Elevator system

Abstract

An elevator system according to the present disclosure comprises: a monitoring device that is installed in a car and monitors the operation state of the elevator; and a communication device that is connected to the monitoring device and wirelessly communicates with the base station. The monitoring device is configured to perform a radio wave check to check the intensity of radio waves received by the communication device when the car stops at a floor, and to detect a floor where the intensity of radio waves satisfies a reference and a floor where the intensity of radio waves does not satisfy the reference. The monitoring device resets the communication device when performing the radio wave check.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an elevator system.

Background Art

[0002] In the conventional elevator monitoring system disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, each time the monitoring device receives a request signal from the center device, it stores the position of the elevator car at the timing when the request signal is received as a specific car position. When it is impossible to transmit a reporting signal to the center device, it selects a retry car position from among the plurality of stored specific car positions, controls the control device so that the car is positioned at the retry car position, and is configured to transmit a reporting signal to the center device again in a state where the car is positioned at the retry car position.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A monitoring device for monitoring an elevator may be installed above the car. In that case, communication is performed by a communication device connected to the monitoring device, but there is a problem that a floor with poor radio wave conditions cannot be detected.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-described problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide an elevator system capable of detecting a floor with poor radio wave conditions.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The elevator system relating to this disclosure is an elevator system comprising a monitoring device installed in the elevator car to monitor the operating status of the elevator, and a communication device connected to the monitoring device to communicate wirelessly with a base station, wherein the monitoring device is configured to perform a radio wave check to check the strength of radio waves received by the communication device when the elevator car stops on a floor, and to detect floors where the strength of the radio waves meets a standard and floors where the strength of the radio waves does not meet a standard. If the monitoring device detects a floor where the radio wave strength does not meet the standard, it will notify the system that a floor with insufficient radio wave strength has been detected when it stops on another floor. It is. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This disclosure makes it possible to provide an elevator system that can detect floors with poor radio wave conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an elevator system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of an elevator system. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram of the monitoring device. [Figure 4] This is a radio wave reception status management table stored in the monitoring device's memory. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of operation according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a configuration that realizes the functions of the control device and the central device in Embodiment 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Common or corresponding elements in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are simplified or omitted. The configurations shown in the embodiments below are examples of the technical ideas related to this disclosure and can be combined with other known technologies, or multiple technical ideas described in this disclosure can be combined. Furthermore, it is possible to omit or modify parts of the configuration without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0010] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 shows an elevator system 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 1, an elevator 3 is installed in building 2. The elevator car 4 of the elevator 3 is installed to move up and down within the hoistway 12 by a hoisting machine (not shown). The hoistway 12 runs through each floor of building 2. In the example in Figure 1, there are floors 1 through 3.

[0011] The elevator system 1 of this embodiment includes a monitoring device 5 installed in the car 4 to monitor the operating status of the elevator 3. The monitoring device 5 is installed, for example, on top of the car 4.

[0012] The control device 6 controls the operation of the elevator car 4. The monitoring device 5 does not need to be connected to the control device 6. Since the monitoring device 5 does not need to be connected to the control device 6, the monitoring device 5 can monitor elevators 3 manufactured by other companies.

[0013] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of elevator system 1. For example, a 4G modem 7 is connected to the monitoring device 5. Modem 7 is an example of a communication device that wirelessly communicates with a base station 9 of the communication network 8. The monitoring device 5 is connected to a central device 10, which is a server, via modem 7, base station 9, and the communication network 8. The central device 10 is installed in a monitoring center 11 located in a building separate from building 2.

[0014] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the monitoring device 5. As shown in Figure 3, the monitoring device 5 includes a CPU 5a, a RAM 5b which is a storage device, a ROM 5c which is a storage device, a wireless communication unit 5d, a display unit 5e, an operation unit 5f, and an acceleration sensor 5g.

[0015] The monitoring device 5 uses the acceleration sensor 5g to detect malfunctions of the elevator 3. For example, when the acceleration sensor 5g detects that the car 4 has suddenly stopped, the monitoring device 5 detects that it is a malfunction of the elevator 3. Also, when it is detected by the door sensor that the door of the car 4 is closed and the car 4 does not depart, the monitoring device 5 detects that it is a malfunction of the elevator 3.

[0016] The monitoring device 5 can detect which floor the car 4 is on by using the acceleration sensor 5g. For example, when the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 5g is reversed up and down, it can be detected that the car 4 is on the top floor or the bottom floor. Also, the monitoring device 5 can detect the number of floors of the building by counting the number of stops on intermediate floors. And the monitoring device 5 can detect which floor it is on by detecting the distance moved from the top floor or the bottom floor with the acceleration sensor 5g.

[0017] When the car 4 stops at a floor, the monitoring device 5 performs a radio wave check to check the intensity of the radio wave received by the modem 7, and detects the floors where the radio wave intensity meets the standard and the floors where the radio wave intensity does not meet the standard. Thereby, when the monitoring device 5 moves to a floor with good radio wave conditions, it can report to the center device 10. Also, by automatically reporting information on floors with poor radio wave conditions to the center device 10, it becomes possible to grasp in advance the risk of being unable to report in case of a malfunction of the elevator 3 on a floor with poor radio wave conditions.

[0018] When the monitoring device 5 performs a radio wave check on the same floor within a certain period of time, it omits the radio wave check. Thereby, it is possible to avoid performing radio wave checks more frequently than necessary.

[0019] When performing a radio wave check, the monitoring device 5 resets the power supply of the modem 7. As a result, the modem 7 redoes the location registration and the like, so that the radio wave situation on that floor can be detected more accurately.

[0020] If the car 4 moves before the radio wave check is completed, the monitoring device 5 treats the radio wave check as not yet performed. As a result, the radio wave check can be redone when the car stops on that floor next time.

[0021] When the monitoring device 5 detects a floor where the radio wave intensity does not meet the standard, when it stops on another floor, it reports that a floor where the radio wave intensity does not meet the standard has been detected. If the report fails, when it stops on another floor, it reports in the same way. As a result, the report can be surely made.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a radio wave reception status management table stored in the storage device of the monitoring device 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the storage device of the monitoring device 5 can store the radio wave reception failure date and time and the radio wave reception success date and time for each floor.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example according to Embodiment 1. In step S1 of FIG. 5, the monitoring device 5 determines whether the car 4 has stopped on a floor. If the car 4 has stopped on a floor, it is determined whether the date and time when radio wave reception was successful on that floor is within a certain date and time. If the date and time when radio wave reception was successful on that floor is within a certain date and time, since it is considered that there is no need for a radio wave check, the process proceeds to step S8. If the date and time when radio wave reception was successful on that floor is not within a certain date and time, the process proceeds to step S3, and the monitoring device 5 starts a radio wave check. Next, it is determined whether the car 4 has moved during the radio wave check. If the car 4 has moved, the process of this flowchart ends. If the car 4 has not moved during the radio wave check, it is determined whether the radio wave intensity meets the standard (step S5).

[0024] If the radio wave strength does not meet the standard, the monitoring device 5 records a record of radio wave reception failure (step S6) and terminates the processing of this flowchart. Conversely, if the radio wave strength meets the standard, the monitoring device 5 records a record of radio wave reception success (step S7). Next, the monitoring device 5 determines whether there is a record of radio wave reception failure (step S8). If there is a record of radio wave reception failure, the monitoring device 5 notifies the center device 10 of the existence of a radio wave reception failure along with floor information (step S9). The monitoring device 5 determines whether the notification was successful (step S10), and if the notification was successful, it deletes the record of radio wave reception failure (step S11).

[0025] As explained above, in this embodiment, floors with poor radio wave conditions can be detected, and when the elevator moves to a floor with good radio wave conditions, a notification can be sent to the central device 10. Furthermore, by automatically notifying the central device 10 of floors with poor radio wave conditions, it becomes possible to anticipate the risk of not being able to notify the central device 10 if the elevator 3 malfunctions on a floor with poor radio wave conditions.

[0026] When the monitoring device 5 can communicate with the control device 6, the elevator car 4 may be moved to a floor with better radio wave conditions when the monitoring device 5 is collecting data. This makes it more reliable to prevent the monitoring device 5 from failing to receive radio waves when it is collecting data.

[0027] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration that realizes the functions of the control device 6 and the central device 10 in Embodiment 1. Each function of the control device 6 and the central device 10 is realized, for example, by a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware 600. The processing circuit may include a processor 601 and a memory 602. A part of the processing circuit may be formed as dedicated hardware 600, and the processing circuit may further include a processor 601 and a memory 602. In the example shown in Figure 6, a part of the processing circuit is formed as dedicated hardware 600. Also, in the example shown in Figure 6, the processing circuit further includes a processor 601 and a memory 602 in addition to the dedicated hardware 600.

[0028] Processing circuits that consist of at least one dedicated hardware 600 include, for example, single circuits, composite circuits, programmed processors, parallel programmed processors, ASICs, FPGAs, or combinations thereof.

[0029] If the processing circuit comprises at least one processor 601 and at least one memory 602, the functions of each part of the control unit 6 and the central unit 10 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware.

[0030] Software and firmware are written as programs and stored in memory 602. The processor 601 realizes the functions of each part by reading and executing the programs stored in memory 602. The processor 601 is also called a CPU (Central Processing Unit), central processing unit, processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP. Examples of memory 602 include non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM and EEPROM, or magnetic disks, flexible disks, optical disks, compact disks, minidiscs and DVDs.

[0031] Thus, the processing circuit can realize the functions of the control unit 6 and the central unit 10 through hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. Note that each function of the control unit 6 and the central unit 10 may be realized by the cooperation of multiple devices, or by a single device. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the control unit 6 and the central unit 10 may be implemented on a server or the like on an external network. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1 Elevator system, 2 Building, 3 Elevator, 4 Car, 5 Monitoring device, 5a CPU, 5b RAM, 5c ROM, 5d Wireless communication unit, 5e Display unit, 5f Control unit, 5g Accelerometer, 6 Control device, 7 Modem, 8 Communication network, 9 Base station, 10 Center equipment, 11 Monitoring center, 12 Elevator shaft, 600 Dedicated hardware, 601 Processor, 602 Memory

Claims

1. A monitoring device installed in the elevator car to monitor the elevator's operating status, A communication device connected to the aforementioned monitoring device, which moves together with the aforementioned cart and communicates wirelessly with the base station, An elevator system equipped with, The monitoring device is configured to perform a radio wave check when the elevator car stops on a floor, checking the strength of the radio waves received by the communication device, and to detect floors where the radio wave strength meets the standard and floors where the radio wave strength does not meet the standard. The monitoring device is an elevator system that, when it detects a floor where the radio wave intensity does not meet the criteria, notifies the elevator that a floor where the radio wave intensity does not meet the criteria has been detected when it stops on another floor.

2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring device resets the communication device when performing the radio wave check.

3. The elevator system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the monitoring device treats the radio wave check as not having been performed if the car moves before the radio wave check is completed.

4. The elevator system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the monitoring device includes an acceleration sensor, and the acceleration sensor detects which floor the elevator car is on.

Images