elevator system

Abstract

This avoids unnecessary extension of door opening times and reduces the decline in operational efficiency. [Solution] An elevator system according to an embodiment includes a camera, a measuring means, a detecting means, and an extension control means. The camera is installed at the top of the elevator car and captures images of the interior of the elevator car. The measuring means measures the degree of congestion inside the elevator car based on images captured by the camera. The detecting means detects a first user moving from inside the elevator car toward the entrance / exit for a certain period of time after the elevator car starts opening its doors. The extension control means extends the door-open time of the elevator car when the degree of congestion exceeds a threshold and a certain number of first users or more are detected in a first detection area preset at the back of the elevator car on the image.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to an elevator system. [Background technology]

[0002] In situations where there are many passengers in the car or when passengers are getting off at the back of the car, passengers in the car need to hold down the door open button inside the car to extend the door open time for other passengers getting off. Therefore, in recent years, systems have been developed that detect situations like the one described above and automatically extend the door open time.

[0003] However, when the above system is implemented in actual operation, there is a problem that the door open time is frequently extended, resulting in a decrease in operation efficiency. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-71080 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-60248 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-37988 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an elevator system that can avoid unnecessary door opening extensions and suppress a decrease in operation efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An elevator system according to an embodiment includes a camera, a measuring means, a detecting means, and an extension control means. The camera is installed at the top of a car interior and captures images of the interior of the car. The measuring means measures the degree of congestion inside the car based on images captured by the camera. The detecting means detects a first user moving from inside the car toward an entrance / exit for a certain period of time after the car starts opening its doors. The extension control means extends the door-open time of the car when the degree of congestion exceeds a threshold and a certain number or more of the first users are detected in a first detection area preset at the back of the car on the image. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of an elevator system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a portion around an entrance in a car in the elevator system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an image captured by a camera in the elevator system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the extension determination process performed by the elevator system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for specifically explaining an example of the processing of the detection unit of the elevator system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an application example of the elevator system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an application example of the elevator system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an application example of an elevator system according to a second modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an application example of an elevator system according to a third modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a detection area set in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an application example of the elevator system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, each embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the disclosure is merely an example, and the invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Modifications that a person skilled in the art can easily make are naturally included in the scope of the disclosure. For clearer explanation, the size, shape, etc. of each part may be changed from the actual embodiment and shown schematically in the drawings. Corresponding elements in multiple drawings may be given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions may be omitted.

[0009] (First embodiment) 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of an elevator system according to a first embodiment. Note that, although a single car will be described as an example here, the same configuration applies to an elevator system with multiple cars.

[0010] A camera 12 is installed at the top inside the car 11. The camera 12 has a wide-angle lens or a fisheye lens, and captures a predetermined range including the entire inside of the car 11. The camera 12 is capable of continuously capturing images at several frames per second (e.g., 30 frames / second).

[0011] A car operation panel 45 is installed inside the car 11. The car operation panel 45 includes destination floor buttons, door open buttons, door close buttons, etc. Signals from these buttons are transmitted to the elevator control device 30.

[0012] At the landing 15 on each floor, landing doors 14 are installed at the arrival entrance of the car 11 so as to be able to be opened and closed freely. The landing doors 14 engage with the car doors 13 when the car 11 arrives and perform opening and closing operations. The power source (door motor) is on the car 11 side, and the landing doors 14 simply open and close following the car doors 13. In the following explanation, it is assumed that when the car doors 13 are open, the landing doors 14 are also open, and when the car doors 13 are closed, the landing doors 14 are also closed.

[0013] A hall call button 16 is installed at the hall 15 on each floor. The hall call button 16 consists of an up button and a down button, and is configured to press either the up button or the down button depending on the destination direction (up / down) of the user. The signal from the hall call button 16 is transmitted to the elevator control device 30.

[0014] Each image captured by the camera 12 is analyzed in real time by the image processing device 20. Although the image processing device 20 is shown removed from the car 11 for convenience in FIG. 1, in reality, the image processing device 20 is installed near the camera 12 inside the car 11.

[0015] The image processing device 20 includes a storage unit 21 and a control unit 22. The storage unit 21 stores captured images one by one, and has a buffer area for temporarily storing data necessary for processing by the control unit 22. Note that the storage unit 21 may store images that have been subjected to preprocessing such as distortion correction, enlargement / reduction, and partial cropping as preprocessing of the captured images.

[0016] The control unit 22 performs processing to determine whether or not it is necessary to extend the door-open time of the car 11, based on the image stored in the memory unit 21. The "door-open time" is a predetermined time for which the door remains open from when the car door 13 is fully opened until the door starts to close, in a situation where the door-open button or the door-close button has not been pressed by a user when the car 11 arrives at a given floor. The control unit 22 is composed of a detection area setting unit 22a, a congestion degree measurement unit 22b, a detection unit 22c, and an extension control unit 22d.

[0017] The detection area setting unit 22a sets a detection area inside the car 11 on the image captured by the camera 12. Specifically, the detection area setting unit 22a divides the floor surface inside the car 11 into two parts, the back side of the car 11 and the entrance / exit side of the car 11, and sets two detection areas (see FIG. 3). Hereinafter, the detection area on the back side of the car 11 will be referred to as the "first detection area A1," and the detection area on the entrance / exit side of the car 11 will be referred to as the "second detection area A2."

[0018] The congestion level measurement unit 22b detects the congestion level inside the car 11. The congestion level is detected, for example, based on the difference between an image of the inside of the car 11 obtained by the camera 12 while the car is in operation and an image (reference image) of the inside of the car 11 when the car is unoccupied. The larger the difference, the more crowded the inside of the car 11 is, and the smaller the difference, the more empty the inside of the car 11 is. The reference image is stored in advance in, for example, the memory unit 21. The congestion level may also be determined based on the load of the car 11.

[0019] Based on images from the camera 12, the detection unit 22c detects users (i.e., users who are about to get off the car 11) moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit (toward the car door 13) for a certain period of time after the car 11 starts opening its doors.

[0020] An example of a method for detecting users is a motion detection process. In the motion detection process, blocks with movement (hereinafter, "moving blocks") are extracted by comparing the luminance of multiple chronologically consecutive images captured by a camera on a block-by-block basis, and a moving block moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction is detected as a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction. The process by the detection unit 22c will be described in detail later.

[0021] The extension control unit 22d controls whether to extend the door open time of the car 11 based on the detection result of the congestion level measurement unit 22b and the detection result of the detection unit 22c. Specifically, when the congestion level exceeds a predetermined threshold and a certain number or more of users moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction are detected in the first detection area A1 on the image, the extension control unit 22d extends the door open time of the car 11. When extending the door open time, the extension control unit 22d outputs a door open extension request to the elevator control device 30.

[0022] The elevator control device 30 controls the raising and lowering operation of the car 11 and the operation of various devices (destination floor buttons, lighting, etc.) installed in the car 11. The elevator control device 30 includes, for example, a door opening / closing control unit 31, a call management unit 32, and a notification unit 33.

[0023] The door opening / closing control unit 31 controls the opening and closing of the car door 13 when the car 11 arrives at the landing 15. In detail, the door opening / closing control unit 31 opens the car door 13 when the car 11 arrives at the landing 15, and closes the door after a predetermined time (door opening time) has elapsed.

[0024] Here, when a door open extension request is output from the image processing device 20, the door opening / closing control unit 31 extends the door open time of the car 11 by a predetermined time. Hereinafter, the time by which the door open time is extended will also be referred to as the "extension time." Furthermore, the door opening / closing control unit 31 outputs a door open start notification to the image processing device 20 when the door starts to open. Similarly, the door opening / closing control unit 31 outputs a door close start notification to the image processing device 20 when the door starts to close.

[0025] The call management unit 32 stores calls registered by operating the hall call buttons 16 installed at the halls of each floor in a memory unit not shown in the figure. Hereinafter, calls registered by operating the hall call buttons 16 will be referred to as "hall calls." Hall calls include information on the registered floor and destination direction. The call management unit 32 also stores calls registered by operating the car operating panel 45 in a memory unit not shown in the figure. Hereinafter, calls registered by operating the car operating panel 45 will be referred to as "car calls." Car calls include information on the destination floor.

[0026] The notification unit 33 notifies the users in the car 11 that the door open time has been extended. Specifically, the notification unit 33 notifies the users in the car 11 that the door open time has been extended by, for example, lighting up (emitting light) a door open button provided on the car operation panel 45 in the car 11, or displaying on a display in the car 11 that the door open time has been extended.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the area around the entrance / exit in the car 11. As shown in FIG. A car door 13 is provided at the entrance of the car 11 so as to be able to open and close freely. In the example of Fig. 2, a two-door double-swing type car door 13 is shown, and two door panels 13a and 13b constituting the car door 13 open and close in opposite directions along the width direction (horizontal direction). Note that the "width" is the same as the entrance of the car 11.

[0028] A car control panel 45 having a display 43, a destination floor button 44a, a door open button 44b, a door close button 44c, etc., is installed on one or both of the front pillars 41a, 41b. In the example of Fig. 2, a speaker 46 is installed on the front pillar 41a, and the display 43 and car control panel 45 are installed on the front pillar 41b.

[0029] Here, a camera 12 having an ultra-wide-angle lens such as a fisheye lens is installed in the center of the upper ceiling inside the car 11. The camera 12 is installed facing downward so that it can capture an image of the entire interior of the car 11.

[0030] The installation position of the camera 12 is not limited to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the camera 12 may be installed anywhere as long as it can capture an image of the entire interior of the car 11. For example, the camera 12 may be installed facing downward in the center of the fascia panel 11a covering the upper part of the entrance and exit of the car 11. The camera 12 may also be installed for purposes such as surveillance.

[0031] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an image captured by the camera 12. Fig. 3 shows an image captured by the camera 12 when the car door 13 and the hall door 14 are fully open and the camera 12 captures an image downward from above the car 11.

[0032] Here, a first detection area A1 and a second detection area A2 are set on the floor surface 19 of the car 11 on the image. Specifically, the first detection area A1 is the area on the far side when the floor surface 19 of the car 11 is divided into two parts: the far side (back surface 18 side) of the car 11 and the entrance / exit side (landing 15 side). The second detection area A2 is the area on the other entrance / exit side. In the example of FIG. 3, the position of the boundary line L between the first detection area A1 and the second detection area A2 is set near the center in the depth direction of the car 11, and the areas of the detection areas A1 and A2 are set to be approximately the same.

[0033] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the extension determination process performed by the elevator system. It is assumed that the first detection area A1 and the second detection area A2 are set in advance by the detection area setting unit 22a.

[0034] When the elevator car 11 arrives at an arbitrary floor and immediately before the landing door 14 and the car door 13 are opened (YES in step S11), the call management unit 32 of the elevator control device 30 determines whether or not there is a car call corresponding to the arrival floor (a car call including the arrival floor as destination floor information) (step S12). That is, it determines whether or not there is a passenger getting off at the arrival floor.

[0035] In step S12, if it is determined that there is no car call corresponding to the arrival floor (NO in step S12), the elevator system ends the extension determination process. This is because the absence of a car call corresponding to the arrival floor means that there are no passengers getting off at the arrival floor, and there is no need to extend the door opening time.

[0036] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that there is a car call corresponding to the arrival floor (YES in step S12), the congestion degree measurement unit 22b of the image processing device 20 measures the congestion degree in the car 11 (step S13). In detail, the congestion degree measurement unit 22b of the image processing device 20 measures the congestion degree in the car 11 when the call management unit 32 of the elevator control device 30 outputs a notification indicating that there is a car call corresponding to the arrival floor.

[0037] The congestion level measurement unit 22b determines whether the measured congestion level in the car 11 exceeds a predetermined threshold value (step S14).

[0038] In step S14, if it is determined that the congestion level is equal to or lower than the threshold value (NO in step S14), the elevator system ends the extension determination process. If the congestion level is equal to or lower than the threshold value, the car 11 is empty and there is a high possibility that passengers can get off smoothly, so there is no need to extend the door open time.

[0039] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the congestion degree exceeds the threshold value (YES in step S14), the detection unit 22c determines whether or not the car 11 has started to open its door (step S15). Note that the detection unit 22c determines whether or not the car 11 has started to open its door by receiving a door opening start notification from the door opening / closing control unit 31 of the elevator control device 30.

[0040] If it is determined in step S15 that the car 11 has started to open its doors (YES in step S15), the detection unit 22c extracts a motion block directed toward the car door 13 based on images taken during a certain period from the start of the door opening (step S16). In other words, the detection unit 22c detects a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction (i.e., a user who is about to get off at the arrival floor) during the certain period from the start of the door opening. Note that the certain period is desirably set to a time (for example, 1 second) shorter than the door opening time so that it can be determined whether the door opening time has been extended before the car 11 starts to close its doors.

[0041] Here, an example of the processing performed by the detection unit 22c will be specifically described with reference to FIG. Fig. 5 shows an image captured by the camera 12 when users U1 to U10 are riding in the elevator car 11. As shown in Fig. 5, the detection unit 22c divides each of the detection areas A1 and A2 into a matrix of predetermined blocks, and detects blocks in which there is movement among these blocks.

[0042] More specifically, the image data stored in the storage unit 21 is read one by one in chronological order, and the average luminance value within each image is calculated for each block. The average luminance value for each block calculated when the first image is input is stored as an initial value in a buffer area (not shown) in the storage unit 21. When the second or subsequent image is sent, the detection unit 22c compares the average luminance value for each block of the current image with the average luminance value for each block of the previous image stored in the buffer area. If the current image contains a block with a luminance difference equal to or greater than a predetermined value (threshold), the detection unit 22c determines the block as a motion block. After determining whether or not there is motion relative to the current image, the detection unit 22c stores the average luminance value for each block of the current image in the buffer area for comparison with the next image. Similarly, the detection unit 22c repeatedly determines whether or not there is motion while comparing the luminance values ​​of each image block by block in chronological order.

[0043] If the position of the movement block on the image moves from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction over time, the detection unit 22c detects the movement block as a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction.

[0044] The detection unit 22c is not limited to the above-described motion detection process, and may use other methods to detect a user moving from inside the car toward the entrance / exit direction. For example, the image captured by the camera 12 may be analyzed to detect the joints, head, etc. of the user inside the car 11 as key points. In this case, the key point of movement from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction is detected as a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction.

[0045] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 4, the detection unit 22c determines whether or not the total number of movement blocks detected in the first detection area A1 on the far side, which move from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction, among the movement blocks extracted in step S16, is equal to or greater than a certain number (step S17). That is, the detection unit 22c determines whether or not the number of users attempting to get off from the far side of the car 11 is equal to or greater than a certain number.

[0046] In step S17, if the total number of movement blocks is less than a certain number (NO in step S17), the extension control unit 22d determines that extension of the door open time is not necessary and ends the extension determination process. This is because the total number of movement blocks being less than a certain number means that there are few passengers trying to get off from the back side, and therefore there is no need to extend the door open time.

[0047] On the other hand, if the number of movement blocks is equal to or greater than a certain number in step S17 (YES in step S17), the extension control unit 22d extends the door open time (step S18). Specifically, the extension control unit 22d outputs a door open extension request to the elevator control device 30. The door opening / closing control unit 31 of the elevator control device 30 extends the door open time in response to the door open extension request. If the number of movement blocks is equal to or greater than a certain number, it means that there are many passengers trying to get off from the back side, and it will take longer than usual for them to get off. Therefore, the extension control unit 22d determines that the door open time needs to be extended.

[0048] The notification unit 33 lights up (illuminates) the door open button 44b on the car operation panel 45 while the door open time is being extended. Alternatively, the notification unit 33 displays on the display 43 in the car 11 that the door open time is being extended. This prevents passengers in the car 11 from continuing to press the door open button 44b for passengers who want to get off, even though the door open time has been extended.

[0049] Here, an application example of the elevator system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Here, it is assumed that users U1 to U10 are in the car 11 and the congestion level inside the car 11 exceeds a threshold value. Also, the hatched blocks in the figures indicate movement blocks moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1, which are detected by the detection unit 22c.

[0050] For example, as shown in FIG. 6, assume that elevator 11 responds to an elevator call and arrives at a floor, and passengers U6, U9, and U10, who are located at the back of elevator 11, disembark. In this case, detection unit 22c detects, in first detection area A1, a total of 23 moving blocks from elevator 11 moving toward entrance / exit direction D1. Extension control unit 22d compares the number of moving blocks in first detection area A1 with a predetermined number to determine whether or not to extend the door open time. Specifically, extension control unit 22d determines that extension of the door open time is not necessary if the number of moving blocks is less than the predetermined number, and determines that extension of the door open time is necessary if the number of moving blocks is equal to or greater than the predetermined number.

[0051] On the other hand, for example, as shown in Fig. 7, assume that the car 11 responds to a car call and arrives at an arbitrary floor, and users U6 to U10 at the back of the car 11 do not get off, but users U2 to U4 at the entrance / exit side of the car 11 get off. In this case, the detection unit 22c detects a movement block moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 in the second detection area A2, but does not detect a movement block moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 in the first detection area A1. Therefore, the extension control unit 22d determines that there is no need to extend the door open time.

[0052] Generally, when the car 11 is crowded, other users become obstacles for users and they are unable to get off smoothly. In particular, when many users get off from the back side of the car 11, other users near the entrance and exit become obstacles, and it often takes longer than usual for all of the users to get off.

[0053] However, even when the inside of the elevator car 11 is crowded, as shown in Figure 7, if a passenger on the entrance / exit side of the elevator car 11 gets off, the passenger can get off smoothly, and it is unlikely that it will take a long time to complete the alighting process. Also, if a small number of passengers (for example, one person) at the back get off, it is unlikely that it will take a long time to complete the alighting process because the number of passengers getting off is small. Extending the door opening time even in such cases could reduce the operating efficiency of the elevator system.

[0054] Therefore, in the elevator system according to the first embodiment, when the car 11 is crowded and many passengers are getting off from the rear side of the car 11 (first detection area A1), the door open time of the car 11 is extended. As a result, if it takes a long time for passengers to get off, the door open time is automatically extended without other passengers having to keep pressing the door open button 44b. On the other hand, when passengers on the entrance / exit side are getting off or when there are few passengers getting off from the rear side, the door open time is not extended. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to improve convenience for passengers without reducing operation efficiency.

[0055] Although an example has been described here in which a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction is detected over the entire floor surface 19 of the car 11, a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction may be detected only in the first detection area A1 at the rear side of the car 11. This can reduce the processing load on the image processing device 20 during the motion detection process.

[0056] Furthermore, the extension control unit 22d may change the time by which the door open time of the car 11 is extended depending on the number of users (movement blocks) moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 detected in the first detection area A1. Specifically, the extension control unit 22d sets the time by which the door open time is extended to be longer when there are many users moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1. On the other hand, the extension control unit 22d sets the time by which the door open time is extended to be shorter when there are few users moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1. By changing the time by which the door open time is extended depending on the number of users getting off from the back side of the car 11, it is possible to more efficiently improve convenience for users.

[0057] Furthermore, even if the door-open time is extended, the extended time may not be enough to allow passengers at the back to disembark. For this reason, even after the door-open time has been extended once, if the extension control unit 22d detects a passenger (moving block) moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction D1 within a predetermined time in the first detection area A1, the extension control unit 22d may extend the extended door-open time again. This allows passengers who may not be able to disembark from the car 11 due to the insufficient extended time to disembark reliably.

[0058] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the detection areas A1 and A2 are described as being set to have approximately the same area, but the areas of the detection areas A1 and A2 may be different. That is, the position of the boundary line L is not limited to being near the center of the depth direction of the car 11, and may be set arbitrarily depending on the size of the car 11, the property in which the elevator system is installed, etc. For example, when priority is given to user convenience, the first detection area A1 may be set to be large, and when priority is given to the operating efficiency of the elevator system, the area of ​​the second detection area A2 may be set to be large.

[0059] (First Modification) Even if a certain number of passengers get off from the rear of the car 11, if passengers at the entrance and exit side of the car 11 also get off, the passengers at the rear of the car 11 can get off smoothly. In this case, it is not necessary to extend the door opening time of the car 11.

[0060] Therefore, the first modified example differs from the first embodiment described above in that the door open time is not extended when passengers at the entrance and exit side of the car 11 also get off.

[0061] Specifically, in the first modified example, when a certain number or more of users (movement blocks) moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 are detected in the first detection area A1, the extension control unit 22d further determines whether a certain number or more of users (movement blocks) moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 are detected in the second detection area A2. When the number of users moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 in the second detection area A2 is less than the certain number, the extension control unit 22d extends the door open time, as in the first embodiment.

[0062] On the other hand, if a certain number or more of passengers are detected in the second detection area A2 moving from inside the elevator 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1, the extension control unit 22d determines not to extend the door opening time, since this means that passengers on the entrance / exit side of the elevator 11 will also be getting off.

[0063] According to the first modified example described above, when a passenger at the entrance / exit side of the car 11 gets off and a passenger at the back of the car 11 can get off smoothly, the door opening time is not extended. This makes it possible to further improve the operation efficiency.

[0064] In addition, when there are only a few passengers getting off from the entrance / exit side of the car 11, it may be difficult for passengers at the back of the car 11 to get off. For this reason, it is desirable that the "certain number" set for passengers moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 in the second detection area A2 is set to a relatively large value depending on the area and width of the car 11. In addition, the above-mentioned "certain number" may be the same value as the "certain number" set for passengers moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 in the first detection area A1, or may be a different value.

[0065] (Second Modification) Even if a passenger at the back of the car 11 gets off, if all passengers in the car 11 get off, the passengers at the back of the car 11 can get off smoothly, as in the first modified example. In this case, it is not necessary to extend the door opening time of the car 11. The second modified example differs from the first embodiment described above in that if it is determined that all passengers in the car 11 will get off, the door opening time of the car 11 is not extended.

[0066] Specifically, the detection unit 22c in the second modified example detects users who move from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction, as well as users who perform actions to clear an alighting path (actions of moving toward the side panel of the car 11) for users getting off from the back side of the car 11. More specifically, the detection unit 22c detects movement blocks that move toward the side panel of the car 11, as well as movement blocks that move from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction.

[0067] When a certain number or more of users moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction are detected in the first detection area A1, the extension control unit 22d further determines whether or not a certain number or more of users moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction are detected in the second detection area A2, and whether or not users (moving blocks) moving toward the side panel of the car 11 are detected. Note that the "certain number" in the first detection area A1 and the "certain number" in the second detection area A2 may be the same value or different values.

[0068] If a certain number or more of passengers moving from inside the elevator 11 toward the entrance / exit direction are detected in the first detection area A1 and the second detection area A2, and no passengers moving toward the side panel of the elevator 11 are detected, the extension control unit 22d assumes that all passengers inside the elevator 11 have disembarked and determines that there is no need to extend the door opening time.

[0069] On the other hand, if a certain number or more of passengers moving from inside the elevator 11 toward the entrance / exit are detected in the first detection area A1 and the second detection area A2, and a passenger moving toward the side panel of the elevator 11 is detected, the extension control unit 22d determines that there are passengers remaining inside the elevator 11, and determines that the door opening time of the elevator 11 needs to be extended for the passengers at the back of the elevator 11.

[0070] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an application example of an elevator system according to a second modified example of the first embodiment. In the example of Fig. 8, it is assumed that users U1 to U10 are in the car 11, the congestion level in the car 11 exceeds a threshold, and the car 11 responds to a car call and arrives at an arbitrary floor. Note that 17a and 17b in the figure indicate side panels of the car 11.

[0071] Here, it is assumed that users U6, U9, and U10, who are at the far end of the car 11, get off. It is also assumed that users U2 and U3 have once gotten off the car 11 to accommodate users U6, U9, and U10 who are also getting off. It is also assumed that users U5 and U8 have moved in the direction D2 toward the side panel 17b to accommodate users U6, U9, and U10 who are also getting off.

[0072] The detection unit 22c detects a motion block moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 in the first detection area A1 in response to the disembarking of users U6, U9, and U10. Also, in response to the disembarking of users U2 and U3, the detection unit 22c detects a motion block moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 in the second detection area A2. Furthermore, the detection unit 22c detects a motion block moving in the direction D2 toward the side panel 17b of the car 11 in response to the movement of users U5 and U8 toward the side panel.

[0073] In this case, even if passengers moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction are detected in the first detection area A1 and the second detection area A2, the extension control unit 22d does not consider that all passengers in the car 11 are getting off because there are passengers remaining in the car 11. Therefore, the extension control unit 22d determines that it is necessary to extend the door open time for passengers U6, U9, and U10 who are at the back.

[0074] As described above, according to the second modification, if all passengers in the car 11 get off, the door open time is not extended. On the other hand, if there are passengers remaining in the car 11, the door open time is extended. This makes it possible to appropriately determine whether or not to extend the door open time of the car 11, thereby improving convenience for passengers without reducing operation efficiency.

[0075] (Third Modification) Even when a small number (for example, one person) of the passengers at the back of the car 11 get off, if the passenger is a wheelchair user, it takes longer than when a general passenger other than a wheelchair user gets off, so it is desirable to extend the door opening time. The third modified example differs from the first embodiment described above in that the door opening time is extended when a wheelchair user at the back of the car 11 gets off.

[0076] Specifically, the extension control unit 22d in the third modified example extends the door opening time if the number of users moving from inside the elevator 11 toward the entrance / exit in the first detection area A1 is less than a certain number, but the movement blocks moving from inside the elevator 11 toward the entrance / exit are concentrated within a predetermined range.

[0077] "When concentrated within a predetermined range" means, for example, when movement blocks moving from inside the elevator 11 toward the entrance / exit are continuous up, down, left, and right within a predetermined range. Alternatively, "when concentrated within a predetermined range" means when there are a certain number or more movement blocks moving in approximately the same direction within a predetermined range. The "predetermined range" can be any size, for example, X% of the area of ​​the elevator 11, as long as it is a range larger than the range considered to be one general user other than a wheelchair user on the image.

[0078] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an application example according to the third modified example of the first embodiment. In the example of Fig. 9, it is assumed that users U1 to U10 are in the car 11, and the congestion level in the car 11 exceeds a threshold. Here, it is assumed that user U10 is a wheelchair user and is in the back side of the car 11 (first detection area A1).

[0079] When the car 11 arrives at an arbitrary floor and only the wheelchair user U10 gets off, the detection unit 22c detects, in the first detection area A1, a motion block moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction D1. In the example shown in Fig. 9, the motion blocks moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction D1 are concentrated within a predetermined range 50, so the extension control unit 22d extends the door open time even if the number of such motion blocks is less than a certain number.

[0080] According to the third modification, it is possible to detect when a wheelchair user disembarks from the rear side of the car 11 and extend the door open time, thereby enabling the wheelchair user to disembark safely.

[0081] Although the example described here is a wheelchair user, the users detected in Modification 3 are not limited to wheelchair users. Modification 3 also includes extending the door-open time by detecting cases where users who require more space in the exit route than general users, such as users carrying luggage using a cart or users using strollers, exit the vehicle from the back.

[0082] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the time for extending the door open time (extension time) is changed depending on the boarding position of the passenger getting off. The functional configuration of the elevator system according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

[0083] The detection area setting unit 22a in the second embodiment sets three detection areas on the floor surface 19 inside the car 11 on the image captured by the camera 12.

[0084] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of detection areas set in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, a third detection area A3, a fourth detection area A4, and a fifth detection area A5 are set. The third detection area A3 and the fourth detection area A4 are areas set on the rear side of the car 11. The third detection area A3 is an area on the rear side 18 side when the floor surface 19 is divided into three parts: the rear side 18 side of the car 11, the center of the car 11, and the entrance / exit side of the car 11 (the landing 15 side). The fourth detection area A4 is an area in the center that is closer to the entrance / exit of the car 11 than the third detection area A3. The fifth detection area A5 is an area on the entrance / exit side.

[0085] The position of the boundary line L1 of each of the detection areas A4 and A5 may be set arbitrarily according to the size of the car 11. Similarly, the position of the boundary line L2 of each of the detection areas A3 and A4 may be set arbitrarily according to the size of the car 11. In the example of Fig. 10, the positions of the boundary lines L1 and L2 are set so that the floor surface 19 is divided into thirds by each of the detection areas A3 to A5.

[0086] The extension control unit 22d extends the door open time when the detection unit 22c detects a certain number or more of users moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit in the third detection area A3 and the fourth detection area A4. In other words, the third detection area A3 and the fourth detection area A4 correspond to areas obtained by dividing the first detection area A1, which was set to extend the door open time in the first embodiment, into two from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit.

[0087] In detail, when a certain number or more of users (movement blocks) moving from inside the elevator 11 toward the entrance / exit are detected in the third detection area A3 and the fourth detection area A4, the extension control unit 22d determines in which of the third detection area A3 and the fourth detection area A4 the users were detected.

[0088] When a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit is detected in the third detection area 3, the extension control unit 22d extends the extension time by a first time. From the viewpoint of operation efficiency, it is desirable that the first time be set to be the same as or less than the extension time in the first embodiment.

[0089] On the other hand, when a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit is detected in the fourth detection area A4, the extension control unit 22d extends the door-open time by a second time. The second time is shorter than the first time (first time > second time).

[0090] That is, when a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction is detected in the third detection area A3, the extension control unit 22d sets the extension time longer than when a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction is detected in the fourth detection area A4. In other words, when a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction is detected in the fourth detection area A4, the extension control unit 22d sets the extension time shorter than when a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction is detected in the third detection area A3.

[0091] When a user (moving block) moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction D1 is detected in both the third detection area A3 and the fourth detection area A4, the extension control unit 22d sets the extension time to a first time or a second time depending on the operation mode of the elevator system. For example, when prioritizing user convenience, the extension control unit 22d sets the extension time to the first time, which is longer than the second time. When prioritizing operation efficiency of the elevator system, the extension control unit 22d sets the extension time to the second time, which is shorter than the first time.

[0092] Alternatively, when a passenger moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction D1 is detected in both the third detection area A3 and the fourth detection area A4, the extension control unit 22d may set the extension time to the sum of the first time and the second time. In this case, from the viewpoint of operation efficiency, it is desirable to set the sum of the first time and the second time to be equal to or less than the extension time in the first embodiment.

[0093] Alternatively, if a user moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 is detected in both the third detection area A3 and the fourth detection area A4, the extension control unit 22d may set the extension time to the time corresponding to the detection area between the third detection area A3 and the fourth detection area A4 in which more users moving from inside the car 11 in the entrance / exit direction D1 are detected.

[0094] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an application example of the elevator system according to the second embodiment. In the example of Fig. 8, it is assumed that users U1 to U10 are in the car 11, the congestion level in the car 11 exceeds a threshold, and the car 11 responds to a car call and arrives at an arbitrary floor.

[0095] Here, it is assumed that users U2 and U4 in the center of the car 11 get off. In this case, the detection unit 22c detects, in the fourth detection area A4, a movement block moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction D1. Therefore, the extension control unit 22d sets the extension time to the second time and extends the door open time.

[0096] On the other hand, for example, when users U7 and U8 on the rear surface 18 side of the car 11 get off, the detection unit 22c detects, in the third detection area A3, a movement block moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit direction D1. Therefore, the extension control unit 22d sets the extension time to the first time that is longer than the second time, and extends the door open time.

[0097] As described above, according to the second embodiment, when the elevator car 11 is crowded and many passengers get off from the back side of the elevator car 11, the time for extending the door opening time of the elevator car 11 is changed depending on the positions of the passengers getting off.

[0098] Compared to a case where a passenger in the third detection area A3 close to the rear surface 18 of the car 11 disembarks, a passenger in the fourth detection area A4 close to the entrance / exit can disembark more smoothly. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the extension time for the car door open period is set shorter when a passenger moving from inside the car 11 towards the entrance / exit is detected in the fourth detection area A4 compared to a case where a passenger moving from inside the car 11 towards the entrance / exit is detected in the third detection area A3. This makes it possible to set an optimal extension time depending on the location of the passenger getting off, and makes it possible to further improve operation efficiency compared to the first embodiment.

[0099] In the second embodiment, although the case where three detection areas are set has been described, the number of detection areas may be four or more. In this case, the extension control unit 22d sets a shorter extension time for a detection area that is closer to the entrance / exit of the car 11 when a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit is detected in that detection area. In other words, the extension control unit 22d sets a longer extension time for a detection area that is closer to the back surface 18 of the car 11 when a user moving from inside the car 11 toward the entrance / exit is detected in that detection area.

[0100] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, it is possible to provide an elevator system that can avoid unnecessary extension of door opening time and suppress a decrease in operation efficiency.

[0101] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 12...camera, 13...car door, 13a, 13b...door panel, 14...landing door, 15...landing, 16...landing call button, 17a, 17b...side panel, 18...back surface, 19...floor surface, 20...image processing device, 21...memory unit, 22...control unit, 22a...detection area setting unit, 22b...crowding degree measurement unit, 22c...detection unit, 22d...extension control unit, 30...elevator control device, 31...door opening / closing control unit, 32...call management unit, 33...notification unit, A1...first detection area, A2...second detection area, A3...third detection area, A4...fourth detection area, A5...fifth detection area, D1...entrance / exit direction, D2...side panel direction.

Claims

1. a camera installed at an upper portion inside the car and taking pictures of the inside of the car; a measuring means for measuring a degree of congestion in the elevator car based on an image captured by the camera; a detection means for detecting a first user moving from inside the car toward an entrance / exit direction for a certain period of time after the car door starts to open; an extension control means for extending a door-open time of the car when the congestion degree exceeds a threshold value and a certain number or more of the first users are detected in a first detection area preset at the rear side of the car on the image; An elevator system comprising:

2. The extension control means When a certain number or more of the first users are detected in a second detection area that is preset on the entrance / exit side of the elevator car on the image, the door opening time of the elevator car is not extended.

10. The elevator system of claim 1.

3. The detection means further detects a second user moving toward a side panel in the elevator car, The extension control means does not extend the door open time of the car when a certain number or more of the first users are detected in a second detection area that is preset on the entrance / exit side of the car on the image and when the second users are not detected.

10. The elevator system of claim 1.

4. The extension control means changes the time for extending the door-open time of the elevator car in accordance with the number of the first users detected in the first detection area.

10. The elevator system of claim 1.

5. The extension control means further extends the door open time if the first user is detected in the first detection area after extending the door open time.

10. The elevator system of claim 1.

6. The first detection area includes a plurality of detection areas divided from inside the elevator toward an entrance / exit direction, The extension control means sets the extension time of the car door open time to be shorter when the first user is detected in a fourth detection area among the plurality of detection areas that is closer to the entrance / exit side of the car than the third detection area, compared to when the first user is detected in a third detection area among the plurality of detection areas.

10. The elevator system of claim 1.

7. The detection means The brightness of a plurality of time-series consecutive images taken by the camera is compared block by block to extract blocks with movement, and a first block moving from inside the elevator toward the entrance / exit direction among the blocks with movement is detected as the first user.

10. The elevator system of claim 1.

8. The extension control means When the number of first users is less than the certain number and the first blocks are concentrated within a predetermined range, the door opening time is extended.

8. The elevator system of claim 7.

Images