elevator

Abstract

To determine a basket position using an UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) radio communication.SOLUTION: A monitoring device 203 cannot surely grasp a basket position because there is a case in which no information is obtained from a control board 104 when an elevator is relatively old. The basket position is determined using an UWB (ULTRA-Wide Band) radio communication in such case. Specifically, a communication instrument with the illustration not shown is installed on the uppers side in a hoistway, the distance from the communication instrument to the basket is measured using the frequency bandwidth of an ultra-wideband, and the basket position is determined based on the measured distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a control device that controls operations performed by elevator passengers inside the elevator car through remote operation instructions. This invention also relates to an elevator car position identification method and an elevator for identifying the position of the elevator car.

Background Art

[0002] Inside an elevator car, a user (passenger) can perform operations such as moving the elevator car and opening or closing the doors by operating, i.e., pressing or touching, the operation buttons provided inside the car.

[0003] Specifically, inside the elevator car, by pressing or touching the button with the number of the desired floor, the elevator car can be moved to the desired floor. Thus, in order to move the elevator car to the desired floor, the passenger had to board the elevator car and operate the operation buttons inside the car. Also, by pressing or touching the 'Open' button, the opening of the door can be extended. Further, by pressing or touching the 'Close' button, the door can be closed.

[0004] Recently, there is a technology of using a self-propelled robot to carry luggage or the like by having the robot board an elevator together with passengers and move between floors of a building (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4 below).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

[0006] However, with the conventional technology described above, it was difficult for robots to operate the control buttons. Therefore, in order to move a robot to the desired floor, it was necessary to replace the control panel of the elevator with a robot-compatible control panel or to modify it to be robot-compatible. The replaced or modified robot-compatible control panel then receives movement requests from the robot and controls the movement of the elevator car.

[0007] Therefore, there was a problem in that replacing or improving the control panel for each elevator that the robot would be using required a lot of time and money.

[0008] This invention aims to provide a control device that can realize an elevator that enables the use of a self-propelled robot in a simpler and less expensive way, in order to solve the problems of the conventional technology described above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the control device according to this invention is a control device that controls operations performed by a user inside an elevator car by remote control instructions, characterized in that branch wiring is connected to the existing wiring between each operation button provided inside the car and the control panel that receives the operation signals of each operation button, and the receiving unit of the elevator transmits an operation signal to the control panel using the branch wiring corresponding to the operation instruction based on information regarding the operation instructions of the operation buttons received by wireless communication from an external device.

[0010] Furthermore, the control device according to this invention is a control device that controls operations performed by a user inside an elevator car by remote control instructions, and has a connector provided between each operation button provided inside the car and an operation panel that receives the operation signals of each operation button, and is characterized in that, based on information regarding the operation instructions of the operation buttons received by wireless communication from an external device by the elevator's receiving unit, it transmits the operation signal of the operation button corresponding to the operation instruction to the operation panel using the connector.

[0011] Furthermore, the control device according to this invention is a control device that controls operations performed by a user inside an elevator car by remote control instructions, and has a pressing mechanism that individually presses each operation button provided near each operation button inside the car, and is characterized in that the pressing mechanism presses the operation button corresponding to the operation instruction based on information regarding the operation instruction of the operation button that the elevator's receiving unit receives from an external device by wireless communication.

[0012] Furthermore, the control device according to this invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the external device is a server installed at a remote location of the elevator. Furthermore, the control device according to this invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the external device is a monitoring device provided in the vicinity of the elevator and monitors the elevator. Furthermore, the control device according to this invention is characterized in that the external device is an autonomous robot that utilizes the elevator.

[0013] Furthermore, the elevator car positioning method according to this invention is characterized by using the ultra-wideband frequency bandwidth of radio waves transmitted from a UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) wireless communication device installed in the elevator shaft to measure the distance from the communication device to the elevator car, and then determining the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft based on the measured distance. Furthermore, the elevator according to this invention is characterized by installing a communication device that performs UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) wireless communication in the hoistway, using the ultra-wideband frequency bandwidth of the radio waves transmitted from the communication device to measure the distance from the communication device to the elevator car, and determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway based on the measured distance.

[0014] In the case of relatively new elevators, the monitoring device can obtain information from the control panel, allowing the monitoring device 203 to determine the car's position, i.e., its location within the hoistway, based on the acquired information. However, in the case of relatively old elevators, information may not be obtainable from the control panel, making it impossible for the monitoring device to reliably determine the car's position. In such cases, the car's position can be determined using UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) wireless communication. Specifically, a communication device (not shown in the diagram) is installed on the upper side of the hoistway, and by utilizing an ultra-wideband frequency bandwidth, the distance from the communication device to the car can be measured, and the car's position can be determined based on the measured distance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the control device of this invention, an elevator that enables the use of a self-propelled robot can be realized more easily and inexpensively with minimal modifications to existing elevator systems. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the overview of elevator car movement control. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an elevator car movement control system including an elevator car control device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the robot's configuration. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the robot's processing procedure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the server in the elevator car movement control system. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the monitoring device in the elevator car movement control system. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the car top control device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a partial configuration of an elevator car movement control system including the car top control device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the control device according to the present invention will be described in detail.

[0018] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the movement control of an elevator car. In Figure 1, reference numeral 101 is an operation button provided inside the elevator car into which passengers board, reference numeral 102 is an in-car operation panel provided on the car, reference numeral 103 is a car control board provided on the car top, and reference numeral 104 is a control panel provided in the elevator machine room or the like.

[0019] The operation button 101 is usually provided, for example, on both side surfaces of the door inside the elevator car or on the wall surface of the car at a predetermined height that can be operated by the passengers in the car. The operation button 101 is composed of each button indicating the number of the floor (desired floor) where movement (ascending / descending) is desired. In Figure 1, a five-story building is assumed, and as the operation button 101, five buttons "1" to "5" corresponding to each floor (1st floor to 5th floor) are provided. Also, although not shown in the figure, in addition to the five buttons "1" to "5", buttons such as an "open" button and a "close" button for opening and closing the door may be provided.

[0020] Each of the buttons "1" through "5" has a signal line 111 to 115 connected to the in-car control panel 102 via a wired connection. When each button is operated (for example, by being touched or pressed), the button's operation signal (car call signal) is input in parallel to the in-car control panel 102 via one of the signal lines 111 to 115 corresponding to each button.

[0021] The in-car control panel 102 is installed inside the elevator car. Specifically, it is installed in a location that is outside the car, beyond the inner wall surface of the car, such as behind the operation buttons 101, and is not visible to the user. The in-car control panel 102 receives operation signals from each of the operation buttons 101 via signal lines 111 to 115.

[0022] The in-car operation panel 102 and the car control board 103 are connected by a wired signal line 116. The exchange of signals between the in-car operation panel 102 and the car control board 103 is not limited to a wired connection (signal line 116), but may also be done wirelessly (for example, by Wi-Fi®).

[0023] The in-car operation panel 102 determines which signal line 111-115 the operation signal is from based on the operation signal received via signal lines 111-115, and based on the determination, transmits the operation signal (car call signal) for the corresponding floor to the car control board 103 via signal line 116.

[0024] The cage control board 103 is installed, for example, on the cage and centrally controls cage-related equipment. Specifically, the cage control board 103 controls various functions within the cage, such as determining which of the operation buttons 101 has been pressed, displaying information on an in-cage display showing floor levels and directional arrows, controlling the door opening and closing motor, and monitoring the status of safety switches.

[0025] The control panel 104 is connected to the cage control board 103 by a wired signal line (for example, a tail code 117) and transmits and receives signals with the cage control board 103. The cage control board 103 receives an operation signal (cage call signal) from the cage control panel 102 via the signal line 116 and transmits the operation signal to the control panel 107 via the tail code 117.

[0026] The control panel 104 drives and controls various parts of the elevator. For example, the control panel 104 drives and controls the hoisting machine to move (raise and lower) the elevator car. Although not shown in the diagram, the control panel 104 may be connected via a network to a management server computer installed at a remote location of the elevator. In this case, the management server computer can monitor and remotely control the operation of the elevator via the control panel 104 by communicating with it wirelessly or via a wired connection.

[0027] Upon receiving an operation signal (car call signal) via the tail code 117, the control panel 104 drives and controls the hoisting machine based on the operation signal to move (raise or lower) the car to the corresponding floor. In this way, the car occupant can move the car to the desired floor by operating the operation button 101.

[0028] Next, the flow of elevator car movement control will be explained in more detail. Inside the car, for example, when a passenger presses button "5" among the operation buttons 101, the signal is input to the in-car control panel 102 via the signal line 115. The in-car control panel 102 sends the "5" (5th floor) car call signal to the car control board 103 via the wired signal line 116. The car control board 103 transmits the 5th floor car call signal to the control panel 104 via the tail code 117. The control panel 104 receives the 5th floor car call signal and controls the car's movement, thereby moving the car to the 5th floor.

[0029] If button "4" of the operation buttons 101 is pressed, the signal is input to the in-car control panel 102 via signal line 114, and the elevator car is controlled to move up and down to the 4th floor. If button "3" is pressed, the signal is input to the in-car control panel 102 via signal line 113; if button "2" is pressed, the signal is input to the in-car control panel 102 via signal line 112; and if button "1" is pressed, the elevator call signal is input to the in-car control panel 102 via signal line 111, sent to the control panel 104 via the elevator control board 103, and the control panel 104 controls the elevator car to move up and down to the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st floors, respectively.

[0030] In this way, the elevator car is moved to the desired floor by the operation of the operation button 101 by the passenger inside the car. Since the buttons "1" to "5" on the operation button 101 and the in-car control panel 102 are connected in parallel by signal lines 111 to 115, if multiple buttons "1" to "5" on the operation button 101 are operated, for example, if "2" and "4" are operated, operation signals are input to the in-car control panel 102 from signal lines 112 and 114 respectively. The in-car control panel 102 then sends the car call signal for "2" (2nd floor) and the car call signal for "4" (4th floor) to the car control board 103 via signal line 116.

[0031] (Embodiment 1) Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an elevator car movement control system including an elevator car control device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Components identical to those shown in Figure 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0032] In Figure 2, reference numeral 201 denotes a robot capable of boarding an elevator, reference numeral 202 denotes a server that remotely controls and manages multiple elevators, reference numeral 203 denotes a monitoring device installed near the elevator that monitors the elevator, reference numeral 204 denotes an on-cab control device installed on the elevator car, reference numeral 205 denotes a communication unit of the on-cab control device 204, and reference numeral 206 denotes a control unit of the on-cab device 204.

[0033] Robot 201 is, for example, a self-propelled autonomous transport robot that can move on its own without human intervention, actually enter an elevator car, and move between floors of a building. A detailed explanation of Robot 201 will be given later with reference to Figure 3.

[0034] Server 202 is typically located in a remote location away from the building where the elevator is installed. It is an information processing device that remotely monitors the operation of the elevator and distributes and collects various types of information. Server 202 may be the management server computer described above, or it may be another information processing device.

[0035] Furthermore, server 202 may be a separate server from the server used for remote monitoring of elevator operation, and may be a robot management server that controls and manages robot 201, and handles the exchange of information between robot 201 and the elevator.

[0036] Server 202 is connected to robot 201 via a wireless communication method such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), and can send and receive various types of information between it and robot 201. The wireless communication method between server 202 and robot 201 is not limited to LTE, but may be wireless communication using other communication methods.

[0037] The monitoring device 203 can be implemented as a so-called remote monitoring device, which is mounted near the elevator, for example, in the housing that contains the elevator control panel 104, or on the wall of the elevator shaft.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, the monitoring device 203 is connected to the control panel 104 and can acquire signals (control signals) output from the control panel 104 to each part of the elevator, generate notification information (including information about the elevator's status and identification information of the elevator that is the source of the notification information) based on the acquired control signals, and transmit the generated notification information to a management server computer (which may be server 202) not shown in the figure.

[0039] Thus, in the case of relatively new elevators, the monitoring device 203 can acquire information from the control panel 104, and based on the acquired information, the monitoring device 203 can determine the car's position, that is, where the car is located in the hoistway.

[0040] However, in the case of relatively older elevators, information may not be obtainable from the control panel 104, making it impossible for the monitoring device 203 to reliably determine the elevator car's position. In such cases, the car's position can be determined using, for example, UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) wireless communication. Specifically, a communication device (not shown in the diagram) is installed on the upper side of the hoistway, and the distance from the communication device to the elevator car is measured using an ultra-wideband frequency bandwidth. Based on the measured distance, the car's position is then determined.

[0041] The monitoring device 203 is equipped with wireless communication capabilities and is connected to the server 202 by a wireless communication method such as LTE. It can transmit and receive various information, such as operation signals and car position information, between the monitoring device 203 and the server 202. The wireless communication method between the monitoring device 203 and the server 202 is not limited to LTE, but may be wireless communication using other communication methods.

[0042] The on-cage control device 204 is located on the cage, for example, in the vicinity of the cage control board 103. Alternatively, the on-cage control device 204 may be provided integrally with the cage control board 103. The on-cage control device 204 has a communication unit 205 and a control unit 206.

[0043] The cage control device 204 can use its communication unit 205 to send and receive various information with the monitoring device 203 using a short-range wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi. Communication between the communication unit 205 and the monitoring device communication unit 203 is not limited to Wi-Fi; other wireless communication methods may be used, or communication may be performed via a wired connection.

[0044] The control unit 206 is connected to the communication unit 204 in the cage control device 204 by a wired signal line or the like, and signals received by the communication unit 205 are input via the said communication line. The control unit 206 and the communication unit 205 may be formed as a single device (one housing) as the cage control device 204, or the communication unit 205 may be provided as a separate communication device from the cage control device 204.

[0045] The control unit 206 connects signal lines 211 to 215 individually to the signal lines 111 to 115 between the operation buttons 101 and the in-car control panel 102, for example, using crimp terminals. In this way, branch wiring (signal lines 211 to 215) is connected to the existing wiring (signal lines 111 to 115) between the control panel that receives the operation signals of each operation button. The control unit 206 can then transmit signals similar to the button operation signals (car call signals) transmitted when each button on the operation button 101 is operated to each signal line 111 to 115 via each signal line 211 to 215.

[0046] In this way, for example, when the control unit 206 sends (outputs) an operation signal to the signal line 211, the operation signal is input to the elevator car operation panel 102 via the signal line 111 from the contact point between the signal line 211 and the signal line 111. When the elevator car operation panel 102 receives the signal, it determines that there has been an operation to call the elevator car on the first floor and sends a signal to that effect to the elevator car control board 103 via the communication line 116. The elevator car control board 103, having received the signal, sends a signal regarding the elevator car call operation on the first floor to the control panel 104 via the tail code 117. As a result, the control panel 104 can perform the operation to move the elevator car to the first floor.

[0047] Therefore, the control unit 206 of the elevator car control device 204 can move the elevator car to the first floor simply by sending an operation signal to the signal line 211, even without the passenger inside the car operating button 101. This is the same as if the passenger inside the car had operated button 101. Similarly, if the control unit 206 sends an operation signal to the signal lines 212-215, the elevator car can be moved to each floor (2nd to 5th floor).

[0048] Next, we will explain the operation flow of robot 201. Assume that robot 201, currently on the 1st floor, will move to the desired floor, the 4th floor. First, information about the floor robot 201 is currently on, i.e., the floor it wishes to board (1st floor), is input to robot 201. The input of information about the desired boarding floor to robot 201 may be done manually by the operator directly on the robot using a touch panel, as described later, or it may be done remotely via wireless communication. In addition, information about the floor robot 201 is currently on may be pre-inputted into robot 201, or robot 201 itself may acquire information about its current floor.

[0049] When information regarding the desired floor (1st floor) is entered, robot 201 sends request information to server 202 requesting the elevator car to move to that floor (1st floor). This request information includes information about the desired floor (1st floor), as well as the ID information of robot 201 and the ID information of the elevator car to be boarded.

[0050] When server 202 receives request information from robot 201, it identifies the relevant elevator based on the request information and transmits operation command information, including information about the desired floor (1st floor) and robot 201's ID information, to monitoring device 203 located near the identified elevator.

[0051] When the monitoring device 203 receives operation command information, it transmits information regarding the desired boarding floor (1st floor) to the communication unit 205 of the elevator car control device 204. Upon receiving this information regarding the desired boarding floor (1st floor), the communication unit 205 passes this information to the control unit 206. The control unit 206 then sends an operation signal to the signal line 211 based on this information regarding the desired boarding floor (1st floor).

[0052] This allows the basket to be moved to the first floor, so that the robot 201 can board the basket on the first floor without a human having to operate button "1" on the control button 101 inside the basket, or without operating the call button at the landing on the first floor.

[0053] Next, after boarding the elevator car, robot 201 sends request information to server 202 requesting to move to the desired floor (4th floor). This request information includes information about the desired floor (4th floor), as well as the ID information of robot 201 and the ID information of the elevator that will move the car.

[0054] When server 202 receives request information from robot 201, it identifies the relevant elevator based on the request information and transmits operation command information, including information about the desired floor (4th floor) and robot 201's ID information, to monitoring device 203 located near the identified elevator.

[0055] When the monitoring device 203 receives operation command information, it transmits information regarding the desired floor (4th floor) to the communication unit 205 of the elevator car control device 204. Upon receiving this information regarding the desired floor (4th floor), the communication unit 205 passes this information to the control unit 206. The control unit 206 then sends an operation signal to the signal line 214 based on this information regarding the desired floor (4th floor).

[0056] This allows robot 201, which boards a cage on the first floor, to travel to the fourth floor in the cage and then disembark from the cage on the fourth floor. Therefore, it can travel from the first floor to the fourth floor without the need for manual operation of control buttons.

[0057] (Configuration of Robot 201) Next, the configuration of robot 201 will be described. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the robot's configuration. In Figure 3, reference numeral 301 denotes the robot body (housing), reference numeral 302 denotes the cargo loading space, reference numeral 303 denotes the wheels, and reference numeral 304 denotes the display screen (touch panel).

[0058] Furthermore, reference numeral 305 denotes the display control unit, reference numeral 306 denotes the information input unit, reference numeral 307 denotes the communication unit, reference numeral 308 denotes the imaging unit, reference numeral 309 denotes the driving control unit, and reference numeral 310 denotes the wheel drive unit. Reference numeral 311 denotes the storage battery.

[0059] The robot body (casing) 301 is provided with a luggage loading space 302, allowing luggage, food, and other items to be placed in this space for transport. Specifically, this robot 201 could be used, for example, in a hotel, where it could transport guests' luggage to their rooms on each floor, or deliver meals for room service. In addition, it can be used in buildings other than hotels for transporting goods to different floors of a building.

[0060] To this end, the robot body (casing) 301 is equipped with multiple wheels 303, which allow it to move autonomously in any desired direction, including changing direction, over a 360-degree range.

[0061] Furthermore, the luggage storage space 302 may be provided with a lid. This lid may be equipped with a locking mechanism to prevent theft or vandalism of luggage, and only the owner of the luggage may be able to unlock it using a PIN code or the like.

[0062] The robot body (casing) 301 is also equipped with a display screen 304. The robot body (casing) 301 is also equipped with a camera to photograph the area around the robot 201, various sensors to understand the surrounding environment of the robot 201, a speaker to output sound, and other components, although these are not shown in the illustration.

[0063] The dimensions of robot 201 are not particularly limited, but it must be small enough to pass through the entrance of the elevator car when the elevator doors are open. Furthermore, since it will board with the occupants, it is desirable that it does not obstruct their boarding. The dimensions of robot 201 can be optimized according to the type and size of the cargo to be transported. The cargo loading space 302 can also be made variable to accommodate the type and size of the cargo.

[0064] Robot 201 is equipped with hardware such as a CPU, memory, communication interface, and input / output interface, and implements various functions such as a display control unit 305, information input unit 306, communication unit 307, imaging unit 308, and driving control unit 309.

[0065] The display control unit 305 can display various information using the display screen 304. The information input unit 306 implements its function through an input / output interface, and for example, by using the touch panel function of the display screen 304, the operator can input information related to movement commands and various other information by touching the surface of the display screen 304.

[0066] The communication unit 307 implements its functions through a communication interface and can transmit information about the elevator's movement floor to an external device. It can also receive information about the robot 201's movement commands transmitted wirelessly from the external device, as well as location information of the elevator car that the robot 201 will board.

[0067] The imaging unit 308 controls a camera (not shown) to photograph the surroundings and transmits the captured information to the outside via the communication unit 307, or to the driving control unit 309. Based on the movement commands received by the information input unit 306 and the communication unit 307, the driving control unit 309 controls the wheel drive unit 310 to move (drive) the robot body 301. At that time, based on information from the imaging unit 308 and various sensors (not shown), the robot 201 can safely move by avoiding obstacles.

[0068] The wheel drive unit 310 performs its function using a motor or the like. Based on a control signal from the travel control unit 309, the wheel drive unit 310 can rotate the motor and transmit that rotation to the wheels 303. This allows the robot 301 to move.

[0069] The battery 311 is a rechargeable battery such as a lithium battery, and supplies power to each component of the robot 201. Although not shown in the diagram, a charging station can be provided, and the battery 311 can be charged by moving the robot 201 to it. The battery 311 may be a fuel cell that generates electricity using hydrogen, in addition to a lithium battery.

[0070] As shown in Figure 3, the robot 201 is designed to move autonomously using wheels 303, but it is not limited to this as long as it is capable of self-propulsion. Specifically, for example, it may be a bipedal humanoid robot or a quadrupedal walking animal-type robot.

[0071] (Processing procedure for robot 201) Next, the processing procedure of robot 201 will be explained. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the robot's processing procedure. In the flowchart of Figure 4, robot 201 determines whether or not there has been input of a command to move to another floor (step S401). Here, robot 201 waits for input of a move command (step S401: No), and if there has been input of a move command (step S401: Yes), it sends information about the desired boarding floor, that is, the floor on which the device is currently located (current floor information) to server 202 (step S402).

[0072] The current floor information includes the device's identification information (device ID) and the identification information of the elevator (car) being moved (elevator ID). It may also include information indicating that the movement is to the current floor. Furthermore, it may include information regarding the desired boarding time (desired time = current time, desired time = yymmdd, hhmmss (year, month, day, hour, minute, second), or "7 minutes and 30 seconds from the current time").

[0073] Next, robot 201 receives information from server 202 regarding which floor the elevator car it is about to board is on (car location information) (step S403), and based on the received car location information, determines whether or not the car has arrived at the current floor (the floor where the robot is located) (step S404).

[0074] Here, the robot waits for the cage to arrive at the current floor (Step S404: No), and if it determines that it has arrived at the current floor (Step S404: Yes), it moves autonomously and boards the cage (Step S405), and also sends information about the desired floor to the server 202 (Desired Floor Information) (Step S406). As a result, the cage door closes, and the cage carrying the robot 201 begins to move.

[0075] The desired floor information includes the device's identification information (device ID) and the identification information of the elevator to be moved (elevator ID). It may also include information indicating that the movement is to the desired floor (calling the elevator car).

[0076] Then, the robot 201 receives information from the server 202 regarding which floor the elevator car it is in is on (car position information) (step S407), and based on the received car position information, it determines whether or not the car has arrived at the desired floor (the floor to which the robot wishes to go) (step S408).

[0077] Here, the robot waits for the basket to arrive at the desired floor (step S408: No), and if it determines that it has arrived at the desired floor (step S408: Yes), the robot 201 confirms that the door is open (by using cameras and various sensors, etc.), moves autonomously, and performs the disembarking action from the basket (step S409), thereby ending the series of processes performed by the robot 201.

[0078] (Processing procedure for server 202) Next, the processing procedure of server 202 will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the server in the elevator car movement control system. In the flowchart of Figure 5, server 202 determines whether or not it has received movement floor information from robot 201 (step S501).

[0079] The floor information to be moved is either the current floor information transmitted in step S402 or the desired floor information transmitted in step S406, as shown in the flowchart in Figure 4. In step S501, the server 202 treats both the current floor information and the desired floor information transmitted from the robot 201 as the same floor information to be moved without distinction. However, it is also possible to distinguish whether the transmitted information is the current floor information or the desired floor information. To enable the distinction between the two, the information transmitted by the robot 201 may include information that allows identification of whether it is the current floor information or the desired floor information.

[0080] In step S501, the server 202 waits to receive floor information (step S501: No), and if it receives it (step S501: Yes), it identifies the target elevator (step S502). The target elevator can be identified based on the elevator ID included in the received information.

[0081] Then, the server 202 transmits the floor information (current floor information or desired floor information) to the monitoring device 203 of the identified elevator (step S503).

[0082] Next, it is determined whether or not the location information of the basket has been received from the monitoring device 203 (step S504). Here, the server waits for the location information of the basket to be received (step S504: No), and if it is received (step S504: Yes), the server 202 transmits the received location information of the basket to the robot 201 (step S505). This completes the series of processes performed by the server 202.

[0083] (Processing procedure for monitoring device 203) Next, the processing procedure of the monitoring device 203 will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the monitoring device in the elevator car movement control system. In the flowchart of Figure 6, the monitoring device 203 determines whether or not it has received the floor movement information from the server 202 (step S601). The floor movement information is the information that the server 202 sent to the monitoring device 203 in step S503 of the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0084] In step S601, the monitoring device 203 waits to receive the floor information to be moved (step S601: No), and if it receives it (step S601: Yes), it transmits the floor information to the elevator car control device 204 (step S602).

[0085] Subsequently, the monitoring device 203 acquires the car's position information (step S603). Specifically, for example, it can acquire information regarding the car's position (information regarding the car's location) from the elevator control panel 104.

[0086] Furthermore, depending on the elevator model, the monitoring device 203 may not be able to obtain car position information from the elevator control panel 104. In that case, the monitoring device 203 determines the car position using UWB wireless communication, as described above.

[0087] The monitoring device 203 then transmits the acquired cage location information to the server 202 (step S604). The cage location information may be, for example, information about the current cage location, or information indicating that the cage has arrived at the moving floor (or will soon arrive at the moving floor). The cage location information only needs to be such that the robot 201 can recognize that the cage has arrived at the moving floor when it receives it. This completes the series of processes performed by the monitoring device 203.

[0088] (Processing procedure of the cage control device 204) Next, the processing procedure of the elevator car control device 204 will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the elevator car control device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the flowchart of Figure 7, the elevator car control device 204 determines whether the communication unit 205 has received the floor movement information from the monitoring device 203 (step S701). The floor movement information is the information transmitted by the monitoring device 203 to the elevator car control device 204 in step S602 of the flowchart in Figure 6.

[0089] In step S701, the elevator car control device 204 waits to receive information about the floor to move to (step S701: No). If it receives the information (step S701: Yes), it identifies one of the signal lines 211 to 215 from which the control unit 206 transmits an operation signal (step S702) based on the received floor information, and transmits the operation signal from the identified signal line (step S703). This completes the series of processes performed by the elevator car control device 204.

[0090] As described above, the control device (car control device 204) of Embodiment 1 of the present invention is a control device 204 that controls operations performed by a user inside an elevator car by remote operation instructions, and is characterized in that branch wiring (signal lines 211 to 215) is connected to the existing wiring (signal lines 111 to 115) between each operation button 101 provided inside the car and the control panel (car control panel 102) that receives the operation signals of each operation button 101, and the elevator's receiving unit (communication unit 205) transmits an operation signal to the control panel (car control panel 102) using the branch wiring (signal lines 211 to 215) corresponding to the operation instruction based on information regarding the operation instructions of the operation buttons 101 that the elevator's receiving unit (communication unit 205) receives by wireless communication from an external device (monitoring device 203, server 202, robot 201, other communication terminal devices, etc.).

[0091] According to the control device (car-top control device 204) of Embodiment 1 of this invention, the robot 201 can perform calling operations without making any changes to the elevator configuration (operation buttons 101, in-car operation panel 102, car control board 103, control panel 104, etc.), and the robot 201 can be placed in the car, allowing the car to be moved to the desired floor.

[0092] This makes it possible to create elevators that allow the use of self-propelled robots more easily and inexpensively with minimal modifications to existing elevator systems.

[0093] In the flowcharts shown in Figures 2 and 4-7, the cage control device 204 is connected to the monitoring device 203, the monitoring device 203 is connected to the server 202, and the server 202 is connected to the robot, and they communicate with each other. However, the system is not limited to this configuration.

[0094] Specifically, for example, the elevator car control device 204 may be configured to connect directly to the server 202 or the robot 201 instead of being connected to the monitoring device 203. The communication method may be a wireless communication method such as LTE, or another communication method. By configuring it in this way, the floor movement information from the robot 201 can be transmitted to the elevator car control device 204 more quickly.

[0095] Furthermore, while the flowcharts shown in Figures 2 and 4-7 show the basket location information acquired by the monitoring device 203 being transmitted to the server 202, this is not the only option. Specifically, the monitoring device 203 can transmit the acquired basket location information directly to the robot 201 without going through the server 202. This allows the robot 201 to acquire the basket location information more quickly.

[0096] Furthermore, in the flowcharts shown in Figures 2 and 4-7, the robot 201 transmits the floor information it moves to. However, the system is not limited to the robot 201; a personal computer with communication capabilities or a smartphone may be used instead.

[0097] Specifically, when floor information is transmitted using a computer or smartphone, the elevator car control device 204 receives the floor information via the server 202 and monitoring device 203, or directly. The control unit 206 then outputs an operation signal to predetermined signal lines 211-215, allowing the elevator car to move to the desired floor. This makes it possible to remotely control and move the elevator to a target floor at a time, such as a floor with many users.

[0098] Furthermore, by transmitting floor information using a server or the like, it becomes possible to more easily manage the movement of elevator cars in groups, even with various types of elevators from different manufacturers, by installing the car-top control device 204 or the like.

[0099] (Embodiment 2) Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a part of the configuration of an elevator car movement control system including an elevator car control device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Components identical to those shown in Figures 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. Also, although Figure 8 includes components similar to those in Figure 2 (reference numerals 201-205), their illustration is omitted.

[0100] In Figure 8, reference numerals 801 to 805 indicate connectors, reference numerals 811 to 815 indicate signal lines between the control unit 206 and connectors 801 to 805, and reference numerals 821 to 825 indicate signal lines between connectors 801 to 805 and the in-car operation panel 102.

[0101] For each of the operation buttons "1" to "5", signal lines (existing wiring) 111 to 115 are connected via wire between them and connectors 801 to 805, and signal lines 821 to 825 corresponding to each signal line 111 to 115 are connected between connectors 801 to 805 and the in-car control panel 102. Therefore, when each button is operated (for example, by contact or pressing), the operation signal (car call signal) of the button is input in parallel to the in-car control panel 102 through the respective signal lines 111 to 115 → connectors 801 to 805 → each signal line 821 to 825.

[0102] Furthermore, signal lines 811 to 815 are connected by wire between the control unit 206 of the elevator car control device 204 (not shown in Figure 8) and each of the connectors 801 to 805. Therefore, when an operation signal is output from the control unit 206 to each of the signal lines 811 to 815, the operation signal is input in parallel to the elevator car control panel 102 via each of the signal lines 811 to 815 → connectors 801 to 805 → each of the signal lines 821 to 825.

[0103] Thus, in Embodiment 1, instead of the control unit 206 individually connecting signal lines 211 to 215 to the signal lines 111 to 115 between the operation button 101 and the in-car operation panel 102 using crimp terminals or the like, it can use connectors 801 to 805 and send operation signals from the control unit 206 to the in-car operation panel 102 using signal lines 811 to 815 similar to signal lines 211 to 215. Note that connectors 801 to 805 may be replaced with, for example, branch harnesses.

[0104] In this way, for example, when the control unit 206 sends (outputs) an operation signal to the signal line 811, the operation signal is input to the in-car operation panel 102 via the signal line 821 from the connector 801. When the in-car operation panel 102 receives the signal, it determines that there has been an operation to call the car on the first floor and sends a signal to that effect to the car control board 103 via the communication line 116. The car control board 103 then sends a signal regarding the car call operation on the first floor to the control panel 104 via the tail code 117. As a result, the control panel 104 can perform the operation to move the car to the first floor.

[0105] Therefore, the control unit 206 of the elevator car control device 204 can move the elevator car to the first floor simply by sending an operation signal to the signal line 811, even without the passenger inside the car operating button 101. This is the same as if the passenger inside the car had operated button 101. Similarly, if the control unit 206 sends an operation signal to the signal lines 812-815, the elevator car can be moved to each floor (second to fifth floor).

[0106] The other configurations are the same as in Embodiment 1 described above, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0107] As described above, the control device 204 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention is a control device 204 that controls operations performed by a user inside an elevator car by remote control instructions, and has connectors 801 to 805 provided between each operation button 101 provided inside the car and an operation panel that receives the operation signals of each operation button 101, and is characterized in that the elevator's receiving unit (communication unit 205) transmits the operation signal of the operation button corresponding to the operation instruction to the operation panel (in-car operation panel 102) using the connectors 801 to 805 based on information regarding the operation instruction of the operation button 101 that the elevator's receiving unit (communication unit 205) receives by wireless communication from an external device (monitoring device 203, server 202, robot 201, other communication terminal device, etc.).

[0108] According to the control device 204 of Embodiment 2 of this invention, similar to the control device of Embodiment 1, the robot 201 can perform calling operations without making any changes to the elevator configuration (operation buttons 101, in-car operation panel 102, car control board 103, control panel 104, etc.), and the robot 201 can be placed in the car, and the car can be moved to the desired floor. This makes it possible to realize an elevator that enables the use of a self-propelled robot more easily and inexpensively with minimal modifications to the existing elevator system. Furthermore, by using connectors 801 to 805, installation can be easily performed by simply plugging and unplugging them.

[0109] (Embodiment 3) Although not shown in the diagram, the control unit 206 may be provided with a pressing mechanism that individually presses each of the operation buttons 101 located near each of the operation buttons 101 located inside the basket.

[0110] Specifically, this pressing mechanism includes, for example, an electromagnetic solenoid arm, which is driven in response to an operation signal from the control unit 206, and the tip of the arm presses each of the operation buttons 101 to generate a cage call signal.

[0111] Multiple electromagnetic solenoid arms (the same number as the number of buttons) may be provided for each of the operation buttons 101. Alternatively, a moving mechanism may be provided to move one or more electromagnetic solenoid arms, so that the electromagnetic solenoid arms are moved to the position of the desired button, and then the tip of the arm presses the button.

[0112] As described above, the control device 204 of Embodiment 3 of the present invention is a control device 204 that controls operations performed by a user inside an elevator car by remote control instructions, and has a pressing mechanism that individually presses each operation button 101 provided near each operation button 101 inside the car, and is characterized in that the pressing mechanism presses the operation button 101 corresponding to the operation instruction based on information regarding operation instructions for the operation buttons 101 that the elevator's receiving unit (communication unit 205) receives by wireless communication from an external device (monitoring device 203, server 202, robot 201, other communication terminal devices, etc.).

[0113] As a result, by simply installing the pressing mechanism near the operation button 101, there is no need to perform branch wiring as in Embodiment 1. Nor is there any need to use a connector as in Embodiment 2. Therefore, such construction work is unnecessary. In addition, since each button can be physically pressed or made contact with the tip of the electromagnetic solenoid arm, the cage calling signal can be generated more reliably.

[0114] (Embodiment 4) Although not shown in the diagram, the control unit 206 may be equipped with a capacitive switch located near each of the operation buttons 101 located inside the basket, which changes the individual capacitance of each operation button 101.

[0115] Specifically, this capacitive switch may be, for example, a circuit attached to an electrostatic touch button that is adjusted to react to each operation button 101, and by sending a signal to the circuit, the capacitance can be changed and each operation button 101 can be operated.

[0116] As described above, the control device 204 of Embodiment 4 of the present invention is a control device 204 that controls operations performed by a user inside an elevator car by remote control instructions, and has a capacitive switch attached to each operation button 101 provided inside the car, and is characterized in that the elevator's receiving unit (communication unit 205) changes the capacitance of the capacitive switch attached to the operation button 101 corresponding to the operation instruction based on information regarding the operation instruction of the operation button 101 that the elevator's receiving unit (communication unit 205) receives by wireless communication from an external device (monitoring device 203, server 202, robot 201, other communication terminal device, etc.).

[0117] This eliminates the need for branch wiring as in Embodiment 1, and also eliminates the need for connectors as in Embodiment 2. Furthermore, since each button can be pressed or made to work similarly to a touch using a capacitive switch, the cage call signal can be generated more reliably when each operation button 101 is an electrostatic touch switch. [Industrial applicability]

[0118] As described above, the control device according to this invention is useful for a control device that controls operations performed by a user inside an elevator car by remote control instructions, and is suitable for a control device that controls the movement of an elevator car used by a self-propelled robot. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0119] 101 Operation Buttons 102 In-car control panel 103 Cage control board 104 Control Panel 111 Signal line (call signal line for operation button "1" (1st floor)) 112 Signal line (call signal line for operation button "2" (2nd floor)) 113 Signal line (call signal line for operation button "3" (3rd floor)) 114 Signal line (call signal line for operation button "4" (4th floor)) 115 Signal line (call signal line for operation button "5" (5th floor)) 116 Signal line (signal line between the in-car control panel and the car control board) 117 Signal line (tail cord between the cage control board and the control panel) 201 Robots 202 Server 203 Monitoring device (remote monitoring device) 204 Elevator control device 205 Communications Department 206 Control Unit 211 Signal line (branch wiring of signal line 111) 212 Signal line (branch wiring of signal line 112) 213 Signal line (branch wiring of signal line 113) 214 Signal line (branch wiring of signal line 114) 215 Signal line (branch wiring of signal line 115) 301 Robot body (casing) 302 Luggage storage space 303 wheels 304 Display screen (touch panel) 305 Display Control Unit 306 Information Input Section 307 Communications Department 308 Imaging Unit 309 Driving Control Unit 310 Wheel drive unit 311 Storage Battery 801-805 Connectors 811-815 Signal lines (signal lines between the control unit and the connector) 821-825 Signal wires (signal wires between the connector and the control panel inside the cart)

Claims

1. An elevator equipped with a monitoring device for monitoring the elevator itself near the elevator, and a communication device for performing UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) wireless communication installed in the hoistway, An elevator characterized in that the monitoring device measures the distance from the communication device to the elevator car using the ultra-wideband frequency bandwidth of the radio waves transmitted from the communication device, identifies the position of the elevator car in the hoistway based on the measured distance, and transmits the identified elevator car position information to an external device.

2. The elevator according to claim 1, characterized in that the external device is a self-propelled robot capable of boarding the elevator itself, receives location information of the elevator car, and determines, based on the received information, whether the elevator car has arrived at the floor where the device is located.

3. The elevator according to claim 2, characterized in that the location information of the cage is transmitted to the robot via a robot management server that controls and manages the robot.

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