Remote call registration device, elevator system and method
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TOSHIBA ELEVATOR KK
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-03
Smart Images
Figure 0007899408000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a remote call registration device, an elevator system, and a method.
Background Art
[0002] Generally, in an elevator landing, a landing call button for calling an elevator (car) to that landing is installed. When an elevator user presses the landing call button, a call including the landing (boarding floor) where the landing call button is installed is registered, and the user can board an elevator whose operation is controlled according to the call.
[0003] However, a user cannot call an elevator unless they arrive at the landing and press the landing call button, and the waiting time of the user at the landing may become long.
[0004] Therefore, in recent years, a function that enables a user to register a call remotely using a mobile terminal they possess (hereinafter referred to as a remote call registration function) has been provided. According to this remote call registration function, an elevator can be called remotely before arriving at the landing, so the waiting time of the user at the landing can be shortened.
[0005] Here, in providing the above-described remote call registration function, there is a concern about the occurrence of nuisance acts such as registering a call even though the user has no intention of boarding the elevator (prank operations using the remote call registration function). Such nuisance acts can be a factor in reducing the operating efficiency of the elevator, so a mechanism for suppressing such nuisance acts is required.
[0006] On the other hand, if it is not possible to appropriately determine whether an operation (registration of a call) on a mobile terminal is a nuisance act, it will prevent legitimate users from using the remote call registration function, and the satisfaction of such users will decrease.
Prior Art Documents
[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-052478 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-232412 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0008] Therefore, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a remote call registration device, elevator system, and method that can improve the operational efficiency of elevators and the satisfaction of users. [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] According to the embodiment, a remote call registration device is provided that is communicatively connected to a mobile terminal and an elevator control device that controls the operation of an elevator. The remote call registration device comprises a registration means, a first determination means, an instruction means, a second determination means, and a counting means. The registration means registers a call, including a landing call, in response to an operation on the mobile terminal. The first determination means determines whether a user has boarded the elevator, whose operation is controlled by the elevator control device in accordance with the call. If the instruction means determines that the user is not on the elevator, it instructs the mobile terminal to input the reason why the user is not on the elevator. The second determination means determines whether the reason entered on the mobile terminal in accordance with the instruction is valid. If the reason is determined to be valid, the counting means does not count the operation on the mobile terminal as a nuisance; if the reason is determined to be invalid, it counts the operation on the mobile terminal as a nuisance. The registration means will refuse to register subsequent calls in response to operations on the mobile terminal if the value counted as a nuisance reaches a predetermined first value. The user includes at least one of the user who performed the operation on the mobile terminal and a person designated by that user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0010] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the configuration of an elevator system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a mobile device. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a remote call registration device. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating an example of the processing procedure for a remote call registration device. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of pre-registration information. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of usage history information. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of a reason input screen. [Figure 8] A diagram illustrating an example of the process used to determine whether a reason entered on a mobile device is valid or not. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example of a list of people who are prohibited from making remote calls. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0011] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of an elevator system according to this embodiment. The elevator system 1 shown in Figure 1 is configured to provide a function (remote call registration function) that allows remote registration of calls to control the operation of the elevator, and comprises a mobile terminal l0, a remote call registration device 20, and an elevator control device 30.
[0012] The mobile terminal 10 and the remote call registration device 20 are connected via, for example, network 2 for communication. The remote call registration device 20 and the elevator control device 30 are also connected via, for example, network 3 for communication. Networks 2 and 3 may be the same network or different networks.
[0013] The mobile terminal 10 is a portable electronic device used by a user who uses an elevator, and is realized by, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal.
[0014] The remote call registration device 20 is an information processing device that operates as a server device for realizing the above-described remote call registration function. The remote call registration device 20 may be realized, for example, as a cloud server that provides a cloud service.
[0015] The elevator control device 30 controls the operation of an elevator (car). The elevator is provided in a hoistway and is connected to a counterweight via a main rope. The elevator and the counterweight are each supported by a guide rail so as to be able to move up and down. Further, a hoisting machine around which the main rope is wound is provided at the upper part of the hoistway. The operation of the elevator is controlled by the elevator control device 30 driving such a hoisting machine to move the elevator (and the counterweight) up and down.
[0016] In the present embodiment, for convenience, the elevator system 1 is described as including the mobile terminal 10, the remote call registration device 20, and the elevator control device 30. However, the elevator system 1 may have a configuration in which, for example, some of the mobile terminal 10, the remote call registration device 20, and the elevator control device 30 are omitted, or a configuration in which other components are added.
[0017] Here, a user who uses the mobile terminal 10 can use the remote call registration function provided by the remote call registration device 20. According to the remote call registration function, for example, by operating the mobile terminal 10, the user can register a call for the elevator (hereinafter referred to as a remote call) before arriving at the elevator landing, thereby shortening the waiting time of the user at the landing. The remote call corresponds to a landing call registered from a remote location.
[0018] However, in providing the remote call registration function, it is necessary to take measures against nuisance acts using the remote call registration function. As such nuisance acts, for example, it is assumed that a user who has no intention of boarding an elevator performs an operation of registering a remote call (hereinafter referred to as a mischievous operation). When a remote call registration corresponding to such a mischievous operation occurs, the operation of the elevator is controlled for a user who does not board, and the operation efficiency of the elevator decreases.
[0019] Therefore, for example, even though an operation of registering a remote call is performed using the remote call registration function, the number of times of not boarding an elevator whose operation is controlled according to the remote call (that is, the number of mischievous operations) is counted, and when the counted value reaches a certain value, the use of the remote call registration function by the user (that is, the registration of a remote call using the mobile terminal 10 by the user) is prohibited. According to this, it is possible to suppress the above-described mischievous operations.
[0020] However, if the use of the remote call registration function is prohibited simply because the user did not board the elevator, for example, a user who could not board the elevator for a legitimate reason will also be unable to use the function, and the satisfaction of the user will decrease.
[0021] Therefore, in the present embodiment, for example, an elevator system 1 (remote call registration device 20) that avoids the improper prohibition of the use of the remote call registration function is proposed.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 10 includes a display processing unit 11, an operation reception unit 12, and a communication processing unit 13.
[0023] Note that at least a part of the display processing unit 11, the operation reception unit 12, and the communication processing unit 13 is a functional unit realized by executing a predetermined application program by a processor (for example, a CPU or the like) mounted on the mobile terminal 10.
[0024] For example, if the mobile terminal 10 is a smartphone, the display processing unit 11 displays various screens related to the remote call registration function provided by the remote call registration device 20 on the touchscreen display installed in the mobile terminal 10. In this embodiment, the screens displayed by the display processing unit 11 include, for example, a screen on which an operation to register a remote call (hereinafter referred to as the remote call registration operation) can be performed (hereinafter referred to as the remote call registration screen).
[0025] The operation reception unit 12 receives user operations on the mobile terminal 10 (for example, touch operations on the touchscreen display). Operations received by the operation reception unit 12 include, for example, the remote call registration operation described above.
[0026] The communication processing unit 13 performs communication with the remote call registration device 20. Specifically, when the operation reception unit 12 receives a remote call registration operation, the communication processing unit 13 transmits a signal (hereinafter referred to as the remote call signal) to the remote call registration device 20 indicating that the remote call registration operation has been performed.
[0027] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the remote call registration device 20. As shown in Figure 3, the remote call registration device 20 includes a communication processing unit 21, a call registration unit 22, a management unit 23, a determination unit 24, a counting unit 25, and a storage unit 26.
[0028] Furthermore, at least a portion of the communication processing unit 21, call registration unit 22, management unit 23, determination unit 24, and counting unit 25 are functional units that are realized by the execution of a predetermined application program by a processor (e.g., a CPU) installed in the remote call registration device 20. The storage unit 26 is realized by a storage device such as a non-volatile memory installed in the remote call registration device 20.
[0029] The communication processing unit 21 performs communication with the mobile terminal 10. Specifically, the communication processing unit 21 receives remote call signals transmitted from the mobile terminal 10. The communication processing unit 21 also performs communication with the elevator control device 30.
[0030] The call registration unit 22 registers a remote call based on the remote call signal received by the communication processing unit 21 (i.e., in response to a remote call registration operation on the mobile terminal 10).
[0031] The remote call registered by the call registration unit 22 includes, for example, at least the elevator boarding floor (the floor on which the user boards the elevator), but may also include the elevator disembarking floor (the floor on which the user disembarks from the elevator).
[0032] Furthermore, the call registration unit 22 may, for example, perform processing related to the dispatch of elevators if there are multiple elevators available for use by users.
[0033] As described above, remote calls registered by the call registration unit 22 are transmitted to the elevator control device 30 by the communication processing unit 21. The elevator control device 30 controls the operation of the elevator according to the remote calls transmitted from the remote call registration unit 20.
[0034] When a remote call is registered by the call registration unit 22, the management unit 23 generates information indicating the elevator usage history based on that remote call (hereinafter referred to as usage history information). The management unit 23 manages the generated usage history information for each user (mobile terminal capable of performing remote call registration operations).
[0035] As described above, when the operation of the elevator is controlled in accordance with the remote call, the determination unit 24 determines whether or not the user who registered the remote call (for example, the user who performed the remote call registration operation) boarded the elevator.
[0036] In this embodiment, if the determination unit 24 determines that the user is not in the elevator, the remote call registration device 20 instructs the mobile terminal 10 to input the reason why the user is not in the elevator.
[0037] If a reason for not being in the elevator is entered in the mobile terminal 10 based on instructions from the remote call registration device 20, the determination unit 24 determines whether the reason is valid or not.
[0038] The counting unit 25 counts the remote call registration operation to the mobile terminal 10 as a prank operation (nuisance behavior) if the determination unit 24 determines that the reason is not legitimate. In other words, the counting unit 25 does not count the remote call registration operation to the mobile terminal 10 as a prank operation (nuisance behavior) if the determination unit 24 determines that the reason is legitimate.
[0039] The storage unit 26 stores usage history information generated by the management unit 23. The storage unit 26 also stores a list (hereinafter referred to as the remote call ban list) of users whose number of prank operations (i.e., the number of prank operations) has reached a predetermined value (a predetermined number of times). In this embodiment, even if a user registered in this remote call ban list (hereinafter referred to as a remote call ban user) attempts to register a remote call, the registration of the remote call corresponding to that remote call registration operation will be rejected.
[0040] The following describes an example of the processing procedure of the remote call registration device 20 according to this embodiment, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 4.
[0041] First, a user who uses the remote call registration function (hereinafter referred to as the target user) operates the mobile terminal 10 to launch a predetermined application program (mobile terminal app) on the mobile terminal 10. In this embodiment, the target user is any user who uses the remote call registration function, and may be at least one of the following: the user operating the mobile terminal 10 and a person designated by that user (for example, a child or customer who does not have the mobile terminal 10). As a result, the display processing unit 11 included in the mobile terminal 10 displays the remote call registration screen. The remote call registration screen includes, for example, a remote call button, and the target user can, for example, press the remote call button on the remote call registration screen. Pressing such a remote call button corresponds to a remote call registration operation and is received by the operation reception unit 12. When the operation reception unit 12 receives the remote call registration operation, the communication processing unit 13 transmits a remote call signal to the remote call registration device 20 indicating that the remote call registration operation has been performed.
[0042] The communication processing unit 21 included in the remote call registration device 20 receives the remote call signal transmitted from the mobile terminal 10 (communication processing unit 13) as described above (step S1).
[0043] The call registration unit 22 registers a remote call based on the remote call signal received in step S1, including, for example, the boarding floor where the user boards the elevator and the disembarking floor where the user disembarks from the elevator. The remote call registered by the call registration unit 22 is transmitted to the elevator control device 30 by the communication processing unit 21 (step S2).
[0044] The boarding and alighting floors included in the remote call are specified, for example, by the remote call registration operation on the remote call registration screen (i.e., specified by the user on the mobile terminal 10). In addition, remote calls including boarding and alighting floors may be registered based on pre-registered boarding and alighting floor information for each user, as shown in Figure 5 (hereinafter referred to as pre-registered information). In the pre-registered information shown in Figure 5, multiple sets of boarding and alighting floors are registered for each user (user ID). In the case of such pre-registered information, it is possible to register a remote call that includes a set of boarding and alighting floors selected from among these multiple sets, for example, according to the time of day.
[0045] The elevator control device 30 controls the operation of the elevator according to the remote call transmitted in step S2. In this case, the elevator control device 30 controls the elevator's ascent and descent, for example, by moving the elevator to the boarding floor included in the remote call, allowing the target user to board the elevator, and then moving the elevator to the disembarking floor. The elevator control device 30 also transmits information regarding the operation of the elevator (hereinafter referred to as elevator operation information) to the remote call registration device 20. The elevator operation information includes, for example, the time the elevator arrived at the boarding floor, the time the elevator departed from the boarding floor, and the time the elevator arrived at the disembarking floor.
[0046] In step S2, the management unit 23 generates usage history information (usage history information for the target user) that shows the elevator usage history based on the remote call and elevator operation information transmitted from the elevator control device 30 (step S3).
[0047] Here, Figure 6 shows an example of usage history information for the target user (i.e., mobile terminal 10). As shown in Figure 6, the usage history information for the target user includes, in association with the management number assigned to the usage history information, the time of remote call registration, boarding and alighting floors, arrival time at the boarding floor, departure time, arrival time at the alighting floor, boarding record, and the result of the prank operation detection.
[0048] The remote call registration time is the time the remote call was registered. The boarding and alighting floors are the boarding and alighting floors included in the remote call. The boarding floor arrival time is the time the elevator, whose operation was controlled according to the remote call (i.e., the elevator that responded to the remote call), arrived at the boarding floor. The departure time is the time the elevator, whose operation was controlled according to the remote call, departed from the boarding floor. The alighting floor arrival time is the time the elevator, whose operation was controlled according to the remote call, arrived at the alighting floor. The boarding record indicates whether the target user actually boarded the elevator. The prank operation determination result is the determination result of whether the remote call registration operation on the mobile terminal 10 was a prank operation or not.
[0049] In step S3, the usage history information generated will have blank fields for ride record and prank operation detection result.
[0050] Returning to Figure 4, the determination unit 24 determines whether the target user boarded the elevator whose operation was controlled in accordance with the remote call (step S4).
[0051] Here, the process in step S4 is performed using, for example, a passenger boarding / alighting confirmation sensor installed near the elevator entrance / exit. The vicinity of the elevator entrance / exit may be, for example, the inside of the elevator (car) or the elevator landing.
[0052] As a passenger boarding / alighting confirmation sensor, at least one of the following can be used: a load sensor configured to measure the load on the elevator; a weight sensor configured to measure the weight (load) of the passengers riding in the elevator; a camera configured to capture images of the vicinity of the elevator's entrance / exit; a photoelectric sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit located near the elevator's entrance / exit; and a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature inside the elevator.
[0053] Such a passenger boarding / alighting confirmation sensor is configured to transmit output data to a remote call registration device 20, and the determination unit 24 can detect (confirm) that a target user has boarded an elevator that responded to a remote call, for example, based on changes in the output data from the passenger boarding / alighting confirmation sensor, based on usage history information.
[0054] Furthermore, if the mobile terminal 10 is equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) function, the determination unit 24 may be configured to obtain (receive) location information indicating the location of the target user (mobile terminal 10) acquired by the GPS function from the mobile terminal 10, and to determine whether or not the target user has boarded the elevator based on this location information. In this case, the management unit 23 included in the remote call registration device 20 can, for example, pre-manage location information indicating the location of the elevator landing, and by comparing the location of the target user with the location of the elevator landing, it can determine whether or not the target user has boarded the elevator.
[0055] In this explanation, location information indicating the user's location is assumed to be obtained by GPS functionality. However, this location information may also be obtained, for example, by triangulation using a base station, or by having the user enter a password placed near the elevator landing on the mobile terminal 10, or by having the mobile terminal 10 read a barcode or 2D code placed near the elevator landing.
[0056] Furthermore, if the elevator system 1 is equipped with a predetermined monitoring function, this function can check for the presence or absence of users (passengers) inside the elevator and record the results of this check as a monitoring log. Whether or not the aforementioned target user boarded the elevator may be determined using such a monitoring log.
[0057] Furthermore, if it is necessary to accurately identify (recognize) the target user, for example, authentication may be performed using a user ID and password when the target user performs a remote call registration operation. Alternatively, the identity of the target user may be verified using unique information such as the MAC address of the mobile terminal 10 used by the target user.
[0058] Furthermore, when determining whether or not a target user has boarded the elevator, other functions may be used, such as an anomaly detection function that detects abnormalities when the target user does not board the elevator at the boarding floor or does not alight at the alighting floor.
[0059] In this embodiment, any configuration that determines whether a target user has boarded an elevator can be achieved by appropriately combining the above-described technologies.
[0060] If it is determined that the target user has boarded the elevator (YES in step S4), the process shown in Figure 4 is terminated. In this case, the management unit 23 registers "○ (boarded)" in the boarding record included in the user history information generated in step S3, and registers "normal" in the prank operation determination result included in the user history information, indicating that the remote call registration operation was not a prank operation.
[0061] On the other hand, if it is determined that the user in question did not board the elevator (NO in step S4), the management unit 23 registers "× (did not board)" in the boarding record included in the usage history information generated in step S3.
[0062] Next, the management unit 23, via the communication processing unit 21, instructs the mobile terminal 10 (target user) to input the reason why they are not riding the elevator (step S5).
[0063] When the process in step S5 is executed, the display processing unit 11 included in the mobile terminal 10 displays a reason input screen. The reason input screen may be transmitted from the remote call registration device 20 to the mobile terminal 10, or it may be provided in the mobile terminal 10 (mobile terminal application).
[0064] Here, Figure 7 shows an example of a reason input screen. The reason input screen shown in Figure 7 displays several pre-prepared reasons, and the user can input the reason why they did not board the elevator by selecting one of these reasons.
[0065] Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 7, several reasons are displayed on the reason input screen, such as "retrieving a forgotten item," "answering a phone call," "emergency response," "sudden change of plans," "long waiting time," "crowding," and "other." In the reason input screen shown in Figure 7, examples of "emergency response" include "earthquake, fire in the apartment building, etc." and "sudden illness." In addition, in the reason input screen shown in Figure 7, examples of "other" include "another passenger I don't want to ride with is on board" and "another passenger who is coughing is on board." Furthermore, if the reason is "other," the user may be allowed to enter any reason (text).
[0066] The operation to select one reason on the reason input screen as described above (hereinafter referred to as the reason selection operation) is received by the operation reception unit 12. When the reason selection operation is received by the operation reception unit 12, the communication processing unit 13 transmits the reason selected by the reason selection operation (i.e., the reason entered on the reason input screen) to the remote call registration device 20. When a reason is transmitted from the mobile terminal 10 (communication processing unit 13) in this manner, the communication processing unit 21 included in the remote call registration device 20 receives the reason.
[0067] On the other hand, the reason selection operation on the reason selection screen described above must be performed within a predetermined period (validity period), and if the reason selection operation is not performed within that period (i.e., no reason is entered during that period), the communication processing unit 21 included in the remote call registration device 20 will not be able to receive that reason.
[0068] Therefore, the remote call registration device 20 (communication processing unit 21) determines whether or not the above reason has been received (step S6).
[0069] If it is determined that a reason has been received (YES in step S6), the determination unit 24 determines whether the received reason is valid or not (step S7).
[0070] In step S7, for example, if the conditions corresponding to the reason entered in the mobile terminal 10 (i.e., the reason sent from the mobile terminal 10) are met, it is determined that the reason is valid. As described above, if one reason is selected from among multiple reasons (options) in the mobile terminal 10, the conditions for determining whether the reason is valid or not are predetermined for each reason.
[0071] The following describes specific examples of conditions corresponding to each reason. First, if the reason entered (selected) on the mobile terminal 10 is "to retrieve a forgotten item," the conditions corresponding to this reason (hereinafter referred to as the first condition) include, for example, a remote call being registered again within a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) from the time it is confirmed that the user will not board the elevator (i.e., the time when the elevator without the user boards departs the boarding floor), and the user boarding the elevator that responds to the remote call. For example, even if a user does not board the elevator initially in order to retrieve a forgotten item, it is assumed that the user will perform the remote call registration operation again after retrieving the item and then use the elevator. The first condition described above is set assuming such user behavior.
[0072] Next, if the reason entered (selected) on the mobile terminal 10 is "answer the phone," the conditions for that reason (hereinafter referred to as the second condition) include, for example, that a remote call is registered again within a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) from the time it is determined that the user will not board the elevator, and that the user boards the elevator that responds to the remote call. For example, even if a user does not board the elevator because they receive a phone call while waiting for the elevator, it is assumed that the user will perform the remote call registration operation again after the phone call ends and use the elevator. The second condition described above is set assuming such user behavior.
[0073] Furthermore, if the reason entered (selected) on the mobile terminal 10 is "Emergency Response" and is "Earthquake, fire in apartment building, etc.," the conditions corresponding to that reason (hereinafter referred to as the third condition) include, for example, that a signal related to the earthquake or fire was received by the elevator control device 30, etc.
[0074] On the other hand, if the reason entered (selected) on the mobile device 10 is "sudden illness" under "emergency response," the conditions corresponding to that reason (hereinafter referred to as the fourth condition) include, for example, that no further remote call is registered within a certain period of time after it is confirmed that the user will not board the elevator. For example, in the case of sudden illness, it is assumed that the user is not in a condition to board the elevator. The fourth condition described above is set with such a situation in mind.
[0075] Furthermore, if the reason entered (selected) on the mobile device 10 is "sudden change of plans," the conditions for that reason (hereinafter referred to as the fifth condition) include, for example, that no further remote call is registered within a certain period of time after it is confirmed that the user will not board the elevator. For example, if the user does not board the elevator due to a sudden change of plans, it is assumed that no further remote call will be registered. The fifth condition described above is set with such a situation in mind.
[0076] Furthermore, if the reason entered (selected) on the mobile terminal 10 is "long waiting time," the conditions for that reason (hereinafter referred to as the sixth condition) include, for example, the case where the waiting time is long for a target user on a lower floor (a user whose boarding floor is a lower floor), and after it is confirmed that the target user will not board the elevator, no further remote call is registered within a certain period of time. For example, if the waiting time is long because the elevator is responding to another call, a user boarding from a lower floor may use the stairs before the elevator reaches their boarding floor. The sixth condition described above is set with such user behavior in mind.
[0077] Furthermore, if the reason entered (selected) on the mobile device 10 is "crowded," the conditions corresponding to that reason (hereinafter referred to as the 7th condition) include, for example, a large number of people inside the elevator (the load inside the elevator is greater than or equal to a predetermined value). For example, if there are many people inside the elevator, even if the elevator arrives at the boarding floor, it is conceivable that the user will give up on boarding the elevator. The 7th condition described above is set with such user behavior in mind.
[0078] Furthermore, if the reason entered (selected) on the mobile terminal 10 is "Other" and specifically "Another user who does not wish to ride is already on board," the conditions corresponding to that reason (hereinafter, the eighth condition) include, for example, the registration of another call immediately after the elevator that was not used departed, and the user boarding the elevator that responded to that call. For example, if another user who does not wish to ride is on board the elevator that has arrived at the boarding floor, the user is likely to refrain from boarding the elevator and instead use the elevator after it has departed by operating, for example, the landing call registration device installed at the elevator landing. The eighth condition described above is set with such user behavior in mind.
[0079] Furthermore, if the reason entered (selected) on the mobile device 10 is "Other" and specifically "A passenger who is coughing is on board," the conditions corresponding to that reason can be, for example, the same as the eighth condition described above.
[0080] In step S7, if the conditions corresponding to the reason entered in the mobile device 10 described above are met, the reason is determined to be valid.
[0081] Here, with reference to Figure 8, an example of the processing in step S7 (i.e., the process of determining whether the reason is valid or not) will be explained. Figure 8 shows usage history information 101 and 102, which indicate the elevator usage history by the target user. The usage history information is generated and stored in the storage unit 26 each time a call to the elevator (for example, a remote call) is registered.
[0082] According to the usage history information 101 shown in Figure 8, a remote call was registered at 8:10:11, but the target user was not in the elevator that responded to that remote call. On the other hand, according to the usage history information 102, a remote call was registered again at 8:12:05, and the target user was in the elevator that responded to that remote call.
[0083] In this case, for example, as shown in the usage history information 101, the user in question does not board the elevator that responded to the remote call, and a reason input screen is displayed on the mobile terminal 10. The reason input screen is assumed to be entered (selected) as the reason for not boarding the elevator.
[0084] Here, as shown in usage history information 101, the departure time of the elevator that the user did not board was 8:11:00, and as shown in usage history information 102, another remote call was registered at 8:12:05, within 5 minutes of the departure time of the said elevator, and the user boarded the elevator that responded to the newly registered remote call.
[0085] According to this, the first condition corresponding to the reason "I'm going to retrieve something I forgot" entered in the mobile device 10 described above is met, and therefore, in step S7, the reason is determined to be valid.
[0086] The process for determining whether the reasons described here are valid is just one example; the determination process should be carried out based on factors such as whether the user in question has acted in a manner consistent with the reason, or whether the reason can be substantiated.
[0087] Returning to Figure 4, if the reason is determined to be valid (YES in step S7), the process shown in Figure 4 is terminated. In this case, the management unit 23 registers "Normal" in the prank operation detection result included in the user history information generated in step S3.
[0088] On the other hand, if the reason is determined to be unjust (NO in step S7), the remote call registration operation to the mobile terminal 10 is determined (presumed) to be a prank operation (step S8). If the process in step S8 is executed, the management unit 23 registers "prank" in the prank operation determination result included in the usage history information generated in step S3, indicating that the remote call registration operation to the mobile terminal 10 is a prank operation.
[0089] In this embodiment, it has been explained that the results of prank operation detection ("normal" and "prank") included in the usage history information are automatically registered. However, these prank operation detection results may be changed or modified by, for example, the administrator of the remote call registration device 20 who has confirmed the reason why the user is not riding the elevator.
[0090] In this embodiment, for example, each time a remote call registration operation is performed on the mobile terminal 10, the process shown in Figure 4 is executed, and the storage unit 26 accumulates the usage history information of the target user.
[0091] Therefore, the counting unit 25 refers to the user history information of the target user stored in the storage unit 26 and counts the number of times prank operations were performed on the mobile terminal 10 (step S9). The process in step S9 corresponds to the process of counting the number of user history entries in the user history information of the target user stored in the storage unit 26 for which the prank operation determination result is "prank".
[0092] In this explanation, the number of prank operations is counted by referring to the usage history information stored in the storage unit 26. However, for example, the counting unit 25 may store the number of prank operations and add 1 to the number of prank operations each time "prank" is registered in the prank operation determination result as described above.
[0093] When the process in step S9 is executed, it is determined whether the number of prank operations counted in step S9 has reached a predetermined number (a predetermined value) (step S10).
[0094] If it is determined that the number of prank operations has reached a predetermined number (YES in step S10), the user ID used to identify the target user (mobile terminal 10) is added (registered) to the remote call ban list stored in the storage unit 26 in order to ban the target user from remote calling (step S11). Figure 9 shows an example of the remote call ban list. In the example shown in Figure 9, it is shown that users identified by user IDs "00000003", "0000XXXX", and "0000YYYY" have been banned from remote calling because, for example, the number of prank operations has reached 10.
[0095] In Figure 9, it is assumed that a user who has committed 10 prank operations will be banned from remote calling. However, the number of prank operations required to ban a user from remote calling may vary depending on the user (for example, age).
[0096] Although not shown in Figure 4, for example, if, after the processing in step S11 is executed, a remote call signal is transmitted from the mobile terminal 10 to the remote call registration device 20 in response to a remote call registration operation by the target user (i.e., a remote call signal is received in step S1), the call registration unit 22 refers to the remote call prohibition list stored in the storage unit 26 and determines whether the target user using the mobile terminal 10 that transmitted the remote call signal (i.e., the target user who performed the remote call registration operation) is a remote call prohibition user. If the target user is determined to be a remote call prohibition user, the call registration unit 22 refuses to register the remote call based on the remote call signal received in step S1. As a result, users who have performed a predetermined number of prank operations (i.e., remote call prohibition users) will not be able to use the remote call registration function.
[0097] If it is determined in step S6 that no reason is received (i.e., the reason selection operation was not performed within the predetermined period) (NO in step S6), the process in step S7 is not executed, and the process in step S8 is executed instead.
[0098] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S10 that the number of tampering attempts has not reached a predetermined number (NO in step S10), the process shown in Figure 4 is terminated.
[0099] According to the process shown in Figure 4 above, if the target user does not board the elevator that responded to the remote call for a legitimate reason, the remote call registration operation on the mobile terminal 10 will not be counted as a prank operation. This prevents the target user's use of the remote call registration function from being unfairly restricted (i.e., the user being mistakenly designated as a person prohibited from making remote calls).
[0100] As described above, the remote call registration device 20 according to this embodiment registers a remote call (including a landing call) in response to an operation on the mobile terminal 10, and determines whether a user has boarded the elevator whose operation is controlled by the elevator control device 30 in accordance with the call (the elevator that responded to the call). If the remote call registration device 20 determines that no user is on the elevator, it instructs the mobile terminal 10 to input the reason why no user is on the elevator, and determines whether the reason entered on the mobile terminal 10 is valid. If the reason is determined to be valid, the remote call registration device 20 does not count the remote call registration operation on the mobile terminal 10 as a prank operation (nuisance), and if the reason is determined to be invalid, it counts the remote call registration operation on the mobile terminal 10 as a prank operation (nuisance). In this embodiment, if the value counted as a prank operation reaches a predetermined value (a predetermined first value), the registration of remote calls in response to subsequent remote call registration operations on the mobile terminal 10 is refused. In this embodiment, the user whose presence or absence is determined may be the user who performed the operation on the mobile terminal 10, a person designated by that user, or both.
[0101] In this embodiment, the above-described configuration makes it possible to improve elevator operation efficiency and user satisfaction.
[0102] Specifically, when providing a remote call registration function, there are concerns about reduced elevator operational efficiency due to prank calls. To address this, one possible solution is to detect users who did not board an elevator that responded to a remote call, and if the number of times a user did not board exceeds a certain number, prohibit them from registering remote calls. However, prohibiting a user from registering remote calls when they did not board the elevator for a legitimate reason would be inconvenient and unpleasant for that user.
[0103] Therefore, in this embodiment, if a user does not board an elevator that has responded to a remote call for a legitimate reason, the remote call registration operation of that user is not counted as a prank operation, thereby avoiding inconvenience to users due to misidentification of prank operations. This improves both the operational efficiency of the elevator and user satisfaction. In other words, in this embodiment, the misidentification of a remote call registration operation by a user who did not board the elevator for a legitimate reason as a prank operation is reduced, and such users can be prevented from having an unpleasant experience.
[0104] In this embodiment, the process of determining whether or not a user has boarded the elevator is performed based on changes in output data from a passenger boarding / alighting confirmation sensor installed near the elevator entrance / exit. In this case, the passenger boarding / alighting confirmation sensor includes, for example, at least one of the following: a load sensor configured to measure the load on the elevator; a weight sensor configured to measure the weight of a user riding in the elevator; a camera (image sensor) configured to capture images of the area near the elevator entrance / exit; a photoelectric sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit located near the elevator entrance / exit; and a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature inside the elevator. In this embodiment, it is believed that by appropriately combining these sensors and using them as a passenger boarding / alighting confirmation sensor, it is possible to determine whether or not a user has boarded the elevator with high accuracy.
[0105] The process of determining whether or not a user has boarded the elevator may be performed, for example, based on location information indicating the user's location provided by the mobile terminal 10.
[0106] Furthermore, if a user registers a remote call in response to their remote call registration operation, but is unable to board the elevator for a legitimate reason such as "retrieving something forgotten" or "answering a phone call," they will typically register another call for the elevator within a certain time and board the elevator that responds to that call. On the other hand, if a remote call registration operation is performed for malicious purposes, it is likely that the user will not board the elevator that responds to the remote call, and will similarly not board the elevator even if they register another remote call.
[0107] In this embodiment, conditions corresponding to each reason for not riding the elevator are set in advance based on the user's actions, and the reason is determined to be valid if the conditions corresponding to the reason entered in the mobile terminal 10 are met.
[0108] In this embodiment, the reason entered in the mobile terminal 10 is selected from, for example, a set of pre-prepared reasons. In this case, the user only needs to select a reason on the reason input screen, thus reducing the effort required of the user to input the reason. Furthermore, if the system is configured to accept pre-prepared reasons for input (selection), it is believed that the accuracy of the determination process for whether or not the reason is valid can be improved by setting appropriate conditions corresponding to the reason.
[0109] However, the system may be configured so that users can freely input (write) reasons on the reason input screen. In such cases, for example, the system may determine whether the reason is valid or not by analyzing the reason (text) entered on the reason input screen.
[0110] Furthermore, as mentioned above, if the user can freely enter a reason on the reason input screen, and the same reason is entered multiple times, that reason may be added to a pre-prepared list of reasons (i.e., options), allowing the user to select that reason the next time they enter a reason. This would improve the user's convenience regarding reason input.
[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the user is instructed to input the reason for not being in the elevator (i.e., a reason input screen is displayed on the mobile terminal 10). However, if the reason is not entered within a predetermined period from the time of the instruction, the user's remote call registration operation will be counted as a prank operation. In other words, if no reason is entered, it will be presumed that the user's remote call registration operation is highly likely to be a prank operation, and it will be counted as such.
[0112] According to the embodiment described above, it is possible to avoid prohibiting (rejecting) remote call registration in cases where there is a legitimate reason, thus reducing inconvenience for users (i.e., improving user convenience). Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by analyzing user behavior and not determining it as a prank operation when there is a legitimate reason, it is possible to prevent mistakenly labeling a user as a remote call banner (i.e., misjudgment). Moreover, according to this embodiment, the reliability of the remote call registration function can be improved by considering the legitimate behavior of users.
[0113] In this embodiment, the system is configured to instruct the user to input the reason why they did not board the elevator (i.e., to display a reason input screen on the mobile terminal 10). However, inputting this reason may be cumbersome for the user. For this reason, a mechanism may be adopted to reduce the frequency with which the user is asked to input a reason.
[0114] Specifically, for example, if it is determined that no user is in the elevator, and a remote call is registered again within a predetermined period after the user has not boarded the elevator (i.e., the elevator has departed the boarding floor) in response to the user's remote call registration operation, the system may be configured not to display the reason input screen. With such a configuration, for example, if a remote call is registered again even when no user is in the elevator, it can be presumed that there was a valid reason for not being in the elevator, and the user can be omitted from entering the reason.
[0115] Furthermore, if, for example, it is determined that there is no user in the elevator, and a call is registered again in response to the user's remote call registration operation within a predetermined period after the user did not board the elevator, and the user is approaching the elevator landing, the system may be configured not to display the reason input screen. With such a configuration, for example, even if there is no user in the elevator, if there is a high probability that the user will board the elevator that responds to the remote call again, the user can omit inputting a reason. Whether or not the user is approaching the elevator landing can be determined, for example, based on location information indicating the user's location.
[0116] The above configuration makes it possible to eliminate the display of unnecessary reason input screens (i.e., the effort required for screen input), thereby improving user convenience.
[0117] Furthermore, the system may choose not to prompt the mobile terminal 10 to input the reason for not boarding the elevator until the number of prank operations (nuisance behaviors) in which a user fails to board an elevator whose operation is controlled according to a remote call reaches a predetermined number (a second value less than the first value). In other words, in this embodiment, the system may be configured not to display the reason input screen until a certain number of prank operations have been counted.
[0118] In this embodiment, the system determines whether the user's remote call registration operation is a prank operation based on the reason entered on the reason input screen (mobile terminal 10). However, if the reason is valid, other processing using that reason may be performed.
[0119] Specifically, for example, if the reason is "earthquake, fire in an apartment building, etc.," then by sending the reason (i.e., information indicating the occurrence of an earthquake or fire) to a maintenance center near the building where the elevator is installed, it may be possible to support a rapid response to the earthquake or fire.
[0120] Furthermore, if the reason is, for example, "another user who does not wish to ride is already on board," the system may perform a process to identify the other user who was on the elevator that the user did not board. This would allow the system to provide a service that notifies the user in advance whether or not another user who does not wish to ride with them is on board when the user subsequently uses the remote call registration function. The other user who was on the elevator that the user did not board can be identified using the other user's usage history information or images captured by cameras installed inside the elevator.
[0121] Furthermore, if the reason is, for example, "another user is coughing while riding the elevator," the system may instruct the elevator to disinfect the area where that other user was riding.
[0122] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operation of the elevator may be controlled based on the reason entered in the mobile terminal 10 and the time when a remote call is registered again in response to the user's remote call registration operation after the user did not board the elevator.
[0123] Specifically, if a user who did not board the elevator for reasons such as "I'm going to retrieve something I forgot" often boards the elevator within 3-4 minutes, it is conceivable that the elevator's operation could be controlled so that it arrives at the boarding floor 3 minutes later in response to a newly registered remote call.
[0124] In other words, in this embodiment, by learning the reasons entered in the mobile terminal 10 and the user's usage history information (such as the time when another remote call was registered), it becomes possible to optimize the timing of elevator operation and dispatch, thereby improving user convenience.
[0125] However, in this embodiment, if the reason entered by the user is "sudden illness" or "sudden change of plans," it is difficult to determine whether the reason is valid or not. If a user who performs a remote call registration operation enters such a reason, even if the remote call registration operation is a prank operation, it cannot be counted as a prank operation, which may reduce the efficiency of elevator operation.
[0126] Therefore, in this embodiment, if, after it is determined that the reason for not being on the elevator is valid, it is determined that the user is not on an elevator whose operation is controlled according to another remote call registered in response to the user's remote call registration operation, and the same reason is entered in the mobile terminal 10, the remote call registration operation of the user may be counted as a prank operation. Specifically, for example, if the same reason is entered more than a certain number of times, the remote call registration operation may be counted as a prank operation even if the same reason is entered afterward.
[0127] With this configuration, it is possible to prohibit users from using the remote call registration function to perform prank operations by repeatedly entering reasons that are difficult to justify, such as "sudden illness" or "sudden change of plans."
[0128] In this embodiment, if a user's remote call registration operation is counted as a prank operation, the system may be configured to notify the mobile terminal 10 (the user) that the user's remote call registration operation has been determined to be a prank operation (i.e., a prank operation has been detected).
[0129] Furthermore, if the value counted as a prank operation reaches a predetermined value (a third value less than the first value), the system may be configured to further notify the mobile terminal 10 (for example, through a warning message) that repeated prank operations may result in the registration of remote calls in response to the user's remote call registration operation being rejected (i.e., the use of the remote call registration function being prohibited).
[0130] With this configuration, by warning users who engage in mischievous operation (i.e., urging them not to engage in mischievous operation), it is possible to suppress the decrease in elevator operation efficiency caused by such mischievous operation.
[0131] Furthermore, if the number of actions counted as malicious activity reaches a predetermined value (first value), the user may be further notified that subsequent remote call registrations will be rejected (i.e., the use of the remote call registration function will be prohibited).
[0132] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be carried out in a variety of 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 spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0133] 1...Elevator system, 2,3...Network, 10...Mobile terminal, 11...Display processing unit, 12...Operation reception unit, 13...Communication processing unit, 20...Remote call registration device, 21...Communication processing unit, 22...Call registration unit, 23...Management unit, 24...Determination unit, 25...Counting unit, 26...Storage unit, 30...Elevator control device.
Claims
1. In a remote call registration device that is communicatively connected to a mobile terminal and an elevator control device that controls the operation of the elevator, A registration means for registering calls, including calls to the boarding area, in response to operations on the aforementioned mobile terminal, A first determination means for determining whether a user has boarded an elevator whose operation has been controlled by the elevator control device in accordance with the aforementioned call, If it is determined that the user is not on the elevator, the instruction means instructs the mobile terminal to input the reason why the user is not on the elevator. A second determination means for determining whether the reason entered in the mobile terminal in accordance with the above instructions is valid, A counting means which, if the aforementioned reason is determined to be valid, does not count the operation on the mobile device as a nuisance, and if the aforementioned reason is determined to be invalid, counts the operation on the mobile device as a nuisance. It is equipped with, The registration means, when the value counted as the nuisance behavior reaches a predetermined first value, refuses to register subsequent calls corresponding to operations on the mobile terminal. The aforementioned user includes at least one of the user who performed the operation on the mobile device and a person designated by that user. Remote call registration device.
2. The remote call registration device according to claim 1, wherein the first determination means determines whether the user has boarded the elevator based on location information indicating the user's location.
3. The remote call registration device according to claim 1, wherein the second determination means determines that a reason is valid if the conditions corresponding to the reason entered in the mobile terminal are met.
4. The remote call registration device according to claim 3, wherein the reason entered in the mobile terminal is selected from a plurality of pre-prepared reasons.
5. The remote call registration device according to claim 1, wherein if the reason for not riding the elevator is not entered on the mobile terminal within a predetermined period based on the above instructions, the counting means counts the operation on the mobile terminal as a nuisance.
6. The remote call registration device according to claim 1, wherein the instruction means determines that the user is not in the elevator, and if a call is registered again in response to an operation on the mobile terminal within a predetermined period after the user has not boarded the elevator, the instruction means does not instruct the mobile terminal to input the reason why the user is not in the elevator.
7. The remote call registration device according to claim 1, wherein the instruction means determines that the user is not on the elevator, and a call is registered again in response to an operation on the mobile terminal within a predetermined period after the user has not boarded the elevator, and the user is approaching the elevator landing, and the instruction means does not instruct the mobile terminal to input the reason why the user is not on the elevator.
8. The remote call registration device according to claim 1, wherein the instruction means does not instruct the mobile terminal to input the reason for not riding the elevator until the number of times the nuisance behavior reaches a second value less than the first value.
9. The remote call registration device according to claim 1, further comprising processing means for performing processing using the reason entered in the mobile terminal in accordance with the instructions.
10. The remote call registration device according to claim 1, wherein the elevator control device controls the operation of the elevator based on the reason entered in the mobile terminal in accordance with the instructions and the time when a call is registered again in response to an operation on the mobile terminal within a predetermined period after the user did not board the elevator.
11. The remote call registration device according to claim 1, wherein the counting means determines, after the reason is determined to be valid, that the user is not on board an elevator whose operation is controlled by the elevator control device in accordance with another call registered in response to an operation on the mobile terminal, and the same reason as said is entered on the mobile terminal, and the operation is counted as a nuisance.
12. The remote call registration device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification means for notifying the mobile terminal that an operation performed on the mobile terminal has been determined to be a nuisance.
13. The remote call registration device according to claim 12, wherein if the value counted as the aforementioned nuisance behavior reaches a third value less than the first value, the notification means further notifies the mobile terminal that the registration of calls in response to operations on the mobile terminal may be refused if the nuisance behavior is repeated.
14. The remote call registration device according to claim 13, wherein, when the value counted as the aforementioned nuisance activity reaches the first value, the notification means further notifies the mobile terminal that registration of calls in response to subsequent operations on the mobile terminal will be refused.
15. In an elevator system comprising a mobile terminal, an elevator control device for controlling the operation of the elevator, and a remote call registration device that is communicatively connected to the mobile terminal and the elevator control device, The remote call registration device is A registration means for registering calls, including calls to the boarding area, in response to operations on the aforementioned mobile terminal, A first determination means for determining whether a user has boarded an elevator whose operation has been controlled by the elevator control device in accordance with the aforementioned call, If it is determined that the user is not on the elevator, the instruction means instructs the mobile terminal to input the reason why the user is not on the elevator. A second determination means for determining whether the reason entered in the mobile terminal in accordance with the above instructions is valid, A counting means which, if the aforementioned reason is determined to be valid, does not count the operation on the mobile device as a nuisance, and if the aforementioned reason is determined to be invalid, counts the operation on the mobile device as a nuisance. Includes, The registration means, when the value counted as the nuisance behavior reaches a predetermined first value, refuses to register subsequent calls corresponding to operations on the mobile terminal. The aforementioned user includes at least one of the user who performed the operation on the mobile device and a person designated by that user. Elevator system.
16. A method performed by an elevator system comprising a mobile terminal, an elevator control device for controlling the operation of an elevator, and a remote call registration device that is communicatively connected to the mobile terminal and the elevator control device, The steps include registering a call, including a call to the boarding area, in response to an operation on the aforementioned mobile terminal, The steps include determining whether a user has boarded the elevator whose operation has been controlled by the elevator control device in accordance with the aforementioned call, If it is determined that the user is not in the elevator, the mobile terminal is instructed to input the reason why the user is not in the elevator. A step of determining whether the reason entered in the mobile terminal in accordance with the above instructions is valid, If the aforementioned reason is determined to be valid, the operation on the mobile device will not be counted as a nuisance; if the aforementioned reason is determined to be invalid, the operation on the mobile device will be counted as a nuisance. Includes, The registration step includes a step of refusing to register subsequent calls in response to operations on the mobile terminal if the value counted as the nuisance activity reaches a predetermined first value. The aforementioned user includes at least one of the user who performed the operation on the mobile device and a person designated by that user. method.