Elevator simulator

Abstract

To enable verification of elevator performance of an actual machine, which has been learned using learning data, by a simulator without transferring the learning data to the simulator. [Solution] The elevator simulator includes a generation processing unit, a virtual realization processing unit, a communication unit, and a synchronization processing unit. The generation processing unit virtually generates elevator users and calls. The virtual realization processing unit virtually realizes an elevator, and virtually realizes boarding and alighting of the users generated by the generation processing unit. The communication unit communicates with a group management control device of a real machine. The synchronization processing unit synchronizes the movement of the virtual elevator with the movement of the real machine using operation data that the communication unit receives from the group management control device. The group management control device of the real machine then controls the movement of the real machine using the calls and door opening extension signals received from the simulator's communication unit, and outputs data indicating the resulting movement of the real machine as operation data.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for verifying elevator performance through simulation. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for verifying elevator performance through simulation by virtually implementing elevators and their group management within a simulator.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a technology in which operational data for an actual elevator (including call and allocation data, operational data showing the movement of the actual elevator, etc.) is accumulated as learning data, and the learning data is used to learn to achieve efficient group management (for example, learning to improve the predictive accuracy of group management). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7310967 [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-184752 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] On the other hand, if one were to use the technology of Patent Document 1 to accurately verify the elevator performance of an actual machine (trained actual machine) that has been trained using the technology of Patent Document 2 by simulation, it would be necessary to reproduce the movement of the trained actual machine in a simulator. To make this possible, it would be necessary to transfer all of the learning data (including copied data) stored in the actual machine to the simulator, which would require cumbersome data transfer work.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to verify the elevator performance of an actual elevator that has been learned using learning data, using a simulator without transferring the learning data to the simulator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The elevator simulator according to the present invention includes a generation processing unit, a virtual realization processing unit, a communication unit, and a synchronization processing unit (aspect 1). The generation processing unit virtually generates elevator users and calls. The virtual realization processing unit virtually realizes an elevator, and virtually realizes boarding and alighting of users generated by the generation processing unit. The communication unit is a part that communicates with a group management control device of a real machine, and in transmission to the group management control device, the generation processing unit transmits the call when the generation processing unit generates a call, and transmits a door open extension signal when the virtual realization processing unit allows users to board and alight, and in reception from the group management control device, the communication unit receives operation data indicating the movement of the real machine. The synchronization processing unit uses the operation data received by the communication unit to synchronize the movement of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit with the movement of the real machine. Then, the group management control device of the real machine controls the movement of the real machine using the call and the door open extension signal received from the communication unit of the simulator, and outputs data indicating the movement of the real machine generated by the call and the door open extension signal received from the communication unit of the simulator as operation data.

[0008] According to the above-mentioned aspect 1, by synchronizing the behavior of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit with the behavior of the actual machine, it is possible to reproduce the learned behavior of the actual machine as it is in the simulator without transferring the learning data (including copied data) to the simulator. Moreover, by transmitting the call and door opening extension signals generated by the simulator to the group management control device of the actual machine, it is possible to execute group management based on the information with high prediction accuracy in the actual machine, and it is possible to synchronize the behavior of the virtual elevator with the behavior of the actual machine that occurs accordingly. Therefore, it is possible to reflect the behavior of the actual machine that occurs when the user generated by the simulator is assumed to be an actual user in the actual machine in the behavior of the virtual elevator in the simulator that can verify the elevator performance.

[0009] The elevator simulator according to the above aspect 1 may have the following configuration (aspect 2). This simulator further includes a group management processing unit and a drive processing unit. The group management processing unit executes group management of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit independently from the group management control device of the actual elevator. The drive processing unit operates the virtual elevator according to the group management performed by the group management processing unit. The simulator selectively executes a first verification process for verifying elevator performance by operating the virtual elevator using the group management processing unit and the drive processing unit, and a second verification process for verifying elevator performance by synchronizing the movement of the virtual elevator with the movement of the actual elevator using the communication unit and the synchronization processing unit.

[0010] According to the above-mentioned second aspect, it becomes possible to selectively perform, with one simulator, a normal simulation (first verification process) performed without using an actual device and a new simulation (second verification process) performed with an actual device.

[0011] In this manner, the elevator simulator may store the generation data used by the generation processing unit to generate users and calls when the first verification process is performed, and then, when the second verification process is executed, generate users and calls using the generation data, thereby performing the second verification process in a state where the virtual generation of users and calls during the first verification process is reproduced (meaning 3).

[0012] According to the above-mentioned aspect 3, it becomes possible to compare the elevator performance obtained in a normal simulation (first verification process) with the elevator performance obtained in a simulation using an actual elevator (second verification process) under the same conditions for users and call generation. This makes it possible to use the simulator to accurately verify whether the elevator of the actual elevator is operating as expected (in other words, verify whether the elevator performance obtained in the first verification process is being exhibited by the actual elevator). Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to verify the elevator performance of an actual machine that has been trained using training data, using the simulator without transferring the training data to the simulator. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an elevator simulator according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an elevator simulator according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] [1] Implementation Example FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an elevator simulator 1 according to an embodiment. The simulator 1 is a device that verifies elevator performance by simulation. Here, elevator performance is expressed, for example, as the average waiting time of users or the time it takes for the car to make one revolution (as an example, the time from when the car leaves the lobby floor until it returns to the lobby floor). In this embodiment, the simulator 1 is configured to be able to verify the elevator performance of an actual machine 2 (see FIG. 1; hereinafter, referred to as "the trained actual machine 2") that has been trained using training data Dp, without transferring the training data Dp to the simulator 1. A specific description will be given below.

[0016] The simulator 1 includes a communication unit 10, a storage unit 11, and a control unit 12.

[0017] The communication unit 10 functions as an interface, and enables wired or wireless communication with the group management control device 21 provided in the real machine 2. The communication unit 10 enables data transmission and reception between the simulator 1 and the real machine 2.

[0018] The storage unit 11 is a part configured with storage devices such as ROM and RAM. The storage unit 11 stores data necessary for the simulation (verification process for verifying elevator performance) performed by the simulator 1, data generated in the simulation, and the like. Here, the data necessary for the simulation includes a simulation program installed in the simulator 1. Note that, before being installed in the simulator 1, the simulation program may be stored in a portable storage medium (e.g., a flash memory, etc.) in a readable state, or may be stored in a state that allows downloading to another server, etc.

[0019] The control unit 12 is responsible for executing a simulation (a verification process for verifying elevator performance) and is composed of processing devices such as a CPU and an MPU. In this embodiment, the control unit 12 executes a generation process, a virtual realization process, and a synchronization process as processes required for the simulation. Specifically, these processes are executed by a generation processing unit 121, a virtual realization processing unit 122, and a synchronization processing unit 123, which are constructed by software in the control unit 12 using a simulation program (see FIG. 1). The following describes the details of these processing units.

[0020] The generation processing unit 121 virtually generates elevator users and calls. Specifically, during the execution of the simulation, the generation processing unit 121 generates users whose destination direction Hc is either up or down at each floor where the elevator can stop. By virtually generating the users and the destination direction Hc in this way, a state in which the user presses either the up or down button at the landing of the floor where the elevator can stop is virtually realized. Then, the generation processing unit 121 requests the group management control device 21 to assign the landing call to the car Gr in the actual machine 2 by setting the floor where the elevator can stop as the departure floor Fc of the user and transmitting the departure floor Fc and the destination direction Hc of the user to the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10.

[0021] When the group management control device 21 receives an allocation request from the generation processing unit 121, it allocates the departure floor Fc and destination direction Hc of the user received from the communication unit 10 at that time as one hall call to any one of the elevator cars Gr equipped in the actual machine 2. In addition, the group management control device 21 outputs the result of the allocation performed in response to the request (information on the assigned elevator car Gr), and returns the result to the generation processing unit 121 via the communication unit 10 of the simulator 1. Thereafter, the group management control device 21 moves the elevator car Gr to the departure floor Fc indicated by the hall call allocated to the elevator car Gr (responding to the hall call).

[0022] The group management control device 21 then sequentially accumulates the operation data of the real machines 2 generated by such group management control as learning data Dp. Here, the operation data includes various data related to the operation of the real machines 2, such as data related to allocation and operation data Dx indicating the movement of the real machines 2 (movement of the car Gr, opening and closing of the doors, etc.). In addition, the group management control device 21 sequentially outputs operation data Dx indicating the movement of the real machines 2, and transmits the operation data Dx to the synchronization processing unit 123 via the communication unit 10 of the simulator 1.

[0023] The virtual realization processing unit 122 virtually realizes an elevator in the simulator 1, and also virtually realizes the getting on and off of the users generated by the generation processing unit 121.

[0024] When the synchronization processing unit 123 receives the operation data Dx from the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10, it uses the operation data Dx to synchronize the movement of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit 122 with the movement of the real machine 2. As a result, in the virtual elevator, the corresponding virtual car Gv also moves to the departure floor Fc in synchronization with the movement of the car Gr of the real machine 2 to which a hall call is assigned when the car Gr moves to the departure floor Fc. In this way, the movement of the car Gr in the real machine 2 (movement of the car Gr) when responding to a hall call is reproduced in the virtual elevator.

[0025] Then, when the elevator Gr of the actual vehicle 2 to which the hall call is assigned arrives at the departure floor Fc and door opening is completed, the group management control device 21 outputs a door opening completion signal Sx, and transmits the door opening completion signal Sx to the virtual realization processing unit 122 via the communication unit 10 of the simulator 1.

[0026] When the virtual realization processing unit 122 receives a door-opening completion signal Sx from the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10, the virtual realization processing unit 122 virtually allows a user generated by the generation processing unit 121 at the departure floor Fc to board a virtual car Gv that has arrived at the departure floor Fc in synchronization with the movement of the car Gr of the real machine 2. At this time, if the generation processing unit 121 has generated multiple users at the departure floor Fc, the virtual realization processing unit 122 allows these users to board one by one in order. Then, each time a user is boarded, the virtual realization processing unit 122 transmits a door-opening extension signal Sy to the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10 to extend the door-opening time so that the door is kept open until the boarding of the user is completed.

[0027] When the group management control device 21 receives a door-open extension signal Sy from the virtual realization processing unit 122, it extends the door-open time of the car Gr of the real machine 2 stopped at the departure floor Fc. Then, the operation data Dx generated by this control is transmitted to the synchronization processing unit 123, whereby the door-open time of the corresponding virtual car Gv is also extended in synchronization with the extension of the door-open time of the real machine 2. Such extension of the door-open time is executed for the number of users generated by the generation processing unit 121 at the departure floor Fc. As a result, the movement of the car Gr of the real machine 2 (extension of the door-open time) when the users get on is reproduced in the virtual elevator.

[0028] In addition, the virtual realization processing unit 122 virtually generates a destination floor Fd in the destination direction Hc for the user (the destination direction Hc generated by the generation processing unit 121 when generating the user) for each user every time the user boards the car Gv at the departure floor Fc. By virtually generating the destination floor Fd in this way, a state in which each user who boards the car Gr presses one of the destination floor buttons is virtually realized. Then, the virtual realization processing unit 122 requests the group management control device 21 to register a car call by transmitting the destination floor Fd generated for each user to the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10. In this way, in this embodiment, the virtual realization processing unit 122 also functions as the generation processing unit 121 that virtually generates a call.

[0029] When the group management control device 21 receives a request to register a car call from the virtual realization processing unit 122, it registers the destination floor Fd of each user received from the communication unit 10 at that time as a car call in the car Gr of the actual machine 2 corresponding to the virtual car Gv in which the user boarded. After that, the group management control device 21 moves the car Gr to the destination floor Fd indicated by the car call registered in the car Gr (responding to the car call).

[0030] In this case, the group management control device 21 also sequentially accumulates the operation data of the real machine 2 generated by such group management control as learning data Dp. In addition, the group management control device 21 sequentially outputs operation data Dx indicating the movement of the real machine 2, and transmits the operation data Dx to the synchronization processing unit 123 via the communication unit 10 of the simulator 1. As a result, in the virtual elevator, in synchronization with the movement of the car Gr of the real machine 2 in which a car call is registered when it moves to the destination floor Fd, the corresponding virtual car Gv also moves to the destination floor Fd. In this way, the movement of the car Gr of the real machine 2 (movement of the car Gr) when responding to a car call is reproduced in the virtual elevator.

[0031] Then, when the elevator car Gr of the actual machine 2 that has registered the elevator call arrives at the destination floor Fd and door opening is completed, the group management control device 21 outputs a door opening completion signal Sx and transmits the door opening completion signal Sx to the virtual realization processing unit 122 via the communication unit 10 of the simulator 1.

[0032] When the virtual realization processing unit 122 receives a door-opening completion signal Sx from the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10, it virtually makes users disembark from the virtual car Gv that has arrived at the destination floor Fd in synchronization with the movement of the car Gr of the real machine 2. At this time, when multiple users disembark at one destination floor Fd, the virtual realization processing unit 122 makes those users disembark one by one in order. Then, each time one user is disembarked, the virtual realization processing unit 122 transmits a door-opening extension signal Sz to the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10 to extend the door-opening time so that the door is kept open until the user has disembarked.

[0033] When the group management control device 21 receives the door-open extension signal Sz from the virtual realization processing unit 122, it extends the door-open time of the car Gr of the real machine 2 stopped at the destination floor Fd. Then, the operation data Dx generated by this control is sent to the synchronization processing unit 123, and the door-open time of the corresponding virtual car Gv is also extended in synchronization with the extension of the door-open time of the real machine 2. Such extension of the door-open time is executed for the number of users getting off at each destination floor Fd. As a result, the movement of the car Gr of the real machine 2 (extension of the door-open time) when the users get off is reproduced in the virtual elevator.

[0034] According to such simulator 1, by synchronizing the behavior of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit 122 with the behavior of the real machine 2, it is possible to reproduce the learned behavior of the real machine 2 as it is in the simulator 1 without transferring the learning data Dp (including copied data) to the simulator 1. Moreover, by transmitting the call and door-open extension signals Sy and Sz generated by the simulator 1 to the group management control device 21 of the real machine 2, group management based on the information can be performed with high prediction accuracy in the real machine 2, and the behavior of the virtual elevator can be synchronized with the behavior of the real machine 2 that occurs accordingly. Therefore, it is possible to reflect the behavior of the real machine 2 that occurs when the user generated by the simulator 1 is assumed to be an actual user in the real machine 2 in the behavior of the virtual elevator in the simulator 1 that can verify the elevator performance.

[0035] Therefore, according to the simulator 1, the elevator performance of the actual machine 2 that has been learned using the learning data Dp can be verified by the simulator 1 without transferring the learning data Dp to the simulator 1.

[0036] [2] Variations A modified example of the above-mentioned embodiment will now be described. Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an elevator simulator 1 according to the modified example.

[0037] The simulator 1 of this modified example is configured to selectively execute, as a simulation (verification process) for verifying the elevator performance of the real machine 2, a simulation for verifying the elevator performance using only data generated within the simulator 1 without communicating with the real machine 2 or transferring learning data Dp from the real machine 2 (hereinafter referred to as a "first verification process"), and a simulation for verifying the elevator performance by synchronizing the movement of the real machine 2 described in the above embodiment (hereinafter referred to as a "second verification process"). A specific description will be given below.

[0038] The control unit 12 executes a generation process, a virtual realization process, a group management process, and a drive process as processes necessary for the first verification process. The control unit 12 also executes a generation process, a virtual realization process, and a synchronization process as processes necessary for the second verification process. Specifically, these processes are executed by a generation processing unit 121, a virtual realization processing unit 122, a synchronization processing unit 123, a group management processing unit 124, and a drive processing unit 125 that are constructed by software in the control unit 12 using a simulation program (see FIG. 2).

[0039] During the execution of the simulation, the generation processing unit 121 generates a user whose destination direction Hc is either up or down at each floor where the elevator can stop. Then, the generation processing unit 121 sets the floor where the user can be generated as the departure floor Fc of the user, and transmits the departure floor Fc and the destination direction Hc of the user to the group management processing unit 124 during the execution of the first verification process, and transmits the departure floor Fc and the destination direction Hc of the user to the group management control device 21 via the communication unit 10 during the execution of the second verification process. In this way, the generation processing unit 121 requests the group management processing unit 124 to allocate hall calls to the car Gv in the virtual elevator (the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit 122) during the execution of the first verification process, and requests the group management control device 21 to allocate hall calls to the car Gr in the actual elevator 2 during the execution of the second verification process.

[0040] The group management processing unit 124 executes group management for the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit 122, independently of the group management control device 21 of the real machine 2. Here, the group management processing unit 124 is configured to be able to execute the same processing as the group management processing performed by the group management control device 21. Therefore, the group management processing unit 124 can independently (in other words, without using the learning data Dp accumulated in the real machine 2) accumulate operation data of the virtual elevator as learning data Dq in the virtual elevator, and use the learning data Dq to perform learning for realizing efficient group management.

[0041] During execution of the first verification process, the drive processing unit 125 operates the virtual elevator in accordance with the group management performed by the group management processing unit 124. On the other hand, the synchronization processing unit 123 is a processing unit that operates the virtual elevator independently of the group management performed by the group management processing unit 124, and operates the virtual elevator in synchronization with the movement of the real machine 2, as described in the above embodiment.

[0042] According to such a simulator 1, it is possible to selectively execute a first verification process for verifying elevator performance by moving only the virtual elevator using the group management processing unit 124 and the drive processing unit 125, and a second verification process for verifying elevator performance by synchronizing the movement of the virtual elevator with the movement of the actual elevator 2 using the communication unit 10 and the synchronization processing unit 123.

[0043] Therefore, according to this modified example, it becomes possible to selectively perform a normal simulation (first verification process) without using the actual device 2 and a new simulation (second verification process) using the actual device 2 using a single simulator 1.

[0044] Furthermore, according to such a simulator 1, after the first verification process is executed, the generation data Dr used to generate the users and calls therein is stored in the memory unit 11 (see Figure 2), and then, when the second verification process is executed, the generation data Dr is used to generate users and calls, making it possible to perform the second verification process in a state where the virtual generation of users and calls at the time of the first verification process is reproduced.

[0045] In this way, by performing the second verification process using the same generated data Dr, it becomes possible to compare the elevator performance obtained in the normal simulation (first verification process) with the elevator performance obtained in the simulation (second verification process) using the actual machine 2 under the same conditions for users and call generation. This makes it possible to use the simulator 1 to accurately verify whether the elevator operation of the actual machine 2 is being performed as expected (in other words, verify whether the elevator performance obtained in the first verification process is being exhibited by the actual machine 2).

[0046] The above-mentioned embodiments and the description of the modifications should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0047] Furthermore, from the above-mentioned embodiment and modified examples, the subject of the invention is not limited to the simulator 1, but may be extracted individually or partially from the simulations and programs executed by the simulator 1. Also, a part or the whole of an elevator system including the simulator 1 and the actual machine 2 may be extracted as the subject of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1. Simulator 2 Actual Machine 10. Communications Department 11 Storage section 12 Control section 21 Group management control device Dp, Dq training data Dr. Generated Data Dx Operational Data Fc Departure floor Fd Destination floor Gr, Gv car Hc destination direction Sx door open completion signal Sy, Sz Door open extension signal 121 Generation processing unit 122 Virtual Realization Processing Unit 123 Synchronization processing section 124 Group Management Processing Unit 125 Drive processing unit

Claims

1. a generating unit for virtually generating elevator users and calls; a virtual realization processing unit that virtually realizes an elevator and virtually realizes the boarding and alighting of users generated by the generation processing unit; a communication unit that communicates with a group management control device of the actual machines, which, in transmission to the group management control device, transmits the call when the generation processing unit generates the call, and transmits a door-open extension signal when the virtual realization processing unit allows a user to board or disembark, and, in reception from the group management control device, receives operation data indicating the movement of the actual machines; a synchronization processing unit that synchronizes a movement of the virtual elevator realized by the virtual realization processing unit with a movement of an actual elevator by using the operation data received by the communication unit; Equipped with The group management control device of the actual machine controls the movement of the actual machine using the call and the door opening extension signal received from the communication unit, and transmits data indicating the movement of the actual machine resulting from this to the synchronization processing unit as the operation data.

2. A group management processing unit that executes group management of the virtual elevators realized by the virtual realization processing unit independently from the group management control device of the actual elevator; A drive processing unit that operates the virtual elevator in accordance with the group management performed by the group management processing unit; Further comprising:

2. The elevator simulator according to claim 1, selectively executing a first verification process to verify elevator performance by moving the virtual elevator using the group management processing unit and the drive processing unit, and a second verification process to verify elevator performance by synchronizing the movement of the virtual elevator with the movement of an actual elevator using the communication unit and the synchronization processing unit.

3. 3. The elevator simulator according to claim 2, wherein the generation processing unit stores generation data used to generate users and calls when the first verification process is performed, and then, when the second verification process is executed, generates users and calls using the generation data, thereby performing the second verification process in a state where virtual generation of users and calls at the time of the first verification process is reproduced.

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