Elevator control program rewriting system and elevator control program rewriting method

Abstract

To provide an elevator control program rewriting system and an elevator control program rewriting method capable of preventing a system failure when control program rewriting fails and facilitating identification of a hall terminal device in which control program rewriting has failed.SOLUTION: A hall terminal device comprises: an input / output unit that receives information from a user and presents information to the user; a communication control unit that controls communication with a serial number control unit; an input / output control unit that controls the input / output unit and receives specific data from the communication control unit at the time of control program rewriting of the communication control unit; and a communication path cutoff unit that cuts off a communication path with the serial number control unit on the basis of the specific data received by the input / output control unit when an abnormality has occurred during the control program rewriting of the communication control unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an elevator control program rewriting system and an elevator control program rewriting method.

Background Art

[0002] In order to improve the control function of an elevator or add functions, the control program of the elevator may be rewritten. Conventionally, in such a control program rewrite, a maintenance worker would go to the building where the elevator is installed and directly perform the operation of rewriting the elevator control program.

[0003] On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for updating the elevator control program by remote operation without the maintenance worker going to the elevator. In Patent Document 1, it is disclosed that by acquiring the video and audio in the car on the monitoring center side, after confirming that there is no one in the car, the control program is rewritten by remote operation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, in Patent Document 1, the elevator control program can be updated by remote operation without stopping the operation of the elevator. Further, in Patent Document 1, since the control program rewrite operation is performed after confirming that there is no one in the car, the safety during the control program rewrite can be ensured.

[0006] Incidentally, when rewriting the control program, the program may be destroyed due to some cause such as momentary stop, resulting in a system failure. When updating the control program in the hall terminal devices installed on each floor of the elevator, if the update of the control program fails for some reason, it takes a long time to identify the faulty terminal from multiple hall terminal devices.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides an elevator control program rewriting system and an elevator control program rewriting method that suppress a system failure when the control program rewrite fails and facilitate identification of the hall terminal device in which the control program rewrite has failed.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] To solve the above problems and achieve the object of the present invention, the elevator control program rewriting system of the present invention includes a plurality of hall terminal devices installed at each landing and a car control unit having a hall terminal control unit for controlling the hall terminal devices. The hall terminal device includes an input / output unit that inputs information from the user and presents information to the user. Further, the hall terminal device includes a communication control unit that controls communication with the car control unit, and an input / output control unit that controls the input / output unit and receives specific data from the communication control unit when rewriting the control program of the communication control unit. Furthermore, the hall terminal device includes a communication path disconnecting unit that disconnects the communication path with the car control unit when an abnormality has occurred during the rewriting of the control program of the communication control unit based on the specific data received by the input / output control unit.

[0009] The method for rewriting the elevator control program of the present invention includes a step of transmitting a control program rewrite command from the car control unit side having a hall terminal device for controlling the hall terminal device to the hall terminal device installed on the landing floor. Further, in the hall terminal device, there is a step of rewriting the control program of the communication control unit that controls communication with the car control unit. Further, when rewriting the control program in the communication control unit, there is a step of receiving specific data transmitted from the communication control unit by an input / output control unit that controls an input / output unit for inputting information from the user and presenting information to the user. Further, based on the specific data received by the input / output control unit, when an abnormality has occurred during the rewriting of the control program of the communication control unit, there is a step of disconnecting the communication path with the car control unit.

Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress a system failure when the control program rewrite fails, and it is possible to easily identify the hall terminal device in which the control program rewrite has failed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an example of an elevator control program rewriting system and an elevator control program rewriting method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following examples. In each of the figures described below, common members are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0013] ≪Configuration of Elevator System≫ First, an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an elevator system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment). The elevator system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an elevator control program rewriting system of the present invention. The elevator control program rewriting system of the present invention may include all of the elevator systems shown in FIG. 1, or may be configured by a part of the elevator system shown in FIG. 1.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the elevator system 1 of the present embodiment is composed of an elevator management unit 2 and an elevator 10 managed by the elevator management unit 2.

[0015] [Elevator Management Unit 2] The elevator management unit 2 (corresponding to the remote terminal of the present invention) is provided in a management center at a remote location away from the building where the elevator 10 is installed. The elevator management unit 2 includes a terminal rewriting unit 22 and an abnormality display unit 21. The terminal rewriting unit 22 is connected to the terminal program storage unit 36 of the car control unit 3, which will be described later, via a communication unit (not shown). The terminal rewriting unit 22 transmits the control program of the hall terminal device 6, which will be described later, to the car control unit 3 that controls the entire elevator 10, and also transmits a control program rewriting command. In the present embodiment, when it is necessary to rewrite (update) the control program in the hall terminal device 6, the terminal rewriting unit 22 transmits a new control program to the terminal program storage unit 36 in the car control unit 3.

[0016] The transmission of the control program in the terminal rewriting unit 22 is performed, for example, when an administrator performs an operation related to the rewriting of the control program via an operation unit (not shown). Alternatively, the transmission of the control program in the terminal rewriting unit 22 may be configured based on a command from a personal terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal that is communicably configured by the elevator management unit 2 and a communication unit (not shown).

[0017] The abnormality display unit 21 is, for example, a monitor configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, and displays the result of processing performed in the elevator control program rewriting system. In the present embodiment, the abnormality display unit 21 is connected to the abnormality detection unit 31 of the car control unit 3, which will be described later, via a communication unit (not shown), and the abnormal location detected by the abnormality detection unit 31 is displayed. Specifically, when an abnormality occurs during the rewriting of the control program of the hall terminal device 6, among the plurality of hall terminal devices 6-1, 6-2 ···, the hall terminal device 6 identified as having the abnormality is displayed on the abnormality display unit 21. Thereby, it is possible to identify and notify the administrator and the maintenance staff of the hall terminal device 6 in which the abnormality has occurred.

[0018] [Elevator] The elevator 10 includes a car control unit 3, a car 4, a hoist 5, and hall terminal devices 6 (6-1, 6-2 ···). In the following description, when indicating one of the plurality of hall terminal devices 6-1, 6-2 ···, it is denoted as the hall terminal device 6.

[0019] 〈Car control unit〉 Under the management of the elevator management unit 2 provided in the management center, the car control unit 3 controls the car 4, the hoist 5, and the plurality of hall terminal devices 6-1, 6-2 ··· for each car control unit 3. The car control unit 3 includes an abnormality detection unit 31, a terminal program storage unit 36, a car control unit 32, a motor control unit 33, a hall terminal control unit 34, and a usage information analysis unit 35.

[0020] The abnormality detection unit 31 detects abnormalities in the car control unit 32, the motor control unit 33, and the hall terminal control unit 34, and transmits the detected abnormality signal to the abnormality display unit 21 of the elevator management unit 2. In this embodiment, when an abnormality is detected during the rewriting of the control program in the hall terminal device 6, the abnormality signal is transmitted to the abnormality display unit 21 of the elevator management unit 2.

[0021] The terminal program storage unit 36 stores a new control program based on the control program of the hall terminal device 6 and its rewriting command transmitted from the terminal rewriting unit 22 of the elevator management unit 2. The control program stored in the terminal program storage unit 36 is transmitted from the hall terminal control unit 34 to each of the hall terminal devices 6-1, 6-2 ··· at a predetermined timing.

[0022] The car control unit 32 controls the opening and closing operation of the car door in the car 4 and the display on the display unit (not shown) in the car 4. Also, when a car call is made by an operation button (not shown) installed in the car 4, a car call signal is acquired.

[0023] The car control unit 33 controls the hoist 5 based on the car call issued by the operation button installed in the car 4 or the landing call issued by the landing button 61 (Fig. 3) of the landing terminal device 6, and moves the car 4 up and down.

[0024] The landing terminal control unit 34 acquires the landing call signal issued by the operation of the landing button 61 of the landing terminal device 6 installed on each landing floor. Further, the landing terminal control unit 34 extracts the control program stored in the terminal program storage unit 36 at a predetermined timing, and transmits the extracted control program to a predetermined landing terminal device 6.

[0025] The usage information analysis unit 35 analyzes the usage information of each landing floor from the average number of calls for each landing terminal device 6-1, 6-2,... installed on each landing floor. Fig. 2 is a table showing the usage information analyzed and stored by the usage information analysis unit 35. As shown in Fig. 2, the table showing the usage information records the operating days from Monday to Sunday and the average number of calls for each landing floor. Further, the table showing the usage information records the item of the number of days (non-operating days) when the car 4 did not stop at that landing floor.

[0026] In this embodiment, when rewriting the control program of the landing terminal device 6, the usage information shown in Fig. 2 is referred to. Then, on the day of updating the control program, the control program is updated in order from the landing terminal device 6 with the lowest average number of calls. This elevator control program rewriting method will be described in detail later.

[0027] 〈Car〉 The car 4 is arranged in an elevator shaft provided to penetrate each floor in a building in the vertical direction, and has a hollow cubic shape for carrying people and goods. The car 4 is connected to a counterweight (not shown) via a main rope 51, and moves up and down in the elevator shaft when the hoist 5 is driven. Further, the car door provided on the car 4, and the display unit and the in-car buttons (not shown) installed inside the car 4 are controlled by the car control unit 32 of the unit control unit 3.

[0028] The hoist 5 is installed, for example, in a machine room provided at the top of the elevator shaft. The hoist 5 has a sheave (not shown) around which the main rope 51 connecting the car 4 and the counterweight (not shown) is wound. The hoist 5 is rotationally driven under the control of the motor control unit 33 to move the car 5 up and down in the elevator shaft.

[0029] 〈Landing Terminal Device〉 The landing terminal devices 6-1, 6-2,... are each installed at each landing floor. Further, the plurality of landing terminal devices 6-1, 6-2,... are respectively connected to the landing terminal control unit 34 of the unit control unit 3 and are controlled by the landing terminal control unit 34.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the landing terminal device 6. Since the plurality of landing terminal devices 6-1, 6-2,... have the same configuration, in FIG. 3, the configuration of one representative landing terminal device 6 will be described.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the landing terminal device 6 includes a landing terminal internal control unit 60 and an input / output unit 72 composed of a display 62 and a landing button 61.

[0032] The control unit 60 inside the hall terminal includes a communication path disconnection unit 63, a communication disconnection determination unit 64, a communication control unit 67, an input / output control unit 69, an input / output disconnection determination unit 68, and an input / output disconnection unit 70. Further, the control unit 60 inside the hall terminal includes a first program storage unit 65, a second program storage unit 66, and a maintenance / normal mode discrimination unit 71.

[0033] The communication path disconnection unit 63 disconnects the communication path for transmitting and receiving signals between itself and the control unit 60 inside the hall terminal at a predetermined timing. In this embodiment, when the rewriting of the control program in the communication control unit 67 or the input / output control unit 69 fails, the communication path disconnection unit 63 disconnects the communication path based on a signal from the communication control unit 67 or a signal from the communication disconnection determination unit 64.

[0034] The communication disconnection determination unit 64 determines whether to disconnect the communication path with the unit control unit 3 based on whether there is an abnormality in the communication control unit 67, specifically, whether an abnormality occurred during the rewriting of the control program in the communication control unit 67. Then, the communication disconnection determination unit 64 transmits the determination result to the communication path disconnection unit 63. In this embodiment, the occurrence of an abnormality during the rewriting of the control program in the communication control unit 67 is detected by the input / output control unit 69. Then, the communication disconnection determination unit 64 determines the disconnection of the communication path based on the abnormality signal detected by the input / output control unit 69.

[0035] The communication control unit 67 is connected to the hall terminal control unit 34 via the communication path disconnection unit 63, and controls the communication related to the transmission and reception of signals between the hall terminal control unit 34 and the input / output control unit 69 in the control unit 60 inside the hall terminal. Also, in this embodiment, at a predetermined timing, the existing control program in the communication control unit 67 is rewritten by a new control program stored in the first program storage unit 65. The method for rewriting the control program in the communication control unit 67 will be described in detail later.

[0036] The input / output control unit 69 is connected to an input / output unit 72 composed of a hall button 61 and a display 62 via an input / output disconnection unit 70, and controls and processes an input signal from the hall button 61 and an output signal to the display 62. Further, in the present embodiment, at a predetermined timing, an existing control program in the input / output control unit 69 is rewritten by a new control program stored in the second program storage unit 66. A method for rewriting the control program in the input / output control unit 69 will be described in detail later.

[0037] The input / output disconnection determination unit 68 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the input / output control unit 69, specifically, whether or not an abnormality has occurred during the rewriting of the control program in the input / output control unit 69, and determines whether or not to disconnect the input / output path to the input / output unit 72. Then, the input / output disconnection determination unit 68 transmits the determination result to the input / output disconnection unit 70. In the present embodiment, an abnormality occurring during the rewriting of the control program in the input / output control unit 69 is detected by the communication control unit 67. Then, the input / output disconnection determination unit 68 determines the disconnection of the input / output path based on the abnormality signal detected by the communication control unit 67.

[0038] The input / output disconnection unit 70 determines whether to enable or disable the input / output in the input / output unit 72 based on signals transmitted from the input / output control unit 69, the input / output disconnection determination unit 68, and the maintenance / normal mode discrimination unit 71. Then, when the input / output disconnection unit 70 determines to disable the input / output to the input / output unit 72, based on the determination result, the transmission / reception path to the input / output unit 72 is disconnected. The timing of disconnecting the transmission / reception path between the input / output disconnection unit 70 and the input / output unit 72 will be described in detail later.

[0039] The maintenance / normal mode discrimination unit 71 determines whether the setting mode in the car control unit 3 is the maintenance mode or the normal mode based on the signal from the communication control unit 67. The maintenance mode is the mode set when a maintenance staff performs inspections on the elevator 10 or the elevator system 1. The normal mode is the normal mode in which the car 4 moves up and down in response to a landing call or a car call by a user. In the present embodiment, when rewriting the control program, the discrimination result in the maintenance / normal mode discrimination unit 71 is transmitted to the input / output disconnection unit 70 under the control of the communication control unit 67 at a predetermined timing.

[0040] The first program storage unit 65 stores a new control program related to the communication control unit 67 transmitted from the hall terminal control unit 34 via a communication unit (not shown) of the hall terminal internal control unit 60. The control program transmitted from the hall terminal control unit 34 to the hall terminal internal control unit 60 is once stored in the first program storage unit 65. Then, at a predetermined timing, the control program of the communication control unit 67 is rewritten by the control program stored in the first program storage unit 65.

[0041] The second program storage unit 66 stores a new control program related to the input / output control unit 69 transmitted from the hall terminal control unit 34 via a communication unit (not shown) of the hall terminal internal control unit 60. The control program related to the input / output control unit 69 transmitted from the hall terminal control unit 34 to the hall terminal internal control unit 60 is once stored in the second program storage unit 66. Then, at a predetermined timing, the control program of the input / output control unit 69 is rewritten by the control program stored in the second program storage unit 66.

[0042] The input / output unit 72 includes a hall button 61 and a display 62. The input / output unit 72 is connected to the input / output control unit 69 via the input / output disconnect unit 70 of the hall terminal internal control unit 60. The input / output unit 72 is controlled by the input / output control unit 69. The hall button 61 receives an operation of calling for a landing from the user. Also, the floor where the car 4 has stopped and the like are displayed on the display 62.

[0043] Each of the above-described elevator management unit 2, car control unit 3, car control unit 32, motor control unit 33, hall terminal control unit 34, hall terminal internal control unit 60, communication control unit 67, and input / output control unit 69 is controlled under the control of a control processing unit (not shown). Each control processing unit includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a non-volatile storage, which are respectively connected to a bus.

[0044] The CPU reads the program code of the software that realizes each function configured in each unit from the ROM, expands it in the RAM, and executes it. Note that the control processing unit may include a processing device such as an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) instead of the CPU. Variables, parameters, etc. generated during the arithmetic processing are temporarily written into the RAM.

[0045] As the non-volatile storage, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, etc. can be used. In this non-volatile storage, in addition to the OS (Operating System) and various parameters, a program for operating the control processing unit and the like are recorded. Note that the program may be stored in the ROM.

[0046] The program is stored in the form of computer-readable program code, and the CPU sequentially executes operations according to the program code. That is, the ROM or non-volatile storage is used as an example of a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium that stores a program to be executed by the computer. In this embodiment, in the hall terminal internal control unit 60, the control programs stored in the ROM or non-volatile storage provided in the communication control unit 67 and the input / output control unit 69 are rewritten into the control programs stored in the first program storage unit 65 or the second program storage unit 66, respectively.

[0047] ≪Elevator Control Program Rewriting Method≫ Next, the elevator control program rewriting method in this embodiment will be described.

[0048] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the control flow of the unit control unit 3 when rewriting the elevator control program. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the control flow in the hall terminal internal control unit 60 when rewriting the elevator control program.

[0049] 〈Control Flow in Unit Control Unit 3〉 First, with reference to Figure 4, the control flow of the unit control unit 3 when rewriting the elevator control program will be described.

[0050] First, the hall terminal control unit 34 extracts, from the utilization information analysis unit 35, a hall terminal device 6-1, 6-2,... in which the control program has not yet been rewritten and has a low utilization status (step S1). In step S1, referring to the table stored in the utilization information analysis unit 35 shown in FIG. 2, from the days of the week when the control program of the hall terminal device 6 is to be rewritten and the hall terminal devices 6 in which the control program has not been implemented, the hall terminal device 6 with the lowest average number of calls on that day of the week is extracted. For example, if the day of the week for rewriting the control program is Wednesday and the control program has not been rewritten for all hall terminal devices 6-1, 6-2,..., the hall terminal device 6 with the lowest number of boarding floors among a3 times, b2 times,... is extracted as the object to be rewritten.

[0051] Next, the hall terminal control unit 34 sends a control program rewrite command to the communication control unit 67 of the hall terminal device 6 extracted in step S1 (step S2). At this time, if a new control program for the communication control unit 67 has not been sent to the hall terminal device 6 side, the hall terminal control unit 34 reads out the new control program for the communication control unit 67 stored in the terminal program storage unit 36 and sends it to the hall terminal device 6 side. The new control program to be rewritten and sent to the hall terminal device 6 side is stored in the first program storage unit 65.

[0052] Note that, at a stage prior to step S2, there may be a case where the hall terminal control unit 34 has sent the new control program stored in the terminal program storage unit 36 to the hall terminal device 6 side and the new control program has already been stored in the first program storage unit 65. In this case, in step S2, the hall terminal control unit 34 only sends a control program rewrite command to the communication control unit 67 of the hall terminal device 6.

[0053] After step S2, in the control unit 60 inside the hall terminal, the control program of the communication control unit 67 is rewritten. While the control program of the communication control unit 67 is being rewritten in the control unit 60 inside the hall terminal, the abnormality detection unit 31 receives, via the hall terminal control unit 34, a signal notifying the presence or absence of an abnormality in the control unit 60 inside the hall terminal. Then, based on this signal, the abnormality detection unit 31 determines whether an abnormality has occurred during the rewriting of the control program of the communication control unit 67 (step S3).

[0054] In step S3, if it is determined as "YES", that is, if it is determined that an abnormality has occurred, the abnormality detection unit 31 transmits an abnormality signal to the abnormality display unit 21 of the elevator management unit 2 (step S7). In the elevator management unit 2, the abnormality display unit 21 displays information identifying the hall terminal device 6 in which the abnormality has occurred and information regarding the abnormal location (communication control unit 67) based on the received signal.

[0055] In step S3, if it is determined as "NO", that is, if it is determined that no abnormality has occurred, the hall terminal control unit 34 transmits a control program rewrite command to the input / output control unit 69 of the hall terminal device 6 extracted in step S1 (step S4).

[0056] At this time, if a new control program for the input / output control unit 69 has not been transmitted to the hall terminal device 6 side, the hall terminal control unit 34 reads out the new control program for the input / output control unit 69 stored in the terminal program storage unit 36 and transmits it to the hall terminal device 6 side. The new control program transmitted to the hall terminal device 6 side is stored in the second program storage unit 66.

[0057] Note that, before step S4, the hall terminal control unit 34 transmits a new control program stored in the terminal program storage unit 36 to the hall terminal device 6 side, and there may be a case where a new control program has already been stored in the second program storage unit 66. In this case, in step S2, the hall terminal control unit 34 transmits only a control program rewrite command to the input / output control unit 69 of the hall terminal device 6.

[0058] After step S4, in the hall terminal internal control unit 60, the control program of the input / output control unit 69 is rewritten. While the control program of the input / output control unit 69 is being rewritten in the hall terminal internal control unit 60, the abnormality detection unit 31 receives a signal notifying the presence or absence of an abnormality in the input / output control unit 69 via the hall terminal control unit 34. Then, based on this signal, the abnormality detection unit 31 determines whether an abnormality has occurred during the rewriting of the control program of the input / output control unit 69 (step S5).

[0059] In step S5, if it is determined as "YES", that is, if it is determined that an abnormality has occurred, the abnormality detection unit 31 transmits an abnormality signal to the abnormality display unit 21 of the elevator management unit 2. In the elevator management unit 2, the abnormality display unit 21 displays information identifying the hall terminal device 6 in which the abnormality has occurred and information regarding the abnormal location (input / output control unit 69) based on the received signal (step S7).

[0060] In step S5, if it is determined as "NO", that is, if it is determined that no abnormality has occurred, the hall terminal control unit 34 determines whether the rewriting of the control programs in all the hall terminal devices 6-1, 6-2,... provided in the elevator 10 has been completed. In step S6, if it is determined as "NO", that is, if there is still a hall terminal device 6 in which the control program rewriting has not been completed, the processes from step S1 to step S7 are repeated.

[0061] On the other hand, in step S6, if it is determined as "YES", that is, if it is determined that the rewriting of the control program has been normally completed in all hall terminal devices 6-1, 6-2, ···, the process of rewriting the control program is terminated.

[0062] Note that the control flow shown in FIG. 4 can be started by the management center 2 connected to the unit control unit 3 via a communication unit (not shown) or by an operation from a personal terminal. Therefore, a control program rewrite command can be transmitted from a remote location. Also, in this embodiment, by using the information of the usage information analysis unit 35, the control program is rewritten from the hall terminal device 6 with the least number of uses on that day of the week. Thereby, the control program can be rewritten more safely without stopping the operation of the elevator.

[0063] <Control Flow in Hall Terminal Internal Control Unit> First, with reference to FIG. 5, the control flow of the hall terminal internal control unit 60 when rewriting the elevator control program will be described.

[0064] First, the communication control unit 67 determines whether it has received a signal regarding the rewriting of the control program from the hall terminal control unit 34 side of the unit control unit 3 (step S11).

[0065] If it is determined as "NO" in step S11, that is, if it has not received a signal regarding the rewriting of the control program, normal processing is performed (step S12). Normal processing is normal processing related to the operation of the elevator 10, and examples include processing corresponding to a landing call input from the hall button 61 and processing for outputting the information of the stop floor of the car 4 to the display 62.

[0066] If it is determined as "YES" in step S11, that is, if a signal regarding the rewriting of the control program is received, then in the communication control unit 67, the rewriting of the control program is carried out (step S13). The rewriting of the control program in the communication control unit 67 is carried out by reading the new control program stored in the first program storage unit 65 and rewriting the existing control program stored in the communication control unit 67 with the read new control program.

[0067] Next, the input / output control unit 69 monitors and determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the communication control unit 67 during and after the rewriting of the control program in the communication control unit 67 (step S14). The method for determining an abnormality during the rewriting of the control program of the communication control unit 67 by the input / output control unit 69 in step S14 will be described in detail later.

[0068] If it is determined as "YES" in step S14, that is, if the input / output control unit 69 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the communication control unit 67, then the determination result is transmitted to the communication disconnection determination unit 64 and the input / output disconnection unit 70. Based on the determination result of step S14, the communication disconnection determination unit 64 makes a determination to disconnect the communication, and based on the determination result of the communication disconnection determination unit 64, the communication path disconnection unit 63 disconnects the communication path (step S15).

[0069] Also, based on the determination result of step S14, the input / output disconnection unit 70 transmits a signal notifying the display 62 that an abnormality has occurred, and then disconnects the transmission / reception path in a state where only the output is "ON" (step S16). Thereby, input from the hall button 61 is not possible, but the display 62 can display a notification of an abnormality occurrence.

[0070] On the other hand, in step S14, if it is determined as "NO", that is, when the input / output control unit 69 determines that no abnormality has occurred in the communication control unit 67, next, the input / output control unit 69 performs rewriting of the control program (step S17). The rewriting of the control program in the input / output control unit 69 is performed by reading the new control program stored in the second program storage unit 66 and rewriting the existing control program stored in the input / output control unit 69 with the read new control program.

[0071] Next, the communication control unit 67 monitors and determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the input / output control unit 69 during and after the rewriting of the control program in the input / output control unit 69 (step S18). The method for determining an abnormality during the rewriting of the control program of the input / output control unit 69 by the communication control unit 67 in step S18 will be described in detail later.

[0072] In step S18, if it is determined as "NO", that is, when the communication control unit 67 determines that no abnormality has occurred in the input / output control unit 69, the process regarding the rewriting of the control program in the whole terminal device 6 ends.

[0073] In step S18, if it is determined as "YES", that is, when the communication control unit 67 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the input / output control unit 69, the maintenance / normal mode discrimination unit 71 determines whether it is in the maintenance mode (step S19).

[0074] In step S19, if it is determined as "YES", that is, when it is determined that it is in the maintenance mode, the input / output disconnection unit 70 disconnects the transmission / reception path between the hall button 61 and the display 62 with the output being "ON" (step S21). By setting the output to be "ON", the lighting and display of the hall button 61 and the display 62 are maintained in the state at the time of rewriting the control program. Thereby, the maintenance staff can check the hall terminal device 6 in which an abnormality has occurred.

[0075] On the other hand, in step S19, when it is determined as "NO", that is, when it is determined that it is not in the maintenance mode, the input / output disconnection unit 70 disconnects the transmission / reception path between the hall button 61 and the display 62 with the input / output turned "OFF" (step S20). By setting the input / output to the "OFF" state, the lighting and display on the hall button 61 and the display 62 disappear. Therefore, on the landing floor where the corresponding hall terminal device 6 is installed, even if the user presses the hall button 61, the hall button 61 does not light up, and nothing is displayed on the display 62 either. For this reason, the user can grasp that the elevator 10 is malfunctioning.

[0076] Through the above steps, the process of rewriting the control program in the hall terminal device 6 is completed. In this embodiment, in step S16, the input / output disconnection unit 70 is configured to disconnect the input / output path with only the output in the ON state. However, as an example, after step S16, steps similar to step S19, step S20, and step S21 may be performed. Further, in step S18, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred, the communication path may be disconnected in the same manner as in step S15.

[0077] 〈Abnormality determination method during control program rewriting〉 Next, the abnormality determination method during control program rewriting will be described. FIG. 6A is a control flow showing the abnormality determination method during control program rewriting of the communication control unit 67. FIG. 6B is a control flow showing the abnormality determination method during control program rewriting of the input / output control unit 69.

[0078] First, with reference to FIG. 6A, the abnormality determination method during control program rewriting of the communication control unit 67 will be described. The flow shown in FIG. 6A is the control flow performed in step S14 of FIG. 5.

[0079] In step S13 of FIG. 5, when the rewriting of the control program of the communication control unit 67 is disclosed, the communication control unit 67 starts transmitting specific data to the input / output control unit 69 (step S31). This specific data is configured to be transmitted from the communication control unit 67 to the input / output control unit 69 side, for example, at a fixed period.

[0080] The input / output control unit 69 determines whether it has received the specific data within a predetermined period (step S32). This predetermined period is determined by the time required for rewriting the control program of the communication control unit 67.

[0081] If it is determined as "NO" in step S32, that is, if it is determined that the specific data has not been received within the predetermined period, the input / output control unit 69 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the communication control unit 67 (step S33). Thus, in step S33, if the specific data cannot be received within the predetermined period, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred during the rewriting of the control program.

[0082] On the other hand, if it is determined as "YES" in step S32, that is, if it is determined that the specific data has been received within the predetermined period, the input / output control unit 69 determines that the rewriting of the control program of the communication control unit 67 has been performed normally (step S34). Thus, in step S34, if the specific data can be received within the predetermined period, it is determined that the control program has been rewritten normally.

[0083] As described above, when rewriting the control program of the communication control unit 67, the input / output control unit 69 can monitor at any time whether the rewriting is normal by receiving specific data from the communication control unit 67.

[0084] Next, with reference to FIG. 6B, an abnormality determination method when rewriting the control program of the input / output control unit 69 will be described. The flow shown in FIG. 6B is the control flow performed in step S18 of FIG. 5.

[0085] In step S17 of FIG. 5, when the rewriting of the control program of the input / output control unit 69 is started, the input / output control unit 69 starts transmitting specific data to the communication control unit 67 (step S41). This specific data is configured to be transmitted from the input / output control unit 69 to the communication control unit 67 side, for example, at a fixed period.

[0086] The communication control unit 67 determines whether or not it has received the specific data within a predetermined period (step S42). This predetermined period is determined by the time required for rewriting the control program of the input / output control unit 69.

[0087] If it is determined "NO" in step S42, that is, if it is determined that the specific data has not been received within the predetermined period, the communication control unit 67 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the input / output control unit 69 (step S43). Thus, in step S43, if the specific data cannot be received within the predetermined period, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred during the rewriting of the control program.

[0088] On the other hand, if it is determined "YES" in step S42, that is, if it is determined that the specific data has been received within the predetermined period, the communication control unit 67 determines that the rewriting of the control program of the input / output control unit 69 has been performed normally (step S44). Thus, in step S44, if the specific data can be received within the predetermined period, it is determined that the control program has been rewritten normally.

[0089] As described above, when rewriting the control program of the input / output control unit 69, the communication control unit 67 can monitor at any time whether the rewriting is normal by receiving the specific data from the input / output control unit 69.

[0090] In this embodiment, as described above, the control programs of the communication control unit 67 and the input / output control unit 69 of the hall terminal device 6 can be rewritten by an operation from a remote location. Thereby, since the labor for a maintenance worker to go to the site for work can be saved, the work efficiency can be improved.

[0091] Also, in this embodiment, in the car control unit 3, based on the information from the usage information analysis unit 35, the control program is rewritten from the hall terminal device 6 with a small number of usage times on that day of the week. Thereby, even when rewriting the control program while the elevator 10 is operating in the normal mode, the control program can be rewritten more safely.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when rewriting the control programs of the communication control unit 67 and the input / output control unit 69, it is possible to monitor and determine whether the rewriting of the control programs is performed normally with respect to each other. And when an abnormality occurs during the rewriting of the control program in the communication control unit 67, the communication path between the hall terminal device 6 and the car control unit 3 can be disconnected. Thereby, it is possible to grasp which hall terminal device 6 has not had the control program rewritten normally from the side of the car control unit 3, and it is possible to prevent the entire system from malfunctioning due to the hall terminal device 6 in which an abnormality has occurred.

[0093] The above-described embodiment has been described in detail for the purpose of explaining the present invention clearly and is not necessarily limited to the one having all the configurations described. For example, a part of the configuration of the embodiment can be replaced with other configurations, and other configurations can also be added to the configuration of the embodiment. Also, for a part of the configuration of the embodiment, addition, deletion, and replacement of other configurations are possible.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0094] 1... Elevator system, 2... Elevator management unit, 3... Unit control unit, 5... Hoisting machine, 6... Hall terminal device, 10... Elevator, 21... Abnormal display unit, 22... Terminal rewriting unit, 31... Abnormal detection unit, 32... Car control unit, 33... Motor control unit, 34... Hall terminal control unit, 35... Usage information analysis unit, 36... Terminal program storage unit, 51... Main rope, 60... Hall terminal internal control unit, 61... Hall button, 62... Display, 63... Communication path disconnection unit, 64... Communication disconnection determination unit, 65... First program storage unit, 66... Second program storage unit, 67... Communication control unit, 68... Input / output disconnection determination unit, 69... Input / output control unit, 70... Input / output disconnection unit, 71... Maintenance / normal mode discrimination unit, 72... Input / output unit

Claims

1. In an elevator control program rewriting system for rewriting a control program in a hall terminal device, a plurality of hall terminal devices installed at each landing floor, and a car control unit having a hall terminal control unit for controlling the hall terminal devices, wherein the hall terminal device has an input / output unit for inputting information from a user and presenting information to the user, a communication control unit for controlling communication with the car control unit, controls the input / output unit and, when rewriting the control program of the communication control unit, receives specific data from the communication control unit for determining whether to rewrite the control program, and based on the specific data received by the input / output control unit, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred during rewriting of the control program of the communication control unit, a communication path disconnection unit that disconnects the communication path with the car control unit. An elevator control program rewriting system.

2. The communication control unit receives specific data from the input / output control unit when rewriting the control program of the input / output control unit, and the hall terminal device includes an input / output disconnection unit that disconnects the input / output path with the input / output unit when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred during rewriting of the control program of the input / output control unit based on the specific data received by the communication control unit. The elevator control program rewriting system according to claim 1.

3. The rewriting of the control programs in the communication control unit and the input / output control unit is carried out based on a command transmitted from a remote terminal located at a position separated from the car control unit to the hall terminal device side via the hall terminal control unit of the car control unit. The elevator control program rewriting system according to claim 2.

4. The hall terminal device includes a first program storage unit for storing a new control program for rewriting the control program in the communication control unit, and a second program storage unit for storing a new control program for rewriting the control program in the input / output control unit, and the rewriting of the control programs in the communication control unit and the input / output control unit is carried out after new control programs are respectively stored in the first program storage unit and the second program storage unit. The elevator control program rewriting system according to claim 3.

5. The car control unit analyzes the usage information of the plurality of hall terminal devices and includes a usage information analysis unit that stores the usage information. Based on the information from the usage information analysis unit, the hall terminal control unit sequentially sends a control program rewriting command from the hall terminal devices with low usage frequency among the plurality of hall terminal devices. The elevator control program rewriting system according to claim 1.

6. The input / output disconnection unit In the maintenance mode, when an abnormality occurs during the rewriting of the control program of the input / output control unit, disconnect the input / output path with only the output in the input / output unit turned on. In the normal mode, when an abnormality occurs during the rewriting of the control program of the input / output control unit, disconnect the input / output path with the input / output in the input / output unit turned off. The elevator control program rewriting system according to claim 3.

7. In an elevator control program rewriting method for rewriting a control program in a hall terminal device, A step of sending a control program rewriting command from the car control unit side having a hall terminal device for controlling the hall terminal device to the hall terminal device installed on the landing floor. A step of rewriting the control program of the communication control unit that controls communication with the car control unit in the hall terminal device. When rewriting the control program in the communication control unit, a step of receiving specific data for the input / output control unit that controls the input / output unit for inputting information from the user and presenting information to the user to determine the rewriting of the control program transmitted from the communication control unit. Based on the specific data received by the input / output control unit, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred during the rewriting of the control program of the communication control unit, a step of disconnecting the communication path with the car control unit. having Elevator control program rewriting method.

8. When rewriting the control program in the input / output control unit, the communication control unit A step of receiving specific data transmitted from the input / output control unit. When it is determined that an abnormality has occurred during the rewriting of the control program of the input / output control unit based on the specific data received by the communication control unit, a step of disconnecting the input / output path to the input / output unit; having The elevator control program rewriting method according to claim 7.

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