Elevator backup system

Abstract

The operation of the elevator will continue without interruption, even when the control entity for the group management of the elevator is switched. [Solution] The backup system comprises a second group management control device that can replace the first group management control device, and a transmission processing unit. The second group management control device is assigned a different IP address than the first group management control device. The transmission processing unit sends a request to assign a platform call for that user to either the first group management control device or the second group management control device each time a user registers a destination floor at the destination floor registration device. When the first group management control device is operating normally, the group management function of the second group management control device, which assigns platform calls in response to requests from the destination floor registration device, is set to "disabled". Then, when the first group management control device becomes unable to operate normally, the second group management control device switches its own group management function setting from "disabled" to "enabled".

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a backup technology that enables continuous operation of an elevator.

Background Art

[0002] As a backup technology for elevators, a backup group management control device that can replace the main group management control device is provided on a network, and even when the main group management control device fails, the control entity of group management can be switched to the backup group management control device so that the operation of the elevator can be continued.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional backup technology, when the same IP address as the main group management control device is assigned to the backup group management control device, if the power supplies of both group management control devices are turned on while they are both connected to the network, a communication failure will occur due to the same IP address. In order to prevent such a communication failure, it was necessary to turn off the power of the backup group management control device until it was needed. Therefore, even when the main group management control device fails and it is desired to immediately switch the control entity of group management to the backup group management control device, it takes time for the backup group management control device to start up, and thus there was a problem that the operation of the elevator had to be temporarily interrupted until the control entity of group management was switched.

[0005] On the other hand, if a different IP address is assigned to the backup group management control device than the main group management control device, the communication failures described above will not occur. Therefore, it becomes possible to keep the main group management control device powered on and connected to the network at all times. However, in order to switch the control entity of the group management from the main group management control device to the backup group management control device, it is necessary to make other devices that communicate with the control entity, such as the destination floor registration device, aware that the IP address of the control entity has changed. As a result, it takes time for all devices to be aware of such an IP address change and for the destination floor registration device to make a decision on the switch, and therefore, in this case as well, there was a problem that elevator operation had to be temporarily interrupted.

[0006] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to ensure that elevator operation continues without interruption, even when switching the control entity for group management in the elevator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The backup system according to the present invention is applicable to elevators in which a destination floor registration device is connected to a first group control device via a network, and has the following configuration (Aspect 1). The backup system comprises a second group control device and a transmission processing unit. The second group control device is a group control device that can replace the first group control device, and is connected to the network with a different IP address assigned to it than the first group control device. The transmission processing unit sends a request to assign a landing call for a user to either the first group control device or the second group control device each time a user registers a destination floor using the destination floor registration device. Furthermore, the second group control device has a group control function that assigns landing calls in response to requests from the destination floor registration device, and is configured to allow switching between enabling and disabling this group control function. When the first group control device is operating normally, the group control function in the second group control device is set to "disabled". Then, if the first group management control unit fails to operate normally, the second group management control unit switches its own group management function setting from "disabled" to "enabled".

[0008] According to the above embodiment 1, by assigning a different IP address to the second group management control device than that of the first group management control device, the second group management control device can be kept powered on (ON state) without causing communication failures. Therefore, when the second group management control device replaces the first group management control device, the time required to start up the second group management control device is eliminated.

[0009] Furthermore, when the first group control device is functioning normally, the group control function of the second group control device can be disabled, preventing the second group control device from executing assignments even when it receives assignment requests from the destination floor registration device. This allows the assignment request for a landing call for a user to be sent to the first group control device without negatively impacting the elevator's group control (such as generating two assignments for the same landing call). Also, when the group control function of the second group control device is disabled, the second group control device will not execute assignments even when it receives assignment requests from the destination floor registration device, while still being able to operate normally in other aspects. Therefore, the second group control device can be prepared to immediately take over from the first group control device and perform optimal group control at any time, even before the first group control device fails to function normally. Therefore, when replacing the first group management control device with the second group management control device, the control authority for group management can be smoothly transferred from the first group management control device to the second group management control device, compared to the case where the second group management control device suddenly starts operating at the time of replacement from a state where it was not operating at all.

[0010] The backup system according to Embodiment 1 described above may have the following configuration (Embodiment 2). The first group control device may transmit an "alive status" signal to the second group control device via the network when it is operating normally. The second group control device then makes a determination (A) based on the transmission status of the "alive status" signal from the first group control device whether or not the first group control device is operating normally, and if it determines in this determination (A) that it is "not operating normally", it may switch its group control function setting from "disabled" to "enabled".

[0011] According to the above embodiment 2, the Alive status signal is transmitted from the first group control device to the second group control device via the network. The second group control device can only receive the Alive status signal if the first group control device has a good connection to the network (i.e., it can receive assignment requests from the destination floor registration device) and the first group control device is operating normally (i.e., it is in a state where it can perform assignments in response to assignment requests) and is able to transmit the Alive status signal. Therefore, the second group control device can determine whether the first group control device is operating normally (including having a good connection to the network) based on the transmission status of the Alive status signal from the first group control device. By utilizing the Alive status signal in this way and receiving it from the first group control device via the network, it becomes possible to accurately and easily determine whether the first group control device is operating normally (including having a good connection to the network).

[0012] The backup system according to the above embodiment 1 or 2 may have the following configuration (embodiment 3). Similar to the second group control device, the first group control device may also be configured to allow switching between enabling and disabling the group control function, which assigns landing calls in response to a request from the destination floor registration device. The second group control device may continue to operate as a new first group control device if the first group control device becomes unable to operate normally and the group control function is set to "enabled" to replace the first group control device. On the other hand, the first group control device that has become unable to operate normally may be used as a new second group control device if it subsequently recovers and becomes able to operate normally.

[0013] According to the above embodiment 3, when the first group management control device that has become unable to operate normally recovers, the control and work required to return the control entity of group management from the second group management control device to the first group management control device becomes unnecessary.

[0014] An elevator may have multiple banks, and each of these banks may be associated with a first group control device. A backup system applicable to such an elevator may have the following configuration (Aspect 4): The second group control device may have a group control function for each bank to assign landing calls in place of the first group control device corresponding to that bank, and may be configured to allow switching between enabling and disabling the group control function. The second group control device may switch the setting of the group control function to replace the first group control device in any bank from "disabled" to "enabled".

[0015] According to embodiment 4 described above, by simply providing one second group management control device for multiple banks, the second group management control device can replace any of the first group management control devices associated with each of the multiple banks, and, similar to the first embodiment described above, the control entity for group management can be smoothly transferred from the first group management control device to the second group management control device during replacement. Therefore, it becomes possible to construct a backup system for elevators equipped with multiple banks without complicating the configuration. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to continue the operation of an elevator without interruption, even when switching the control entity for group management in that elevator. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of the elevator according to the embodiment. [Figure 2]Block diagrams showing the configurations of (A) the destination floor registration device, (B) the first group management control device, and (C) the second group management control device included in the elevator according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Conceptual diagrams respectively illustrating (A) the first device management data, (B) the second device management data, and (C) the third device management data used in the embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing the backup process executed in the embodiment. [Figure 5] A block diagram showing the configuration of the first group management control device in the first modification example. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing the backup process executed in the first modification example. [Figure 7] A conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of the elevator according to the second modification example. [Figure 8] A conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of the elevator according to the third modification example. [Figure 9] A block diagram showing the configuration of the second group management control device in the third modification example. [Figure 10] Conceptual diagrams respectively illustrating (A) the first device management data, (B) the second device management data, and (C) the third device management data used in the third modification example.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] [1] Embodiment [1-1] Overall Configuration of Elevator Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of an elevator according to this embodiment. As shown in this figure, the elevator comprises a destination floor registration device 1 installed on each floor, a plurality of elevator cars G, a plurality of elevator control devices 2 that individually control each of the plurality of elevator cars G, and a first group control device 3A that centrally manages the plurality of elevator cars G through the elevator control devices 2 (performing group management for those elevator cars G). Figures 2(A) and 2(B) show block diagrams of the configurations of the destination floor registration device 1 and the first group control device 3A, respectively.

[0019] The first group control device 3A is equipped with an interface Ja for actual connection to the network Wj (see Figure 2(B)). Each destination floor registration device 1 is also equipped with an interface Ja for actual connection to the network Wj (see Figure 2(A)). For example, these interfaces Ja are LAN interfaces. As a result, each destination floor registration device 1 is connected to the first group control device 3A via the network Wj (see Figure 1).

[0020] On the other hand, the elevator control device 2 is connected to the first group control device 3A by a cable Wk that directly connects the devices without going through the network Wj, so that direct communication (such as serial communication) with the first group control device 3A is possible (see Figure 1).

[0021] Furthermore, the elevator in this embodiment is equipped with a second group control device 3B that can replace the first group control device 3A, in order to establish a backup system for when the first group control device 3A fails to operate normally (including when it becomes impossible to connect to the network Wj for any reason) (see Figure 1). Figure 2(C) shows a block diagram of the configuration of the second group control device 3B.

[0022] The second group control device 3B is connected to network Wj, just like the first group control device 3A (see Figure 1). In this case, the second group control device 3B is assigned a different IP address than the first group control device 3A. Specifically, the second group control device 3B is also provided with an interface Ja for actual connection to network Wj (see Figure 2(C)), and this interface Ja is assigned a different IP address than the interface Ja of the first group control device 3A.

[0023] In this way, by assigning a different IP address to the second group management control device 3B than that of the first group management control device 3A, the second group management control device 3B can be kept powered on (ON) without causing communication failures. Therefore, when the second group management control device 3B replaces the first group management control device 3A, the time required to start up the second group management control device 3B is eliminated.

[0024] Furthermore, the elevator control device 2 is connected to the second group control device 3B via a cable Wk that directly connects the devices without going through the network Wj, so that direct communication (such as serial communication) is possible with the second group control device 3B (see Figure 1).

[0025] [1-2] Configuration of each device The configuration of each device will be explained in more detail below.

[0026] <Destination Floor Registration Device> The destination floor registration device 1 is equipped with a touch panel, through which users can register their destination floor Fd and receive various information. The destination floor registration device 1 may also have separate input and display units. For example, the input unit may consist of mechanical buttons (such as a numeric keypad), and the display unit may consist of a dedicated monitor.

[0027] In this embodiment, two IP addresses (different IP addresses from each other) assigned to the interface Ja of the first group control device 3A and the interface Ja of the second group control device 3B are both pre-recorded in each destination floor registration device 1. Whenever a user operates the destination floor registration device 1 on any floor to register their destination floor Fd, the destination floor registration device 1 transmits the registered destination floor Fd to either the first group control device 3A or the second group control device 3B, which are identified by the two IP addresses recorded in it (transmission process). As a result, a request for the allocation of a platform call X for that user is sent to both the first group control device 3A and the second group control device 3B. At this time, in order to allow the group control device 3 (in this case, the first group control device 3A and the second group control device 3B) to recognize which destination floor registration device 1 is being operated, device information Pd1 for identifying the destination floor registration device 1 from other devices is also transmitted to the group control device 3.

[0028] In terms of its specific configuration, the destination floor registration device 1 includes a storage unit 11 and a control unit 12 in addition to the interface Ja (see Figure 2(A)).

[0029] The memory unit 11 is a part composed of memory devices such as ROM and RAM, and stores information necessary for the control processing performed by the destination floor registration device 1. In this embodiment, the two IP addresses (which are different from each other) mentioned above are stored in the memory unit 11 as such information.

[0030] The control unit 12 is responsible for executing the control processing (including transmission processing) performed by the destination floor registration device 1. Specifically, the control unit 12 is composed of processing devices such as a CPU and an MPU, and executes the control processing it is responsible for using software by running the control program installed in the destination floor registration device 1. In the example in Figure 2(A), the transmission processing unit 120, which is responsible for executing the transmission processing, is shown as being configured within the control unit 12 using software. This control program may be stored in a readable state on a portable storage medium (e.g., flash memory) or in a downloadable state on a server before being installed in the destination floor registration device 1. Furthermore, the control processing performed by the destination floor registration device 1 is not limited to being implemented in software by executing a program, but may also be implemented in hardware by processing circuits built into the destination floor registration device 1.

[0031] <Elevator control device> Each elevator control device 2 controls the elevator car G corresponding to itself as needed in response to commands from the group control device 3 (the first group control device 3A or the second group control device 3B), and transmits operation data Pm indicating the movement of the elevator car G at that time (such as the movement of the elevator car G and the opening and closing of the doors) to both the first group control device 3A and the second group control device 3B (see Figure 1).

[0032] <First group control device> The first group control device 3A has a group control function that assigns landing calls X in response to requests from destination floor registration devices 1. Whenever it receives an assignment request from any of the destination floor registration devices 1, it takes the departure floor Fc and destination floor Fd of the user registered in that destination floor registration device 1 as one landing call X, selects a destination for that landing call X from among several elevator cars G, and then assigns the landing call X to that destination (assignment process). Then, the first group control device 3A causes the elevator car G to perform a response operation to the landing call X via the elevator control device 2 (response process).

[0033] When the first group control device 3A responds to a landing call X, it registers the destination floor Fd indicated by the landing call X as a car call Y for the user to the elevator car G at an appropriate timing after the elevator car G has arrived at the departure floor Fc indicated by the landing call X (for example, when the doors begin to open or when the sensor on the door detects that a user has boarded) (registration process). Then, the first group control device 3A causes the elevator car G to perform a response operation to the car call Y via the elevator control device 2 (response process).

[0034] Furthermore, the first group management control device 3A sequentially accumulates the operation data generated by group management as learning data Dp (see Figure 2(B)), and uses this learning data Dp to perform learning to optimize group management (learning to optimize the allocation of landing calls X) (learning process). Here, the operation data includes various data related to elevator operation, such as data related to allocation and operation data Pm of the elevator car G transmitted from the elevator control device 2. The learning data Dp is obtained by statistically analyzing the operation data as it progresses, and the learning data Dp includes analysis data on the operation status of the elevator car G (average door open time, average door closed time, average travel time between floors, average stop time at each floor, etc.) and analysis data on the elevator usage status (average number of landing calls X in the past 5 minutes, average congestion level inside the elevator car G in the past 5 minutes, etc.). Note that AI (such as a neural network) may be used for the analysis of operation data, not just statistical analysis.

[0035] Furthermore, the first group control device 3A periodically transmits an "alive status signal SvA" to the second group control device 3B via the network Wj when it is operating normally (transmission process; see Figure 1).

[0036] Thus, when the Alive status signal SvA is transmitted from the first group control device 3A to the second group control device 3B via the network Wj, the second group control device 3B can receive the Alive status signal SvA only if the connection status of the first group control device 3A to the network Wj is good (i.e., it can receive an assignment request from the destination floor registration device 1) and the first group control device 3A is operating normally (i.e., it is in a state where it can perform an assignment in response to the assignment request) and is able to transmit the Alive status signal SvA. Therefore, the second group control device 3B can determine whether the first group control device 3A is operating normally (including having a good connection status to the network Wj) based on the transmission status of the Alive status signal SvA from the first group control device 3A. Specifically, the second group control device 3B can determine that the first group control device 3A is no longer operating normally if it is unable to receive the alive status signal SvA from the first group control device 3A.

[0037] By utilizing the alive status signal SvA in this way and receiving it from the first group control device 3A via the network Wj, it becomes possible to accurately and easily determine whether the first group control device 3A is operating normally (including whether the connection status to the network Wj is good).

[0038] In terms of specific configuration, the first group management control device 3A includes a storage unit 31A and a control unit 32A in addition to the interface Ja (see Figure 2(B)).

[0039] The memory unit 31A is a part composed of memory devices such as ROM and RAM, and stores information necessary for the control processing performed by the first group control device 3A. In this embodiment, the learning data Dp described above is stored in the memory unit 31A as such information, and furthermore, the first device management data Dq1, the second device management data Dq2, the landing call management data (not shown), and the car call management data (not shown) are also stored in the memory unit 31A.

[0040] Here, the first device management data Dq1 is a database for managing multiple pieces of information related to each destination floor registration device 1 by linking them together (see Figure 3(A)). The second device management data Dq2 is a database for managing multiple pieces of information related to each elevator control device 2 by linking them together (see Figure 3(B)). The landing call management data and car call management data are data for managing information on landing calls X and car calls Y for each elevator car G, respectively (not shown).

[0041] Figure 3(A) is a conceptual diagram illustrating the first device management data Dq1 used in this embodiment. In the first device management data Dq1, for each destination floor registration device 1, the device information Pd1 and installation floor Fs of that registration device are recorded in a manner that is associated with each other.

[0042] As a result, when the first group control device 3A receives device information Pd1 along with the destination floor Fd from any of the destination floor registration devices 1, it becomes possible to identify the installation floor Fs of the destination floor registration device 1 (the registration device on which the destination floor Fd was registered) from the device information Pd1. The installation floor Fs of the destination floor registration device 1 is then used as the departure floor Fc (boarding floor) of the user who operated the registration device to register the destination floor Fd.

[0043] Figure 3(B) is a conceptual diagram illustrating the second device management data Dq2 used in this embodiment. In the second device management data Dq2, for each elevator control device 2, device information Pd2 for identifying the elevator control device 2 from other devices and car information Pg for identifying the elevator car G controlled by the elevator control device 2 from other cars are recorded in a manner that is associated with each other.

[0044] As a result, the first group control device 3A can control each elevator car G through each elevator control device 2, and when it receives device information Pd2 along with the operation data Pm of the elevator car G from each elevator control device 2, it can identify which elevator car G the operation data Pm belongs to from the device information Pd2.

[0045] The control unit 32A is responsible for executing the control processing (including assignment processing, registration processing, response processing, learning processing, and transmission processing) performed by the first group management control device 3A. Specifically, the control unit 32A is composed of processing devices such as a CPU and an MPU, and executes the control processing it is responsible for using software by running a control program installed in the first group management control device 3A. This control program may be stored in a readable state on a portable storage medium (e.g., flash memory) or in a downloadable state on a server before being installed in the first group management control device 3A. Furthermore, the control processing performed by the first group management control device 3A is not limited to being implemented in software by executing a program, but may also be implemented in hardware by processing circuits built into the first group management control device 3A.

[0046] <Second group control device> The second group control device 3B, like the first group control device 3A, is equipped with a group control function that assigns landing calls X in response to requests from the destination floor registration device 1. Specifically, when the second group control device 3B replaces the first group control device 3A, it is configured to perform the same control processing (assignment processing, registration processing, response processing, and learning processing described above) for group control that the first group control device 3A performed (see Figure 2(C)).

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second group control device 3B is configured to allow switching between enabling and disabling its group control function. When the first group control device 3A is operating normally, the group control function in the second group control device 3B is set to "disabled".

[0048] With this configuration and setting for the second group control device 3B, it becomes possible to prevent the second group control device 3B from executing an assignment request even when it receives one from the destination floor registration device 1. This allows the assignment request for a landing call X for a user to be sent to the first group control device 3A, without negatively impacting the elevator's group control (such as generating two assignments for the same landing call X). Furthermore, if the group control function of the second group control device 3B is disabled, it will be prevented from executing an assignment request even when it receives one from the destination floor registration device 1, while remaining otherwise functioning normally.

[0049] As a result, even when the first group control device 3A is operating normally (i.e., before the second group control device 3B replaces the first group control device 3A), the actual control processing at that time (assignment processing, registration processing, and response processing, etc.) is performed by the first group control device 3A. However, the second group control device 3B can, at any time, acquire motion data Pm indicating the movement of the elevator car G resulting from these processing from the elevator control device 2, and use this motion data Pm to perform learning to optimize group control (learning process). In other words, even before the first group control device 3A fails to operate normally, the second group control device 3B can be prepared to replace the first group control device 3A at any time and immediately perform optimal group control.

[0050] Therefore, when replacing the first group management control device 3A with the second group management control device 3B, the control entity for group management can be smoothly transferred from the first group management control device 3A to the second group management control device 3B, compared to the case where the second group management control device 3B suddenly starts operating at the time of replacement from a state where it was not operating at all.

[0051] The second group control device 3B decides whether or not to replace the first group control device 3A. Specifically, the second group control device 3B controls the switching of the control entity for group management (switching from one of the first group control device 3A and the second group control device 3B to the other) depending on whether the operating state Zs of the first group control device 3A is normal (backup processing). More specifically, if the first group control device 3A becomes unable to operate normally (including cases where it becomes unable to connect to network Wj due to interface Ja failure, etc.), the second group control device 3B, at its own discretion, switches the setting of its own group management function from "disabled" to "enabled". This makes it possible for the second group control device 3B to perform assignments in response to requests from each destination floor registration device 1 on behalf of the first group control device 3A. Details of this backup processing will be described later.

[0052] In terms of specific configuration, the second group management control device 3B includes a storage unit 31B and a control unit 32B in addition to the interface Ja (see Figure 2(C)).

[0053] The memory unit 31B is a part composed of memory devices such as ROM and RAM, and stores information necessary for the control processing performed by the second group control device 3B. In this embodiment, as with the first group control device 3A, the following information is stored in the memory unit 31B: learning data Dp, first device management data Dq1, second device management data Dq2, landing call management data (not shown), and car call management data (not shown). Furthermore, third device management data Dq3 is also stored in the memory unit 31B. Here, the third device management data Dq3 is a database for managing multiple pieces of information related to each group control device 3 by linking them together (see Figure 3(C)).

[0054] Figure 3(C) is a conceptual diagram illustrating the third device management data Dq3 used in this embodiment. In the third device management data Dq3, for each group management control device 3, device information Pd3 for identifying the group management control device 3 from other devices, the type Zr and operating state Zs of the group management control device 3 are recorded in a manner that is associated with each other. Here, the type Zr of the group management control device 3 is information indicating whether the group management control device 3 is the first group management control device 3A or the second group management control device 3B. The operating state Zs of the group management control device 3 is information indicating whether the group management control device 3 is operating normally or not. In the example in Figure 3(C), "First" is recorded in the type Zr when it is the first group management control device 3A, and "Second" is recorded in the type Zr when it is the second group management control device 3B. Furthermore, it is shown that when the group control device 3 is operating normally, "Normal" is recorded in the operating status Zs, and when the group control device 3 becomes unable to operate normally, the operating status Zs is rewritten to "Abnormal".

[0055] The control unit 32B is responsible for executing the control processing (including assignment processing, registration processing, response processing, learning processing, and backup processing) performed by the second group management control device 3B. Specifically, the control unit 32B is composed of processing devices such as a CPU and an MPU, and executes the control processing it is responsible for using software by running a control program installed in the second group management control device 3B. In the example in Figure 2(C), a backup processing unit 320, which is responsible for executing backup processing, is shown to be configured within the control unit 32B using software. This control program may be stored in a readable state on a portable storage medium (e.g., flash memory) or in a downloadable state on a server before being installed in the second group management control device 3B. Furthermore, the control processing performed by the second group management control device 3B is not limited to being implemented in software by executing a program, but may also be implemented in hardware by processing circuits built into the second group management control device 3B.

[0056] [1-3] Backup process Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the backup process performed in this embodiment. In the backup process, the second group control device 3B first checks the operating state Zs of the first group control device 3A, which it is currently aware of, by referring to the third device management data Dq3, and determines whether the operating state Zs is "normal" or "abnormal" (step S100).

[0057] If the second group control device 3B determines in step S100 that the situation is "normal", it then determines whether the first group control device 3A continues to operate normally based on the transmission status of the alive status signal SvA from the first group control device 3A (step S101).

[0058] If the second group control device 3B determines in step S101 that the first group control device 3A is operating normally (Yes), it can determine that the first group control device 3A is continuing to operate normally. In this case, the second group control device 3B executes step S101 again and repeats step S101 until it determines in step S101 that the first group control device 3A is not operating normally (No). In this way, the second group control device 3B checks the operating status Zs of the first group control device 3A from time to time.

[0059] Furthermore, if the second group control device 3B determines in step S101 that it is "not operating normally (No)", it can use that determination to conclude that the first group control device 3A has become unable to operate normally for some reason (such as a malfunction or maintenance, including the inability to connect to the network Wj).

[0060] In this case, the second group control device 3B switches its group control function setting from "disabled" to "enabled" (step S102). As a result, the second group control device 3B can perform assignments in response to requests from each destination floor registration device 1, on behalf of the first group control device 3A.

[0061] After step S102, the second group control device 3B rewrites the operating state Zs of the first group control device 3A from "normal" to "abnormal" in the third device management data Dq3 (step S103). Then, the second group control device 3B returns to step S100.

[0062] After step S103, the second group control device 3B will determine that there is an "abnormality" in step S100. On the other hand, if the first group control device 3A recovers afterward, the transmission of the alive status signal SvA from the first group control device 3A will resume, and the second group control device 3B will be able to receive the alive status signal SvA again. Therefore, if the second group control device 3B determined that there is an "abnormality" in step S100, it will determine whether the first group control device 3A has recovered based on the transmission status of the alive status signal SvA from the first group control device 3A (step S111).

[0063] If the second group control device 3B determines in step S111 that it has not recovered (No), it will execute step S111 again and repeat step S111 until it determines in step S111 that it has recovered (Yes). In this way, the second group control device 3B checks at any time whether the first group control device 3A has recovered.

[0064] Then, if the second group control device 3B determines in step S111 that it has recovered (Yes), it switches its group control function setting from "enabled" to "disabled" (step S112). As a result, the control entity for group control is returned from the second group control device 3B to the first group control device 3A.

[0065] After step S112, the second group control device 3B rewrites the operating state Zs of the first group control device 3A in the third device management data Dq3 from "abnormal" to "normal" (step S113). Then, the second group control device 3B returns to step S100.

[0066] With such a backup system, as described above, the second group management control device 3B is assigned a different IP address than the first group management control device 3A, allowing the second group management control device 3B to remain powered on (ON) without causing communication failures. Therefore, when the second group management control device 3B replaces the first group management control device 3A, the time required to start up the second group management control device 3B is eliminated.

[0067] Furthermore, when the first group control device 3A is operating normally, the group control function of the second group control device 3B can be disabled. This prevents the second group control device 3B from executing assignments even when it receives assignment requests from the destination floor registration device 1, while allowing it to operate normally in all other aspects. This allows the second group control device 3B to be prepared to immediately take over from the first group control device 3A and perform optimal group control at any time, even before the first group control device 3A fails to operate normally. Therefore, when the second group control device 3B replaces the first group control device 3A, the control authority for group management can be smoothly transferred from the first group control device 3A to the second group control device 3B, compared to the case where the second group control device 3B suddenly starts operating from a state where it was not operating at all.

[0068] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to continue the operation of the elevator without interruption, even when switching the control entity for group management in the elevator.

[0069] [2] Variant [2-1] First variation Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first group control device 3A in the first modified example. In the embodiment described above, the first group control device 3A may also be configured to allow switching between enabling and disabling its group control function, similar to the second group control device 3B.

[0070] According to the first modified example, the same device can be used for both the first group control device 3A and the second group control device 3B. Therefore, if the first group control device 3A becomes unable to operate normally and the second group control device 3B is used to replace the first group control device 3A, the second group control device 3B can be used as a new first group control device 3A. On the other hand, if the first group control device 3A that became unable to operate normally is subsequently restored and becomes able to operate normally, it can be used as a new second group control device 3B. More specifically, the first group control device 3A and the second group control device 3B are configured as follows.

[0071] Similar to the first group control device 3A, the second group control device 3B also periodically transmits an "alive status signal SvB" to the first group control device 3A via the network Wj when it is operating normally (transmission process).

[0072] Thus, when the Alive status signal SvB is transmitted from the second group control device 3B to the first group control device 3A via the network Wj, the first group control device 3A can receive the Alive status signal SvB only if the connection status of the second group control device 3B to the network Wj is good (i.e., it can receive an assignment request from the destination floor registration device 1) and the second group control device 3B is operating normally (i.e., it is in a state where it can perform an assignment in response to the assignment request) and is able to transmit the Alive status signal SvB. Therefore, the first group control device 3A can also determine whether the second group control device 3B is operating normally (including whether the connection status to the network Wj is good) based on the transmission status of the Alive status signal SvB from the second group control device 3B.

[0073] Furthermore, the third device management data Dq3 is also stored in the memory unit 31A of the first group management control device 3A (see Figure 5), and the operating state Zs of the second group management control device 3B is managed using this third device management data Dq3. In addition, the first group management control device 3A is configured to start backup processing (see Figure 6) on behalf of the second group management control device 3B, which has become the new first group management control device 3A, when it begins operating as the new second group management control device 3B. In the example in Figure 5, the backup processing unit 320, which is responsible for executing the backup processing, is configured in software within the control unit 32A.

[0074] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the backup process performed in the first modified example. In this modified example, if the second group management control device 3B determines that it has "recovered (Yes)" in step S111, instead of returning the control entity of group management to the first group management control device 3A (instead of step S112 in Figure 4), it operates as the new first group management control device 3A, while using the recovered first group management control device 3A as the new second group management control device 3B (step S120). Specifically, the second group management control device 3B changes "1st" and "2nd" to "2nd" and "1st" respectively in the type Zr column of the third device management data Dq3.

[0075] Subsequently, the second group control device 3B rewrites the operating state Zs of the new second group control device 3B (the recovered first group control device 3A) in the third device management data Dq3 from "abnormal" to "normal" (step S121). At this time, the group control function of the new second group control device 3B is set to "disabled".

[0076] With such a backup system, when the first group management control device 3A, which has become unable to operate normally, recovers, there is no need for control or work to return the control entity of group management from the second group management control device 3B to the first group management control device 3A.

[0077] [2-2] Second variation Figure 7 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of the elevator according to the second modified example. In the embodiment described above, the elevator control device 2 may be connected to the first group control device 3A and the second group control device 3B via the network Wj, similar to the destination floor registration device 1, instead of being connected by cable Wk. In this case, the first group control device 3A and the second group control device 3B will acquire operation data Pm from the elevator control device 2 via the network Wj as needed, provided they are operating normally. Note that the configuration of the second modified example in which the elevator control device 2 is connected to the network Wj can also be applied to the first modified example.

[0078] [2-3] Third variation Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of an elevator according to the third modified example. In the second modified example described above, the elevator may be equipped with multiple banks Q, and one first group control device 3A may be provided in association with each of the multiple banks Q. More specifically, this elevator has the following configuration. Note that the example in Figure 8 shows the case in which two banks Q1 and Q2 are provided in the elevator.

[0079] Each bank Q's first group control device 3A is assigned a different IP address from the first group control devices 3A of other banks Q, and also different from the second group control devices 3B. This makes it possible to keep the power to all group control devices 3, including the second group control device 3B, on (ON) without causing communication failures.

[0080] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second group control device 3B in the third modified example. The second group control device 3B has a group control function (a group control function corresponding to each bank Q) for assigning landing calls X to each bank Q, replacing the first group control device 3A corresponding to that bank Q, and is configured to allow switching between enabling and disabling the group control function.

[0081] The first group control device 3A of each bank Q periodically transmits an alive status signal SvA(Q) to the second group control device 3B via the network Wj when it is operating normally (transmission process; see Figure 8). As a result, the second group control device 3B can determine whether the first group control device 3A of each bank Q is operating normally (including having a good connection to the network Wj) based on the transmission status of the alive status signal SvA(Q) from the first group control device 3A.

[0082] Then, if the first group control device 3A fails to operate normally in any bank Q, the second group control device 3B switches the setting of the group control function (the group control function corresponding to the bank Q) to replace the first group control device 3A from "disabled" to "enabled". In this case, the second group control device 3B rewrites the operating status Zs of the first group control device 3A that has failed to operate normally in the third device management data Dq3 (see Figure 10(C)) from "normal" to "abnormal".

[0083] Each destination floor registration device 1 has the IP address of the first group control device 3A and the IP address of the second group control device 3B of Bank Q to which the registration device belongs pre-recorded. Whenever a user operates a destination floor registration device 1 on any floor to register their destination floor Fd, the destination floor registration device 1 transmits the registered destination floor Fd to either the first group control device 3A or the second group control device 3B, which are identified by the two IP addresses recorded on it (transmission process). At this time, in order to allow the group control device 3 (in this case, the first group control device 3A and the second group control device 3B) to recognize which destination floor registration device 1 is being operated, the device information Pd1 of the destination floor registration device 1 is also transmitted to the group control device 3.

[0084] Furthermore, each destination floor registration device 1 may broadcast the destination floor Fd and device information Pd1 to all group control devices 3, including the first group control device 3A other than Bank Q to which the registration device belongs.

[0085] Figure 10(A) is a conceptual diagram illustrating the first device management data Dq1 used in the third modified example. This first device management data Dq1 is stored in the storage unit 31A of the first group management control device 3A of each bank Q (see Figure 2(B)) and in the storage unit 31B of the second group management control device 3B (see Figure 9). In the first device management data Dq1 of this modified example, for each destination floor registration device 1, in addition to the device information Pd1 and installation floor Fs of the registration device, bank information Pq for identifying the bank Q to which the registration device belongs from other bank Qs is also recorded in association with it.

[0086] According to this first device management data Dq1, when the first group management control device 3A of each bank Q receives device information Pd1 along with the destination floor Fd from any destination floor registration device 1, it can identify the installation floor Fs of the destination floor registration device 1 (the registration device that registered the destination floor Fd) and also identify the bank Q to which the registration device belongs. Then, when the first group management control device 3A of each bank Q receives an allocation request (destination floor Fd and device information Pd1) from any destination floor registration device 1, it identifies the bank Q to which the registration device belongs and executes the allocation in response to the request from the registration device only if it matches its own bank Q.

[0087] Furthermore, when the second group control device 3B receives device information Pd1 along with the destination floor Fd from any of the destination floor registration devices 1, it becomes possible to identify the installation floor Fs of the destination floor registration device 1 and the bank Q to which the registration device belongs from the device information Pd1. In this modified example, when the second group control device 3B receives an assignment request (destination floor Fd and device information Pd1) from any of the destination floor registration devices 1, it identifies the bank Q to which the registration device belongs, The allocation will only be performed in response to a request from the registered device if the group management function corresponding to that bank Q is set to "enabled".

[0088] Each elevator control device 2 controls the elevator car G corresponding to it as needed, in accordance with commands from the group control device 3 (either the first group control device 3A or the second group control device 3B of bank Q to which it belongs), and transmits the operation data Pm(Q) of the elevator car G at that time to both the first group control device 3A and the second group control device 3B of bank Q to which it belongs (see Figure 8).

[0089] Figure 10(B) is a conceptual diagram illustrating the second device management data Dq2 used in the third modified example. This second device management data Dq2 is stored in the storage unit 31A of the first group management control device 3A of each bank Q (see Figure 2(B)) and in the storage unit 31B of the second group management control device 3B (see Figure 9). In the second device management data Dq2 of this modified example, for each elevator control device 2, in addition to the device information Pd2 of the control device and the car information Pg of the elevator car G controlled by that control device, the bank information Pq of the bank Q to which the control device belongs is also recorded in association.

[0090] Then, the first group management control device 3A of each bank Q sequentially accumulates the operation data (including the operation data Pm(Q) mentioned above) generated by group management within that bank Q as learning data Dp (see Figure 2(B)), and uses this learning data Dp to perform learning to optimize group management (learning to optimize the assignment destination of landing calls X) (learning process).

[0091] Furthermore, the second group control device 3B acquires operation data Pm(Q) from the elevator control devices 2 belonging to each bank Q, and uses this operation data Pm(Q) to learn how to optimize group control within that bank Q. The learned data is then recorded in the learning data Dp (see Figure 9) for each bank Q. This allows the second group control device 3B to be prepared to immediately take over from the first group control device 3A and perform optimal group control at any time for any bank Q, even before the first group control device 3A fails to operate normally.

[0092] According to the third modified example, by providing only one second group control device 3B for each of the multiple banks Q, the second group control device 3B can be used to replace any of the first group control devices 3A associated with each of the multiple banks Q. Furthermore, similar to the embodiment described above, when replacement occurs, the control entity for group management can be smoothly transferred from the first group control device 3A to the second group control device 3B. Thus, it becomes possible to construct a backup system for elevators equipped with multiple banks Q without complicating the configuration.

[0093] The above-described embodiments and modifications should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, rather than by the above-described embodiments and modifications. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0094] From the embodiments and modifications described above, the subject matter of the invention may not be limited to a backup system, but may also be a part or all of the control processing (including the control method corresponding to the control processing) or program executed by the backup system. Furthermore, a part or all of the elevator described above may also be extracted as the subject matter of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] 1. Destination Floor Registration Device 2. Elevator control device 3. Group Control System 3A First Group Control Device 3B Second Group Control Device G Car Q Bank X boarding area call Y Calling 11 Storage section 12 Control Unit 31A, 31B Storage section 32A, 32B Control Unit Dp training data FC Departure Floor Fd Destination Floor Fs installation floor Ja Interface Pg Shopping Cart Information PM Operation Data Pq Bank Information WJ Network Wk Cable Zr Type Zs operating status 120 Transmission Processing Unit 320 Backup Processing Unit Dq1 First Device Management Data Dq2 Second Device Management Data Dq3 Third Device Management Data Pd1, Pd2, Pd3 Device Information SvA, SvB Alive Status Signals

Claims

1. This is a backup system applicable to elevators in which the destination floor registration device is connected to a first group control device via a network. A group management control device that can replace the first group management control device, the second group management control device which is connected to the network with an IP address different from that of the first group management control device, Each time a user registers a destination floor using the destination floor registration device, a transmission processing unit transmits a request to assign a platform call for that user to either the first group control device or the second group control device. Equipped with, The second group control device is equipped with a group control function that assigns the landing calls in response to a request from the destination floor registration device, and the group control function can be enabled or disabled. When the first group control device is operating normally, the group control function is disabled in the second group control device. The second group control device is an elevator backup system that switches the group control function setting from disabled to enabled when the first group control device fails to operate normally.

2. The first group control device transmits an "alive" status signal to the second group control device via the network when it is operating normally. The second group control device described above is: Based on the transmission status of the alive status signal from the first group control device, a determination (A) is made as to whether the first group control device is operating normally. The elevator backup system according to claim 1, wherein if it is determined in the above determination (A) that the system is not operating normally, the setting of the group management function is switched from disabled to enabled.

3. The first group control device also allows switching the setting of the group control function, which assigns the landing call in response to a request from the destination floor registration device, to be enabled or disabled. The second group control device will operate as a new first group control device if the first group control device becomes unable to operate normally and the group control function is enabled to replace the first group control device. On the other hand, the first group control device that has become unable to operate normally is subsequently used as a new second group control device when it recovers and becomes able to operate normally, as an elevator backup system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The elevator is equipped with multiple banks, and one of the first group control devices is provided in association with each of the multiple banks. The second group control device has a group control function for each bank that, in place of the first group control device corresponding to that bank, assigns the landing calls, and the group control function can be enabled or disabled. The elevator backup system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second group control device switches the setting of the group control function to replace the first group control device from disabled to enabled when the first group control device fails to operate normally in any bank.

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