Method and system for controlling elevator operation

Abstract

A method and system for controlling elevator operation. The system comprises: at least two cameras (110) arranged at different positions on the top of an elevator and facing a floor space of an elevator car, each camera (110) of the at least two cameras (110) being configured to capture an image corresponding to a field of view of the camera; an image processor (120), configured to acquire the images captured by the at least two cameras (110), and perform fusion processing on the images to determine a projection area of an object in the elevator on a floor of the elevator car; and a controller (130), configured to determine an elevator occupancy rate on the basis of the determined projection area, and control the operation of the elevator on the basis of the determined elevator occupancy rate.

Description

Methods and systems for controlling elevator operation Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to an apparatus for an elevator, and more particularly to a method and system for controlling the operation of an elevator. Background Technology

[0002] In elevator control, when an elevator's car occupancy rate reaches a predefined threshold, a bypass signal is triggered. At this point, even with landing calls from outside the car, the elevator will not serve the corresponding floor, as this could lead to unnecessary stops. In this situation, another elevator can be assigned to handle the landing call, thereby reducing passenger travel time and waiting time for passengers making landing calls.

[0003] Typically, load weighing devices are used to detect elevator car occupancy. However, in some situations, such as when the elevator floor space may be occupied by lighter objects (e.g., passengers carrying large luggage or strollers), even though the elevator is almost completely occupied and cannot carry any more passengers, the load weighing device will not detect this and trigger the full-load bypass signal because the weight is too heavy. Therefore, additional input is needed to support the detection of elevator car occupancy.

[0004] However, current devices used to detect elevator car occupancy rates suffer from problems such as insufficient detection accuracy, inconvenient installation, and limited interaction with passengers or management personnel. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to at least partially solve at least one of the above problems, the present invention is proposed.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a system for controlling elevator operation is provided, the system comprising: at least two cameras arranged at different locations on the top of the elevator and facing the elevator car floor space, each of the at least two cameras being configured to capture an image corresponding to its field of view; an image processor configured to acquire the images captured by the at least two cameras and perform fusion processing on the images to determine a projection area of ​​an object inside the elevator on the elevator car floor; and a controller configured to determine an elevator occupancy rate based on the determined projection area and control the operation of the elevator based on the determined elevator occupancy rate.

[0007] In one embodiment, the at least two cameras include one camera positioned at the top center of the wall where the elevator car door is located, and another camera positioned at the top center of the wall opposite the elevator car door.

[0008] In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to control the elevator not to respond to passenger entry requests from outside the elevator based on the elevator occupancy rate exceeding a first threshold.

[0009] In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to send a notification signal to passengers inside the elevator based on the elevator occupancy rate exceeding a second threshold, the notification signal including a voice signal and / or an indicator light signal, wherein the second threshold is less than the first threshold.

[0010] In one embodiment, the controller sends an instruction to the image processor to begin storing video or images captured by the at least two cameras based on the elevator occupancy rate exceeding a third threshold.

[0011] In one embodiment, the number of the at least two cameras is determined based on the size of the elevator.

[0012] In one embodiment, when one of the at least two cameras stops working, the image processor is also configured to receive images captured by the other of the at least two cameras and process the images to determine the projection area of ​​an object inside the elevator car onto the elevator car floor.

[0013] In one embodiment, when the camera is implemented as a binocular camera, determining the projection area of ​​an object inside the elevator on the elevator car floor includes: converting the acquired images from each binocular camera into three-dimensional point cloud images; performing coordinate system alignment and point cloud fusion processing on all the converted three-dimensional point cloud images to obtain a fused three-dimensional point cloud image; and determining the projection area of ​​an object inside the elevator on the elevator car floor based on the fused three-dimensional point cloud image.

[0014] In one embodiment, the image processor further includes a trained neural network configured to recognize objects inside the elevator, and the controller is further configured to issue a notification signal to passengers inside the elevator or to external elevator management personnel based on object recognition results received from the image processor, the notification signal including a voice signal and / or an indicator light signal.

[0015] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling elevator operation is provided, comprising: acquiring images captured by at least two cameras arranged at different positions on the top of the elevator and facing the elevator car floor space; performing a fusion processing on the acquired images captured by the at least two cameras to determine the projection area of ​​an object inside the elevator on the elevator car floor; and determining the elevator occupancy rate based on the determined projection area, and controlling the operation of the elevator based on the determined elevator occupancy rate.

[0016] In one embodiment, the at least two cameras include one camera positioned at the top center of the wall where the elevator car door is located, and another camera positioned at the top center of the wall opposite the elevator car door.

[0017] In one embodiment, controlling elevator operation based on a determined elevator occupancy rate includes: controlling the elevator not to respond to passenger entry requests from outside the elevator based on the determined elevator occupancy rate exceeding a first threshold.

[0018] In one embodiment, controlling the operation of the elevator based on the determined elevator occupancy rate further includes: issuing a notification signal to passengers inside the elevator based on determining that the elevator occupancy rate exceeds a second threshold, the notification signal including a voice signal and / or an indicator light signal, wherein the second threshold is less than the first threshold.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method may further include: initiating the storage of images or videos captured by the at least two cameras based on the determined elevator occupancy rate exceeding the threshold.

[0020] In one embodiment, the number of the at least two cameras is determined based on the size of the elevator.

[0021] In one embodiment, the method may further include: when one of the at least two cameras stops working, processing images captured by the other two cameras to determine the projection area of ​​an object inside the elevator car on the elevator car floor.

[0022] In one embodiment, when the camera is implemented as a binocular camera, determining the projection area of ​​an object inside the elevator on the elevator car floor includes: converting the image of each binocular camera into a three-dimensional point cloud image; aligning all the converted three-dimensional point cloud images in a coordinate system and performing point cloud fusion processing to obtain a fused three-dimensional point cloud image; and determining the projection area of ​​an object inside the elevator on the elevator car floor based on the fused three-dimensional point cloud image.

[0023] In one embodiment, the method may further include: identifying objects inside the elevator via a trained neural network; and issuing a notification signal to passengers inside the elevator or elevator management personnel outside the elevator based on the object identification result, the notification signal including a voice signal and / or an indicator light signal.

[0024] The above embodiments of this disclosure can improve the accuracy of detecting elevator car occupancy rate. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this disclosure and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope of protection. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of an elevator control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 2 shows a schematic flowchart of an elevator control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 3 illustrates a flowchart of an image processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0029] Figure 4 shows an example of a camera installed in an elevator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. For example, those skilled in the art will understand that the features in the various embodiments of this disclosure can be combined with each other, and the combined implementation still falls within the scope of this disclosure. Based on the described embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0031] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as “comprising” or “including” mean that an element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects.

[0032] Before proceeding with the detailed description below, it may be advantageous to define certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The terms “comprising” and “including” and their derivatives mean including but not limited to. The term “or” is inclusive and means and / or.

[0033] Furthermore, some of the various functions described below may be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each computer program being formed by computer-readable program code and embodied in a computer-readable medium. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, associated data, or portions thereof suitable for implementation in appropriate computer-readable program code. The phrase "computer-readable program code" includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase "computer-readable medium" includes any type of medium that can be accessed by a computer, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard disk drive, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of storage. "Non-transitory" computer-readable media excludes wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that transmit transient electrical or other signals. Non-transitory computer-readable media includes media that can permanently store data and media that can store and later rewrite data, such as rewritable optical discs or erasable memory devices.

[0034] The various embodiments discussed below for describing the principles of this disclosure in this patent document are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed in any way as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0035] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, is provided to aid in a thorough understanding of the various embodiments of this disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. This description includes various specific details to aid understanding but should be considered exemplary only. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the various embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Furthermore, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures may be omitted.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this disclosure (including technical or scientific terms) have the same meaning as understood by one of those skilled in the art as described herein. Common terms as defined in dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the context in the relevant technical field and should not be interpreted ideally or overly formally unless expressly defined in this disclosure.

[0037] Figures 1 through 4 discussed below, along with various embodiments used to illustrate the principles of this disclosure in this patent document, are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure in any way. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of this disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

[0038] The elevator car occupancy rate, referred to as elevator occupancy rate in this text, indicates the ratio of the area of ​​the elevator floor occupied by objects (including people, pets, items, and any other objects that may appear in the elevator and occupy elevator space). In calculation, the elevator occupancy rate is determined by the ratio of the area of ​​the projected area of ​​objects on the elevator floor to the total area of ​​the elevator floor.

[0039] According to the scheme disclosed herein, image information of objects inside the elevator is obtained by assembling at least two cameras at the top of the elevator (preferably at the center of the top of the two opposite side walls of the elevator) and fusing the images captured by the cameras. The occupancy rate of these objects in the elevator is then determined based on this image information. The use of at least two cameras enables more accurate detection of elevator occupancy, thereby more reliably ensuring that the elevator operates within safe and efficient parameters, preventing overloading and optimizing passenger flow.

[0040] Figure 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of an elevator control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] The system may include at least two cameras 110, an image processor 120, and a controller 130, which are respectively arranged at different positions on the top of the elevator and facing the floor space of the elevator car. The image processor 120 may be connected to the at least two cameras 110 and the controller 130 respectively.

[0042] Each of the at least two cameras 110 can be configured to capture an image corresponding to its respective field of view. In a preferred embodiment, the at least two cameras 110 may include one camera positioned at the center of the top of the wall where the elevator car door is located and another camera positioned at the center of the top of the wall opposite the elevator car door. By using at least two cameras 110, problems such as blind spots and line-of-sight obstruction caused by a single camera can be prevented, thereby improving the integrity of the imaging of objects inside the elevator. It should be noted that the term "camera" as used herein can refer to a monocular camera, a binocular camera, a depth camera, or other devices capable of image capture.

[0043] Image processor 120 can be configured to receive images captured by at least two cameras 110 and perform fusion processing on these images to determine the projection area of ​​objects inside the elevator onto the elevator floor.

[0044] It should be noted that the image processor 120 may be equipped with a fault-tolerant processing mechanism. Specifically, when one or more of the at least two cameras 110 malfunction or otherwise fail to function properly (e.g., the lens is damaged or obstructed), the image processor 120 can still process the images captured by the remaining cameras of the at least two cameras 110 (if the remaining cameras include only one camera, the processing is processing only the image of that single camera; if the remaining cameras include two or more cameras, the processing is fusion processing), thereby ensuring the operational reliability and continuity of the system according to this disclosure.

[0045] In a further embodiment, the image processor 120 may also be configured to store images or videos captured by the operating camera in response to a specific event or periodically for later viewing. The specific event may include receiving an indication signal from the controller or recognizing the presence of a specific object or activity within the elevator.

[0046] The controller 130 can be configured to determine the elevator occupancy rate based on projection area information received from the image processor 120, and then control the elevator operation based on the determined occupancy rate. Because the image processor 120 fuses and projects images captured by at least two cameras 110, the controller can easily determine the elevator occupancy information using the projection information received from the image processor 120.

[0047] In a further embodiment, the controller 130 can be configured to not respond to passenger entry requests from outside the elevator when the elevator occupancy rate exceeds a first threshold, thereby preventing overloading. At this time, the controller can also control another elevator to respond to passenger entry requests from outside the elevator. This reduces the time passengers currently in the elevator car spend riding the elevator and the waiting time for passengers outside the elevator to make landing calls.

[0048] In a further embodiment, when the elevator occupancy rate exceeds a second threshold, the controller 130 can send notification signals to passengers inside the elevator. These notification signals may include voice notifications and / or indicator light signals. The second threshold can be set lower than the first threshold. These voice and / or indicator light signals can prompt passengers inside the elevator to adjust the current occupied area. For example, by issuing a voice message such as "Please move further in" or illuminating an indicator light showing that a new passenger is about to enter, passengers can be prompted to move away from the elevator door or adjust the occupied area of ​​their belongings, thereby reducing the space occupied by existing objects inside the elevator and accommodating more new passengers and their belongings.

[0049] In a further embodiment, the aforementioned voice and / or indicator light signals can be issued when the elevator occupancy rate exceeds a second threshold and the elevator weighing device indicates uneven weight distribution or that the current weight is significantly less than the elevator's maximum allowable weight. In a further embodiment, the notification signal can continue for a predetermined period and automatically deactivate after that period, or it can be deactivated in response to a specific event (e.g., a passenger in the car presses a key or moves, or the elevator weighing device displays a uniform weight distribution). By setting the aforementioned notification signal, more efficient elevator use can be achieved through interaction with passengers in the car.

[0050] In a further embodiment, when the controller 130 determines that the elevator occupancy rate exceeds a third threshold, the controller 130 may send an instruction to the image processor 120. This instruction may be used to indicate that video or images captured by the camera 110 can begin to be stored for subsequent analysis and recording. Specifically, the stored video or images can be used by elevator management personnel to analyze and manage the cargo situation inside the elevator. For example, if it is discovered that a passenger elevator is being used for freight transport, appropriate stop or preventative measures can be taken. The third threshold here may be set by the elevator management personnel or set by default, and its value may be the same as or different from the first or second threshold.

[0051] In a further embodiment, the number of cameras in the system can be adjusted according to the size of the elevator to adapt to different elevator configurations. Larger elevators can accommodate a larger number of cameras to capture images with a wider field of view. In a preferred embodiment, at least two cameras 110 can be implemented as just two cameras, which can be positioned at the top center of the wall where the elevator car door is located and at the top center of the wall opposite the elevator car door, respectively. By positioning the cameras at the top of the wall, rather than in the center of the ceiling, interference with existing ceiling designs (e.g., lighting fixtures) can be prevented. Furthermore, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the cameras 110 can also be mounted on glass or mirrored walls, thereby increasing the applicability of the elevator control system according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0052] In a further embodiment, the image processor 120 may include a trained neural network for recognizing objects within the elevator and sending the object recognition results to the controller 130. The controller 130 may issue a notification signal to passengers or elevator management personnel based on the object recognition results received from the image processor 120. The notification signal may be in the form of voice or an indicator light. For example, when a dangerous item (such as an electric vehicle, a knife, etc.) is detected on the elevator, an alarm may be issued to passengers or elevator management personnel to indicate the potential danger, allowing passengers to move away from the elevator, or allowing elevator management personnel to call the alarm or take other preventative measures. In a further embodiment, the controller 130 may also be configured to send an instruction to the image processor 120 based on the object recognition results received from the image processor 120. This instruction may indicate that the storage of video or images captured by the camera 110 can begin for subsequent analysis and recording.

[0053] Figure 2 shows a schematic flowchart of an elevator control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] The method begins at step S210. Step S210 involves acquiring image information corresponding to the field of view captured by each of the various operating cameras. As previously described, because the cameras will be mounted on the top of the elevator and aimed at the elevator car space, the cameras will record information related to objects inside the elevator car. This step can be performed by at least two cameras 110 shown in Figure 1.

[0055] In step 220, the image information captured by the various operating cameras can be fused to determine the projection area of ​​objects inside the elevator. This step can be performed by the image processor 120 in Figure 1.

[0056] In step 230, the elevator occupancy rate can be determined based on the defined projection area, and the elevator operation can be controlled based on the determined elevator occupancy rate. This step can be performed by the controller 130 in Figure 1.

[0057] The “each operating camera” mentioned above can be all of the at least two cameras 110 in Figure 1, or the remaining cameras in the at least two cameras 110 excluding those that have malfunctioned or otherwise fail to work properly.

[0058] In a preferred embodiment, the “each operating camera” mentioned above includes one camera positioned at the center of the top of the wall where the elevator car door is located and another camera positioned at the center of the top of the wall opposite the elevator car door.

[0059] In a further embodiment, the elevator control method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may further include controlling the elevator not to respond to passenger entry requests from outside the elevator when the determined elevator occupancy rate exceeds a first threshold, thereby preventing overloading.

[0060] In a further embodiment, the elevator control method according to embodiments of the present disclosure may further include: when the elevator occupancy rate exceeds a first threshold, not responding to passenger entry requests from outside the elevator, thereby preventing overloading. In this case, the elevator control method according to embodiments of the present disclosure may further include controlling another elevator to respond to passenger entry requests from outside the elevator. This can reduce the riding time of passengers currently in the elevator car and the waiting time for passengers outside the elevator to make landing calls.

[0061] In a further embodiment, the elevator control method according to the embodiments of this disclosure may further include: when the elevator occupancy rate exceeds a second threshold, issuing a notification signal to passengers inside the elevator. These notification signals may include voice notification signals and / or indicator light signals. The second threshold may be set lower than a first threshold. These voice and / or indicator light signals can prompt passengers inside the elevator to adjust the current occupied area. For example, by issuing a voice message such as "Please move further in" or similar, or by illuminating an indicator light indicating that a new passenger is about to enter, passengers can be prompted to move away from the elevator door or adjust the occupied area of ​​passenger belongings, thereby reducing the space occupied by existing objects inside the elevator and accommodating more new passengers and their belongings.

[0062] In a further embodiment, the elevator control method according to the embodiments of this disclosure may further include issuing the aforementioned voice and / or indicator light signals when the elevator occupancy rate exceeds a second threshold and simultaneously the elevator weighing device indicates uneven elevator weight distribution or that the current weight is significantly less than the elevator's maximum allowable weight. In a further embodiment, the aforementioned notification signal may continue for a predetermined period and automatically deactivate after that period, or it may be deactivated in response to a specific event (e.g., a passenger in the car presses a button or moves, or the elevator weighing device displays a uniform elevator weight distribution). By setting the aforementioned notification signal, more efficient elevator use can be achieved through interaction with passengers in the car.

[0063] In a further embodiment, the elevator control method according to the embodiments of this disclosure may further include: when the elevator occupancy rate exceeds a third threshold, starting to store video or images captured by a camera for subsequent analysis and recording. Specifically, the stored video or images can be used by elevator management personnel to analyze and manage the cargo situation inside the elevator. For example, if it is discovered that a passenger elevator is being used for freight transport, corresponding stop or preventative measures can be taken. The third threshold here can be set by the elevator management personnel or set by default, and its value can be the same as or different from the first threshold or the second threshold.

[0064] In a preferred embodiment, at least two cameras 110 can be implemented by including only two cameras respectively positioned at the top center of the wall where the elevator car door is located and at the top center of the wall opposite the elevator car door. In a further embodiment, the number of cameras in the system can be adjusted according to the size of the elevator to accommodate different elevator configurations. Larger elevators can accommodate a larger number of cameras to obtain images with a wider field of view. By placing the cameras at the top of the wall, rather than at the center of the ceiling, the camera installation can prevent interference with existing ceiling designs (e.g., lighting fixtures). Furthermore, the cameras 110 according to embodiments of this disclosure can be mounted on glass or mirrored walls, thereby increasing the applicability of the elevator control system according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0065] In a further embodiment, the elevator control method according to embodiments of this disclosure may further include identifying the specific type of objects inside the elevator via a trained neural network for recognizing objects inside the elevator, and selectively issuing a notification signal to passengers or elevator management personnel based on the identification result of the specific type of object. The notification signal may be in the form of voice or indicator lights. For example, when a dangerous item (such as an electric vehicle, a knife, etc.) is detected on the elevator, an alarm may be issued to passengers or elevator management personnel to indicate the possible presence of a dangerous item, allowing passengers to move away from the elevator, or allowing elevator management personnel to manually raise an alarm or take other preventative measures based on the alarm.

[0066] Figure 3 shows a flowchart of an image processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when the camera described above is implemented as a stereo camera. This image processing method can be executed by the image processor 120 shown in Figure 1.

[0067] The process 300 begins at step 310, in which a 3D point cloud image corresponding to the image captured by each of the binocular cameras is determined based on the received images captured by the running binocular cameras.

[0068] In step 320, the 3D point cloud images corresponding to the images captured by each binocular camera are aligned and fused to obtain a fused 3D point cloud image, thereby obtaining complete 3D point cloud data about the objects inside the elevator. Specifically, the point cloud alignment process aligns the 3D point cloud data obtained from the content captured by each camera to the same coordinate system.

[0069] In step 330, the projection of objects inside the elevator onto the elevator floor is determined based on the fused complete 3D point cloud image.

[0070] Optionally, the image processing method may further include identifying the specific type of an object in the elevator via a trained neural network for recognizing objects in the elevator, and sending the identification result of the specific type of the object to a controller, so that the controller can selectively issue a notification signal to passengers or elevator management personnel based on the object identification result.

[0071] Optionally, the image processing method may further include storing images or videos captured by the operating binocular camera for later viewing in response to a specific event or periodically. The specific event may include receiving an indication signal from the controller or identifying the presence of a specific object or activity within the elevator.

[0072] By using at least two cameras to capture image information about objects inside the elevator and fusing all the captured image information, more accurate image information about objects inside the elevator can be obtained, thereby more accurately assessing their occupancy rate in the elevator space.

[0073] Figure 4 shows an example of a camera installed in an elevator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0074] Figure 4 illustrates an example of installing two cameras inside an elevator car. Specifically, the first camera 410-1 can be mounted at the top center of the wall where the elevator car door is located, and the second camera 410-2 is positioned at the top center of the wall opposite the elevator car door. The first camera 410-1 and the second camera 410-2 can be at least two cameras 110 as shown in Figure 1. The field of view of the two cameras is illustrated in Figure 4 using a projected portion. The use of two or more cameras can solve the blind spot problem of a single camera's imaging, thereby achieving a more accurate and complete detection of objects within the elevator car 420.

[0075] Those skilled in the art will understand that the illustrative embodiments described above are not intended to be limiting. It should be understood that any two or more of the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in any combination. Furthermore, other embodiments may be utilized and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that aspects of the invention disclosed herein, as generally described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a variety of different configurations, all of which are contemplated herein.

[0076] Those skilled in the art will understand that some of the illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and steps described in this application can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps described above are generally presented as sets of functions. Whether such sets of functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described sets of functions in different ways for each specific application, but such design decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of this application.

[0077] The illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in this application may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternatives, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0078] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in this application may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of both. The software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read and write information to / from the storage medium. In an alternative, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In an alternative, the processor and storage medium may reside as discrete components in the user terminal.

[0079] In one or more exemplary designs, the functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, the latter including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one location to another. Storage media may be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0080] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The scope of protection of this application is determined by the appended claims.

[0081] The scope of this disclosure is not limited by the embodiments described above, but by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the operation of an elevator, comprising: At least two cameras are arranged at different positions on the top of the elevator and facing the floor space of the elevator car, each of the at least two cameras being configured to capture an image corresponding to its field of view; An image processor is configured to acquire images captured by the at least two cameras and perform fusion processing on the images to determine the projection area of ​​an object inside the elevator car onto the elevator car floor. as well as The controller is configured to determine the elevator occupancy rate based on the determined projection area and to control the operation of the elevator based on the determined elevator occupancy rate.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The at least two cameras include one camera positioned at the top center of the wall where the elevator car door is located, and another camera positioned at the top center of the wall opposite the elevator car door.

3. The system as described in claim 2, wherein, The controller is also configured to prevent the elevator from responding to passenger entry requests from outside the elevator based on the elevator occupancy rate exceeding a first threshold.

4. The system as described in claim 3, wherein, The controller is also configured to send a notification signal to passengers inside the elevator based on the elevator occupancy rate exceeding a second threshold. The notification signal includes a voice signal and / or an indicator light signal, wherein the second threshold is less than the first threshold.

5. The system as described in claim 3, wherein, The controller sends an instruction to the image processor to begin storing the video or images captured by the at least two cameras based on the elevator occupancy rate exceeding a third threshold.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein, The number of at least two cameras is determined based on the size of the elevator.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein, When one of the at least two cameras stops working, the image processor is also configured to receive images captured by the other of the at least two cameras and process the images to determine the projection area of ​​objects inside the elevator car on the elevator car floor.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 or 7, wherein, When the camera is implemented as a binocular camera, determining the projection area of ​​an object inside the elevator onto the elevator car floor includes: Each acquired image from a binocular camera is converted into a 3D point cloud image; All the transformed 3D point cloud images are aligned in coordinate system and fused to obtain a fused 3D point cloud image; and The projection area of ​​objects inside the elevator car onto the elevator car floor is determined based on the fused 3D point cloud image.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein, The image processor also includes a trained neural network configured to recognize objects inside the elevator, and The controller is also configured to send notification signals to passengers inside the elevator and elevator management personnel outside the elevator based on object recognition results received from the image processor. The notification signals include voice signals and / or indicator light signals.

10. A method for controlling the operation of an elevator, comprising: Images are captured by at least two cameras positioned at different locations on the top of the elevator and facing the floor space of the elevator car; The images captured by the at least two cameras are fused to determine the projection area of ​​objects inside the elevator car onto the elevator car floor. as well as The elevator occupancy rate is determined based on the defined projection area, and the elevator operation is controlled based on the determined elevator occupancy rate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The at least two cameras include one camera positioned at the top center of the wall where the elevator car door is located, and another camera positioned at the top center of the wall opposite the elevator car door.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, Controlling elevator operation based on the determined elevator occupancy rate includes: controlling the elevator not to respond to passenger entry requests from outside the elevator based on the determined elevator occupancy rate exceeding a first threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, Controlling elevator operation based on the determined elevator occupancy rate also includes: issuing a notification signal to passengers inside the elevator based on the determination that the elevator occupancy rate exceeds a second threshold, the notification signal including a voice signal and / or an indicator light signal, wherein the second threshold is less than the first threshold.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: The system begins storing images or videos captured by the at least two cameras based on the determined elevator occupancy rate exceeding a third threshold.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein, The number of at least two cameras is determined based on the size of the elevator.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising: When one of the at least two cameras stops working, the images captured by the other two cameras are processed to determine the projection area of ​​objects inside the elevator car onto the elevator car floor.

17. The method of claim 10 or 16, wherein, When the camera is implemented as a binocular camera, determining the projection area of ​​an object inside the elevator onto the elevator car floor includes: Convert the images from each binocular camera into 3D point cloud images; All the transformed 3D point cloud images are aligned in coordinate system and fused to obtain a fused 3D point cloud image; and The projection area of ​​objects inside the elevator car onto the elevator car floor is determined based on the fused 3D point cloud image.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising: The trained neural network identifies objects inside the elevator. as well as Based on object recognition results, notification signals are sent to passengers inside the elevator or elevator management personnel outside the elevator. The notification signals include voice signals and / or indicator light signals.

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