How to operate the passenger conveyor

Abstract

The present invention provides a passenger conveyor system that allows an administrator to start, change the direction of travel of, or stop the passenger conveyor without bending down, while standing. [Solution] The terminal 100 includes a non-contact type main communication unit 50 fixed to a member located at the entrance / exit of the passenger conveyor, above the center in the height direction of the railing 20; a non-contact type terminal communication unit 104 that communicates in close proximity to the main communication unit 50; and a terminal control unit 102 that transmits instruction signals to the main communication unit 50 via the terminal communication unit 104 to indicate the operation and stopping of the steps 14 and the direction of operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to Ride a method of operating a passenger conveyor.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in passenger conveyors such as escalators and moving walkways, an operation panel is provided on the side surface of a skirt guard at the lower part of a pair of left and right balustrades of the passenger conveyor in order to operate the start of operation, the switching of the operation direction, or the stop. This operation panel is composed of key switches and is operated by inserting a key owned by an escalator administrator so as not to be operated by mischief of passengers or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the operation panel provided on the skirt guard as described above is provided at a considerably low position, the administrator has to bend down to operate the key switch, which places a burden on the administrator's body. In particular, in a building such as a commercial facility where many passenger conveyors are installed, the number of times of bending increases, which places a greater burden on the administrator's body. Further, when the administrator is bending down to operate the operation panel, the line of sight is blocked by the balustrade, and there is a problem that there is a moment when the safety of the surroundings cannot be sufficiently confirmed.

[0005] Therefore, in view of the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention allows the operator to start, change the direction of operation of, or stop the passenger conveyor while standing without bending down. Ride The purpose is to provide a method for operating a customer conveyor belt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Embodiments of the present invention are: A method for operating a passenger conveyor comprising: a pair of left and right railings provided in the front-rear direction from one entrance to the other entrance; steps that move between the pair of left and right railings in the direction from one entrance to the other entrance, or from the other entrance to the first entrance; handrail rails provided on the upper part of each of the pair of left and right railings; a handrail belt that runs along the handrail rails in synchronization with the steps; a drive device for driving the steps; a non-contact type main unit communication unit provided on a member at the entrance; and a control device that controls the operation and stopping of the steps and the direction of operation of the steps using the drive device based on instruction signals received by the main unit communication unit, wherein the terminal has a non-contact type terminal communication A method for operating a passenger conveyor, comprising the steps of: holding the terminal over the main unit communication unit to mutually authenticate that it is a legitimate terminal and that it is the passenger conveyor to be operated; if authentication is performed, the control device authorizes the terminal control unit of the terminal to operate the passenger conveyor via the terminal communication unit; holding the terminal communication unit over the main unit communication unit again to transmit the instruction signal to the main unit communication unit, instructing the terminal control unit to control the operation and stopping of the steps and the direction of operation of the steps; and, based on the instruction signal received by the main unit communication unit, the control device using the drive unit to control the operation and stopping of the steps and the direction of operation of the steps. That is the case. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a simplified explanatory diagram of the vertical cross-section of the escalator of this embodiment, viewed from the left side. [Figure 2] This is a vertical cross-section of the handrail belt and handrail rail. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the administrator holding the device over the main terminal unit. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram of an escalator and terminal. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart for operating an escalator in an upward direction. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart for stopping an escalator. [Figure 7] This is a left side view of the modified escalator. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] A passenger conveyor system according to one embodiment of the present invention, specifically an escalator 10 which is a type of passenger conveyor, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In this embodiment, the passenger conveyor system is formed by the escalator 10 and a terminal 100 for operating the escalator 10, as shown in Figure 3. When describing the front-to-back direction of the escalator 10, we will look up from the lower floor (e.g., the 1st floor) to the upper floor (e.g., the 2nd floor), with the upper floor side being the front and the lower floor side being the rear.

[0009] (1) Escalator 10 The overall structure of escalator 10 will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a simplified diagram of the vertical cross-section of escalator 10 viewed from the left side, with the left-side members omitted.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the truss 12, which is the framework of the escalator 10, is supported along the front-to-back direction using support angles 2 and 3, spanning the upper and lower floors of the building 1. The machine room 36 inside the truss 12 on the upper floor side houses the control device 32 and drive device 38 of the escalator 10. A communication device 34 is also built into the control device 32.

[0011] Inside the truss 12, multiple steps 14, which are connected in an endless manner, are raised by a drive device 38.

[0012] A pair of railings 20, 20 are erected in the front-to-back direction on both the left and right sides of the upper part of the truss 12. The railings 20 are inclined in the portion that spans the upper and lower floors, and from where the inclined portion reaches the upper floor to the end 21 of the upper floor, this end 21 is formed in a semicircular shape. On the other hand, from where the inclined portion of the railing 20 reaches the lower floor to the end 21 of the lower floor, this end 21 is also formed in a semicircular shape. A handrail rail 24 is provided along the upper part of the railings 20. An endless handrail belt 22 is attached to this handrail rail 24 so as to be able to move freely (see Figure 2), and the handrail belt 22 moves in sync with the steps 14. Skirt guards 30 are provided on the lower sides of the railings 20, and the steps 14 run between the pair of left and right skirt guards 30, 30. An upper-floor front skirt guard 31 is provided on the lower front of the upper floor side of the railings 20, and a lower-floor front skirt guard 31 is also provided on the lower front of the lower floor side. Inlet sections 40, 40, which are the entrances and exits for the handrail belt 22, protrude from the front skirt guard 31.

[0013] Control panels 42, 42 and speakers 44, 44 are provided near the entrances and exits on the inner sides of the upper and lower floors of the skirt guard 30. The control panel 42 is equipped with a key switch operated by the escalator 10's administrator, which can start the upward, downward, and stopping operations of the escalator 10. Because this control panel 42 is located on the skirt guard 30, the administrator must bend down to operate it at either the upper or lower floor entrance / exit.

[0014] The end 21 of the railing 20 near the entrance / exit is semicircular when viewed from the side, and the handrail rail 24 is also provided along the outer circumference of the semicircular end 21 of the railing 20. The handrail belt 22, which runs horizontally along the top of the railing 20, passes along the outer circumference of the semicircular end 21 of the railing 20 to the bottom of the railing 20 and enters the interior of the skirt guard 31 through the inlet section 40 provided in the front skirt guard 31.

[0015] At the entrance on the upper floor, an entrance / exit board 16 is placed horizontally on the truss 12. At the entrance / exit on the lower floor, an entrance / exit board 18 is placed horizontally on the truss 12. The tip of the entrance / exit board 16 on the upper floor is provided with a comb-shaped yellow comb 26, and the steps 14 enter into or exit this comb 26. The tip of the entrance / exit board 18 on the lower floor is also provided with a comb-shaped yellow comb 28.

[0016] (2) Handrail rail 24 The structure of the handrail rail 24 will be explained with reference to Figure 2. The railing panel of the balustrade 20 is made up of a transparent glass plate 46. A metal handrail rail 24 is provided at the upper end of this glass plate 46. As shown in Figure 2, the handrail rail 24 has a fitting portion 52 into which a metal plate is bent so that the upper end of the glass plate 46 is fitted, a pair of left and right lower plates 54, 54 extending left and right from the lower end of the fitting portion 52, a pair of left and right outer plates 56 extending upward from both left and right ends of the pair of left and right lower plates 54, 54, and a pair of left and right guide portions 58, 58 extending slightly downward on both sides from the upper ends of the pair of left and right outer plates 56, 56.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2, the handrail belt 22 made of urethane has both left and right ends bent downward in a longitudinal cross-section of a C shape, and the inner peripheral part of the bent part is covered by a pair of left and right guide parts 58, 58. Thereby, the handrail belt 22 travels along the pair of left and right guide parts 58, 58.

[0018] (3) Electrical configuration of the escalator 10 As shown in Fig. 4, in the escalator 10, a drive device 38 and a safety device 48 are connected to a control device 32, and further, speakers 44, operation panels 42, and main body communication parts 50 provided on the upper floor side and the lower floor side respectively are connected. The control device 32 controls the drive device 38, controls the operation and stop of the escalator 10 (the step 14), and also controls the direction of the step 14 from the boarding and alighting opening on the upper floor to the boarding and alighting opening on the lower floor, or from the boarding and alighting opening on the lower floor to the boarding and alighting opening on the upper floor, that is, the driving direction (ascending operation, descending operation).

[0019] A communication device 34 is built in the control device 32 and can communicate with the server of the monitoring center provided outside the building 1. The communication device 34 notifies the current situation and abnormalities of the escalator 10. The control device 32 stores the number of its own machine in advance.

[0020] It can communicate with the terminal 100 owned by the administrator. The main body communication parts 50 on the upper floor side and the lower floor side will be described in detail later.

[0021] The safety device 48 includes a skirt guard pinched detection device, an inlet pinched detection device, a staircase floating detection device, an emergency stop button, etc.

[0022] The skirt guard pinched detection device is a device provided on the skirt guard 30 that detects that a foreign object (for example, clothes or luggage) is pinched between the skirt guard 30 and the step 14.

[0023] The inlet pinching detection device is a device installed in the inlet section 40 that detects when a foreign object (for example, a passenger's hand or luggage) is simultaneously pulled into the inlet section 40 through which the handrail belt 22 is pulled.

[0024] When this safety device 48 is activated, the control device 32 is set to emergency stop the movement of the step 14.

[0025] (4) Main unit communication unit 50 and terminal 100 In this embodiment, in addition to operating the escalator 10 using the control panel 42 described above, the escalator 10 is equipped with a main unit communication unit 50 and a terminal 100 held by the administrator, making it easier for the administrator to operate the escalator 10.

[0026] First, let's explain the main unit communication unit 50. The main unit communication unit 50 is a contactless communication device equipped with NFC (Near Field Communication) functionality. "NFC" is a short-range wireless communication standard that uses the 13.56MHz frequency band. "Contactless" means that communication devices do not have electrical contacts with each other and communicate data wirelessly.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the main communication unit 50 is installed on the upper surface of the fitting portion 52 of the handrail rail 24, which is located at the boundary between the upper part of the horizontal section of the railing 20 and the semicircular end portion 21 on either the left or right side (right side in Figure 3) of the entrance / exit on the upper and lower floors of the escalator 10. As shown in Figure 2, there is a slight gap between the upper surface of the fitting portion 52 of the handrail rail 24 and the handrail belt 22, so that the handrail belt 22 and the main communication unit 50 do not come into contact. The reason for installing it in this position is that it is above the center in the height direction of the railing 20, allowing the administrator to approach the terminal 100 while standing and looking around without having to bend down. Furthermore, if the railing 20 is located above the center in the height direction, it does not need to be installed at the boundary. For example, it may be installed on the handrail rail 24 located at the top of the horizontal portion of the railing 20 at the entrance / exit, or on the handrail rail 24 located at the top of the semicircular end portion 21 of the railing 20 at the entrance / exit. Additionally, the main communication unit 50 may be installed at the boundary between the upper part of the horizontal portion and the semicircular end portion 21 of both the left and right railings 20 at the entrance / exit on the upper and lower floors of the escalator 10.

[0028] Next, we will explain terminal 100.

[0029] The terminal 100 is an information processing device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, and as shown in Figure 4, it has a terminal control unit 102, a contactless terminal communication unit 104, a display unit 106 consisting of a liquid crystal display or the like, and an input unit 108 consisting of a touch panel provided on the surface of the display unit 106. The terminal control unit 102 controls the terminal communication unit 104, the display unit 106, and the input unit 108, and communicates with the control device 32 via the main unit communication unit 50 to control the operation, stopping, and direction of operation (upward operation, downward operation) of the escalator 10. The escalator 10 administrator can operate the input unit 108 to set the escalator 10 to move upward, downward, or stop via the terminal control unit 102. The contactless terminal communication unit 104 is equipped with NFC functionality, and communication between it and the main communication unit 50 installed on the escalator 10 is conducted using NFC.

[0030] NFC enables high-speed and highly secure data transmission and reception when the terminal 100 is brought within approximately 10 cm of the handrail belt 22 passing through the handrail rail 24 on which the main communication unit 50 is installed, by "touching, placing, touching, holding, bringing close, pressing, placing, attaching, setting, sticking, making close contact, or overlapping". The communication flow between the main communication unit 50 and the terminal 100 is as follows.

[0031] Firstly, a magnetic field is generated from the antenna (coil) built into the main unit communication section 50.

[0032] Secondly, the administrator brings the terminal 100, which has a terminal communication unit 104 containing an antenna (coil), close to the main communication unit 50, and places it within the detection range (magnetic field) of the antenna of the main communication unit 50.

[0033] Thirdly, current (data) flows to the terminal communication unit 104 due to electromagnetic induction from the main communication unit 50.

[0034] Fourth, terminal 100 receives the data.

[0035] Fifth, the terminal communication unit 104 of terminal 100 generates a magnetic field in reverse.

[0036] Sixth, current (data) flows through the antenna (coil) of the main unit communication unit 50.

[0037] Seventh, the main unit communication unit 50 receives data.

[0038] Eighth, the transmission and reception of data between the main unit communication unit 50 and the terminal 100 is completed.

[0039] Next, the security system for authenticating the main communication unit 50 and the terminal 100 will be described. "Authentication" refers to the process of confirming whether or not the terminal 100 can be used to operate the escalator 10, and may involve stages such as user authentication, internal authentication, external authentication, and authorization.

[0040] "Authentication" refers to the act of verifying that the person possessing terminal 100 is a legitimate administrator authorized to operate terminal 100. For example, this may involve having the person enter a Personal Identification Number (PIN) or using biometric identification information.

[0041] "Internal authentication" is the act of verifying that terminal 100 is legitimate (not forged or stolen). For example, there is a challenge-response method in which the main communication unit 50 sends a random number to terminal 100, terminal 100 performs an encrypted operation, and the main communication unit 50 verifies the result. If the verification is correct, terminal 100 is authenticated as legitimate.

[0042] "External authentication," conversely to internal authentication, authenticates whether the main communication unit 50, which communicates with terminal 100, is operational. In other words, if N (N>1) escalators 10, from unit 1 to unit N, are installed in building 1, it authenticates whether the desired escalator 10 is the one to be operated. For example, a random number generated by terminal 100 is encrypted by the main communication unit 50, the result is verified by terminal 100, and if correct, it is authenticated as an operational escalator 10. The unit number of the terminal 100 is stored in advance in the control device 32.

[0043] "Permission" refers to the act by which the control device 32 allows the administrator, who is the owner of the authenticated terminal 100, to operate the escalator 10.

[0044] The authentication method described above is merely an example, and other authentication methods may be used. For example, external authentication may be omitted, and the legitimacy of terminal 100 and whether the desired escalator 10 can be operated may be verified solely through internal authentication.

[0045] Furthermore, any communication method other than NFC is acceptable, as long as the contactless terminal 100 and the main unit communication unit 50 can be brought in close proximity to each other and communicate after mutual authentication.

[0046] (5) How to operate escalator 10 Next, the control flow when the administrator uses terminal 100 to operate the desired escalator 10 inside building 1 in an upward direction will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0047] In step S1, the administrator operates terminal 100 to perform identity verification and confirm that they are a legitimate administrator authorized to operate escalator 10. Once identity verification is complete, the administrator enters the unit number of the escalator 10 they wish to operate and sets it to ascend using input unit 108. Then the process proceeds to step S2.

[0048] In step S2, the administrator stands at the entrance / exit on the lower floor, as shown in Figure 3, and looks around the escalator 10 to check for safety, such as whether passengers are approaching or if any obstacles are placed there. If there are no abnormalities, the administrator proceeds to step S3 (in case y), and if there are abnormalities, the administrator cancels the start of the upward operation and terminates the process (in case n).

[0049] In step S3, the administrator, while standing and holding the terminal 100 in their hand, brings the terminal 100 close to the position where the handrail belt 22 moves from the upper part of the horizontal section of the railing 20 to the semicircular end 21 of the railing 20, as shown in Figure 3, and proceeds to step S4. At this time as well, the administrator does not need to bend down, and since there are no obstructions in their line of sight, they can bring the terminal 100 close while checking for passengers approaching or obstacles being placed there.

[0050] In step S4, the terminal 100 and the main unit communication unit 50 communicate via NFC to perform internal authentication to determine whether the terminal 100 is legitimate and external authentication to determine whether it is the desired escalator to be operated by the terminal 100. If authentication is successful, communication becomes possible, and the terminal 100 outputs an output signal to the main unit communication unit 50 to start the escalator 10 moving upwards, and the process proceeds to step S5 (in case y). If authentication is not possible, the control of the upward movement operation is terminated, indicating that communication is not possible (in case n).

[0051] In step S5, if the control device 32 of the escalator 10 determines that the escalator 10 is functioning normally, the process proceeds to step S6 (if y), or if the safety device 48 activates and determines that there is an abnormality, the process proceeds to step S10 (if n).

[0052] In step S6, if the escalator 10 is stopped, proceed to step S7 (case y). On the other hand, if the escalator 10 is in operation, do not perform upward movement (case n), and in step S12, disable the operation of terminal 100 and terminate.

[0053] In step S7, since the escalator 10 is stopped, the control device 32 sounds a buzzer from the speaker 44 to inform the surroundings that the escalator 10 will begin upward movement, and then proceeds to step S8.

[0054] In step S8, the administrator looks around and, if there are no abnormalities, brings the terminal 100 closer to the main unit communication unit 50 again and proceeds to step S9.

[0055] In step S9, NFC communication is performed between the terminal communication unit 104 of terminal 100 and the main unit communication unit 50, and an instruction signal for upward operation is transmitted again from terminal 100. The control device 32 then uses the drive unit 38 to start the upward operation of the escalator 10 and ends this control.

[0056] On the other hand, if the safety device 48 of the escalator 10 is activated in step S10, the control device 32 recognizes that there is a problem with the escalator 10 and sends an abnormality signal from the main communication unit 50 to the terminal communication unit 104 using NFC communication, and proceeds to step S11. At this time, the abnormality signal includes data indicating the reason why the abnormality occurred (for example, data indicating that the inlet pinch detection device was activated).

[0057] In step S11, when the display unit 106 of terminal 100 receives an abnormal signal, it displays the details of the abnormality based on the abnormal signal (for example, that the inlet pinch detection device has been activated), proceeds to step S12, and terminates this control by disabling the operation of terminal 100. Note that when terminal 100 displays the details of the abnormality, it may also display the solution. In addition, if a certain period of time has elapsed in any of the control methods, the operation will be disabled and the control will be canceled, and this fact will be displayed on the display unit 106 of the terminal 100.

[0058] The control flow for the downward operation of escalator 10 is the same as that for the upward operation described above.

[0059] Next, we will explain how to stop the escalator 10 based on the flowchart in Figure 6.

[0060] In step S101, the administrator operates terminal 100 to perform identity verification and confirm that they are a legitimate administrator authorized to operate escalator 10. Once identity verification is complete, the administrator enters the unit number of the escalator 10 they wish to operate and sets it to stop operation in input unit 108. Then the process proceeds to step S102.

[0061] In step S102, the administrator stands at the entrance / exit on the lower floor, as shown in Figure 3, and looks around the escalator 10 to confirm that all passengers have disembarked from the escalator 10 and that no one is approaching the entrance / exit of the escalator 10. If there are no abnormalities, the administrator proceeds to step S103 (in case y), or if there are abnormalities such as passengers remaining, the administrator cancels the stop control operation and terminates (in case n).

[0062] In step S103, the administrator, while standing and holding the terminal 100 in their hand, brings the terminal 100 close to the position where the handrail belt 22 moves from the upper part of the horizontal section of the railing 20 to the semicircular end 21 of the railing 20, as shown in Figure 3, and proceeds to step S104.

[0063] In step S104, the terminal 100 and the main unit communication unit 50 communicate via NFC to perform internal authentication to determine whether the terminal 100 is legitimate and external authentication to determine whether it is the desired escalator to be operated by the terminal 100. If authentication is successful, communication becomes possible, and the terminal 100 outputs a signal to the main unit communication unit 50 to stop the operation of the escalator 10, and the process proceeds to step S105 (in case y). If authentication is not possible, the control to start the upward operation is terminated, and the escalator remains stopped (in case n).

[0064] In step S105, if the control device 32 of the escalator 10 determines that the escalator 10 is functioning normally, the process proceeds to step S106 (if y). If the safety device 48 activates, determines that there is an abnormality, and stops the escalator, the process proceeds to step S110 (if n).

[0065] In step S106, if the escalator 10 is functioning normally and in operation, proceed to step S107 (if y). On the other hand, if the escalator 10 is stopped (if n), in step S112, disable the operation of terminal 100 and terminate.

[0066] In step S107, since the escalator 10 is in operation, the control device 32 sounds a buzzer from the speaker 44 to inform the surroundings that the escalator 10 is stopping, and proceeds to step S108.

[0067] In step S108, the administrator looks around and, if there are no abnormalities, brings the terminal 100 closer to the main unit communication unit 50 again and proceeds to step S109.

[0068] In step S109, NFC communication is performed between the terminal communication unit 104 of terminal 100 and the main unit communication unit 50, and a stop instruction signal is sent again from terminal 100. The control device 32 then uses the drive unit 38 to stop the escalator 10 and terminates this control.

[0069] On the other hand, if the safety device 48 of the escalator 10 is activated and the escalator 10 is stopped in step S110, the control device 32 determines that there is a problem with the escalator 10 and sends an abnormality signal from the main communication unit 50 to the terminal communication unit 104 using NFC communication, and proceeds to step S111. At this time, the abnormality signal includes data indicating the reason why the abnormality occurred.

[0070] In step S111, when the display unit 106 of terminal 100 receives an abnormal signal, it displays the details of the abnormality based on the abnormal signal, proceeds to step S112, and terminates this control by disabling the operation of terminal 100. In addition, if a certain period of time has elapsed in any of the control methods, the operation will be disabled and the control will be canceled, and this fact will be displayed on the display unit 106 of the terminal 100.

[0071] (6) Effects According to this embodiment, the escalator 10 can be operated to ascend, descend, or stop simply by bringing the terminal 100 close to the part of the railing 20 at the entrance that moves from the horizontal upper part to the semicircular end 21. In this case, the operator does not have to bend down as in the conventional method, so there is no physical strain. In particular, even when there are multiple escalators 10 to operate, there is no need to bend down frequently. In addition, since the operator can operate while standing, they can operate the escalator 10 after confirming the safety of the area around it.

[0072] Furthermore, by bringing terminal 100 close to the main unit communication unit 50, authentication can be performed to determine whether the administrator is a legitimate person, whether terminal 100 is legitimate, and whether the escalator 10 can be operated. Therefore, it is possible to prevent tampering by a third party through remote control, and since the administrator does not need to check from surveillance camera footage, the operation can be performed easily and reliably.

[0073] Furthermore, even if multiple escalators 10 are installed in the building, the system can authenticate and operate the escalator 10 of the unit that the user wants to operate.

[0074] Furthermore, since the administrator only needs to operate terminal 100, the work can be carried out efficiently.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the modification can be implemented not only for newly installed escalators 10, but also for existing escalators 10, simply by adding the main communication unit 50 to the handrail rail 24. (Example of modification)

[0076] Next, we will explain an example of a modification to escalator 10.

[0077] (1) Example of change 1 In the above embodiment, the main communication unit 50 was installed on the handrail rail 24 located on the upper part of the railing 20 near the entrance / exit. However, as shown in Figure 7, the main communication unit 50 may be installed on the upper part of the pole 60 used to guide passengers located outside the railing 20 at the entrance / exit of the upper and lower floors (i.e., on both the left and right sides of the boarding / exiting platform 16 on the upper floor and on both the left and right sides of the boarding / exiting platform 18 on the lower floor). Even in this case, the unit is located above the center of the railing 20 in the height direction, allowing the operator to operate the escalator 10 by bringing the terminal 100 close to the top of the pole 60 while overlooking the entire escalator 10 without having to bend down.

[0078] (2) Example of change 2 In the above embodiment, the railing 20 was provided with a glass plate 46. However, if the railing 20 is covered with a metal panel or the like, the main communication unit 50 may be installed on the upper inside of the metal panel of the railing 20 instead of on the handrail rail 24. Even in this position, since it is above the center of the railing 20 in the height direction, the administrator can bring the terminal 100 close to it while standing and looking around without having to bend down.

[0079] (3) Example of change 3 In the above embodiment, an information processing device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal was used as the terminal 100, but a contactless IC card may be used instead. This IC card is also a contactless type equipped with NFC functionality and has an NFC tag inside. Since this IC card cannot be set to go up, down, or stop, separate IC cards for going up, going down, and stopping are prepared, and the administrator operates the escalator 10 by bringing the necessary IC card close to the main unit communication unit 50.

[0080] (4) Example of change 4 In the above embodiment, the explanation was given using an escalator 10, but it may also be applied to a moving walkway. In a moving walkway, the steps are called "steps".

[0081] (5) Others Although one embodiment of the invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and essence of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 10...Escalator, 14...Steps, 16...Boarding / Alighting board, 18...Boarding / Alighting board, 20...Balustrade, 22...Handrail belt, 24...Handrail rail, 32...Control device, 34...Communication device, 42...Operation panel, 44...Speaker, 48...Safety device, 50...Main unit communication unit, 100...Terminal, 102...Terminal control unit, 104...Terminal communication unit, 106...Display unit, 108...Input unit

Claims

[Claim 1] A pair of railings are provided in the front-to-back direction from one entrance to the other, Steps that move between a pair of railings on the left and right, in the direction from one entrance / exit to the other entrance / exit, or from the other entrance / exit to the one entrance / exit, Handrail rails are provided on the top of each of the pair of railings on the left and right, The aforementioned handrail rail is provided with a handrail belt that moves in synchronization with the steps, A drive device for driving the aforementioned steps, A non-contact type main unit communication unit is provided in the member located at the entrance / exit, A control device that controls the operation and stopping of the steps and the direction of operation of the steps using the drive device, based on the instruction signal received by the main unit communication unit, A method for operating a passenger conveyor having, The process involves holding the contactless terminal communication unit of the terminal over the main unit communication unit to mutually authenticate that it is a legitimate terminal and that it is the passenger conveyor that the user wishes to operate. If the authentication is performed, the control device authorizes the terminal control unit of the terminal to operate the passenger conveyor via the terminal communication unit, The process involves holding the terminal communication unit over the main unit communication unit again, thereby transmitting the instruction signal to the main unit communication unit, which instructs the terminal control unit to control the operation and stopping of the steps and the direction of operation of the steps. Based on the instruction signal received by the main unit communication unit, the control device controls the operation and stopping of the step and the direction of operation of the step using the drive unit. A method for operating a passenger conveyor, characterized by including the following:

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