Projection device

Abstract

This projection device (100) comprises: a projector (14) that is provided to a position outside the field of view of a person (46) if the line of sight of the person (46) is oriented in the horizontal direction when in a standing state, that projects, onto either a wall surface (50) or a floor surface (54) inside a building, light that has passed through a plate-shaped mask pattern on which specific information is written, and that displays the information on either the wall surface (50) or the floor surface (54); a reception unit (12) that receives an instruction from the outside; and a control unit (10) that controls the projector (14) so as to display information based on the instruction received by the reception unit (12).

Description

projection device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a projection apparatus.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Studies are being conducted to improve the efficiency of elevator use by enabling users waiting in an elevator hall or the like to know the congestion situation inside the elevator car before the elevator car arrives.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention for an elevator display control device in which a display shows different states depending on the congestion level inside the elevator, allowing users waiting at the platform to check the display and recognize the congestion level inside the elevator before the elevator arrives.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-269217

[0005] However, the elevator display control device described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a display that forecasts the arrival of the elevator before it arrives, and notifies the situation by changing the color and illumination area depending on the congestion level of the elevator car, but the presence of the display could spoil the scenery of the elevator hall.In addition, there was a problem in that people waiting for the elevator had to be aware in advance of what the displayed color or abstract display such as the illumination area means.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a projection device that does not spoil the scenery of an elevator hall and can display specific information in a manner that is easily recognizable to everyone.

[0007] The projection device disclosed herein is characterized by comprising a projector that is installed in a position that is outside the field of view of a person when the person is standing and looking horizontally, and that projects light that has passed through a plate-shaped mask pattern on which specific information is written onto one of the walls and floors inside a building, thereby displaying the information on the wall or floor; a receiving unit that receives instructions from outside; and a control unit that controls the projector to display the information based on the instructions received by the receiving unit.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a projection device that can display information related to multiple elevators, etc. in a manner that is easy for everyone to understand, without spoiling the scenery of the elevator hall.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a projection device according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a control unit according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a projector according to embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a mask pattern according to embodiment 1. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a projection device according to embodiment 2.

[0010] Hereinafter, projection devices according to embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are merely examples, and the embodiments can be appropriately combined and modified.

[0011] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a projection device 100 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the projection device 100 projects information 52 about elevators and the like onto a wall surface 50 or the like of an elevator hall 40, which is inside a building, to a person 46 who is waiting in front of elevator doors 42 for a car 44.

[0012] The projection device 100 of embodiment 1 includes a projector 14 that projects information 52 onto elevator doors 42, a wall surface 50 around the elevator doors 42, or a floor surface 54 of the elevator hall 40, a control unit 10 that controls the projector 14, and a receiving unit 12 to which an external terminal such as a management terminal 32 is connected via a network 30 or the like.

[0013] The projector 14 is provided in a position that may be out of the field of view of the person 46 when the person 46 is standing and looking horizontally, for example, a position that is higher than the average height of men in the country in which the device is used, or a position that is higher than the elevator doors 42. More specifically, the projector 14 is provided in a high position, including the ceiling of the elevator hall 40, where the person 46 is unlikely to notice the presence of the projector 14, and projects information 52 toward a wall surface 50 or floor surface 54.

[0014] The projector 14 does not have an image forming unit that electrically forms images, such as a liquid crystal, but forms display information using a mask pattern that is mechanically formed from one of letters, symbols, figures, and patterns corresponding to the display content, or a combination of two or more of letters, symbols, figures, and patterns, and switches the mask pattern to be displayed as needed to project it.

[0015] The information 52 projected by the projector 14 may be information related to getting on and off the elevator, such as the elevator number of the approaching elevator car 44 or information guiding the person 46 to board the elevator (the arriving elevator number, the available elevator number, or whether or not boarding is possible), if the information is before the available elevator car 44 arrives at the elevator hall 40. The information may also be information warning the person 46 that a pet such as a dog, a cleaning robot, a delivery robot, or other cargo is on board the car 44. If it takes a long time for the available elevator car 44 to arrive, or if the arrival information of the elevator car 44 is not displayed, general information such as weather information, an advertisement, or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) is projected. The two-dimensional code is used to provide the person 46 with more detailed information than the projected information 52 via a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone. Furthermore, when a plurality of elevators are provided in the elevator hall 40, necessary information can be displayed with one projector 14 by first projecting information that should be given priority, such as which car 44 is closest, even if a plurality of elevators are provided.

[0016] The receiving unit receives control signals via wired or wireless communication from a management terminal 32 owned by a building management company, elevator management company, etc., which include instructions on the information to be projected and instructions on whether or not to turn on the light source of the projector 14.

[0017] Based on the control signal received by the receiving unit 12, the control unit 10 switches the mask pattern of the projector 14, controls the lighting of the light source of the projector 14, controls the projection position, and controls the optical components (lenses, etc.) equipped in the projector 14.

[0018] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the control unit 10 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 10 is configured by a computer in which a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, which is a computing element (processor), a main memory 22, an input / output interface (I / O interface) 23, and a memory unit 24 are each connected to a system bus 25. The control unit 10 may be configured by a plurality of computers connected via a network, or may be configured by a processing circuit.

[0019] The CPU 21 is an integrated circuit (IC) that performs arithmetic processing. Instead of the CPU 21, a computing element such as a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a network processor, or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) may be used. By executing the projection program according to the first embodiment, the CPU 21 functions to switch the mask pattern of the projector 14, control the illumination of the light source of the projector 14, control the projection position, and control the focal length and focus of the lens, which is an optical element included in the projector 14, based on the control signal received by the receiver 12. As a result, by executing the projection program, the CPU functions as a mask pattern switching unit that switches the mask pattern of the projector 14, a light source control unit that controls the lighting of the light source of the projector 14, a projection position control unit that controls the projection position, and an optical element control unit that controls the optical elements included in the projector 14. The projection program is provided, for example, on a recording medium on which these programs are recorded.

[0020] The main memory 22 is configured by a volatile storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a non-volatile storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory). The storage unit 24 is configured by a non-volatile storage device such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory.

[0021] The I / O interface 23 is a port to which the receiving unit 12, the projector 14, and the like are connected.

[0022] 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the projector 14 according to the first embodiment. The projector 14 is configured such that light emitted by a light source 62, such as an incandescent lamp or an LED (light-emitting diode), and light reflected by a reflector 64 provided behind the light source 62 are introduced into an optical element 68 via an optical path 65. A mask pattern 66 bearing information to be projected is provided along the optical path 65. When light from the light source 62 is irradiated, the information written on the mask pattern 66 is imaged by the optical element 68 onto a wall surface 50 or the like of the elevator hall 40. The light source 62 can adjust the intensity of its light emission based on a control signal from the control unit 10, so that the person 46 can easily recognize that the information 52 is being projected onto the wall surface 50 or the like by changing the intensity of the light projected onto the wall surface 50 or the like.

[0023] The optical element 68 is, for example, a zoom lens with a variable focal length, and the focal length and focus are adjusted by the power of the optical element actuator 70 transmitted via the gear train 72. The projector 14 changes the size of the information 52 projected onto the wall surface 50 or the like by changing the focal length of the optical element 68. The focus of the projected information 52 is determined based on image information of the projected information 52 acquired by an optical sensor 74 using an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor, and an optical element actuator control unit 76 controls the optical element actuator 70 to sharpen the image information. If the optical element actuator control unit 76 is not provided, the image information of the projected information 52 acquired by the optical sensor 74 is output to the control unit 10, and the control unit 10 controls the optical element actuator 70 to sharpen the image information. Alternatively, the image information acquired by the optical sensor 74 may be transmitted to the management terminal 32 via the control unit 10, the receiving unit 12, and the network 30, etc., and the operator of the management terminal 32 may manually adjust the focal length and focus of the optical element 68.

[0024] 4, the mask pattern 66 has information to be projected written on a disk-shaped member. The mask pattern 66 is configured to rotate when the power of a mask pattern actuator 78, such as an electric motor that rotates based on a control signal from the control unit 10, is transmitted to a central shaft 82 via a gear train 80, thereby switching the information to be projected.

[0025] The projector 14 includes a pan-tilt actuator 84, which is a power source for panning the projector 14 in the horizontal direction and tilting the projector 14 in the vertical direction, based on a control signal from the control unit 10. Image information acquired by the optical sensor 74 may be transmitted to the management terminal 32 via the control unit 10, the receiving unit 12, the network 30, etc., and an operator of the management terminal 32 may manually adjust the pan and tilt of the projector 14.

[0026] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a mask pattern 66 according to the first embodiment. The mask pattern 66 shown in FIG. 4 is disk-shaped and is formed so that the information to be projected, which may be one of letters, symbols, figures, and patterns, or a combination of two or more of letters, symbols, figures, and patterns, is displayed like a shadow puppet by blocking the light from the light source 62. Alternatively, the mask pattern 66 may be formed so that the information to be projected, which may be one of letters, symbols, figures, and patterns, or a combination of two or more of letters, symbols, figures, and patterns, passes through or is transparent to the light from the light source 62. The information on the mask pattern 66 is mechanically formed by engraving, cutting, or etching a plate-like member, or may be formed by electrophotography, inkjet printing, or silver halide photography.

[0027] As described above, the mask pattern 66 rotates using the power of the mask pattern actuator 78, thereby switching the information projected onto the wall surface 50 or the like. Furthermore, if the housing 60 of the projector 14 is configured to be openable and closable, the information to be projected can be changed by opening and closing the housing 60 to exchange the mask pattern 66. Furthermore, the mask pattern 66 is not limited to being disk-shaped. For example, the information to be projected may be changed by exchanging a plurality of rectangular mask patterns in the same way as switching slides.

[0028] As described above, in the projection device 100 according to the first embodiment, by installing the projector 14 in a high position such as on the ceiling of the elevator hall 40, the projector 14 is less likely to be recognized by people 46, and the projected light is less likely to be blocked by people, thereby improving the visibility of the projected information. The control unit 10 selects the information to be projected and controls the lighting of the light source 62 of the projector 14, and can select the information to be projected onto the wall surface 50 or the like and control whether or not the light source 62 of the projector 14 is turned on based on a control signal received via the receiving unit 12 by wired or wireless communication.

[0029] If a liquid crystal display or the like is used to display information, the configuration becomes complicated due to the need for an image processing unit, a data storage unit, etc. However, the mask pattern 66 according to the first embodiment projects information onto the wall surface 50 or the like by irradiating light from the light source 62 onto a plate-like member formed so as to block out black display portions of one of letters, symbols, figures, and patterns, or a combination of two or more of letters, symbols, figures, and patterns, like a shadow puppet, for example. Therefore, the structure is simpler than that of a device that electrically generates information to be displayed using a liquid crystal display or the like, and power consumption can be reduced.

[0030] Furthermore, when displaying information related to elevators, installing the projector 14 in the elevator hall 40 improves the convenience of the information.

[0031] As described above, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to provide a projection device that can display information related to a plurality of elevators in a manner that is easily recognizable to everyone, without spoiling the scenery of the elevator hall 40. In the second embodiment, the projection device 100 is described using an elevator as an example, but this is not limiting. For example, the projection device 100 may project information onto a wall surface of a store or the like, or onto a wall surface at the entrance of an office building.

[0032] Next, a projection device 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the projection device 200 according to the second embodiment. The projection device 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the projection device 100 according to the first embodiment in that it includes an abnormality detection device 16 that detects a disaster such as a fire, a gust of wind, a rainstorm, heavy rain, heavy snow, a lightning strike, or an earthquake, an abnormality in a building caused by the disaster, or an abnormality in an elevator (such as a power outage or elevator stoppage) and transmits the abnormality information to the receiving unit 12, and an auxiliary power supply 18 that supplies power to the receiving unit 12, the control unit 10, the abnormality detection device 16, and the projector 14 when an abnormality such as a power outage occurs. However, since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment are used for the components common to the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0033] In the projection device 200 according to the second embodiment, similarly to the projection device 200 according to the first embodiment, the control unit 10 controls the projector 14 based on the control signal received by the receiving unit 12 to project information onto a wall surface 50 or the like.

[0034] In the event of a disaster such as an earthquake or a fire, the projection device 200 according to the second embodiment detects, by the anomaly detection device 16, disasters such as fire, strong winds, rainstorms, heavy rain, heavy snowfall, lightning strikes, or earthquakes, information about abnormalities occurring in the building due to the disaster, power outages in the elevator, or elevator stoppages, and transmits the abnormality information to the receiving unit 12. Information about abnormalities occurring in the building is, for example, damage to the building due to an earthquake, strong winds, or rainstorm, or an abnormality in the electrical system or communication system due to a lightning strike, etc. The abnormality detection device 16 detects window damage, rain leaks, flooding, an abnormality in the electrical system, an abnormality in the communication system, or an abnormality in the elevator using various sensors installed at key points in the building.

[0035] In the projection device 200 according to the second embodiment, when an abnormality such as a power outage occurs, power is supplied from the auxiliary power supply 18 to the receiving unit 12, the control unit 10, the abnormality detection device 16, and the projector 14. The projection device 200 according to the second embodiment is more energy-efficient than a projection device that uses an electronic device such as a liquid crystal display, and therefore can project information 52 onto a wall surface 50 or the like even with the limited power of the auxiliary power supply 18.

[0036] When the control unit 10 receives information related to a disaster or the like detected by the abnormality detection device 16 via the receiving unit 12, it displays information related to evacuation actions, such as information indicating the operation status of the elevator, the damage situation such as whether or not a fire has occurred, or information guiding evacuation directions such as the direction of the stairs.

[0037] As described above, the projection device 200 according to the second embodiment can continue to display information even during a power outage using the power from the auxiliary power supply 18. The projection device 200 is more energy efficient than projection devices that use electronic devices such as liquid crystal displays, and can therefore operate using the limited power from the auxiliary power supply 18.

[0038] Furthermore, when the anomaly detection device 16 detects an abnormality due to a disaster, the projection device 200 according to embodiment 2 can present information indicating the state and extent of the disaster, as well as information related to evacuation actions such as evacuation routes, to a person 46 present in the elevator hall 40.

[0039] 10 Control unit, 12 Receiving unit, 14 Projector, 16 Abnormality detection device, 18 Auxiliary power supply, 21 CPU, 22 Main memory, 23 I / O interface, 24 Memory unit, 25 System bus, 30 Network, 32 Management terminal, 40 Elevator hall, 42 Elevator door, 44 Car, 46 Person, 48 Passenger, 50 Wall surface, 52 Information, 54 Floor surface, 62 Light source, 66 Mask pattern, 100, 200 Projection device.

Claims

1. A projector is installed in a position that may be outside the field of view of a person when they are standing and looking horizontally, and the projector displays information on either the interior wall or floor of a building, and the projector has a plate-shaped member with one of the following mask patterns: an engraved mask pattern, a cut mask pattern, a etched mask pattern, an electrophotographic mask pattern, an inkjet mask pattern, or a silver halide photograph. A receiving unit that receives instructions from the outside, The system comprises a control unit that controls the projector to display the information based on the instructions received by the receiving unit, The projection device is characterized in that the projector is configured to project light that has passed through the mask pattern provided in the projector onto either the wall surface or the floor surface.

2. The projection device according to claim 1, wherein the projector is installed in a high place, including the ceiling inside the building, where its presence is unlikely to be recognized by the person.

3. The projection device according to claim 2, wherein the mask pattern is formed in such a manner that one of the information to be projected, namely characters, symbols, figures, and patterns, or a combination of two or more of the information to be projected, blocks the light and transmits the light.

4. The projection device according to claim 3, characterized in that the projector is positioned to project the information onto either the wall surface around the elevator door inside the building, which is an elevator hall, or onto the floor surface of the elevator hall.

5. The projection device according to claim 4, wherein the projector displays information including information to guide passengers to board the elevator, information about the contents of the elevator, weather information, advertisements, and a two-dimensional code.

6. An anomaly detection device that, when it detects a disaster, an anomaly occurring in the building, or an elevator anomaly, transmits information indicating the anomaly to the receiving unit, In the event of a power outage, an auxiliary power supply is provided to supply power to the receiving unit, the control unit, the abnormality detection device, and the projector. The projection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising:

7. The receiving unit transmits the information indicating the abnormality to the control unit. The projection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the projector to display information related to evacuation actions, such as the operating status of the elevator, information indicating the extent of damage, or information guiding evacuation directions, such as the direction of the stairs, when it receives information indicating an abnormality.