Measuring equipment and elevator systems

Abstract

To highly accurately measure a position and speed of an elevator car with high robustness with respect to car displacement on the basis of an imaging result of scattering light reflected on a stationary structure.SOLUTION: A measurement device comprises: a light transmission unit 210 that transmits light emitted to a stationary structure (guide rail 140) disposed in a moving direction of an elevator car; an image forming unit 220 that converges scattering light from the irradiated stationary structure on an imaging surface; an imaging unit 230 that captures an optical signal of the scattering light image-formed in light reception parts 430 of a plurality of pixels in the imaging surface, converts it into an electric signal, and images the electric signal; and an image processing unit that calculates and transmits at least one of a moving distance and a speed of the elevator car on the basis of the electric signal converted by the imaging unit 230. The image forming unit 220 is configured not to generate a gap between pixels different in scattering region when the scattering light incident on the light reception part 430 of each pixel in the imaging surface is returned onto the stationary structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a measurement device and an elevator system, and is suitable for application to a measurement device and an elevator system that calculates information related to elevator movement. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in elevators equipped with a passenger car (hereinafter referred to as "elevator car" or "cage") as a moving body, a governor rope has been used as a safety device to monitor the elevator car's position, speed, etc. In recent years, a non-contact sensor (hereinafter referred to as "position and speed sensor") that measures the elevator car's position and speed without contact has become known as an alternative to the governor rope.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an optical position and speed sensor that uses an image sensor installed on an elevator car to capture images of structures in a hoistway and measure the position and speed of the elevator car. A non-contact measuring device such as the position and speed sensor disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not require a long structure such as a governor rope, which has the advantage of improving installation and maintainability, and also has the advantage of preventing measurement errors due to slippage.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses an imaging system that generates a blurred captured image using a phase plate and performs deconvolution processing in an image processing device to obtain a blur-free, high-resolution image with a wide depth of field. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 239536 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-71235 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the general structure of image sensors in the prior art, each pixel of the image sensor has a light-shielding structure around the light receiving area (hereinafter referred to as "pixel aperture"). In this case, an image sensor with a narrow pixel aperture cannot properly recognize patterns that are smaller than the pixel, and there is a problem that pattern matching between captured images cannot be performed properly. For example, when vibration occurs in the left-right direction due to an external disturbance, the image position sampled by the pixel aperture may differ before and after pattern matching, which is one of the factors that reduces the measurement accuracy and robustness of the car's position and speed.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a measuring device and elevator system that can measure the position and speed of an elevator car with high accuracy and with high robustness against car displacement, based on the imaging results of scattered light reflected from a stationary structure, even if the stationary structure (guide rail) to be measured has a brightness pattern (reflected / scattered brightness pattern) in which the image formed by light diffusely reflected (scattered light) from the stationary structure is finer than the pixels of an optical sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a measurement device that is installed on an elevator car moving in a hoistway and measures at least one of the moving distance and speed of the elevator car, the measurement device comprising: a light transmitting unit that transmits light to illuminate a stationary structure arranged in the hoistway along the moving direction of the elevator car; an imaging unit that focuses light scattered from the stationary structure by the light passing through a focusing lens onto an imaging surface; an imaging unit that takes in optical signals of the scattered light that are imaged on the light receiving units of multiple pixels that make up the imaging surface and converts them into electrical signals to form an image; and an image processing unit that calculates and transmits at least one of the moving distance and speed of the elevator car based on the electrical signals converted by the imaging unit, wherein the imaging unit is configured so that when the scattered light incident on the light receiving units of each pixel of the imaging surface is pulled back onto the stationary structure, no gaps are generated between pixels with different scattering regions.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an elevator system comprising: an elevator car that moves in a hoistway; a guide rail that is arranged in the hoistway along the direction of movement of the elevator car; an elevator control unit that controls the operation of the elevator car; and a measurement device that is installed in the elevator car and measures at least one of the movement distance and speed of the elevator car, wherein the measurement device has: a light transmitting unit that transmits light that irradiates the guide rail; an imaging unit that focuses light that is scattered from the guide rail by the light passing through a focusing lens onto an imaging surface; an imaging unit that takes in optical signals of the scattered light that are imaged on the light receiving units of a plurality of pixels that make up the imaging surface and converts them into electrical signals to form an image; and an image processing unit that calculates and transmits at least one of the movement distance and speed of the elevator car based on the electrical signals converted by the imaging unit, wherein the imaging unit is configured so that when the scattered light that is incident on the light receiving units of each pixel of the imaging surface is pulled back onto the guide rail, no gaps are generated between pixels with different scattering regions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the position and speed of an elevator car can be measured with high accuracy and with high robustness against car displacement, based on the imaging results of scattered light reflected by a stationary structure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an elevator system 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of a measuring device 110. [Figure 3] 1 is a bird's-eye view showing the positional relationship between the optical transmitter 210, the imaging unit 220, the imaging unit 230, and the guide rail 140 in the measurement device 110. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the positional relationship between the imaging surface of the imaging section 230 and an image 410 of the reflected / scattered luminance pattern 310 formed on the imaging surface by the imaging section 220. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the optical performance achieved by the imaging unit 220. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a conceptual diagram (part 1) illustrating the effect of improving robustness against displacement of an elevator car 120 by a measuring device 110. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram (part 2) illustrating the effect of improving robustness against the displacement of the elevator car 120 by the measurement device 110. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of an imaging unit 720 in a measurement apparatus 710 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration and effect of a phase plate 724. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of an imaging unit 920 in a measurement apparatus 910 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of an imaging unit 1020 in a measurement apparatus 1010 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of an imaging unit 1120 in a measurement apparatus 1110 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 11 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration and effect of a microlens array 1123. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0013] In the embodiments of the present invention described in detail below, a measurement device that uses a measurement unit (optical transmitter, imaging unit, and image capture unit) to measure information related to the movement of a moving object (position, movement distance, speed, acceleration, etc.) at high speed and with high accuracy, and an elevator system, etc., will be described, in which even if the stationary structure (guide rail) to be measured has a brightness pattern (reflected / scattered brightness pattern) in which the image formed by light diffusely reflected (scattered light) from the stationary structure is finer than the pixels of the optical sensor, the position and speed of the elevator car will be measured with high accuracy and robustness based on the results of capturing the scattered light reflected from the stationary structure. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0014] The measurement device according to each embodiment of the present invention, described in detail below, is mounted at a predetermined installation position on an elevator car and measures information related to the movement of the elevator car along a path (travel path) along which the elevator car is guided (specifically, at least one of the elevator car's position (travel distance), speed, acceleration, and vibration). For example, in response to a gate signal generated by a control unit, the measurement device irradiates (transmits) light from an optical transmitter toward the surface of a stationary structure (e.g., a guide rail, the inner wall surface of the travel path, etc.) that has artificial polishing scratches, which is the subject of the measurement. The measurement device then directs light reflected from the surface of the stationary structure (which may include specularly reflected light and diffusely reflected light, hereinafter referred to as "scattered light") to the imaging surface of the imaging unit via an imaging unit, and the imaging unit photoelectrically converts the optical signal into an electrical signal. The measurement device then measures information related to the movement of the elevator car in an image processing unit based on an image generated from the converted electrical signal. Furthermore, the measuring device transmits the information related to the movement of the elevator car to an elevator car control unit (mobile body control unit) that controls the operation of the elevator car or the safety device based on the information related to the movement of the elevator car calculated by the measuring device. Then, the mobile body control unit controls the operation of the elevator car or the safety device based on the information related to the movement of the elevator car calculated by the measuring device.

[0015] In this specification, "light" refers to electromagnetic waves, and specifically may be any of visible light, microwaves, terahertz waves, infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, X-rays, and the like.

[0016] Furthermore, in the following description, when describing elements of the same type without distinction, the common portion (the portion excluding the branch number) of the reference sign including the branch number may be used, and when describing elements of the same type while distinguishing between them, the reference sign including the branch number may be used. For example, when describing a measurement device without any particular distinction, it may be written as "measurement device 110," whereas when describing individual measurement devices 110 while distinguishing between them, it may be written as "measurement device 110-a," "measurement device 110-b," etc.

[0017] (1) First embodiment (1-1) Configuration of elevator system 10 Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an elevator system 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The first embodiment is an embodiment that illustrates a concept common to each embodiment of the present invention, and in the explanations of the other embodiments (second to fifth embodiments) described later, detailed explanations of the configuration common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0018] 1, elevator system 10 includes measurement devices 110 (individually 110-a and 110-b) mounted on top of elevator car 120 that moves up and down in a hoistway (pathway of a moving object) of a building (not shown). In addition to measurement device 110, elevator system 10 also includes components such as elevator car 120, elevator control unit 130, and guide rails 140 (individually 140-a and 140-b), but at least one of these components may be included in measurement device 110.

[0019] The measuring device 110 outputs signal information useful for controlling the operation of the elevator car 120 (for example, signal information related to the position, speed, or acceleration of the elevator car 120) to the elevator control unit 130. The location of the measuring device 110 is not limited to the top of the elevator car 120, but may be located, for example, on the side or bottom of the elevator car 120 (details will be described later). The measuring device 110 shown in FIG. 1 has a redundant configuration achieved by duplication of the measuring device 110-a and the measuring device 110-b, but the configuration of the measuring device 110 according to this embodiment is not limited to the duplex configuration, and may be a single-system configuration without redundancy, or a triplex or more redundant configuration.

[0020] The elevator control unit 130 uses the signal information output from the measurement device 110 to control the operation of the elevator car 120 and the safety devices.

[0021] Guide rail 140 is an example of a stationary structure that is arranged within the elevator shaft and serves as a reference when measuring the relative distance and angle of measurement device 110. Guide rail 140 is arranged within the elevator shaft along the direction of movement of the moving object (the y-axis direction in FIG. 1), and comes into contact with the guide rollers of elevator car 120 to support the movement of the moving object (elevator car 120).

[0022] In the following description, a coordinate system is used to indicate the optical axis direction and illumination direction of the measurement device 110. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the coordinate system is defined by defining the movement direction of the moving body as the y-axis direction, the direction perpendicular to the imaging surface (in Fig. 1, the top surface of the convex portion of the guide rail 140) as the z-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the y-axis and z-axis as the x-axis direction. Unless otherwise specified, the terms x-direction, y-direction, and z-direction can be considered to be synonymous with the x-axis direction, y-axis direction, and z-axis direction.

[0023] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the measurement device 110. As shown in Fig. 2, the measurement device 110 is configured to include an optical transmitter 210, an imaging unit 220, an imaging unit 230, and an image processor 240. In Fig. 2, the optical path is indicated by a dashed line with an arrow, and the path of the electrical signal is indicated by a solid line with an arrow.

[0024] The optical transmitter 210 has a light source (not shown) and is arranged to irradiate light toward the surface of the guide rail 140, which is the subject. The light source of the optical transmitter 210 may be a temporally and spatially incoherent light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or a halogen lamp, or a temporally and spatially coherent light source such as a laser light source. Furthermore, a plurality of optical transmitters 210 may be provided to irradiate light onto the guide rail 140 from both the left and right directions, for example.

[0025] The imaging unit 220 is configured as an optical system that forms an image on the imaging surface of the imaging unit 230 of scattered light, which is emitted light (emitted light), which is light irradiated from the optical transmitter 210 toward the surface of the guide rail 140 and scattered on the surface of the guide rail 140. The imaging unit 220 can be, for example, a single lens made of glass or resin, a set of multiple lenses, or a concave mirror. The imaging surface of the imaging unit 220 is configured from multiple pixels, the details of which will be described later with reference to Figures 4 to 7, etc. Then, the imaging unit 220 outputs an optical signal indicating the luminance distribution of the light, with respect to the light that has formed an image on the imaging surface including the multiple pixels, to the imaging unit 230.

[0026] The imaging unit 230 converts the optical signal from the imaging unit 220 (an optical signal indicating the scattering luminance distribution on the surface of the guide rail 140) that is imaged on an imaging surface including a plurality of pixels into an electrical signal corresponding to the luminance of the pixel, and transmits the converted electrical signal to the image processing unit 240 as an image signal in synchronization with a timing signal indicating the start and end times of imaging transmitted from the image processing unit 240. The imaging unit 230 may be, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. The imaging unit 230 may also be a two-dimensional area sensor or a one-dimensional line sensor that has a spatial resolution function in the ascending / descending direction of the elevator car 120.

[0027] The measuring device 110 may be provided with a wavelength-selective filter such as a bandpass filter in addition to the imaging unit 220 in the path of the emitted light from the optical transmitter 210 and the scattered light thereof to remove external light other than that of the desired wavelength. The measuring device 110 may also be provided with a window material or the like in the path of the incident light and scattered light in order to protect the measuring device 110 from sand, dust, and the like entering the inside.

[0028] The image processing unit 240 performs image processing on the image signal (an electrical signal converted from an optical signal focused on the imaging surface) received from the imaging unit 230, and based on the captured image generated by the image processing, performs processing such as pattern matching between captured images in time series to calculate information related to the movement of the elevator car 120 (specifically, measurement results of at least one of the movement distance (movement amount) or speed of the elevator car 120, hereinafter referred to as car movement-related information), and transmits this information to the elevator control unit 130.

[0029] Specifically, the image processing unit 240 may be configured with an information processing storage medium such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a microcontroller, or may be configured with logic circuit elements such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The image processing unit 240 converts the car movement-related information according to a communication protocol that can be received by the elevator control unit 130 (e.g., a protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication or USB (Universal Serial Bus) communication), and outputs the converted signal information to the elevator control unit 130. The method of outputting the information to the elevator control unit 130 may be a connector for connecting an electric cable, or an antenna for wireless communication.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a bird's-eye view showing the positional relationship between the optical transmitter 210, the imaging unit 220, the imaging unit 230, and the guide rail 140 in the measuring device 110. As shown in FIG.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3 , light emitted from the optical transmitter 210 toward the guide rail 140 is diffusely reflected by the guide rail 140 and collected by the imaging unit 220 onto the imaging unit 230. Although FIG. 3 shows multiple optical transmitters 210 emitting light toward the guide rail 140, light may be emitted from a single optical transmitter 210. The imaging unit 220 forms an image of a reflected / scattered luminance pattern 310 of the convex portion of the guide rail 140 on the light receiving surface of the imaging unit. The reflected / scattered luminance pattern 310 corresponds to the irregularities or the like on a predetermined surface of a stationary structure (in the case of FIG. 3 , the convex portion of the guide rail 140) imaged by the imaging unit 230. In this embodiment, the image formed by the scattered light diffusely reflected from the reflected / scattered luminance pattern 310 may be smaller than the pixel of the optical sensor (one of the multiple pixels 420 constituting the light receiving surface of the imaging unit 230).

[0032] 3, the surface on which the image is formed by the imaging unit 230 is not limited to the top surface of the convex portion of the guide rail 140, but may be another surface of the guide rail 140. Specifically, for example, the side surface of the convex portion of the guide rail 140 may be imaged, or the flange surface of the guide rail 140 to which a bolt is fastened may be imaged.

[0033] (1-2) Basic Configuration of the Imaging Unit 220 The configuration of the imaging unit 220 will now be described in detail.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the positional relationship between the imaging surface of the imaging unit 230 and the image 410 of the reflected / scattered luminance pattern 310 formed on the imaging surface by the imaging unit 220. The problem to be solved by the measurement device according to the present invention will be described in detail using FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows the time series change from FIG. 4(a) to FIG. 4(b). Specifically, FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) correspond to the time periods before and after the elevator car 120 is displaced in the x-axis direction or the y-axis direction relative to the guide rail 140. Note that while FIG. 4 shows an example in which the imaging unit 230 is a two-dimensional area sensor, the basic configuration remains the same even if the imaging unit 230 is a one-dimensional line sensor.

[0035] The light receiving surface of the imaging unit 230 is configured by arranging a plurality of pixels 420 in an array. Each pixel 420 includes a light receiving section 430 configured by an element such as a photodiode that receives light within the pixel and converts it into an electrical signal. As indicated by the hatched area in Fig. 4, the light receiving section 430 is limited to a partial area of ​​the pixel 420. Wiring for amplifying the electrical signal or outputting it to the outside may be arranged in the area of ​​the pixel 420 other than the light receiving section 430.

[0036] When elevator car 120 is displaced in the x-axis or y-axis direction relative to guide rail 140, image 410 of reflected / scattered luminance pattern 310 is also displaced in the x-axis or y-axis direction, as shown from Figure 4(a) to Figure 4(b). At this time, a bright portion of image 410 that was incident on light receiving unit 430 in Figure 4(a) before the displacement may move away from light receiving unit 430 in Figure 4(b) after the displacement, or a bright portion that was not incident on light receiving unit 430 in Figure 4(a) before the displacement may enter light receiving unit 430 in Figure 4(b) after the displacement. As a result, when the light receiving section 430 in the imaging section 230 is narrow and an image 410 of the reflection / scattering brightness pattern 310, which is finer than the pixel 420, is captured, the pattern of the image captured by the imaging section 230 changes significantly before and after the displacement, which is one factor that reduces the accuracy with which the image processing section 240 obtains information related to the movement of the elevator car 120 (more specifically, the accuracy of pattern matching between captured images).

[0037] The imaging section 220 of the measurement device 110 according to this embodiment achieves optical performance that can solve the above-mentioned problems, and will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0038] 5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the optical performance achieved by the imaging section 220. The imaging section 220 collects light scattered from the guide rail 140 onto the imaging surface of the imaging section 230.

[0039] The distribution of irradiance (point spread function 510) on the image plane obtained from a single point light source placed on the object plane in imaging section 220 will be described.

[0040] The imaging unit 220 is configured so that the scattering region on the guide rail 140 of the scattered light rays incident on the light receiving unit 430 of each of the plurality of pixels 420 covers the entire imaging target area. In other words, the imaging unit 220 is configured so that when the scattered light that is collected by the imaging unit 220 and incident on the light receiving unit 430 of each pixel 420 on the imaging surface is pulled back onto the surface of the guide rail 140, the scattering region (hereinafter referred to as the inverse image 520 of the light receiving unit 430) does not produce a gap between different pixels. Specifically, the imaging unit 220 is configured so that the width of the inverse image 520 of the light receiving unit 430 in each pixel 420 is equal to or smaller than the pixel pitch W of the imaging unit 230. PIX is configured so that it is approximately equal to the value obtained by multiplying the reciprocal of the optical magnification M of imaging unit 220. With this configuration, even if elevator car 120 is displaced relative to guide rail 140, it is possible to eliminate changes in the pattern of the image captured by imaging unit 230 before and after the movement.

[0041] In this embodiment, a configuration in which the spread of point spread function 510 in imaging unit 220 is of a predetermined size is disclosed as an example of a "configuration in which the scattering region on guide rail 140 of scattered light rays covers the entire imaging target region" by imaging unit 220. By widening the width of point spread function 510, imaging unit 220 is realized in which the region on the object surface detected by light receiving unit 430 of imaging unit 230 is enlarged.

[0042] In this embodiment, the point spread function 510 of the imaging unit 220 is determined so that the inverse image 520 of the light receiving unit 430 on the object surface (for example, the top surface of the convex portion of the guide rail 140) obtained by inverse ray tracing coincides with the pixel or is larger than the pixel. That is, the imaging unit 220 is selected so as to satisfy the relationship shown in the following equation 1.

number

[0043] On the other hand, if the spread of the point spread function 510 is large and the image from the inverse image 520 at the object plane position spreads to more than one pixel 420, the resolution of the captured image of the reflected / scattered luminance pattern 310 captured by the imaging unit 230 decreases, and the resolution when the image processing unit 240 measures the moving distance of the elevator car 120 by comparing multiple captured images decreases. Therefore, ideally, the width W of the inverse image 520 PSF +W PD is the pixel pitch of one pixel W PIX The accuracy of pattern matching between captured images is best when the spread width W of the point spread function 510 is equal to PSF By satisfying the relationship of the following formula 2, an upper limit can be set so that the image from the inverse image 520 does not spread to more than one pixel 420.

number

[0044] The imaging unit 220 may be configured asymmetrically in the horizontal direction (x direction) and the car travel direction (y direction), and the spread width of the point spread function in each of the horizontal and car travel directions may be adjusted. Specifically, for example, the spread width of the point spread function 510 in the horizontal direction (x direction) may be adjusted by W PSF (x), the pitch of 420 pixels is W PIX (x), the width of the light receiving part 430 is W PD (x), and the spread width of the point spread function 510 in the car travel direction (y direction) is W PSF (y), the pitch of the pixel 420 is W PIX (y), the width of the light receiving section 430 is W PD When (y), the asymmetric imaging section 220 may be selected so as to satisfy the following formulas 3 to 6.

number

[0045] 6 and 7 are conceptual diagrams (part 1 and part 2) illustrating the effect of improving robustness against the displacement of the elevator car 120 by the measurement device 110. Fig. 7 is a conceptual diagram of the configuration of this embodiment in which the imaging unit 220 satisfies the above formula 1, and Fig. 6 is a conceptual diagram in which it is assumed that the imaging unit 220 does not satisfy the above formula 1, for comparison with Fig. 7.

[0046] 6 and 7(a) and 7(b) show example frames before and after displacement of the elevator car 120 relative to the guide rail 140. In addition, in each of these figures (FIGS. 6(a) and (b), and 7(a) and (b)), on the left side, an inverse image 520 of the light receiving unit 430 at the object plane position by the imaging unit 220 is depicted superimposed on the reflected and scattered luminance pattern 310 on the object plane (guide rail 140), and on the right side, an output 610 from each pixel is depicted in an array. The output 610 is depicted as a darker color for each pixel 420 in the light receiving unit 430 when the proportion of the image (feature point) due to the reflected and scattered luminance pattern 310 is high, and as a lighter color for a lower proportion.

[0047] If the imaging unit 220 does not satisfy Equation 1, when the elevator car 120 is displaced relative to the guide rail 140 due to vibration or the like while capturing an image of the fine reflection / scattering luminance pattern 310, the inverse image 520a of the light receiving unit 430 may shift in the translational direction, as shown in Fig. 6, and feature points observed in the frame before the displacement (left side of Fig. 6(a)) may disappear in the frame after the displacement (left side of Fig. 6(b)). As a result, when the image processing unit 240 performs image processing on the image signal received from the imaging unit 230, the pattern in the captured image (the pattern of the pixel-by-pixel output 610a) may change significantly (see the right side of Figs. 6(a) and 6(b)), which may be one of the factors that reduces the accuracy of the "information related to the movement of the elevator car 120" calculated by the image processing unit 240.

[0048] In contrast, when imaging unit 220 satisfies Equation 1, as shown in Fig. 7, inverse image 520b of light receiving unit 430 is wider than inverse image 520a when imaging unit 220 does not satisfy Equation 1 (as in Fig. 6), and there are no gaps between the areas of each inverse image 520b, making it possible to smooth and capture fine reflected / scattered luminance pattern 310. Therefore, even if vibration or the like causes displacement of elevator car 120 relative to guide rail 140 and causes inverse image 520b of light receiving unit 430 to shift in the translational direction (see the left side of Figs. 7(a) and 7(b)), feature points are unlikely to disappear in the pattern in the smoothed captured image (pattern of pixel-by-pixel output 610b), and differences in displacement are unlikely to occur between frames before and after (see the right side of Figs. 7(a) and 7(b)). Therefore, in the measuring device 110 of this embodiment, by having the imaging unit 220 satisfy Equation 1, the image processing unit 240 can perform image processing with high accuracy on the image signal received from the imaging unit 230, and the configuration can make it easy to maintain the accuracy of the ``information related to the movement of the elevator car 120.''

[0049] As described above, in the measuring device 110 according to the first embodiment and the elevator system 10 equipped with the measuring device 110, the measuring device 110 measures signal information useful for controlling the operation of the elevator car 120 (for example, signal information related to the position, speed, acceleration, etc. of the elevator car 120) using an image obtained by irradiating the guide rail 140, which is a stationary structure, with scattered light that is diffusely reflected, and capturing the image. At this time, even if the stationary structure has a luminance pattern (reflected / scattered luminance pattern) in which the image formed by the light diffusely reflected (scattered light) from the stationary structure is finer than the pixels of the optical sensor, the measuring device 110 measures the distance between a plurality of different pixels (with the width M W shown in FIG. 5 ) in each scattering region (each region of the inverse image 520 shown in FIG. 5 ) where the scattered light incident on the light receiving unit 430 of the pixel 420 in the imaging unit 230 is scattered on the stationary structure. PIXImaging unit 220 is configured so that no gaps occur between areas (regions 120b and 120c). With this type of measurement device 110, even if the elevator car 120 is displaced relative to guide rail 140 due to vibration or the like and inverse image 520b of light receiving unit 430 is shifted in the translational direction, it is possible to prevent the loss of fine feature points of reflected / scattered luminance pattern 310 in the pattern of the captured image acquired by smoothing each pixel, thereby enabling pattern matching before and after the displacement by image processing unit 240 and measuring signal information useful for controlling the operation of elevator car 120 without sacrificing accuracy. This effect can also be obtained in other embodiments described below.

[0050] In the following embodiments, specific imaging units that realize the concept of the imaging unit 220 described in the first embodiment will be described for each of various basic configurations. The imaging units shown in the following embodiments, except for the fifth embodiment, may be considered as one realization of the imaging unit 220 in the first embodiment, and the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 7) used in the description of the first embodiment are generally applicable to all of the embodiments. However, the concepts shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 do not apply to the fifth embodiment, which does not have the feature of creating and capturing a blurred image.

[0051] (2) Second embodiment 8 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of an imaging unit 720 in a measuring apparatus 710 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The measuring apparatus 710 according to the second embodiment includes the imaging unit 720 as an example of the imaging unit 220 in the measuring apparatus 110 according to the first embodiment, and includes an imaging unit 730 as an example of the imaging unit 230. Note that the configuration of the measuring apparatus 710 other than the above is the same as that of the measuring apparatus 110 according to the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0052] The measuring device 710 according to the second embodiment is characterized by being equipped with a robust imaging unit 720 that can keep the imaging magnification of the imaging unit 730 unchanged despite shaking of the elevator car 120 in the z-axis direction, and that keeps the change in the spread width of the point spread function sufficiently small despite shaking in the z-axis direction.

[0053] Furthermore, this imaging unit 720 has the characteristic that even if the aperture width of the diaphragm 722 is greatly widened, the change in the spread width of the point spread function can be kept sufficiently small in response to the shaking of the elevator car 120 in the z-axis direction, and the amount of light of the image formed on the imaging unit 730 can be made sufficiently high, thereby making the captured image bright.

[0054] In the measuring device 710 according to the second embodiment, the configuration other than the imaging unit 720 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0055] 8, the imaging section 720 forms an image of the scattered light reflected by the guide rail 140 on the imaging section 730. Specifically, the imaging section 720 is configured to include an objective lens 721 (first lens), an aperture 722, a condenser lens 723 (second lens), and a phase plate 724.

[0056] Objective lens 721 is disposed opposite guide rail 140 and collects scattered light scattered by guide rail 140. Aperture 722 limits the amount of scattered light collected by objective lens 721. Collecting lens 723 is disposed between aperture 722 and imaging unit 730 and collects the scattered light whose amount has been limited by aperture 722, and sends the collected scattered light toward the imaging surface of imaging unit 730.

[0057] The phase plate 724 is installed, for example, at the opening position of the diaphragm 722, and applies a predetermined aberration to the light rays that form an image on the imaging unit 730. This aberration has the effect of widening the point spread function in the imaging unit 730 and keeping small changes in the shape of the point spread function with respect to displacement of the guide rail 140 and the imaging unit 730 in the optical axis direction.

[0058] 8, imaging unit 720 has a telecentric optical arrangement on the object side (guide rail 140 side) to eliminate the influence of changes in magnification when guide rail 140, which is the subject (detection target), moves in the z-axis direction relative to elevator car 120, and is configured to form an image on imaging unit 730 using two or more lenses to suppress geometric aberrations that occur in imaging unit 730. Furthermore, imaging unit 720 may also have a telecentric optical arrangement on the image side (imaging unit 730 side), in which case it plays a role in widening the dimensional tolerance in the z-axis direction (mounting tolerance in the z-axis direction) when imaging unit 730 is mounted.

[0059] That is, in the measuring device 710, the center of the imaging surface of the imaging unit 730, the optical axis of the focusing lens 723, the center of the aperture 722, and the optical axis of the objective lens 721 are arranged so as to be located on the same straight line, and the aperture 722 is arranged at the focal position on the imaging unit 730 side of the objective lens 721, and at the focal position on the objective lens 721 side of the focusing lens 723.

[0060] 9A and 9B are conceptual diagrams illustrating the configuration and effect of the phase plate 724. Fig. 9A shows a diagram of the phase plate 724 as viewed from the front, and Fig. 9B shows an image of the optical path near the phase plate 724.

[0061] Conventionally, phase plates have been used to keep small changes in point spread function with respect to displacements of the object plane and the image plane in the optical axis direction, and to generate blurred captured images. For example, Patent Document 2 mentioned above discloses a phase plate used for such an application.

[0062] 9, the phase plate 724 provided in the imaging unit 720 of the second embodiment has a concave-convex shape formed of a plurality of annular grooves 810 axially symmetrically with respect to the optical axis, for example. The number of the annular grooves 810 is not particularly limited.

[0063] In each annular groove of the phase plate 724, a ray of light (ray 821 shown by a dashed line in Figure 9(b)) passing through a surface whose normal is parallel to the optical axis 840, i.e., the bottom of a concave portion or the apex of a convex portion where the surface inclination is at an extreme value, is incident on the focal point 830 of the optical system when the phase plate 724 has no irregularities, without generating aberration.

[0064] On the other hand, in each annular groove of the phase plate 724, a light ray incident on a surface whose normal is inclined with respect to the optical axis is refracted, resulting in aberration. Specifically, for example, in FIG. 9(b), a light ray 822 indicated by a dotted line is refracted by the phase plate 724 in a direction approaching the optical axis, becoming a converging light ray. This converging light ray is imaged by the condenser lens 723 at a position 831 in front of the focal point 830. Also, for example, in FIG. 9(b), a light ray 823 indicated by a dashed line is refracted by the phase plate 724 in a direction away from the optical axis, becoming a diverging light ray. This diverging light ray is imaged by the condenser lens 723 at a position 832 behind the focal point 830. In this way, the light rays 822 and 823 transmitted through the inclined surface of the phase plate 724 are incident at positions shifted in front of and behind the focal point, resulting in blurring of the point spread function.

[0065] The shape of the phase plate 724 is determined, for example, from the longitudinal aberration Δz that is caused in the light beam by the phase plate 724. The longitudinal aberration Δz is defined by the distance between the focal point 830 and the point where the light beam, to which aberration has been imparted by the phase plate 724, intersects with the optical axis (the above-mentioned position 831 or position 832).

[0066] In imaging unit 720, wavefront aberration W(r) to be imparted to the light rays by phase plate 724 is determined so that longitudinal aberration Δz is uniformly distributed within the extended range of the depth of field determined by the displacement of elevator car 120 in the optical axis direction, specifically, for example, so that longitudinal aberration Δz is larger than the amplitude of vibration of elevator car 120. Here, wavefront aberration W(r) is the wavefront aberration imparted to a light ray that crosses position r on the exit pupil plane, and is defined as a function of position r on the exit pupil plane.

[0067] When the determined wavefront aberration W(r) is realized by a parallel, flat, transparent optical element, the sag amount Z(r) of the phase plate 724 is designed to satisfy the following equation 7.

number

[0068] Here, we will explain in detail the differences between the measurement device 710 according to the second embodiment and the imaging system of Patent Document 2, which was presented as a prior art using a phase plate. Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which blur is uniformized using a phase plate, and then deconvolution processing is performed in an image processing device, ultimately obtaining a blur-free, high-resolution image with a wide depth of field. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, obtaining a blur-free image is not necessary, and the measurement device 710 does not perform the aforementioned deconvolution processing on a captured image in which a certain spread determined by Equations 1 and 2 is imparted to the point spread function 510 (i.e., a captured image of a blurred point spread function). The image processing unit 240 of the measurement device 710 then directly performs a matching determination process, such as pattern matching, between captured images acquired at different times, thereby calculating the travel distance of the elevator car 120 between the times.

[0069] Thus, the measurement device 710 according to the second embodiment does not require deconvolution processing to obtain a high-resolution image without blur, and by utilizing the blur, can realize a measurement device that is robust against displacement of the elevator car 120 in the left-right or depth direction. Furthermore, by using a phase plate 724 in the imaging unit 720, the measurement device 710 according to the second embodiment can impart a phase distribution to the light rays passing through the aperture plane and uniformize the blur of the point image due to focus deviation, which is expected to have the effect of improving the detection efficiency of the reflected / scattered luminance pattern 310 having fine unevenness.

[0070] Although the second embodiment has been described using an example of a phase plate having annular grooves (annular phase plate), the shape that can be employed for the phase plate 724 is not limited to annular. For example, it is also possible to employ a band-shaped phase plate having curvature only in the x direction (horizontal direction) and having cylindrical concave-convex grooves that are translationally symmetric in the y direction (car travel direction) arranged in a band-like pattern in the x direction. By employing such a band-shaped phase plate, the phase plate 724 can impart different optical performance to the horizontal direction (x direction) and the car travel direction (y direction) of the imaging unit 720 (asymmetric configuration). By employing such an asymmetric configuration, it is possible to realize an imaging unit 720 that satisfies the conditions in each direction according to Equations 3 to 6, even if the pixels 420 and the light receiving units 430 are not square but, for example, rectangular.

[0071] (3) Third embodiment 10 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of an imaging unit 920 in a measuring apparatus 910 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The measuring apparatus 910 according to the third embodiment includes the imaging unit 920 as an example of the imaging unit 220 in the measuring apparatus 110 according to the first embodiment, and includes an imaging unit 930 as an example of the imaging unit 230. Note that the configuration of the measuring apparatus 910 other than the above is the same as that of the measuring apparatus 110 according to the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0072] 10 , the imaging unit 920 includes a lens 921 and an aperture 922, and forms an image of the scattered light reflected by the guide rail 140 on the imaging unit 930. Specifically, the lens 921 is disposed opposite the guide rail 140, and collects the scattered light scattered by the guide rail 140. The aperture 922 limits the amount of scattered light collected by the lens 921, and sends it toward the imaging surface of the imaging unit 930.

[0073] The measurement device 910 is disposed so that the guide rail 140 is located at a defocus position shifted in the optical axis direction from the conjugate plane position (focus position) of the imaging unit 920 in the imaging unit 930 (imaging plane). In Fig. 10, in order to clearly show the image of the defocus position, the position of the guide rail 140 is shown as being moved by the amount of defocus, but in reality, the guide rail 140 is located at a fixed position as a stationary structure, and therefore the position of the entire measurement device 910 (or the imaging unit 920 and imaging unit 930 in the measurement device 910) is adjusted. Such an illustration is also true in Fig. 11 described in the fourth embodiment.

[0074] 10 shows the point spread function when the guide rail 140 is located at the in-focus position and the point spread function when the guide rail 140 is located at the defocus position side by side. As is clear from the point spread function shown in FIG. 10, the spread of the point spread function is small at the in-focus position, but by shifting and installing the measurement device 910 so that the guide rail 140 is at the defocus position, the spread of the point spread function can be increased. More specifically, by shifting the measurement device 910 to the defocus position, the spread of the point spread function can be determined so as to satisfy the above-mentioned formulas 1 and 2.

[0075] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, lens 921 may be a cylindrical lens having a curvature in only one direction, or a toric lens having a curvature in both directions but with different curvatures, so as to impart different optical performance to the horizontal direction (x direction) and the car travel direction (y direction) of imaging unit 920. By adopting such an asymmetric configuration, even if pixels 420 and light receiving units 430 are not square but are, for example, rectangular, it is possible to realize imaging unit 920 that satisfies the conditions in each direction according to Equations 3 to 6.

[0076] The measuring device 910 according to the third embodiment configured as described above can obtain the desired performance of the measuring device according to the present invention as described in the first embodiment (in short, the performance of collecting scattered light reflected by guide rail 140 and forming an image on the imaging plane so as to produce a predetermined amount of blur) by changing the installation position of measuring device 910 without making major changes to the internal configuration of imaging unit 920 from the existing configuration. Therefore, the measuring device 910 according to the third embodiment achieves the object of the present invention, which is to "measure the position and speed of an elevator car with high accuracy and high robustness against car displacement, based on the imaging results of scattered light reflected by a stationary structure," while achieving the effect of reducing the design costs and mass production costs of the measuring device compared to the other embodiments.

[0077] (4) Fourth embodiment FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of an imaging unit 1020 in a measuring apparatus 1010 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The measuring apparatus 1010 according to the fourth embodiment includes an imaging unit 1020 as an imaging unit instead of the imaging unit 920 in the measuring apparatus 910 according to the third embodiment. The imaging unit 1020 is characterized by its high robustness against car displacement, since it can keep the imaging magnification of the image capturing unit 1030 unchanged despite shaking of the elevator car 120 in the z-axis direction and can keep the change in the spread width of the point spread function sufficiently small against shaking in the z-axis direction. Note that the configuration of the measuring apparatus 1010 other than the above is the same as that of the measuring apparatus 910 according to the third embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 11 , imaging unit 1020 forms an image of scattered light reflected by guide rail 140 on imaging unit 1030. Specifically, imaging unit 1020 is configured to include objective lens 1021 (first lens), aperture 1022, and condenser lens 1023 (second lens). Objective lens 1021 is disposed opposite guide rail 140 and condenses the scattered light scattered by guide rail 140. Aperture 1022 limits the amount of scattered light condensed by objective lens 1021. Collector lens 1023 is disposed between aperture 1022 and imaging unit 1030 and condenses the scattered light whose amount has been limited by aperture 1022, and sends the condensed scattered light toward the imaging surface of imaging unit 1030.

[0079] 11, in measuring device 1010, imaging unit 1020 has a telecentric optical arrangement on the object side (guide rail 140 side) to eliminate the influence of changes in magnification when guide rail 140, which is the subject (detection target), moves in the z-axis direction relative to elevator car 120, and forms an image on imaging unit 1030 using two or more lenses to suppress geometric aberrations that occur in imaging unit 1030. Furthermore, imaging unit 1020 may also have a telecentric optical arrangement on the image side (imaging unit 1030 side), in which case it plays a role in widening the dimensional tolerance in the z-axis direction (mounting tolerance in the z-axis direction) when imaging unit 1030 is mounted.

[0080] That is, in the measuring device 1010, the center of the imaging surface of the imaging unit 1030, the optical axis of the focusing lens 1023, the center of the aperture 1022, and the optical axis of the objective lens 1021 are arranged so as to be located on the same straight line, and the aperture 1022 is arranged at the focal position on the imaging unit 1030 side of the objective lens 1021, and at the focal position on the objective lens 1021 side of the focusing lens 1023.

[0081] Furthermore, similarly to the third embodiment, the measuring device 1010 according to the fourth embodiment is disposed so that the guide rail 140 is located at a defocus position shifted in the optical axis direction from the conjugate plane position (focus position) of the imaging unit 1020 in the imaging unit 1030 (imaging plane). By shifting and installing the measuring device 1010 so that the guide rail 140 is at the defocus position, the spread width of the point spread function can be increased, and the spread width of the point spread function can be determined so as to satisfy the above-described formulas 1 and 2.

[0082] Furthermore, in measurement device 1010, the aperture diameter of diaphragm 1022 is set to be sufficiently small in order to reduce the effect of changes in the spread width of the point spread function when guide rail 140 is displaced in the z-axis direction relative to elevator car 120. This allows the spread angle of the light beam to be small, making it possible to reduce changes in point spread function 510 when the guide rail is displaced in the optical axis direction from the nominal position.

[0083] As a specific condition for the aperture diameter when the aperture diameter of the diaphragm 1022 is set to be sufficiently small as described above, for example, the numerical aperture (NA) of the imaging unit 1020 may be configured to satisfy the relationship of the following equation 8.

number

[0084] Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, objective lens 1021 or condenser lens 1023 may be a cylindrical lens having a curvature in only one direction, or a toric lens having a curvature in both directions but with different curvatures, so as to impart different optical performance to the horizontal direction (x direction) and the car travel direction (y direction) of imaging unit 1020. By adopting such an asymmetric configuration, even if pixels 420 and light receiving units 430 are not square but are, for example, rectangular, it is possible to realize imaging unit 1020 that satisfies the conditions in each direction according to Equations 3 to 6.

[0085] The measurement apparatus 1010 according to the fourth embodiment configured as described above employs a telecentric optical system, thereby keeping the magnification of the optical system unchanged even when the elevator car 120 vibrates in the z direction. Furthermore, by limiting the aperture diameter (aperture diameter) of the diaphragm 1022 to a small value, it is possible to reduce changes in the point spread function and widen the depth of field. As a result, the measurement apparatus 1010 can achieve an optical system that is robust even when the elevator car 120 vibrates in the z direction.

[0086] (5) Fifth embodiment FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of an imaging unit 1120 in a measurement device 1110 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. While the imaging units 720, 920, and 1020 shown in the second to fourth embodiments were examples of the imaging unit 220 shown in the first embodiment, the imaging unit 1120 included in the measurement device 1110 according to the fifth embodiment does not achieve optical performance that intentionally blurs the captured image, and therefore has a different internal configuration from the imaging unit 220 shown in the first embodiment. However, when viewed as an entire measurement device, the measurement device 1110 according to the fifth embodiment is common to the measurement devices according to the first to fourth embodiments in that it achieves a characteristic configuration in which "scattered light rays incident on the light receiving unit of the imaging unit via the imaging unit are returned onto the surface of the guide rail 140 by back ray tracing, resulting in a scattering region that covers the entire imaging target region," and thus can be said to be an embodiment of a measurement device according to the present invention.

[0087] An imaging unit 1120 of a measuring device 1110 according to the fifth embodiment differs from the imaging unit 220 and the like shown in the first embodiment in that it includes a microlens array 1123 that focuses light rays toward a light receiving unit 1132 of a pixel (see FIG. 13). The imaging unit 1120 can cause the chief ray of a group of light rays incident on each imaging point to be incident on the center of the light receiving unit 1132 by the microlens array 1123, thereby maintaining constant sensitivity for each position. Note that other configurations of the measuring device 1110 are the same as those of the measuring device 110 according to the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0088] 12, the imaging unit 1120 includes a lens 1121, an aperture 1122, and a microlens array 1123, and collects scattered light reflected by the guide rail 140 onto a light receiving unit 1132 of the imaging unit 1130. Specifically, the lens 1121 is disposed opposite the guide rail 140 and collects the scattered light scattered by the guide rail 140. The aperture 1122 limits the amount of scattered light collected by the lens 1121 and sends it toward the microlens array 1123. The microlens array 1123 is disposed on an image plane where the lens 1121 forms an image of the scattered light reflected by the guide rail 140.

[0089] Fig. 13 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration and effect of the microlens array 1123. As shown in Fig. 13, the microlens array 1123 refracts light rays that are collected by the lenses 1121 and incident on the image plane 1124 of the microlens array 1123, and emits the light toward the light receiving unit 1132 of the imaging unit 1130. The microlens array 1123 is configured by arranging lenses in an array, the number of which is the same as the number of pixels of the imaging unit 1130, and the positions of the x and y directions of the lenses are determined and arranged so that the optical axis of each lens passes through the center of the light receiving unit 1132.

[0090] The focal length of the microlens array 1123 and the distance from the microlens array 1123 to the imaging unit 1130 are determined so that the chief ray 1125 of the group of light rays is incident on the center of the light receiving unit 1132. Since the chief ray 1125 is a light ray that passes through the center of the aperture 1122 (see FIG. 12), the brightest light ray of the group of light rays that form an image on the image plane 1124 is incident on the center of the light receiving unit 1132. Note that in the imaging unit 1130, the group of light rays that form an image on the image plane 1124 are not incident on the light-shielding portion 1131 surrounding the light receiving unit 1132. Therefore, this configuration enables the light receiving unit 1132 to perform detection with maximum efficiency regardless of the incident position on the image plane 1124, and makes it possible to maintain constant sensitivity for each position.

[0091] As described above, in the measuring device 1110 according to the fifth embodiment, the imaging unit 1130 can be configured so that, while maintaining constant sensitivity at each position in the light-receiving unit 1132, which has a width narrower than a pixel, the scattering region formed when the scattered light incident on the light-receiving unit 1132 is returned onto the surface of the guide rail 140 by back ray tracing covers the entire imaging target area. As a result, in the case where the stationary structure (guide rail) to be measured has a luminance pattern (reflected / scattered luminance pattern) in which the image formed by light diffusely reflected (scattered light) from the stationary structure is smaller in size than the pixels of the optical sensor, even if the elevator car 120 is displaced relative to the guide rail 140 due to vibration or the like, the measuring device 1110 according to the fifth embodiment can prevent the loss of fine feature points of the reflected / scattered luminance pattern 310 in the captured image spanning the displacement, as in the measuring device 110 according to the first embodiment, and enables pattern matching before and after the displacement by the image processing unit 240. This makes it possible to measure signal information useful for controlling the operation of the elevator car 120 without sacrificing accuracy.

[0092] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to clearly explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. For example, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, for example, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

[0093] Furthermore, the above-described components, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. Furthermore, the above-described components, functions, etc. (e.g., image processing unit 240, etc.) may be implemented in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as the program, tables, and files that implement each function may be stored in memory, a storage device such as a hard disk or solid-state drive (SSD), or a storage medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD. In particular, a program may be installed in a device such as a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a non-transitory storage medium readable by a computer. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server includes a processor (e.g., a CPU) and non-transitory storage resources, and the storage resources may further store a distribution program and a program to be distributed. The processor of the program distribution server may then execute the distribution program, thereby distributing the program to be distributed to other computers. In the following description, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0094] In addition, the control lines and information lines in the drawings are those that are considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all of the control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 10. Elevator System 110 Measuring Equipment 120 Elevator Cage 130 Elevator control unit 140 guide rail 210 Optical transmitter 220 Imaging unit 230 Imaging unit 240 Image Processing Unit 310 Reflection and scattering luminance pattern 410 statue 420 pixels 430 Light receiving part 510 Point spread function 520 Reverse image 610 Output 710,910,1010,1110 Measuring equipment 720,920,1020,1120 Imaging section 721,921,1021,1121 Objective lens (lens) 722,922 aperture 723,1023 Condenser lens 724 Phase plate 730,930,1030,1130 Imaging unit 810 Circular groove 820,821,822,823 rays 830 focus 831,832 positions 840 Optical axis 1123 Microlens Array 1124 Image plane 1125 Chief ray 1131 Light blocking part 1132 Light receiving part

Claims

1. A measuring device that is installed on an elevator car moving in a hoistway and measures at least one of a moving distance or a speed of the elevator car, an optical transmitter that transmits light to illuminate a stationary structure disposed along the direction of movement of the elevator car in the elevator shaft; an imaging unit that collects scattered light from the stationary structure by passing the scattered light from the light onto an imaging plane by a collecting lens; an imaging unit that captures optical signals of the scattered light that are focused on the light receiving portions of a plurality of pixels that constitute the imaging surface, converts the signals into electrical signals, and captures an image; an image processing unit that calculates and transmits at least one of a moving distance or a speed of the elevator car based on the electrical signal converted by the imaging unit; Equipped with The imaging unit is configured so that no gaps are generated between pixels with different scattering regions when the scattered light incident on the light receiving unit of each pixel on the imaging surface is returned to the stationary structure. A measuring device characterized by:

2. The imaging unit blurs the scattered light from the stationary structure and focuses the light on the imaging surface.

2. The measuring device according to claim 1.

3. The imaging unit focuses the scattered light from the stationary structure on the imaging surface by blurring it at least in the vibration direction of minute vibrations that may occur in the elevator car.

3. The measuring device according to claim 2.

4. The full width of the point spread function in the imaging section determined by the RMS (Root Mean Square) method is W ＰＳＦ , the pixel pitch of the imaging surface is W ＰＩＸ , the width of the light receiving portion of the pixel on the imaging surface is W ＰＤ When you say, becomes 3. The measuring device according to claim 2.

5. The imaging unit a diaphragm for limiting the amount of scattered light collected by the collecting lens; and an optical component having a plurality of grooves formed therein that impart a predetermined aberration to light rays passing through the aperture.

3. The measuring device according to claim 2.

6. The maximum amount of aberration in the optical axis direction imparted by the optical component is greater than the amplitude of vibration of the elevator car.

6. The measuring device according to claim 5.

7. The imaging unit is configured by an optical system that is telecentric at least on the stationary structure side.

3. The measuring device according to claim 2.

8. The imaging surface of the imaging unit is disposed at a position different from the focal position optically conjugate with the stationary structure by the imaging unit.

3. The measuring device according to claim 2.

9. the imaging unit has a diaphragm that limits the amount of scattered light collected by the collecting lens, The aperture diameter of the diaphragm is limited based on the optical magnification of the condenser lens, the amplitude of the vibration of the elevator car, and the change in the spread width of the point spread function due to the scattered light condensed on the imaging surface.

3. The measuring device according to claim 2.

10. the imaging unit includes a microlens array between the condenser lens and the imaging surface; The microlens array focuses a group of light rays that are scattered from the stationary structure and pass through the focusing lens onto the imaging surface.

2. The measuring device according to claim 1.

11. An elevator car moving through a shaft, a guide rail disposed in the elevator shaft along a moving direction of the elevator car; an elevator control unit that controls the operation of the elevator car; a measuring device installed on the elevator car to measure at least one of the moving distance and the speed of the elevator car; Equipped with The measuring device is an optical transmitter that transmits light to irradiate the guide rail; an imaging unit that collects scattered light from the guide rail on an imaging surface by passing the scattered light through a collecting lens; an imaging unit that captures optical signals of the scattered light that are focused on the light receiving portions of a plurality of pixels that constitute the imaging surface, converts the signals into electrical signals, and captures an image; an image processing unit that calculates and transmits at least one of a moving distance or a speed of the elevator car based on the electrical signal converted by the imaging unit; and The imaging unit is configured so that no gaps are generated between pixels having different scattering regions when the scattered light incident on the light receiving unit of each pixel on the imaging surface is returned onto the guide rail. An elevator system characterized by:

Images