Elevator group management control device

Abstract

To provide an elevator group management control device that controls the allocation of cars to each hall call so as to operate the elevator efficiently while maintaining user convenience in a system that manages elevators in groups and can execute both up / down direction call operations and hall destination call operations with designated destination floors on the same floor. [Solution] According to an embodiment, the group management control device includes a hall call registration unit, an assigned car determination unit, and a mode switching unit. The hall call registration unit registers information on up / down direction calls generated at any floor and information on hall destination calls specifying a destination floor. The assigned car determination unit assigns a car to respond to the registered hall calls. The mode switching unit switches the assigned car determination unit between an operation mode that allows the same car to be assigned to up / down direction calls and hall destination calls, and an operation mode that assigns different cars to up / down direction calls and hall destination calls, based on the number of elevator users in a predetermined period of time.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an elevator group management control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, in an elevator system, when an elevator user operates a hall call button installed at the hall to specify a destination, the elevator registers a hall call (up or down call) and responds to the registered hall call by moving the elevator car to the floor where the user is located.

[0003] Meanwhile, in recent years, elevator systems have been developed that use users' mobile devices to register hall calls. When using this elevator system, users install application software for registering hall calls on their mobile devices in advance, and then enter the destination floor on the mobile device at the hall to register the hall call. By building such an elevator system, a hall destination floor registration system (DCS; Destination Control System) can be introduced at low cost.

[0004] Furthermore, by configuring the system so that both the above-mentioned operations of up / down direction calls and hall destination calls can be performed on the same floor, convenience for users can be further improved (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6321124 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, in a group management system configured to be able to perform both up-down calls and hall destination calls on the same floor, when assigning a car to a hall destination call, if there is a car that has already been assigned an up-down call, the allocation control is performed excluding that car.

[0007] However, if the elevators are divided into those allocated to up and down calls and those allocated to platform destination calls in this way, there is a problem that depending on the usage situation, such as when the level of congestion is low, waiting times for passengers may increase and elevator operating efficiency may decrease.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an elevator group management control device that controls the allocation of cars to each hall call so as to operate the elevators efficiently while maintaining convenience for users, in an elevator system that manages a plurality of elevators in a group and is capable of executing both hall call operations specifying a destination direction and hall call operations specifying a destination floor on the same floor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to an embodiment for achieving the above object, an elevator group management control device includes a hall call registration unit, an assigned car determination unit, and a mode switching unit. The hall call registration unit registers information on up / down direction calls generated at any floor and information on hall destination calls specifying a destination floor. The assigned car determination unit assigns a car to respond to the registered hall calls. The mode switching unit switches the assigned car determination unit between an operation mode that allows the same car to be assigned to up / down direction calls and hall destination calls, and an operation mode that assigns different cars to up / down direction calls and hall destination calls, based on the number of elevator users in a predetermined period. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of an elevator group management control system using the group management control device according to the first and second embodiments. FIG. [Figure 2] 5 is a flowchart showing an operation mode determination process executed by the group management control device according to the first and second embodiments. [Figure 3A] 5 is a flowchart showing processing executed when an up / down call or a hall call is registered in a state in which the group management control device according to the first embodiment is set to an integrated mode. [Figure 3B] 5 is a flowchart showing allocation processing executed by the group management control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing executed when an up / down call is registered in a state in which the group management control device according to the first embodiment is set to a separation mode. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart showing processing executed when a hall call is registered in a state in which the group management control device according to the first embodiment is set to a separation mode. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing processing executed when an up / down call or a hall call is registered in a state in which the group management control device according to the first embodiment is set to a mixed mode. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing executed when an up / down call is registered in a state in which the group management control device according to the second embodiment is set to the separation mode. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing processing executed when a hall call is registered in a state in which the group management control device according to the second embodiment is set to a separation mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an elevator group management control system will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] First Embodiment <Configuration of an elevator group management control system using the group management control device according to the first embodiment> The configuration of an elevator group management control system using a group management control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. An elevator group management control system 1a according to this embodiment includes a plurality of elevators (an A-type elevator 10A, a B-type elevator 10B, and a C-type elevator 10C) installed in an m-story building, hall call buttons 20-1 to 20-m installed at the halls on the 1st to mth floors, respectively, a user terminal 30, and a group management control device 40a.

[0013] In addition, in this embodiment, a case will be described in which there are three elevators installed in the building, but the number is not limited to this, and there may be two or four or more elevators.

[0014] Elevator A 10A has a car 11A and an A control device 12A. A destination floor registration button (not shown) for performing a car call operation is installed inside the car 11A. Car call operation using the destination floor registration button is normally set to disabled, and when the car control device 12A is set to allow car call registration as described below, the operation is switched to be enabled.

[0015] The car A control device 12A outputs elevator information such as the position information, running status information, door opening / closing status information, load status information, car call registration information, etc. of the car 11A to the group management control device 40a. In addition, the car A control device 12A causes the car A elevator 10A to respond to the registered call floor in response to an assignment command from the group management control device 40a, and opens the door of the corresponding car.

[0016] The elevator B 10B and the elevator C 10C have the same configuration as the elevator A 10A, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0017] Each of the hall call buttons 20-1 to 20-m is a device for a hall user to register a hall call by specifying a destination direction and calling one of the cars 11A to 11C.

[0018] Hereinafter, when it is not specified which of the hall call buttons 20-1 to 20-m it is, it will be referred to as hall call button 20. When it is not specified which of the elevators 10A, 10B, and 10C it is, it will be referred to as elevator 10. When it is not specified which of the cars 11A, 11B, and 11C it is, it will be referred to as car 11. When it is not specified which of the car A control device 12A, car B control device 12B, and car C control device 12C it is, it will be referred to as car control device 12.

[0019] Furthermore, although not shown, a landing door is installed for each elevator at each floor landing, and a warning light is installed near each landing door. When the corresponding elevator is assigned to a landing call registered with landing call buttons 20-1 to 20-m, the portion of each warning light that corresponds to the destination direction when responding to this landing call lights up. The lit warning light switches to flashing just before the elevator assigned to this landing call responds to the landing by landing at the landing and opening its doors, specifically when the elevator starts to decelerate, and goes out when the elevator closes its doors or departs and the response ends.

[0020] The user terminal 30 is configured, for example, by a smart device, and when a user performs a hall call operation specifying a destination floor using a pre-installed elevator application, the user terminal 30 transmits information about this operation to the group management control device 40a. Note that, for the sake of simplicity, only one user terminal 30 is shown in Fig. 1, but in reality, multiple user terminals 30 can be connected to the group management control device 40a for communication.

[0021] The group management control device 40a performs group management of the elevator A 10A, the elevator B 10B, and the elevator C 10C. The group management control device 40a has a wireless communication unit 41, a hall call registration unit 42, and a CPU 43.

[0022] The wireless communication unit 41 performs wireless communication with the user terminal 30. The platform call registration unit 42 receives and registers platform call information acquired from the platform call buttons 20-1 to 20-m. The platform call registration unit 42 also receives and registers platform call information acquired from the user terminal 30 via the wireless communication unit 41.

[0023] The CPU 43 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) provided in a general-purpose microcomputer, and configures one or more information processing units described below by installing and executing a predetermined elevator group management control program.

[0024] The CPU 43 includes an elevator information acquisition unit 431 , an assigned car determination unit 432 a , an assignment information output unit 433 , a number of users acquisition unit 434 , and a mode switching unit 435 .

[0025] The elevator information acquisition unit 431 acquires elevator information output from each of the control devices 12A, 12B, and 12C. The assigned car determination unit 432a determines a car (assigned car) to be assigned to a newly registered hall call, based on the information acquired by the elevator information acquisition unit 431, for both the hall call newly registered in the hall call registration unit 42 and the calls already registered, so as to transport passengers most efficiently overall. The assignment information output unit 433 outputs an assignment command to the car controller that controls the assigned car determined by the assigned car determination unit 432a.

[0026] The number of users acquisition unit 434 acquires information on the number of users of the elevator 10 by estimating the number of users of the elevator 10 for a predetermined period based on the information acquired by the elevator information acquisition unit 431. The number of users acquisition unit 434 may acquire information on the number of users of the elevator 10 based on measurement results from a sensor (not shown) or the like installed at the landing of each floor.

[0027] The mode switching unit 435 switches the operation mode of the process of determining the assigned car by the assigned car determination unit 432a, depending on the number of users estimated by the number of users acquisition unit 434. Details of the operation mode of the process of determining the assigned car will be described later.

[0028] In a building equipped with the elevator group management control system 1a of this embodiment, most passengers from floors other than the first floor, which is the reference departure floor where the building entrance is located, use the elevator 10 to head to the reference departure floor (first floor). Based on this, the elevator group management control system 1a of this embodiment is configured so that hall call operations using the user terminal 30 are valid only at the hall on the first floor, which is the reference departure floor. In other words, at the hall on the first floor, both hall call operations by specifying the destination direction using the hall call button 20-1 and hall call operations by specifying the destination floor using the user terminal 30 are possible, while at halls on the second to mth floors, only hall call operations by specifying the destination direction using the hall call buttons 20-2 to 20-m are possible.

[0029] Hereinafter, a platform call made by specifying a destination direction using platform call buttons 20-1 to 20-m will be referred to as an up / down direction call, a user who uses a car that responds to an up / down direction call registered by themselves or another user will be referred to as an up / down direction call user, a platform call made by specifying a destination floor on user terminal 30 will be referred to as a platform destination call, and a user who uses a car that responds to a platform destination call registered by themselves will be referred to as a platform destination call user. The total number of up / down direction call users and platform destination call users in a given period will be the total number of users in that period.

[0030] <Operation of the elevator group management control system according to the first embodiment> During operation of the elevator group management control system 1a, the elevator information acquisition unit 431 acquires elevator information output from each of the control devices 12A, 12B, and 12C.

[0031] In addition, while the elevator group management control system 1a is in operation, each time the door of a car 11 opens at any floor, the number of passengers acquisition unit 434 estimates the total weight of passengers riding in the car 11 whose door has opened, based on the information acquired by the elevator information acquisition unit 431.

[0032] Specifically, the passenger number acquisition unit 434 calculates and stores the passenger load amount, which is the total weight of passengers riding in the car 11, by subtracting the minimum load amount while the door is open from the load amount on the car 11 at the time the door has finished opening.

[0033] Moreover, the mode switching section 435 determines the operation mode of the assigned car determination section 432a at predetermined time intervals, for example, every minute, and switches the operation mode as appropriate.

[0034] 2 is a flowchart showing the process of determining the operation mode of the assigned car determination unit 432a by the mode switching unit 435. When the mode switching unit 435 determines that the time to determine the operation mode of the assigned car determination unit 432a, for example, every minute, has arrived ("YES" in S1), it requests the user count acquisition unit 434 for information on the total number of users for a predetermined period, for example, the most recent five minutes, at the first floor hall where hall destination calls can be registered.

[0035] The user number acquisition unit 434 estimates the total number of users at the first floor landing for the most recent five minutes based on the elevator information acquired by the elevator information acquisition unit 431 (S2). An example of the processing for estimating the total number of users executed by the user number acquisition unit 434 will be described.

[0036] The user number acquisition unit 434 calculates the total value of the passenger load calculated for the most recent five minutes, and then divides the calculated total value by the average weight per person, for example, 60 kg. This value corresponds to the total number of users who have occurred in the most recent five minutes, regardless of the type of registered platform call (up / down direction call or platform destination call) or the type of user who registered the platform call (up / down direction call user or platform destination call user). The user number acquisition unit 434 sends information on the calculated total number of users for the most recent five minutes to the mode switching unit 435.

[0037] The mode switching unit 435 determines whether or not the total number of users in the most recent past five minutes acquired from the user number acquisition unit 434 is less than a predetermined first threshold T1 (S3). Here, "the total number of users being less than the first threshold" indicates that the elevator 10 is in an unoccupied state.

[0038] When the mode switching unit 435 determines that the total number of users in the past five minutes is less than the first threshold T1 ("YES" in S3), it sets the operating mode of the assigned car determination unit 432a to the integrated mode, which prioritizes energy saving effects (S4).

[0039] When operating in the integrated mode, the assigned car determination unit 432a allows up / down direction call users and hall destination call users to board the same car 11, and assigns cars to up / down direction calls and hall destination calls so that all users at the hall heading in the same direction board one car. When operating in the integrated mode, the total number of users is less than the first threshold T1, so even if the assignment process is performed in this manner, it is possible to reasonably board all users at the hall heading in the same direction in one car, allowing for efficient operation and shortening user waiting times.

[0040] In step S3, if the mode switching unit 435 determines that the number of users in the most recent past five minutes acquired from the user number acquisition unit 434 is equal to or greater than the first threshold T1 ("NO" in S3), the number of users who made platform destination calls in the most recent past five minutes is acquired based on the number of platform destination calls registered in the platform call registration unit 42.

[0041] The mode switching unit 435 calculates the number of up / down direction call users for the most recent past five minutes by subtracting the number of hall destination call users from the total number of users for the most recent past five minutes. The mode switching unit 435 determines whether the calculated number of up / down direction call users is less than a predetermined second threshold T2 (S5). Here, "the number of up / down direction call users is not less than the second threshold (is equal to or greater than the second threshold)" indicates that the elevator 10 is in a crowded state where the number of hall destination call users is large and the number of up / down direction call users is also to a certain extent.

[0042] When the mode switching unit 435 determines that the number of users making upbound and downbound calls in the most recent past five minutes is not less than the second threshold T2 (is equal to or greater than the second threshold) ("NO" in S5), it sets the operating mode of the assigned car determination unit 432a to a separation mode in which upbound and downbound call users and hall destination call users are assigned to different cars (S6).

[0043] When operating in the separate mode, the car assignment determination unit 432a assigns a car to which no up or down call is assigned to an issued platform destination call. However, if no up or down call is registered when a platform destination call is issued, one of the cars 11A, 11B, and 11C is left without being assigned a platform destination call. By leaving one car without being assigned a platform destination call in this way, when an up or down call is issued thereafter, a car can be smoothly assigned to this up or down call.

[0044] Furthermore, when operating in the separate mode, the assigned car determination unit 432a assigns a car that has not been assigned a hall destination call to an up or down call that has occurred. At this time, the assigned car determination unit 432a assigns only one car 11 to an up or down call that is traveling from a predetermined floor (for example, the first floor) to a predetermined direction (for example, upward). When operating in the separate mode, there are many users with hall destination calls, and there is also a certain number of users with up or down calls, so by performing the assignment process in this way, it is possible to operate the train without reducing the convenience of both users with up or down calls and users with hall destination calls.

[0045] In step S5, if the mode switching unit 435 determines that the calculated number of users making upbound and downbound calls is less than the second threshold T2 ("YES" in S5), the operating mode of the assigned car determination unit 432a is set to a mixed mode in which allocation processing is performed for users making upbound and downbound calls using a general landing destination floor registration system (DCS), while allocations for users making upbound and downbound calls are mixed in (S7).

[0046] When operating in the mixed mode, the assigned car determination unit 432a can assign all of the cars 11A, 11B, and 11C to an issued hall destination call. In addition, the assigned car determination unit 432a assigns any one of the cars 11 to an up or down call, regardless of whether any of the cars 11 has already been assigned to the hall destination call.

[0047] When operating in mixed mode, there are many users making destination calls to the landing and few users making up or down calls. Therefore, by performing allocation processing in this manner, it is possible to achieve an operation similar to that of a DCS, that is, an operation that is convenient for users and has good operational efficiency for the elevator, while also allowing use by users making up or down calls.

[0048] Below, the allocation process performed by the allocation car determination unit 432a for hall calls registered on the first floor, where both up / down direction call operations and hall destination call operations are possible, will be explained for each set mode.

[0049] 3A and 3B are flowcharts showing the processing executed by the elevator group management control system 1a when the assigned car determination unit 432a is set to the integrated mode.

[0050] When the assigned car determination unit 432a detects that an up / down direction call or a hall destination call has been registered in the hall call registration unit 42 ("YES" in S11), it starts an allocation process for determining a car 11 that will respond to this hall call. The assigned car determination unit 432a determines whether or not there is another up / down direction call among the hall calls registered in the hall call registration unit 42 that has the same registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor as the hall call that is the target of the allocation process and has already been assigned a car 11 that will respond (hereinafter referred to as "allocated car") (S12).

[0051] When the assigned car determination unit 432a determines that the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the platform call to be assigned are the same and that there is an up or down call that has already been assigned to a car ("YES" in S12), it determines the car to be assigned to the platform call to be assigned from among the cars 11 that have already been assigned to this up or down call (S13).

[0052] Furthermore, if the assigned car determination unit 432a determines in step S12 that the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the hall call to be assigned are the same and that there are no up or down calls that have already been assigned to a car ("NO" in S12), it determines whether the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the hall call to be assigned are the same and that there are hall destination calls that have already been assigned to a car (S14).

[0053] When the assigned car determination unit 432a determines that the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the platform call to be assigned are the same and that there is a platform destination call to which a car has already been assigned ("YES" in S14), it determines the car to be assigned to the platform call to be assigned from among the cars 11 that have already been assigned to this platform destination call (S15).

[0054] Furthermore, in step S14, if the assigned car determination unit 432a determines that the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the hall call to be assigned are the same and that there are no hall destination calls that have already been assigned to a car ("NO" in S14), it determines an assigned car for the hall call to be assigned from among all the cars 11A, 11B, and 11C (S16).

[0055] That is, in the above-mentioned steps S12 to S16, when a hall call is registered on the first floor where both up / down direction call operation and hall destination call operation are possible, if the registered floor and destination direction are the same and there is no hall call that has already been assigned, the assigned car determination unit 432a assigns one car 11 selected from all cars 11 to this hall call. After that, when a new up / down direction call or hall destination call is registered, an already assigned car is redundantly assigned to this new call, so that only one car 11 will respond.

[0056] By performing the allocation process in this way, all passengers at the same hall heading in the same direction will board one car 11, allowing operation with a smaller number of elevators and reducing energy consumption. When the responding car departs from the first floor, an assigned car will be selected from all cars when a hall call is registered thereafter.

[0057] When the assigned car determination unit 432a determines the car to be assigned to the hall call to be assigned in step S13, S15, or S16, it outputs allocation information regarding the hall call to be assigned to the car control device 12 corresponding to the determined assigned car (S17).

[0058] Furthermore, if the hall call to be allocated is an up or down call ("YES" in S18), the allocated car determination unit 432a turns on the portion of the forecast light near the elevator corresponding to the allocated car that corresponds to the destination direction, among the forecast lights installed on the registered floor of this hall call (S19). The elevator control device 12, which has acquired allocation information for up or down calls, sets the car call registration in the allocated car to be permitted when responding to this hall call (S20), and switches the car call operation using the destination floor registration button in this allocated car to enabled.

[0059] Furthermore, if the hall call to be allocated is a hall destination call ("NO" in S18), the car allocation determination unit 432a transmits information about the car corresponding to the allocated car (hereinafter referred to as the "allocated car") to the user terminal 30 (S21). The car allocation determination unit 432a also transfers information about the destination floor specified in this hall destination call to the car control unit of the allocated car (S22). In the car control unit to which the destination floor information has been transferred, when a car connected to this car control unit responds to the departure floor of this hall destination call, the transferred destination floor information is recognized as car call information. This makes it possible to guarantee that the car will respond to the registered hall destination call in the order of departure floor → destination floor. This concludes the explanation of the allocation process executed by the car allocation determination unit 432a set in the integrated mode.

[0060] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the elevator group management control system 1a when an up or down call is registered with the assigned car determination unit 432a set to the separation mode.

[0061] When the assigned car determination unit 432a detects that an up or down call has been registered in the hall call registration unit 42 ("YES" in S31), it starts an allocation process to determine which car 11 will respond to this up or down call. The assigned car determination unit 432a determines whether or not there is another up or down call that has been assigned to a car and that has the same registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor as the up or down call that is the target of the allocation process (S32).

[0062] When the assigned car determination unit 432a determines that the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the up / down call to be assigned are the same and that there is an up / down call for which a car has already been assigned ("YES" in S32), it determines the car to be assigned to the up / down call to be assigned from among the cars 11 that have already been assigned to this up / down call (S33).

[0063] In a typical group control system, only one hall call can be registered for an up or down call of the same type (general call, wheelchair call, etc.), registered floor, and destination direction. Furthermore, once an up or down call is registered, the hall call button for the corresponding direction of the registered floor of the up or down call and the warning light indicating the up or down call registration remain lit until the elevator responds. At this time, even if the lit hall call button is operated again, a new up or down call will not be registered. In the processing of step S33 described above, the phrase "determine an elevator car to be assigned to the up or down call that is the subject of the assignment process from among the elevator cars 11 already assigned to up or down calls" is intended to indicate a situation in which a different type of up or down call is additionally registered, such as assigning a newly registered general up or down call to an elevator car already assigned to up or down calls as wheelchair calls. In addition, in some buildings, special up-down calls such as wheelchair calls may be assigned to specific cars such as "wheelchair cars" in advance, but in this embodiment, up-down calls other than general calls such as wheelchair calls can also be assigned without being limited to specific cars.

[0064] Furthermore, if the allocation car determination unit 432a determines in step S32 that the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the up or down call to be allocated are the same and that there are no up or down calls that have already been allocated to a car ("NO" in S32), it determines whether the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the up or down call to be allocated are the same and that there are any hall destination calls that have already been allocated to a car (S34).

[0065] When the assigned car determination unit 432a determines that the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the up-down call to be assigned are the same and that there is a hall destination call to which a car has already been assigned ("YES" in S34), it determines the car to be assigned to the up-down call to be assigned from among the cars 11 that have not yet been assigned to this hall destination call (S35).

[0066] Furthermore, if the assigned car determination unit 432a determines in step S34 that the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the up or down call to be assigned are the same and that there are no hall destination calls already assigned to a car ("NO" in S34), it determines the car to be assigned to the up or down call to be assigned from among all the cars 11A, 11B, and 11C (S36).

[0067] In other words, in the above-mentioned steps S32 to S36, when an up / down call is registered on the first floor where both up / down call operations and hall destination call operations are possible, the assigned car determination unit 432a performs an assignment process so as to avoid cars 11 that are already assigned to hall destination calls, and if there is a car 11 that is already assigned to an up / down call, to overlap with this car 11.

[0068] When the assigned car determination unit 432a determines the assigned car for the up / down call to be allocated in step S33, S35 or S36, it outputs allocation information regarding the up / down call to be allocated to the car control device 12 corresponding to the determined assigned car (S37).

[0069] Furthermore, the assigned car determination unit 432a turns on the portion of the forecast light near the elevator corresponding to the assigned car that corresponds to the destination direction among the forecast lights installed on the registered floor of the up or down call that is the subject of assignment processing (S38). The elevator control device 12, which has acquired the assignment information for the up or down call, sets the car to permit car call registration in the assigned car when responding to this up or down call (S39), and switches the car call operation using the destination floor registration button in this assigned car to enabled. This concludes the explanation of the assignment processing that the assigned car determination unit 432a, which has been set to the separation mode, executes when an up or down call is registered.

[0070] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the elevator group management control system 1a when a hall destination call is registered with the assigned car determination unit 432a set to the separation mode.

[0071] When the assigned car determination unit 432a detects that a hall destination call has been registered in the hall call registration unit 42 ("YES" in S41), it starts an allocation process for determining a car 11 that will respond to this hall destination call. The assigned car determination unit 432a determines whether or not there is an up or down call that has been assigned to a car and that has the same registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor as the hall destination call that is the target of the allocation process (S42).

[0072] When the assigned car determination unit 432a determines that the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the platform destination call to be assigned are the same and that there is an up or down call that has already been assigned to a car ("YES" in S42), it determines the car to be assigned to the platform destination call to be assigned from among the cars 11 that have not already been assigned to this up or down call (S43).

[0073] Furthermore, in step S42, when the assigned car determination unit 432a determines that the registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor of the platform destination call to be assigned are the same and that there are no up or down calls already assigned to a car ("NO" in S42), it determines whether there is one car 11 that has not been assigned to the platform destination call to be assigned that has the same registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor (S44).

[0074] When the assigned car determination unit 432a determines that there is one car 11 that is not assigned to a boarding destination call that has the same registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor as the boarding destination call that is the subject of the assignment process ("YES" in S44), it determines an assigned car for the boarding destination call that is the subject of the assignment process from among the cars 11 that have already been assigned to the boarding destination call (S45).

[0075] Furthermore, if the assigned car determination unit 432a determines in step S44 that there is more than one car 11 that is not assigned to the same boarding hall destination call having the same registered floor and destination direction from this registered floor as the boarding hall destination call to be assigned ("NO" in S44), it determines the car to be assigned to the up or down call to be assigned from among all cars 11A, 11B, and 11C (S46).

[0076] That is, in steps S42 to S46, when a hall destination call is registered on the first floor where both up / down direction call operations and hall destination call operations are possible, the assigned car determination unit 432a does not assign a car 11 that has already been assigned to up / down direction calls. Also, when there is no car 11 assigned to up / down direction calls, if there is only one car 11 left to which a hall destination call has not been assigned, the assigned car determination unit 432a reserves the remaining car 11 for up / down direction calls and does not assign it to a hall destination call that is the target of the allocation process. The car 11 reserved for up / down direction calls may be any of the cars 11A, 11B, and 11C, and may be changed as appropriate while the elevator group management control system 1a is in operation.

[0077] When the assigned car determination unit 432a determines the assigned car for the hall destination call to be assigned in step S43, S45 or S46, it outputs allocation information regarding the hall destination call to be assigned to the car control device 12 corresponding to the determined assigned car (S47).

[0078] The assigned car determination unit 432a also transmits information about the assigned car to the user terminal 30 (S48). The assigned car determination unit 432a also transfers information about the destination floor specified in this hall destination call to the car control device of the assigned car as car call information (S49). This concludes the explanation of the assignment process that the assigned car determination unit 432a set to the separation mode executes when a hall destination call is registered.

[0079] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the elevator group management control system 1a when the assigned car determination unit 432a is set to the mixed mode.

[0080] When the assigned car determination unit 432a detects that an up / down direction call or a hall destination call has been registered in the hall call registration unit 42 ("YES" in S51), it determines an assigned car from among all the cars 11A, 11B, and 11C for the hall call that is the subject of the allocation process (S52).

[0081] That is, in step S52, when a hall call is registered on the first floor where both up / down direction call operations and hall destination call operations are possible, regardless of whether the hall call is an up / down direction call or a hall destination call, the car to be assigned to the hall call that is the subject of the allocation process is determined without placing any restrictions on the cars 11 that are candidates for allocation.

[0082] When the car assignment determination unit 432a determines the car to be assigned to the hall call to be assigned in step S52, it outputs assignment information regarding the hall call to be assigned to the car controller 12 corresponding to the determined assigned car (S53).

[0083] Furthermore, if the hall call to be allocated is an up or down call ("YES" in S54), the allocated car determination unit 432a turns on the portion of the forecast light near the elevator corresponding to the allocated car that corresponds to the destination direction, among the forecast lights installed on the registered floor of this hall call (S55). The elevator control device 12, which has acquired allocation information for up or down calls, sets the car call registration in the allocated car to be permitted when responding to this hall call (S56), and switches the car call operation using the destination floor registration button in this allocated car to enabled.

[0084] Furthermore, if the hall call to be allocated is a hall destination call ("NO" in S54), the allocated car determination unit 432a transmits information about the allocated car to the user terminal 30 (S57). Furthermore, the allocated car determination unit 432a transfers information about the destination floor specified in this hall destination call to the car control device of the allocated car as car call information (S58). This concludes the explanation of the allocation process executed by the allocated car determination unit 432a set to the mixed mode.

[0085] Furthermore, for up or down calls made on floors 2 to m by specifying a destination direction using hall call buttons 20-2 to 20-m, the assigned car determination unit 432a can assign any car 11. Even if the assignment process is performed in this manner, if the building uses the elevator 10 so that the majority of passengers from floors other than the reference departure floor head to the reference departure floor, passengers boarding from floors other than the reference departure floor and passengers boarding from the reference departure floor rarely have the opportunity to board each other, so the impact on each other's usage is small. Therefore, problems such as a car carrying a passenger who has registered a hall destination call stopping at more floors than necessary are unlikely to occur.

[0086] According to the first embodiment described above, the group management control device 40a that performs group management of multiple elevators in a building includes a hall call registration unit 42, an assigned car determination unit 432a, a passenger number acquisition unit 434, and a mode switching unit 435. The hall call registration unit 42 registers information on up / down direction calls, which are hall calls that specify a destination direction, and information on hall destination calls, which are hall calls that specify a destination floor, that are generated on any floor of the building. The assigned car determination unit 432a also performs processing to assign the car 11 of the elevator 10 that responds to the hall calls registered in the hall call registration unit 42. The passenger number acquisition unit 434 also acquires the number of passengers of the multiple elevators 10 over a predetermined period. Furthermore, the mode switching unit 435 switches the assigned car determination unit 432a between an operation mode that allows the same car to be assigned to up / down calls and platform destination calls, and an operation mode that assigns different cars to up / down calls and platform destination calls, based on the acquired number of users.

[0087] As a result, in an elevator 10 in which both up-down direction call users and hall call users are present, the operating mode of the car 11 allocation process can be switched based on the number of users of the elevator 10, thereby reducing the waiting time of users and improving the operating efficiency of the elevator 10.

[0088] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment described above, the user number acquisition unit 434 acquires, as the number of users, the total number of users and the number of users of up / down direction calls for the plurality of elevators 10 in a predetermined period. When the total number of users is less than a predetermined first threshold, the mode switching unit 435 sets the assigned car determination unit 432a to an integrated mode, which is an operation mode for performing an assignment process so that all users heading in the same direction from a hall on the same floor board the same car 11; when the total number of users is equal to or greater than the first threshold and the number of up / down direction call users is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold, the mode switching unit 435 sets the assigned car determination unit 432a to a separated mode, which is an operation mode for assigning different cars to up / down direction calls and hall destination calls; and when the total number of users is equal to or greater than the first threshold and the number of up / down direction call users is less than the second threshold, the mode switching unit 435 sets the assigned car determination unit 432a to a mixed mode, which is an operation mode for performing an assignment process by allowing the same car to be assigned to up / down direction calls and hall destination calls.

[0089] This reduces waiting time for passengers, prevents passengers from being left behind, and minimizes the decrease in operating efficiency of the elevator 10, while enabling accurate allocation processing for up and down calls and hall destination calls.

[0090] The hall call registration unit 42 also registers hall destination calls generated by operations performed on the mobile terminal 30 carried by the user. This allows for a simple configuration of a hall destination floor registration system for the elevator 10.

[0091] Furthermore, by setting the platform destination call so that the registration operation is valid only when the platform destination call operation is performed on a pre-set floor within the building, such as a floor where the entrance is located, it is possible to improve user convenience with a simple system configuration.

[0092] Second Embodiment <Configuration of an elevator group management control system using a group management control device according to the second embodiment> The configuration of the elevator group management control system 1b using the group management control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is similar to the configuration of the elevator group management control system 1a described in the first embodiment, so detailed descriptions of parts having the same functions will be omitted.

[0093] The elevator group management control system 1b of this embodiment is installed in a building where many users use the elevator 10 for vertical travel even at floors other than the reference departure floor. Based on this, the elevator group management control system 1b of this embodiment is configured so that a hall destination call operation using the user terminal 30 is valid on multiple floors within the building. In other words, both up / down direction call operation and hall destination call operation are possible on multiple floors within the building.

[0094] <Operation of elevator group supervisory control system according to second embodiment> In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, while the elevator group management control system 1b is in operation, the mode switching unit 435 determines the operation mode of the assigned car determination unit 432b at predetermined time intervals and switches it appropriately.

[0095] The following describes the processing that the elevator group management control system 1b performs for hall calls registered at floors where both up / down direction call operations and hall destination call operations are possible, for each set mode.

[0096] The processing executed by the assigned car determination unit 432b when the integrated mode is set is the same as the processing of steps S11 to S22 described in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The assigned car determination unit 432b executes the processing of steps S11 to S22 independently for each floor where both up / down direction call operations and hall destination call operations are possible, and for each destination direction of the user. For example, a hall call specifying an upward direction registered on the first floor and a hall call specifying a downward direction registered on the third floor are assigned separately, so different cars can be selected.

[0097] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the elevator group management control system 1b when an up or down call is registered with the assigned car determination unit 432a set to the separation mode.

[0098] When the assigned car determination unit 432b detects that an up or down call has been registered in the hall call registration unit 42 ("YES" in S61), it starts an allocation process to determine which car 11 will respond to this up or down call. The assigned car determination unit 432a determines whether or not there are any other up or down calls that have been registered on any floor and have already been assigned to a car among the hall calls registered in the hall call registration unit 42 (S62).

[0099] When the assigned car determination unit 432b determines that there is an up or down call registered on any floor that has already been assigned to a car ("YES" in S62), it determines the car to be assigned to the up or down call that is the subject of the assignment process from among the cars 11 that have already been assigned to this up or down call (S63).

[0100] Furthermore, if the assigned car determination unit 432b determines in step S62 that there are no up or down calls registered on any floor that have been assigned to a car ("NO" in S62), it determines whether there are any hall destination calls registered on any floor that have been assigned to a car (S64).

[0101] When the assigned car determination unit 432b determines that there is a hall destination call registered on any floor that has already been assigned to a car ("YES" in S64), it determines the car to be assigned to the up or down call that is the subject of the assignment process from among the cars 11 that have not yet been assigned to this hall destination call (S65).

[0102] Furthermore, if the assigned car determination unit 432b determines in step S64 that there are no hall destination calls registered on any floor that have been assigned to a car ("NO" in S64), it determines an assigned car for the up or down call that is the subject of the assignment process from among all the cars 11A, 11B, and 11C (S66).

[0103] In the above-mentioned steps S62 to S66, when an up / down call is registered on the first floor where both up / down call operations and hall destination call operations are possible, the assigned car determination unit 432b performs an assignment process so as to avoid cars 11 that have already been assigned to hall destination calls registered on any floor, and if there is a car 11 that has already been assigned to an up / down call registered on any floor, to overlap with this car 11. In other words, when an up / down call is registered on any floor and a car 11 is assigned to this up / down call, this assigned car 11 is also assigned to up / down calls that occur on other floors.

[0104] When the assigned car determination unit 432b determines the assigned car for the up / down call to be allocated in step S63, S65 or S66, it outputs allocation information regarding the up / down call to be allocated to the car control device 12 corresponding to the determined assigned car (S67).

[0105] Furthermore, the assigned car determination unit 432b turns on the portion of the forecast light near the elevator corresponding to the assigned car that corresponds to the destination direction among the forecast lights installed on the registered floor of the up or down call that is the subject of the assignment process (S68). The elevator control device 12 that has acquired the assignment information sets the car to permit car call registration in the assigned car when responding to this up or down call (S69), and switches to enable car call operation using the destination floor registration button in this assigned car. This concludes the explanation of the assignment process that the assigned car determination unit 432b set to the separation mode executes when an up or down call is registered.

[0106] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the elevator group management control system 1b when a hall destination call is registered with the assigned car determination unit 432a set to the separation mode.

[0107] When the assigned car determination unit 432b detects that a hall destination call has been registered in the hall call registration unit 42 ("YES" in S71), it starts an allocation process to determine the car 11 that will respond to this hall destination call. The assigned car determination unit 432b determines whether or not there is an up / down call that has been registered on any floor and has been assigned to a car among the hall calls registered in the hall call registration unit 42 (S72).

[0108] When the assigned car determination unit 432b determines that there is an up or down call registered on any floor that has already been assigned to a car ("YES" in S72), it determines the car to be assigned to the landing destination call that is the subject of the assignment process from among the cars 11 that have not yet been assigned to this up or down call (S73).

[0109] Furthermore, when the assigned car determination unit 432b determines in step S72 that there are no up or down calls registered on any floor that have been assigned to a car ("NO" in S72), it determines whether there is one car 11 that has not been assigned to a hall destination call registered on any floor (S44).

[0110] When the assigned car determination unit 432b determines that there is one car 11 that has not been assigned to a hall destination call registered on any floor ("YES" in S74), it determines an assigned car for the hall destination call that is the target of the assignment process from among the cars 11 that have already been assigned to hall destination calls (S75).

[0111] Furthermore, if the assigned car determination unit 432b determines in step S74 that there is more than one car 11 that has not been assigned to the hall destination call registered on any floor ("NO" in S74), it determines an assigned car for the hall destination call that is the target of the assignment process from among all the cars 11A, 11B, and 11C (S76).

[0112] That is, in steps S72 to S76, when a hall destination call is registered at a floor where both up / down direction call operation and hall destination call operation are possible, the assigned car determination unit 432b does not assign a car 11 that has already been assigned to an up / down direction call registered at any floor. Also, when there is no car 11 assigned to an up / down direction call, if there is only one car 11 left to which a hall destination call registered at any floor is not assigned, the assigned car determination unit 432b leaves the remaining car 11 for up / down direction calls and does not assign it to a hall destination call that is the subject of the assignment process.

[0113] Furthermore, when performing allocation processing for hall destination calls registered at each floor, the allocation car determination unit 432b reserves the same car 11 for up / down calls, thereby enabling efficient separation and service between users of up / down direction calls and users of hall destination calls. Also, by performing allocation processing in this manner, cars 11 responding to hall destination calls stop at fewer floors, allowing them to travel around the elevator shaft more quickly. Furthermore, when allocation processing is performed in this manner, cars 11 responding to up / down direction calls can appropriately reserve boarding space for users who have registered up / down direction calls.

[0114] When the assigned car determination unit 432b determines the assigned car for the hall destination call to be assigned in step S73, S75 or S76, it outputs allocation information regarding the hall destination call to be assigned to the car control device 12 corresponding to the determined assigned car (S77).

[0115] The assigned car determination unit 432b also transmits information about the assigned car to the user terminal 30 (S78). The car control device 12, which has acquired the allocation information, transfers information about the destination floor specified in this hall destination call to the car control device of the assigned car as car call information (S79). This concludes the explanation of the allocation process that the assigned car determination unit 432b, which has been set to the separation mode, executes when a hall destination call is registered.

[0116] The allocation process executed by the allocated car determination unit 432b when the mixed mode is set is the same as the process of steps S51 to S58 described in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0117] In the first and second embodiments described above, among the cars 11 assigned to a hall destination call, for cars 11 that are not assigned overlapping up or down calls, car call operations using the destination floor registration button in the car 11 are invalid from the time the car 11 arrives at the departure floor of this hall destination call and opens its doors until it arrives at the next destination floor. In other words, each car control device 12 invalidates car call operations performed in cars that are assigned only to hall destination calls. This makes it possible to prevent passengers using the elevator for up or down calls from boarding the wrong car that responded to the hall destination floor call.

[0118] Furthermore, when the doors of the car 11 assigned to the platform destination call are open at the departure floor, if a user of an up / down call operates a destination floor registration button in the car 11, the control device 12 of this car may output notification information to the car 11 urging the user to "get off and board the car 11 to which boarding is being guided." The car 11 to which boarding is being guided is the car 11 assigned to the up / down call, and is, for example, the car 11 whose corresponding forecast light is lit or flashing, or the car 11 for which the corresponding chime is ringing.

[0119] This allows a user who uses the elevator 10 in response to an up or down call to board a car 11 different from the car 11 assigned to the user to recognize that he or she has boarded the wrong car, thereby preventing a decrease in the operation efficiency of the elevator.

[0120] In the first and second embodiments described above, when the mode switching unit 435 determines that the total number of users in the most recent past five minutes is less than the first threshold T1, the operation mode of the assigned car determination unit 432a is set to the integrated mode, which prioritizes energy saving effects. However, if more energy consumption is acceptable, the operation mode may be set to the mixed mode, and a different car 11 may be assigned to each hall call.

[0121] By carrying out the allocation process in this way, energy consumption increases, but the user can go directly to the destination floor in the car 11 that he or she has boarded, which increases convenience.

[0122] In this case, since the total number of users is less than the first threshold T1 and the possibility of congestion inside the elevator 11 is low, the assigned elevator determination unit 432a may assign the elevator hall destination call and the up / down direction call to the same elevator 11.

[0123] In the first and second embodiments described above, each car control device 12 normally disables car call operations using the destination floor registration button in the car 11, and when allocation information for up and down calls is acquired, car call registration is permitted and the destination floor registration button operation is switched to be enabled, but this is not limited to this.

[0124] For example, if the elevator 10 is installed in an office building, an apartment building, or the like, and users who use the elevator 10 on a daily basis use hall destination calls, and only visitors who occasionally use the elevator 10 use up / down calls, the elevator control device 12 may be set to always enable car call operation using the destination floor registration button.

[0125] By setting in this way, even if a visitor mistakenly gets into a car 11 other than the car 11 that responded to the registered up / down call, the car call can be registered, making it easier to use the elevator.

[0126] However, if the setting is made in this way, the operating efficiency of the elevator 10 may decrease when the number of passengers increases to a certain extent, which may result in an increase in waiting time for passengers. Therefore, it is possible to make the car call operation using the destination floor registration button always valid only when the number of passengers in the elevator 10 is less than a predetermined third threshold, and when the number of passengers is equal to or greater than the third threshold, the operation is valid only when allocation information for up and down calls is acquired.

[0127] In this case, the group management controllers 40a, 40b may switch between enabling and disabling car call operation using the destination floor registration button according to preset schedule information, or a changeover switch may be connected to the group management controllers 40a, 40b and the changeover switch may switch the setting depending on an increase or decrease in the number of passengers. Alternatively, the number of passengers in the elevator 10 may be estimated based on the load amount on the inside of the car 11, and car call operation using the destination floor registration button may be automatically switched between enabling and disabling based on this estimated value.

[0128] In the first and second embodiments described above, the number of users for each time period may be estimated based on the past usage status of the elevator 10, and a mode switching schedule for the assigned car determination unit 432a for each time period may be determined based on the estimated value. In this case, the mode switching unit 435 switches the operation mode of the assigned car determination unit 432a in accordance with the determined mode switching schedule.

[0129] In the first and second embodiments described above, at least one of a display device and a speaker device may be installed as an output device at a landing at a floor where both up / down calls and landing destination calls can be operated, and the assigned car determination units 432a, 432b may output information on the destination floor of the car that will respond to the landing destination call from these devices. By outputting information on the destination floor of the car that will respond to the landing destination call in this way, when a user of an up / down call recognizes that a landing destination call with the same floor as their destination floor has been registered, they can use the car 11 that responded to this landing destination call without operating an up / down call.

[0130] 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 novel embodiments can be embodied 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, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS 1a, 1b... elevator group management control system, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C... elevator, 11A, 11B, 11C... car, 12, 12A, 12B, 12C... car number control device, 20, 20-1 to 20-m... hall call button, 30... user terminal, 40a, 40b... group management control device, 41... wireless communication unit, 42... hall call registration unit, 43... CPU, 431... elevator information acquisition unit, 432a, 432b... assigned car determination unit, 433... assignment information output unit, 434... number of users acquisition unit, 435... mode switching unit

Claims

1. Group management of multiple elevators in a building a platform call registration unit that registers information on up / down direction calls that are platform calls that specify a destination direction and information on platform destination calls that are platform calls that specify a destination floor, which have occurred on any floor of the building; an assigned car determination unit that performs processing to assign an elevator car to respond to the hall call registered in the hall call registration unit; a user number acquisition unit that acquires the number of users of the plurality of elevators during a predetermined period; an elevator group management control device comprising: a mode switching unit that switches the assigned car determination unit between an operation mode that allows the same car to be assigned to the up / down direction calls and the hall destination calls, and an operation mode that assigns different cars to the up / down direction calls and the hall destination calls, based on the number of users.

2. the user number acquisition unit acquires the total number of users of the plurality of elevators in a predetermined period and the number of up- and down-direction call users who use the elevators by the up- and down-direction calls, The mode switching unit When the total number of users is less than a predetermined first threshold, the assigned car determination unit is set to an integrated mode, which is an operation mode for performing the assignment process so that all users heading in the same direction from a hall on the same floor are allowed to board the same car; When the total number of users is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and the number of users of up-down direction calls is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold value, the assigned car determination unit is set to a separation mode, which is an operation mode in which different cars are assigned to the up-down direction calls and the hall destination calls, 2. The elevator group management control device according to claim 1, wherein when the total number of users is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and the number of users for up and down calls is less than the second threshold value, the assigned car determination unit is set to a mixed mode which is an operating mode for performing the assignment process by allowing the same car to be assigned to the up and down calls and the hall destination calls.

3. The elevator group management control device according to claim 1 , wherein the hall call registration unit registers a hall destination call generated by an operation performed on a mobile terminal carried by a user.

4. The elevator group management control device according to claim 1 , wherein the hall destination call is set to be valid for registration at a preset floor in the building.

5. The elevator group management control device according to claim 1, wherein the elevators invalidate a car call operation performed in a car assigned only to the hall destination call.

6. 6. The elevator group management control device according to claim 5, wherein when the plurality of elevators detect that a car call operation has been performed in a car for which car call operation has been disabled, the elevators output notification information urging the passenger to board a car of another elevator.

7. 2. The elevator group management control device according to claim 1, wherein the elevators set car call operations executed in all of the elevator cars to be valid when the total number of users in a predetermined period is less than a predetermined third threshold.

8. 2. The elevator group management control device according to claim 1, wherein the assigned car determination unit outputs information about a destination floor of the car that is to respond to the hall destination call from an output device installed on a registered floor of the hall destination call.

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