Elevator system and elevator control method

Abstract

To appropriately operate an elevator when a robot gets on / off.SOLUTION: An elevator system capable of conveying a movable body includes: a movable body command management part 12 for receiving a boarding request including boarding story information and destination story information from a movable body or a server; and a car control part 14 for moving a car 18 to a boarding story specified by the boarding story information included in the boarding request received by the movable body command management part 12. When the movable body command management part 12 receives a door opening request from the movable body or the server, the car control part 14 determines that there is the car 18 in the story specified by any one of the boarding story information and the destination story information included in the boarding request, and opens the door of the car 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an elevator system and an elevator control method.

Background Art

[0002] Recent elevators are required to carry not only passengers but also robots, which are mobile bodies capable of autonomous movement. To carry a robot, control data of the floor (landing) where the robot is located and the destination floor (target floor) to which the robot intends to move is sent from the robot to the elevator control device, and a request for the movement of the robot by the elevator is made. Based on this control data, the elevator control device controls the car to move toward the floor where the robot is located, and after the robot boards, executes control to transport it to the destination floor.

[0003] Here, when the robot boards the car, the robot sends a door-opening continuation request to the elevator control device, and the car door is kept open until the boarding operation by the robot's autonomous movement is completed. This prevents the robot from being pinched by the car door when boarding the car. Such an operation is the same as the operation of preventing a person from being pinched by the car door when a passenger gets on or off the elevator by continuously pressing the door-opening button inside the car. The elevator control device automatically performs the same operation as that of the passengers inside the car when the robot gets on or off.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a technique for controlling the elevator door based on the state information of the robot, and when the robot gets on or off, extending the door-open state longer than normal to ensure the time for the robot to enter the elevator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] As explained in the background technology section, when a robot enters an elevator, the robot sends a request to the elevator control unit to keep the doors open. Upon receiving this request, the elevator control unit sends a command to the elevator car to open the doors. The elevator car, upon receiving the command to open the doors, then performs the action to keep the doors open as instructed.

[0007] Here, if the elevator car stops at the same floor as the robot, the robot can board the car properly. However, if the robot sends a request to keep the doors open before it stops at the robot's boarding floor, a problem may arise where an elevator car that has stopped at another floor continues to keep its doors open based on the request.

[0008] Figure 9 shows an example of this state. For example, suppose elevator car 1 is stopped on the 3rd floor and robot 2 sends a request 2a to continue opening the doors. In this case, the elevator control device that receives the request 2a will keep the doors of elevator car 1, which is stopped on the 3rd floor, open, resulting in a situation where robot 2 is never able to board the elevator on the 1st floor where it is waiting. Therefore, it is preferable for robot 2 to send the door-opening continuation request 2a after elevator car 1 has arrived at the boarding floor. However, since robots operating within a building have various specifications, the timing of sending the door-opening continuation request 2a is not always appropriate. If even one robot sends the door-opening continuation request too early, a malfunction like the one shown in Figure 9 will occur, and the elevator will remain unable to operate.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide an elevator system and elevator control method that can appropriately operate when a mobile object, such as a robot, boards or alights from the elevator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, for example, the configuration described in the claims may be adopted. The present invention includes several means for solving the above problems, but to give one example, in an elevator system capable of transporting a mobile body, the system includes a mobile body command management unit that receives a boarding request including boarding floor information and destination floor information from a mobile body or a server that controls the mobile body, and a car control unit that moves the elevator car to the boarding floor specified in the boarding floor information included in the boarding request received by the mobile body command management unit, and when the mobile body command management unit receives a door open request from the mobile body or the server, the car control unit determines that the elevator car is on the floor specified in either the boarding floor information or the destination floor information included in the boarding request, and opens the doors of the elevator car. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, when a door opening request is received, the elevator car doors are opened only when the car is on the boarding floor or destination floor. Therefore, the elevator car doors do not remain open on floors other than the boarding floor or destination floor, and appropriate elevator operation control can be performed. Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a configuration diagram of an elevator system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an elevator control device in an elevator system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]A flowchart showing an example of the process from robot interlock processing to when the robot gets on the elevator in an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing an example of the process from when the robot gets on the elevator to when the start of getting off the elevator in an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] A flowchart showing an example of the process from when the robot gets off the elevator to when the robot interlock is released in an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing an example (first example) of the reception floor limit processing of the door opening command in an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing an example (second example) of the reception floor limit processing of the door opening command in an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] A diagram showing an outline of the process from an elevator call to when the robot gets off the elevator in an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an overview when a state where the door floor continues on another floor occurs when using a conventional elevator.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, an elevator system and an elevator control method according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "this example") will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] [Configuration of the Entire System] ' The configuration of the elevator system of this example will be described using FIG. 1. The elevator system of this example includes an elevator control device 10 and an elevator server 20. Further, it includes a robot 30 that can board the elevator and a robot server 40 that controls the operation of the robot 30.

[0015] The elevator control device 10 is a device that controls the operation of the car 18. The elevator control device 10 includes an elevator state management unit 11, a robot command management unit 12, a call registration unit 13, a car control unit 14, and a door opening / closing control unit 15. The elevator state management unit 11 manages the state of the elevator while communicating with the robot command management unit 12. For example, it determines on which floor the car 18 has stopped and whether a robot is on board the car 18. The stop floor of the car 18 can be determined from, for example, the output of an encoder installed in the hoisting machine or the output of a sensor installed in the hoistway. Whether a robot is on board the car 18 is determined from the video captured by a camera 18a that monitors the inside of the car, a weight sensor 18b installed in the car 18, a door sensor 18c, and the like.

[0016] For example, the elevator state management unit 11 determines the position of the robot inside the car 18 from the video captured by the camera 18a. Alternatively, by combining the detection of the passage of any robot through the door by the door sensor 18c and the detection of the load corresponding to the weight of the robot by the weight sensor 18b, it is detected that the boarding of the robot into the car 18 or the alighting of the robot from the car 18 has been completed. In addition, the elevator state management unit 11 also controls the operation mode of the elevator. As the operation mode of the elevator, there is an interlock operation mode that is set when a robot boards in addition to the normal operation mode. Furthermore, the elevator state management unit 11 also detects and manages the open / closed state of the door of the car 18.

[0017] The robot command management unit 12 receives commands from the robot server 40 that control the operation of the robot 30 and performs robot command management processing (mobile unit command management processing) to manage what commands are received from the robot. Commands that the robot command management unit 12 receives from the robot server 40 include, for example, boarding requests and door opening requests. When the robot server 40 transmits these boarding requests and door opening requests to the elevator control device 10, an identification code is added to identify the robot 30 to be boarded, so that the elevator control device 10 can determine that the instructions are for the same robot 30. The elevator car control unit 14 sends commands to the elevator car movement mechanism unit 16 to move (raise and lower) the elevator car 18. The elevator car movement mechanism unit 16 consists of a hoisting machine and the like. The door opening / closing control unit 15 sends a command to the door opening / closing mechanism unit 17 inside the elevator car 18 to open and close the car door installed in the elevator car 18. The door opening / closing mechanism unit 17 consists of a door motor and the like. When the car door is opened and closed, the landing doors also open and close in conjunction. In the following explanation, the landing doors will not be explained in detail, but when the car door is opened and closed, the landing doors also open and close in conjunction.

[0018] The elevator control device 10 communicates with the elevator server 20. The elevator server 20 includes an elevator status management unit 21 and a robot command management unit 22. The elevator status management unit 21 of the elevator server 20 communicates with the elevator status management unit 11 of the elevator control device 10 to manage whether the elevator status is appropriate or not. The robot server 40 includes an elevator status acquisition unit 41, a robot command transmission unit 42, a robot control unit 43, and a robot management unit 44.

[0019] The elevator status acquisition unit 41 acquires the status of the elevator that the robot 30 is scheduled to board or is currently boarding, based on information from the elevator status management unit 21 of the elevator server 20. The robot command transmission unit 42 transmits boarding requests and door opening requests necessary for boarding the robot 30 into the elevator to the robot command management unit 22 of the elevator server 20. The robot control unit 43 sends drive commands, such as movement commands, to the robot 30's drive control unit 31. The robot management unit 44 manages the operation of the robot 30. When the robot management unit 44 determines that the robot 30 under its management needs to board the elevator car, it causes the robot command transmission unit 42 to send a boarding request and the robot control unit 43 to send a drive command.

[0020] In Figure 1, only one elevator control device 10 and one elevator server 20 are shown. However, for example, the elevator server 20 may communicate with multiple elevator control devices 10 to comprehensively manage the operation of multiple elevators. Furthermore, the elevator server 20 may be installed in a location separate from the building where the elevators are installed. In this case, for example, the elevator server 20 located on the cloud may communicate with elevator control devices 10 in multiple buildings to comprehensively manage the operation of multiple elevators. Alternatively, the elevator control device 10 may communicate with the elevator server 20 on the cloud via a gateway device installed in the building. Furthermore, the robot server 40 controls the operation of all or some of the robots 30 in the building. This robot server 40 may also be installed in a location separate from the building where the robots 30 operate. In addition, in a building where various types of robots such as cleaning, serving, and security robots are mixed, a robot operation management server may be provided to centrally manage the operation of various types of robots, and the robot operation management server and the elevator server 20 may communicate with each other.

[0021] [Example Hardware Configuration of Elevator Control System] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the computer that makes up the elevator control device 10 in this example. The elevator control device 10 shown in Figure 1 is composed of, for example, a computer, which is an information processing device. In other words, the computer acting as the elevator control device 10 includes a processor, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10a, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 10b, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 10c, and a non-volatile storage 10d. Examples of non-volatile storage 10d include HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), and semiconductor memory. The computer also includes a network interface 10e for sending and receiving data with other devices, an input unit 10f for receiving various types of information, and an output unit 10g for outputting processing results.

[0022] The CPU 10a executes programs stored in the ROM 10b or non-volatile storage 10d on the RAM 10c, thereby configuring various processing units such as the elevator state management unit 11 and the robot command management unit 12 shown in Figure 1. In addition to storing the program for performing control processing as the elevator control device 10, the non-volatile storage 10d also stores information such as the control status of the elevator and commands for the robot 30.

[0023] The network interface 10e has a communication function with the elevator server 20 and other devices. The input unit 10f receives signals from the elevator car's control panel, as well as signals from a rotary encoder, weight sensor 18b, door sensor 18c, etc., which detect the elevator car's position. The input unit 10f also receives video footage captured by a camera 18a installed in the elevator car. The output unit 10g outputs drive commands to the car movement mechanism 16, the door opening / closing mechanism 17, and the like.

[0024] Note that while Figure 2 shows the elevator control device 10 configured with a computer, the elevator server 20 and robot server 40 shown in Figure 1 would also have the configuration shown in Figure 2 if they were configured with computers.

[0025] [Process flow when a robot uses an elevator] Next, the process flow when a robot uses the elevator in this example elevator system will be explained in order, referring to the flowcharts in Figures 3 to 7. Note that Figures 3, 4, and 5 show a single process separated into parts, with "A" in Figure 3 leading to "A" in Figure 4, and "B" in Figure 4 leading to "B" in Figure 5.

[0026] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the process from robot interlocking processing to robot boarding. The process in this flowchart in Figure 3 is executed by the elevator control device 10. The elevator control device 10 receives commands from the robot server 40 and controls the use of the robot. Although the transmission and reception of commands between the elevator control device 10 and the robot server 40 are carried out via the elevator server 20, the elevator server 20 only relays the commands, so its description will be omitted. However, the elevator server 20 may be configured to determine whether or not to transmit a command to the elevator control device 10. For example, the elevator server 20 may be configured not to transmit landing calls or destination floor calls to floors other than those pre-set in the elevator server 20. Furthermore, while commands for the robot 30 are basically output from the robot server 40, the commands output by the robot 30 may be transmitted to the elevator control device 10 via the robot server 40 and the elevator server 20. Furthermore, when the elevator control device 10 receives a command concerning the robot 30, it determines that it is the same robot 30 based on the identification code attached to the command and then processes the command accordingly.

[0027] First, when the robot 30 uses the elevator to move to another floor, the elevator control device 10 receives an elevator interlock request ON for a specific elevator (elevator car 18) from the robot server 40 (step S11). The elevator control device 10 then determines whether the elevator for which the elevator interlock request ON was instructed is in a state where it can operate in conjunction with the robot (step S12). Here, states in which interlocking operation is not possible include, for example, when the elevator car in question is transporting passengers or when it is already operating in conjunction with another robot.

[0028] If it is determined in step S12 that interlocking operation is not possible (No. in step S12), the elevator control device 10 repeats the determination in step S12 and waits until interlocking operation becomes possible. Then, in step S12, if it is determined that linked operation is possible (Yes in step S12), the elevator control device 10 switches the operating mode of the elevator car for which linked operation has been instructed to be operated to robot linked operation mode (step S13). In principle, while robot linked operation is set, the elevator will only transport robots and will not transport passengers. However, depending on the type of robot, such as a passenger guidance robot, or if there is enough space for passengers to enter and exit the elevator car even with a robot on board, passenger transport and robot transport may be mixed.

[0029] When the system switches to linked operation mode in step S13, the elevator control device 10 waits for a boarding request to be sent from the robot server 40. Upon receiving a boarding request, the elevator control device 10 acquires the landing call included in the boarding request (step S14). That is, the boarding request includes either only the boarding floor information for the elevator, or both the boarding floor information and the destination floor information. The elevator control device 10 treats the boarding floor information as the landing call for the corresponding floor. When a landing call is received in step S14, the elevator control device 10 registers the corresponding landing call and moves the elevator car 18 to the boarding floor (step S15).

[0030] After this, the elevator control device 10 detects that the elevator car has arrived at the boarding floor (calling floor) (step S16). Upon arrival at this boarding floor, the elevator control device 10 instructs the elevator car 18 to open the car doors and confirms that the elevator car has reported that the doors have been opened (step S17).

[0031] Next, the elevator control device 10 determines whether or not it has received a door open request from the robot server 40 (step S18). This door-opening request is output continuously or continuously from the robot server 40 when the robot 30 boards the elevator, until the robot 30 has completed boarding. When the elevator control device 10 receives a door-opening request from the robot server 40, it determines whether the request is valid or invalid. The elevator control device 10 then processes the request only if the request is valid. If the door open request is invalid, the elevator control device 10 processes it as if it had not received a door open request. Details of the process for determining whether the door open request is valid or invalid will be described later in Figures 6 and 7.

[0032] If no door open request is received in step S18 (No. in step S18), the elevator control device 10 determines whether the door time, which is the time since the completion of door opening was received, has elapsed for a specified time (e.g., 10 seconds) (step S19). The door time here is the door time set during robot interlocking processing, and is set to be longer than, for example, the door time during normal operation. If step S19 determines that the door time has not elapsed (No. in step S19), the elevator control device 10 returns to the determination in step S18.

[0033] If a door open request is received in step S18 (Yes in step S18), the elevator control device 10 continues to keep the car door open (step S20). Then, the robot 30 begins boarding the elevator car 18 (step S21). Furthermore, when it is determined in step S19 that the door time has elapsed (Yes in step S19), the elevator control device 10 instructs the door opening / closing control unit 15 to start closing the car door (step S22), and terminates the process for robot boarding. If a door opening request is not received in step S18, or if the door time has elapsed in step S19, it is assumed that, for example, the robot 30 cancels boarding the elevator after sending a boarding request.

[0034] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process from the completion of robot boarding to the start of disembarking. First, after the robot 30 begins boarding in step S21 (Figure 3), the elevator control device 10 confirms that the robot 30 has completed boarding the elevator car 18 (step S23). Here, for example, the elevator control device 10 determines that the robot 30 has completed boarding from the video feed from the camera 18a installed in the elevator car 8. Alternatively, the elevator control device 10 determines that the robot 30 has completed boarding by combining the outputs of the weight sensor 18b and the door sensor 18c installed in the elevator car 18.

[0035] Next, the elevator control device 10 determines whether or not it has received a door open request from the robot 30 or the robot server 40 (step S24). If a door open request is received in step S24 (No. in step S24), the elevator control device 10 has the door open / close control unit 15 continue to open the car door (step S25), and returns to the determination in step S24.

[0036] Then, if no door open request is received in step S24 (Yes in step S24), the door open / close control unit 15 of the elevator control device 10 starts closing the car door (step S26). Subsequently, the elevator control device 10 obtains the destination floor from the destination floor information included in the boarding request (step S27). Then, the elevator control device 10 registers the destination floor as the destination floor, using the destination floor obtained in step S27 (step S28). As a result, the elevator car begins to travel (ascend or descend) to the destination floor, and the elevator control device 10 detects that the elevator car 18 has arrived at the destination floor (step S29).

[0037] When elevator car 18 arrives at the destination floor, the door opening / closing control unit 15 starts opening the car doors, and then the door opening / closing control unit 15 detects the completion of the car door opening (step S30). Next, the elevator control device 10 determines whether or not it has received a door open request from the robot 30 or the robot server 40 (step S31). This door open request is continuously output from the robot 30 or the robot server 40 when the robot 30 is disembarking from the elevator, until the robot 30 has finished disembarking. During processing in step S31, the elevator control device 10 also determines whether the door open request is valid or invalid, and only processes the request if it is valid. If the door open request is invalid, the elevator control device 10 processes it as if it had not received a door open request.

[0038] If no door open request is received in step S31 (No. in step S31), the elevator control device 10 determines whether the door time, which is the time since the completion of door opening was received, has elapsed for a specified period (e.g., 10 seconds) (step S32). The door time here is the same as the door time determined in step S19. If the elevator control device 10 determines in step S32 that the door time has not elapsed (No. in step S32), it returns to the determination in step S30.

[0039] If a door open request is received in step S30 (Yes in step S30), the elevator control device 10 continues to keep the car door open (step S23). Then, the robot 30, having confirmed that the car door is open, begins to disembark from the elevator car 18 (step S34). Furthermore, if the system determines in step S32 that the door time has elapsed (Yes in step S32), the elevator control device 10 instructs the door opening / closing control unit 15 to begin closing the car door (step S35), and terminates the process for robot boarding. Note that if a door opening request is not received in step S31 and the door time has elapsed in step S32, it is possible that, for example, the destination floor of the boarded robot 30 has changed and the robot does not disembark at the initially instructed destination floor. In such a case, it is necessary to instruct the destination floor again.

[0040] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process from the completion of robot disembarkation to the release of robot linkage. First, the elevator control device 10 confirms that the robot 30 has finished disembarking from the elevator car after the robot 30 begins to disembark in step S34 (Figure 4) (step S36). Here, for example, the elevator control device 10 determines that the robot 30 has finished disembarking from the elevator car 18 based on the video feed from the camera 18a installed in the elevator car 18. Alternatively, the elevator control device 10 determines that the robot 30 has finished disembarking by combining the outputs of the weight sensor 18b and the door sensor 18c installed in the elevator car 18. In other words, the elevator control device 10 can determine that disembarking is complete when the weight sensor 18b detects a load change equal to the weight of the robot 30 and an object has passed through the door sensor 18c.

[0041] Next, the elevator control device 10 determines whether or not it has received a door open request from the robot 30 or the robot server 40 (step S37). If a door open request is received in step S37 (No. in step S37), the elevator control device 10 instructs the door opening / closing control unit 15 to continue opening the car door (step S38), and returns to the determination in step S37.

[0042] Then, if no door open request is received in step S37 (Yes in step S37), the door open / close control unit 15 of the elevator control device 10 starts closing the car door (step S39). Subsequently, the elevator control device 10 receives an elevator interlock request off from the robot server 40 (step S40). Upon receiving the elevator interlock request off, the elevator control device 10 cancels the robot interlock operation mode and switches to the normal operation mode (step S41). The process described above will enable the elevator to transport robot 30.

[0043] Next, we will explain the details of the process for determining whether a door open request is valid when the elevator control device 10 receives a door open request from the robot server 40 while the robot-linked operation mode is running. Here, we will explain the first example shown in the flowchart of Figure 6 and the second example shown in the flowchart of Figure 7 as the process for determining whether a door open request is valid.

[0044] First, with reference to Figure 6, we will explain the first example of activating the door open command. First, the robot command management unit 12 of the elevator control device 10 determines whether or not the robot-linked operation mode is set (step S51). If the robot-linked operation mode is not set in step S51 (No. in step S51), the elevator control device 10 repeats the determination in step S51 and waits until the robot-linked operation mode is set.

[0045] Next, the robot command management unit 12 of the elevator control device 10 determines whether the door open command from the robot server 40 at the landing call floor (boarding floor) is invalid (step S52). In the initial state, door open commands are invalid at all floors, that is, the door open command at the boarding floor is set to be invalid, so the elevator control device 10 determines that the door open command is invalid (Yes in step S52). The robot command and control unit 12 then determines whether or not a landing call has been registered (step S53). This registration of a landing call is the process performed in step S15 of the flowchart in Figure 3.

[0046] If it is determined in step S53 that a landing call has been registered (Yes in step S53), the robot command management unit 12, upon receiving a door open command from the robot server 40 or robot 30 at the landing call floor, determines that the door open command is valid (step S54). In other words, when the elevator car 18 is stopped at the landing call floor, the elevator control device 10 enables the door open command from the robot server 40 or robot 30. The process then proceeds to the determination in step S55. Furthermore, if the door-opening command from the robot server 40 at the boarding floor is not invalid in step S52 (No. in step S52), and if no landing call has been registered in step S53, the system proceeds to the decision in step S55 without activating a new door-opening command.

[0047] In step S55, the robot command management unit 12 determines whether the door open command from the robot server 40 at the destination call floor (disembarkation floor) is invalid. In the initial state, the door open command at the disembarkation floor is set to invalid, so the elevator control device 10 determines that it is invalid (Yes in step S55). The robot command management unit 12 then determines whether or not a destination floor call registration has been performed (step S56). This destination floor call registration is the same process as the one performed in step S28 of the flowchart in Figure 4.

[0048] If the robot command management unit 12 determines in step S56 that a destination floor call has been registered (Yes in step S56), then when it receives a door open command from the robot server 40 or robot 30 at the disembarking floor where the destination floor call was registered, it determines that the door open command is valid (step S57). In other words, when the elevator car 18 is stopped at the disembarking floor, the elevator control device 10 enables the door open command from the robot server 40 or robot 30. If the door open command is enabled through these processes, the robot command management unit 12 sends the door open command to the car control unit 14 and the door opening / closing control unit 15. The door open command is activated after these steps.

[0049] Next, with reference to Figure 7, a second example of activating the door open command will be described. The flowchart in Figure 7 is the same as the flowchart in Figure 6, but with the processing of step S53a executed after step S53 and step S56a executed after step S56. The other processes are the same as in the flowchart in Figure 6, so only the differences from Figure 6 will be explained below.

[0050] In other words, if the robot command management unit 12 of the elevator control device 10 determines in step S53 that a landing call has been registered (Yes in step S53), the elevator control device 10 further determines whether or not the car doors have finished opening at the landing call floor (boarding floor) (step S53a). In step S53a, when the robot command management unit 12 determines that the opening of the elevator car door is complete (Yes in step S53a), it moves to step S54 and, upon receiving a door open command from the robot server 40 or robot 30 at the landing call floor, determines that the door open command is valid.

[0051] As a result, when the elevator has stopped at the landing call floor and the elevator car doors have opened completely, the robot command management unit 12 enables the door opening command from the robot server 40 or the robot 30. After that, the process proceeds to the decision in step S55. Then, if the opening of the cage door is not completed in step S53a (No. of step S53a), the robot command management unit 12 does not activate step S54.

[0052] Furthermore, if the robot command and control unit 12 determines in step S56 that the destination call floor has been registered (Yes in step S56), the robot command and control unit 12 determines whether or not the car door has opened at the destination call floor (disembarkation floor) (step S56a). If the robot command management unit 12 determines in step S56a that the opening of the cage door is complete (Yes in step S56a), it moves to step S57 and, upon receiving a door open command from the robot server 40 or robot 30 at the destination calling floor, determines that the door open command is valid.

[0053] As a result, when the robot stops at the destination floor and the car door has opened completely, the robot command management unit 12 enables the door open command from the robot server 40 or the robot 30. If enabled by these processes, the robot command management unit 12 sends the door open command to the car control unit 14 and the door opening / closing control unit 15. If the cage door has not been opened in step S56a (No. of step S56a), the robot command management unit 12 will not activate the door opening command in step S57.

[0054] [Outline and effects of the process from elevator call to robot disembarkation] Figure 8 shows an overview of the process by which the robot 30, as described above, uses the elevator. First, in step S101, assume that elevator car 18 has stopped on the 3rd floor. Here, a robot 30 is located on the first floor, and a robot server 40 controlling the robot 30 sends a boarding request 30a to the elevator control device 10, which includes either only the boarding floor information or both the boarding floor information and the destination floor information. Upon receiving this boarding request 30a, the elevator control device 10 registers a landing call on the first floor, and in response, the elevator car 18 begins to travel toward the first floor.

[0055] Next, in step S102, when the elevator car 18 arrives on the first floor and the car doors are open, the robot server 40 controlling the robot 30 sends a floor continuation request 30b. The robot server 40 may send this floor continuation request 30b before the elevator car 18 arrives on the first floor, but the elevator control device 10 does not activate the door open command until the elevator car arrives on the first floor (in the first example in Figure 6), or until the elevator car arrives on the first floor and the doors open (in the second example in Figure 7).

[0056] Next, in step S103, the robot 30 completes boarding the elevator car 18, and the destination floor is registered 30c (in this case, the 3rd floor). Furthermore, in step S104, when the elevator car 18 arrives at the 3rd floor, which is the destination floor, and the car doors are open, the robot server 40 that controls the robot 30 sends a floor continuation request 30d. This floor continuation request 30d may be sent before the elevator car 18 arrives at the 3rd floor, but the elevator control device 10 does not activate the door open command until the elevator car 18 arrives at the 3rd floor (in the first example in Figure 6), or until the elevator car 18 arrives at the 3rd floor and the doors open (in the second example in Figure 7).

[0057] [Effects of this embodiment] As explained above, in this example, by ensuring that the door-to-floor continuation request is activated at the appropriate time, the elevator car 18 will only continue to open its doors based on the door-open request when it is on the boarding floor or destination floor. Therefore, the elevator car will not continue to open its doors on floors other than the boarding floor or destination floor, making it possible to perform appropriate operation control of the elevator. Specifically, as explained in the background technology section with reference to Figure 9, the open state of the elevator car door is not maintained by a floor continuation request on a floor other than the boarding floor where the robot 30 is waiting to board. Therefore, even if the timing of the output of floor continuation requests from the robot 30 or robot server 40 is not appropriate, it is possible to prevent the robot from being unable to board the elevator.

[0058] Furthermore, in this example, as shown in step S23 of the flowchart in Figure 4, the car control unit 14 does not start closing the car doors until it determines that the robot 30 has finished boarding, that is, that the robot 30 is inside the car, and continues to keep the car doors open. As a result, in this elevator system, even if the door opening request is not properly received when the robot boards, the doors will not close until the robot 30 has finished boarding, effectively preventing the robot 30 from being caught in the car doors.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in step S36 of the flowchart in Figure 5, when disembarking, the car control unit 14 continues to keep the car doors open until it determines that the robot 30 has finished disembarking, that is, that the robot 30 is no longer inside the car. As a result, in this example elevator system, even if the door opening request is not properly received when disembarking, the doors will not close until the robot 30 has finished disembarking, effectively preventing the robot 30 from being caught in the car doors.

[0060] Furthermore, in this example, when the robot command management unit 12 receives a door open request, it determines whether it has received a boarding request from the robot 30 that issued the door open request. If it has received a boarding request, the mobile command management unit 12 sends the received door open request to the car control unit 14. In other words, by only accepting door open requests from the same robot 30, it is possible to effectively prevent disruptions to the control system by not responding to door open requests from other robots in the building.

[0061] Furthermore, in this example elevator system, the elevator control device 10 is equipped with a robot command management unit 12 that receives and manages commands from the robot server 40 and the robot 30. This allows the elevator control device 10 to process commands from the robot and safely control its operation on its own.

[0062] Furthermore, in this example elevator system, an elevator server 20 is provided separately from the elevator control device 10. Boarding requests and door opening requests from the robot are received by the mobile command management unit 12 of the elevator control device 10 via the elevator server 20. This allows the elevator server 20 to determine whether the boarding requests and door opening requests from the robot are appropriate, enabling more precise control of the elevator operation.

[0063] [Differentiation] The embodiments described above are explained in detail for the purpose of clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, the configurations and processes described in the above embodiments can be modified or altered in various ways.

[0064] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the robot 30 performs actions such as autonomous movement based on control by the robot server 40. In contrast, the robot 30 may perform actions such as autonomous movement directly, and the elevator control device 10 may receive commands from the robot 30.

[0065] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the elevator control device 10 is equipped with a robot command management unit 12, and the elevator control device 10 performs processing based on robot commands. In contrast, the robot command management unit 22 in the elevator server 20 may perform processing based on robot commands, and the elevator control device 10 may omit the robot command management unit 12 and control the elevator car 18 and car doors based on instructions from the elevator server 20 when the robot is in use.

[0066] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described a case in which an autonomously mobile robot 30 uses an elevator, the present invention can also be applied to cases in which various mobile bodies other than robots use elevators. When the robot 30 is a mobile unit, the robot command management units 12 and 22 shown in Figure 1 function as mobile unit command management units, respectively.

[0067] Furthermore, in the configuration shown in Figure 1, the elevator control device 10 is equipped with a robot command management unit 12 and the like to perform processing in cooperation with the robot. However, the program implemented in the control device of an existing elevator system may be modified to perform similar processing. In this case, the program can be stored in the non-volatile storage or memory within the computer as shown in Figure 2, or it can be stored on an external memory, IC card, SD card, optical disc, or other recording medium and then transferred. Furthermore, part or all of the elevator control device 10 may be implemented using dedicated hardware such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0068] Furthermore, in the configuration diagram shown in Figure 1, only control lines and information lines deemed necessary for explanation are shown, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the actual product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. Also, in the flowcharts shown in Figures 3 to 7, the processing order may be changed or multiple processes may be executed simultaneously, as long as the processing result is the same. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 2…Robot, 10…Elevator control device, 10a…CPU, 10b…ROM, 10c…RAM, 10d…Non-volatile storage, 10e…Network interface, 10f…Input unit, 10g…Output unit, 11…Elevator status management unit, 12…Robot command management unit, 13…Call registration unit, 14…Car control unit, 15…Door opening / closing control unit, 16…Movement mechanism unit, 17…Door opening / closing mechanism unit, 18…Elevator car, 18a…Camera, 18b…Weight sensor, 18c…Door sensor, 20…Elevator server, 21…Elevator status management unit, 22…Robot command management unit, 30…Robot (mobile unit), 31…Drive control unit, 40…Robot server, 41…Elevator status acquisition unit, 42…Robot command transmission unit, 43…Robot control unit, 44…Robot management unit

Claims

1. In an elevator system capable of transporting moving objects, A mobile unit command and management unit receives a boarding request from the mobile unit or the server controlling the mobile unit, which includes boarding floor information and destination floor information. The mobile command and control unit includes a car control unit that moves the elevator car to the boarding floor specified in the boarding floor information included in the boarding request received by the mobile command and control unit, When the mobile command management unit receives a door open request from the mobile vehicle or the server, the car control unit determines that the elevator car is located on the floor specified by either the boarding floor information or the destination floor information included in the boarding request, and opens the doors of the elevator car. Elevator system.

2. Furthermore, the system includes an elevator state management unit that determines whether the moving object is inside the elevator car. When the elevator status management unit determines that the elevator car is at the boarding floor specified by the boarding floor information, the car control unit continues to keep the elevator car doors open until it determines that the moving object is inside the elevator car. The elevator system according to claim 1.

3. Furthermore, the system includes an elevator state management unit that determines whether the moving object is inside the elevator car. When the elevator status management unit determines that the elevator car is at the destination floor specified by the boarding floor information, the car control unit continues to keep the elevator car doors open until it determines that there is no moving object inside the elevator car. The elevator system according to claim 1.

4. When the elevator status management unit receives a door open request from the mobile unit command management unit, it determines whether it has received a boarding request from the mobile unit or the server that issued the door open request. If it has received a boarding request, the mobile unit command management unit sends the received door open request to the car control unit. The elevator system according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The aforementioned mobile command management unit is located within the elevator control device. The elevator system according to claim 1.

6. The elevator control device is equipped with an elevator server separate from the aforementioned elevator control device, Boarding requests and door opening requests from the aforementioned mobile unit or the server are received by the mobile unit command management unit of the elevator control device via the elevator server. The elevator system according to claim 5.

7. This is an elevator control method that controls the transport of a moving object in an elevator. A mobile unit command management process receives a boarding request from the mobile unit or the server controlling the mobile unit, which includes boarding floor information and destination floor information. The car control process moves the elevator car to the boarding floor specified in the boarding floor information included in the boarding request received in the aforementioned mobile command management process, The mobile command management process includes, when it receives a door open request from the mobile vehicle or the server, a door open control process that determines that the elevator car is on the floor specified by either the boarding floor information or the destination floor information included in the boarding request, and then opens the doors of the elevator car. Elevator control method.

Images