Automatic Door System

Abstract

The automatic door system (1) controls a door (10A) that slides to open and close an entrance. The automatic door system (1) includes a detection device (20A) and a control device (40A). The detection device (20A) includes a distance sensor (21) for measuring distance. The control device (40A) controls the door (10A) based on the result of the distance measurement by the detection device (20A). The distance sensor (21) transmits a distance measurement signal in the direction of passage through the entrance and receives a reflected signal of the distance measurement signal reflected by an object. When an object is heading toward the entrance, the control device (40A) opens the door (10A) at the time the object arrives at the entrance. The detection device (20A) is located in a portion of the door (10A) that is shifted from the center of the door (10A) toward the opposite side to the side to which the door (10A) moves when the door (10A) opens.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to automatic door systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, configurations for controlling automatic doors are known. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2021-102897 (Patent Document 1) discloses a door opening / closing control system that uses a touch sensor provided on the door and an area sensor facing the floor surface through which passersby pass, and adjusts the open hold time of the door according to the time it takes for a passerby to reach the door. In the door opening / closing control system of Patent Document 1, the area sensor is used to detect a passerby on the door opening / closing trajectory, and the door closing operation is changed to an opening operation to prevent the passerby from being caught in the door. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-102897 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the door opening / closing control system disclosed in Patent Document 1, a contact-type touch sensor is installed on the door, and a non-contact-type area sensor is installed on the top of the door. These sensors have different sensing methods and are installed at positions separated from each other, so the installation procedure tends to be complicated. Therefore, according to the door opening / closing control system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the installation cost of the sensors for controlling the automatic door may increase.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to reduce the installation costs of sensors for controlling automatic doors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The automatic door system according to the present disclosure controls at least one door that slides to open and close a doorway. The automatic door system includes a first detection device and a control device. The first detection device includes at least one distance sensor for measuring distance. The control device controls the first door included in the at least one door based on the result of the distance measurement by the first detection device. Each of the at least one distance sensor transmits a distance measurement signal in the passing direction of the doorway and receives a reflected signal of the distance measurement signal reflected by an object. When an object is heading toward the doorway, the control device opens the first door at the time when the object arrives at the doorway. The first detection device is disposed in a portion of the first door that is closer to the center of the first door than the side to which the first door moves when the first door is opened. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the first detection device including a distance sensor is positioned away from the center of the first door toward the opposite side to the side to which the first door moves when the first door is opened, thereby reducing the installation costs of sensors to control automatic doors. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an example of the configuration of an automatic door system according to embodiment 1, viewed in the positive direction of the Y axis. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an example of the configuration of the automatic door system according to the first embodiment, viewed in the negative direction of the Y axis. [Diagram 3] This is a plan view of the automatic door system in Figure 1, viewed in the positive direction of the X-axis. [Figure 4] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of each of the detection devices and the control devices illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow of a detection algorithm performed by the detection device of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing how transmission and reception operations are periodically repeated by the detection devices of the two automatic door systems according to embodiment 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing how the transmission and reception operations performed by the detection device of the automatic door system of embodiment 2 are repeated, and how the transmission and reception operations performed by the detection device of the automatic door system of embodiment 1 are periodically repeated. [Figure 8] 8 is a flow chart showing an example of the process flow of a detection algorithm performed by the detection device of the automatic door system of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 5 is a time chart showing the change over time in intensity of an ultrasonic wave transmitted by the distance sensor of FIG. 4 and in intensity of a reflected wave received by the distance sensor. [Figure 10] 13 is a time chart showing the change over time in the intensity of ultrasonic waves transmitted by a distance sensor of the automatic door system according to embodiment 3, as well as the intensity of reflected waves and noise received by the distance sensor. [Figure 11] 10 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of detection algorithm processing performed by the detection device of the automatic door system according to embodiment 3. [Figure 12] 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a specific process flow of noise detection in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an example of the configuration of an automatic door system pertaining to embodiment 4, viewed in the positive direction of the Y axis. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an example of the configuration of an automatic door system pertaining to embodiment 4, viewed in the negative direction of the Y axis. [Figure 15] 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a detection device and a control device illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. [Figure 16] 16 is a diagram showing the operation of each of the detection devices of FIG. 15 and how the operation of each of the detection devices is repeated periodically. FIG. [Figure 17]FIG. 13 is a plan view of an example of the configuration of an automatic door system pertaining to a variation of embodiment 4, viewed in the positive direction of the Y axis. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a plan view of an example of the configuration of an automatic door system pertaining to a variation of embodiment 4, viewed in the negative direction of the Y axis. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a detection device in an automatic door system according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters, and their description will not be repeated in principle.

[0010] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are block diagrams showing an example of the configuration of an automatic door system 1 according to embodiment 1. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are mutually perpendicular. The negative direction of the Z-axis corresponds to the direction of gravity. The Y-axis direction corresponds to the passage direction through an entranceway opened and closed by the automatic door. The same applies to the coordinate axes included in the figures described later. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the automatic door system 1 looking in the positive direction of the Y-axis, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the automatic door system 1 looking in the negative direction of the Y-axis.

[0011] 1 and 2, the automatic door system 1 includes a door 10A (first door), a door 10B (second door), a detector 20A (first detector), a detector 20B (second detector), a detector 20C (first detector), a detector 20D (second detector), drive units 30A and 30B, and controllers 40A, 40B, 40C, and 40D. The automatic door system 1 controls the doors 10A and 10B, which slide in the X-axis direction to open and close the entrance.

[0012] Each of the detection devices 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D successively performs a plurality of distance measurements and includes a distance sensor 21 for performing each of the plurality of distance measurements. The distance sensor 21 transmits a distance measurement signal in the passing direction of the entrance / exit, and receives a reflected signal of the distance measurement signal reflected by an object.

[0013] The doors 10A and 10B are made of glass, for example. The control devices 40A and 40C control the opening and closing of the door 10A by the driving device 30A based on the distance measurement results (distance measurement results) of the detection devices 20A and 20C, respectively. The control devices 40B and 40D control the opening and closing of the door 10B by the driving device 30B based on the distance measurement results of the detection devices 20B and 20D, respectively.

[0014] Each of the driving devices 30A, 30B includes a motor (for example, a DC (Direct Current) brushless motor), a driving pulley, a driven pulley, a slide rail, etc. (not shown). The driving devices 30A, 30B drive the doors 10A, 10B along the X-axis direction (opening / closing direction), respectively, to open and close the entrance formed by the doors 10A, 10B. Hereinafter, the distance between the doors 10A and 10B in the opening / closing direction is also referred to as the opening distance.

[0015] 1, the detector 20A is disposed at a portion (the handle portion of the door 10A) away from the center of the surface of the door 10A facing the negative direction of the Y axis, opposite to the side to which the door 10A moves when the door 10A is opened. The detector 20B is disposed at a portion (the handle portion of the door 10B) away from the center of the surface of the door 10B facing the negative direction of the Y axis, opposite to the side to which the door 10B moves when the door 10B is opened. The detectors 20A and 20B detect an object (e.g., a passerby) approaching the doors 10A and 10B in the positive direction of the Y axis, based on the distance measurement results of the distance sensors 21A and 21B at each sampling time.

[0016] 2, detector 20C is disposed at the center of the surface of door 10A facing in the positive direction of the Y axis, closer to door 10B. Detector 20D is disposed at the center of the surface of door 10B facing in the positive direction of the Y axis, closer to door 10A. Detectors 20C and 20D detect objects approaching doors 10A and 10B in the negative direction of the Y axis, based on distance measurement results of distance sensors 21C and 21D, respectively, at each sampling time.

[0017] By installing the distance sensor 21 on the handle portion of each of the doors 10A, 10B, ultrasonic waves transmitted from the distance sensor 21 can be easily irradiated to objects approaching the doors 10A, 10B in the Y-axis direction. As a result, objects approaching the doors 10A, 10B can be detected with high accuracy. Furthermore, in the automatic door system 1, the detection devices 20A-20D including the distance sensor 21 can be installed on the handle portions of the doors 10A, 10B that are relatively easy to reach, which reduces the installation cost of each of the detection devices 20A-20D.

[0018] Each of the distance sensors 21 includes, for example, an ultrasonic sensor or an optical sensor such as a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor. In the following, a case will be described in which the distance sensor included in the distance sensor 21 is an ultrasonic sensor.

[0019] By using an ultrasonic sensor as the distance sensor 21, the circuit scale and the amount of information required for object detection can be reduced. As a result, a simple detection algorithm as described later with reference to FIG. 5 and the use of the distance sensor 21 as a proximity touchless sensor as described with reference to FIG. 3 can be realized. The ultrasonic sensor may also be a MEMS ultrasonic sensor fabricated using MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) processing technology including DRIE (Deep Reactive Ion Etching) or anisotropic etching. By using a MEMS ultrasonic sensor, the distance sensor 21 can be made smaller and less expensive. Furthermore, the size of the diaphragm of the ultrasonic sensor can be reduced, thereby reducing the interference effect of ultrasonic waves and widening the viewing angle.

[0020] 1 and 2, the automatic door system 1 equipped with two doors 10A, 10B has been described. However, the automatic door system according to the embodiment may be equipped with only one door.

[0021] Fig. 3 is a plan view of the automatic door system 1 of Fig. 1 viewed in the positive direction of the X-axis. As shown in Fig. 3, the distance sensor 21 of the detector 20A and the distance sensor 21 of the detector 20B each have a detection area Ad extending in the positive direction of the Y-axis. The distance sensor 21 of the detector 20C and the distance sensor 21 of the detector 20D each have a detection area Ad extending in the negative direction of the Y-axis. The distance sensor 21 converts the amplitude of the signal it transmits or receives into a voltage (intensity) and outputs it.

[0022] In Fig. 3, a passerby Ps is in contact with the detection area Ad. The distance from the distance sensor 21 to the passerby Ps is measured by the detection devices 20A and 20B, and it is determined whether the passerby Ps is heading toward the doors 10A and 10B based on the change in the distance over time (for example, an increase or decrease in distance, or the direction of speed). If the passerby Ps is heading toward the doors 10A and 10B, the doors 10A and 10B are opened or closed around the time the passerby Ps arrives at the doors 10A and 10B. If the passerby Ps is not heading toward the doors 10A and 10B, the doors 10A and 10B are not opened or closed even if the passerby Ps passes in front of the doors 10A and 10B.

[0023] It should be noted that each of the detection areas Ad to Ad can be narrowed by reducing the sensitivity of the distance sensor 21 (increasing the detection threshold of the strength (voltage) of the detected signal). When the detection threshold is increased to a certain extent, a passerby Ps is detected when the passerby Ps approaches the distance sensor 21 to the extent that the passerby Ps touches the distance sensor 21. In other words, by reducing the sensitivity of the distance sensor 21 to a certain extent, the distance sensor 21 can be used as a proximity touchless sensor.

[0024] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of each of the detection devices 20A-20D and each of the control devices 40A-40D in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Since the detection devices 20A-20D have similar configurations and the control devices 40A-40D also have similar configurations, in Fig. 4, each of the detection devices 20A-20D is indicated as a detection device 20, and each of the control devices 40A-40D is indicated as a control device 40.

[0025] 4, the detection device 20 includes a distance sensor 21, a sensor driving circuit 22, a processing circuit 23, a memory 24, a communication circuit 25, an RTC (Real Time Clock) 26, and a power supply 27. These are connected to each other.

[0026] The distance sensor 21 includes an ultrasonic sensor and transmits ultrasonic waves Us as a distance measurement signal. The distance sensor 21 also receives reflected waves Rw, which are waves of the ultrasonic waves Us reflected by an object, as a reflected signal of the distance measurement signal. The distance sensor 21 repeats a transmission operation of continuously transmitting ultrasonic waves Us for a certain period of time, and then a reception operation of waiting for reception of the reflected waves Rw for a certain period of time. The sensor driving circuit 22 drives the distance sensor 21. The sensor driving circuit 22 performs amplification, filtering, and detection of the reflected waves Rw.

[0027] The processing circuit 23 may be a dedicated hardware or a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes a program stored in the memory 24. The processing circuit 23 performs distance measurement processing, object recognition processing, and counting processing. When the processing circuit 23 is a dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 23 may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these. When the processing circuit 23 is a CPU, the function of the detection device 20 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in the memory 24. The processing circuit 23 reads and executes the program stored in the memory 24. The memory 24 stores, for example, an object detection program. The memory 24 also stores the distance measurement result and passage information derived from the distance measurement result (for example, the speed of a passerby, the time it takes to reach the doors 10A and 10B, and the date and time when the doors 10A and 10B are opened and closed). The processing circuit 23 transmits an opening / closing signal Soc for controlling the opening / closing of the doors 10A, 10B based on the distance measurement result of the distance sensor 21 to the control device 40 via the communication circuit 25.

[0028] The CPU is also called a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, a processor, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The memory 24 includes non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory (e.g., RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), or EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory)), as well as a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

[0029] The RTC 26 holds time information, and outputs date, time, day of the week, etc. in response to an external inquiry. The power source 27 supplies power to the other components. The power source 27 desirably has a removable battery or solar cell built-in so that external wiring is unnecessary and the detection device 20 can be easily installed on the door 10A. The battery can be charged using, for example, electricity, light, vibration, or physical force generated by driving the doors 10A, 10B.

[0030] The control device 40 includes a communication circuit 41, a door control circuit 42, a processing circuit 43, and a power source 44. These are connected to each other. The power source 44 supplies power to the other elements. The processing circuit 43 has a configuration corresponding to that of the processing circuit 23 of the detection device 20.

[0031] The door control circuit 42 receives the opening / closing signal Soc via the communication circuit 41. The door control circuit 42 controls the drive device 30A based on the opening / closing signal Soc to open and close the door 10A. The processing circuit 43 performs statistical processing on the passing information and recognition information of an object heading toward the door 10A.

[0032] The communication between the detection device 20 and the control device 40 may be wired communication or wireless communication. When the communication between the detection device 20 and the control device 40 is wireless communication, the installation cost of the detection device 20 can be further reduced because there is no need to connect the detection device 20 and the control device 40 with a wire.

[0033] Furthermore, the processing performed by the processing circuit 23 in the detection device 20 may be performed by the processing circuit 43 in the control device 40. In this case, the memory 24 and the RTC 26 are arranged in the control device 40, and the distance measurement result of the distance sensor 21 is transmitted from the detection device 20 to the control device 40, and the passing information derived from the distance measurement result is stored in the memory 24 arranged in the control device 40.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the process of the detection algorithm performed by the detection device 20 of FIG. 4. Hereinafter, a step is also simply written as S. With reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the sensor driving circuit 22 controls the distance sensor 21 in S111 to continuously transmit ultrasonic waves Us for a certain period of time, and then waits for reception of the reflected wave Rw for a certain period of time in S112. After S112, the processing circuit 23 determines in S113 whether or not an object is detected in the detection area Ad of the distance sensor 21. If an object is not detected in the detection area Ad of the distance sensor 21 (NO in S113), the processing circuit 23 returns the process to the first step (S111 in FIG. 5). If an object is detected in the detection area Ad of the distance sensor 21 (YES in S113), the processing circuit 23 calculates the distance from the distance sensor 21 to the object in S114, and advances the process to S115. In S115, the processing circuit 23 judges whether or not a value obtained by subtracting the distance calculated in the current S114 (current distance) from the distance calculated in the previous S114 (previous distance) is greater than the approach threshold. If the value obtained by subtracting the current distance from the previous distance is equal to or less than the approach threshold (NO in S115), the processing circuit 23 determines that the object is not heading toward the doors 10A, 10B and returns the process to S111. If the value obtained by subtracting the current distance from the previous distance is greater than the approach threshold (YES in S115), the processing circuit 23 determines that the distance between the object and the distance sensor 21 has decreased and that the object is heading toward the doors 10A, 10B and advances the process to S116. The approach threshold can be appropriately determined by simulation, an actual device experiment, or the like.

[0035] In S116, the processing circuit 23 predicts the time (arrival time) when the object will arrive at the doors 10A, 10B from the current distance and the object's speed, and proceeds to S117. In S117, the processing circuit 23 determines whether the arrival time has arrived. If the arrival time has not arrived (NO in S117), the processing circuit 23 returns the processing to S111. If the arrival time has arrived (YES in S117), the processing circuit 23 transmits an opening / closing signal Soc instructing the control device 40A to open the doors in S118, and ends the processing.

[0036] By arranging multiple detectors on both sides of the entrance in the passing direction, as in the automatic door system 1, it is possible to record the size and movement direction of an object passing through the entrance. Using the recorded data, it is possible to analyze the entrance and exit status of the facility and learn the time periods when there are relatively few entrances and exits, and to operate the automatic door system intermittently, thereby realizing power saving. For example, in the case of a facility that operates 24 hours a day, such as a convenience store, the power consumption of the automatic door system can be reduced by setting the intermittent time longer during times when there are relatively few customers entering and exiting, such as late at night. Furthermore, the power consumption of the automatic door system can be further reduced by reducing the sensitivity of the distance sensor to make it a touchless sensor.

[0037] As described above, the automatic door system according to the first embodiment can reduce the installation costs of sensors for controlling the automatic doors.

[0038] Embodiment 2 When two automatic door systems according to embodiment 1 are installed close to each other, the signal sent from the distance sensor of one automatic door system may cause the other automatic door system to malfunction. In the following, we will first use Figure 6 to explain the case where such a malfunction occurs, in order to clarify the necessity of embodiment 2.

[0039] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing how transmission and reception operations are periodically repeated by the detection devices of the two automatic door systems 1A and 1B according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 6, the detection devices of the automatic door systems 1A and 1B continuously perform transmission and reception in this order for each of a number of distance measurements. In the automatic door system 1A, transmission operations are performed in each of the time periods t1-t2, t5-t6, t9-t10, and t13-t14, which have the same time intervals, and reception operations are performed in each of the time periods t2-t5, t6-t9, t10-t13, and t14-t17, which have the same time intervals. In the automatic door system 1B, transmission operations are performed in each of the time periods t3-t4, t7-t8, t11-t12, and t15-t16 that are equal to each other, and reception operations are performed in each of the time periods t4-t7, t8-t11, t12-t15, and t16-t18 that are equal to each other. Note that, in order to reliably detect an object included in the detection area of ​​the distance sensor 21, it is desirable for the time interval between reception operations to be longer than the time it takes for an ultrasonic wave to be transmitted from the distance sensor 21 and reflected by an object at the maximum detectable distance and returned to the distance sensor 21.

[0040] Even if the automatic door systems 1A and 1B are manufactured based on the same system specifications, the operating cycles of the distance sensors 21 of the automatic door systems 1A and 1B actually manufactured often do not match each other due to manufacturing variations. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, if the automatic door system 1B performs a transmission operation while the automatic door system 1A is performing a reception operation, the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the distance sensor 21 of the automatic door system 1B may be detected by the automatic door system 1A as a reflected wave from an object heading toward the doors 10A and 10B of the automatic door system 1A. As a result, a malfunction may occur in which the doors 10A and 10B of the automatic door system 1A are opened even though there is no object heading toward the doors 10A and 10B of the automatic door system 1A.

[0041] Therefore, in the second embodiment, a transmission operation is not performed immediately after a reception operation, but a WAIT operation (standby operation) is performed at a random time interval after the reception operation, and then a transmission operation is performed. The WAIT operation disrupts the reception cycle of ultrasonic waves from other automatic door systems, making it less likely that ultrasonic waves from other automatic door systems will be detected as reflected waves from an object heading toward the door of the automatic door system of the second embodiment. The automatic door system of the second embodiment makes it less likely that malfunctions will occur due to ultrasonic waves from nearby automatic door systems. It is desirable that the maximum time interval for the WAIT operation, which is set randomly, be the time from when ultrasonic waves are transmitted from distance sensor 21 to when they are reflected by an object the maximum detectable distance away and return to distance sensor 21.

[0042] 7 is a diagram showing how the transmission and reception operations performed by the detection device of the automatic door system 2 in accordance with embodiment 2 are repeated, and how the transmission and reception operations performed by the detection device of the automatic door system 1C in accordance with embodiment 1 are periodically repeated. Note that the configuration of the automatic door system 2 other than the WAIT operation is similar to that of embodiment 1, and therefore the description of the similar configuration will not be repeated.

[0043] 7, the detection device of the automatic door system 2 performs a WAIT operation, a transmission operation, and a reception operation in succession in this order for each of a plurality of distance measurements. In the automatic door system 2, a transmission operation is performed in each of the time periods t21-t22, t26-t27, t32-t34, and t38-t39 that have the same time intervals, and a reception operation is performed in each of the time periods t22-t25, t27-t30, t34-t36, and t39-t41 that have the same time intervals. Furthermore, in the automatic door system 2, a WAIT operation is performed in each of the time periods t25-t26, t30-t32, and t36-t38 that have random time intervals between the end time of the reception operation and the start time of the transmission operation. On the other hand, in the automatic door system 1C, transmission operations are performed in each of the time periods t23 to t24, t26 to t27, t32 to t34, and t38 to t39 which have the same time intervals, and reception operations are performed in each of the time periods t24 to t28, t29 to t31, t33 to t35, and t37 to t40 which have the same time intervals.

[0044] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow of a detection algorithm performed by the detection device 20 of the automatic door system 2 of Fig. 7. The flowchart shown in Fig. 8 is a flowchart in which S110 is added as the first step before S111 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 5. With reference to Fig. 8, after a WAIT operation is performed for a random time interval in S110, S111 to S118 are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0045] As described above, the automatic door system according to the second embodiment can reduce the installation costs of sensors for controlling the automatic doors.

[0046] Embodiment 3 In the second embodiment, we have described a configuration that prevents a signal sent from one automatic door system from causing the other automatic door system to malfunction when two automatic door systems are placed close to each other. Even if the automatic door system is not placed close to another automatic door system, the automatic door system may still malfunction due to noise that is not a reflected wave from an object. Therefore, in the third embodiment, we will describe a configuration that prevents the automatic door system from malfunctioning due to noise, improving the robustness of the automatic door system.

[0047] Fig. 9 is a time chart showing the change over time in the intensity of ultrasonic waves Us transmitted by the distance sensor 21 in Fig. 4 and the intensity of reflected waves Rw received by the distance sensor 21. As shown in Fig. 9, the transmission operation of ultrasonic waves Us is performed in time period t41 to t42, and the reception operation is performed in time period t42 to t45. The transmission operation and reception operation are also performed periodically after time t45.

[0048] When the strength of a signal received by the distance sensor 21 during a receiving operation exceeds the detection threshold Dth1, the signal is detected as a reflected wave. The reflected wave Rw starts to be received by the distance sensor 21 from time t43, and exceeds the detection threshold Dth1 at time t44, so that the reflected wave Rw is detected at time t44. The detection threshold Dth1 can be appropriately determined by simulation or an experiment using an actual device.

[0049] If the distance sensor 21 receives noise with an intensity exceeding the detection threshold Dth1 during a receiving operation, the intensity of the noise exceeds the detection threshold Dth1, and the noise is erroneously detected as a reflected wave from an object. In the third embodiment, therefore, in order to reduce erroneous detection of reflected waves due to noise, if a signal with a frequency similar to that of the ultrasonic wave Us and an intensity exceeding the detection threshold Dth1 is received during a time period before a transmitting operation, it is determined that noise that prevents the automatic door system from detecting the reflected wave has entered the automatic door system, and the detection threshold Dth1 is increased to a value greater than the maximum intensity of the detected noise. According to the automatic door system of the third embodiment, the sensitivity of the distance sensor 21 becomes insensitive to the extent that it does not detect noise, and therefore erroneous detection of reflected waves due to noise can be reduced.

[0050] 10 is a time chart showing the change over time in the intensity of ultrasonic waves Us transmitted by distance sensor 21 of the automatic door system according to embodiment 3, as well as the intensity of reflected waves Rw and noise received by distance sensor 21. Note that the configuration of the automatic door system according to embodiment 3 other than the process of increasing the detection threshold is the same as that of embodiment 1, and therefore the description of the similar configuration will not be repeated.

[0051] 10, noise detection is performed in each of time periods t50 to t51 and t54 to t55, which are detection time intervals. Transmission operations are performed in time periods t51 to t52 and t55 to t56, and reception operations are performed in time periods t52 to t54 and after time t56.

[0052] In the time period t50 to t51, a signal exceeding the detection threshold Dth1 is received by the distance sensor 21. However, in the time period before the transmission operation, the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave Us transmitted from the distance sensor 21 is not received. Therefore, the signal received by the distance sensor 21 in the time period t50 to t51 is not a reflected wave but noise. Since noise having an intensity exceeding the detection threshold Dth1 is detected by noise detection in the time period t50 to t51, the detection threshold Dth1 is increased to a detection threshold Dth2 exceeding the maximum intensity of the noise before the start time t52 of the reception operation. Note that, since the detection threshold is increased from Dth1 to Dth2, the detection area of ​​the distance sensor 21 becomes narrower, and the time interval of the reception operation is shortened.

[0053] The reflected wave Rw exceeds the detection threshold Dth2 at time t53, and is therefore detected at time t53. During time period t52 to t54 when the receiving operation is performed, noise having approximately the same intensity as that during time period t50 to t51 is received by the distance sensor 21. However, since the intensity of the noise is smaller than the detection threshold Dth2, it is not detected as a reflected wave.

[0054] Furthermore, during time period t55 to t56 in which noise detection is performed, noise having the same intensity as that during time period t50 to t51 is received by the distance sensor 21. However, since the intensity of the noise is smaller than the detection threshold Dth2, it is not detected as noise. Therefore, the detection threshold Dth2 is maintained, and the subsequent transmission and reception operations are performed.

[0055] Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow of a detection algorithm performed by a detection device of an automatic door system according to embodiment 3. The flowchart shown in Fig. 11 is a flowchart in which S310 is added as the first step before S111 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 5. Referring to Fig. 11, after noise detection is performed in S310, S111 to S118 are performed in the same manner as in embodiment 1. Note that the flowchart according to embodiment 3 may be a flowchart in which S310 is added as the first step before S110 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 8.

[0056] Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a specific processing flow of the noise detection in Fig. 11. The processing shown in Fig. 12 is called by a main routine (not shown) that controls the detection device 20 in an integrated manner.

[0057] 12, in S311, processing circuit 23 identifies the maximum amplitude value of the signal received during the detection time interval, and proceeds to S312. In S312, processing circuit 23 determines whether the maximum amplitude value is greater than the current detection threshold value. If the maximum amplitude value is less than or equal to the current detection threshold value (NO in S312), processing circuit 23 returns the process to the main routine. If the maximum amplitude value is greater than the current detection threshold value (YES in S312), processing circuit 23 increases the detection threshold value to a value greater than the maximum amplitude value in S313, and returns the process to the main routine.

[0058] As described above, the automatic door system according to the third embodiment makes it possible to reduce the installation costs of sensors for controlling the automatic doors.

[0059] Embodiment 4 In the first to third embodiments, a configuration in which one control device controls one detection device has been described. In the fourth embodiment, a configuration in which one control device controls multiple detection devices will be described.

[0060] Figures 13 and 14 are block diagrams showing an example of the configuration of an automatic door system 4 according to embodiment 4. Figure 13 is a plan view of the automatic door system 4 looking in the positive direction of the Y axis, and Figure 14 is a plan view of the automatic door system 4 looking in the negative direction of the Y axis. In the configuration of the automatic door system 4, the two control devices 40A, 40B in Figure 1 are replaced with one control device 40E, and the two control devices 40C, 40D in Figure 2 are replaced with one control device 40F. Other than this, the configuration is the same as in embodiment 1, so description of the similar configuration will not be repeated.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 13, the control device 40E controls the opening and closing of the door 10A by the drive device 30A and the opening and closing of the door 10B by the drive device 30B based on the detection results of the detection devices 20A and 20B. As shown in Fig. 14, the control device 40F controls the opening and closing of the door 10A by the drive device 30A and the opening and closing of the door 10B by the drive device 30B based on the detection results of the detection devices 20C and 20D.

[0062] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the detection devices 20A-20D and an example of a hardware configuration of the control devices 40E, 40F in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14. The configuration of each of the detection devices 20A-20D is similar to the configuration of the detection device 20 in Fig. 4. The configuration of each of the control devices 40E, 40F is a configuration in which the door control circuit 42 and the processing circuit 43 in Fig. 4 are replaced with a door control circuit 423 and a processing circuit 433, respectively. The configuration of each of the control devices 40E, 40F other than these is similar to the configuration of the control device 40 in Fig. 4, so description of the similar configuration will not be repeated.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 15, the door control circuit 423 of the control device 40E receives the opening / closing signal Soc from each of the detection devices 20A and 20B via the communication circuit 41. The door control circuit 423 of the control device 40E controls the driving devices 30A and 30B based on the opening / closing signal Soc from each of the detection devices 20A and 20B to open and close the doors 10A and 10B. The door control circuit 423 of the control device 40F receives the opening / closing signal Soc from each of the detection devices 20C and 20D via the communication circuit 41. The door control circuit 423 of the control device 40F controls the driving devices 30A and 30B based on the opening / closing signal Soc from each of the detection devices 20C and 20D to open and close the doors 10A and 10B. The processing circuit 433 of each of the control devices 40E and 40F performs statistical processing on the passing information and recognition information of the object heading toward the doors 10A and 10B.

[0064] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing how the operation of each of the detection devices 20A and 20C and the operation of each of the detection devices 20B and 20D in Fig. 15 are periodically repeated. In the following, the operation of the combination of the detection devices 20A and 20B and the operation of the combination of the detection devices 20C and 20D are similar to each other, and the operations of the detection devices 20A and 20B correspond to the operations of the detection devices 20C and 20D, respectively. The operation of the combination of the detection devices 20A and 20B will be described below.

[0065] 16, when one of the detection devices 20A, 20B is transmitting, the other stops transmitting. Specifically, during time periods t60 to t61 and t64 to t65, the detection device 20A transmits, and the detection device 20B stops transmitting. During time periods t62 to t63 and t66 to t67, the detection device 20B transmits, and the detection device 20A stops transmitting.

[0066] When one of the detectors 20A and 20B is performing a receiving operation, the other also performs a receiving operation. Specifically, each of the detectors 20A and 20B performs a receiving operation in time periods t61 to t62, t63 to t64, and t65 to t66. The distance sensor 21 of the detector 20A directly receives the ultrasonic wave Us transmitted from the distance sensor 21 of the detector 20B in time periods t63 to t64. The distance sensor 21 of the detector 20B directly receives the ultrasonic wave Us transmitted from the distance sensor 21 of the detector 20A in time periods t61 to t62, and t65 to t66. The opening distance at the timing is calculated based on the timing at which the ultrasonic wave Us transmitted from one of the distance sensors 21 of the detector 20A and the distance sensor 21 of the detector 20B is received by the other, and the distance between the two distance sensors 21 in the opening and closing direction when the doors 10A and 10B are closed.

[0067] The automatic door system 4 allows triangulation based on the distance measurement results of the two distance sensors 21, so that in addition to the distance between the object and the distance sensors 21, the position of the object in the opening and closing direction can be identified. Furthermore, the ultrasonic waves Us transmitted from one of the two distance sensors 21 are received by the other, so that the opening distance and the object between the doors 10A and 10B can be recognized. Furthermore, by feeding back the opening distance to the triangulation, the distance to the object can be measured with high accuracy. Furthermore, the driving status of the doors 10A, 10B can be diagnosed in the automatic door system 3.

[0068] A variation of the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, a configuration has been described in which multiple detection devices arranged on one side of an entrance in the passing direction are controlled by one control device. Multiple detection devices controlled by one control device may be arranged on both sides of the entrance in the passing direction. In a modified example of the fourth embodiment, a configuration will be described in which two detection devices arranged on both sides of an entrance in the passing direction are controlled by one control device.

[0069] Fig. 17 and Fig. 18 are block diagrams showing an example of the configuration of an automatic door system 4A according to a variation of the fourth embodiment. Fig. 17 is a plan view of the automatic door system 4A looking in the positive direction of the Y axis, and Fig. 18 is a plan view of the automatic door system 4A looking in the negative direction of the Y axis. In the configuration of the automatic door system 4A, the two control devices 40A and 40C in Fig. 1 are replaced with one control device 40G, and the two control devices 40B and 40D in Fig. 2 are replaced with one control device 40H. Other than these, the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore description of the similar configuration will not be repeated.

[0070] 17 and 18, the control device 40G controls the opening and closing of the door 10A by the drive device 30A based on the detection results of the detector 20A (first detector) and the detector 20C (second detector). The control device 40H controls the opening and closing of the door 10B by the drive device 30B based on the detection results of the detector 20B (first detector) and the detector 20D (second detector). The automatic door system 4A has two detectors disposed on either side of the entrance in the passing direction, so that it is possible to detect the passage of an object through the entrance.

[0071] As described above, the automatic door systems according to the fourth embodiment and the modifications thereof can reduce the installation costs of sensors for controlling the automatic doors.

[0072] Embodiment 5. In the first to fourth embodiments, the case where the detection device includes one distance sensor has been described. In the fifth embodiment, the case where the detection device includes a plurality of distance sensors will be described.

[0073] Fig. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of detection device 200 of an automatic door system according to embodiment 5. Detection device 200 has a configuration in which distance sensors 211 and 212 are added to detection device 20 of Fig. 1, and sensor drive circuit 22 and processing circuit 23 are replaced with sensor drive circuit 221 and processing circuit 231, respectively. Other than this, the configuration of detection device 200 is similar to that of detection device 20, and therefore description of the similar configuration will not be repeated. The number of distance sensors included in detection device 200 may be two, or four or more.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 19, each of the distance sensors 211, 212 includes an ultrasonic sensor and transmits an ultrasonic wave Us. Each of the distance sensors 211, 212 receives a reflected wave Rw of the ultrasonic wave Us reflected by an object. Each of the distance sensors 211, 212 repeats an operation of continuously transmitting an ultrasonic wave Us for a certain period of time and then waiting for reception of the reflected wave Rw for a certain period of time. The sensor driving circuit 221 drives each of the distance sensors 21, 211, 212. The sensor driving circuit 221 performs amplification processing, filtering processing, and detection processing of the reflected wave Rw of each of the distance sensors 21, 211, 212.

[0075] The processing circuit 231 transmits an opening / closing signal Soc for controlling the opening / closing of the doors 10A and 10B to the control device 40 via the communication circuit 25 based on the distance measurement results of each of the distance sensors 21, 211, and 212. The processing circuit 231 measures the general shape of an object irradiated with the ultrasonic waves Us transmitted from each of the distance sensors 21, 211, and 212 by beamforming based on the distance measurement results of each of the distance sensors 21, 211, and 212, and stores the general shape in the memory 24. The processing circuit 23 can analyze the type of object (for example, an adult, a child, or an animal) passing through the entrance formed by the doors 10A and 10B based on the general shape.

[0076] The automatic door system of embodiment 5 can measure not only the distance between each distance sensor and an object, but also the direction and angle of the object as seen by each distance sensor, making it possible to determine with greater accuracy whether the object is heading toward an entrance / exit.

[0077] As described above, the automatic door system according to the fifth embodiment makes it possible to reduce the installation costs of sensors for controlling the automatic doors.

[0078] The embodiments disclosed herein are intended to be combined as appropriate within the scope of non-inconsistency. The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1-4, 1A-1C, 4A automatic door system, 10A, 10B door, 20, 20A-20D, 200 detection device, 21, 21A-21D, 211, 212 distance sensor, 22, 221 sensor drive circuit, 23, 43, 231, 433 processing circuit, 24 memory, 25, 41 communication circuit, 27, 44 power supply, 30A, 30B drive device, 40, 40A-40H control device, 42, 423 door control circuit, Ad detection area, Ps passerby, Rw reflected wave, Soc opening / closing signal, Us ultrasonic wave.

Claims

1. An automatic door system for controlling at least one door that slides to open and close an entrance and exit, a first detection device including at least one distance sensor for performing distance measurement, a second detection device including at least one distance sensor that respectively transmits at least one ranging signal in the passing direction of the entrance and exit, and a control device for controlling a first door included in the at least one door based on the result of the distance measurement by the first detection device, each of the at least one distance sensor transmits a ranging signal in the passing direction of the entrance and exit, and receives a reflected signal of the ranging signal reflected by an object, when the object is heading towards the entrance and exit, the control device opens the first door at the time when the object arrives at the entrance and exit, the first detection device is disposed at a portion of the first door that is closer to the side opposite to the side where the first door moves when the first door is opened, from the central portion of the first door, An automatic door system in which one of the first detection device and the second detection device receives the at least one ranging signal transmitted from the other.

2. The first detection device continuously performs a plurality of distance measurements, In each of the plurality of distance measurements, the first detection device sequentially and continuously performs a standby operation, a transmission operation for transmitting the ranging signal, and a reception operation for receiving the reflected signal, and randomly sets the operation time of the standby operation. The automatic door system according to claim 1.

3. The first detection device continuously performs a plurality of distance measurements, and when the intensity of the received signal is greater than a detection threshold value, detects the signal as the reflected signal, In each of the plurality of distance measurements, the first detection device sequentially and continuously performs noise detection, a transmission operation for transmitting the ranging signal, and a reception operation for receiving the reflected signal of the ranging signal reflected by the object, In the automatic door system according to claim 1, when the maximum value of the amplitude of the signal received in the noise detection is greater than the detection threshold value, the first detection device increases the detection threshold value to a value greater than the maximum value.

4. The at least one door includes a second door that opens and closes the entrance and exit together with the first door. The second detection device is disposed at a portion closer to the side opposite to the side where the second door moves when the second door is opened, from the central portion of the second door, and on the side where the first detection device is disposed among both sides in the passing direction. In the automatic door system according to claim 1, the control device controls the second door based on the result of the distance measurement by the second detection device.

5. The second detection device is disposed at a portion closer to the side opposite to the side where the first door moves when the first door is opened, from the central portion of the first door, and on the side opposite to the side where the first detection device is disposed among both sides in the passing direction. In the automatic door system according to claim 1, the control device controls the first door based on the results of the distance measurements of the first detection device and the second detection device.

6. When one of the first detection device and the second detection device is performing a transmission operation for transmitting the ranging signal, the other stops the transmission operation. In the automatic door system according to claim 4 or 5, when one of the first detection device and the second detection device is performing a reception operation for receiving the reflected signal of the ranging signal reflected by the object, the other also performs the reception operation.

7. In the automatic door system according to claim 1, the number of the at least one distance sensor is plural.

8. Each of the at least one distance sensor includes a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) ultrasonic sensor that transmits ultrasonic waves. Claim 9 The automatic door system according to claim 1, wherein the first detection device transmits information based on the result of the distance measurement to the control device by wireless communication. Claim 10 The automatic door system according to claim 1, wherein the first detection device incorporates a rechargeable battery and operates by power from the battery. Claim 11 The automatic door system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first detection device and the control device stores the date and time of an object that has added the entrance / exit.

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