Shared ride allocation device, elevator system, and shared ride allocation method

Abstract

To reduce stress caused by consideration for a surrounding situation of ride-sharing when a user carrying an infant in a hand cart uses an elevator.SOLUTION: A ride-sharing allocation device 20 includes: a registration information acquisition unit 21 that acquires, as registration information input by a user from an information terminal 11 mounted on a hand cart, use floor information indicating a use floor of an elevator 30, infant information indicating whether an infant is in a predetermined state, and ride-sharing availability information indicating whether or not ride-sharing with another infant in the predetermined state is available, and performs call registration of an elevator car 31 on the basis of the registration information; an allocation determination unit 22 that determines allocation of ride-sharing of users of the elevator car 31, on the basis of the registration information, such that a first user carrying the infant in the predetermined state and a second user who is not permitted to ride together with another infant in the predetermined state do not ride together; and a result output unit 23 that supplies output information for guide display based on the allocation of the ride-sharing, to a display device that can be visually recognized by the users.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a ride-sharing allocation device, an elevator system, and a ride-sharing allocation method, and is suitable for application to a ride-sharing allocation device, an elevator system, and a ride-sharing allocation method that allocate ride-sharing to elevators for users with strollers or other pushcarts. [Background technology]

[0002] In facilities such as department stores and shopping malls, many customers (hereafter referred to as "users") carry infants in strollers or other pushcarts. Various technologies have been proposed to allow such users with pushcarts to use elevators.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an elevator system that enables elevator users with infants in strollers or other pushcarts to smoothly move the infant to their required destination. The elevator system in Patent Document 1 can determine whether the infant is crying or not from audio and images, and display content according to the determined infant's state (for example, information about diaper changing spaces or information about ongoing events). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-124915 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when using an elevator, users with infants in pushcarts such as strollers have to be considerate of other users around them, worrying about whether the pushcart will take up space or whether the infant's crying will cause a nuisance, and these considerations can cause stress.However, although the elevator system in Patent Document 1 mentioned above can provide useful information to the infant or its parents depending on the infant's condition, it is not a technology that takes into consideration the surrounding situation, making it difficult to solve the above problem.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a ride-sharing allocation device, elevator system, and ride-sharing allocation method that can reduce the stress that arises when users carrying infants in strollers use elevators, due to consideration of the surrounding circumstances of the ride. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a shared ride allocation device that allocates a shared ride in an elevator car between a user with an infant in a stroller and other users when the user attempts to use an elevator, the shared ride allocation device comprising: a registration information acquisition unit that acquires registration information input by the user from an information terminal mounted on the stroller, including floor information indicating the floor to be used by the elevator, infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined state, and passenger availability information indicating whether the infant can ride with other infants in the predetermined state, and registers a call for the car based on the registration information; an allocation determination unit that determines the shared ride allocation of users to the car based on the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit, so that a first user with an infant in the predetermined state and a second user who is not allowed to ride with other infants in the predetermined state do not ride together; and a result output unit that outputs output information for a guidance display based on the shared ride allocation determined by the allocation determination unit to a display device visible to the users.

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides an elevator system that, when a user carrying an infant in a stroller attempts to use an elevator, allocates a shared ride in the elevator car between the user and other users, the elevator system comprising: an elevator that controls the operation of the car in response to call registration; a stroller provided to each user and equipped with an information terminal; and a shared ride allocation device that determines which car the user can use, the stroller having an information terminal that receives registration information input by the user and transmits it to the shared ride allocation device, the registration information including floor information indicating the floor the elevator is to use, infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined state, and The elevator system includes passenger availability information indicating whether or not the user is allowed to ride with other infants who are in the specified state, and the shared ride allocation device has a registration information acquisition unit that acquires the registration information input to the information terminal and registers calls for the elevator based on the registration information, an allocation determination unit that determines the allocation of shared rides of users to the elevator based on the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit so that a first user with an infant who is in the specified state and a second user who is not allowed to ride with other infants who are in the specified state do not ride together, and a result output unit that outputs output information for a guidance display based on the shared ride allocation determined by the allocation determination unit to a display device that is visible to the users.

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a ride allocation method using a ride allocation device that allocates a ride between a user carrying an infant in a stroller and another user in an elevator car when the user is about to use the elevator, and the ride allocation device acquires, as registration information input by the user from an information terminal mounted on the stroller, floor information indicating the floor to be used in the elevator, infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined state, and ride-sharing availability information indicating whether the infant can ride with another infant in the predetermined state, and allocates the ride between the user and another user in the elevator car based on the registration information. A shared ride allocation method is provided, comprising: a registration information acquisition step for registering car calls; an allocation determination step in which the shared ride allocation device determines the allocation of shared rides of users to the cars based on the registration information acquired in the registration information acquisition step, so that a first user with an infant in the specified state and a second user who is not allowed to ride with other infants in the specified state do not ride together; and a result output step in which the shared ride allocation device outputs output information for a guidance display based on the shared ride allocation determined in the allocation determination step to a display device visible to the users. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, when a user carrying an infant in a stroller uses an elevator, the stress that arises from consideration of the surrounding circumstances of the shared elevator can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the main configuration of an elevator system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an external view of a stroller 10. [Figure 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram (part 1) showing an example of screen transitions on a registration information input screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 2) showing an example of screen transitions on the registration information input screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 3) showing an example of screen transitions on the registration information input screen. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure for acquiring registration information. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for a shared ride allocation process when registration information of pattern A is input. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of allocation registration information. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing a guidance display example (part 1) on the guidance display 33. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram showing a guidance display example (part 2) on the guidance display 33. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Note that the following description and drawings are examples for explaining the present invention, and have been omitted or simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and all application examples consistent with the concept of the present invention are included in the technical scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various additions and modifications to the present invention within the scope of the present invention. The present invention can also be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be plural or singular.

[0014] In the following explanation, various types of information may be described using expressions such as "table," "list," "queue," etc., but the various types of information may also be expressed using data structures other than these. To indicate that it is not dependent on the data structure, "XX table," "XX list," etc. may be referred to as "XX information." When describing the content of each piece of information, expressions such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," "number," etc. are used, but these are interchangeable.

[0015] In addition, in the following explanation, when describing elements of the same type without distinguishing between them, reference signs or common numbers in reference signs will be used, and when describing elements of the same type with distinction between them, the reference signs of those elements will be used or an ID assigned to those elements will be used instead of the reference signs.

[0016] Furthermore, although the following description may describe processing performed by executing a program, the program is executed by at least one processor (e.g., a CPU) to perform a predetermined process using storage resources (e.g., memory) and / or interface devices (e.g., communication ports) as appropriate, and therefore the processor may be the subject of the processing. Similarly, the subject of the processing performed by executing a program may be a controller, device, system, computer, node, storage system, storage device, server, management computer, client, or host having a processor. The subject of the processing performed by executing a program (e.g., a processor) may include a hardware circuit that performs part or all of the processing. For example, the subject of the processing performed by executing a program may include a hardware circuit that performs encryption and decryption or compression and decompression. The processor operates as a functional unit that realizes a predetermined function by operating in accordance with the program. Apparatuses and systems including a processor are apparatuses and systems that include these functional units.

[0017] A program may be installed on a device such as a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server includes a processor (e.g., a CPU) and storage resources, and the storage resources may further store a distribution program and a program to be distributed. The processor of the program distribution server may then execute the distribution program, causing the processor of the program distribution server to distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. In the following description, two or more programs may be realized as one program, and one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0018] (1) Composition 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the main configuration of an elevator system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the elevator system 1 includes a stroller 10, a ride allocation device 20, and an elevator 30.

[0019] The stroller 10 is an example of a pushcart that can carry an infant or toddler, and is rented out to users of a facility such as a shopping mall by the facility. The strollers 10 are all the same size and shape (several standard sizes may be prepared), and are equipped with an information terminal 11 that has a communication function. Each stroller 10 is also assigned a management identifier (e.g., a car number) in advance, and the ride allocation device 20 can identify each individual stroller 10 by this identifier.

[0020] The information terminal 11 is a computer terminal equipped on the stroller 10, and is equipped with, for example, a touch panel as an input / output device that allows input operations by the user and notifications to the user (in this example, display output is used as an example, but audio output or paper output is also possible). In addition to the input / output device, the information terminal 11 is equipped with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that processes input / output information, memory that stores information, and a communication interface that allows communication with the ride allocation device 20. The information terminal 11 is realized, for example, by pre-installing a tablet terminal or the like that is capable of touch operation in the stroller 10. As another method for realizing the information terminal 11, it may be possible to use an information processing terminal such as a smartphone owned by the user as a substitute. In this case, however, a predetermined application program that realizes the functions of the information terminal 11 needs to be installed in the information processing terminal.

[0021] FIG. 2 is an external view of the stroller 10. As shown in FIG. 2, an information terminal 11 is mounted on the rear of the stroller 10. A user can place an infant on the front side of the stroller 10 and go shopping, etc. Furthermore, when the user intends to use the elevator 30, the user can input registration information, which will be described later, by operating the touch panel of the information terminal 11. The input of registration information will be described in detail with specific examples shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, which will be described later. The input of registration information may also serve as a call registration for the elevator car 31 of the elevator 30.

[0022] The ride-sharing allocation device 20 is a device that allocates a ride between a user with an infant in a stroller 10 and other users in the car 31 of the elevator 30 when the user wishes to use the elevator 30, and is realized by, for example, a computer configured with a processor, a main storage device (memory), an auxiliary storage device, a communication interface, etc. The ride-sharing allocation device 20 is communicably connected to the information terminal 11 via a wireless communication network 40, and is also communicably connected to the control panel 32 and the guide display 33 of the elevator 30 via wired or wireless communication.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a registration information acquisition unit 21, an allocation determination unit 22, and a result output unit 23 as functional components of the ride-share allocation device 20.

[0024] The registration information acquisition unit 21 has a function of acquiring, via the network, registration information input from the information terminal 11 mounted on each stroller 10. The registration information acquisition unit 21 also has a function of registering a call for the car 31 in the elevator 30 based on the acquired registration information.

[0025] The allocation determination unit 22 has a function of determining the allocation of users to the elevators 31 based on the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit 21 from each information terminal 11 so that a user who has an infant in a predetermined state in the stroller 10 does not ride together with a user who does not allow other infants in a predetermined state to ride with them.

[0026] The result output unit 23 has a function of outputting output information for displaying guidance based on the shared bus allocation determined by the allocation determination unit 22 to a display device visible to users. Specifically, the display device is an elevator guidance display 33. The result output unit 23 may also be configured to display the output information for displaying guidance on the touch panel of the information terminal 11, and in this case, the touch panel of the information terminal 11 also corresponds to the display device.

[0027] The elevator 30 is an elevator installed in a facility or the like. Fig. 1 shows a car 31, a control panel 32, and an information display 33 as components of the elevator 30 that are closely related to the ride allocation device 20. In addition, the elevator 30, like a general elevator, also includes various components (for example, a hoist, a counterweight, etc.) that are not shown in Fig. 1.

[0028] The car 31 is a car that moves up and down in the elevator shaft to transport passengers and baggage. The operation of the car 31 is controlled by a control panel 32. Inside the car 31, an operation panel (not shown) is provided that allows users to perform operations such as opening and closing the doors and specifying the destination floor.

[0029] The shared ride allocation device 20 according to this embodiment allocates rides to users' cars 31, but more specifically, it may allocate rides to one car 31 according to its arrival timing (for example, the first car, the next car, the car after that, etc.), or it may allocate rides to multiple cars 31 for each car 31 (for example, the first car, the second car, etc.), or it may allocate a combination of these. That is, in this embodiment, the number of cars 31 installed in the elevator 30 is not limited to a specific number.

[0030] The control panel 32 is a device that controls the operation of the car 31, car doors (not shown), landing doors (not shown), etc. in the elevator 30. The control panel 32 is one of the basic components of a typical elevator, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Note that while FIG. 1 shows one car 31 and one control panel 32 in the elevator 30, the elevator system 1 of this embodiment may be equipped with multiple elevators 30 (i.e., multiple cars 31). When multiple elevators 30 are equipped, in addition to the control panels 32 that control each car 31, an integrated control panel (not shown) that controls these control panels from a higher level is required, but as conventional technology can be used, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0031] The information display 33 is a display installed near the landing door on each floor, and displays various types of information to users. The information display 33 not only displays the ride allocation determined by the ride allocation device 20, but can also display advance notice of the arrival of the car 31. A specific example of the display on the information display 33 is shown in Figure 6, which will be described later. The information display 33 does not have to be an independent display, and may be installed, for example, attached to the call button (not shown) of the car 31.

[0032] (2) Processing The processing executed in the elevator system 1 will be described in detail below.

[0033] (2-1) Entering registration information In the elevator system 1, when a user carrying an infant in a stroller 10 intends to travel using the elevator 30, in addition to calling the car 31, registration information regarding the passenger sharing the elevator with other users is also entered. The registration information is entered on a touch panel or the like of the information terminal 11 mounted on the stroller 10, and the entered information is transmitted from the information terminal 11 to the registration information acquisition unit 21 of the ride-sharing allocation device 20 via the network 40.

[0034] The display contents on the screen (touch panel, etc.) of the information terminal 11 are realized, for example, by providing a GUI (Graphical User Interface) by the registration information acquisition unit 21. Alternatively, the information terminal 11 may realize a predetermined screen display by executing a pre-installed application. In either case, information is transmitted from the information terminal 11 to the ride-sharing allocation device 20 as appropriate in response to input operations by the user.

[0035] 3 to 5 are diagrams (parts 1 to 3) showing examples of screen transitions on the registration information input screen. Screens 110A to 110J shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 are specific examples of screen displays that are displayed on the touch panel of information terminal 11 when the user inputs registration information. When inputting registration information, questions or notifications for the user are displayed as shown on screens 110A to 110J, and the user selects and presses the picture or character string displayed on each screen that corresponds to the answer, thereby inputting the registration information. Below, a specific procedure for inputting registration information will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

[0036] First, on screen 110A in FIG. 3(A), the user is asked whether or not to call an elevator car 31. Also, on screen 110A, the identifier (car number) of the stroller 10 that has been set in advance in the information terminal 11 is displayed. If the user selects "No" on screen 110A, the registration information is not entered, and the screen transitions to screen 110C in FIG. 3(C), and the processing ends. On the other hand, if the user selects "Yes" on screen 110A, the screen transitions to screen 110B in FIG. 3(B).

[0037] Screen 110B in FIG. 3(B) requests the user to specify a destination floor. If the user does not specify a destination floor on screen 110B and selects "Cancel," the screen transitions to screen 110C in FIG. 3(C), and the process ends. On the other hand, if the user selects a specific destination floor on screen 110B, the screen transitions to screen 110D in FIG. 3(D). Note that screen 110C displays the call floor corresponding to the floor where the stroller 10 (information terminal 11) is located in half brightness, so that it cannot be selected as a destination floor. Conventionally known techniques can be used to recognize the floor where the stroller 10 is located. Although detailed description will be omitted, for example, the stroller 10 may be equipped with an altitude measurement sensor such as a barometric pressure sensor, or the position of the information terminal 11 may be estimated from the radio wave strength of wireless communication. Alternatively, the user may input the call floor on a touch panel or the like of the information terminal 11.

[0038] Screen 110D in Fig. 3(D) displays the destination floor selected by the user on screen 110C and requests confirmation. If the user does not agree with the display on screen 110D and selects "No," the screen returns to screen 110C in Fig. 3(C). On the other hand, if the user agrees with the display on screen 110D and selects "Yes," the screen transitions to screen 110E in Fig. 4(E).

[0039] Screen 110E in FIG. 4(E) asks the user about the condition of the infant in the stroller 10. Screen 110E, for example, displays two options: "normal / sleeping," which indicates that the infant is in a calm state, and "unhappy / crying," which indicates that the infant is in a disturbed state. In this example, "unhappy / crying" is set as the predetermined infant state, and screen 110F, described below, asks whether to allow another user to ride with their infant in this predetermined state. If the user selects "normal / sleeping" on screen 110E, the screen transitions to screen 110F in FIG. 4(F). On the other hand, if the user selects "unhappy / crying" on screen 110E, the screen transitions to screen 110G in FIG. 4(G).

[0040] Screen 110F in FIG. 4(F) asks whether or not to allow a ride with another infant who is in a "predetermined state (e.g., irritable or crying)." For example, if a user wants to avoid waking up a sleeping infant, it is assumed that the user would want to avoid riding with another infant who is in a predetermined state. If the user selects "normal / sleeping" on the display of screen 110F, the user has selected to allow a ride with another infant who is in a predetermined state, and the screen transitions to screen 110H in FIG. 4(H). On the other hand, if the user selects "irritable / crying" on the display of screen 110F, the user has selected not to allow a ride with another infant who is in a predetermined state, and the screen transitions to screen 110I in FIG. 5(I).

[0041] Screen 110G in FIG. 4(G) requests final confirmation of the registration information entered on the previous screens. Specifically, screen 110G displays that the stroller 10 being used is stroller No. 1, that the call registration is to be performed with the destination floor set to floor 8, and that the baby being carried is in a predetermined state (in this example, irritable or crying). If the user agrees with the display on screen 110G and selects "Confirm," the input of the registration information for type "Pattern A," which will be described later, is confirmed, and the screen transitions to screen 110J in FIG. 5(J). On the other hand, if the user does not agree with the display on screen 110G, "Back" is selected, and in this case, the screen transitions to the previous screen display, i.e., screen 110E in FIG. 4(E). At this time, the user can modify the content on the selection screen on screen 110E, or can return to screens 110A, 110B, and 110D to modify the desired content.

[0042] In the transition from screen 110E to screen 110G, the user is not prompted to select whether or not to ride with other infants in a predetermined state, as in screen 110F. This is because, if the user selects on screen 110E that the infant they are accompanying is in a predetermined state (e.g., irritable or crying), it is assumed that the user is concerned that their infant will be a nuisance to those around them and is unlikely to care about the state of other infants (to refuse to ride with them). Furthermore, if the infant they are accompanying is irritable or crying, users tend to want to quickly complete the registration information input operation. For these reasons, in this example, the step of selecting whether or not to ride with other infants in a predetermined state is omitted, and in the case of transitioning to screen 110G, it is assumed that the user is permitted to ride with other infants in a predetermined state, even though this is not displayed on the screen. However, as a variation in the input of registration information, even if the user selects "unhappy / crying" on screen 110E, screen 110G may be displayed to allow the user to select whether or not to allow other infants and young children in a specified state to ride with them.

[0043] As described above, screen 110H in FIG. 4(H) is displayed when the user selects permission to ride with other infants in a predetermined state in response to the display on screen 110F. Like screen 110G, this screen 110H requests final confirmation of the registration information entered on the previous screens. Specifically, screen 110H displays information indicating that the stroller 10 being used is car No. 1, that the call registration is being performed with the destination floor set to floor 8, that the accompanying infant is in a predetermined state (in this example, irritable or crying), and that the user is permitted to ride with other infants in a predetermined state. If the user agrees with the display on screen 110H and selects "Confirm," the input of the registration information for the "Pattern A" type, which will be described later, is confirmed, and the screen transitions to screen 110J in FIG. 5(J). On the other hand, if the user does not agree with the display on screen 110H, "Back" is selected, and the screen transitions to the previous screen, i.e., screen 110F in FIG. 4(F).

[0044] As described above, screen 110I in FIG. 5(I) is displayed when the user selects not to allow other infants in a predetermined state to ride with the user in response to the display on screen 110F. This screen 110I, like screens 110G and 110H, requests final confirmation of the registration information entered on the previous screens. Specifically, screen 110I displays information indicating that the stroller 10 being used is car No. 1, that the call registration is to set the destination floor to floor 8, that the accompanying infant is in a predetermined state (in this example, irritable or crying), and that other infants in a predetermined state are not allowed to ride with the user. If the user agrees with the display on screen 110I and selects "Confirm," the input of the registration information for type "Pattern B," which will be described later, is confirmed, and the screen transitions to screen 110J in FIG. 5(J). On the other hand, if the user does not agree with the display on screen 110I, the user selects "Back," and the screen transitions to the previous screen, i.e., screen 110F in FIG. 4(F).

[0045] When "Confirm" is selected on any of the above screens 110G, 110H, and 110I, the confirmed registration information is transmitted from the information terminal 11 to the shared ride allocation device 20 via the network 40, and is acquired by the registration information acquisition unit 21. Then, based on the acquired registration information, the registration information acquisition unit 21 notifies the control panel 32 of the elevator 30 of the floors to be used (call floor and destination floor) and registers a call for the car 31. The registration information acquisition unit 21 also inputs the registration information to the allocation determination unit 22, which determines the allocation of passengers to the cars 31 (shared ride allocation). After these processes are completed, the information terminal 11 receives a notification of receipt of the registration information from the shared ride allocation device 20, and displays the screen 110J of FIG. 5(J) on its touch panel.

[0046] Screen 110J in Fig. 5(J) notifies the user that the registration information selected by the user has been registered in the shared car allocation device 20. When screen 110J is displayed, the call (call registration) of the car 31 has been completed. In addition, the details will be described later with reference to Figs. 9 and 10, but the shared car allocation determined by the allocation determination unit 22 is displayed on a guide display 33 arranged near the landing door. The user can then wait near the landing door and use the allocated car 31 by following the instructions on the guide display 33.

[0047] (2-2) Acquisition of registration information Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for acquiring registration information. The registration information acquisition processing shown in Fig. 6 is processing in which the registration information acquisition unit 21 of the ride-share allocation device 20 acquires registration information in response to an input operation on the information terminal 11. As described above, after the information terminal 11 executes the processing shown in Fig. 6 by executing a pre-installed application program, the registration information acquisition unit 21 of the ride-share allocation device 20 may acquire the final registration information.

[0048] 6, first, the registration information acquisition unit 21 acquires the destination floor of the user (step S101). The destination floor acquired in step S101 corresponds to the selection result on the screen 110B of FIG.

[0049] Next, the registration information acquisition unit 21 determines whether the infant brought by the user is in a predetermined state (for example, irritable or crying) (step S102). The determination in step S102 corresponds to the selection result on screen 110E in FIG. 4(E). If the infant is in the predetermined state (YES in step S102), the process proceeds to step S103, and if the infant is not in the predetermined state (NO in step S102), the process proceeds to step S104.

[0050] In step S103, the registration information acquisition unit 21 classifies the registration information input to the information terminal 11 into pattern A, and performs call registration for the car 31 on the control panel 32 of the elevator 30 based on the registration information. This processing path corresponds to the flow when "Confirm" is selected on screen 110G of FIG. 4(G). When registering a call on the control panel 32, the call floor and destination floor are notified. The destination floor was acquired in step S101. The call floor can be acquired by detecting the floor where the information terminal 11 (or stroller 10) is located at any timing when the registration information input operation is performed on the information terminal 11.

[0051] In step S104, the registration information acquisition unit 21 determines whether or not riding with other infants who are in a predetermined state is permitted. This determination corresponds to the selection result on screen 110F in FIG. 4(F). If riding with other infants who are in a predetermined state is permitted (YES in step S104), the process proceeds to step S103, where the registration information entered into the information terminal 11 is classified into pattern A, and a call registration for the car 31 is performed on the control panel 32 of the elevator 30 based on the registration information. This processing path corresponds to the flow when "Confirm" is selected on screen 110H in FIG. 4(H). On the other hand, if riding with other infants who are in a predetermined state is not permitted (NO in step S104), the process proceeds to step S105.

[0052] In step S105, the registration information acquisition unit 21 classifies the registration information input to the information terminal 11 into pattern B, and performs call registration for the car 31 on the control panel 32 of the elevator 30 based on the registration information. This processing path corresponds to the flow when "Confirm" is selected on the screen 110I in FIG. 5(I).

[0053] (2-3) Shared Ride Allocation Processing 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the shared ride allocation process when registration information of pattern A is input. The shared ride allocation process is a process of determining which car 31 to allocate to a user based on the user's registration information, and is executed by the allocation determination unit 22. The shared ride allocation process can be executed at any timing between the time when the registration information acquisition unit 21 acquires the registration information from the information terminal 11 and the time when the car 31 arrives at the call floor.

[0054] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 7, a method in which the allocation determination unit 22 allocates passengers according to the arrival timing of the car 31 will be described, taking one elevator 30 equipped with one car 31 as an example.

[0055] According to Fig. 7, first, the allocation determination unit 22 inputs the registration information of pattern A from the registration information acquisition unit 21 (step S201). In the following description of Fig. 7, this registration information will be referred to as "the relevant registration information." Next, the allocation determination unit 22 checks whether or not another call registration has been registered for the elevator 30 (car 31) to be called based on the relevant registration information (step S202). If the call has been registered (YES in step S202), the process proceeds to step S203, and if the call has not been registered (NO in step S202), the process proceeds to step S211.

[0056] In step S203, the allocation determination unit 22 determines whether the registration information of pattern A can be accepted in the shared group with the latest priority. Details will be described later with reference to FIG. 8, but the priority is a value that ranks the shared groups to which each user (in other words, each registration information) is assigned, and the priority is assigned in the order of 1, 2, ... starting with the earliest arriving car 31. Whether or not the call can be accepted in step S203 is determined based on the capacity of the car 31, the position of the car 31 at the time of call registration, and the like. More specifically, in the case where the registration information involves an upbound call registration, for example, the determination in step S203 determines, based on physical factors, whether or not the user corresponding to the registration information can board the upbound car 31 that arrives at the call floor earliest from the current time.

[0057] If it is determined in step S203 that the request can be accepted (YES in step S203), the process proceeds to step S221, and if it is determined that the request cannot be accepted (NO in step S203), the process proceeds to step S204.

[0058] In step S204, the allocation determination unit 22 refers to the allocation registration information and determines whether or not registration information of pattern B is registered in the shared group with the latest priority. Details of the allocation registration information will be described later with reference to FIG. 8.

[0059] If the registration information for pattern B has already been registered in step S204 (YES in step S204), the allocation determination unit 22 assigns a priority to the registered information that is the latest priority (lowest priority) of pattern B plus 1 (step S205), and terminates the joint allocation process.

[0060] On the other hand, if the registration information for pattern B has not already been registered in step S204 (NO in step S204), the allocation determination unit 22 assigns a priority to the registered information that is the latest priority (lowest priority) of pattern A plus 1 (step S206), and terminates the joint allocation process.

[0061] In step S211, which is performed when the result of the determination in step S202 is NO, the allocation determination unit 22 assigns the highest priority to the registered information, and ends the joint allocation process.

[0062] In step S221, which is performed when step S203 is determined to be YES, the allocation determination unit 22 refers to the allocation registration information and determines whether registration information of pattern B has been registered in the shared group with the latest priority. If registration information of pattern B has already been registered in step S221 (YES in step S221), the allocation determination unit 22 assigns a priority to the registered information that is the latest priority (lowest priority) of pattern B plus 1 (step S222), and terminates the shared allocation process. On the other hand, if registration information of pattern B has not already been registered in step S221 (NO in step S221), the allocation determination unit 22 assigns the latest priority (lowest priority) of pattern A to the registered information (step S223), and terminates the shared allocation process.

[0063] Next, the allocation registration information will be described in detail. The allocation registration information is data generated by the shared ride allocation process by the allocation determination unit 22. The allocation registration information is generated for each elevator 30 and for each ascending / descending direction based on the registration information input by each user, and is stored in the shared ride allocation device 20.

[0064] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of allocation registration information. The allocation registration information 220 shown in Fig. 8 has a record for each piece of registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit 21, and each record is configured to have the following items: car name 221, time 222, acceptance possibility determination A 223, acceptance possibility determination B 224, pattern 225, floor 226, priority 227, and guidance display 228.

[0065] The car name 221 indicates the car number of the stroller 10, and the time 222 indicates the order in which each piece of registration information was entered. In the case of FIG. 8, the time 222 is assigned integers in order starting from 0, but it may also be set to the time when each piece of registration information was entered.

[0066] The acceptance / non-acceptance determination A223 is a flag indicating the result of the determination as to whether the registration information of pattern A can be accepted in the joint allocation process for the registration information, and corresponds to the determination result in step S203 in Fig. 7. In the case of Fig. 8, the acceptance / non-acceptance determination A223 is set to "◎", "◯", "×", etc.

[0067] In the acceptance decision A223, "◎" and "◯" mean that the registration information of pattern A of the record in question has been accepted by the shared group with the latest priority (in other words, the lowest priority), and in particular "◎" indicates that the registration information of the record in question has been registered first among the shared groups assigned the same priority 227. When the registration information of pattern A is accepted by the shared group with the latest priority, the priority assigned to the registration information of pattern A in step S222 or step S223 of Figure 7 is recorded in the priority 227 of the record in question.

[0068] In the acceptance decision A223, "x" means that the registration information of pattern A of the record in question was not accepted by the shared group with the latest priority. As explained in step S203 of Fig. 7, the situation in which the registration information of pattern A is not accepted by the shared group with the latest priority is when the car 31 exceeds its capacity, when the car 31 is in a position where it cannot stop at the call floor at the time of call registration, etc.

[0069] As explained in step S204 of FIG. 7, if the registration information of pattern A is not accepted by the bus group with the latest priority, it is determined whether registration information of another pattern (i.e., pattern B) has already been registered. If registration information of another pattern has been registered, as explained in step S205 of FIG. 7, the registration information of pattern A is assigned a priority that is +1 higher than the latest priority (lowest priority) assigned to the registration information of that other pattern at that time. On the other hand, if registration information of another pattern has not been registered, as explained in step S206 of FIG. 7, the registration information of pattern A is assigned a priority that is +1 higher than the latest priority (lowest priority) assigned to the registration information of that other pattern at that time. Then, the priority assigned in step S205 or step S206 above is recorded in the priority 227 of the record. 7, the registration information of pattern A of the record is assigned a priority that is the latest priority (lowest priority) of the existing pattern A or pattern B plus 1, and as a result, it is registered at the beginning of the new priority order. Therefore, a "◎" is also written in the record in which "×" is recorded in the acceptance decision A223.

[0070] The acceptance / non-acceptance determination B224 is a flag indicating the result of the determination as to whether the registration information is acceptable or not in the joint allocation process for the registration information of pattern B. The acceptance / non-acceptance determination B224 is a data item based on the same concept as the acceptance / non-acceptance determination A223, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0071] Pattern 225 indicates the pattern type of the registration information of the record. In the case of Fig. 8, "A" or "B" is recorded, but if more types are prepared, it is not limited to these two types.

[0072] The floor 226 indicates the call floor and destination floor for a car call based on the registration information of the record. Specifically, for example, if "1-5" is recorded, it means that the call floor is the first floor and the destination floor is the fifth floor.

[0073] Priority 227 indicates the priority assigned to the registration information of the record by the shared ride allocation process. In the case of Figure 8, the smaller the priority value, the earlier the shared ride group of the elevator 31 arrives. In other words, "1" is assigned to the shared ride group that arrives first. Each time the elevator 31 completes one trip in a specified direction (upward in the case of Figure 8), the value of priority 227 in each record is updated by subtracting 1 overall. Furthermore, once one trip in a specified direction is completed, a record with priority 227 of "1" becomes unnecessary (use of the elevator 31 corresponding to the registration information has been completed), and therefore the record is deleted.

[0074] The guidance display 228 indicates a character string that represents the shared bus group when output to the guidance display 33. Specifically, for example, the shared bus group with the first priority is displayed as "first," the shared bus group with the second priority is displayed as "next," and the shared bus group with the third priority is displayed as "next after."

[0075] The allocation registration information 220 shown in FIG. 8 is for an upbound direction with a capacity of five passengers in the car 31, but allocation registration information for a downbound direction is also generated in a similar configuration.

[0076] As described above, by performing the shared ride allocation process of Figure 7, the allocation determination unit 22 can allocate users of registration information of pattern A based on the input registration information of pattern A so that they do not ride in the same shared ride group as users of registration information of pattern B, and can generate allocation registration information such as that shown in Figure 8.

[0077] In addition, the allocation determination unit 22 can also execute a shared ride allocation process when registration information of pattern B is input, based on the same concept as the shared ride allocation process of pattern A shown in Fig. 7. Although a detailed explanation will be omitted, by executing a shared ride allocation process for registration information of pattern B, the allocation determination unit 22 can allocate a shared ride so that users of registration information of pattern B do not ride together with users of registration information of pattern A.

[0078] In order to briefly explain the perspective of shared ride allocation, the processing in Figure 7 does not use as a judgment condition whether the infant or young child brought by the user is actually in a ``specified state (unhappy or crying)'' or not, but rather determines the allocation based on a classification into pattern A, which allows riding with an infant or young child in a specified state, and pattern B, which does not allow riding, so that users with different patterns of registered information do not share a ride.

[0079] 7 and 8, the shared ride allocation process classifies the registration information entered by each user into registration information of pattern A that allows riding with infants in a predetermined state, and registration information of pattern B that does not allow riding with infants in a predetermined state, and allocates users corresponding to registration information of the same classification pattern to the same shared ride group (in other words, users corresponding to registration information of different classification patterns are not allocated to the same shared ride group). In this case, registration information of a user accompanied by an infant in a predetermined state may be considered as registration information of pattern A without checking whether or not the infant can ride with the user.

[0080] However, the shared ride allocation process according to this embodiment is not limited to this. It is also possible to further increase the number of classification patterns for registration information so that combinations of predetermined classification patterns are not assigned to the same shared ride group. Specifically, for example, registration information of users accompanied by infants in a predetermined condition may be preferentially classified as Pattern C registration information, and the allocation determination unit 22 may allocate the ride so that at least users of Pattern C registration information are not allowed to ride with users of Pattern B (passenger refusal) registration information. In this case, even if a user has registration information in Pattern A (passenger permission), if the infant accompanying the user is not currently in a predetermined condition (i.e., does not fall under Pattern C), the user may be assigned to ride with a user of registration information in Pattern B (passenger refusal) registration information. As a result, a user of Pattern A, who is tolerant of other users, can ride with users of any of Patterns A, B, and C registration information if the infant accompanying the user is not in a predetermined condition, benefiting from a shorter wait time for an available car 31 to arrive.

[0081] In addition, in the shared ride allocation process described with reference to Figures 7 and 8, users of each registered information are allocated in the order in which the registration information was entered. However, as a modified example, allocation may be performed not in the order in which the registration information was entered, but for multiple registered information registered within a predetermined time period, so that users of registered information of pattern A (passenger permission) are given priority over users of registered information of pattern B (passenger denial) to board the car 31 that arrives first (the first shared ride group). Reasons for adopting such processing include shortening the waiting time until an available car 31 arrives for users of registered information of pattern A, which does not restrict conditions for riding with other users, or because it is generally expected that there are more users of registered information of pattern A than users of registered information of pattern B. Furthermore, whether to prioritize passenger permission or passenger denial in the shared ride allocation may be determined by the facility's judgment, etc.

[0082] (2-4) Displaying the results of joint allocation After the shared ride allocation process is completed, the result output unit 23 outputs output information for displaying guidance based on the shared ride allocation determined by the allocation determination unit 22 to a predetermined display device. The predetermined display device may be any display device that allows users to view the displayed content, and specifically, for example, the guidance display 33. The predetermined display device may also include the display (touch panel) of the information terminal 11.

[0083] 9 and 10 are diagrams showing examples (part 1 and part 2) of guidance displays on the guidance display 33. Fig. 9 shows an example of guidance displays when registering an upbound call, and Fig. 10 shows an example of guidance displays when registering a downbound call.

[0084] Screen 330A shown in FIG. 9(A) is an example of a guidance display that is displayed on the guidance display 33 during normal times after an upbound call has been registered. Here, normal times refer to times when the arrival of the elevator car 31 is not imminent. Screen 330A displays the three nearest shared groups for the upbound direction, namely, "first," "next," and "next after," and the users assigned to each group are displayed by the car number of their strollers 10. By looking at screen 330A like this, users can easily recognize which elevator car 31 they may use.

[0085] Then, when the car 31 approaches the call floor (for example, after the car 31 reaches the first floor underside of the call floor), the display content of the guidance display 33 transitions from screen 330A to screen 330B of FIG. 9(B). Screen 330B notifies the user that the car 31 is about to arrive, and also indicates users who can use the arriving car 31 by the car number of the stroller 10. As a guidance display for shared ride allocation, it is sufficient to output at least screen 330A, but by displaying screen 330B, it is possible to more effectively prevent users of other shared ride groups from boarding by mistake.

[0086] A screen 331A shown in Fig. 10(A) is an example of a guidance display that is displayed on the guidance display 33 under normal circumstances after a down call has been registered. A screen 331B shown in Fig. 10(B) is an example of a guidance display that is displayed on the guidance display 33 when the car 31 approaches the call floor (for example, after the car 31 has reached the first floor of the call floor). The contents of the respective displays can be considered to be similar to those of the screens 330A and 330B described in Fig. 9, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. The effects obtained by displaying such screens 331A and 331B are also similar to those of the screens 330A and 330B.

[0087] As described above, according to the elevator system 1 (shared ride allocation device 20) of this embodiment, when a user carrying an infant in a stroller 10 uses an elevator 30, registration information is input via the information terminal 11. Based on this registration information, the shared ride allocation device 20 performs call registration and allocates a car 31 (shared ride group) available to the user, and displays the allocation result on the information display 33 or the like. The registration information includes floor information indicating the floor (call floor and destination floor) to be used by the user on the elevator 30, infant information indicating whether the infant accompanied by the user is in a predetermined state (e.g., irritable or crying), and passenger availability information indicating the user's intention regarding whether to share the elevator with another infant in the predetermined state. The allocation of cars 31 available to users is determined based on the registration information so that a first user with an infant in the predetermined state does not share a car with a second user who is not permitted to share an infant in the predetermined state.

[0088] When a user is using a closed space such as an elevator 30, if the user's infant is cranky or crying, the user may be concerned about causing a nuisance to others in the same elevator. For example, if the user's crying infant wakes up a sleeping infant belonging to another user, the user may feel very uncomfortable. To address this issue, the elevator system 1 (shared elevator allocation device 20) according to this embodiment can allocate shared elevators to elevators so that a first user with an infant in a predetermined state does not share a second user who is not permitted to share another infant in a predetermined state. This reduces the stress users may experience when considering the surrounding circumstances of the shared elevator.

[0089] In addition, in this embodiment, a standard-sized stroller 10 is rented from a commercial facility or the like, so that the space occupied by the stroller 10 in the car 31 can be known in advance. Therefore, when allocating a ride to a user in the car 31, the ride allocation device 20 can easily know the upper limit of the number of users who can ride in the car 31 without using an image recognition system using a camera, an occupancy rate detection device, or the like.

[0090] Furthermore, the elevator 30 in this embodiment is assumed to be a dedicated elevator for passengers using strollers 10. In this case, general passengers without infants will not ride in the car 31, so it is possible to ensure a surrounding environment that is more considerate than that of general passengers regarding the stroller 10 taking up space, and the inconvenience that crying or unruly infants may cause to those around them. As a result, it is possible to reduce the need for passengers to be considerate of those around them. Furthermore, by using the elevator exclusively for strollers, passengers can board the car 31 without folding up the stroller 10, which increases convenience for passengers with sleeping infants. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1. Elevator System 10. Strollers 11 Information terminals 20. Shared vehicle allocation device 21 Registration Information Acquisition Department 22 Allocation decision unit 23 Result output section 30 Elevator 31 Car 32 Control Panel 33 Information display 40 Network

Claims

1. A shared ride allocation device that allocates a shared ride between a user carrying an infant in a stroller and another user in an elevator car when the user is about to use the elevator, a registration information acquisition unit that acquires, as registration information input by the user from an information terminal mounted on the pushcart, floor information indicating the floor to be used by the elevator, infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined state, and passenger availability information indicating whether the infant can ride with other infants in the predetermined state, and performs call registration for the elevator car based on the registration information; an allocation determination unit that determines the allocation of users to the elevator car based on the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit so that a first user with an infant in the predetermined state and a second user who is not allowed to ride with other infants in the predetermined state do not ride together; a result output unit that outputs output information for displaying guidance based on the bus allocation determined by the allocation determination unit to a display device that is visible to the user; A ride-sharing allocation device comprising:

2. The allocation determination unit classifying the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit into a first group in which passengers are permitted to ride with infants in the predetermined state or a second group in which passengers are not permitted to ride with infants in the predetermined state based on the infant information or the passenger permission information included in the registration information; Allocate a ride to each registered user for the same group.

2. The ride-sharing allocation device according to claim 1.

3. The allocation determination unit classifying the registration information into the first group when the infant information included in the registration information indicates that the infant is in a predetermined state, or when the passenger permission information included in the registration information indicates that the infant is permitted to ride with other infants in the predetermined state; If the riding permission information included in the registration information indicates that riding with other infants who are in the predetermined condition is not permitted, the registration information is classified into the second group.

3. The ride-sharing allocation device according to claim 2.

4. The allocation determination unit classifying, among the registered information corresponding to the first group, registered information in which the infant information indicates that the infant is in a predetermined state, into a third group; Allocate the shared rides of the users so that at least the users of the registered information of the second group do not ride together with the users of the registered information of the third group.

3. The ride-sharing allocation device according to claim 2.

5. The allocation determination unit determines allocations for users who have entered the registration information in the order of the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit.

3. The ride-sharing allocation device according to claim 2.

6. When the plurality of pieces of registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit within a predetermined period are classified into the first group and the second group, the allocation determination unit prioritizes users of the registration information of the first group over users of the registration information of the second group and allocates the users to an elevator that arrives first.

3. The ride-sharing allocation device according to claim 2.

7. The predetermined state is at least one of a state in which the baby is in a bad mood and a state in which the baby is crying.

2. The ride-sharing allocation device according to claim 1.

8. The result output unit outputs the output information for the guidance display to a guidance display device installed near a landing door of the elevator or to the information terminal.

2. The ride-sharing allocation device according to claim 1.

9. When the elevator car assigned to the user by the assignment determination unit approaches the call floor of the user, the result output unit outputs output information notifying that an available elevator car is about to arrive to the display device.

2. The ride-sharing allocation device according to claim 1.

10. An elevator system that, when a user carrying an infant in a stroller intends to use an elevator, allocates a shared ride between the user and other users in the elevator car, an elevator that controls the operation of the elevator car in response to call registration; a pushcart provided to each of the users and equipped with an information terminal; a shared car allocation device that determines a car that can be used by the user; Equipped with The pushcart has an information terminal that accepts registration information input by the user and transmits the registration information to the shared ride allocation device, The registered information includes: floor information indicating the floor to be used by the elevator; infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined state; and riding permission information indicating whether the infant is allowed to ride with other infants in the predetermined state; The ride-sharing allocation device A registration information acquisition unit that acquires the registration information input to the information terminal and registers the car call based on the registration information; an allocation determination unit that determines the allocation of users to the elevator car based on the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit so that a first user with an infant in the predetermined state and a second user who is not allowed to ride with other infants in the predetermined state do not ride together; a result output unit that outputs output information for displaying guidance based on the bus allocation determined by the allocation determination unit to a display device that is visible to the user; An elevator system characterized by:

11. The pushchair is a standard size stroller 11. The elevator system of claim 10.

12. A ride allocation method using a ride allocation device that allocates a ride between a user carrying an infant in a stroller and another user in an elevator car when the user is about to use the elevator, comprising: a registration information acquisition step in which the shared elevator allocation device acquires, as registration information input by the user from an information terminal mounted on the pushcart, floor information indicating the floor to be used by the elevator, infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined state, and passenger availability information indicating whether the infant can ride with other infants in the predetermined state, and performs call registration for the elevator based on the registration information; an allocation determination step in which the shared ride allocation device determines the allocation of shared rides of users to the elevators based on the registration information acquired in the registration information acquisition step, so that a first user with an infant in the predetermined state and a second user who is not allowed to ride with other infants in the predetermined state do not ride together; a result output step in which the ride allocation device outputs output information for a guidance display based on the ride allocation determined in the allocation determination step to a display device visible to the user; A joint allocation method comprising:

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