Elevator system

Abstract

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

Description

elevator system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to elevator systems.

[0002] In the conventional elevator monitoring system disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, each time the monitoring device receives a request signal from the center device, it stores the position of the elevator device's car at the time the request signal was received as a specific car position, and if it is not possible to send an alarm signal to the center device, it selects a retry car position from the multiple specific car positions it has stored, controls the control device so that the car is positioned at the retry car position, and is configured to again send an alarm signal to the center device with the car positioned at the retry car position.

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-202922

[0004] In some cases, a monitoring device that monitors the elevator is installed on top of the car. In such cases, communication is performed using a communication device connected to the monitoring device, but there is a problem in that it cannot detect floors with poor radio wave conditions.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide an elevator system that can detect a floor with poor radio wave conditions.

[0006] The elevator system according to the present disclosure is an elevator system comprising a monitoring device installed in the car and monitoring the elevator's operating status, and a communication device connected to the monitoring device and communicating wirelessly with a base station, wherein the monitoring device is configured to perform a radio wave check to check the strength of radio waves received by the communication device when the car stops at a floor, and to detect floors where the radio wave strength meets a standard and floors where the radio wave strength does not meet the standard.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an elevator system that can detect floors with poor radio wave conditions.

[0008] 1 is a diagram showing an elevator system according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the elevator system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a monitoring device. FIG. 4 is a radio wave reception status management table stored in a storage device of the monitoring device. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for realizing the functions of a control device and a center device in embodiment 1.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Common or corresponding elements in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be simplified or omitted. The configurations shown in the following embodiments are examples of the technical ideas of the present disclosure, and may be combined with other known technologies, or multiple technical ideas described in the present disclosure may be combined. Furthermore, it is also possible to omit or modify part of the configuration without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0010] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an elevator system 1 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 1, an elevator 3 is provided in a building 2. A car 4 of the elevator 3 is installed so as to move up and down in a hoistway 12 by a hoisting machine (not shown). The hoistway 12 passes through each floor of the building 2. In the example of Figure 1, the floors are numbered from the first to third floors.

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

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

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

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

[0015] The monitoring device 5 uses the acceleration sensor 5g to detect a malfunction of the elevator 3. For example, if the acceleration sensor 5g detects that the car 4 has suddenly stopped, the monitoring device 5 detects that there is a malfunction of the elevator 3. Furthermore, if the door sensor detects that the door of the car 4 is closed but the car 4 does not depart, the monitoring device 5 detects that there is a malfunction of the elevator 3.

[0016] The monitoring device 5 can detect which floor the car 4 is on by using the acceleration sensor 5g. For example, if the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 5g is upside down, it can detect that the car 4 is on the top floor or the bottom floor. The monitoring device 5 can also detect how many floors the building has by counting the number of times the car stops at an intermediate floor. The monitoring device 5 can then detect which floor the car 4 is on by using the acceleration sensor 5g to detect the distance traveled from the top floor or the bottom floor.

[0017] When the car 4 stops at a floor, the monitoring device 5 performs a radio wave check to check the strength of the radio waves received by the modem 7, and detects floors where the radio wave strength meets a standard and floors where the radio wave strength does not meet the standard. This allows the monitoring device 5 to notify the center device 10 when the car 4 moves to a floor with good radio wave conditions. Furthermore, by automatically notifying the center device 10 of floors with poor radio wave conditions, it becomes possible to grasp in advance the risk of not being able to notify if the elevator 3 breaks down on a floor with poor radio wave conditions.

[0018] The monitoring device 5 omits the radio wave check if the radio wave check has been performed on the same floor within a certain period of time, thereby making it possible to avoid performing the radio wave check more frequently than necessary.

[0019] When the monitoring device 5 checks the radio waves, it resets the power supply of the modem 7. This causes the modem 7 to redo location registration and the like, making it possible to more accurately detect the radio wave conditions on that floor.

[0020] If the car 4 moves before the radio wave check is completed, the monitoring device 5 treats it as not having performed the radio wave check. This allows the radio wave check to be performed again the next time the car stops at that floor.

[0021] When the monitoring device 5 detects a floor where the radio wave strength does not meet the standard, it reports that a floor where the radio wave strength does not meet the standard has been detected when the vehicle stops at another floor. If the reporting is unsuccessful, it will report in the same way when it stops at another floor. This ensures that reporting is carried out reliably.

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

[0023] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of operation according to the first embodiment. In step S1 of FIG. 5, the monitoring device 5 determines whether the car 4 has stopped at a floor. If the car 4 has stopped at a floor, it determines whether the date and time at which radio waves were successfully received at that floor is within a certain date and time. If the date and time at which radio waves were successfully received at that floor is within the certain date and time, it is considered that a radio wave check is not necessary, and processing proceeds to step S8. If the date and time at which radio waves were successfully received at that floor is not within the certain date and time, processing proceeds to step S3, and the monitoring device 5 starts a radio wave check. Next, it determines whether the car 4 has moved during the radio wave check, and if the car 4 has moved, processing of this flowchart ends. If the car 4 has not moved during the radio wave check, it is determined whether the radio wave strength meets the standard (step S5).

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

[0025] As described above, in this embodiment, a floor with poor radio wave conditions is detected, and when the user moves to a floor with good radio wave conditions, a report can be sent to the center device 10. Furthermore, by automatically reporting a floor with poor radio wave conditions to the center device 10, it is possible to grasp in advance the risk of not being able to report if the elevator 3 breaks down on a floor with poor radio wave conditions.

[0026] When the monitoring device 5 can communicate with the control device 6, the car 4 may be moved to a floor with good radio wave conditions when it is time for the monitoring device 5 to collect data. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent failure to receive radio waves when it is time for the monitoring device 5 to collect data.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for realizing the functions of the control device 6 and the center device 10 in the first embodiment. Each function of the control device 6 and the center device 10 is realized by, for example, a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware 600. The processing circuit may include a processor 601 and a memory 602. A part of the processing circuit may be formed as the dedicated hardware 600, and the processing circuit may further include the processor 601 and the memory 602. In the example shown in FIG. 6, a part of the processing circuit is formed as the dedicated hardware 600. Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the processing circuit further includes the processor 601 and the memory 602 in addition to the dedicated hardware 600.

[0028] The processing circuitry of which at least one portion is dedicated hardware 600 may be, for example, a single circuit, multiple circuits, a programmed processor, parallel programmed processors, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0029] When the processing circuit includes at least one processor 601 and at least one memory 602, the functions of each part of the control device 6 and the center device 10 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware.

[0030] The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in memory 602. The processor 601 realizes the functions of each unit by reading and executing the programs stored in memory 602. The processor 601 is also called a CPU (Central Processing Unit), central processing unit, processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP. The memory 602 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or EEPROM, or a magnetic disk, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, minidisk, DVD, etc.

[0031] In this way, the processing circuit can realize the functions of the control device 6 and the center device 10 by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these. Note that each function of the control device 6 and the center device 10 may be realized by cooperation between multiple devices or by a single device. Furthermore, at least a part of each function of the control device 6 and the center device 10 may be implemented in a server or the like on an external network.

[0032] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 elevator system, 2 building, 3 elevator, 4 car, 5 monitoring device, 5a CPU, 5b RAM, 5c ROM, 5d wireless communication unit, 5e display unit, 5f operation unit, 5g acceleration sensor, 6 control device, 7 modem, 8 communication network, 9 base station, 10 center device, 11 monitoring center, 12 elevator shaft, 600 dedicated hardware, 601 processor, 602 memory

Claims

1. An elevator system comprising: a monitoring device installed in a car for monitoring the elevator's operating status; and a communication device connected to the monitoring device for wireless communication with a base station, wherein the monitoring device performs a radio wave check to check the strength of radio waves received by the communication device when the car stops at a floor, and is configured to detect floors where the radio wave strength meets a standard and floors where the radio wave strength does not meet the standard.

2. An elevator system as described in claim 1, wherein the monitoring device resets the communication device when performing the radio wave check.

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

4. An elevator system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the monitoring device detects a floor where the radio wave strength does not meet the standard, it reports, when the elevator stops at another floor, that a floor where the radio wave strength does not meet the standard has been detected.

5. An elevator system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the monitoring device is equipped with an acceleration sensor, and the acceleration sensor detects which floor the car is on.

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