Human flow management system and human flow management methods

Abstract

To alleviate congestion caused by the concentration of building users in elevators at different times of the day by appropriately adjusting and encouraging changes in user behavior.SOLUTION: A system acquires human flow data representing values as actual measurements of the number of users, and calculates a plurality of shift specifications using the acquired human flow data. For each of the plurality of shift specifications, the system calculates an estimate of the number of users after the elevator usage time change according to that shift specification, calculates a reduction evaluation value, which is the reduction in the number of elevator users itself or a value based on such reduction, from the measured and estimated values, and calculates a shift evaluation value, which is a value based on the amount of behavioral change itself or the amount of such behavioral change due to a change in the elevator usage time of users. The system selects a shift use based on the reduction and shift evaluation values for each shift use and outputs change information representing the selected shift specification.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a people flow management system and a people flow management method for managing the flow of people inside a building having multiple floors. [Background technology]

[0002] Elevators are a vertical transportation system within a building that must efficiently and safely transport passengers from their departure floor to their destination floor. In large buildings, elevators are efficiently operated through elevator group management, which manages multiple elevators as a single group.

[0003] In recent years, with the population concentrating in cities, buildings have become taller and larger-scale complexes have been constructed, which has resulted in a concentration of elevators during commuting and lunchtime, leading to congestion in elevator halls and cars and increased waiting times.As a result, this has created issues for building users, such as psychological stress due to crowding, wasted time due to waiting, and, in situations where infectious diseases such as the recent COVID-19 outbreak are spreading, the risk of infection due to users being in close proximity to each other.

[0004] As a technology for alleviating congestion in elevators, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology that outputs information on changes to elevator usage times to a display device for elevator users based on the usage status of the elevator.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2, for example, describes a technology for diagnosing elevator operations and selecting improvement measures. When the number of elevator users is high, the technology evaluates the effect of the improvement and changes in users' behavior, and then selects improvement measures such as implementing staggered work hours. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-108189 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-70564 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, elevator users are required to change their behavior by changing the times they use the elevator, but it is not easy to encourage this behavioral change because there is generally a psychological bias to want to maintain the status quo.

[0008] Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 2 evaluates multiple improvement measures through relative comparison, so when focusing on a specific improvement measure (e.g., staggered work hours), it is difficult to specifically evaluate what conditions are favorable for that specific improvement measure.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to alleviate congestion that occurs when users in a building concentrate in elevators at certain times, such as during work hours or lunchtime, by appropriately adjusting and encouraging changes in users' behavior. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The system acquires people flow data representing actual measured values ​​of the number of users and calculates one or more shift specifications using the acquired people flow data.For each of the one or more shift specifications, the system calculates an estimated value of the number of users after the elevator use time is changed in accordance with the shift specification, calculates the reduction amount of the elevator use number itself or a value based on that reduction amount from the actual measured value and the estimated value, and calculates a shift evaluation value which is the amount of change in users' behavior due to the change in elevator use time itself or a value based on that behavior change.The system selects a shift specification from one or more shift specifications based on the reduction evaluation value and shift evaluation value of each shift specification, and outputs change information representing the selected shift specification. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to alleviate congestion that occurs when users in a building concentrate in elevators at certain times, such as during work hours or lunchtime, by appropriately adjusting and encouraging changes in users' behavior. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a functional block diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of a people flow management system according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing the overall processing according to an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first candidate selection process performed by a candidate selection unit in an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the concept of a first candidate selection method according to an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the concept of a first candidate selection method according to an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first candidate selection method according to an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the processing performed by an evaluation value calculation unit in one embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the processing performed by an implementation condition setting unit in one embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a table of time shift implementation cases according to an embodiment of the people flow management system of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an output from a candidate output unit in an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of data on people flow moving between floors in a building according to an embodiment of the people flow management system of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second candidate selection process performed by a candidate selection unit in an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second candidate selection method according to an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a third candidate selection process performed by a candidate selection unit in an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a third candidate selection method according to an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] In the following description, an "interface apparatus" may refer to one or more interface devices, which may be at least one of the following: One or more I / O (Input / Output) interface devices. The I / O (Input / Output) interface devices are interface devices for at least one of the I / O devices and a remote display computer. The I / O interface device for the display computer may be a communications interface device. The at least one I / O device may be a user interface device, for example, either an input device such as a keyboard and a pointing device, or an output device such as a display device. One or more communication interface devices. The one or more communication interface devices may be one or more homogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more heterogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., an NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)).

[0014] In the following description, "memory" refers to one or more memory devices, typically a primary storage device. At least one of the memory devices may be a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device.

[0015] In the following description, a "persistent storage device" may refer to one or more persistent storage devices, which are an example of one or more storage devices. A persistent storage device may typically be a non-volatile storage device (e.g., an auxiliary storage device), and more specifically, may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a non-volatile memory express (NVME) drive, or a storage class memory (SCM).

[0016] In the following description, the term "storage device" may refer to at least a persistent storage device, including a memory and a persistent storage device.

[0017] Furthermore, in the following description, a "processor" may refer to one or more processor devices. The at least one processor device may typically be a microprocessor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also be another type of processor device such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The at least one processor device may be a single-core or multi-core. The at least one processor device may also be a processor core. The at least one processor device may also be a processor device in a broader sense, such as a circuit that is a collection of gate arrays written in a hardware description language that performs some or all of the processing (for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)).

[0018] In the following description, data (information) that produces an output in response to an input may be described using expressions such as "xxx database" or "xxx table." However, this data (information) may be data of any structure, or may be a learning model such as a neural network, genetic algorithm, or random forest that generates an output in response to an input. Therefore, "xxx database" or "xxx table" may be referred to as "xxx data" ("xxx information"). In the following description, one database (or one table) may be divided into two or more databases (or two or more tables), or all or part of two or more databases (or two or more tables) may be one database (or one table).

[0019] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] First, an example of the main concept of an embodiment of a people flow management system according to the present invention will be described.

[0021] The first objective is to alleviate congestion that occurs when building users concentrate in elevators at certain times, such as during commutes and lunchtimes, by appropriately adjusting and encouraging changes in user behavior.

[0022] In this embodiment, "change in user behavior" refers to shifting the time (time period) of a user's travel. A user's "behavior" includes the user's "travel," which includes using an elevator to travel from a departure floor to a destination floor. In the explanation of this embodiment, shifting a user's travel time (travel time period) is called "time shift," based on the term "peak shift" used to alleviate congestion. The arrival time (start time), lunch time (lunch break), and departure time (end time) of tenants or users on each floor of a building are shifted forward or backward in time (to the past or future).

[0023] The specifications for this time shift are determined by considering the balance between dispersing congestion within the building and reducing the burden on users. Time shifts disperse the concentration of users in the same time period, but from the user's perspective, the burden of changing behavior (including psychological burden, for example) increases because travel times are changed from the usual times, so it is important to consider reducing this burden as well.

[0024] Therefore, one solution is to select the shift specifications for time shifting based on the results of an evaluation of both the reduction in peak user numbers during congestion due to the time shift (a positive effect, which is an example of an effect cost) and the burden of user behavior changes associated with the time shift (a negative effect, which is an example of a side effect cost). In the above, the former (effect cost) corresponds to an index for optimization for the entire building, and the latter (side effect cost) corresponds to an index for optimization for individual user needs. Selecting a solution that balances both the overall and individual needs using the above method results in the selection of an appropriate shift specification. This is one of the key features of the people flow management system of this embodiment. Note that a "shift specification" is a combination of parameters related to time shifting. Examples of such parameters include the time shift direction (whether to shift to the past or the future), the time shift amount (the length of the shift, i.e., the amount of behavioral change), and the floor on which the shift is performed. In this embodiment, in addition to travel time (travel time slots), there is also a "congested time slot," which is a time slot longer than travel time and during which user congestion occurs. The length of the congested time slot can be set to any length desired by the administrator.

[0025] This embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the overall configuration of an embodiment of a people flow management system according to the present invention.

[0027] The people flow management system 03 is outlined as follows. Specifically, the people flow management system 03 performs a simulation of the reduction in peak numbers of people by implementing a time shift based on people flow data within the building. The people flow management system 03 uses the behavior change amount and the reduction in peak numbers of people due to the time shift as evaluation indicators to select candidate time shift specifications suitable for the building's conditions, and presents the results (selected candidate shift specifications) to the manager (e.g., the building owner). Here, the "change in behavior due to the time shift" basically refers to the change in users' travel time (more precisely, the time of travel (e.g., the start time of a time slot)) or the change in elevator usage time, which is the amount of time to be shifted, i.e., the shift amount (behavior change amount). Furthermore, the "peak number of people" refers to the maximum number of people moving within the building (maximum number of elevator users) during a targeted busy time slot, such as during the commute to work. The "reduction amount" refers to the reduction in peak numbers of people before and after implementing a time shift. In this embodiment, the "reduction amount" refers to the reduction in peak numbers of people, but it may also refer to the reduction in the number of users other than peak numbers (e.g., the number of users during any time slot). Furthermore, the number of users before the time shift may be an actually measured value (for example, a value obtained from people flow data), and the number of users after the time shift may be an estimated value.

[0028] First, in Figure 1, elevator system 01 and sensor system 02 are systems that collect data on the number of people moving within a building (people flow data within a building). Elevator system 01 is a single or multiple elevators or an elevator group management system that collects elevator operation data from these. From this operation data, the number of people moving at each departure floor and destination floor can be obtained based on hall calls, car calls, sensors that detect people in the car (such as load sensors), and destination floor calls. Sensor system 02 includes one or more sensors used to estimate the number of people in the building. The sensors may be image sensors installed on the lobby floor, building entrance gates, elevator landings on each floor, corridors, office floors, etc., or sensors that detect people such as those used for personal authentication and are installed on each floor and location. Based on the data from elevator system 01 and sensor system 02, people flow management system 03 can calculate (estimate) the number of people moving within the building. The elevator system 01 and the sensor system 02 may be an example of a data source system for calculation data (data related to the number of people in an elevator or building) that is data used to calculate the number of people moving. In the data source system, either the elevator system 01 or the sensor system 02 may be absent, or at least one of the systems 01 and 02 may be a different system.

[0029] Using such calculation data, the people flow management system 03 estimates the specifications of a time shift (parameters such as the floor where the time shift is performed and the time of change) that will appropriately disperse congestion, and the estimated results of the time shift, and presents the estimated information to a manager (for example, a related party such as the building owner or tenant). The configuration of the people flow management system 03 will be described below.

[0030] The people flow management system 03 comprises an interface device 51, a storage device 52 and a processor 53 connected thereto.

[0031] Through the interface device 51, communication with external devices such as the elevator system 01, the sensor system 02, the manager device 04, and the display device 05 is performed.

[0032] The storage device 52 stores information and computer programs. The information includes, for example, an evaluation function database 036, which is a database of evaluation functions, and a selection method database 038, which is a database of selection methods.

[0033] When the processor 53 executes the computer program, functions such as a movement number calculation unit 031, an implementation condition setting unit 032, a table creation unit 033, a simulation calculation unit 034, an evaluation value calculation unit 035, a candidate selection unit 037, an operation calculation unit 039, a candidate output unit 03a, a specification determination unit 03b, and an information output unit 03c are realized.

[0034] The moving number calculation unit 031 uses the people flow data collected from the elevator system 01 and the sensor system 02 to calculate time-series data on the number of building users moving between each floor in the building.

[0035] The implementation condition setting unit 032 sets the implementation conditions (shift specification conditions) for the time shift to be implemented in the building. This is a process of narrowing down the time shift specifications to a certain range based on the wishes of the building owner or tenant. For example, the implementation conditions are conditions related to each of one or more parameters in the shift specification (e.g., limiting the number of floors on which time shifting is implemented to three or less, limiting the shift time to within 30 minutes before or after). Here, the time shift implementation conditions are input to the implementation condition setting unit 032 by an administrator such as a building owner or tenant via the administrator device 04. The administrator device 04 is an information processing terminal of the administrator (e.g., a personal computer or smartphone).

[0036] The table creation unit 033 creates a table showing the case (or cases) for implementing time shifting based on the implementation conditions set by the implementation condition setting unit 032. Each time shifting implementation case is defined by conditions such as the specific floors on which the time shifting will be implemented (e.g., the 6th and 8th floors, etc.) and the shift time for each floor (e.g., delaying the 6th floor by 15 minutes). Therefore, the cases referred to here correspond to at least a part of the shift specifications. A specific example of the table will be described later with reference to FIG. 8.

[0037] The simulation calculation unit 034 performs a simulation of the implementation of time shifting for each case using the time-series data of the number of people moving on each floor and the specifications of the time shifting implementation case. The specific method of this simulation will be described later.

[0038] The evaluation value calculation unit 035 calculates an evaluation value for the evaluation index for each time shift implementation case using the time shift specifications and the results of a simulation of time shift implementation for that case. Here, there are two types of evaluation indexes: (1) an evaluation index for the length of time changed by the time shift, and (2) an evaluation index for the amount of reduction in the number of people at peak times before and after the time shift. The evaluation function for each index is an evaluation function stored in the evaluation function database 036. Specific examples of evaluation functions, such as the evaluation function for the amount of time shift, will be explained later in the explanation of FIG. 6.

[0039] The candidate selection unit 037 selects candidate time shift specifications suitable for implementation in a target building based on the selection method (e.g., selection rules) stored in the selection method database 038. This selection method is one of the important elements. The "time shift amount" is the length of time changed by the time shift. For example, if the lunch start time of 12:00 is changed to 12:15 by the time shift, the time shift amount will be "+15 minutes." The candidate selection unit 037 uses the evaluation function and the evaluation function for the peak number of people reduction amount to select as an appropriate candidate a time shift (shift specification) that has the greatest effect on reducing the number of people at peak times and has the smallest time shift amount corresponding to the amount of change in user behavior.

[0040] The operation calculation unit 039 uses data on the number of people moving on each floor of the selected time shift candidate to perform elevator operation calculations (simulation calculations for elevator operation) when the time shift is implemented.

[0041] The candidate output unit 03a outputs (typically displays) information representing time shift implementation candidates (shift specification candidates) and the results of operation calculations to the administrator device 04. Based on the time shift implementation candidates (typically multiple candidates) represented by the output information and the results of the peak number of passengers reduction and operation performance, the administrator (e.g., building owner, building tenant) selects the time shift that the administrator desires. An example of the output display will be described later with reference to FIG. 9.

[0042] The specification determination unit 03b detects final candidates, which are time shift candidates (shift specification candidates) selected by the manager, and determines the specifications of the time shift (floor to shift, shift time, etc.) to be implemented in the target building (the building) based on the final candidates. For example, the shift specification as the final candidate is the shift specification to be determined.

[0043] To implement the determined time shift specifications in the target building, the information output unit 03c outputs advance guidance information regarding the implementation of the time shift (an example of change information indicating the shift specifications) to the display device 05. The guidance information output here may include information indicating the determined shift specifications (e.g., the floor on which the time shift is implemented, the shift time, and the time of the shift), and may further include information indicating the effect of the time shift on reducing peak numbers and improving elevator operation conditions. The display device 05 may be a guidance display device such as a digital signage device installed on at least one floor (e.g., the lobby floor) in the building, an information display device installed in the elevator hall, or an information display device in the elevator car. In this way, time shift information is provided to users via the display device 05 in the building, which results in appropriate behavioral changes for users and allows users in the building to smoothly implement the determined time shift (reducing the burden of behavioral changes on users).

[0044] As described above, the people flow management system 03 shown in Figure 1 allows the manager to select the time shift specifications that he or she deems appropriate for the target building by combining an evaluation function for the amount of time shift that will result in a burden of behavioral change (negative impact) for users and an evaluation function for the amount of peak number of people reduction (positive effect) that will improve congestion throughout the building. For example, from the users' perspective, a shift specification that results in a smaller amount of behavioral change from the current situation will alleviate congestion throughout the building, and from the building owner's perspective, it is possible to reduce congestion during work hours and lunchtimes while reducing the burden on users and tenants, which is expected to increase user and tenant satisfaction.

[0045] In this embodiment, the people flow management system 03 is a physical computer system (one or more physical computers), but it may alternatively be a logical computer system (e.g., a virtual computer, a container, or a system as a cloud computing service) realized on a physical computer system (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0046] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the overall processing by the people flow management system 03.

[0047] First, the implementation condition setting unit 032 sets the time shift conditions (shift specification conditions) (ST01). Next, the table creation unit 033 creates a table of time shift implementation cases based on the time shift conditions set in ST01 (ST02). This table will be like the example table in FIG. 8, which will be described later. Furthermore, based on this created table, the table creation unit 033 creates data for the time shift implementation cases (ST03). This data is data extracted from the specifications of each case described in the table. For example, this data may be data indicating the floors on which time shifting is performed and the amount of time shifting for each floor.

[0048] Next, the simulation calculation unit 034 performs a simulation of time shift implementation for each time shift case using the people flow data (data calculated by the moving number calculation unit 031) and the data of the time shift implementation case (data created in ST02 and ST03) (ST04). This is a process of performing a simulation of time shift implementation for the time series data of the number of people moving within the building (an example is shown in FIG. 10) based on the time shift data of each case.

[0049] When the calculation for the time shift implementation for the target case is completed, the evaluation value calculation unit 035 calculates an evaluation value for the result (ST05). As already mentioned, this evaluation value is an evaluation value for two evaluation indexes: (1) an evaluation index for the time shift and (2) an evaluation index for the reduction in the number of people at the peak before and after the time shift.

[0050] Next, the evaluation value calculation unit 035 determines whether or not all the time shift implementation cases have been calculated (ST06). If the determination result in ST06 is No, ST03 is subsequently executed for the remaining cases.

[0051] If the determination result in ST06 is true (Yes), the candidate selection unit 037 selects candidates for time shifting to be implemented based on the evaluation values ​​for the two calculated evaluation indexes (ST07). As described above, this selection method is an important element. In accordance with the selection method, the candidate selection unit 037 selects candidates for time shifting that reduce the amount of time shifting, which is the magnitude of the change in user behavior, and increase the amount of reduction in the number of people at peak times, which aims to alleviate congestion throughout the building. An example of the selection method will be described later using FIG. 3, etc.

[0052] Subsequently, the operation calculation unit 039 performs elevator operation calculation based on the number of people moving for the selected time shift candidate (ST08).

[0053] Then, the candidate output unit 03a outputs information on the time shift of the candidate for implementation and information on the operation calculation result to the administrator device 04 (ST09).

[0054] The specification determination unit 03b determines the candidate selected by the manager based on the output information on the implementation candidates as the time shift to be implemented in the target building (ST10). Finally, the information output unit 03c outputs information on the implementation of the determined time shift to the display device 05 in the building (ST11).

[0055] As described above, using the flowchart shown in Figure 2, it is possible to select appropriate time shift candidates for a target building based on data on the number of people moving within the building, and on two evaluation indicators (evaluation perspectives): the evaluation indicator of the amount of time shift, which indicates the degree of burden on users, and an evaluation index that follows the evaluation perspective of the amount of reduction in peak numbers of people, which will alleviate congestion in the building.Furthermore, by selecting the best candidate, the administrator can determine and implement the time shift specifications that are most suitable for the building.

[0056] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the first candidate selection process performed by the candidate selection unit 037. Note that the "candidate selection process" is a process as an implementation of the candidate selection method.

[0057] The key point of the process shown in Figure 3 is the selection of time shift candidates based on two evaluation indices: the amount of time shift and the reduction in the number of people at the peak. This is a method for quantitatively selecting time shift candidates that will achieve a large reduction in the number of people at the peak with a small amount of time shift, by evaluating the reduction in the number of people at the peak with respect to the amount of time shift as an index.

[0058] First, the candidate selection unit 037 receives a shift evaluation value, which is an evaluation value for the time shift amount (behavior change amount), and a reduction evaluation value, which is an evaluation value for the amount of reduction in the peak number of people due to the time shift, from the evaluation value calculation unit 035. The shift evaluation value may be an evaluation value for the time shift amount (behavior change amount) itself, or may be an evaluation value based on the time shift amount (behavior change amount). The reduction evaluation value may be an evaluation value for the reduction amount itself, or may be an evaluation value based on the reduction amount.

[0059] The candidate selection unit 037 uses the above two evaluation values ​​to calculate an index representing the reduction in the number of people at the peak per unit amount of time shift (reference numeral 0371). This index is calculated, for example, by the following formula: Index = Peak number of people reduction / Time shift amount (1)

[0060] The index in equation (1) represents the gain (slope) of the reduction in the number of peak passengers relative to the amount of time shift. In other words, the larger this index, the greater the reduction in the number of peak passengers that can be achieved with a smaller amount of time shift. In other words, this index indicates that a greater congestion relief effect can be achieved with a smaller burden on users. In other words, this index is like an "efficiency" index for the peak passenger reduction effect of the amount of time shift. Therefore, by selecting time shift candidates based on this index, it is possible to select a time shift specification that has a small amount of time shift and a large reduction in the number of peak passengers.

[0061] On the other hand, since this index only shows the slope as detailed in Figure 5, it may select a case where the slope is large but the reduction in the number of peak passengers is small.

[0062] Therefore, the candidate selection unit 037 sets a threshold value (reference numeral 0372). Specifically, for example, the candidate selection unit 037 receives a threshold value for the amount of reduction in the peak number of people from the administrator, sets the threshold value in the storage device 52, selects a time shift case in which the amount of reduction in the peak number of people is equal to or greater than the threshold value, and calculates the index of formula (1). This makes it possible to select a time shift case in which the amount of reduction in the peak number of people is equal to or greater than the threshold value and in which the gain in the amount of reduction in the peak number of people per amount of time shift is large.

[0063] The candidate selection unit 037 selects the top N cases (for example, the top three cases) with the highest index of formula (1) among the cases where the reduction in the number of people at peak is equal to or greater than the threshold value as candidates (reference numeral 0373). Data of the selected cases is sent to the operation calculation unit 039 and the candidate output unit 03a.

[0064] The candidate selection unit 037 evaluates each case of time shift using the gain in the reduction in the peak number of people per time shift as an index, and can select a case of time shift that satisfies the desirable conditions of a smaller time shift amount and a larger reduction in the peak number of people. As a result, it is possible to select a case of time shift that reduces the load caused by changes in user behavior and further alleviates congestion in the entire building.

[0065] The first candidate selection process shown in Fig. 3 is particularly effective when the peak number of people during busy times is large and efficient reduction of the peak number of people is a priority. For example, the first candidate selection process is effective when the lunch break time is limited, such as during the lunch rush, and the time shift amount is highly constrained. During the constrained lunchtime hours, a smaller time shift amount is required to achieve a greater effect in reducing the peak number of people, so the time shift candidate selection process shown in Fig. 3 is more effective.

[0066] In terms of building type, the first candidate selection process is particularly effective in tenant office buildings with multiple tenants (multi-tenant office buildings). This is because when there are multiple tenants, it is important to reduce the number of people at peak hours effectively with a smaller amount of time shifting, from the perspective of fairness among tenants and to gain tenant understanding regarding the implementation of time shifting, and the first process shown in Figure 3 is considered to be suitable.

[0067] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing an example of the concept of the first candidate selection method.

[0068] When selecting time shift candidates, evaluation is performed according to a two-axis Cartesian coordinate system consisting of the first axis representing the evaluation value of the amount of time shift and the second axis (coordinate orthogonal to the first axis) representing the evaluation value of the reduction in peak passenger numbers due to time shift.This approach makes it possible to select a time shift case that is well-balanced for the building in terms of the two evaluation indicators, which are a trade-off between user load and alleviating congestion in the entire building.

[0069] Specifically, FIG. 4A is a graph with two coordinate axes, with the horizontal axis A01 representing the evaluation value for the amount of time shift and the vertical axis A02 representing the evaluation value for the reduction in the number of people at the peak due to the time shift. Point A03 in the graph corresponds to a case for the time shift and indicates the evaluation of that case (the evaluation value for the amount of time shift and the evaluation value for the reduction in the number of people at the peak). Point A03 and the case correspond one-to-one. For example, for a certain time shift case, the amount of time shift is calculated from the time shift specifications, and the reduction in the number of people at the peak is also calculated by a time shift simulation. Therefore, a point like point A03 can be plotted from these two evaluation values.

[0070] As can be seen from the points in each case in the graph of Figure 4A, the larger the time shift amount, the more the users on each floor are dispersed over time, and the greater the reduction in the peak number of people tends to be.

[0071] For these characteristics, if we define a boundary line A05 that separates areas with small and large time shift amounts, and a boundary line A06 that separates areas with small and large peak headcount reduction amounts, as shown in Figure 4B, the desirable time shift area is the area indicated by symbol A07, that is, the area with small time shift amounts and large peak headcount reduction amounts. Selecting a time shift case that falls into this area is one key point in selecting time shift candidates. One such selection method is the method described with reference to Figure 3, and its details are shown in the graph in Figure 5.

[0072] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a candidate selection method performed by the candidate selection unit 037. As shown in FIG.

[0073] The horizontal and vertical axes of the graph in Figure 5 are the same as those of the graphs in Figures 4A and 4B, and the plotted point clouds of the results for each case of time shift are also the same as those of the graphs in Figures 4A and 4B.

[0074] In the graph of Fig. 5, a line A08 representing the lower limit of the reduction in the number of people at the peak is set, and the area where the reduction in the number of people at the peak is greater than this line is selected. This lower limit is set in the threshold setting (reference numeral 0372) in Fig. 3.

[0075] Furthermore, for each case in the range where the reduction in the number of peak visitors is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the candidate selection unit 037 calculates an index (the index of formula (1)) that represents the reduction in the number of peak visitors per unit amount of time shift. This index corresponds to the slope from point A09 (point of current state) that represents the state before the time shift is implemented; for example, for point A10, line A11 corresponds to the line that represents this slope. As already mentioned, the greater this slope (absolute value of the slope), the greater the increase in the reduction in the number of peak visitors relative to an increase in the amount of time shift, and a greater reduction in the number of peak visitors can be achieved with a smaller amount of time shift.

[0076] In the example shown in Figure 5, the case corresponding to point A10 is the case with the steepest slope and is the most desirable case. Similarly, if the top three cases with steepest slopes are selected from among the cases that satisfy the peak number of people reduction amount, the cases with the first, second, and third black dots, as shown by symbol A12, are selected. These become candidates for time shift (shift specification).

[0077] When the selection results are compared with the desired time shift region (A07) in Figure 4B, the two cases belonging to the desired time shift region are both selected as the first and second places, indicating that the candidate selection method described in Figure 3 is an appropriate selection method.

[0078] As explained above in FIG. 5, the candidate selection unit 037 first selects cases in which the reduction in the number of peak visitors is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and then selects candidates in order of increasing gain (gradient) of the reduction in the number of peak visitors relative to the amount of time shift (larger index in formula (1)). This allows the selection of cases in the desirable range shown in FIG. 4B. As a result, it is possible to select a time shift case that reduces the load caused by changes in user behavior and further alleviates congestion throughout the building.

[0079] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the process performed by the evaluation value calculation unit 035.

[0080] The key point of the process shown in Figure 6 is to calculate an evaluation value for selecting candidates from each case defined in the time shift specification. This evaluation value is calculated using evaluation functions (described later) for the two evaluation indexes already mentioned (i.e., the evaluation index for the amount of time shift and the evaluation index for the amount of reduction in the number of people at the peak). Figure 6 will be explained below.

[0081] The evaluation value calculation unit 035 receives time shift specification data (table) from the table creation unit 033 and peak number of people data before and after time shift implementation from the simulation calculation unit 034. In addition, data for the evaluation function of each index is input from the evaluation function database 036.

[0082] Based on these, the evaluation value calculation unit 035 calculates an evaluation value for the amount of time shift (reference numeral 0351). This evaluation value for the amount of time shift represents the magnitude of the burden caused by the change in behavior, since the building users are forced to change their previously scheduled daily activity times, such as when commuting to work or during lunch. The greater the length of the time change implemented by the time shift, the greater the burden is considered to be, so the evaluation value for the amount of time shift is basically calculated as the total length of the change in time due to the time shift.

[0083] Below are examples of evaluation functions for finding evaluation values ​​for time shift amounts. These evaluation functions are stored in the evaluation function database 036, and an appropriate evaluation function is applied according to the requirements of the target building.

[0084] <Calculated as the total shift time (length of time change) for each floor where time shifts are implemented> F(i)=Σ | Length of time changed by time shift of order f | (2) Here, F is the evaluation function for the amount of time shift, i is the time shift case number, and f is the floor number where the time shift is performed. Σ represents the sum for floor f. The length of the time change is negative if the change is advanced (time is advanced), and positive if the change is delayed (time is delayed).

[0085] <Calculated as the total of the shift time and the number of people affected> F(i)=Σ | (length of time changed by time shift of order f) × (number of users on floor f) |···(3) Here, F,i,f,Σ,the length of time to be changed,represents the same content as in equation (2).

[0086] <Calculated by multiplying the shift time for each floor where the time shift is performed by the weight of the shift direction> F(i)=Σ | (length of time changed by time shift of order f) × (weighting coefficient for the time shift direction (f)) | (4) Here, F,i,f,Σ, and the length of time to be changed represent the same content as in equation (2). The "direction of time shift" indicates whether the time change is in the forward or backward direction. The weighting coefficient for the direction of time shift changes depending on whether it is in the forward or backward direction. For example, if it is considered that a change in the forward direction (advancing time) is more burdensome for users, the weighting coefficient for the forward direction should be set to 1.2 and the weighting coefficient for the backward direction should be set to 1.0. This setting makes it less likely that a time shift in the forward direction will be selected.

[0087] <Calculated as the sum of (shift time for each floor where time shifts are implemented) x (shift time weight)> F(i)=Σ | (length of time changed by time shift of order f) × (weighting factor for the length of time to be changed) | (5) Here, F,i,f,Σ, and the length of time to be changed represent the same content as in equation (2). The "weighting coefficient for the length of time to be changed" is a weighting coefficient that is increased as the length of time to be changed increases, assuming that the user's load is greater. For example, if the length of time to be changed is 15 minutes or less, the weighting coefficient is set to 1.0, and if it exceeds 15 minutes, the weighting coefficient is set to 1.2. This setting makes it possible to prevent time shift cases with longer change lengths from being selected.

[0088] To explain the characteristics of each of the above evaluation functions, the evaluation function in formula (2) shows that the longer the length of time changed by time shifting and the more floors on which time shifting is performed, the larger the evaluation value becomes, and the greater the burden (stress) on users due to time shifting. This evaluation function in formula (2) is a simple expression that represents the total burden of behavioral changes due to time shifting for the entire building.

[0089] The evaluation function in equation (3) is an evaluation function that takes into account the number of people on each floor who will be affected by the time shift in addition to the evaluation function in equation (2). For example, if a time shift is implemented on a floor with a large number of people, the evaluation value of equation (3) will increase by the number of people. For this reason, a time shift case will be selected that will affect fewer people in the entire building and shorten the length of the change in time.

[0090] The evaluation function in equation (4) is a function that evaluates the evaluation function in equation (2) by taking into account the direction of the change in time due to time shift. In particular, when commuting to work in the morning, changing the time in an advanced direction (moving the start time earlier) places a greater burden on users, so this can be taken into account in the evaluation. Basically, it is considered that delaying the time is less of a burden on users than moving it earlier, so it is better to use a larger weighting coefficient for the advanced direction.

[0091] The evaluation function in equation (5) is an evaluation function that further considers the burden on users due to the length of time change caused by time shifting in addition to the evaluation function in equation (2). For example, if two floors are shifted by 15 minutes and one floor is shifted by 30 minutes, the latter is likely to cause a greater burden on users because the change is longer. Taking this into account, the evaluation function in equation (5) is multiplied by a weighting coefficient for the length of the change. With this evaluation function, time shifts with shorter change times are evaluated more highly. For example, the weighting coefficient could be set to 1.0 if the absolute value of the shift time is 15 minutes or less, 1.2 if it is over 15 minutes, and 1.5 if it is over 30 minutes.

[0092] In the above, the evaluation functions for the amount of time shift in equations (2) to (5) are each used individually, but they may be combined. For example, by combining the evaluation functions in equations (3) and (4), it is possible to evaluate the number of people affected by the time shift and the influence of the direction of the time shift in combination.

[0093] Next, the evaluation value calculation unit 035 calculates an evaluation value for the reduction in the number of people at the peak using the peak number of people data before and after the time shift (reference numeral 0352). This is an evaluation value corresponding to the degree of congestion reduction effect due to the time shift.

[0094] Below are examples of evaluation functions for finding evaluation values ​​for the reduction in the number of people at peak times. These evaluation functions are stored in the evaluation function database 036, and an appropriate evaluation function is applied according to the requirements of the target building.

[0095] <Calculating the reduction in peak numbers before and after the time shift> G(i) = (maximum number of people after time shift case i is implemented) -(Maximum number of people before time shift)···(6) Here, G is the evaluation function for the reduction in the number of peak passengers, i is the time shift case number, and the maximum number of passengers represents the maximum number of people moving around the building and elevator users during the target time period (working hours, lunch hours, etc.).

[0096] <Calculating the ratio of reduction in peak number of people before and after the time shift> G(i) = [(maximum number of people after time shift case i) -(Maximum number of people before time shift) / (Maximum number of people before time shift)] ×100 (7) Here, G,i, and the maximum number of people represent the same content as in equation (6).

[0097] As described above, the example of the evaluation value calculation unit explained using Figure 6 makes it possible to properly evaluate the evaluation value for the time shift amount corresponding to the magnitude of the burden of behavioral change on users and the evaluation value for the peak number of people reduction representing the congestion dispersion effect due to the time shift.

[0098] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the processing performed by the implementation condition setting unit 032.

[0099] The implementation condition setting unit 032 sets conditions (parameters) such as the number of floors on which time shifting is to be implemented and the length of the shift time based on the wishes of the manager (e.g., building owner, building tenant). Furthermore, in addition to the specification conditions for time shifting, the implementation condition setting unit 032 can set selection conditions for time shifting implementation cases based on the effect of time shifting on reducing peak passenger numbers and elevator operation performance. The contents of Figure 7 are explained below.

[0100] The main implementation condition setting unit 032 receives input data such as people flow data and building specification data (floor configuration, tenant configuration, etc.), and two-way communication is carried out between the unit 032 and the administrator device 04, such as asking for and receiving requests.

[0101] First, the conditions for implementing the time shift are set. The implementation condition setting unit 032 sets the conditions for the length of the shift time to be implemented in the time shift (reference numeral 0321). Here, "length of shift time" refers to the length of time to be changed from the times set for the start time and lunch time (lunch break). For example, if lunch time is 12:00 and the time shift starts at 12:15, the length of the shift time is 15 minutes. Here, the setting condition for the length of time is set, for example, to "30 minutes or less." For this setting condition, the initial value is set in advance, and then the manager's preference is asked, and if there is a preference, the setting condition is set accordingly. For example, the initial value is set to "30 minutes or less."

[0102] The implementation condition setting unit 032 sets the condition for the number of floors on which time shifting is to be performed (reference numeral 0322). For example, "fourth floor or less" is set. This setting determines the upper limit of the floors on which time shifting is to be performed, and the implementation condition can be selected to be less than the upper limit. Regarding the condition for the number of floors, the implementation condition setting unit 032 sets the initial condition and then sets a condition according to the administrator's wishes, if any.

[0103] The implementation condition setting unit 032 sets a condition for the number of users who will implement time shifting (reference numeral 0323). For example, "less than 30% of all users in the building" is set. This setting determines the upper limit of the number of people who will implement time shifting, and the implementation condition can be selected so that it is below the upper limit. Regarding this number of people condition, the implementation condition setting unit 032 sets an initial condition and then sets a condition according to the administrator's wishes, if any.

[0104] The implementation condition setting unit 032 sets the range of time changes after the shift when implementing the time shift (reference numeral 0324). For example, in the case of a lunchtime time shift, the time range after the shift is set to "within the range of 11:00-13:30." This setting allows the time shift to be set within an appropriate time period that allows users to accept the change. For example, it is possible to eliminate undesirable cases such as setting lunchtime to 10:30. For the conditions of this time range, the implementation condition setting unit 032 sets the initial conditions and then sets conditions according to the administrator's wishes, if any.

[0105] This is the process for setting the conditions for implementing time shifting. This corresponds to setting the input conditions for time shifting. It also allows you to set conditions for the resulting output. This is used to select the conditions for implementing time shifting that will produce the desired results. This process is explained below.

[0106] The implementation condition setting unit 032 sets the necessary conditions for the amount of reduction in the number of people at peak hours due to time shifting (reference numeral 0352). For example, "a reduction ratio of 20% or more" is set. This setting makes it possible to set the effects required for time shifting and the effects desired by the manager (e.g., building owner), and to select only cases that satisfy the conditions. Regarding the conditions for this reduction in the number of people at peak hours, the implementation condition setting unit 032 sets initial conditions and then sets conditions according to the manager's wishes, if any. In particular, for the amount of reduction in the number of people at peak hours, the initial condition is, for example, "a reduction of 20% or more."

[0107] The implementation condition setting unit 032 sets the necessary conditions for the elevator operation performance due to the time shift (reference numeral 0326). For example, "20% reduction in average waiting time" or "average waiting time of 30 seconds or less" is set. The conditions for the elevator operation performance are determined based on the results calculated as estimated values ​​by simulation calculation in the operation calculation unit 039. For the conditions for the operation performance, the implementation condition setting unit 032 sets the initial conditions and then sets conditions according to the manager's wishes, if any.

[0108] Information on each condition set by the above processing is sent to the table creation unit 033 and further to the time shift candidate selection unit 037 .

[0109] The conditions related to time shifting explained in Fig. 7 are used in the selection of implementation cases in the table creation unit 033, and further in the selection of time shift candidates in the candidate selection unit 037. In particular, when selecting candidates for time shifting (shift specifications), the threshold value for the peak number of people reduction shown in Fig. 2, the implementation conditions for selection shown in Fig. 11, and the selection of specifications for selection shown in Fig. 13 are used as selection conditions when selecting candidates from time shifting cases. Furthermore, when creating a table of time shifting implementation cases, time shifting implementation cases are created within the range of the conditions set here.

[0110] As described above, the conditions related to time shifting explained in Fig. 7 make it possible to select an empirically appropriate case or a case desired by the manager from time shift implementation cases, which are combinations of conditions such as the floor where the shift is implemented and the length of the shift time. This selection process can be applied when initially narrowing down the time shift cases (table creation unit 033), and when making a selection after the results of the effect of reducing the number of people by time shifting have been obtained (time shift candidate selection unit 037).

[0111] 8 shows an example of a table of time shift implementation cases in an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention. This table of time shift implementation cases is created by the table creation unit 033.

[0112] This table T01 is created based on the implementation conditions set by the implementation condition setting unit 032 described in Fig. 7. Here, it is assumed that the following conditions are set as an example. The conditions for the configured time shift to take effect are: Number of floors where time shifting is performed: 3 floors

[0113] Furthermore, it is assumed that the three floors selected are the 3rd, 5th, and 8th floors. Shift duration: 0 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes

[0114] Because there are advance and delay directions, there are five cases: 0 minutes, ±15 minutes, and ±30 minutes.

[0115] Table T01 for time shift implementation cases is created based on the above conditions. This table T01 describes the floors to be time shifted and the shift times (length and direction of the time change). In this case, five shift times are set for each of the three floors, 3rd, 5th, and 8th: 0 minutes, ±15 minutes, and ±30 minutes, for a total of 125 (=5 cubed) time shift implementation cases. The sign of the shift time indicates the direction of the shift, with "+" indicating a shift in the direction of delaying time and "-" indicating a shift in the direction of advancement (slowing down) time.

[0116] From these multiple cases (125 cases in the example of Figure 8), a case is selected that will result in a small burden of changes in user behavior and a large effect in reducing peak numbers of people in the target building.

[0117] Conditions (parameters) for the target case are extracted from table T01 of the time shift implementation case in Figure 8, data for the time shift implementation case is created, and the status of the number of people moving after the shift is calculated by simulating the time shift implementation.

[0118] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the output of the candidate output unit 03a.

[0119] This output result shows the time shift specifications for the selected time shift implementation candidates and an estimate of the implementation results, and the administrator (e.g., building owner, building tenant) is asked to select the final implementation case from these output results.

[0120] The example in Figure 9 shows the top three selected candidates and the current situation. For the top three candidates, the output shows the time shift specifications consisting of the floors where the time shift will be implemented and the shift times, as well as the evaluation value of the amount of time shift explained in Figure 6 (corresponding to the magnitude of the burden of changes in user behavior), and the peak passenger number reduction rate, average waiting time reduction rate, and car congestion occurrence rate corresponding to the effect of the time shift.

[0121] For example, in the top candidate shown in Figure 9, the shift time for the third floor is 0 minutes (no time shift), the shift time for the fifth floor is +15 minutes, and the shift time for the sixth floor is -15 minutes, and the evaluation value of the amount of time shift is 30 minutes when using the evaluation function of the above-mentioned formula (2). Furthermore, regarding the effects of time shifting, a simulation calculation of time shifting (reference number 034) shows that the reduction rate of peak passenger numbers is 28%, and the results of the elevator operation calculation (reference number 039) show that the reduction rate of average waiting time is 21%, and the occurrence rate of crowded elevator cars is 35%.

[0122] The candidate output unit 03a outputs (presents) the content as shown in FIG. 9 to the administrator device 04, and the specification determination unit 03b accepts the selection of a candidate desired by the administrator from the administrator, and determines the selected candidate as the time shift specification to be implemented.

[0123] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of data on the flow of people moving between floors in a building in accordance with an embodiment of the people flow management system of the present invention.

[0124] 10 is data calculated by the moving person calculation unit 031. Based on this people flow data, the simulation calculation unit 034 performs a simulation calculation of the time shift based on the time shift implementation case.

[0125] Specifically, data B01 shown in FIG. 10 is time-series data of people flow (in terms of the number of people) moving from each floor of the building to the lobby floor, e.g., a table. Rows represent floors, with row components B02 for each departure floor (floors 7 to 2) and row components B03 for destination floors (lobby floor 1). Columns correspond to time elements (e.g., time periods), and in this case, the number of people moving every five minutes during the lunchtime period from 12:00 to 12:50 is shown. Because it is lunchtime, the flow of people moving from the general floors (floors 7 to 2) to the lobby floor (floor 1) is extracted, but people flow data from the lobby floor to the general floors may also be used. In other words, the people flow data represents the time series of people flow for each time period, and the "people flow" is the flow of people from the departure floor to the destination floor, with one departure floor and one destination floor and one or more destination floors.

[0126] In the example shown in FIG. 10, the target floor for time shifting is assumed to be the 6th floor (row B04). If the travel time of users on this 6th floor is shifted 15 minutes later by time shifting, the number of people moving from the 6th floor to the lobby floor between 12:00 and 12:05 will be shifted to the 12:15-12:20 time position. The same applies to the data for other times, and the entire row B04 is shifted 15 minutes later (translated to the right). In this way, the number of people moving on the 6th floor after the time shift can be calculated. This process is performed by the simulation calculation unit 034. Note that while data for times before 12:00 is not shown in FIG. 10, the data exists, just not shown, and the data for 11:45-12:00 that was not displayed due to the 15-minute time shift operation will be used.

[0127] In Figure 10, the peak number of people occurs from 12:00 to 12:05, with a peak value of 147 people (symbol B05). The time shift on the 6th floor shifts this to a maximum value of 54 people, which is shifted 15 minutes later, so if we assume that the new number of people on the 6th floor after the time shift is 10 people (the value before the shift was 11:45 to 11:50), the total value becomes 103 people, and the reduction in peak number of people is 30% (44 people).

[0128] As described above, by performing a simulation of time shift implementation using the data on the number of people moving, as explained in Figure 10, it is possible to more accurately estimate the situation regarding the number of people moving after time shifting, based on the actual number of people moving in the target building, and as a result, it is possible to select appropriate time shift specifications.

[0129] In this embodiment, the candidate selection unit 037 may perform another candidate selection process, for example, at least one of a second and a third candidate selection process, instead of or in addition to the first candidate selection process described above. The second and third candidate selection processes will be described below.

[0130] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the second candidate selection process performed by the candidate selection unit 037. As shown in FIG.

[0131] The candidate selection unit 037 selects candidates for implementing time shifting based on an evaluation value for the amount of time shifting, an evaluation value for the amount of reduction in the number of people at peak times due to time shifting, and the implementation conditions set by the implementation condition setting unit 032. The candidate selection unit 037 first narrows down the candidates to those that satisfy the set implementation conditions, and then selects candidates with the best evaluation values ​​from among these as candidates in descending order.

[0132] A specific example of the second candidate selection method is shown in Fig. 12. The graphs (for example, two axes and point clouds) shown in Fig. 12 are the same as those in Fig. 5, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0133] In FIG. 12, an upper limit value for the amount of time shift is set as an implementation condition, and an evaluation value for the amount of reduction in the number of people at the peak is used as the evaluation value. First, a line A13 for the upper limit value of the amount of time shift is drawn, and the area (the area on the left) where the amount of time shift is smaller than this line A13 is the selection range. The candidate selection unit 037 selects a candidate (case) with a large evaluation value for the amount of reduction in the number of people at the peak from this selection range. For example, only the top-ranked case, i.e., only the case corresponding to the black circle point A14, is selected.

[0134] As explained above, the second candidate selection method based on the evaluation values ​​and implementation conditions described using Figures 11 and 12 allows, for example, the allowable time shift amount to be set using an upper limit, and the candidate with the best peak number reduction that meets the condition can be selected from the top. This allows for the selection of an appropriate case that meets the condition based on the trade-off between the time shift amount and the peak number reduction. In this case, the idea is to set a condition for the magnitude of the load due to changes in user behavior, and select the candidate that meets the condition and has the best effect on reducing the number of peak numbers. The upper limit of the time shift amount can be set based on the values ​​of the evaluation functions defined in Equations (2) to (5).

[0135] In addition, while an upper limit for the amount of time shift is set as an implementation condition in Figure 12, a method may be adopted in which a lower limit for the reduction in the number of people at peak times or a value for elevator operation performance is set as an implementation condition, and a case with the smallest amount of time shift that satisfies these conditions is selected. In this case, the setting can be based on the values ​​of each evaluation function determined by Equation (6) or Equation (7).

[0136] As described above, with regard to the second candidate selection process, for example, the method of setting an upper limit on the amount of time shifting shown in the graph in FIG. 12 is effective when the amount of time shifting is determined so as to comply with necessary tolerance conditions, and when it is desired to maximize the reduction in the peak number of people through time shifting while satisfying these conditions. This is, for example, the case during the lunch rush. During lunchtime, the lunch break is limited, and it is important to keep the amount of time shifting down, so this case is suitable for the example of the method shown in FIG. 12. Similarly, this case is particularly effective in buildings such as tenant office buildings with multiple tenants (multi-tenant office buildings). This is because there is a strong demand to keep the amount of time shifting down from the perspective of fairness among multiple tenants and the ease of obtaining consent for time shifting.

[0137] On the other hand, when setting a lower limit for the peak number reduction amount in the graph of Figure 12, it is possible to determine the desired condition for the peak number reduction amount and select the option with the smallest time shift amount that meets that condition. This is effective in cases where there is a strong demand for peak number reduction, such as during rush hour commutes. During rush hour commutes, many people gather to commute, resulting in a large peak number of people, and a reduction in the peak number of people is required. Furthermore, because commute times are relatively easy to change and have a longer range than lunchtime, the conditions for the time shift amount are considered to be relatively lenient. Therefore, when setting a lower limit for the peak number reduction amount, it is considered appropriate to implement time shifts during commute times. Furthermore, the second candidate selection process is considered effective for buildings such as single-company buildings. In single-company buildings, users move around simultaneously, resulting in a large peak number of people, while time shifts can be flexibly adjusted for each floor. Therefore, it is considered appropriate to set a required lower limit for the peak number reduction amount and select the option with the smallest time shift amount that meets that condition.

[0138] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the third candidate selection process performed by the candidate selection unit 037 in an embodiment of the people flow management system according to the present invention.

[0139] The candidate selection unit 037 selects candidates for time shifting based on pattern rules in addition to the evaluation values. The pattern rules are identified from a pattern rule database 0376. Examples of patterns include a pattern that minimizes the amount of time shifting, a pattern that maximizes the amount of reduction in the number of people at peak times, and a pattern in which both the amount of time shifting and the amount of reduction in the number of people at peak times are better than the average. These patterns and the rules that define them are stored in a pattern rule database 0376 for selection as candidates. For example, the rule database 0376 stores information representing multiple rules, and a rule may be a combination of a pattern with at least one of a busy time period and a building type.

[0140] Fig. 14 shows a specific example of the second candidate selection method. The graph shown in Fig. 14 (for example, the two axes, the point cloud, and the line A08 representing the lower limit of the peak number of people reduction amount) is the same as the graph in Fig. 5, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0141] In Fig. 14, among the cases where the reduction in the number of peak visitors is greater than the lower limit, the case corresponding to point A15 (pattern with the smallest amount of time shift) and the case corresponding to point A16 (pattern with the largest amount of reduction in the number of peak visitors) are selected as candidate selection patterns. These candidates are selected by the administrator.

[0142] The third candidate selection method (a method for selecting time shift candidate patterns based on evaluation values ​​and rules) shown in Figures 13 and 14 makes it easier for managers to select the desired candidate by selecting a suitable pattern from a large number of cases, such as those shown in Figure 4A. As a result, it is possible to accurately select the time shift specifications that are appropriate for the target building from a large number of time shift cases.

[0143] The third candidate selection process described above with reference to Figures 13 and 14 is suitable for cases where the administrator selects the time shift specifications they desire. As an example of how an administrator can select candidate time shift specifications to suit the circumstances of their own building, for example, in a building occupied by a single company, the amount of time shift can be flexibly adjusted, so it is considered best to prioritize the effect of reducing the number of peak visitors and select as a candidate a pattern that maximizes the reduction in the number of visitors. Furthermore, in a tenant building occupied by multiple tenants, the amount of time shift is highly constrained, so it is considered best to select a pattern that minimizes the amount of time shift. Even within the same building, for example, it is considered best to select a pattern with the minimum amount of time shift during lunchtime, when time shift constraints are strict, and a pattern with the maximum reduction in the number of visitors during the commute to work, when reducing the number of visitors is important.

[0144] Finally, to summarize the candidate selection unit 037 once again, examples of candidate selection processes for time shifting include a first candidate selection process (see FIG. 3), a second candidate selection process (see FIG. 11), and a third candidate selection process (see FIG. 13). The candidate selection unit 037 may determine which of a plurality of candidate selection methods (a plurality of candidate selection processes) to adopt and / or whether to prioritize reducing the amount of time shifting or increasing the amount of reduction in the number of people at peak times, depending on at least one of the busy time period, such as work hours or lunchtime, and the building type, such as a building used by a single company or a multi-tenant building.

[0145] For example, during lunchtime, when the lunch break is short and time constraints are relatively strict, it is desirable to emphasize reducing the amount of time shift. Therefore, it is recommended to (A) select a case in which the gain in the amount of peak number of employees relative to the amount of time shift is large in the first candidate selection process (see FIG. 3), (B) first set an upper limit for the amount of time shift and select cases within a range below that upper limit in the second candidate selection process (see FIG. 11), or (C) select a pattern with the smallest amount of time shift and select cases according to that pattern in the third candidate selection process (see FIG. 13). On the other hand, during the arrival time of work, when the peak number of employees is large and the amount of time shift is relatively easy to adjust, it is desirable to emphasize the amount of reduction in peak number of employees. Therefore, for example, it is recommended to first set a lower limit for the amount of reduction in peak number of employees in the second candidate selection process (see FIG. 11) and select cases within a range where the peak number of employees is reduced to or above that lower limit, or to select a pattern with the largest amount of reduction in peak number of employees in the third candidate selection process (see FIG. 13) and select cases according to that pattern.

[0146] Regarding building type, the time shift specifications that suit the type of building can be selected using the same approach as described above.

[0147] Although one embodiment has been described above, this is merely an example for explaining the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms.

[0148] The above description can be summarized as follows: The following summary may include supplements or modifications of the above description.

[0149] The people flow management system includes a people flow data acquisition unit that acquires people flow data, which is data representing the number of users moving from a departure floor to a destination floor using one or more elevators in a building, and a shift specification determination unit that determines the shift specifications for time shifts based on the acquired people flow data.

[0150] People flow data represents the number of users who use each floor in a building as a departure or destination floor for each of multiple consecutive travel time periods. In people flow data, one of the departure and destination floors for users is the same, and there are one or more other floors. Time shifting involves shifting the total travel time period of the number of users on each of one or more target floors toward the past or future.

[0151] The shift specification determination unit calculates, for each of a plurality of shift specifications, a reduction evaluation value, which is an evaluation value of the amount of reduction due to a time shift in that shift specification. The shift specification determination unit also calculates, for each of a plurality of shift specifications, a shift evaluation value, which is an evaluation value of the amount of shift in that shift specification. The reduction amount is an estimated difference between the total number of users before and after a time shift in that shift specification for a peak time period, which is a travel time period with the largest total number of users among a plurality of travel time periods. The shift amount is the sum of the changes in all travel time periods for each of one or more floors targeted in that shift specification. The higher the reduction evaluation value, the greater the amount of reduction; and the higher the shift evaluation value, the smaller the amount of shift. In other words, a high evaluation value means a high evaluation, and does not necessarily mean the magnitude of the value itself.

[0152] The shift specification determination unit determines the shift specification selected by the manager or the shift specification determination unit based on the reduction evaluation value and the shift evaluation value of each of the multiple shift specifications as the shift specification for the time shift to be implemented. The shift specification determination unit outputs guidance information (information based on the determined shift specification and information that prompts users to change their travel time slot for each of the one or more target floors).

[0153] Changes in user behavior are appropriately adjusted by shifting the time with shift specifications selected based on the reduction evaluation value and the shift evaluation value, and changes in user behavior are appropriately encouraged by outputting guidance information based on the shift specifications, thereby making it possible to alleviate congestion during peak hours.

[0154] An example of the people flow data acquisition unit may be the moving number calculation unit 031, and an example of the people flow data may be the people flow data B01 illustrated in FIG. 10. The people flow data acquisition unit may acquire (generate) people flow data by calculation as in the embodiment, or may acquire (receive or read) people flow data from a data source inside or outside the people flow management system. Also, while one of the departure floor and the destination floor is one and the other is one or more, more than one such combination may exist in the people flow data. For example, if there are two entrance floors, there may be a combination of one departure floor (entrance floor) and one or more destination floors, and a combination of another departure floor and one or more destination floors.

[0155] Furthermore, an example of a shift specification determination unit is a function including the above-mentioned functions 032 to 035, 037, 039, and 03a to 03c. For example, the shift specification determination unit may not have the operation calculation unit 039 and the candidate output unit 03a, or the candidate selection unit 037 and the specification determination unit 03b may be integrated. For example, the shift specification determination unit may determine the top-ranked shift specification as the shift specification for the time shift to be implemented and output guidance information based on the determined shift specification. In other words, the shift specification for the time shift to be implemented may be determined automatically without selection by an administrator.

[0156] In addition, the output destination of the guidance information may be, instead of or in addition to the display device 05 installed in the building, the information processing terminal (e.g., a smartphone) of the user on the floor targeted by the determined shift specifications.

[0157] The shift specification may also include a set of parameters, such as one or more floors to be targeted and, for each of the one or more floors, parameters for the amount and direction of change of the total travel time period for that floor, so that the time shift specification is appropriately defined.

[0158] Furthermore, for each shift specification, the shift evaluation value may be the shift amount itself, or may be based on at least one of the number of target floors, the number of users, the magnitude of the change in the total travel time period, and the change direction in the total travel time period in addition to the shift amount. This is expected to result in the calculation of an appropriate shift evaluation value, and therefore the shift specification to be determined is expected to be more appropriate.

[0159] Furthermore, the shift specification determination unit may select a shift specification that conforms to a pattern selected by a manager from among a plurality of patterns relating to the reduction evaluation value and the shift evaluation value, thereby making it easier for the manager to select a shift specification that the manager desires.

[0160] One of the reduction evaluation value and the shift evaluation value may be a first type evaluation value, and the other may be a second type evaluation value. The shift specification determination unit may set a threshold value (an example of a condition value) for the first type evaluation value, which is one of the reduction evaluation value and the shift evaluation value, and identify, from among a plurality of shift specifications, shift specifications having a first type evaluation value higher than the threshold, a shift specification having a relatively high second type evaluation value. The identified shift specification may be a shift specification selected by a manager or by the shift specification determination unit. As a result, a shift specification is selected from a range that satisfies the allowable reduction amount or shift amount, and the selected shift specification is expected to be appropriate.

[0161] Here, the identified shift specification may be one or more candidate shift specifications. The shift specification determination unit may output output information to the manager, which is information based on the reduction amount and shift amount for each of the one or more candidate shift specifications. The manager may select a shift specification based on the output information. In this way, the manager's desired shift specification is selected. Note that the shift specification determination unit may simulate elevator operation for all or some of the one or more candidate shift specifications using the estimated number of passengers after a time shift under the shift specification. The output information may include information representing the results of the simulation. This makes it easier for the manager to select a shift specification.

[0162] The shift specification determination unit may determine whether to set a threshold for the reduction evaluation value or the shift evaluation value (in other words, whether to set the first type evaluation value for the reduction evaluation value or the shift evaluation value) based on at least one of the busy time period, which is a time period including the peak time period, and the number of tenants in the building. This appropriately determines which of the reduction evaluation value or the shift evaluation value to emphasize, and therefore, selection of an appropriate shift specification is expected. For example, the shift specification determination unit may set a threshold for the reduction evaluation value when the busy time period is the commuter time or when the number of tenants in the building is less than a first number, and may set a threshold for the shift evaluation value when the busy time period is the lunch time or when the number of tenants in the building is equal to or greater than a second number (the second number is equal to or greater than the first number). This allows for selection of a shift specification that emphasizes the reduction evaluation value (expecting a larger reduction amount) when flexible changes in travel time periods are relatively expected, and for selection of a shift specification that emphasizes the shift evaluation value (minimizing the amount of shift) when flexible changes in travel time periods are relatively not expected.

[0163] The first type evaluation value, which is the evaluation value for which a threshold value is set, may be the reduction evaluation value. In this case, the selected shift specification may be the shift specification with the highest shift evaluation value among the shift specifications with reduction evaluation values ​​higher than the threshold value, or the shift specification with the largest increase in reduction evaluation value per unit increase in shift evaluation value in relation to the reference shift specification. This is expected to enable selection of the optimal shift specification within a range where the minimum reduction amount is expected.

[0164] The first evaluation value, which is an evaluation value for which a threshold value is set, may be the shift evaluation value. In this case, the selected shift specification may be the shift specification with the highest reduction evaluation value among the shift specifications whose shift evaluation value is higher than the threshold value, or the shift specification with the largest increase in reduction evaluation value per unit increase in the shift evaluation value in relation to the reference shift specification. This is expected to enable selection of the optimal shift specification within a range in which the shift amount is minimized. [Explanation of symbols]

[0165] 03...people flow management system, 031...moving number of people calculation unit, 032...implementation condition setting unit, 033...table creation unit, 034...simulation calculation unit, 035...evaluation value calculation unit, 036...evaluation function database, 037...candidate selection unit, 038...selection method database, 039...operation calculation unit, 03a...candidate output unit, 03b...specification determination unit, 03c...information output unit

Claims

1. A people flow management system that outputs change information representing shift specifications, which are changes in elevator usage times for elevator users in a building, a people flow data acquisition unit that acquires people flow data that is data representing an actual measured value of the number of users; Shift specification determination section and Equipped with The shift specification determination unit Using the acquired people flow data, calculate one or more shift specifications, each of which is a time shift specification; For each of the one or more shift specifications, Calculate an estimated number of users after the elevator usage time change in accordance with the shift specifications, calculating a reduction amount of the number of elevator users itself or a reduction evaluation value that is a value based on the reduction amount from the actual measurement value and the estimated value; calculating a behavior change amount itself due to the change in the elevator use time of the user or a shift evaluation value which is a value based on the behavior change amount; When a crowded time period that includes a peak time period as a travel time period with the largest total number of users is a commute time period, or when the number of tenants in the building is less than a first number, a reduction evaluation value is set as a first type evaluation value, and a condition value is set for the reduction evaluation value; if the busy time period is a lunch time period or if the number of tenants in the building is equal to or greater than a second number, a shift evaluation value is set as the first type evaluation value and a condition value is set for the shift evaluation value; Select a shift specification from the one or more shift specifications within a range in which the first type evaluation value satisfies the condition value; outputting change information representing the selected shift specification; the second number is equal to or greater than the first number; People flow management system.

2. The shift specification determination unit selects, from a range in which the first type evaluation value satisfies the condition value, a shift specification having the highest second type evaluation value, which is one of the reduction evaluation value and the shift evaluation value that is not the first type evaluation value. The people flow management system according to claim 1 .

3. When the first type evaluation value is a reduced evaluation value, the selected shift specification is a shift specification that has the largest increase in the reduced evaluation value per unit increase in the shift evaluation value within a range in which the reduced evaluation value satisfies the condition value. The people flow management system according to claim 1 .

4. The shift evaluation value is a value calculated based on the behavior change amount and a weight based on a time period of the change in elevator use time. The people flow management system according to claim 1 .

5. When the first type evaluation value is a shift evaluation value, the selected shift specification is a shift specification having the highest reduction evaluation value within a range in which the shift evaluation value satisfies the condition value. The people flow management system according to claim 1 .

6. When the first type evaluation value is a shift evaluation value, the selected shift specification is a shift specification that has the largest increase in reduction evaluation value per unit increase in the shift evaluation value within a range in which the shift evaluation value satisfies the condition value. The people flow management system according to claim 1 .

7. For each of the one or more shift specifications, The shift specification includes a set of parameters, The parameter set includes one or more target floors, and for each of the one or more floors, parameters of a change amount and a change direction of the total travel time period for the floor; The people flow management system according to claim 1 .

8. For each of the one or more shift specifications, the shift evaluation value is based on at least one of the number of target floors, the number of users, the magnitude of the change in the total travel time period, and the direction of the change in the total travel time period, in addition to the behavior change amount. The people flow management system according to claim 1 .

9. the shift specification determination unit simulates elevator operation for each of all or some of the one or more shift specifications using an estimated number of users after a time shift in the shift specification, and outputs information representing the results of the simulation. The people flow management system according to claim 1 .

10. For each of the one or more shift specifications, The reduction amount is the estimated difference in the total number of users before and after the time shift under the shift specifications for the peak time period among the multiple travel time periods, The shift amount is the sum of the changes in all travel time periods for each of the one or more floors targeted in the shift specification, The higher the reduction evaluation value, the larger the reduction amount, and the higher the shift evaluation value, the smaller the shift amount. The people flow management system according to claim 1 .

11. A people flow management method that outputs change information representing shift specifications, which are changes in elevator usage times for elevator users in a building, Obtaining people flow data, which is data representing actual measured values ​​of the number of users; Using the acquired people flow data, calculate one or more shift specifications, each of which is a time shift specification; For each of the one or more shift specifications, Calculate an estimated number of users after the elevator usage time change in accordance with the shift specifications, calculating a reduction amount of the number of elevator users itself or a reduction evaluation value that is a value based on the reduction amount from the actual measurement value and the estimated value; calculating a behavior change amount itself due to the change in the elevator use time of the user or a shift evaluation value which is a value based on the behavior change amount; When a crowded time period that includes a peak time period as a travel time period with the largest total number of users is a commute time period, or when the number of tenants in the building is less than a first number, a reduction evaluation value is set as a first type evaluation value, and a condition value is set for the reduction evaluation value; if the busy time period is a lunch time period or if the number of tenants in the building is equal to or greater than a second number, a shift evaluation value is set as the first type evaluation value and a condition value is set for the shift evaluation value; Selecting the shift specification from the one or more shift specifications within a range in which the first type evaluation value satisfies the condition value, outputting change information representing the selected shift specification; This is done by computer, the second number is equal to or greater than the first number; How to manage people flow.

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