Elevator backup system

Abstract

To continue the operation of an elevator without interruption even when a control subject of group management is switched in the elevator. [Solution] The backup system includes a second group management control device that can replace the first group management control device, and a backup processing unit. The second group management control device includes a first interface for a real connection to a network and a second interface for a virtual connection to the network. When the first group management control device is operating normally, the second group management control device sets the real connection via the first interface to "disabled" and the virtual connection via the second interface to "enabled." When the first group management control device is no longer able to operate normally, the backup processing unit commands the second group management control device to set the real connection via the first interface to "enabled" and the virtual connection via the second interface to "disabled."

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a backup technology that enables continuous operation of elevators. [Background technology]

[0002] One elevator backup technology involves installing a backup group management control device on a network that can replace the main group management control device, so that even if the main group management control device breaks down, the group management control entity can be switched to the backup group management control device, allowing elevator operation to continue. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 04-49181 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7215602 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional backup technology, if the backup group management controller is assigned the same IP address as the main group management controller, and both group management controllers are connected to a network and then turned on, a communication failure occurs due to the same IP address. To prevent such a communication failure, the backup group management controller must be turned off until it is needed. As a result, even if the main group management controller breaks down and it is necessary to immediately switch the group management control entity to the backup group management controller, it takes time for the backup group management controller to start up, which poses the problem of having to temporarily suspend elevator operation until the group management control entity is switched over.

[0005] On the other hand, if a backup group management control device is assigned a different IP address from the main group management control device, the above-mentioned communication failure will not occur. Therefore, it is possible to keep the main group management control device connected to the network and powered on at all times. However, in order to switch the group management control entity from the main group management control device to the backup group management control device, it is necessary to notify other devices, such as destination floor registration devices that communicate with the control entity, that the IP address of the control entity has changed. Therefore, it takes time for all devices to recognize the IP address change and for the destination floor registration devices to make a switching decision, which again poses the problem of having to temporarily suspend elevator operation.

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to allow elevator operation to continue uninterrupted even when the control entity of the group management is switched in the elevator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A backup system according to the present invention is applicable to elevators and has the following configuration (Aspect 1). In an elevator to which the system is applied, a destination floor registration device is connected to a first group management control device via a network, while elevator control devices that control each car are connected to the first group management control device without using the network. The backup system includes a second group management control device that can replace the first group management control device, and a backup processing unit that controls switching from the first group management control device to the second group management control device. The second group management control device also includes a first interface and a second interface. The first interface is an interface for a real connection to the network, and the setting of the real connection can be switched between enabled and disabled, and the first interface is assigned the same IP address as the interface for the real connection of the first group management control device to the network. The second interface is an interface for a virtual connection to the network, and the setting of the virtual connection can be switched between enabled and disabled. When the first group management control device is operating normally, the second group management control device sets the actual connection via the first interface to "disabled," while setting the virtual connection via the second interface to "enabled." Then, when the first group management control device is no longer able to operate normally, the backup processing unit commands the second group management control device to set the actual connection via the first interface to "enabled," and to set the virtual connection via the second interface to "disabled."

[0008] According to the above-mentioned aspect 1, even if the second group management control device remains powered on (ON state), the second group management control device can be disconnected from the network by setting the actual connection via the first interface to "disabled." Therefore, even if a common IP address is assigned to the interface of the first group management control device for the actual connection to the Internet and the first interface of the second group management control device, by setting the actual connection via the first interface to "disabled" in the second group management control device, the second group management control device can be left powered on (ON state) without causing a communication failure. Therefore, when the second group management control device is used to replace the first group management control device, time is not required to start up the second group management control device.

[0009] Furthermore, even if the actual connection via the first interface is set to "disabled" and the second group management control device is disconnected from the network, by setting the virtual connection via the second interface to "enabled," the second group management control device can be made to operate as if it were connected to the network while remaining disconnected from the network. This makes it possible to smoothly transfer the control entity of group management from the first group management control device to the second group management control device, compared to when the second group management control device suddenly starts operating after not operating at all.

[0010] The backup system according to the above-mentioned aspect 1 may have the following configuration (aspect 2). When the first group management control device itself is operating normally, it may transmit an alive status signal indicating this to the backup processing unit without going through a network. Then, the backup processing unit may make a judgment (A) as to whether or not the first group management control device is operating normally based on the transmission status of the alive status signal from the first group management control device, and if it determines in the judgment (A) that the first group management control device is "not operating normally," it may instruct the second group management control device to set the actual connection via the first interface to "enabled" and the virtual connection via the second interface to "disabled."

[0011] According to the second aspect, the alive status signal is transmitted directly from the first group management control device to the backup processing unit without going through a network, so that the backup processing unit can reliably receive the alive status signal if the first group management control device is able to transmit the alive status signal. Therefore, the backup processing unit can determine whether the first group management control device is operating normally based on the transmission status of the alive status signal from the first group management control device. By using the alive status signal in this way and being able to receive it directly from the first group management control device, it becomes possible to accurately and easily determine whether the first group management control device is operating normally.

[0012] The backup system according to the above-mentioned aspect 1 or 2 may have the following configuration (aspect 3). The second group management control device may operate normally on the condition that either the real connection via the first interface or the virtual connection via the second interface is enabled. With this configuration, when the second group management control device is operating normally, it can obtain operation data of each car from the elevator control device without going through a network, and use the operation data to perform learning to optimize group management.

[0013] According to the third aspect, even when the first group management control device is operating normally and the second group management control device is disconnected from the network, the second group management control device can operate as if it were connected to the network by setting the virtual connection via the second interface to "enabled." As a result, even when the first group management control device is operating normally (i.e., before the first group management control device is substituted), the actual control processing at that time is performed by the first group management control device, but the second group management control device can acquire operation data indicating the car movements resulting from that processing from the elevator control device as needed and use the operation data to perform learning to optimize group management (learning processing). In other words, even before the first group management control device is no longer able to operate normally, the second group management control device can be prepared to immediately replace the first group management control device and perform optimal group management control at any time. Therefore, when the second group management control device substitutes for the first group management control device, the control entity of group management can be smoothly transferred from the first group management control device to the second group management control device.

[0014] The backup system according to any one of the above aspects 1 to 3 may have the following configuration (aspect 4). The first group management control device may also have a first interface and a second interface, like the second group management control device. Then, if the first group management control device becomes unable to operate normally and the actual connection via the first interface provided in the second group management control device is set to "enabled" and the second group management control device takes over as the first group management control device, the second group management control device may continue to operate as the new first group management control device; on the other hand, if the first group management control device that has become unable to operate normally later recovers and becomes able to operate normally, it may be used as the new second group management control device.

[0015] According to the above-mentioned aspect 4, when the first group management control device that has become unable to operate normally recovers, there is no need for the control or work of returning the control entity of group management from the second group management control device to the first group management control device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to continue the operation of an elevator without interruption even when the control entity of the group management is switched in the elevator. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of an elevator according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing the configurations of (A) a first group management control device, (B) a second group management control device, and (C) a switching device provided in an elevator according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 1A to 1C are conceptual diagrams illustrating (A) first device management data, (B) second device management data, and (C) third device management data used in an embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a backup process executed in the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first group management control device in a first modified example. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a backup process executed in a first modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first group management control device in a second modified example. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a backup process executed in a second modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of an elevator according to a third modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a second group management control device in a third modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] [1] Implementation [1-1] Overall structure of the elevator Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of an elevator according to an embodiment. As shown in this diagram, the elevator includes a destination floor registration device 1 installed on each floor, a plurality of cars G, a plurality of elevator control devices 2 that individually control the plurality of cars G, and a first group management control device 3A that centrally manages the plurality of cars G through the elevator control devices 2 (performs group management of the cars G). Fig. 2(A) shows the configuration of the first group management control device 3A in a block diagram.

[0019] The first group management control device 3A is provided with an interface Ja for actual connection to the network Wj (see FIG. 2(A)). Each destination floor registration device 1 is also provided with an interface Ja for actual connection to the network Wj (not shown). As an example, these interfaces Ja are LAN interfaces. As a result, all of the destination floor registration devices 1 are connected to the first group management control device 3A via the network Wj (see FIG. 1).

[0020] On the other hand, the elevator control device 2 is connected to the first group management control device 3A by a cable Wk that directly connects the devices without going through the network Wj, so that direct communication (such as serial communication) with the first group management control device 3A is possible (see Figure 1).

[0021] Furthermore, the elevator of this embodiment is equipped with a second group management controller 3B that can replace the first group management controller 3A, and a switching device 4 that switches the control entity for group management (switching from one of the first group management controller 3A and the second group management controller 3B to the other) in order to create a backup system in case the first group management controller 3A cannot operate normally (see FIG. 1). Figures 2(B) and 2(C) are block diagrams showing the configurations of the second group management controller 3B and the switching device 4, respectively.

[0022] The second group management control device 3B also has an interface Ja for an actual connection to the network Wj (see FIG. 2(B)). The same IP address as the interface Ja of the first group management control device 3A is assigned to the interface Ja. The second group management control device 3B is also configured to be able to use software to switch between enabling and disabling the actual connection via its own interface Ja. Hereinafter, the interface Ja for an actual connection to the network Wj, which is configured to be able to switch between enabling and disabling the actual connection, will be referred to as the "first interface J1."

[0023] With this first interface J1, even if the second group management control device 3B remains powered on (ON state), the second group management control device 3B can be disconnected from the network Wj by setting the actual connection via the first interface J1 to "disabled" using software. Therefore, even if a common IP address is assigned to the interface Ja of the first group management control device 3A and the first interface J1 of the second group management control device 3B as in this embodiment, by setting the actual connection via the first interface J1 to "disabled" in the second group management control device 3B, the second group management control device 3B can be kept powered on (ON state) without causing a communication failure. Therefore, when the second group management control device 3B replaces the first group management control device 3A, no time is required to start up the second group management control device 3B.

[0024] In addition, the elevator control device 2 is also connected to the second group management control device 3B by a cable Wk that directly connects the devices without going through the network Wj, so that direct communication (such as serial communication) is possible between the elevator control device 2 and the second group management control device 3B (see Figure 1).

[0025] Furthermore, the switching device 4 is connected to the first group management control device 3A and the second group management control device 3B by a cable Wk that directly connects the devices without going through the network Wj, so that direct communication (such as serial communication) is possible with both the first group management control device 3A and the second group management control device 3B (see Figure 1).

[0026] [1-2] Configuration of each device The configuration of each device will be described in more detail below.

[0027] <Destination floor registration device> The destination floor registration device 1 is equipped with a touch panel, through which the user registers the destination floor Fd and notifies the user of various information. The destination floor registration device 1 may be equipped with an input unit and a display unit separately. For example, the input unit may be equipped with mechanical buttons (such as a numeric keypad), and the display unit may be equipped with a monitor dedicated to display.

[0028] In this embodiment, a common IP address assigned to the interface Ja of the first group management control device 3A and the first interface J1 of the second group management control device 3B is pre-recorded in each destination floor registration device 1. When a user operates a destination floor registration device 1 at any floor to register their own destination floor Fd, the destination floor Fd is transmitted via the network Wj to the group management control device 3 (here, the first group management control device 3A or the second group management control device 3B) identified by the IP address recorded in the destination floor registration device 1. As a result, a request for allocation of a hall call X for the user is made to the group management control device 3 identified by the IP address. At this time, device information Pd1 for distinguishing the destination floor registration device 1 from other devices is also transmitted to the group management control device 3 so that the group management control device 3 can recognize which registration device the operated destination floor registration device 1 is.

[0029] <Elevator control device> Each elevator control device 2 controls the elevator car G corresponding to it at any time in response to instructions from the group management control device 3, and transmits operation data Pm indicating the movement of the elevator car G at that time (such as movement of the elevator car G and opening and closing of the doors) to both the first group management control device 3A and the second group management control device 3B (see Figure 1).

[0030] <First group management control device> Each time the first group management control device 3A receives an allocation request from any of the destination floor registration devices 1, it treats the departure floor Fc and destination floor Fd of the user registered with that destination floor registration device 1 as one hall call X, selects an allocation destination for that hall call X from among multiple cars G, and then allocates the hall call X to that allocation destination (allocation process).Then, the first group management control device 3A causes the car G to respond to the hall call X via the elevator control device 2 (response process).

[0031] When responding to a hall call X, the first group management control device 3A registers the destination floor Fd indicated by the hall call X as a car call Y for the user for the car G at an appropriate timing after the car G arrives at the departure floor Fc indicated by the hall call X (for example, when the doors start opening or when a sensor in the door detects that the user has boarded), (registration processing). Then, the first group management control device 3A causes the car G to respond to the car call Y via the elevator control device 2 (response processing).

[0032] The first group management control device 3A sequentially accumulates operation data generated by group management as learning data Dp (see FIG. 2(A)), and uses the learning data Dp to perform learning for optimizing group management (learning for optimizing the allocation of hall calls X) (learning process). Here, the operation data includes various data related to elevator operation, such as data related to allocation and operation data Pm of the car G transmitted from the elevator control device 2. The learning data Dp is obtained by performing statistical analysis of the operation data at any time, and includes analytical data on the operation status of the car G (average door-open time, average door-close time, average running time between floors, average stop time at each floor, etc.) and analytical data on elevator usage status (average number of hall calls X generated in the past five minutes, average congestion level in the car G in the past five minutes, etc.). The analysis of the operation data is not limited to statistical analysis, and AI (neural network, etc.) may also be used.

[0033] Furthermore, when the first group management control device 3A is operating normally, it periodically transmits an alive status signal SvA indicating this to the switching device 4 via the cable Wk that directly connects the devices (i.e., not via the network Wj) (transmission process; see Figure 1).

[0034] In this way, the alive status signal SvA is transmitted directly from the first group management control device 3A to the switching device 4 via the cable Wk. Therefore, unless there is a problem such as a broken cable Wk, the switching device 4 can reliably receive the alive status signal SvA as long as the first group management control device 3A is able to transmit the alive status signal SvA. Furthermore, if the first group management control device 3A becomes unable to operate normally for some reason (such as a malfunction or maintenance), the transmission of the alive status signal SvA from the first group management control device 3A will be interrupted. Therefore, the switching device 4 can determine whether the first group management control device 3A is operating normally based on the transmission status of the alive status signal SvA from the first group management control device 3A. Specifically, if the switching device 4 is no longer able to receive the alive status signal SvA from the first group management control device 3A, it can determine that the first group management control device 3A is no longer able to operate normally.

[0035] By using the alive status signal SvA in this way and making it possible to receive it directly from the first group management control device 3A, it becomes possible to accurately and easily determine whether the first group management control device 3A is operating normally.

[0036] Specifically, the first group management control device 3A includes an interface Ja, a storage unit 31A, and a control unit 32A (see FIG. 2(A)).

[0037] The storage unit 31A is a part configured with storage devices such as ROM and RAM, and stores information necessary for the control processing performed by the first group management control device 3A. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned learning data Dp is stored in the storage unit 31A as such information, and further, first device management data Dq1, second device management data Dq2, hall call management data (not shown), and car call management data (not shown) are stored in the storage unit 31A.

[0038] Here, the first device management data Dq1 is a database for managing, for each destination floor registration device 1, a plurality of pieces of information related to that registration device by linking them together (see FIG. 3(A)). The second device management data Dq2 is a database for managing, for each elevator control device 2, a plurality of pieces of information related to that control device by linking them together (see FIG. 3(B)). The hall call management data and car call management data are data for managing, for each car G, information on hall calls X and car calls Y for users, respectively (not shown).

[0039] 3A is a conceptual diagram illustrating the first device management data Dq1 used in this embodiment. In the first device management data Dq1, for each destination floor registration device 1, the device information Pd1 of the registration device and the installation floor Fs are recorded in a mutually associated state.

[0040] As a result, when the first group management control device 3A receives device information Pd1 together with the destination floor Fd from any of the destination floor registration devices 1, it becomes possible to identify the floor Fs on which the destination floor registration device 1 (the registration device on which the destination floor Fd is registered) is installed from the device information Pd1. The floor Fs on which the destination floor registration device 1 is installed is used as the departure floor Fc (boarding floor) of the user who operates the registration device to register the destination floor Fd.

[0041] 3(B) is a conceptual diagram illustrating the second device management data Dq2 used in this embodiment. In the second device management data Dq2, for each elevator control device 2, device information Pd2 for distinguishing the elevator control device 2 from other devices and car information Pg for distinguishing the car G controlled by the elevator control device 2 from other cars are recorded in a mutually associated state.

[0042] This enables the first group management control device 3A to control the car G through each elevator control device 2, and when it receives device information Pd2 together with the operation data Pm of the car G from each elevator control device 2, it becomes possible to identify from the device information Pd2 which car G the operation data Pm belongs to.

[0043] The control unit 32A is a part responsible for executing the control processes (including allocation processes, registration processes, response processes, learning processes, and transmission processes) performed by the first group management control device 3A. Specifically, the control unit 32A is composed of processing devices such as a CPU or MPU, and executes a control program installed in the first group management control device 3A to realize the execution of its own control processes in software. Note that, before being installed in the first group management control device 3A, this control program may be stored in a readable state on a portable storage medium (e.g., flash memory, etc.), or may be stored in a downloadable state on a server, etc. Furthermore, the control processes performed by the first group management control device 3A are not limited to being realized in software by executing a program, but may also be realized in hardware by a processing circuit built into the first group management control device 3A.

[0044] <Second group management control device> When the first group management control device 3A is operating normally, the actual connection via the first interface J1 of the second group management control device 3B is set to "disabled," thereby disconnecting the second group management control device 3B from the network Wj while remaining powered on (ON state).

[0045] Furthermore, the second group management control device 3B (see FIG. 2(B)) is provided with an interface Jb for a virtual connection to the network Wj (an interface Jb for creating a state where the device is virtually connected to the network Wj), which is configured so that the setting of the virtual connection can be switched between enabled and disabled (hereinafter, this interface Jb will be referred to as the "second interface J2"). This second interface J2 is itself realized by software in the control unit 32B, which will be described later. As an example, the second interface J2 is a dummy interface.

[0046] When the first group management control device 3A is operating normally, the second group management control device 3B sets the actual connection via the first interface J1 to "disabled" while setting the virtual connection via the second interface J2 to "enabled."

[0047] On the other hand, if the first group management control device 3A is no longer able to operate normally (if it is disconnected from the network Wj due to a malfunction, maintenance, or the like), the second group management control device 3B switches the setting of the actual connection via the first interface J1 from "disabled" to "enabled" and switches the setting of the virtual connection via the second interface J2 from "enabled" to "disabled" (setting switching process) in accordance with a command from the switching device 4. This enables the second group management control device 3B to communicate over the network, and as a result, it becomes possible to receive allocation requests from each destination floor registration device 1 in place of the first group management control device 3A.

[0048] The second group management control device 3B is configured so that when it replaces the first group management control device 3A, it can perform the same control processes for group management (the above-mentioned allocation process, registration process, response process, and learning process) as the control processes performed by the first group management control device 3A.

[0049] Furthermore, the second group management control device 3B is configured so that it can operate normally (i.e., so that it can perform control processing for group management) only when it can recognize its own connection to the network Wj. In other words, the second group management control device 3B can operate normally on the condition that either the actual connection via the first interface J1 or the virtual connection via the second interface J2 is set to "valid."

[0050] Therefore, even if the actual connection via the first interface J1 is set to "disabled" and the second group management control device 3B is disconnected from the network Wj, the virtual connection via the second interface J2 is set to "enabled," allowing the second group management control device 3B to operate as if it were connected to the network Wj while remaining disconnected from the network Wj.

[0051] As a result, while the first group management control device 3A is operating normally and the second group management control device 3B is disconnected from the network Wj (i.e., before taking over from the first group management control device 3A), the actual control processing at that time (allocation processing, registration processing, response processing, etc.) is performed by the first group management control device 3A, but the second group management control device 3B can acquire operation data Pm indicating the movement of the car G resulting from those processing from the elevator control device 2 via the cable Wk (i.e., not via the network Wj) as needed, and use that operation data Pm to perform learning to optimize group management (learning processing). In other words, even before the first group management control device 3A is no longer able to operate normally, the second group management control device 3B can be prepared to take over from the first group management control device 3A at any time and immediately perform optimal group management control.

[0052] Therefore, when the second group management control device 3B replaces the first group management control device 3A, the control entity for group management can be smoothly transferred from the first group management control device 3A to the second group management control device 3B.

[0053] Furthermore, when the second group management control device 3B is operating normally, it periodically transmits an alive status signal SvB indicating this to the switching device 4 via the cable Wk that directly connects the devices (i.e., not via the network Wj) (transmission process; see Figure 1).

[0054] In this way, by transmitting the alive status signal SvB directly from the second group management control device 3B to the switching device 4 via the cable Wk, unless there is a problem such as a break in the cable Wk, the switching device 4 can reliably receive the alive status signal SvB as long as the second group management control device 3B is able to transmit the alive status signal SvB. Therefore, just as the switching device 4 can determine the operating status Zs of the first group management control device 3A, it can also determine whether the second group management control device 3B is operating normally based on the transmission status of the alive status signal SvB from the second group management control device 3B.

[0055] Specifically, the second group management control device 3B includes a storage unit 31B and a control unit 32B in addition to the first interface J1 and the second interface J2 (see FIG. 2(B)).

[0056] The storage unit 31B is a part configured with storage devices such as ROM and RAM, and stores information necessary for the control processing performed by the second group management control device 3B. In this embodiment, as with the first group management control device 3A, the information stored in the storage unit 31B includes learning data Dp, first device management data Dq1, second device management data Dq2, hall call management data (not shown), and car call management data (not shown).

[0057] The control unit 32B is a part responsible for executing the control processes (including setting switching processes, allocation processes, registration processes, response processes, learning processes, and transmission processes) performed by the second group management control device 3B. Specifically, the control unit 32B is composed of a processing device such as a CPU or MPU, and executes a control program installed in the second group management control device 3B to realize the execution of its own control processes in software. Note that, before being installed in the second group management control device 3B, this control program may be stored in a readable state on a portable storage medium (e.g., flash memory, etc.) or may be stored in a downloadable state on a server, etc. Furthermore, the control processes performed by the second group management control device 3B are not limited to being realized in software by executing a program, but may also be realized in hardware by a processing circuit built into the second group management control device 3B.

[0058] <Switching device> The switching device 4 is a device that switches the control entity for group management, and in this embodiment is provided independently of both the first group management control device 3A and the second group management control device 3B (see FIG. 1). The switching device 4 controls switching from one of the first group management control device 3A and the second group management control device 3B to the other (backup processing) according to the operating state Zs of the first group management control device 3A. Details of this backup processing will be described later.

[0059] Specifically, the switching device 4 includes a storage unit 41 and a control unit 42 (see FIG. 2(C)).

[0060] The storage unit 41 is a part configured with storage devices such as ROM and RAM, and stores information necessary for the control processing performed by the switching device 4. In this embodiment, third device management data Dq3 is stored in the storage unit 41 as such information. Here, the third device management data Dq3 is a database for managing, for each group management control device 3, multiple pieces of information related to that control device by linking them together (see FIG. 3(C)).

[0061] FIG. 3(C) is a conceptual diagram illustrating the third device management data Dq3 used in this embodiment. In the third device management data Dq3, device information Pd3 for distinguishing the group management control device 3 from other devices, the type Zr and operating status Zs of the group management control device 3 are recorded in a mutually associated state for each group management control device 3. Here, the type Zr of the group management control device 3 is information indicating whether the group management control device 3 is the first group management control device 3A or the second group management control device 3B. The operating status Zs of the group management control device 3 is information indicating whether the group management control device 3 is operating normally. The example of FIG. 3(C) shows a case where "first" is recorded in the type Zr for the first group management control device 3A, and "second" is recorded in the type Zr for the second group management control device 3B. It also shows a case where the operating status Zs is recorded as "normal" when the group management control device 3 is operating normally, and the operating status Zs is rewritten to "abnormal" when the group management control device 3 is no longer able to operate normally.

[0062] The control unit 42 is a part responsible for executing the control processing (including backup processing) performed by the switching device 4. Specifically, the control unit 42 is configured with a processing device such as a CPU or an MPU, and executes a control program installed in the switching device 4 to realize the execution of its own control processing by software. The example of FIG. 2(C) shows a case where a backup processing unit 420 responsible for executing backup processing is configured by software within the control unit 42. Note that, before being installed in the switching device 4, this control program may be stored in a readable state on a portable storage medium (e.g., a flash memory, etc.) or may be stored in a downloadable state on a server, etc. Furthermore, the control processing performed by the switching device 4 is not limited to being realized by software through the execution of a program, but may also be realized by hardware using a processing circuit built in the switching device 4.

[0063] [1-3] Backup process 4 is a flowchart showing the backup processing executed in this embodiment. In the backup processing, the switching device 4 first checks the current operating state Zs of the first group management control device 3A by referring to the third device management data Dq3, and determines whether the operating state Zs is "normal" or "abnormal" (step S100).

[0064] If the switching device 4 determines that the status is "normal" in step S100, it determines whether the first group management control device 3A is continuing to operate normally based on the transmission status of the alive status signal SvA from the first group management control device 3A (step S101).

[0065] If the switching device 4 determines in step S101 that the first group management control device 3A is operating normally (Yes), it can determine that the first group management control device 3A is continuing to operate normally. In this case, the switching device 4 executes step S101 again and repeats step S101 until it determines in step S101 that the first group management control device 3A is not operating normally (No). In this way, the switching device 4 constantly checks the operating status Zs of the first group management control device 3A.

[0066] If the switching device 4 determines in step S101 that the first group management control device 3A is not operating normally (No), then that determination can be used to determine that the first group management control device 3A has become unable to operate normally for some reason (such as a malfunction or maintenance).

[0067] In this embodiment, it is assumed that when the first group management control device 3A is no longer able to transmit the alive status signal SvA, the first group management control device 3A will necessarily be in a state where it is unable to communicate with the network (a state where it is disconnected from the network Wj). Therefore, when the switching device 4 determines that it is "not operating normally (No)" in step S101, it can determine that the first group management control device 3A has been disconnected from the network Wj based on that determination, and therefore the first group management control device 3A is no longer able to receive allocation requests from each destination floor registration device 1.

[0068] In this case, the switching device 4 instructs the second group management control device 3B to set the actual connection via the first interface J1 to "enabled" and the virtual connection via the second interface J2 to "disabled" by sending an alternative command signal Sx (step S102).

[0069] When the second group management control device 3B receives the alternative command signal Sx from the switching device 4, it switches the setting of the real connection via the first interface J1 from "disabled" to "enabled" and switches the setting of the virtual connection via the second interface J2 from "enabled" to "disabled" (setting switching process). This enables the second group management control device 3B to communicate over the network, and as a result, it becomes possible to receive allocation requests from each destination floor registration device 1 in place of the first group management control device 3A.

[0070] After step S102, the switching device 4 rewrites the operating status Zs of the first group management control device 3A from "normal" to "abnormal" in the third device management data Dq3 (step S103). Thereafter, the switching device 4 returns to step S100.

[0071] After step S103, the switching device 4 will determine in step S100 that the first group management control device 3A is "abnormal." On the other hand, if the first group management control device 3A subsequently recovers, the transmission of the alive status signal SvA from the first group management control device 3A will resume, and the switching device 4 will be able to receive the alive status signal SvA again. Therefore, if the switching device 4 determines in step S100 that the first group management control device 3A is "abnormal," it will determine whether the first group management control device 3A has recovered or not, based on the transmission status of the alive status signal SvA from the first group management control device 3A (step S111).

[0072] If the switching device 4 determines in step S111 that the first group management control device 3A has not recovered (No), it executes step S111 again and repeats step S111 until it determines in step S111 that the first group management control device 3A has recovered (Yes). In this way, the switching device 4 constantly checks whether the first group management control device 3A has recovered.

[0073] If the switching device 4 determines in step S111 that the state has recovered (Yes), it sends a stop command signal Sy to the second group management control device 3B, instructing it to set the actual connection via the first interface J1 to "disabled" and the virtual connection via the second interface J2 to "enabled" (step S112).

[0074] When the second group management control device 3B receives the stop command signal Sy from the switching device 4, it switches the setting of the actual connection via the first interface J1 from "enabled" to "disabled" and switches the setting of the virtual connection via the second interface J2 from "disabled" to "enabled" (setting switching process). As a result, the control entity of group management is returned from the second group management control device 3B to the first group management control device 3A.

[0075] After step S112, the switching device 4 rewrites the operating status Zs of the first group management control device 3A from "abnormal" to "normal" in the third device management data Dq3 (step S113). Thereafter, the switching device 4 returns to step S100.

[0076] According to such a backup system, as described above, even if a common IP address is assigned to the interface Ja of the first group management control device 3A and the first interface J1 of the second group management control device 3B, by setting the actual connection via the first interface J1 to "disabled" in the second group management control device 3B, it becomes possible to keep the power of the second group management control device 3B turned on (ON state) without causing a communication failure. Therefore, when the second group management control device 3B is used in place of the first group management control device 3A, the time required to start up the second group management control device 3B is not required.

[0077] Furthermore, even if the actual connection via the first interface J1 is set to "disabled" and the second group management control device 3B is disconnected from the network Wj, by setting the virtual connection via the second interface J2 to "enabled," the second group management control device 3B can be made to operate as if it were connected to the network Wj while remaining disconnected from the network Wj. This makes it possible to have the second group management control device 3B execute learning processing even before the first group management control device 3A is no longer able to operate normally. Therefore, the control entity for group management can be smoothly transferred from the first group management control device 3A to the second group management control device 3B, compared to when the second group management control device 3B suddenly starts operating (starts learning) after being replaced from a state in which it was not operating at all (a state in which it was not able to learn).

[0078] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to continue the operation of an elevator without interruption even when the control entity of the group management is switched in that elevator.

[0079] [2] Variation [2-1] First modified example 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first group management control device 3A in the first modified example. In the above-described embodiment, the first group management control device 3A may be appropriately modified to include a first interface J1 instead of the interface Ja, similar to the second group management control device 3B. In this case, the first group management control device 3A becomes able to receive allocation requests from each destination floor registration device 1 when the actual connection via the first interface J1 is set to "enabled."

[0080] 6 is a flowchart showing the backup processing executed in the first modified example. In this modified example, if the switching device 4 determines in step S101 that the device is not operating normally (No), then in step S102 it not only transmits an alternative command signal Sx to the second group management control device 3B, but also transmits a stop command signal Sy to the first group management control device 3A at the same time. This causes the switching device 4 to command the first group management control device 3A to set the actual connection via the first interface J1 to "disabled."

[0081] As a result, if the first group management control device 3A is unable to transmit the alive status signal SvA for some reason but is still able to communicate over the network, the first group management control device 3A can be forcibly disconnected from the network Wj. Therefore, even if the first group management control device 3A is able to communicate over the network but is unable to transmit the alive status signal SvA, it is possible to switch the control entity of group management to the second group management control device 3B without causing a communication failure.

[0082] Furthermore, if the switching device 4 determines in step S111 that it has "recovered (Yes)", then in step S112 it not only transmits a stop command signal Sy to the second group management control device 3B, but also transmits a recovery command signal Sz to the first group management control device 3A at the same time. This causes the switching device 4 to command the first group management control device 3A to set the actual connection via the first interface J1 to "valid."

[0083] When the first group management control device 3A receives the restoration command signal Sz from the switching device 4, it switches the setting of the actual connection by the first interface J1 from "disabled" to "enabled" (setting switching process). As a result, the control entity of group management is returned from the second group management control device 3B to the first group management control device 3A.

[0084] [2-2] Second variant 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first group management control device 3A in the second modified example. In the above-described first modified example, the first group management control device 3A may be modified as appropriate to further include a second interface J2, similar to the second group management control device 3B, in addition to the first interface J1. In this case, when the actual connection via the first interface J1 is set to "enabled," the first group management control device 3A sets the virtual connection via the second interface J2 to "disabled."

[0085] According to the second modified example, the same device can be used for the first group management control device 3A and the second group management control device 3B, so that if the first group management control device 3A becomes unable to operate normally and the second group management control device 3B is used instead of the first group management control device 3A, the second group management control device 3B can be operated as the new first group management control device 3A as is, and on the other hand, if the first group management control device 3A that became unable to operate normally later recovers and becomes able to operate normally, it can be used as the new second group management control device 3B. Specifically, this is as follows.

[0086] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the backup processing executed in the second modified example. This backup processing is a further modification of the backup processing executed in the first modified example (see FIG. 6). In this modified example, when the switching device 4 determines "recovered (Yes)" in step S111, instead of returning the control entity of group management to the first group management control device 3A (instead of step S112 in FIG. 6), the switching device 4 continues to use the second group management control device 3B as the new first group management control device 3A, and at the same time, uses the recovered first group management control device 3A as the new second group management control device 3B (step S120). Specifically, the switching device 4 changes "first" and "second" to "second" and "first," respectively, in the column for type Zr of the third device management data Dq3.

[0087] Thereafter, the switching device 4 rewrites the operating status Zs of the new second group management control device 3B (the recovered first group management control device 3A) from "abnormal" to "normal" in the third device management data Dq3 (step S121). At this time, in the new second group management control device 3B, the real connection via the first interface J1 is set to "disabled", while the virtual connection via the second interface J2 is set to "enabled".

[0088] With such a backup system, when the first group management control device 3A, which has become unable to operate normally, recovers, there is no need for the control or work of returning the control entity for group management from the second group management control device 3B to the first group management control device 3A.

[0089] [2-3] Third variant Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of an elevator according to the third modified example. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a second group management control device 3B according to the second modified example. In any of the above-described embodiment, the first modified example, and the second modified example, the backup process may be executed by the second group management control device 3B instead of the switching device 4 (see Fig. 10). In this case, as shown in Fig. 9, the switching device 4 becomes unnecessary.

[0090] Furthermore, when the third variant is applied to the second variant described above, the first group management control device 3A may also be configured to be able to perform backup processing, similar to the second group management control device 3B shown in Figure 10.

[0091] The above-described embodiments and modifications should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined not by the above-described embodiments and modifications, but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications that are equivalent to the scope of the claims and fall within the scope thereof.

[0092] From the above-described embodiments and modifications, the subject of the invention is not limited to the backup system, but may also be extracted individually from part or all of the control processes (including the control methods corresponding to the control processes) and programs executed in the backup system. Also, part or all of the elevators described above may be extracted as the subject of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1. Destination floor registration device 2. Elevator control device 3 Group management control device 3A First group management control device 3B Second group management control device 4 Switching Device G car X Platform call Y Cage call 31A, 31B Storage section 32A, 32B control section 41 Storage section 42 Control Unit Dp training data Fc Departure Floor Fd Destination floor Fs Installation floor Ja, Jb interface J1 First Interface J2 Second Interface Pg Basket Information Pm Operation Data Sx Alternative command signal Sy stop command signal Sz Return command signal Wj Network Wk Cable Zr type Zs operating state 420 Backup processing unit Dq1 First equipment management data Dq2 Second equipment management data Dq3 Third equipment management data Pd1, Pd2, Pd3 Device information SvA, SvB alive status signal

Claims

1. A backup system applicable to an elevator in which a destination floor registration device is connected to a first group management control device via a network, while elevator control devices that control each car are connected to the first group management control device without going through the network, a second group management control device that can replace the first group management control device; a backup processing unit that controls switching from the first group management control device to the second group management control device; Equipped with The second group management control device is a first interface which is an interface for an actual connection to the network, the setting of which can be switched between enabled and disabled, and which is assigned the same IP address as an interface for an actual connection of the first group management control device to the network; a second interface that is an interface for a virtual connection to the network and that can be set to enable / disable the virtual connection; Equipped with When the first group management control device is operating normally, the second group management control device sets the real connection via the first interface to invalid, while setting the virtual connection via the second interface to valid, An elevator backup system in which, when the first group management control device is unable to operate normally, the backup processing unit instructs the second group management control device to set the real connection via the first interface to valid and the virtual connection via the second interface to invalid.

2. When the first group management control device itself is operating normally, it transmits an alive status signal indicating this to the backup processing unit without going through the network, The backup processing unit determining (A) whether the first group management control device is operating normally based on the transmission status of the alive status signal from the first group management control device; 2. The elevator backup system according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined in the determination (A) that the system is not operating normally, the system instructs the second group management control device to set the real connection via the first interface to valid and the virtual connection via the second interface to invalid.

3. the second group management control device operates normally on the condition that either one of the real connection via the first interface and the virtual connection via the second interface is set to be valid, 3. The elevator backup system of claim 1, wherein the second group management control device, when operating normally, acquires operation data of each car from the elevator control device without going through the network, and uses the operation data to learn in order to optimize group management.

4. the first group management control device also includes the first interface and the second interface, when the first group management control device becomes unable to operate normally and the actual connection by the first interface provided in the second group management control device is set to valid and the second group management control device is substituted for the first group management control device, the second group management control device continues to operate as a new first group management control device, 3. The elevator backup system according to claim 1, wherein the first group management control device that has become unable to operate normally is used as a new second group management control device when it subsequently recovers and becomes able to operate normally.

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