Remote Operator Monitoring System and Remote Operator Monitoring Method

Abstract

To reduce the burden on administrators monitoring work of a worker when performing inspection operations in an elevator hoistway.SOLUTION: A remote worker monitoring system for monitoring an image captured by a camera worn by a worker for an elevator work comprises: an elevator operation permission unit 64 outputting an operation permission signal to an elevator device 21 when an administrator allows the worker to operate a car after a switch mounted on the car is turned on; a camera operation unit 62 capable of outputting a command for remotely operating the camera worn by the worker; and a video confirmation unit 63 displaying the images captured by the camera. The camera operation unit 62 outputs a command to start video recording to the camera and the video confirmation unit 63 displays images transmitted from the camera when the elevator operation permission unit 64 outputs the operation permission signal to the elevator device 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a remote worker monitoring system and a remote worker monitoring method.

Background Art

[0002] An elevator has a main rope hung on a hoisting machine installed at the upper end or the lower end of a hoistway, and a car is suspended on one end side of the main rope and a counterweight is suspended on the other end side. Then, by driving the hoisting machine to wind up the main rope, the car and the counterweight are configured to move up and down in the hoistway in a counterweight system.

[0003] For example, an elevator has equipment arranged at the top in the hoistway and a control panel arranged at the bottom. In elevator maintenance work, an operator may get into the car and perform work on these equipment, control panels, etc. When the operator gets into the car, a safety line must be attached, and it is necessary to use a wearable camera to leave a usage history. It is difficult for a person other than the operator to grasp what work the operator is actually performing in the work performed in the car (hereinafter referred to as "work in the car"). For this reason, by the administrator checking the video of the operator's wearable camera at any time, unsafe actions in the work are checked. However, the administrator checking the video at any time places a burden on the administrator and poses a problem.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes that a camera image of an on-site worker is displayed on a management terminal at a remote location. And Patent Document 1 describes that by sharing the camera image of the worker by the administrator, mistakes and omissions in the work can be prevented, the work quality can be improved, unsafe elements at the work site can be visualized, danger can be avoided, and effective training can be implemented.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, since the administrator must always monitor the camera images of the workers, there is a possibility that the grasp of unsafe actions that occur at the work site, such as when the administrator is absent, may be delayed. Furthermore, since the administrator's proficiency and physical strength are also required for the administrator to always monitor the camera images of the workers, there is a possibility that unsafe actions may be overlooked due to the administrator's attention being scattered due to long-term monitoring.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation of the prior art, and in the inspection work in the elevator hoistway, the purpose is to reduce the burden on the administrator by the administrator partially monitoring dangerous work that requires monitoring only within the hoistway.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a remote worker monitoring system according to an aspect of the present invention is a remote worker monitoring system that monitors an image captured by a camera worn by a worker in elevator work, and is provided on top of the car and is a car top switch that is input before the worker drives the car on top of the car, an elevator device that controls the operation of the elevator, and a management terminal used by an administrator who manages the worker. The management terminal includes an elevator operation permission unit that outputs an operation permission signal to the elevator device when the administrator permits the operation of the car by the worker after the car top switch is turned on, a camera operation unit that can output a command for remotely operating the camera worn by the worker, and a video confirmation unit that displays an image captured by the camera. The camera operation unit outputs a recording start command to the camera when the elevator operation permission unit outputs an operation permission signal to the elevator device, and the video confirmation unit displays an image transmitted from the camera.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to at least one aspect of the present invention, when performing inspection work in the hoistway of an elevator, it is not necessary for the administrator to monitor the elevator inspection work at any time, and the burden on the administrator can be reduced. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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[0011] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components or components having substantially the same functions, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Further, when there are a plurality of components having the same or similar functions, different subscripts may be attached to the same reference numeral for description. Further, when it is not necessary to distinguish these plurality of components, the subscripts may be omitted for description.

[0012] <First Embodiment> [Schematic Configuration of an Elevator] First, an elevator will be described as an example of an elevator that is the object of work performed by a worker. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the main part of an elevator. In FIG. 1, the elevator 1 is an example of an elevator that is the object (work site) where a worker 20 who performs work such as inspection performs work based on a work plan.

[0013] The elevator 1 is composed of a car 2, a hoistway 3 in which the car 2 moves up and down, a motor 5 that drives a rope 4, a control panel 6 for the motor 5, a counterweight 7 connected by the car 2 and the rope 4, a pit 9, and a landing door 10, etc. The pit 9 is located at the lower part of the elevator and is a space where the car 2 stops or the buffer 8 of the counterweight 7 is installed. In addition, the elevator 1 includes top equipment 11 such as a compensating rope unit (not shown) and a rope tension variation detection device provided at the top of the hoistway 3, and an upper car operation panel 12 provided above the car 2 (ceiling). Note that the elevator 1 may be considered to include one or more pulleys (not shown).

[0014] An operator can operate the car 2 while riding on the car 2 by operating the upper car operation panel 12. The signal output by the upper car operation panel 12 based on the operator's operation is input to an elevator device 21 disposed inside the elevator 1 (for example, at the top of the hoistway 3). The elevator device 21 controls the operation of the elevator 1 (car 2) according to commands from the upper car operation panel 12 and commands from the responsible business office management terminal 23 (see FIG. 2).

[0015] In this specification, the car may sometimes be simply referred to as the "car", such as the upper car operation panel 12 that an operator 20 on the car 2 operates to drive the car 2. For example, in the following description, the operation switch provided on the upper car operation panel 12 is referred to as the "upper car switch".

[0016] [Overall Configuration of Remote Operator Monitoring System] Next, the overall configuration of the remote operator monitoring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of an overall configuration example of a remote worker monitoring system according to the present embodiment. The remote worker monitoring system 100 shown in FIG. 2 is, as an example, composed of an elevator device 21, an elevator control system 22, a responsible branch office management terminal 23, a camera 25, a data management server 24, and a worker terminal 26. These devices, terminals, and the camera are communicably connected to each other by a network. Whether the network is the same communication network or two or more different communication networks does not matter.

[0017] The worker 20 wears a camera 25 for acquiring an image of the working situation. The camera 25 is a terminal having a function of acquiring (shooting) an image and a function of storing the acquired image as image data. For example, the camera 25 is a wearable camera or a camera function of a smartphone, and can be attached to the head (for example, a helmet) of the worker 20. The camera 25 can communicate wirelessly with the responsible branch office management terminal 23 by registering ID (Identification) information (hereinafter referred to as "camera ID") for identifying the camera 25 in the responsible branch office management terminal 23.

[0018] The responsible branch office management terminal 23 can remotely operate the camera 25 with the camera ID registered according to the instruction of the administrator A. For example, the responsible branch office management terminal 23 outputs a command for image shooting (photo shooting) or recording start to the camera 25, and receives and displays an image of the on-site situation shot by the camera 25. In addition, the responsible branch office management terminal 23 can remotely control the operation (traveling, stopping, etc.) of the elevator 1 in the responsible branch office. Furthermore, the responsible branch office management terminal 23 can determine whether to permit or not permit the operation of the elevator 1 by the worker 20. A management terminal screen for realizing the confirmation of the on-site situation, the remote operation of the camera 25, and the determination of whether to permit or not permit the operation on the car 2 by the above-described administrator A is displayed on the responsible branch office management terminal 23 (see FIGS. 3 to 5 described later).

[0019] The elevator device 21 is a control device for controlling the operation of the car 2. The elevator device 21 is constantly communicating with the elevator control system 22, and transmits information (elevator information) regarding the state of elevator 1, such as the operating state of elevator 1 and the state of the car top switch 12a, to the elevator control system 22.

[0020] The elevator control system 22 receives elevator information from the elevator device 21, and can grasp the state of elevator 1 in various buildings, such as the operating state of elevator 1 and the state of the car top switch 12a. In addition, a work plan for elevator 1 by the worker 20 is registered in the elevator control system 22 using the worker terminal 26. Then, the elevator control system 22 transmits the elevator information and work plan of elevator 1 to the responsible business office management terminal 23 connected by a network. Furthermore, when the elevator control system 22 receives failure information or an operation permission signal from elevator 1 in the area under the jurisdiction of the responsible business office, it immediately reports it to the responsible business office management terminal 23.

[0021] The data management server 24 is a server for recording and managing videos (recording data) acquired by the camera 25 worn by the worker 20. The data management server 24 manages videos (recording data) for each elevator in the building in association with the work plan. For example, in the work plan, "site name" of the work target, "identification information" of the elevator, "worker name", "scheduled work date and time", "work content", etc. are registered. The identification information of the elevator is, as an example, the "manufacturing number", or a combination of "site name" and "unit number". When there is only one elevator at the site (facility), only the "site name" may be used.

[0022] The worker terminal 26 is a terminal incorporated with application software (hereinafter referred to as "work application") used when the worker 20 is engaged in work. The worker 20 operates the work application to register a work plan or report work progress. As the worker terminal 26, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. can be used.

[0023] [Management terminal screen] Here, the management terminal screen displayed on the display device of the responsible business office management terminal 23 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing examples (1) and (2) of the management terminal screen in the remote worker monitoring system 100. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing examples (3) and (4) of the management terminal screen in the remote worker monitoring system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing examples (5) to (7) of the management terminal screen in the remote worker monitoring system 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0024] In FIG. 3, management terminal screens 110a and 110b are shown as examples (1) and (2) of the management terminal screen displayed on the responsible business office management terminal 23. On the management terminal screen, for each building, items such as "site name", "manufacturing number", "unit number", "work content", "worker name", "camera ID", "elevator status", and "camera operation" are displayed in the form of a list.

[0025] The "site name" is the name of the site registered in the work plan or the site where the worker performs the work. Examples of the site name include the name of the building where the elevator is installed. The "manufacturing number" is a number assigned by the elevator manufacturing company to each elevator in order to manage the manufactured elevator. The manufacturing number is an example of identification information for uniquely identifying an elevator. Note that since the elevator can be specified if the "site name" and "unit number" are known as shown in FIG. 3, the manufacturing number may not be necessary. The "unit number" is identification information for specifying an elevator when there are multiple elevators in the same site (facility).

[0026] The "work content" is information representing the content of the work performed by the worker 20, such as part inspection, cleaning, adjustment, and replacement. The "worker name" is information representing the name of the worker 20. The worker name may be an identifier such as an employee code as long as it can identify the worker. The "Camera ID" is the identification information of the camera 25 used by the operator 20 for shooting.

[0027] The "elevator status" is information representing the current status of the elevator device 21. For example, on the management terminal screens 110a and 110b, "maintenance operation", "stopped", "normal operation", and "car top switch on" are displayed as the "elevator status". The "camera operation" is information representing the operation content for the camera 25 or the current status of the camera 25. For example, on the management terminal screens 110b and 110d, "image shooting button" and "shooting" are displayed as the "camera operation". As shown in FIG. 4, the image shooting button may be pop-up displayed within the management terminal screen.

[0028] In the example of FIG. 3, the "elevator status" of the corresponding elevator (unit number) is highlighted so that the elevator (unit number) that requires the supervision of the operator 20 can be understood. Here, a part (the "elevator status") of the record of the corresponding elevator (unit number) is highlighted with a thick line, but the entire record may also be highlighted.

[0029] The management terminal screen 110a is an example of the management terminal screen before the car top switch 12a (see FIG. 6) provided on the car top operation panel 12 is turned on. The operation mode of the elevator 1 is in the maintenance operation mode by remote operation by the operator 20 or the management terminal 23 of the responsible business office.

[0030] The management terminal screen 110b is an example of the management terminal screen that displays "car top switch on" indicating that the car top switch 12a has been turned on (activated), and an image shooting button 111 for the administrator A to remotely operate the camera 25 for shooting. When performing real-time distribution by the camera 25 described later, a "recording start" button for starting recording may be displayed.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows the management terminal screens 110c and 110d as examples of the management terminal screens (3) and (4) displayed on the management terminal 23 of the responsible business office. The management terminal screen 110c is an example in which a car body status photo display window 112 for displaying an image (photo) of the status on the car body 2 taken by the camera 25 and a car operation permission window 113 operated by the administrator A are displayed in a pop-up manner on the management terminal screen. In the car operation permission window 113, a car operation permission button ("YES" button) selected when permitting the operation of the car body 2 by the worker 20 and a car operation non-permission button ("NO" button) selected when not permitting the operation of the car body 2 are displayed. Note that the image for checking the status on the car body 2 may be a moving image.

[0032] The management terminal screen 110d is an example in which a car body status real-time distribution window 114 is displayed in a pop-up manner on the management terminal screen. The car body status real-time distribution window 114 displays a camera image (moving image) of the status on the car body 2 taken by the camera 25 and distributed in real time from the camera 25 worn by the worker 20. During real-time distribution, the display content of "Camera operation" is switched to "Shooting".

[0033] Fig. 5 shows management terminal screens 110e to 110g as examples of management terminal screens (5) to (7) displayed on the responsible business office management terminal 23. The management terminal screen 110e is an example in which "Car body switch return", indicating that the car body switch 12a has returned (turned off), is displayed on the management terminal screen 110d.

[0034] The management terminal screen 110f is an example in which a car body status display window 115 for displaying a photo (still image) of the status on the car body 2 taken by the camera 25 and a car body status confirmation window 116 operated by the administrator A are displayed in a pop-up manner on the management terminal screen. In the car body status display window 115, an image (still image) cut out from the moving image taken by the camera 25 is displayed. Also, in the car body status confirmation window 116, an "OK" button selected when the administrator A determines that there is no problem with the status on the car body 2 and an "NG" button selected when the administrator A determines that there is a problem with the status on the car body 2 are displayed.

[0035] The management terminal screen 110g shows "Stopped" indicating that the "Car Operation Permission" has been canceled due to the return of the car upper switch 12a and the elevator device 21 has stopped, and an example where "Recording Stop" is displayed for "Camera Operation". When the "Car Operation Permission" is canceled, the operator 20 cannot operate the car 2 on the car 2.

[0036] [Internal Configuration of Each Device of the Remote Operator Monitoring System] Next, the internal configuration of each device constituting the remote operator monitoring system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of each device constituting the remote operator monitoring system 100.

[0037] (Camera) The camera 25 includes a photographing unit 31, an operation unit 32, a communication unit 33, and an ID information unit 34. The photographing unit 31 photographs (acquires) the video of the work target of the operator 20. For example, the photographing unit 31 uses an image sensor that obtains image data by converting the light captured through an optical lens into an electrical signal.

[0038] The operation unit 32 is a user interface that generates an operation signal according to the input operation of the operator 20 and outputs it to the photographing unit 31 and the like, and is configured using a push button such as a shutter button or a touch panel. In addition, the operation unit 32 has a function of generating an operation signal based on a command from the camera operation unit 62 of the responsible business office management terminal 23 and outputting it to the photographing unit 31. Thereby, the responsible business office management terminal 23 can remotely operate the camera 25.

[0039] The communication unit 33 is an interface that communicates with the responsible business office management terminal 23 and the data management server 24 via a network. The communication unit 33 transmits the image photographed by the photographing unit 31 together with the camera ID to the responsible business office management terminal 23 and the data management server 24.

[0040] The ID information section 34 stores the ID information (camera ID) of the camera 25. The camera ID stored in the ID information section 34 is transmitted to the responsible branch office management terminal 23.

[0041] (Elevator device) The elevator device 21 includes an operation control section 41, a car top switch determination section 42, and a status information notification section 43. The operation control section 41 controls the operation of the car 2 of the elevator 1 based on car calls, destination floor registration, etc. Further, when the operation control section 41 receives an input signal of the car top switch 12a from the car top operation panel 12 and also receives an operation permission signal from the elevator operation permission section 64 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23, the operation control section 41 controls the operation of the car 2 based on the operation of the operator 20 on the car top operation panel 12.

[0042] The car top switch determination section 42 determines whether or not the car top switch 12a is turned on (in the on state) based on the signal received by the operation control section 41 from the car top operation panel 12. The signal received by the car top switch determination section 42 from the operation control section 2 may maintain the waveform of the signal output from the car top operation panel 12, or may be subjected to some processing.

[0043] The status information notification section 43 receives the determination result of the car top switch determination section 42 and notifies the elevator control system 22 of information indicating the state (on or off) of the car top switch 12a. Further, the status information notification section 43 notifies the elevator control system 22 of information indicating the operation state of the elevator 1. The information indicating the state of the car top switch 12a can also be said to be information indicating the operation state of the elevator 1 in a broad sense.

[0044] (Elevator control system) The elevator control system 22 includes an elevator information management section 51, a situation transmission section 52, and a work plan database 53. The elevator information management unit 51 manages information regarding elevators 1 installed throughout Japan. The elevator information management unit 51 receives, from the status information notification unit 43 of the elevator device 21 provided in each elevator 1, information indicating the status of the car top switch 12a and the operating status of the elevator 1. Also, the elevator information management unit 51 receives the work plan of the worker 20 registered using the worker terminal 26 and stores the work plan in the work plan database 53.

[0045] The situation transmission unit 52 transmits information regarding the elevator 1 such as a failure to the management terminal 23 of the responsible sales office. The information transmitted here is the current situation of the elevator 1.

[0046] The work plan database 53 is a database that stores the work plans of the workers 20 registered using the worker terminal 26 or the like.

[0047] (Responsible sales office management terminal) The management terminal 23 of the responsible sales office includes an elevator information management unit 61, a camera operation unit 62, a video confirmation unit 63, an elevator operation permission unit 64, a camera ID management unit 65, and a work plan database 66.

[0048] The elevator information management unit 61, different from the elevator information management unit 51 of the elevator control system 22, manages information regarding the elevators 1 under the jurisdiction of the responsible sales office. The elevator information management unit 61 receives and manages the information regarding the elevator 1 transmitted by the situation transmission unit 52 of the elevator control system 22. Also, the elevator information management unit 61 receives the work plan of the worker 20 from the management terminal 23 of the responsible sales office and stores the work plan in the work plan database 66.

[0049] The camera operation unit 62 is a block equipped with a user interface screen for remotely operating the camera 25 worn by the worker 20. The camera operation unit 62 outputs a command for remotely operating the on-site camera 25 based on the instructions of the administrator A (see Fig. 2). The ID information of the camera 25 to be operated is obtained from the camera ID management unit 65.

[0050] The video confirmation unit 63 is a block for the administrator A to confirm the situation at the site where the worker 20 works, and displays on the management terminal screen the image captured by the camera 25 (hereinafter also referred to as "camera image") output from the communication unit 33 of the camera 25. The camera image is a photo or a video. In addition, the video confirmation unit 63 cuts out an image from the video captured by the camera 25 and displays the cut-out image (still image) on the management terminal screen.

[0051] The elevator operation permission unit 64 is a block equipped with a user interface screen that is operated (for example, pressed) when the car upper switch 12a is turned on and the administrator A confirms that there is no problem from the video displayed on the video confirmation unit 63. For example, the elevator operation permission unit 64 corresponds to the car operation permission window 113 displayed on the management terminal screen. The elevator operation permission unit 64 transmits an operation permission signal to the operation control unit 41 of the elevator device 21 of the elevator to be permitted.

[0052] The camera ID management unit 65 manages the ID information (camera ID) of the camera 25. For example, the camera ID management unit 65 obtains the camera ID from the ID information unit 34 of the camera 25 and provides the camera ID to the camera operation unit 62 and the management unit 72 of the data management server 24.

[0053] The work plan database 66 is a database that stores the work plan of the worker 20 received from the elevator control system 22. The responsible business office management terminal 23 extracts the work plan corresponding to the camera ID received from the camera 25 from the work plan database 66 and transmits it to the data management server 24.

[0054] (Data Management Server) The data management server 24 includes a recording unit 71 and a management unit 72. The recording unit 71 records the images (recording data) captured by the camera 25, which are sent from the communication unit 33 of the camera 25, in association with the work plan with which the camera ID matches.

[0055] The management unit 72 manages the images (recording data) recorded by the recording unit 71 based on the work plan received from the responsible branch office management terminal 23.

[0056] (Operator Terminal) The operator terminal 26 includes a registration unit 81 and an output unit 82. The registration unit 81 is a block equipped with a user interface screen for the operator 20 to register a work plan in the elevator control system 22. Also, the operator 20 can register the operator name and the ID information (camera ID) of the used camera in the responsible branch office management terminal 23 through the registration unit 81.

[0057] The output unit 82 outputs a registration screen for the operator 20 to register the operator name, camera ID, and work plan. Also, the output unit 82 outputs the selection result of permission / non - permission for the car operation permission window 113 (Fig. 4) of the administrator A and the confirmation result of the car up status confirmation window 116 (Fig. 5) received from the responsible branch office management terminal 23. The output method is not limited to image display, and may also be voice output, or output combining vibration with image or voice.

[0058] Note that the elevator control system 22 and the responsible branch office management terminal 23 share information at any time, and the information may be shared (registered in both) by registering the work plan, operator name, and camera ID in either the elevator control system 22 or the responsible branch office management terminal 23. Also, the functions of the above - mentioned operator terminal 26 may be stored in the camera 25. Alternatively, the functions of the camera 25 may be installed in the operator terminal 26.

[0059] [Hardware Configuration of Each Device in the Remote Operator Monitoring System] Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the hardware configuration of the computer 120 included in the elevator device 21, elevator control system 22, responsible branch office management terminal 23, data management server 24, camera 25, and worker terminal 26 in the remote worker monitoring system 100 will be described.

[0060] (Each device other than the camera) FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer included in each device other than the camera 25 that constitutes the remote worker monitoring system 100.

[0061] The computer 120 is an example of the hardware of a computer that can be used as a computer in which each device can operate in cooperation as the remote worker monitoring system 100. Each device realizes the remote worker monitoring system 100 (remote worker monitoring method) in which the functional blocks of each device shown in FIG. 6 cooperate by each computer 120 (computer) executing a program.

[0062] The computer 120 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 122, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 123, which are respectively connected to a bus. Further, the computer 120 includes a display device 124, an input device 125, a non-volatile storage 126, and a network interface 127.

[0063] The CPU 121 (an example of a control unit) reads the program code of the software that realizes each function according to this embodiment from the ROM 122, loads it into the RAM 123, and executes it. Variables, parameters, etc. generated during the arithmetic processing of the CPU 121 are temporarily written into the RAM 123, and these variables, parameters, etc. are appropriately read by the CPU 121. By executing the program code read by the CPU 121 from the ROM 122, the functions of each functional block in each device are realized. However, other processors such as an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) may be used instead of the CPU 121.

[0064] The display device 124 is a monitor such as a liquid crystal display, and displays the GUI screen, the results of processing performed by the CPU 121, etc. The input device 125 generates an operation signal corresponding to the user's input operation and outputs it to the CPU 121. As the input device 125, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, etc. are used, and the user can operate the input device 125 to input information and instructions. The display device 124 and the input device 125 may be integrally configured as a touch panel.

[0065] As the non-volatile storage 126, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a non-volatile memory, etc. are used. In this non-volatile storage 126, in addition to the OS (Operating System) and various parameters, a program for operating the computer 120 may be recorded. The ROM 122 and the non-volatile storage 126 record programs, data, etc. necessary for the CPU 121 to operate, and are used as an example of a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a program executed by the computer 120.

[0066] As the network interface 127, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) etc. are used, and various data can be transmitted and received between devices via a LAN (Local Area Network), a dedicated line, etc. connected to terminals such as the NIC. For example, the status information notification unit 43 of the elevator device 21 and the situation transmission unit 52 of the elevator control system 22 are configured using the network interface 127.

[0067] Each block of the computer 120 may be selected according to the functions and usage purposes of the above-described devices. For example, if the elevator device 21 and the data management server 24 do not require a display function and an input function, the display device 124 and the input device 125 can be deleted.

[0068] (Camera) FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 130 included in the camera 25. The computer 130 is an example of the hardware used as a computer. The camera 25 operates with the functional blocks of the camera 25 shown in FIG. 6 in cooperation when the computer 130 (computer) executes a program.

[0069] The computer 130 includes a CPU 131, a ROM 132, and a RAM 133, each connected to a bus. Further, the computer 130 includes a display device 134, an input device 135, a non-volatile storage 136, a network interface 137, and an imaging element CA.

[0070] The CPU 13 (an example of a control unit) 1, the ROM 132, the RAM 133, the display device 134, the input device 135, the non-volatile storage 136, and the network interface 137 have the same functions as the blocks of the same name included in the computer 120 described above.

[0071] The imaging element CA is a device that obtains image data by converting input light into an electrical signal. The photographing unit 31 is constituted by the imaging element CA.

[0072] The elevator control system 22, the responsible sales office management terminal 23, the worker terminal 26, and the camera 25 may be provided with a voice output unit.

[0073] [Actions of the worker] Next, the actions of the worker 20 for working on the car 2 of the elevator 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

[0074] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the actions of the worker 20 in the present embodiment, that is, an example of the procedure for working on the car 2. First, the worker 20 makes a plan for work such as inspection using the work application on the worker terminal 26 and registers it in the work plan database 53 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 via the elevator control system 22. When making the work plan, the worker 20 transmits the ID information held by the ID information unit 34 of the camera 25 to the responsible branch office management terminal 23 together with the worker name and registers it in the camera ID management unit 65 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 (S1). Since various methods can be considered for the method of making a work plan using the work application, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0075] Next, the worker 20 moves to the site targeted by the work plan and prepares to use the camera 25 at the site. The worker 20 wears the camera 25 on the head (helmet) (S2). Then, after the attachment of the camera 25 is completed, the worker 20 turns on the power of the camera 25 (S3). Also, the worker 20 switches the target elevator to the maintenance operation mode (see, for example, the upper part of FIG. 3 in the management terminal screen 110a). The manager A may remotely switch the target elevator to the maintenance operation mode using the responsible branch office management terminal 23.

[0076] Next, the worker 20 moves in front of the landing door 10 of the elevator 1 where the work is to be carried out and unlocks the landing door 10 (S4). For example, the landing door 10 on the reference floor or the landing door 10 on the floor close to the pit 9 is unlocked.

[0077] Next, the worker 20 climbs onto the top (ceiling space) of the car 2 and turns on the car top switch 12a of the car top operation panel 12 installed on the top of the car 2 (S5). When the car top switch 12a is turned on, on the responsible branch office management terminal 23, "Car top switch turned on" is displayed in the "Elevator status" of the management terminal screen. After turning on the car top switch 12a, the worker 20 looks at the ceiling space of the car 2 and the hoistway 3 for shooting.

[0078] When administrator A who operates the responsible business office management terminal 23 permits the operation on car 2 by the elevator operation permission unit 64 based on the image (photo) taken by the camera 25, the elevator device 21 receives the operation permission signal and the operation on car 2 becomes possible. The worker 20 checks the display content of the output unit 82 of the worker terminal 26 carried by the worker to confirm that the operation on the car has been permitted. The worker 20 may be able to confirm that the operation on the car has been permitted by the voice output of the camera 25.

[0079] Then, based on the work plan, the worker 20 starts the real-time distribution by the camera 25 (that is, the camera worn on the head) corresponding to the camera ID registered in association with the work plan. The camera 25 starts the distribution of the camera image according to the recording start command transmitted from the responsible business office management terminal 23. After that, the worker 20 starts the work such as inspection on car 2 (S6).

[0080] In order to perform the target work, the worker 20 operates the car 2 by the on-car operation panel 12 on car 2 (S7). The worker 20 performs the scheduled work in the hoistway 3 and finishes the work on car 2 (S8).

[0081] Next, after the worker 20 shuts off (returns) the on-car switch 12a after the work is completed (S9). As a result, the worker 20 cannot operate the car 2 on car 2.

[0082] Next, after administrator A checks the situation on car 2 (ceiling space) by the video confirmation unit 63 of the responsible business office management terminal 23, the worker 20 receives a notice from administrator A that there is no problem with the situation on the car on the worker terminal 26 (S10). In parallel with the notice that there is no problem with the situation on the car, the camera 25 receives the recording stop command from the responsible business office management terminal 23, and the recording of the camera 25 stops (shooting ends). Note that the notice that there is no problem with the situation on the car may be received by the camera 25.

[0083] The operator 20 gets off from above the car 2 and closes the landing door 10 used for entering and exiting the car 2 (S11). Then, the operator 20 exits from the work site where the work was carried out based on the work plan (S12). After step S12 is completed, a series of actions for the operator 20 to carry out the work are completed.

[0084] [Actions of the administrator] Next, with reference to FIG. 10, the actions of the administrator A of the responsible business office who remotely manages the work of the operator 20 (especially the work above the car 2) will be described.

[0085] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the actions of the administrator A in the present embodiment. When the work plan is registered in the responsible business office management terminal 23, the work plan can be output by the management application software on the responsible business office management terminal 23. The administrator A of the responsible business office checks the work plan registered by the operator 20 and the camera ID associated with the work plan on the responsible business office management terminal 23, and approves the work plan if there are no problems (S21).

[0086] When the operator 20 turns on the car top switch 12a of the registered elevator 1 at the work site based on the work plan, the elevator device 21 reports to the elevator control system 22 that the car top switch 12a has been turned on. Then, the status information of the elevator 1 is transmitted from the status transmission unit 52 of the elevator control system 22 to the responsible business office management terminal 23, and the administrator A confirms on the responsible business office management terminal 23 that the input signal of the car top switch 12a has been received from the work site registered in the work plan (S22).

[0087] The administrator A can recognize that the operator 20 is on top of the car 2 by checking the display of "car top switch turned on" on the management terminal screen (for example, refer to the management terminal screen 110b in the lower part of FIG. 3). The car top switch 12a serves to notify the presence of the operator 20 on top of the car 2 and to request permission to operate the car 2 on top of the car 2.

[0088] Next, administrator A presses the image capture button 111 on the management terminal screen to remotely operate the camera 25 worn by the worker 20 on the car 2 and capture the situation on the car 2 of the car 2 (S23). The camera 25 transmits the captured image (photo) to the management terminal 23 of the responsible business office.

[0089] Next, administrator A checks the image captured by the camera 25 on the management terminal screen. If it is determined that there is no problem with the situation on the car before the work, the car operation permission button ("YES" button) of the car operation permission window 113 displayed on the management terminal screen (for example, refer to the management terminal screen 110c in the upper part of FIG. 4) is pressed (S24). Administrator A does not press the car operation permission button until the worker 20 is ready to start working on the car 2.

[0090] The case where the preparation for starting work on the car 2 is not complete means, for example, that the worker 20 is not ready to get on the car 2 (such as the car stop switch on the car operation panel 12 on the car is not turned on), or there are objects unrelated to the work placed on the car 2. If administrator A determines that there is a problem with the situation on the car before the work, the car operation non - permission button ("NO" button) is pressed to notify the worker 20 that there is a problem with the situation on the car and give instructions for remote response.

[0091] Next, administrator A checks the working status of the worker 20 in real - time based on the image captured by the camera 25 (for example, refer to the management terminal screen 110d in the lower part of FIG. 4) (S25).

[0092] After the work on the car 2 is completed, the operator 20 returns (cuts off) the car-top switch 12a. When the car-top switch 12a returns, a return signal of the car-top switch 12a is transmitted from the elevator device 21 to the elevator control system 22, and the responsible business office management terminal 23 receives the return signal of the car-top switch 12a from the status transmission unit 52 of the elevator control system 22. Then, on the responsible business office management terminal 23, "car-top switch return" is displayed in the "elevator status" of the management terminal screen (see, for example, the management terminal screen 110e in the upper part of FIG. 5). At this time, for example, an image capture button 111 (not shown) is displayed in the "camera operation" of the management terminal screen.

[0093] Next, the administrator A presses the image capture button 111 on the management terminal screen to remotely operate the camera 25 worn by the operator 20 on the car 2 and capture the situation on the car 2 (ceiling space) (S26). The operation of the administrator A on the camera 25 here is an operation of cutting out an image (still image) from the video captured by the camera 25.

[0094] Next, the administrator A checks the image (still image) cut out from the video captured by the camera 25 on the management terminal screen (see, for example, the management terminal screen 110f in the middle part of FIG. 5). Then, when the administrator A determines that there is no problem with the situation on the car after the work on the management terminal screen, the administrator A presses the "OK" button in the car-top situation confirmation window 116 displayed on the management terminal screen and notifies the operator terminal 26 of the operator 20 that there is no problem with the situation on the car. A notice that there is no problem with the situation on the car may be transmitted to the camera 25.

[0095] In the case where there is a problem with the situation on the car after the work, for example, it is assumed that the inspection lamp is left on during the work on the car 2, or in the case of a machine room-less elevator 1, the working handrail is left assembled. When the administrator A determines that there is a problem with the situation on the car after the work, the administrator A presses the "NG" button to notify the operator 20 that there is a problem with the situation on the car and gives instructions for remote response.

[0096] In addition, in parallel with the notification that there is no problem with the situation on the car, the responsible branch office management terminal 23 transmits a recording stop command to the camera 25 to stop the recording of the camera 25 (S27). After step S27 ends, a series of actions for remotely monitoring the work of the worker 20 end.

[0097] [Remote worker monitoring process by remote worker monitoring system] Next, the remote worker monitoring process by the remote worker monitoring system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11.

[0098] FIG. 11 is a sequence chart showing an example of the procedure of the remote worker monitoring process by the remote worker monitoring system 100 according to the first embodiment. On the premise that the worker 20 makes a work plan using the worker terminal 26 and registers the work plan in the elevator control system 22 (S51), the registered work plan is transmitted to the responsible branch office management terminal 23. In the elevator control system 22, the elevator information management unit 51 receives the registration of the work plan created by the worker 20 from the registration unit 81 of the worker terminal 26 and stores the work plan in the work plan database 53. In addition, the elevator information management unit 51 transmits the work plan to the elevator information management unit 61 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23. The elevator information management unit 61 stores the work plan transmitted from the elevator information management unit 51 in the work plan database 66.

[0099] In addition, the worker 20 registers the worker name and the camera ID of the camera 25 to be used in the camera ID management unit 55 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 by the registration unit 81 of the worker terminal 26 (S61). Note that steps S51 and S61 described above may be performed in any order.

[0100] Next, when the car-up switch determination unit 42 of the elevator device 21 at the site (elevator 1 to be worked on) based on the work plan detects that the car-up switch 12a has been turned on, the status information notification unit 43 of the elevator device 21 reports the turn-on signal of the car-up switch 12a to the elevator information management unit 51 of the elevator control system 22 (S41).

[0101] Next, based on the work plan, the elevator information management unit 51 of the elevator control system 22 reports the turn-on signal of the car-up switch 12a to the elevator information management unit 61 of the responsible business office management terminal 23 that manages the registered site (S52).

[0102] Next, when the elevator information management unit 61 of the responsible business office management terminal 23 receives the turn-on signal of the car-up switch 12a from the elevator control system 22, the video confirmation unit 53 of the responsible business office management terminal 23 displays "car-up switch turned on" in the "elevator status" on the management terminal screen. Also, the video confirmation unit 53 displays the image capture button 111 (see the lower part of FIG. 3) in the "camera operation" on the management terminal screen.

[0103] Next, when the camera operation unit 52 of the responsible business office management terminal 23 detects that the image capture button 111 has been pressed, it remotely operates the camera 25 worn by the worker 20 at the site based on the work plan (S62) and uses the camera 25 to capture the situation on the upper car 2 (S31). It is assumed that the responsible business office management terminal 23 has previously grasped the correspondence between the camera ID of the camera 25 and the connection information (IP address, MAC address, email address, or message account, etc.) of the worker terminal 26 or the camera 25. Also, it is assumed that the camera 25 also grasps the connection information of the responsible business office management terminal 23.

[0104] Next, the camera 25 transmits, via the communication unit 33, an image (photo) of the situation on the car 2 to the management terminal 23 of the responsible sales office. At this time, the camera 25 also transmits at least its own camera ID together with the image (photo). Then, the video confirmation unit 53 of the management terminal 23 of the responsible sales office displays it in the car upper situation photo display window 112 (see the upper part of FIG. 4) of the management terminal screen (S63).

[0105] When an image of the situation on the car 2 is displayed on the management terminal screen of the management terminal 23 of the responsible sales office, the elevator operation permission unit 54 displays an elevator operation permission button ("YES" button) and an elevator operation non - permission button ("NO" button) in the car operation permission window 113 on the management terminal screen (S64). That is, the elevator operation permission unit 54 enables the operations of the car operation permission button and the car operation non - permission button. If there is no problem with the situation on the car before the work from the camera image acquired in step S31, the administrator A presses the car operation permission button.

[0106] Next, when the elevator operation permission unit 55 of the management terminal 23 of the responsible sales office detects that the car operation permission button has been pressed, it transmits an operation permission signal to the elevator device 21. As a result, the operator 20 can operate the car 2 on the elevator 1 at the site (S42). Further, when the camera operation unit 62 of the management terminal 23 of the responsible sales office detects that the car operation permission button has been pressed, it remotely operates the camera 25 worn by the operator 20 based on the work plan and starts recording (S32).

[0107] After the operator 20 has performed the work (steps S6 to S8 in FIG. 9) on the car 2, the car upper switch 12a is restored (cut off). When the car upper switch determination unit 42 of the elevator device 21 detects that the car upper switch 12a has been restored, the status information notification unit 43 of the elevator device 21 transmits a restoration signal of the car upper switch 12a to the elevator information management unit 51 of the elevator control system 22 (S43).

[0108] Next, based on the work plan, the elevator information management unit 51 of the elevator control system 22 transmits a return signal of the car up switch 12a to the elevator information management unit 61 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 that manages the registered site (S53).

[0109] Next, when the elevator information management unit 61 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 receives the return signal of the car up switch 12a from the elevator control system 22, the video confirmation unit 53 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 displays "car up switch return" in the "elevator status" on the management terminal screen. Further, the video confirmation unit 53 displays the image capture button 111 (see the lower part of FIG. 3) in the "camera operation" on the management terminal screen.

[0110] Next, when the camera operation unit 52 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 detects that the image capture button 111 has been pressed, it remotely operates the camera 25 worn by the worker 20 on site based on the work plan (S65), and the camera 25 captures a still image of the situation on the car 2 (S33). In this embodiment, the camera 25 cuts out and outputs an image (still image) from the captured video.

[0111] Next, the camera 25 transmits, via the communication unit 33, the image (still image) of the situation on the car 2 to the responsible branch office management terminal 23. Then, the video confirmation unit 53 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 displays it in the car up situation display window 115 (see the middle part of FIG. 5) on the management terminal screen (S66). Further, the video confirmation unit 53 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 displays the image of the situation on the car 2 on the management terminal screen and also displays the car up situation confirmation window 116 (see the middle part of FIG. 5) on the management terminal screen.

[0112] If there is no problem with the situation on the car after work from the camera image obtained in step S33, administrator A presses the "OK" button in the car up situation confirmation window 116. Thereby, when the video confirmation unit 53 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 detects the pressing of the "OK" button, it notifies the worker terminal 26 (or the camera 25) that there is no problem with the situation on the car after work (S67).

[0113] In addition, when the "OK" button in the car-top status confirmation window 116 is pressed, the responsible branch office management terminal 23 transmits a recording stop command to the camera 25 and ends the recording of the camera 25 by remote operation in parallel with the notification that there is no problem with the car-top status (S34).

[0114] The camera 25 transmits the recorded data to the data management server 24. Then, the data management server 24 records and manages the recorded data received from the camera 25 in association with the work plan and the camera ID. The work plan and the camera ID are stored in the data management server 24 at the timing registered in the responsible branch office management terminal 23 (for example, steps S51 and S61). Then, when the recording of the camera 25 ends, the recorded data is stored in the area where the information of the work plan and the camera ID in the data management server 24 is stored.

[0115] In addition, in this embodiment, after the responsible branch office management terminal 23 receives the return signal of the car-top switch 12a, the configuration in which the administrator A remotely operates the camera 25 worn by the on-site worker 20 has been described, but it is not limited to this example. For example, after the responsible branch office management terminal 23 receives the return signal of the car-top switch 12a, the video confirmation unit 53 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 may cut out a still image from the moving image (recorded data) transmitted from the camera 25 and display it on the car-top status display window 115.

[0116] In addition, in this embodiment, the responsible branch office management device 23 has acquired information (status information) and work plans regarding the elevator 1 from the elevator control system 22, but it is not limited to this example. For example, a configuration in which the responsible branch office management device 23 acquires information and work plans regarding the elevator 1 without going through the elevator control system 22 is also conceivable.

[0117] As described above, the remote worker monitoring system according to the present embodiment is a remote worker monitoring system that monitors an image captured by a camera worn by a worker during elevator work, and includes a car top switch provided on top of the car and input before the worker drives the car on top of the car, an elevator device that controls the operation of the elevator, and a management terminal used by a manager who manages the worker. The management terminal includes an elevator operation permission unit that outputs an operation permission signal to the elevator device when the manager permits the operation of the car by the worker after the car top switch is turned on, a camera operation unit that can output a command for remotely operating the camera worn by the worker, and a video confirmation unit that displays the image captured by the camera. The camera operation unit outputs a recording start command to the camera when the elevator operation permission unit outputs an operation permission signal to the elevator device, and the video confirmation unit is configured to display the image transmitted from the camera.

[0118] According to the present embodiment having the above configuration, when performing inspection work in the elevator hoistway, since the manager remotely operates the worker's camera according to the input information of the car top switch, there is no need for the manager to monitor the elevator inspection work at any time, and the burden on the manager can be reduced. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, rather than entrusting dangerous work to the worker, elevator operation permission and the like can be performed under the confirmation of the manager, so that dual safety management of on-site work by the manager and the worker is possible.

[0119] Also, in the remote worker monitoring system according to the present embodiment, the camera operation unit outputs a command to take a photo with the camera according to the instruction of the manager after the car top switch is turned on and before the worker on the car starts working, and the video confirmation unit is configured to display the photo taken by the camera.

[0120] In addition, in the remote worker monitoring system according to the present embodiment, the elevator operation permission unit is configured to disable the operation of the car by the worker after the car upper switch is turned on when the operation permission of the car by the administrator has not been confirmed.

[0121] In addition, in the remote worker monitoring system according to the present embodiment, it is configured to manage the performance of the worker for the work included in the work plan based on the work plan related to the work and the image associated with the identification information of the camera.

[0122] <Second Embodiment> In the unlikely event that the elevator 1 or the like malfunctions or an abnormality occurs, prompt recovery work and cause investigation are necessary. Therefore, as a second embodiment, an example in which unscheduled work occurs at a site where no work plan is registered will be described. The configuration of the remote worker monitoring system according to the present embodiment is basically the same as the configuration of the remote worker monitoring system according to the first embodiment.

[0123] [Management Terminal Screen] The management terminal screen displayed on the display device of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 when an abnormality occurs in the elevator 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing management terminal screen examples (1) to (3) in the remote worker monitoring system 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing management terminal screen examples (4) and (5) in the remote worker monitoring system 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing management terminal screen examples (6) to (8) in the remote worker monitoring system 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0124] FIG. 12 shows management terminal screens 140x, 140a, and 140b as management terminal screen examples (1) to (3) displayed on the responsible branch office management terminal 23. The management terminal screens 140a and 140b correspond to the management terminal screens 110a and 110b in FIG. 3.

[0125] The management terminal screen 140x is an example of the management terminal screen when an abnormality occurs at a site where no work plan has been created (for example, an elevator). In the "Elevator Status" of the record related to the corresponding elevator, "Abnormality occurred" is displayed. Since it is an elevator without a work plan, unlike Figure 3, "Work content", "Worker name", and "Camera ID" are blank. For example, the operation control unit 41 of the elevator device 21 analyzes the detection signals of sensors (not shown) provided at various locations of the elevator 1 to detect equipment failures and abnormalities. The detection results of the failures and abnormalities are notified as elevator information to the management terminal 23 of the responsible business office.

[0126] The management terminal screen 140a is an example of the management terminal screen before the car upper switch 12a (see Figure 6) provided on the car upper operation panel 12 is turned on. By the worker 20 dispatched to the site inputting the minimum information using the worker terminal 26, information is displayed in "Work content", "Worker name", and "Camera ID".

[0127] The management terminal screen 140b is an example of the management terminal screen that displays "Car upper switch turned on" and the image capture button 111.

[0128] In Figure 13, the management terminal screens 140c and 140d are shown as examples of the management terminal screens (4) and (5) displayed on the management terminal 23 of the responsible business office. The management terminal screens 140c and 140d correspond to the management terminal screens 110c and 110d in Figure 3.

[0129] The management terminal screen 140c is an example in which a car upper status photo display window 112 and a car operation permission window 113 are popped up and displayed on the management terminal screen.

[0130] The management terminal screen 140d is an example in which a car upper status real-time distribution window 114 is popped up and displayed on the management terminal screen. The display content of "Camera operation" switches to "Shooting".

[0131] FIG. 14 shows management terminal screens 140e to 140g as examples (6) to (8) of the management terminal screen displayed on the in-charge business office management terminal 23. The management terminal screens 140e to 140g correspond to the management terminal screens 110e to 110g in FIG. 3.

[0132] The management terminal screen 140e is an example in which "cage upper switch return" is displayed on the management terminal screen 140d.

[0133] The management terminal screen 140f is an example in which a cage upper status display window 115 and a cage upper status confirmation window 116 are pop-up displayed on the management terminal screen.

[0134] The management terminal screen 140g is an example in which "stopped" indicating that "cage operation permission" has been canceled and the elevator device 21 is in a stopped state, and "recording stop" is displayed for "camera operation".

[0135] [Remote worker monitoring process by remote worker monitoring system] Next, the remote worker monitoring process by the remote worker monitoring system 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15.

[0136] FIG. 15 is a sequence chart showing an example of the procedure of the remote worker monitoring process by the remote worker monitoring system 100 according to the second embodiment. Different from the process in FIG. 11, FIG. 15 shows an example of the procedure of the remote worker monitoring process when an unexpected work occurs without making a work plan. In FIG. 15, the differences from FIG. 11 are that the step S51 of registering a work plan is deleted, and the steps S52, S53, and S34 are changed to steps S52A, S53A, and S34A, respectively. Hereinafter, FIG. 15 will be described centering on the parts different from FIG. 11.

[0137] In step S41, since an abnormality has occurred in elevator 1 that is not in the work plan (for example, in the management terminal screen 140x in the upper part of FIG. 12), operator 20 performs an unplanned operation on car 2, so the car upper switch 12a of elevator 1 is turned on. When the car upper switch determination unit 42 of the elevator device 21 detects that the car upper switch 12a has been turned on, the status information notification unit 43 of the elevator device 21 transmits a signal indicating the turning on of the car upper switch 12a to the elevator information management unit 51 of the elevator control system 22.

[0138] Next, in step S52A, the elevator information management unit 51 of the elevator control system 22 transmits a signal indicating the turning on of the car upper switch 12a to the elevator information management unit 61 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 that manages the site where there is no work plan (performing unplanned work) (for example, in the management terminal screen 140a in the middle part of FIG. 12).

[0139] Next, in step S62, when the camera operation unit 52 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 detects that the image capture button 111 has been pressed, it remotely operates the camera 25 worn by the operator 20 at the site based on the camera ID provided by the operator 20.

[0140] Also, in step S53A, the elevator information management unit 51 of the elevator control system 22 transmits a return signal of the car upper switch 12a to the elevator information management unit 61 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 that manages the site where there is no work plan (performing unplanned work).

[0141] Also, in step S34A, when the "OK" button of the car upper status confirmation window 116 of the responsible branch office management terminal 23 is pressed, in parallel with the notification that there is no problem with the car upper status, a recording stop command is transmitted to the camera 25, and the recording of the camera 25 is terminated by remote operation.

[0142] The camera 25 transmits the recorded data to the data management server 24. Then, the data management server 24 records and manages the recorded data received from the camera 25 in association with the camera ID. The camera ID is stored in the data management server 24 at the timing (for example, step S61) registered in the responsible business office management terminal 23. And when the recording of the camera 25 ends, the recorded data is stored in the area where the information of the camera ID in the data management server 24 is stored.

[0143] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various other application examples and modification examples can be taken as long as they do not depart from the gist of the present invention described in the claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have described the configuration in detail and specifically in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the components described. Also, it is possible to add, replace, or delete some of the components of the configuration of each embodiment.

[0144] Also, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, etc. may be realized in hardware by designing part or all of them, for example, with an integrated circuit. As the hardware, a processor device in a broad sense such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) may be used.

[0145] Also, in this specification, the processing steps describing time-series processing include not only the processing performed in time series in accordance with the described order, but also the processing that is not necessarily processed in time series, but is executed in parallel or individually (for example, processing by an object). Also, for the processing steps describing time-series processing, the processing order may be changed as long as the processing result is not affected.

[0146] Also, in the above-described embodiments, the control lines and information lines show those considered necessary for explanation, and not necessarily all the control lines and information lines are shown on the product. In reality, it may be considered that almost all components are interconnected.

Explanation of Signs

[0147] 1…elevator, 2…car, 3…hoistway, 12…upper car operation panel, 12a…upper car switch, 20…worker, 21…elevator device, 22…elevator control system, 23…responsible sales office management terminal, 24…data management server, 25…camera, 26…worker terminal, 31…imaging unit, 32…operation unit, 33…communication unit, 34…ID information unit, 41…operation control unit, 42…upper car switch determination unit, 43…status information notification unit, 51…elevator information management unit, 52…situation transmission unit, 53…work plan database, 61…elevator information management unit, 62…camera operation unit, 63…video confirmation unit, 64…elevator operation permission unit, 65…camera ID management unit, 66…work plan database, 71…recording unit, 72…management unit, 81…registration unit, 82…output unit, 100…remote worker monitoring system, 110a~110g…management terminal screen, 111…image capture button, 112…upper car situation photo display window, 113…car operation permission window, 114…upper car situation real-time distribution window, 115…upper car situation display window, 116…upper car situation confirmation window, 120,130…computer, 140a~140g,140x…management terminal screen, 141…image capture button, 142…upper car situation photo display window, 143…car operation permission window, 144…upper car situation real-time distribution window, 145…upper car situation display window, 146…upper car situation confirmation window, A…administrator

Claims

1. A remote worker monitoring system for monitoring an image captured by a camera worn by a worker during elevator work, comprising: A car switch provided on the car, which is turned on before the worker operates the car on the car; An elevator device for controlling the operation of the elevator; A management terminal used by a manager who manages workers, The management terminal, An elevator operation permission unit that outputs an operation permission signal to the elevator device when the manager permits the operation of the car by the worker after the car switch is turned on; A camera operation unit capable of outputting a command for remotely operating the camera worn by the worker; A video confirmation unit for displaying an image captured by the camera, When the elevator operation permission unit outputs the operation permission signal to the elevator device, the camera operation unit outputs a command to start recording to the camera, and the video confirmation unit displays an image transmitted from the camera Remote worker monitoring system.

2. After the car switch is turned on, before the worker on the car starts working, the camera operation unit outputs a command to take a photo with the camera according to the instruction of the manager, The video confirmation unit displays the photo taken by the camera The remote worker monitoring system according to claim 1.

3. If the manager has not confirmed the permission to operate the car, the elevator operation permission unit prohibits the operation of the car by the worker after the car switch is turned on The remote worker monitoring system according to claim 1.

4. Managing the performance of the worker for the work included in the work plan based on the work plan related to the work and the image associated with the identification information of the camera The remote worker monitoring system according to claim 1.

5. A remote worker monitoring method by a remote worker monitoring system for monitoring an image captured by a camera worn by a worker during elevator work, comprising: The remote worker monitoring system includes a car switch provided on the car, which is turned on before the worker operates the car on the car; An elevator device for controlling the operation of the elevator; A management terminal used by a manager who manages workers, The management terminal, An elevator operation permission unit that outputs an operation permission signal to the elevator device when the administrator permits the operator to operate the elevator after the car upper switch is turned on; A camera operation unit capable of outputting a command for remotely operating the camera worn by the operator; And a video confirmation unit that displays an image captured by the camera. When the elevator operation permission unit outputs the operation permission signal to the elevator device, the camera operation unit outputs a recording start command to the camera. The video confirmation unit displays an image transmitted from the camera. Remote worker monitoring method.

Images