stopped.

[0040] Furthermore, if multiple escalators 20 are installed in the building, the monitoring device 40 may send an instruction to the mobile unit 30 to stop all of the multiple escalators 20 when a disaster occurs and the elevator 10 stops operating. In this case, if there is only one mobile unit 30 installed in the building, this mobile unit 30 will first patrol the multiple escalators 20 and stop their operation, then sequentially inspect each one and resume operation.

[0041] Furthermore, if there are multiple mobile units 30 installed within the building, the monitoring device 40 may assign each mobile unit 30 an escalator 20 to be inspected, and instruct each mobile unit 30 to move toward the assigned escalator 20, send a stop command, and perform the inspection.

[0042] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described the case where the passenger conveyor is an escalator, it is not limited to this, and for example, it may be a moving walkway.

[0043] [Effects of the Embodiment] According to the embodiment described above, the monitoring device monitors the building where the elevator and passenger conveyor are installed, and is communicatively connected to the elevator and to the passenger conveyor via a mobile device. The monitoring device includes a control unit that, when it detects that either the elevator or the passenger conveyor has stopped operating due to a disaster, also stops the operation of the other.

[0044] This allows for the simultaneous stopping and safety checks of both elevators and passenger conveyors within a building in the event of an accident that could potentially cause malfunctions in both. This ensures that building managers and users understand that the need for safety checks for both elevators and escalators is determined using the same criteria.

[0045] Furthermore, since the monitoring device can transmit instructions to the passenger conveyor via a mobile unit, the monitoring device can stop the operation of the passenger conveyor even if the passenger conveyor is not connected to the monitoring device in a communication manner.

[0046] Furthermore, if the control unit detects that the elevator has stopped operating due to a disaster, it may send an instruction to the moving vehicle to stop the passenger conveyor and then perform inspection procedures. This allows the passenger conveyor to be stopped and inspection procedures to be performed according to the same standards as the elevator when the elevator stops due to the safety features that are generally provided in the elevator during a disaster.

[0047] In the event of a disaster that causes elevators to stop operating, building users may use passenger conveyors to evacuate. While passenger conveyors are normally designed for users to stand still on the steps, during an evacuation, users may walk or run on the steps. Therefore, in order to prevent users from losing their balance and becoming unstable, it is preferable to stop passenger conveyors in the event of a disaster.

[0048] Furthermore, while the passenger conveyor is equipped with a function that automatically stops operation if it detects an abnormality that would interfere with its operation, if a disaster causes cracks in parts or other factors that could lead to a malfunction, the conveyor will continue to operate unless the damage is severe enough to trigger an automatic stop. Therefore, by stopping the passenger conveyor along with the elevator during a disaster and conducting inspections, such issues can be detected, and countermeasures such as parts replacement can be taken, thereby preventing malfunctions from occurring in the first place.

[0049] Furthermore, after sending an inspection instruction, the control unit may determine whether or not the passenger conveyor can be operated based on the inspection information transmitted from the mobile unit. If it determines that it can be operated, it may send an instruction to the mobile unit to resume operation of the passenger conveyor. This allows maintenance workers to safely resume operation of the passenger conveyor without having to go to the passenger conveyor itself.

[0050] Furthermore, if a building has multiple passenger conveyors and multiple mobile units installed, and the control unit detects that the elevator has stopped operating due to a disaster, it may assign a passenger conveyor to each mobile unit to be inspected, stop the operation of the assigned passenger conveyor, and then have the inspection process performed. This allows for efficient inspection of passenger conveyors by the mobile units, even when multiple passenger conveyors and multiple mobile units are installed in a large building.

[0051] The mobile unit is communicatively connected to a monitoring device that monitors elevators installed in a building, and also communicatively connected to a passenger conveyor installed in the building. When the monitoring device detects that the elevator has stopped operating due to a disaster and outputs an instruction to stop the passenger conveyor and perform inspection, the mobile unit receives this instruction, transmits a stop instruction to the passenger conveyor, and includes an inspection processing unit that performs inspection on the passenger conveyor.

[0052] This allows passenger conveyors, even those not connected to the monitoring system for communication, to be stopped according to the same standards as elevators in the event of a disaster, and inspection procedures to be performed on the moving object.

[0053] Furthermore, the mobile unit may also include a passenger conveyor and a short-range wireless communication unit that communicates via short-range wireless communication. This allows the mobile unit and the passenger conveyor to communicate with each other in a simple configuration.

[0054] Furthermore, the mobile unit may be equipped with at least one of the following devices: a vibration sensor, a camera device, and a sound collection device, and the inspection processing unit may use these devices to perform the inspection process. This allows the mobile unit to perform the inspection process with high accuracy.

[0055] Furthermore, the mobile unit may be connected to multiple passenger conveyors installed within the building in a communicative manner. Upon receiving instructions, the inspection processing unit may sequentially send stop instructions to the multiple passenger conveyors and then perform inspection processing on each passenger conveyor. This allows the mobile unit to efficiently perform inspection processing on multiple passenger conveyors.

[0056] Furthermore, the monitoring system comprises a monitoring device that is communicatively connected to an elevator installed in the building, and a mobile unit that is communicatively connected to a passenger conveyor installed in the building. The monitoring device has a control unit that, upon detecting that the elevator has stopped operating due to a disaster, sends an instruction to the mobile unit to stop the operation of the passenger conveyor and then perform inspection processing. The mobile unit, upon receiving the instruction from the monitoring device, has an inspection processing unit that sends a stop instruction to the passenger conveyor and performs inspection processing of the passenger conveyor.

[0057] Furthermore, the monitoring method involves monitoring the building where the elevator and passenger conveyor are installed. A monitoring device, which is communicatively connected to the elevator and also communicatively connected to the passenger conveyor via a mobile device, detects that either the elevator or the passenger conveyor has stopped operating due to a disaster, and then stops the operation of the other as well.

[0058] This allows for the simultaneous stopping of both elevators and passenger conveyors within a building and subsequent safety checks in the event of an accident that could potentially cause malfunctions in both systems.

[0059] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1...Monitoring system, 10...Elevator, 11...Elevator control device, 20...Escalator, 21...Escalator control device, 30...Moving body, 31...Moving mechanism, 32...Vibration sensor, 33...Camera device, 34...Sound collection device, 35...Short-range wireless communication unit, 36...Moving body communication unit, 40...Monitoring device, 41...Monitoring device communication unit, 371...Movement control unit, 372...Inspection processing unit, 373...Escalator instruction unit, 421...Elevator monitoring unit, 422...Escalator monitoring unit, 423...Moving body information processing unit

Claims

1. A monitoring device that monitors a building in which elevators and passenger conveyors are installed, and is communicatively connected to the elevator and communicatively connected to the passenger conveyor via a mobile device, A monitoring device comprising a control unit that, when it detects that either the elevator or the passenger conveyor has stopped operating due to a disaster, also stops the operation of the other.

2. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein when the control unit detects that the elevator has stopped operating due to a disaster, it transmits an instruction to the moving body to stop the operation of the passenger conveyor and then perform an inspection process.

3. The monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit, after transmitting the instruction, determines whether or not the passenger conveyor can be operated based on the inspection information transmitted from the mobile body, and if it determines that it can be operated, transmits an instruction to the mobile body to resume operation of the passenger conveyor.

4. Multiple passenger conveyors and multiple mobile bodies are installed in the aforementioned building. The monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein when the control unit detects that the elevator has stopped operating due to a disaster, it assigns a passenger conveyor to be inspected to each moving unit, stops the operation of the assigned passenger conveyor, and then performs the inspection process.

5. A mobile body that is communicatively connected to a monitoring device that monitors elevators installed in a building, and also communicatively connected to a passenger conveyor installed in the building, A mobile body comprising an inspection processing unit that, upon detection by the monitoring device that the elevator has stopped operating due to a disaster, outputs an instruction to stop the operation of the passenger conveyor and perform inspection processing, receives this instruction, transmits a stop instruction to the passenger conveyor, and performs inspection processing on the passenger conveyor.

6. The mobile body according to claim 5, further comprising the passenger conveyor and a short-range wireless communication unit that communicates via short-range wireless communication.

7. The system comprises at least one of the following: a vibration sensor, a camera device, and a sound-gathering device. The mobile body according to claim 5, wherein the inspection processing unit performs the inspection process using the equipment.

8. Multiple passenger conveyors installed within the aforementioned building are connected in a communication-enabled manner. The mobile body according to claim 5, wherein, upon receiving the instruction, the inspection processing unit sequentially transmits stop instructions to the plurality of passenger conveyors and then performs inspection processing for each passenger conveyor.

9. It comprises a monitoring device that is communicatively connected to an elevator installed in the building, and a mobile body that is communicatively connected to a passenger conveyor installed in the building, The aforementioned monitoring device is The control unit, upon detecting that the elevator has stopped operating due to a disaster, transmits an instruction to the moving body to stop the operation of the passenger conveyor and then perform inspection processing. The aforementioned moving body is A monitoring system having an inspection processing unit that, upon receiving the instruction from the monitoring device, transmits a stop instruction to the passenger conveyor and performs an inspection process for the passenger conveyor.

10. A monitoring device that monitors a building in which elevators and passenger conveyors are installed, is communicatively connected to the elevator, and is also communicatively connected to the passenger conveyor via a mobile device, A monitoring method that, if it detects that either the elevator or the passenger conveyor has stopped operating due to a disaster, also stops the operation of the other.

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