JP4488809B2 - Elevator control system, elevator control device, and portable information terminal - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an elevator control system that can communicate with a portable information terminal, and more particularly to an elevator control system that operates in response to a request from a portable information terminal.

Conventionally, there is a thing of patent documents 1 as an elevator control system comprised from a personal digital assistant and an elevator control device which operates according to a demand of a personal digital assistant. This is an elevator control system in which landing information is registered by a portable information terminal (registration that calls an elevator car on the floor on which the user gets on), and the portable information terminal indicates that the car has arrived on the floor on which the user gets on. Notice.
JP 2003-192244 A

  However, in the elevator control system described above, the portable information terminal needs to receive arrival completion information on the car landing floor (floor on which the user gets on) from the elevator control device, which is not notified (transmitted). For this reason, there has always been a problem that communication costs have to be increased because the communication with the elevator control device must be maintained in a communicable state. Here, the communication cost is not only a communication line usage fee when communicating using a commercial communication line, but also a cost for power necessary to maintain a communicable state (for example, information from an elevator controller). The cost of the power consumed during the reception standby of the reception circuit that receives the signal is also included.

  Therefore, the present invention specifies the time when the information from the elevator control device (car landing floor arrival completion information) can be transmitted (the time when the car arrives at the landing floor), and the portable information terminal is set in accordance with the transmission time. It aims at providing the elevator control system which can reduce communication cost by setting it as a state which can communicate with an elevator control apparatus.

The elevator control system of the present invention includes:
An elevator control system for operating an elevator car in response to a request from a user via a portable information terminal and notifying the user of the completion of the operation of the elevator car via the portable information terminal,
(A) an elevator side communication means capable of communicating with the portable information terminal;
(B) an operation completion time calculating means for calculating an operation completion time for completing the above operation from the elevator information;
(C) Communication control for connecting and disconnecting communication between the elevator-side communication means and the terminal-side communication means by controlling the terminal-side communication means capable of communicating with the elevator-side communication means. A portable information terminal having a means,
The communication control means obtains information on the operation completion time and disconnects communication between the elevator side communication means and the terminal side communication means. After the operation completion time has elapsed, the elevator side communication means and the terminal side Communication with a communication means is connected.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to specify the time when information can be transmitted from the elevator control device, and the communication cost can be reduced by making the portable information terminal communicable with the elevator control device in accordance with the transmission time. It becomes possible.

  The elevator control system of the present invention includes a portable information terminal and an elevator control system, and the elevator control device and the portable information terminal can communicate with each other. The user requests an operation of the elevator control device via the portable information terminal and receives a notification of completion of the requested operation. In this specification, the portable information terminal has communication means capable of communicating with an elevator control device, and includes, for example, a mobile phone, a personal handyphone system (PHS), a personal digital assistance (PDA), and a laptop computer. In addition, a dedicated portable information terminal is also included for requesting the elevator controller to operate and receiving notification of the completion of the operation.

  The communication means that the elevator control device and the portable information terminal can communicate with each other differs depending on the communication method. When the Internet is used for communication between the elevator control device and the portable information terminal, for example, the mobile phone has an environment (platform) that can execute an application created in Java (trademark) language such as i-appli (trademark). . The user connects to the Internet via an application stored (stored) in the mobile phone and receives information from the Internet. On the other hand, an elevator control device has a web server connected to the Internet in order to provide information to a user via an application. Information is communicated over the Internet from the application to the web server and vice versa.

  As other communication means, for example, when a LAN (Local Area Network) is used, there are a wireless LAN, an infrared communication device that communicates an elevator control device and a portable information terminal without using a network or the like.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment using the application and the web server will be described, but this does not limit the communication means to the application and the web server. A communication method using the application and the web server as communication means is appropriately selected from communication methods between the portable information terminal and the elevator control device.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 shows an ellen beta control system 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The elevator control system 100 includes an elevator control device 110 and a mobile phone 120 that is a portable information terminal. In addition to the components shown in the figure, the elevator control device 110 appropriately includes car control means for controlling the operation of the car, call control means for assigning (registering) calls requested by the user to the car, and the like. Since the elevator control device is naturally included, illustration and detailed description are omitted. In the present embodiment, the operation requested by the user is an operation of calling a car to a floor (a landing floor) on which the user gets on, in other words, a landing call.

  The elevator control apparatus 110 includes a web server 114 connected to the Internet 112 as a communication unit with a cellular phone 120 described later. The web server 114 stores an application described later in the application storage unit 18. In addition, the elevator control device 110 calculates the time required to complete the operation requested from the mobile phone 120 from the elevator information. In this embodiment, the elevator control device 110 calculates the time required for the car to arrive at the landing floor. Means 116 are included. Here, the elevator information includes information that does not change in principle, such as the number of cars, the moving speed of the car, the opening / closing speed of the car doors, and a car that changes such as call registration and the car traveling direction when calculating the operation completion time. The operation information of is included.

  The operation completion time calculation unit 116 is illustrated as one unit, but may be incorporated in a component (not illustrated) that is naturally necessary as the elevator control device 110. For example, when the elevator control device optimizes the car operation and controls the elevator system, the time to arrive at the car landing is calculated to optimize the car operation.

  The mobile phone 120 has a communication means (mobile information terminal side communication means) 124 capable of selectively connecting to the Internet 112 and the Internet 122. The mobile phone 120 has a web browser 126 for browsing a web page in the web server 114 on the Internet 112 or connected to the Internet, and an environment (platform) capable of executing the above-described application. Furthermore, the first embodiment includes an application 128 that requests (registers) a landing call from the elevator control device 110 (hereinafter referred to as “landing call registration application”).

  The landing call registration application 128 is a network connection type application that can obtain information by connecting to the Internet 112 as a network. In the present embodiment, the elevator control device 110 is provided via the web server 116 which is a providing means. The landing call registration application 128 controls the communication means 124 to connect or disconnect the communication between the elevator control device 110 and the mobile phone 120 via the Internet 112, and requests for the operation from the user (the landing point). An operation reception unit 132 that receives (registers a call) and transmits it to the elevator control device 110, and an operation completion notification unit 134 that notifies the user of the completion of the operation requested by the user (arrival of the car landing floor). Yes.

  The operation accepting unit 132 accepts an operation requested by the user (a landing call) by being input by an information input device of the mobile phone 120 (for example, a button such as a telephone number input button or a microphone). For example, when the landing call registration application 128 is executed, a landing call registration screen is displayed on a display unit that is an information output device (for example, a display unit or a speaker) of the mobile phone 120. On this landing call registration screen, a landing call is registered by a telephone number input button. As the hall call, the floor where the user gets on (the landing floor), the direction of the destination floor from the landing floor (the direction of the destination), the floor of the destination (the departure floor), the designation of the car if the elevator system has multiple cars, etc. Is registered.

  The operation completion notification unit 134 notifies the completion of the operation requested by the user (the arrival of the car at the landing floor) using the information output device of the mobile phone 120. For example, the notification is performed by displaying the arrival of the car at the landing floor on the display unit or by outputting sound from a speaker. When the mobile phone 120 has a vibration function or a light emitting unit, the notification may be notified by vibration or blinking of the light emitting unit, or a combination of these may be notified.

  Hereinafter, in the elevator control system 110 of the present embodiment, the flow from the call registration between the elevator control device 110 and the mobile phone 120 to the notification of the arrival of the car at the landing floor will be described with reference to the processing flow of FIG. To do.

  The user who owns the mobile phone 120 first activates the web browser 126 in order to obtain the landing call registration application 128 for registering the landing call in the elevator control device 110. The user accesses the web server 114 of the elevator control device 110 from the activated web browser 126 via the Internet 112, and stores the landing call registration application 128 stored in the application storage unit 118 in the memory in the mobile phone 120. to download.

  The downloaded landing call registration application 128 is activated. Next, in step 1010 shown in FIG. 2, a landing call is input to the operation reception unit 132 of the landing call registration application 128. When the input of the landing call is completed, in step 1020, the communication control unit 130 controls the communication means 124 to make the Internet connection 122 between the mobile phone 120 and the Internet 112, thereby the elevator connected to the Internet 112. Connect to the web server 114 of the control device 110. In step 1030, the landing call registration application 128 transmits landing call information (landing call information) to the web server 114 via the Internet 112.

  In step 1040, the web server 114 receives the landing call information. Subsequently, at step 1050, a landing call of landing call information is assigned (registered) to the car by the call control means (not shown) of the elevator control device 110 from the web server 114. Hereinafter, this car will be referred to as a landing call registration.

  Next, the operation completion time calculation means 116 calculates the minimum time required for the landing call registration car to arrive at the landing floor. Here, at the landing call registration, there are cases where the landing call registration car exists on the landing floor and does not exist, and these are determined in step 1060. If the landing call registration car exists on the landing floor at the time of registration, the process proceeds to step 1150. If not, the process proceeds to Step 1070.

  In step 1070, if the landing call registration car does not exist on the landing floor at the landing call registration time, the arrival time (arrival time at the landing floor) of arrival at the landing floor of the landing call registration car is calculated. The calculation is performed by obtaining elevator information from car control means (not shown) or call control means (not shown) of the elevator control device 110.

  In step 1080, the calculated landing floor arrival time is transmitted to the mobile phone 120 as landing floor arrival time information.

  In step 1090, the mobile phone 120 receives landing floor arrival time information. Subsequently, in Step 1100, the communication control unit 130 of the landing call registration application 128 obtains the landing floor arrival time information based on the received landing floor arrival time information until the landing floor arrival time elapses. The Internet connection 122 between the communication means 24 of the mobile phone 120 and the Internet 112 is disconnected. The disconnection period of the Internet connection 122 based on the landing floor arrival time does not have to be strictly from when the landing floor arrival time information is obtained until the landing floor arrival time elapses. Good. This is because the landing call registration car operates even during the transmission of the landing floor arrival time information, and when the landing floor arrival time information is obtained, it is already strictly different from the calculated landing floor arrival time. is there.

  In step 1110, the terminal waits until the landing floor arrival time elapses with the communication means 124 of the mobile phone 120 and the Internet connection 122 between the Internet 112 disconnected.

  In step 1120, after the arrival time at the landing floor has elapsed, the communication control unit 130 makes an Internet connection 122 between the communication means 124 of the mobile phone 120 and the Internet 112.

  Subsequently, in step 1130, the landing call registration application 128 transmits landing call registration car status confirmation request information to the web server 114 of the elevator control device 110 in order to request confirmation of the status of the landing call registration car.

  In step 1140, the web server 114 of the elevator controller 110 receives the landing call registration car status confirmation request information. Next, in step 1060, it is determined whether a landing call registration car exists on the landing floor.

  If there is a landing call registration car at the landing, in step 1150, the car landing floor arrival notification information is transmitted to the mobile phone 120.

  In step 1160, the landing call registration application 128 receives the arrival information on arrival at the landing floor of the car. Subsequently, in step 1170, the communication control unit 130 disconnects the Internet connection 122, and the operation completion notification unit 134 notifies the user of arrival of the car at the landing floor.

  As a modification of the present embodiment, when the landing call registration car does not exist on the landing floor, a request for checking the status of the landing call registration car performed after the calculated landing floor arrival time has elapsed (in FIG. 2, step 1130). ) Can be deleted. After checking the status of the landing call registration car, if there is still no landing call registration car on the landing floor, another car may be near or exist on the landing floor. In order to register a landing call in such a car, a processing flow as shown in FIG. 3 is performed.

  The processing flow of FIG. 3 differs from the processing flow of FIG. 2 in that steps 1130 and 1140 are excluded, a new step 1075 is added between steps 1070 and 1080, and further, Step 1030 follows. In step 1075, the hall call registration of the hall call registration car is canceled. In step 1120, after the Internet connection 122 is made, the process returns to step 1030 and the same hall call information is retransmitted.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the Internet connection 122 is disconnected from the time when the landing floor arrival time information is obtained until the landing floor arrival time elapses. The Internet connection 122 may be disconnected until the arrival time. In this case, even if the information transmission speed (including vice versa) from the mobile phone 120 to the web server 114 varies due to the network status of the Internet 112 (the degree of congestion of the line or the difference in the route through), it is accurate. Internet connection 122 can be connected or disconnected.

  Such modifications are naturally included in the scope of the present invention.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to identify the time when information from the elevator control device can be transmitted, and by setting the portable information terminal in a communicable state with the elevator control device according to the transmission time, the communication cost can be reduced. Reduction is possible.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 4 shows the elevator control system of the present embodiment. The present embodiment differs from the elevator control system of the first embodiment in that operation completion time calculating means is present in the portable information terminal. Components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are indicated by adding 100 to the reference numerals in the first embodiment. The points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  The landing call registration application 228 stored (downloaded) in the mobile phone 220 calculates the time when the operation requested by the mobile phone 220 is completed. In the present embodiment, the landing call registration application 228 calculates the time when the car arrives at the landing. An operation completion time calculation unit 216 to calculate and an elevator information storage unit 236 having information on the elevator of the elevator system controlled by the elevator control device 210 are included.

  The elevator information storage unit 236 stores, in principle, information that does not change, such as the number of cars, the moving speed of a car, and the opening / closing speed of a car door, in the configuration information of the elevator system, for example, elevator information.

  In the present embodiment, the registration information of the landing call transmitted from the landing call registration application 228 to the web server 214 via the Internet 212 is registered by the call control means (not shown), and the landing call is registered. Elevator information of the elevator system at the time of registration, for example, information on the operation status of the car such as call registration and car traveling direction at the time of landing call registration is transmitted from the web server 214 to the landing call registration application 128 via the Internet 212. Is done.

  The operation completion time calculation unit 216 calculates the arrival time of the landing call registration car from the elevator information (car operation status and elevator system configuration information) at the landing call registration. Based on this arrival time, the communication control unit 230 disconnects the Internet connection 222 as in the first embodiment.

  The elevator information storage unit 236 is not necessarily included in the landing call registration application 228. In this case, the configuration information of the elevator system may be obtained from the elevator control device together with the information on the operation status of the car.

  According to the present embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, since the mobile phone 220 has the operation completion time calculation unit 216, the processing load on the elevator control device 210, particularly the web server 214, can be reduced. be able to. Thereby, even if landing call registration is performed from a large number of mobile phones, landing call registration can be executed without reducing the processing speed.

  As described above, the landing call registration application is downloaded from the web server of the elevator control device, but may be installed in the mobile phone from the beginning. Further, the platform call registration application needs to be slightly changed because the platform used is different, but can also be used in portable information terminals that can be connected to the Internet. Furthermore, it is clear that landing call registration and notification of arrival at the landing floor of a car can be performed by a similar method without departing from the intent and scope of the present invention even if the communication method is not used or not using the Internet. It is.

  In addition, the operation requested by the user from the elevator control device via the portable information terminal can be performed by operations other than landing call registration. For example, when an elevator system administrator performs maintenance operation or break-in operation of an elevator system, the maintenance operation or break-in operation is requested as a required operation, and the end of the maintenance operation or break-in operation is notified as an operation completion notification. Good. In this manner, if the operation can calculate the completion time, the operation completion can be notified by communication that can reduce the communication cost as described above.

It is the schematic of the elevator control system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the flow of the process implemented in the elevator control system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flow of another process implemented in the elevator control system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the schematic of the elevator control system which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

110 elevator control system, 112 Internet, 114 web server, 116 operation completion time calculating means, 118 application storage unit, 120 mobile phone, 122 Internet connection, 124 communication means, 126 web browser, 128 application, 130 communication control unit, 132 operation Reception unit, 134 operation completion notification unit,
210 elevator control system, 212 Internet, 214 web server, 216 operation completion time calculating means, 218 application storage unit, 220 mobile phone, 222 Internet connection, 224 communication means, 226 web browser, 228 application, 230 communication control unit, 232 operation Reception unit, 234 operation completion notification unit, 236 elevator information storage unit

Claims (8)

An elevator control system for operating an elevator car in response to a request from a user via a portable information terminal, and notifying the user of the completion of the operation of the elevator car via the portable information terminal,
(A) an elevator side communication means capable of communicating with the portable information terminal;
(B) an operation completion time calculating means for calculating an operation completion time for completing the above operation from the elevator information;
(C) Communication control for connecting and disconnecting communication between the elevator-side communication means and the terminal-side communication means by controlling the terminal-side communication means capable of communicating with the elevator-side communication means. A portable information terminal having a means,
The communication control means obtains information on the operation completion time and disconnects communication between the elevator side communication means and the terminal side communication means. After the operation completion time has elapsed, the elevator side communication means and the terminal side An elevator control system characterized by connecting communication with a communication means. An elevator control system for operating an elevator car in response to a request from a user via a portable information terminal, and notifying the user of the completion of the operation of the elevator car via the portable information terminal,
(A) an elevator side communication means capable of communicating with the portable information terminal;
(B) terminal side communication means capable of communicating with the elevator side communication means;
Communication between the elevator side communication means and the terminal side communication means by controlling operation completion time calculating means for calculating the operation completion time for completing the operation of the elevator car from the elevator information, and the terminal side communication means. And a portable information terminal having a communication control means for connecting and disconnecting
The communication control means obtains information on the operation completion time and disconnects communication between the elevator side communication means and the terminal side communication means. After the operation completion time has elapsed, the elevator side communication means and the terminal side An elevator control system characterized by connecting communication with a communication means. An elevator control device for operating an elevator car in response to a request from a user via a portable information terminal and notifying the user of completion of the operation of the elevator car via the portable information terminal,
(A) a communication means capable of communicating with the portable information terminal;
(B) operation completion time calculating means for calculating an operation completion time for completing the operation of the elevator car from the elevator information;
The elevator control apparatus characterized by notifying the portable information terminal of the operation completion time for disconnecting communication with the communication means until the portable information terminal completes the operation. The portable information terminal has providing means for providing communication control means for obtaining information on operation completion time of the elevator car and connecting and disconnecting communication between the communication means and the portable information terminal;
The communication control means obtains information on the operation completion time of the elevator car and disconnects communication between the communication means and the information portable terminal. After the operation completion time has elapsed, the communication means and the information portable terminal. The elevator control device according to claim 3, wherein communication with the elevator is connected. An elevator control device for operating an elevator car in response to a request from a user via a portable information terminal and notifying the user of the completion of the operation of the elevator car via the portable information terminal,
Including communication means capable of communicating with the portable information terminal,
The elevator control apparatus characterized in that the portable information terminal notifies elevator information for disconnecting communication with the communication means until the elevator car completes its operation. An operation completion time calculating means for calculating an operation completion time for completing the operation of the elevator car from the information on the elevator, information on the operation completion time of the elevator car being obtained from the information on the elevator, and the communication means Providing means for providing communication control means for connecting and disconnecting communication with the portable information terminal;
The communication control means obtains information on the operation completion time and disconnects communication between the communication means and the information portable terminal. After the operation completion time has elapsed, communication between the communication means and the information portable terminal is performed. The elevator control device according to claim 5, wherein the elevator control device is connected. A portable information terminal that requests an operation of the elevator control device and is notified of completion of the operation of the elevator car from the elevator control device,
Communication means capable of communicating with the elevator control device;
An operation completion time at which the operation is completed is obtained from the elevator control device, communication between the communication means and the elevator control device is disconnected, and communication between the communication means and the elevator control device is substantially performed after the operation completion time has elapsed. And a communication control means for connecting the portable information terminal. A portable information terminal that requests an operation of the elevator control device and is notified of completion of the operation of the elevator car from the elevator control device,
Communication means capable of communicating with the elevator control device;
An operation completion time calculating means for obtaining an elevator information from the elevator control device and calculating an operation completion time for completing the operation of the elevator car ;
Communication control means for disconnecting communication between the communication means and the elevator control device after obtaining the operation completion time, and connecting communication between the communication means and the elevator control device substantially after the operation completion time has elapsed. A portable information terminal characterized by that.

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