Collection assisting system and collection assisting method for lost item in elevator

Abstract

Provided are a collection assisting system and a collection assisting method that can make it easier to collect a lost item in an elevator hoistway. In a collection assisting system (20), a detection unit (25) detects the presence of a lost item (16) in a hoistway (3) on the basis of a radio signal received by a receiver (21) attached to the outside of a car (9) from a transmitter (18) attached to the lost item (16) in the hoistway (3). An acquisition unit (24) acquires location information of the car (9) at the time when the receiver (21) receives the radio signal from the transmitter (18). A determination unit (26) determines the location of the lost item (16) in the hoistway (3) in the up-down direction on the basis of the location information of the car (9) acquired by the acquisition unit (24) when the detection unit (25) detects the presence of the lost item (16) in the hoistway (3). A notification unit (27) notifies of the location of the lost item (16) determined by the determination unit (26).

Description

System and method for assisting in the recovery of lost items in elevators

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system and method for assisting in the recovery of lost items in elevators.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses an example of an elevator. The elevator is provided with a camera that takes an image of the hall. Whether or not there is an item lost at the hall is determined based on the image of the hall taken by the camera.

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-202871

[0004] When an elevator user drops an item while going back and forth between the landing and the car, the item may fall through the gap between the landing and the car into the hoistway and become lost. The elevator in Patent Document 1 does not detect lost items that have fallen into the hoistway. Therefore, upon request from the user, elevator maintenance personnel or others search for and retrieve the lost item in the hoistway, but it is not easy to find the lost item, and the retrieval operation can take time.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a recovery assistance system and a recovery assistance method that make it easier to recover lost items in an elevator shaft.

[0006] The lost item recovery support system for an elevator according to the present disclosure comprises a receiver attached to the outside of a car traveling up and down in a hoistway, and receiving a radio signal emitted by a transmitter attached to a lost item in the hoistway; a detection unit that detects that the lost item is in the hoistway based on the radio signal received by the receiver from the transmitter; an acquisition unit that acquires position information representing the vertical position of the car in the hoistway when the receiver receives the radio signal from the transmitter; a determination unit that, when the detection unit detects that the lost item is in the hoistway, determines the vertical position of the lost item in the hoistway based on the position information of the car acquired by the acquisition unit; and an alarm unit that notifies the position of the lost item determined by the determination unit.

[0007] The lost item recovery support system for an elevator according to the present disclosure comprises a transmitter attached to an item carried by a user and emitting a wireless signal when the user loses the item; a receiver attached to the outside of a car traveling up and down in a hoistway and receiving the wireless signal emitted by the transmitter located within the hoistway; a detection unit that detects that the item is in the hoistway based on the wireless signal received by the receiver from the transmitter; an acquisition unit that acquires position information representing the vertical position of the car in the hoistway when the receiver receives the wireless signal from the transmitter; a determination unit that, when the detection unit detects that the item is in the hoistway, determines the vertical position of the item in the hoistway based on the position information of the car acquired by the acquisition unit; and an alarm unit that notifies the position of the item determined by the determination unit.

[0008] The method of assisting in the recovery of lost items in an elevator according to the present disclosure comprises a receiving step of receiving a radio signal emitted by a transmitter attached to a lost item in the elevator shaft by a receiver attached to the outside of a car traveling up and down in the elevator shaft; a detection step of detecting that the lost item is in the elevator shaft based on the radio signal received by the receiver from the transmitter; an acquisition step of acquiring position information representing the vertical position of the car in the elevator shaft when the receiver receives the radio signal from the transmitter; a determination step of determining the vertical position of the lost item in the elevator shaft based on the position information of the car acquired in the acquisition step when it is detected in the detection step that the lost item is in the elevator shaft; and a notification step of notifying the position of the lost item determined in the determination step.

[0009] According to the recovery support system or recovery support method of the present disclosure, lost items in elevator shafts can be more easily recovered.

[0010] It is a configuration diagram of an elevator system according to Embodiment 1. It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a collection support system according to Embodiment 1. It is a hardware configuration diagram of a main part of a collection support system according to Embodiment 1.

[0011] The following describes embodiments of the subject matter of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are appropriately simplified or omitted. Note that the subject matter of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and any component of the embodiments may be modified or omitted within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0012] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of an elevator system 1 according to a first embodiment.

[0013] The elevator system 1 includes an elevator 2. The elevator 2 is applied, for example, to a building having multiple floors. A hoistway 3 for the elevator 2 is provided in the building. The hoistway 3 is a long space extending in the vertical direction across multiple floors. A pit 4 is provided below the hoistway 3. At each floor of the building, a landing 5 adjacent to the hoistway 3 is provided. At the landing 5 on each floor, a landing door 6 is provided. The landing door 6 is a door that separates the hoistway 3 from the landing 5. The elevator 2 includes a hoisting machine 7, a main rope 8, a car 9, a counterweight 10, and a control panel 11.

[0014] The hoisting machine 7 is disposed, for example, at the upper or lower part of the hoistway 3. For example, if a machine room of the elevator 2 is provided above the hoistway 3, the hoisting machine 7 may be disposed in the machine room. The hoisting machine 7 includes a motor and a sheave. The motor of the hoisting machine 7 is a device that generates driving force. The sheave of the hoisting machine 7 is a device that rotates by the driving force generated by the motor of the hoisting machine 7.

[0015] The main ropes 8 are wound around the sheaves of the hoisting machine 7. The main ropes 8 support the load of the car 9 on one side of the sheaves of the hoisting machine 7. The main ropes 8 support the load of the counterweight 10 on the other side of the sheaves of the hoisting machine 7. The main ropes 8 move so that either side of the sheaves of the hoisting machine 7 is wound up by the rotation of the sheaves of the hoisting machine 7.

[0016] The car 9 is a device that transports passengers of the elevator 2 between multiple floors by traveling up and down the hoistway 3. The car 9 travels up and down the hoistway 3 in conjunction with the movement of the main rope 8 caused by the rotation of the sheave of the hoisting machine 7. The car 9 is equipped with a car door 12. The car door 12 is a door that separates the interior and exterior of the car 9. When the car 9 stops at any floor, the car door 12 opens and closes in conjunction with the landing door 6 of that floor.

[0017] Counterweight 10 is a device that balances the load acting on both sides of the sheave of hoisting machine 7 between it and car 9. Counterweight 10 travels in the hoistway 3 on the opposite side of car 9 in the vertical direction in conjunction with the movement of main rope 8 caused by the rotation of the sheave of hoisting machine 7.

[0018] The control panel 11 is a device that controls the operation of the elevator 2. The control panel 11 is located, for example, above or below the hoistway 3. For example, if a machine room for the elevator 2 is provided above the hoistway 3, the control panel 11 may be located in the machine room. The operation of the elevator 2 controlled by the control panel 11 includes the running of the car 9 and the opening and closing of the car doors 12. For example, the control panel 11 causes the car 9 to run between multiple floors to respond to registered calls. When the control panel 11 stops the car 9 at any floor, it links the landing doors 6 to open the car doors 12. The control panel 11 maintains the car doors 12 and the landing doors 6 in a fully open state for a preset door-opening time. After the door-opening time has elapsed since the car doors 12 were fully opened, the control panel 11 links the landing doors 6 to close the car doors 12.

[0019] The elevator system 1 includes a remote monitoring device 13. The remote monitoring device 13 is a device used for remotely monitoring the status of the elevator 2. The remote monitoring device 13 is connected to a control panel 11 or the like so as to collect status information of the elevator 2. The remote monitoring device 13 collects, for example, information input to the control panel 11 and information output from the control panel 11 as status information of the elevator 2. The information collected by the remote monitoring device 13 is output to, for example, a central management device 15 via a communication network 14 such as the Internet or a telephone line network. The central management device 15 is a device that collects, stores, or manages status information of the elevator 2. The central management device 15 is located, for example, in an information center. The information center is a base that collects and manages status information of the elevator 2. Here, the control panel 11 of the elevator 2 may receive a remote control control signal from outside the elevator 2. The remote control control signal is input to the control panel 11 via, for example, the remote monitoring device 13.

[0020] A user of elevator 2 boards elevator 2 from hall 5 into car 9 at the departure floor. At the arrival floor, the user disembarks from inside car 9 to hall 5. When boarding or disembarking car 9, the user passes between hall 5 and car 9. A gap exists between hall 5 and car 9, allowing car 9 to move vertically. When a user travels between hall 5 and car 9, the user may drop an item they are carrying. The item, such as a key, may be smaller than the gap between hall 5 and car 9. In this case, the item may fall through the gap between hall 5 and car 9 into hoistway 3, causing the user to lose the item. Such lost item 16 may land on or get caught on a structure 17 within hoistway 3, thereby remaining somewhere vertically within hoistway 3 without falling to pit 4. The structure 17 in the hoistway 3 includes, for example, a beam or a column, a housing or cable of equipment in the hoistway 3, or a support or an arm that supports equipment in the hoistway 3. When the lost item 16 remains somewhere in the hoistway 3, it may be difficult to find the lost item 16 if the location of the lost item 16 cannot be identified.

[0021] In this example, a user attaches a transmitter 18 to an item that has become lost property 16 in order to find the item. The transmitter 18 is equipped with a function for emitting a wireless signal. The transmitter 18 is, for example, a wireless tag. The wireless signal emitted by the transmitter 18 is, for example, a wireless signal such as a short-range wireless communication signal. The wireless signal is, for example, a signal generated by electromagnetic waves. The wireless signal is, for example, a wireless signal such as a wireless PAN (Personal Area Network) or UWB (Ultra Wide Band). The transmitter 18 emits a wireless signal including identification information that identifies the transmitter 18. The transmitter 18 may continuously emit a wireless signal, or may start emitting a wireless signal when the item to which the transmitter 18 is attached is lost.

[0022] For example, when an item with a transmitter 18 attached is lost in a building corridor or the like, a mobile terminal carried by a passerby passing near the item may receive a wireless signal from the transmitter 18. At this time, the location of the item and the like are notified from the passerby's mobile terminal to the mobile terminal 19 carried by the user via the communication network 14 and a server device or the like connected to the communication network 14. The mobile terminal 19 carried by the user is, for example, a portable general-purpose information processing terminal such as a smartphone.

[0023] On the other hand, if lost item 16 is found in hoistway 3, no pedestrians will be passing through hoistway 3, and therefore lost item 16 will not be found by a mobile device carried by a passerby. Furthermore, it is difficult to receive a wireless signal from transmitter 18 attached to lost item 16 inside car 9, which is made of metal or the like, and lost item 16 will not be found by a mobile device carried by a passenger riding in car 9. For this reason, if lost item 16 is found in hoistway 3, it is difficult to identify the location of lost item 16 using a mobile device carried by a person passing nearby. For this reason, a recovery support system 20 is applied to elevator system 1.

[0024] The retrieval support system 20 is a system that supports the retrieval of lost item 16 in the hoistway 3 by a maintenance worker or the like of the elevator 2. The retrieval support system 20 may be an external system of the elevator system 1, or an internal system included in the elevator system 1. In this example, the retrieval support system 20 includes a control panel 11 of the elevator 2. The transmitter 18 attached to the lost item 16 may be an external device of the retrieval support system 20, or may be an internal device.

[0025] The recovery support system 20 includes a receiver 21. The receiver 21 is attached to the outside of the car 9. In this example, the receiver 21 is attached to the underside of the car 9. The receiver 21 is attached to, for example, the bottom surface of the car 9. The receiver 21 moves up and down in the elevator shaft 3 as the car 9 travels. The receiver 21 is equipped with a function for receiving a wireless signal emitted by a transmitter 18 attached to the lost item 16. For example, the receiver 21 continuously receives the wireless signal from the transmitter 18 while the car 9 passes within the communication range of the wireless signal emitted by the transmitter 18. At this time, the receiver 21 may treat the reception period from when it starts to receive the wireless signal until it stops receiving the signal as one reception of the wireless signal.

[0026] The control panel 11 includes a call management unit 22 , a travel control unit 23 , an acquisition unit 24 , a detection unit 25 , a determination unit 26 , and a notification unit 27 .

[0027] The call management unit 22 is a part that has a function of managing calls that the car 9 responds to. The calls that the car 9 responds to include, for example, hall calls corresponding to travel to a passenger's departure floor, and car calls corresponding to travel to a passenger's destination floor.

[0028] The travel control unit 23 is a part that has a function of controlling the travel of the car 9. The travel control unit 23 travels the car 9 in response to calls managed by the call management unit 22, for example. The travel control unit 23 controls the travel of the car 9 based on position information of the car 9. The travel control unit 23 controls the travel of the car 9 based on position information of the car 9 acquired by the acquisition unit 24, for example. The position information of the car 9 is information that represents the vertical position of the car 9 in the hoistway 3. The position information of the car 9 is acquired based on, for example, the amount of rotation of the motor of the hoist 7. If the elevator 2 is provided with a floor arrival detection device (not shown) that detects the arrival of the car 9 on any floor, the position information of the car 9 may be acquired using, for example, detection information from the floor arrival detection device.

[0029] In this example, the travel control unit 23 controls the travel of the car 9 by switching between operation modes. The operation modes include normal operation. Normal operation is a normal operation mode in which passengers and the like are transported between multiple floors. In normal operation, the travel control unit 23 travels the car 9 according to a speed pattern set, for example, according to the departure floor and the destination floor. The speed pattern is, for example, a pattern in which the car 9 departing from the departure floor is accelerated to a rated speed, the car 9 travels at a constant speed at the rated speed, and then the car 9 is decelerated from the rated speed and stopped at the destination floor.

[0030] The acquisition unit 24 is a part that has a function of acquiring position information of the car 9. When the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal from the transmitter 18, the acquisition unit 24 acquires the position information of the car 9 at that time. When the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal from the transmitter 18, the acquisition unit 24 may acquire the position information of the car 9, for example, from the travel control unit 23, or may acquire the position information of the car 9 directly from the amount of rotation of the motor of the hoist 7, etc. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 24 acquires information on the signal strength of the wireless signal that the receiver 21 receives from the transmitter 18. For example, the acquisition unit 24 acquires the signal strength information from the receiver 21. For example, when the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal from the transmitter 18, the acquisition unit 24 acquires the signal strength information in association with the position information of the car 9 acquired at that time.

[0031] The detection unit 25 is a part equipped with a function to detect that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3 based on a wireless signal received by the receiver 21 from a transmitter 18 attached to the lost item 16 in the hoistway 3. The detection unit 25 detects that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3, for example, when the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal from the transmitter 18 multiple times. The detection unit 25 may, for example, compare the position information of the car 9 acquired by the acquisition unit 24 each time the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal from the transmitter 18, and detect that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3 when the acquired multiple pieces of position information match within a predetermined error range. The error range is set, for example, to a degree that includes the communication range of the wireless signal emitted by the transmitter 18. The detection unit 25 determines that the multiple pieces of position information match within the error range, for example, when the difference between the highest value and the lowest value of the acquired multiple pieces of position information is smaller than the size of the error range. Alternatively, the detection unit 25 may, for example, read the identification information included in the wireless signal each time it receives a wireless signal from the transmitter 18, and detect that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3 when the identification information included in each of the wireless signals received multiple times matches. The detection unit 25 may detect that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3 by combining the multiple conditions described above. Note that the detection unit 25 may detect that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3, for example, when the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal from the transmitter 18 once.

[0032] The determination unit 26 is a part equipped with a function for determining the vertical position of the lost item 16 in the hoistway 3. For example, when the detection unit 25 detects that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3, the determination unit 26 determines the position of the lost item 16. For example, the determination unit 26 determines the position of the lost item 16 based on position information of the car 9 acquired by the acquisition unit 24. For example, the determination unit 26 determines the position of the car 9 acquired by the acquisition unit 24 when the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal from the transmitter 18 as the position of the lost item 16. Alternatively, the determination unit 26 may determine the position of the lost item 16 by adding a correction value based on the height of the car 9 or the installation position of the receiver 21 on the car 9 to the position of the car 9. When the detection unit 25 detects the lost item 16 based on multiple receptions of the wireless signal from the transmitter 18, the determination unit 26 may determine the position of the lost item 16 based on the average value of the positions of the car 9 acquired by the acquisition unit 24 corresponding to each reception.

[0033] The notification unit 27 is a component equipped with a function for notifying the location of the lost item 16 determined by the determination unit 26. The notification unit 27 notifies the central management device 15, for example, via the communication network 14. Alternatively, the notification unit 27 may notify a maintenance terminal carried by a maintenance worker for the elevator 2 via the communication network 14. The maintenance terminal is, for example, a portable general-purpose information processing terminal such as a smartphone. Furthermore, if a management room or the like is provided in a building to which the elevator 2 is applied, the notification unit 27 may notify the management room. The notification unit 27 may also notify the management room by including identification information contained in the wireless signal from the transmitter 18. If there is a server device or the like that notifies the mobile terminal 19 of a user who has lost the lost item 16 to which the transmitter 18 is attached based on the identification information, the notification unit 27 may notify the server device of the identification information. If information can be obtained based on the identification information to notify the mobile terminal 19 of the user who has lost the lost item 16 to which the transmitter 18 is attached, the notification unit 27 may notify the user's mobile terminal 19 of information such as the building to which the elevator 2 is applied.

[0034] In this example, the operation modes switched by the travel control unit 23 include search operation. Search operation is an operation mode in which a lost item 16 in the hoistway 3 is searched for. The travel control unit 23 switches the operation mode to search operation, for example, when the detection unit 25 detects that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3 during normal operation. The travel control unit 23 may suspend switching to search operation while a hall call or car call is registered for the car 9 by the call management unit 22. In search operation, the travel control unit 23 causes the car 9 to travel from the start position to the end position of a search range. The start position of the search range is one of the upper and lower boundaries of the range. The end position of the search range is the other of the upper and lower boundaries of the range. The search range includes, for example, the position of the car 9 at which the receiver 21 received a wireless signal from the transmitter 18 during normal operation. For example, when the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal while the car 9 is located between floors during normal operation, the search range may be the range between adjacent floors that includes the current location. In this case, the start position of the search range is the stop position of one of the adjacent floors. The end position of the search range is the stop position of the other adjacent floor. Note that the search range is not limited to the range between adjacent floors. During search operation, the travel control unit 23 causes the car 9 to travel at a slower speed than during normal operation. The travel control unit 23 may, for example, cause the car 9 to travel at a speed slower than the rated speed. Alternatively, the travel control unit 23 may cause the car 9 to travel according to a speed pattern that is obtained by multiplying the speed pattern during normal operation by a preset coefficient to reduce the speed. Alternatively, when the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal while the car 9 is located between floors during normal operation, the travel control unit 23 may perform search operation by causing the car 9 to travel at a speed slower than the car 9's current speed.

[0035] In the collection support system 20, a plurality of receivers 21 may be attached to one car 9. For example, a receiver 21 may be attached to each of the bottom surface and the top surface of one car 9.

[0036] Furthermore, the collection support system 20 may be applied to an elevator system 1 including a plurality of cars 9. In this case, the receiver 21 may be attached to each car 9. Alternatively, if the hoistway 3 through which each car 9 travels is not separated by a wall or the like, the receiver 21 may not be attached to any of the cars 9. When the elevator system 1 includes a plurality of cars 9, the call management unit 22 may have a function of assigning calls such as hall calls to any of the cars 9. The call management unit 22 may be mounted, for example, on a group management device (not shown).

[0037] Some or all of the functions of the collection support system 20, such as the call management unit 22, the travel control unit 23, the acquisition unit 24, the detection unit 25, the determination unit 26, and the notification unit 27, may be installed in devices other than the control panel 11. Some or all of these functions may be installed in other devices, such as the remote monitoring device 13, the central management device 15, the group management device, or a server device outside the information center.

[0038] Next, an example of the operation of the collection support system 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the collection support system 20 according to the first embodiment. The processing in Fig. 2 is executed at a preset timing, for example, during normal operation. The timing may be periodic, or may be, for example, the timing when a processing start signal is input to the remote monitoring device 13 or the like.

[0039] In step S01, the detection unit 25 determines whether the receiver 21 has received a wireless signal. If the determination result is NO, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S01 again, for example, after a preset time has elapsed. On the other hand, if the determination result is YES, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S02.

[0040] In step S02, the detection unit 25 reads the identification information of the transmitter 18 contained in the wireless signal received by the receiver 21. After that, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S03.

[0041] In step S03, the acquisition unit 24 acquires the position information of the car 9 when the receiver 21 received the wireless signal in step S01. After that, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S04.

[0042] In step S04, the detection unit 25 determines whether the number of times the receiver 21 has received the wireless signal is equal to or greater than a preset threshold. The threshold is, for example, two times. If the determination result is NO, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S01. On the other hand, if the determination result is YES, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S05.

[0043] In step S05, the detection unit 25 determines whether the identification information of the transmitter 18 included in each of the wireless signals received a threshold number of times or more matches. If the determination result is NO, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S01. On the other hand, if the determination result is YES, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S06.

[0044] In step S06, the detection unit 25 compares the position information of the car 9 acquired in step S03 for each reception of a wireless signal above the threshold. The detection unit 25 determines whether the position information of the car 9 for each reception matches within the error range. If the determination result is NO, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S01. On the other hand, if the determination result is YES, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S07.

[0045] In step S07, the detection unit 25 detects that the lost item 16 is in the elevator shaft 3. After that, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S08.

[0046] In step S08, the travel control unit 23 performs a preparatory process for the search operation. The preparatory process for the search operation includes, for example, setting a search range and a low travel speed of the car 9 during the search operation. The search range is set, for example, to include the position of the car 9 acquired in step S03. The travel speed of the car 9 is set, for example, to a predetermined speed lower than the rated speed. Alternatively, the travel speed of the car 9 is set to a speed lower than the travel speed of the car 9 when the receiver 21 received the wireless signal in step S01. At this time, the car 9 is traveling, for example, at the rated speed. The travel speed of the car 9 may be acquired by the acquisition unit 24 from the travel control unit 23, or may be calculated based on the position information acquired by the acquisition unit 24. Thereafter, the processing of the recovery support system 20 proceeds to step S09.

[0047] In step S09, the running control unit 23 determines whether a call has been registered in the car 9 by the call management unit 22. Calls that are the subject of the determination include, for example, hall calls and car calls. If at least one call has been registered in the car 9, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S09 again, for example, after a preset time has elapsed. On the other hand, if no calls have been registered in the car 9, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S10.

[0048] In step S10, the travel control unit 23 starts a search operation. The travel control unit 23 causes the car 9 to travel to the start position of the search range set in step S08. Thereafter, the travel control unit 23 causes the car 9 to travel at the low travel speed set in step S08 to the end position of the search range set in step S08. While the car 9 is traveling in the search range, and while the receiver 21 is receiving a wireless signal, the acquisition unit 24 acquires the signal strength of the wireless signal in association with the position of the car 9. When the car 9 has traveled to the end position of the search range, the travel control unit 23 ends the search operation. At this time, the travel control unit 23 switches the operation mode to normal operation. Thereafter, the processing of the recovery support system 20 proceeds to step S11.

[0049] In step S11, the determination unit 26 calculates the position of the car 9 at which the signal strength acquired by the acquisition unit 24 in step S10 is maximum. The determination unit 26 determines the position of the lost item 16 based on the calculated position of the car 9. For example, the determination unit 26 determines the calculated position of the car 9 as the position of the lost item 16. Alternatively, the determination unit 26 may add a correction value based on the height of the car 9 or the installation position of the receiver 21 in the car 9 to the calculated position of the car 9 to determine the position of the lost item 16. Thereafter, the processing of the collection support system 20 proceeds to step S12.

[0050] In step S12, the notification unit 27 notifies the location of the lost item 16 determined by the determination unit 26 in step S11 and the identification information of the transmitter 18 read in step S02. Thereafter, the processing of the collection support system 20 ends.

[0051] A maintenance worker performing the operation to retrieve lost item 16 receives the information notified by notification unit 27, for example, via a maintenance terminal. After arriving at the building to which elevator 2 is applied, the maintenance worker switches the operation mode of elevator 2 from normal operation to manual operation. Manual operation is an operation mode in which the maintenance worker manually operates the elevator during maintenance work, etc. After that, the maintenance worker begins the operation to retrieve lost item 16. In the operation to retrieve lost item 16, the maintenance worker searches for lost item 16 in the hoistway 3 while operating car 9 manually or the like near the location of lost item 16 notified by notification unit 27. After finding and retrieving lost item 16, the maintenance worker restores the operation mode of elevator 2 from manual operation to normal operation.

[0052] It should be noted that search operation does not have to be performed in the recovery support system 20. In this case, the determination unit 26 determines the location of the lost item 16 based on the location of the car 9 acquired by the acquisition unit 24 when the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal from the transmitter 18 during normal operation, for example. The location information of the car 9 acquired by the acquisition unit 24 may be represented by the distance traveled by the car 9 from the lowest floor or the top floor, or may be represented by floor information such as the floor number in the building.

[0053] As described above, the collection support system 20 according to the first embodiment includes the receiver 21, the detection unit 25, the acquisition unit 24, the determination unit 26, and the notification unit 27. The receiver 21 is attached to the outside of the car 9 traveling up and down in the hoistway 3. The receiver 21 receives a wireless signal emitted by the transmitter 18. The transmitter 18 is attached to the lost item 16 in the hoistway 3. The transmitter 18 emits a wireless signal when a user loses the lost item 16. The detection unit 25 detects that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3 based on the wireless signal that the receiver 21 receives from the transmitter 18. The acquisition unit 24 acquires position information of the car 9 when the receiver 21 receives the wireless signal from the transmitter 18. The position information of the car 9 indicates the vertical position of the car 9 in the hoistway 3. When the detection unit 25 detects that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3, the determination unit 26 determines the vertical position of the lost item 16 in the hoistway 3 based on the position information of the car 9 acquired by the acquisition unit 24. The notification unit 27 notifies the position of the lost item 16 determined by the determination unit 26. The recovery support method according to the first embodiment also includes a receiving step, a detecting step, an acquiring step, a determining step, and a notifying step. The receiving step is a step in which the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal transmitted by the transmitter 18 attached to the lost item 16 in the hoistway 3. The detection step is a step in which the receiver 21 detects that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3 based on the wireless signal received from the transmitter 18. The acquisition step is a step in which the receiver 21 acquires the position information of the car 9 when the receiver 21 receives the wireless signal from the transmitter 18. The determination step is a step for determining the vertical position of the lost item 16 in the hoistway 3 based on the position information of the car 9 acquired in the acquisition step when it is detected in the detection step that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3. The notification step is a step for notifying the position of the lost item 16 determined in the determination step.

[0054] With this configuration, lost item 16 in the elevator shaft 3 of elevator 2 is detected based on a wireless signal, and its location is reported. If the location of lost item 16 is not reported, maintenance personnel must search the entire area below the floor where the user testifies that the lost item 16 was lost. Furthermore, if the floor where the user lost the lost item 16 is unclear, maintenance personnel may search the entire area of ​​the elevator shaft 3. Since the retrieval support system 20 reports the location of the lost item 16, the search area can be narrowed, making it easier to retrieve the lost item 16. This allows the retrieval work for the lost item 16 to be carried out quickly, thereby shortening the downtime during which the elevator 2 is unavailable during the retrieval work. This further increases the operating rate of elevator 2.

[0055] Furthermore, the detector 25 detects that the lost item 16 is in the elevator shaft 3 when the receiver 21 receives a wireless signal from the transmitter 18 multiple times.

[0056] This configuration reduces false detection of lost item 16, thereby improving the reliability of the information reported by notification unit 27. For example, when transmitter 18 attached to an item carried by a user at hall 5 transmits a wireless signal, false detection of lost item 16 due to reception of the wireless signal is reduced.

[0057] In addition, the detection unit 25 detects that the lost item 16 is in the elevator shaft 3 when the receiver 21 receives a radio signal from the transmitter 18 multiple times and the position information of the car 9 acquired by the acquisition unit 24 for each reception of the radio signal matches within a predetermined error range.

[0058] This configuration reduces false detection of the lost item 16, thereby improving the reliability of the information reported by the notification unit 27. For example, even if a wireless signal is accidentally received due to an environmental change such as a change in the propagation conditions of the wireless signal due to an obstruction or a reflector, false detection of the lost item 16 due to such reception of the wireless signal is reduced.

[0059] Furthermore, transmitter 18 transmits a wireless signal including its own identification information. In this case, detector 25 detects that lost item 16 is in elevator shaft 3 when receiver 21 receives a wireless signal from transmitter 18 multiple times and the identification information included in each received wireless signal matches.

[0060] This configuration suppresses false detection of lost item 16, thereby improving the reliability of the information reported by notification unit 27. For example, when a transmitter 18 attached to an item carried by a user at hall 5 emits a wireless signal, false detection of lost item 16 due to reception of the wireless signal is suppressed. In particular, even when multiple users carrying items with transmitters 18 attached arrive at hall 5 one after another during busy times, false detection of lost item 16 due to wireless signals emitted by these transmitters 18 is suppressed.

[0061] The recovery support system 20 also includes a travel control unit 23. When the detection unit 25 detects that the lost item 16 is in the hoistway 3 based on the wireless signal received by the receiver 21 from the transmitter 18, the travel control unit 23 performs a search operation in which the car 9 travels at a low speed within a search range. The search range includes the position of the car 9 when the receiver 21 received the wireless signal. The travel speed of the car 9 during the search operation is slower than the travel speed when the receiver 21 received the wireless signal. The determination unit 26 determines the vertical position of the lost item 16 in the hoistway 3 based on the position information of the car 9 acquired by the acquisition unit 24 during the search operation. The determination unit 26 may determine, for example, the midpoint between the position where the receiver 21 starts receiving the wireless signal and the position where the receiver 21 stops receiving the wireless signal during the search operation as the position of the lost item 16.

[0062] This configuration allows the location of the lost item 16 to be determined more accurately. Furthermore, narrowing the search area shortens the time spent operating at low speed during the search operation. This reduces the load on the motor of the hoisting machine 7 and on circuits such as the inverter that supplies AC power to the motor.

[0063] Furthermore, during the search operation, the acquisition unit 24 acquires information on the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiver 21 in association with the vertical position of the car 9 in the elevator shaft 3. The determination unit 26 uses the signal strength information acquired by the acquisition unit 24 in determining the vertical position of the lost item 16 in the elevator shaft 3.

[0064] With this configuration, the location of the lost item 16 can be determined more accurately based on the signal strength of the wireless signal.

[0065] In addition, the travel control unit 23 suspends the search operation while the call is registered in the car 9.

[0066] With this configuration, the search operation is performed while the user is not using the elevator 2. Therefore, the convenience of the user is less likely to be reduced by the search operation.

[0067] The receiver 21 is attached to the underside of the car 9 .

[0068] With this configuration, the receiver 21 can more easily receive wireless signals from below the car 9. Since the lost item 16 falls below the car 9 in the elevator shaft 3, the receiver 21 can more easily receive wireless signals from the transmitter 18 attached to the lost item 16.

[0069] Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the collection support system 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the main part of the collection support system 20 according to the first embodiment.

[0070] Each processing function in the collection assistance system 20 may be realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit includes at least one processor 100 a and at least one memory 100 b. The processing circuit may include at least one dedicated hardware 200 in addition to or in place of the processor 100 a and the memory 100 b.

[0071] When the processing circuit includes a processor 100a and a memory 100b, each function of the recycling support system 20 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. At least one of the software and firmware is written as a program. The program is stored in the memory 100b. The processor 100a realizes each function of the recycling support system 20 by reading and executing the program stored in the memory 100b.

[0072] The processor 100a is also called a CPU (Central Processing Unit), processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP. The memory 100b is composed of non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or EEPROM.

[0073] Where the processing circuitry comprises dedicated hardware 200, the processing circuitry may be implemented, for example, as a single circuit, multiple circuits, a programmed processor, parallel programmed processors, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0074] Each processing function in the recycling support system 20 can be realized by a processing circuit. Alternatively, each function of the recycling support system 20 can be realized collectively by a processing circuit. Some of the functions of the recycling support system 20 may be realized by dedicated hardware 200, and other parts may be realized by software or firmware. In this way, the processing circuit realizes each function of the recycling support system 20 by dedicated hardware 200, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

[0075] The lost item recovery support system and recovery support method according to the present disclosure can be applied to elevator systems.

[0076] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Elevator system, 2 Elevator, 3 Hoistway, 4 Pit, 5 Landing, 6 Landing door, 7 Hoisting machine, 8 Main rope, 9 Cage, 10 Counterweight, 11 Control panel, 12 Cage door, 13 Remote monitoring device, 14 Communication network, 15 Central management device, 16 Lost item, 17 Structure, 18 Transmitter, 19 Portable terminal, 20 Recovery support system, 21 Receiver, 22 Call management unit, 23 Travel control unit, 24 Acquisition unit, 25 Detection unit, 26 Determination unit, 27 Notification unit, 100a Processor, 100b Memory, 200 Dedicated hardware

Claims

1. a receiver attached to the outside of a car traveling vertically in a hoistway and receiving a radio signal transmitted from a transmitter attached to a lost object in the hoistway; a detection unit that detects that the lost item is in the elevator based on the wireless signal received by the receiver from the transmitter; an acquisition unit that acquires position information representing a vertical position of the car in the elevator shaft when the receiver receives the wireless signal from the transmitter; a determination unit that determines a vertical position of the lost item in the elevator shaft based on position information of the car acquired by the acquisition unit when the detection unit detects that the lost item is in the elevator shaft; a notification unit that notifies the location of the lost item determined by the determination unit; The system includes a function for supporting the recovery of lost items in an elevator.

2. The detection unit detects that the lost item is in the elevator when the receiver receives a wireless signal from the transmitter a plurality of times. The system for assisting in retrieving lost property in an elevator according to claim 1.

3. the detection unit detects that the lost item is in the elevator shaft when the receiver receives a wireless signal from the transmitter a plurality of times and when the position information of the car acquired by the acquisition unit for each of the plurality of receptions of the wireless signal coincides within a predetermined error range; The system for assisting in retrieving lost property in an elevator according to claim 1.

4. When the transmitter transmits a radio signal including its own identification information, the detection unit detects that the lost item is in the elevator when the receiver receives a wireless signal from the transmitter a plurality of times and when identification information included in each of the wireless signals received a plurality of times matches with each other. The system for assisting in retrieving lost property in an elevator according to claim 1.

5. a travel control unit that performs a search operation in which, when the detection unit detects that the lost item is in the elevator based on the wireless signal received by the receiver from the transmitter, the vehicle travels through a search range including the position of the car when the receiver received the wireless signal at a speed lower than the travel speed when the receiver received the wireless signal. Equipped with The determination unit determines a vertical position of the lost item in the elevator shaft based on position information of the car acquired by the acquisition unit during the search operation. The elevator lost property recovery support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The acquisition unit acquires, during the search operation, information on the signal strength of the wireless signal received by the receiver in association with a vertical position of the car in the elevator shaft, The determination unit uses information on signal strength acquired by the acquisition unit in determining the vertical position of the lost item in the elevator shaft. The system for assisting in retrieving lost property in an elevator according to claim 5.

7. The travel control unit suspends the search operation while a call is registered in the car. The system for assisting in retrieving lost property in an elevator according to claim 5.

8. The receiver is mounted on the underside of the car. The elevator lost property recovery support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. A transmitter attached to an item carried by a user, the transmitter transmitting a wireless signal when the user loses the item; a receiver attached to the outside of a car traveling vertically in a hoistway and configured to receive a radio signal transmitted from the transmitter located within the hoistway; a detection unit that detects that the article is in the elevator based on the wireless signal received by the receiver from the transmitter; an acquisition unit that acquires position information representing a vertical position of the car in the elevator shaft when the receiver receives the wireless signal from the transmitter; a determination unit that determines a vertical position of the article in the elevator shaft based on position information of the car acquired by the acquisition unit when the detection unit detects that the article is in the elevator shaft; a notification unit that notifies the position of the object determined by the determination unit; The system includes a function for supporting the recovery of lost items in an elevator.

10. a receiving step of receiving a wireless signal transmitted by a transmitter attached to a lost object in the elevator by a receiver attached to the outside of a car traveling vertically in the elevator; a detection step of detecting that the lost item is in the elevator based on the wireless signal received by the receiver from the transmitter; an acquiring step of acquiring position information representing a vertical position of the car in the elevator shaft when the receiver receives the wireless signal from the transmitter; a determination step of determining a vertical position of the lost object in the elevator shaft based on position information of the car acquired in the acquisition step when the lost object is detected in the detection step to be in the elevator shaft; a notification step of notifying the location of the lost item determined in the determination step; The method for assisting in the recovery of lost items in an elevator comprises: