JP7610486B2 - Elevator system and method for controlling elevator system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an elevator system and a method for controlling an elevator system.

Conventionally, a system is known in which cameras are installed inside the elevator car or at the landing, and based on images captured by the cameras, users' boarding and alighting actions are detected, and the elevator is controlled based on the detected boarding and alighting actions.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which an image recognition device is placed above the elevator door frame to detect beforehand whether a foreign object, such as a finger, is approaching the gap between the elevator door and the door frame. The technology described in Patent Document 1 detects the presence of an object by limiting the monitoring area to a narrow area near the door pocket, and stops the door operation if it is determined that there is a risk of an object being pulled in.

Patent Document 2 also discloses a configuration in which an imaging means having an ultra-wide-angle lens is installed inside the elevator car, and at least two detection areas are set on the captured image. In Patent Document 2, by setting multiple detection areas, it is possible to detect the riding status of users in more detail.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-152277 JP 2020-179995 A

However, when the monitoring area is limited to the vicinity of the door pocket, as in the technology described in Patent Document 1, the response to a dangerous situation is an emergency stop, which poses the problem that it is not possible to take preventative measures before the situation becomes a retraction event.

In addition, the technology described in Patent Document 2 sets up multiple detection areas, but only detects an event where a passenger places their hand on the flat area of the car frame as an event related to a pull-in event. This causes problems such as false detection of a pull-in event and an inability to respond to a pinch event from the landing door side.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an elevator system that improves safety near the entrance and exit, and a control method for the elevator system.

To solve the above problems and achieve the object of the present invention, the elevator system of the present invention comprises a door controller that controls the opening and closing operations of the car doors and the landing doors, and a sensor unit that can capture images of the area around the entrance where the elevator car doors and the landing doors are installed. The elevator system also comprises an object detection unit that sets multiple measurement areas in the area around the entrance and detects the presence of an object in each measurement area using measurement data acquired by the sensor unit. The elevator system further comprises a state determination unit that determines a dangerous state from the measurement area in which the object detected by the object detection unit is present and the open/closed state of the car doors and the landing doors acquired from the door controller. The elevator system also comprises a control instruction unit that outputs a measurement area-dependent control instruction to the door controller based on the dangerous state determined by the state determination unit.

In the elevator system control method of the present invention, in the elevator system, a plurality of measurement areas are set in the area around the entrance and exit, and the presence of an object is detected in each of the measurement areas using measurement data acquired by the sensor unit. Then, a dangerous state is determined based on the measurement area in which the detected object exists and the open/closed state of the car door and the landing door acquired from the door controller. Then, a control instruction dependent on the measurement area is output to the door controller based on the determined dangerous state.

The present invention improves safety around elevator entrances and exits.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an elevator system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2A is a schematic diagram of the car door 24 as viewed from inside the car 12. Fig. 2B is a schematic diagram of the landing door 32 as viewed from the floor 30 side. 1 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computer provided in each of an elevator controller 10, a door controller 20, and a sensor controller 40. This is a diagram showing the area around the elevator entrance/exit of elevator 70 as viewed from above. FIG. 5A is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 when the doors start to open, and FIG. 5B is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 when the doors are in the middle of opening. FIG. 6A is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 when the doors start to open, and FIG. 6B is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 when the doors are in the middle of opening. FIG. 7A is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 when the door closing starts, and FIG. 7B is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 in a state in which the door closing is in progress. 4 is a flow chart showing a control method of the elevator system 1 when the doors start to open and when the doors are in the middle of opening. 4 is a flow chart showing a control method of the elevator system 1 when the doors start to close and when the doors are in the middle of closing. This is a diagram showing the area around the entrance and exit of an elevator system according to a second embodiment of the present invention viewed from above, and shows the measurement areas of the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54. FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of an elevator system 2 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. An example of a measurement area that is set when the car door 24 and the hall door 32 are in the process of closing, and an example of vector data 72, 74 that can be acquired from the mobile terminal 90 of the objects A1, A2 are shown. 13 is a flow diagram showing a control method in a case where an object A2 is present in an area A on the floor side and does not reach the landing door 32 when the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are closed. 13 is a flow chart showing a control method in a case where an object A1 that will reach the landing door 32 when the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are closed is present in an area E on the floor side. 13 is a flow chart showing a control method in the event that a malfunction occurs in any of the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54.

Below, an example of an elevator system and an elevator system control method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following example. In each of the drawings described below, common components are given the same reference numerals.

1. First embodiment
<1-1. Configuration of elevator system>
First, an elevator system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an elevator system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as this embodiment).

The elevator system 1 of this embodiment includes an elevator 70, first to fifth sensor units 50 to 54, an elevator controller 10, a door controller 20, and a sensor controller 40. In general, the elevator system 1 has multiple elevators 70, and first to fifth sensor units 50 to 54 assigned to each elevator 70, an elevator controller 10, a door controller 20, and a sensor controller 40. In this embodiment, to simplify the explanation, the elevator system 1 for one elevator 70 will be explained.

[Elevator]
The elevator 70 is provided in a hoistway (not shown) formed in a building structure. The elevator 70 moves up and down in the hoistway that penetrates through the building, and includes a car 12 for carrying people and luggage, and a main rope 16.

The car 12 is connected to a counterweight 14 via a main rope 16 and moves up and down within the hoistway. The car 12 is guided by a guide rail (not shown) installed on the wall of the hoistway and moves up and down within the hoistway.

2A shows a schematic diagram of the car door 24 as viewed from inside the car 12. As shown in FIG. 2A, the car 12 includes a car floor 12a, side panels 12b erected around the car floor 12a, and a ceiling 12c provided at a position facing the car floor 12a via a car chamber. The space surrounded by the car floor 12a, the side panels 12b, and the ceiling 12c forms the car chamber 13 for accommodating passengers and the like. A car door 24 is provided in a car-side three-sided frame 26 provided on the side panel 12b on the floor 30 (see FIG. 1) side of the side panel 12b. The car door 24 is provided at a position corresponding to the landing door 32 provided on the floor 30 side when the car 12 stops at each floor 30. In this embodiment, the car door 24 is configured as a double-opening type.

The side panel 12b near the cage-side frame 26 is provided with a destination floor registration button that allows users to register destination floors, and an input/output device 28 that displays information on registered destination floors and the current location of the cage 12. The input/output device 28 may be configured as a touch panel device with a display function and a touch operation function, and may also have a function that allows audio to be output from a speaker.

As shown in FIG. 1, the car 12 is provided with a door motor 22 near (above) the car door 24. The door motor 22 is driven based on a control command from a door controller 20 (described later), and the car door 24 is opened and closed by the driving of the door motor 22.

One axial end of the main rope 16 is connected to the car 12, the other end is connected to the counterweight 14, and the middle part is wound around the hoist 18 and a deflector wheel 19 provided near the hoist 18. The main rope 16 is wound up by the hoist 18, causing the car 12 to ascend and descend in the elevator shaft. Landing doors 32 leading to the floors 30 of each floor are provided at height positions on the wall of the elevator shaft corresponding to each floor.

Figure 2B shows a schematic diagram of the landing door 32 as viewed from the floor 30 side. As shown in Figure 2B, the landing door 32 is provided within a floor-side three-sided frame 34 provided on the wall on the elevator shaft side of the floor 30. In this embodiment, the landing door 32 is configured as a double-opening type, similar to the car door 24. When the passenger car 12 arrives at the floor 30, the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are engaged with each other by the operation of the car door 24 at an engagement portion shown in the figure. This engagement transmits the driving force of the door motor 22 of the car door 24 to the landing door 32, and the landing door 32 opens and closes in synchronization with the car door 24.

In the elevator 70 having the above configuration, the car 12 is provided with a first sensor unit 50 and a second sensor unit 51, which will be described later, and a fourth sensor unit 53 and a fifth sensor unit 54 are provided on the floor 30 side. In addition, a third sensor unit 52 is provided between the car door 24 and the landing door 32. The configurations of the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, 54 are described below.

[First to fifth sensor units]
The first sensor unit 50 is provided in the center of the ceiling 12c of the car 12, and is configured to be able to capture an image of the entire inside of the car 12. As shown in Fig. 2A, the second sensor unit 51 is provided on the upper frame 26a of the car-side three-sided frame 26, and is provided above the position where the double-opening car doors 24 meet when the doors are closed. The second sensor unit 51 is configured to be able to capture an image of at least the inside of the car 12 near the car door 12 and the floor 30 side.

The third sensor unit 52 is installed, for example, on the inner wall surface of the elevator shaft, and is provided above the position where the car door 24 and the landing door 32 come together when the doors are closed. The third sensor unit 52 is configured to be able to capture images of the car 12 side and the floor 30 side, including the space between the car door 24 and the landing door 32, when the doors are open.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the fourth sensor unit 53 is provided on the upper frame 34a of the floor-side three-sided frame 34, and is provided above the position where the double-opening landing doors 32 meet when the doors are closed. The fourth sensor unit 53 is configured to be able to capture images of at least the inside of the car 12 near the landing doors 32 and the floor 30 side. As shown in FIG. 1, the fifth sensor unit 54 is provided on the ceiling of the floor 30, and is configured to be able to capture images of the entire floor 30 including the landing doors 32.

In this embodiment, the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 can capture images of the inside of the car 12, including the area around the car door 24, and the entire floor 30, including the area around the landing door 32. As devices constituting the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54, for example, an image sensor that outputs image data, a stereo camera that outputs distance images, and a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor that outputs distance images or point cloud data can be used. In addition, an RF (Radio Frequency) sensor that outputs point cloud data, or LiDaR (Light Detection and Randing) can be used. The measurement area of these sensors is represented by the FoV (Field of View). For example, if the FoV of an image sensor is 180° like a fisheye lens, by installing each sensor unit facing downward toward the ceiling surface as in this embodiment, the measurement range can be the entire area inside the car 12 and the entire floor 30, as well as the area around the boarding and alighting gates. The first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 may be configured in any manner that allows the object detection unit 42 in the sensor controller 40 (described later) to measure the presence of an object in the imaging range, and various sensors and installation configurations can be applied. The measurement data acquired by the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 is transmitted to the sensor controller 40 (described later).

[Elevator Controller]
The elevator controller 10 is a controller that controls the hoist 18 (main engine) that operates the car 12. As described above, the car 12 that carries people and objects is connected to one end of the hoist 18, and the main rope 16 connected to the counterweight 14 is wound around the other end. In this embodiment, under the control of the elevator controller 10, the hoist 18 operates and the car 12 moves up and down in the hoistway. In this way, the elevator system 1 provides services related to the movement up and down in the hoistway to people and objects in the car 12.

The elevator controller 10 is also connected to the door controller 20 and the sensor controller 40 via a communication path 60. When the car 12 arrives at a specific landing floor 30, the elevator controller 10 outputs instructions to the door controller 20 to open and close the car door 24 and landing door 32.

[Door controller]
The door controller 20 controls a door motor 22 mounted on the car 12 in response to control instructions from the elevator controller 10 and the sensor controller 40 to operate the car door 24. In synchronization with the opening and closing operation of the car door 24, the opening and closing operation of a landing door 32 provided on the floor 30 (landing) side is also performed. In this way, the opening and closing operations of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are performed when a user or the like gets on or off.

Furthermore, the door controller 20 generates information on the opening and closing state, such as the opening and closing direction, the time elapsed since the start of the operation, the exposure rate of the car door 24 and the landing door 32, the opening rate of the car door 24 and the landing door 32, and the opening and closing speed, depending on the opening and closing operation of the car door 24 when passengers board or disembark. The door controller 20 provides this data to the elevator controller 10 and the sensor controller 40.

[Sensor Controller]
The sensor controller 40 has an object detection unit 42, a state determination unit 44, and a control instruction unit 46. The object detection unit 42 sets a plurality of measurement areas according to the open/closed states of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 (exposure rates of the car door 24 and the landing door 32). Furthermore, the object detection unit 42 acquires measurement data detected by the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54, and detects the position of an object from this measurement data. The setting of the measurement areas and the measurement data will be described later. In this embodiment, the object detection unit 42 detects the presence or absence of an object for each of a plurality of measurement areas described later, from the measurement data acquired by the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54.

The state determination unit 44 determines a dangerous state based on the detection result in the object detection unit 42 and information on the open/closed state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 received from the door controller 20. Information on the open/closed state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 used in the determination by the state determination unit 44 includes the opening/closing direction, the elapsed time from the start of the operation, the exposure rate of the car door 24 and the landing door 32, the opening rate of the car door 24 and the landing door 32, and the opening/closing speed. Events determined as dangerous states include a "pull-in event," a "caught-in event," and a "collision event."

Based on the determination result output from the state determination unit 44, the control instruction unit 46 outputs control instructions to the door controller 20 regarding the opening/closing operation and opening/closing speed of the car door 24 and the landing door 32.

In this embodiment, the sensor controller 40 is provided independent of the elevator controller 10 and the door controller 20, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the elevator controller 10 or the door controller 20 may be configured to execute the processing in the sensor controller 40. In addition, the processing in the sensor controller 40 may be executed in a different processing environment, such as on the cloud.

<1-2. Hardware configuration of each device>
Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of each device included in the elevator system 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the computers included in each of the elevator controller 10, the door controller 20, and the sensor controller 40. Since the elevator controller 10, the door controller 20, and the sensor controller 40 have the same hardware configuration, in Fig. 3, the elevator controller 10, the door controller 20, and the sensor controller 40 are collectively shown as the controller 200.

The controller 200 includes an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, and a communication interface 204, each of which is connected to a system bus 205. Note that a CPU is a higher-level concept similar to the MPU 201. The MPU 201, ROM 202, and RAM 203 form a processing unit. The MPU 201 reads out program code that realizes each function according to this embodiment from the ROM 202, loads it into the RAM 203, and executes the program. Alternatively, the sensor controller 40 may read out program code for the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54, which are software components, from the ROM 202 and execute the program as is.

Variables, parameters, etc. that arise during processing by the MPU 201 are temporarily written to the RAM 203, and these variables, parameters, etc. are read out from the MPU 201 as appropriate. The MPU 201, RAM 203, ROM 202, and communication interface 204 may be configured as a system-on-chip.

In the elevator controller 10, the control program for the hoist 18 of the elevator 70 is executed by the MPU 201. In the door controller 20, the control program for the door motor 22 is executed by the MPU 201. In the sensor controller 40, the program in the object detection unit 42, the program in the state determination unit 44, and the program in the control instruction unit 46 are executed by the MPU 201.

The communication interface 204 is connected to a network that connects the controllers 200 together. As a network that connects the controllers 200 together, for example, a multi-drop serial communication device such as RS-485, a LAN (Local Area Network) that provides multiple topologies such as Ethernet (registered trademark), or a WAN (Wide Area Network) can be applied. In addition, as a wireless communication other than wired communication, for example, local wireless such as Wi-Fi, and infrastructure wireless communication such as 4G and 5G can be applied. Between the controllers 200 of the elevator controller 10, door controller 20, and sensor controller 40, data acquired by each controller 200 is transmitted and received via the communication interface 204.

The first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 can also communicate data with each controller 200 via the above-mentioned serial communication, LAN, WAN, or infrastructure wireless communication. When high-performance sensors (so-called intelligent sensors) are used as the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54, the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 may be equipped with the above-mentioned MPU 201, ROM 202, RAM 203, and communication interface 204.

<1-3. How to set the measurement area>
In the elevator system 1 of this embodiment, the measurement data acquired by the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, 54 is transmitted to the sensor controller 40 as needed. Then, in the sensor controller 40, the object detection unit 42 detects the presence or absence of an object for each measurement area based on the transmitted measurement data and information on the measurement areas set in the object detection unit 42. Below, an example of setting the measurement areas set in the object detection unit 42 will be described.

However, there is a risk that users of the elevator 70 may be pulled into the door pocket (a "pulling event"), be trapped between the car door 24 or the landing door 32 (a "caught event"), or collide with the landing door 32 (a "collision event"). Below, we will explain examples of setting measurement areas to detect each of the "pulling event", "caught event", and "collision event" events according to the open/closed state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 (mainly the exposure rate of the car door and the landing door 32).

[Example of setting the measurement area]
Fig. 4 is a diagram of the area around the entrance of the elevator 70 viewed from above. Fig. 4 shows a state in which the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are slightly opened from a closed state. In Fig. 4, the boundary of the measurement area is indicated by a dashed line.

When the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are slightly open, a first danger area 100 is set in which a person may be caught between the car door 24 and the landing door 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the first danger area 100 is set in the area between the leading ends of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 on both sides in the door closing direction.

In this way, the first danger area 100 where there is a risk of a "pinching event" occurring is designated as area D. A "pinching event" is likely to occur when the doors are in the process of closing, but not when they are in the process of opening. Therefore, as will be described later, area D may be set only when the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are in the door closed state.

In addition, when a gap exists between the car side frame 26 and the car door 24, or/and between the landing door 32 and the floor side frame 34, and the car door 24 and the landing door 32 move in the door-opening direction, the user's hands, clothes, belongings, etc. may be pulled into the gap (door pocket). In this way, areas where there is a risk of a "pull-in event" occurring are set as second danger areas 102, 104, 106, 108. As shown in Figure 4, the second danger areas 102, 104 are set in predetermined areas including the gap between the car side frame 26 and the car door 24, the side surface of the car side frame 26 continuing from the gap, and the surface of the car door 24 on the car chamber 13 side. On the other hand, the second danger areas 106, 108 are set in a predetermined area including the gap between the floor-side jamb 34 and the landing door 32, the side of the floor-side jamb 34 continuing from the gap, and the surface of the landing door 32 on the floor 30 side.

In this way, the second danger areas 102, 104, 106, and 108 where there is a risk of a "pull-in event" occurring are designated as area B. A "pull-in event" is likely to occur when the doors are in the middle of opening, but will not occur when the doors are in the middle of opening. Therefore, as will be described later, area B may be set only when the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are in the open state.

In addition, security areas 112, 114, 116, and 118 are set, which are less dangerous than area B but are likely to be drawn into the gap (door pocket) when the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are opened. As shown in FIG. 4, the security areas 112 and 114 are set in predetermined areas that are continuous with the second danger areas 102 and 104, respectively, and are set to include the surface of the car chamber 13 of the car door 24 and extend further in the door closing direction than the second danger areas 102 and 104. In addition, the security areas 116 and 118 are set in predetermined areas that are continuous with the second danger areas 106 and 108, respectively, and are set to include the surface of the floor side of the landing door 32 and extend further in the door closing direction than the second danger areas 106 and 108.

The thus set alert areas 112, 114, 116, and 118 are referred to as area C. There is a risk of a "pull-in event" occurring when the doors are in the middle of opening, but it will not occur when the doors are in the middle of opening. Therefore, as with area C, area B may be set only when the car doors 24 and landing doors 32 are in the open state, as will be described later.

Furthermore, areas that are less dangerous than Areas D, B, and C, but where there is a risk of dangerous events occurring, are set as prevention areas 120 and 122. In this embodiment, the area on the car 12 side, which is less dangerous than Area C, but where a "pull-in event" or "caught-in event" may occur, is set as prevention area 120. In addition, the area on the floor 30 side, which is less dangerous than Area C, but where a "pull-in event", "collision event", or "caught-in event" may occur, is set as prevention area 122.

The prevention area 120 is an area excluding areas B and C, and is set to a position a predetermined distance t1 (first prevention distance t1) away from the surface of the car door 24 in a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of the car door 24. Here, the first prevention distance t1 is set to the distance from the surface of the car door 24 to the general boarding position of a user, for example, to the surface of the car chamber 13 side of the car side frame 26.

On the other hand, the prevention area 122 is an area excluding areas B and C, and is set to a position a predetermined distance t2 (second prevention distance t2) away from the surface of the landing door 32 in a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of the landing door 32. Here, the second prevention distance t2 may be set to a predetermined value, but may also be calculated from the speed V of an object moving on the floor 30 and the time Tn until the door closes. For example, the second prevention distance t2 can be determined by Vave x Tn, based on the average speed Vave of a person walking quickly and the time Tn until the door closes. In this case, Tn becomes shorter as time passes from the start of the door closing, and therefore the prevention distance t2 also becomes shorter as the door transitions from the open state to the closed state.

The prevention areas 120, 122 set in this way are referred to as Area A. Area A is less dangerous than Areas B to D, but is an area set up to prevent accidents from occurring, and is preferably set both when the door is opening and when it is closing. As will be described later, the set area of Area A changes in response to changes in Areas B to D when the door is opening and closing.

The areas inside the car 12 other than areas A to D and the area on the floor 30 side are set as safety areas 130, 132. The safety areas 130, 132 are away from the car door 24 and the landing door 32, and are therefore less affected by events that depend on the open/closed state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32. The safety areas 130, 132 are set to the areas other than areas A to D within the measurement data that can be detected by the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, 54.

The safety areas 130, 132 set in this way are referred to as area E. As will be described later, the set area of area E also changes in accordance with changes to areas A to D according to the open/closed state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32.

The above-mentioned areas A to E are set in advance in the object detection unit 42 of the sensor controller 40, or based on the open/closed state (exposure rate) of the car door 24 and the landing door 32. The object detection unit 42 sets the above-mentioned areas A to E based on the measurement ranges of the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and information on the open/closed state (exposure rate) of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 sent from the door controller 20.

In the sensor controller 40, the object detection unit 42 divides the measurement data transmitted from the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54, and detects the presence or absence of an object for each area. Next, the state determination unit 44 determines whether a dangerous state is a "pull-in event," a "caught event," or a "collision event," and the events leading up to these events, depending on the presence or absence of an object detected for each area. Thereafter, the control instruction unit 46 issues a warning or outputs appropriate control instructions regarding the opening and closing operations of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 to the door controller 20, depending on the dangerous state determination output from the state determination unit 44. The control procedures in the sensor controller 40 will be described in detail later.

Next, we will explain an example of setting the measurement area according to the open/closed state (exposure rate) of the car door 24 and the landing door 32.

[Example 1 of setting the measurement area when the door starts to open and when the door is in the middle of opening]
First, a setting example will be described in which area C, which is a security area, is fixed when the door starts to open and when the door is in the middle of opening. Fig. 5A is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 when the door starts to open, and Fig. 5B is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 when the door is in the middle of opening. In Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B, in order to simplify the drawings, only the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 located in a half area from the center of the car 12 and the floor 30 is illustrated. In Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B, the same reference numerals are used for parts corresponding to Fig. 4, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

When the doors start to open, the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are both closed, and area D, which is the first danger area 100 where a "pinch incident" may occur, does not exist.

Meanwhile, area B is set, which has second danger areas 102, 106 where there is a risk of a "draw-in event" occurring, and area C is set, which has alert areas 112, 116 where there is a risk of being drawn in. Also, area A is set, which has preventive areas 120, 122 where there is a risk of a dangerous event occurring. In setting example 1, the settings of areas A, B and C are the same as in FIG. 4. In addition, area E is set, which has a safety area 130 inside the car 12 other than areas A to D and a safety area 132 on the floor 30 side.

Next, when the doors are in the middle of opening, as shown in FIG. 5B, the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are each moving in the door opening direction, and a portion of each of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 is stored in the car side three-sided frame 26 and the floor side three-sided frame 34. In setting example 1, area B having the second danger areas 102, 106 and area C having the alert areas 112, 116 are set to be fixed.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, the range of the prevention area 120 in the direction along the movement direction of the car door 24 is set to become smaller on the car door 24 side as the car door 24 moves in the door opening direction. Similarly, in setting example 1, the range (second prevention distance t2) of the prevention area 122 in the direction along the movement direction of the landing door 32 and in the direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the landing door 32 is set to become smaller on the landing door side as the landing door 32 moves in the door opening direction.

The safety areas 130, 132, which are area E, are connected between the car room 13 side and the floor 30 side as the car door 24 and the landing door 32 move in the door-opening direction, and are set to expand in the direction along the door-opening direction of the car door 24 and the landing door 32. This expands the area E that is safe for boarding and disembarking.

In setting example 1, by fixing area C having the alert regions 112, 116, it is possible to detect an object in area C even when the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are close to being fully open. This allows the sensor controller 40 to output a control command to slow down the door speed, etc., and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a "pull-in event" when the car door 24 and the landing door 32 start to open or are in the middle of opening.

[Example 2 of setting the measurement area when the door starts to open and when the door is in the middle of opening]
Next, a setting example will be described in which the area C, which is the security area, is variable when the door starts to open and when the door is in the middle of opening. Fig. 6A is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 when the door starts to open, and Fig. 6B is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 when the door is in the middle of opening. In Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, in order to simplify the drawings, only the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 located in a half area from the center of the car 12 and the floor 30 is illustrated. In Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, the same reference numerals are used for parts corresponding to Fig. 4, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

When the doors start to open, the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are both closed, and as shown in FIG. 6A, area D, which is the first danger area 100 where a "pinch incident" may occur, has not been set.

Meanwhile, area B is set to have second danger areas 102, 106 where there is a risk of a "draw-in event" occurring, and area C is set to have alert areas 112, 116 where the vehicle is being drawn in. In setting example 2, the alert area 112 of area C is set to gradually taper toward the car room 13 from the leading end of the car door 24 in the door closing direction toward the door opening direction. In addition, the alert area 116 of area C is set to gradually taper toward the floor 30 from the leading end of the landing door 32 in the door closing direction toward the door opening direction.

As in setting example 1, area A is set having prevention areas 120, 122 where a dangerous event may occur. In addition, area E is set having a safety area 130 inside the car 12 other than areas A to D and a safety area 132 on the floor side.

Next, in the state in which the doors are in the middle of opening, as shown in FIG. 6B, the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are each moving in the door opening direction, and a part of each of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 is stored in the car side three-sided frame 26 and the floor side three-sided frame 34. In setting example 2, area B having the second danger areas 102, 106 is set to be fixed. On the other hand, area C having the security areas 112, 116 is set to be tapered from the respective tip positions of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 in the door closing direction to the door opening direction of the car door 24 and the landing door 32, as shown in FIG. 6B. For this reason, the security areas 112, 112 are set to change with the change in the tip positions of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 in the door closing direction accompanying the movement of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 in the door opening direction.

In addition, when the door is in the middle of opening, the changes in the prevention areas 120, 122, which are area A, and the safety areas 130, 132, which are area E, are the same as in setting example 1.

In setting example 2, the alert areas 112, 116 are set in areas including the surfaces of the car door 24 and the landing door 32, extending from the tip positions of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 in the door closing direction to the door opening direction. As a result, even if the car door 24 and the landing door 32 start opening and continue opening while a user is touching the car door 24 or the landing door 32 with their hands, the object detection unit 42 can detect the presence of an object in area C from the start of the door opening. Therefore, the sensor controller 40 can issue a warning according to the measurement data in area C and then perform door control such as slowing down the door speed. In other words, it becomes possible to prevent the occurrence of a "pull-in event" in advance.

[Example 3 of setting the measurement area when the door starts to close and when the door is in the middle of closing]
Next, an example of setting the measurement area when the door starts to close and when the door is in the middle of closing will be described. Fig. 7A is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 when the door starts to close, and Fig. 7B is a top view of the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 when the door is in the middle of closing. In Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B, in order to simplify the drawings, only the area around the car door 24 and the landing door 32 located in a half area from the center of the car 12 and the floor 30 is illustrated. In Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B, the same reference numerals are used for parts corresponding to Fig. 4, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

Although not shown in the figure, before the doors start to close, the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are stored in the car side frame 26 and the floor side frame 34, respectively, and the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are not exposed to the boarding/alighting entrance. Therefore, in this case, the area between the car door 24 and the landing door 32 stored on one side and the car door 24 and the landing door 32 stored on the other side becomes the first danger area 100.

When the car door 24 and the landing door 32 start to move in the door closing direction after the door starts to close, the exposed area 61 of the landing door 32 increases, as shown in FIG. 7A. As a result, there is a possibility of a "collision event" and an "entrapment event" occurring with the car door 24 and the landing door 32, so a prevention area 120 on the car room 13 side and a prevention area 122 on the floor side are set. On the other hand, when the door is closing, a "pull-in event" does not occur. For this reason, areas B and C are not set in FIG. 7A.

In setting example 3, as shown in FIG. 7A, the prevention area 120 is set to an area from the position of the surface of the car door 24 when the car door 24 is closed to a position that is a predetermined first prevention distance t1 away in a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of the car door 24. In addition, the prevention area 122 is set to an area from the position of the surface of the landing door 32 when the landing door 32 is closed to a position that is a predetermined second prevention distance t2 away in a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of the landing door 32.

The safety area 130 is set in the area inside the car room 13 other than the prevention area 120, and the safety area 132 is set in the area on the floor 30 side other than the prevention area 122.

When the doors are in the middle of closing after having been closed further from the state shown in FIG. 7A, as shown in FIG. 7B, the exposed area 62 of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 becomes larger than the exposed area 61 shown in FIG. 7A. Since the first danger area 100 is set in the area between the car door 24 and the landing door 32 on both sides, the first danger area 100 becomes narrower as the doors move in the closing direction.

In addition, as the exposed area 62 becomes larger, the possibility of a "collision event" or "entrapment event" occurring on the car room 13 side and the floor 30 side becomes lower. Therefore, the preventive distances t1 and t2 are set to become shorter as the exposed areas of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 increase.

When the door opening is completed, area D disappears, and the exposed area of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 is maximized. In this way, area D, which is the first danger area 100 where there is a high risk of a "pinch event" occurring when the door is closed, is changed according to the open/closed state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32. This allows the sensor controller 40 to change the control instruction when an object is detected in area D according to the degree of change in the shape of area D. Examples of control instructions output by the sensor controller 40 when an object is detected in area D include an instruction to issue a warning, an instruction to slow down the door speed, an instruction to stop the door, or an instruction to reverse the door opening direction. This makes it possible to prevent "pinch events" and "collision events" in advance.

1-4. Elevator system control method (elevator system control method when door opening starts and during door opening)
Next, a control method for the elevator system 1 of this embodiment will be described. First, a control method for the elevator system 1 when the doors start to open and when they are in the middle of opening will be described. Fig. 8 is a flow chart showing a control method for the elevator system 1 when the doors start to open and when they are in the middle of opening. When the doors start to open and when they are in the middle of opening, the measurement areas are set as shown in Figs. 5A, 5B, 6A, and 6B, for example.

First, the object detection unit 42 acquires the measurement data sent from the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 (step S100). Next, the object detection unit 42 detects the presence of an object in the measurement area and determines the position of the object (step S110). Next, the object detection unit 42 determines whether or not an object has been detected (step S120).

If it is determined in step S120 that the object detection unit 42 has not detected an object (no determination in step S120), the process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S120 that an object has been detected (yes determination in step S120), the object detection unit 42 refers to the position of the object determined in step S110 and the measurement area set by the object detection unit 42 (e.g., areas A to E in FIG. 5A) to determine the target area in which the object exists (step S130). The object detection unit 42 then transmits the determined target area to the state determination unit 44.

Next, the state determination unit 44 acquires information on the open/closed states of the car doors 24 and the landing doors 32 transmitted from the door controller 20 (step S140). Next, the state determination unit 44 judges a dangerous state based on the acquired open/closed states of the car doors 24 and the landing doors 32 and the target area determined in step S130 (step S150). The open/closed states of the car doors 24 and the landing doors 32 acquired in step S140 include the exposure rate of the car doors 24 and the landing doors 32, the opening rate of the car doors 24 and the landing doors 32, the opening/closing direction, and the opening/closing speed. In step S130, a dangerous state is judged based on the open/closed states and the target area. Then, the state determination unit 44 transmits the judgment result to the control instruction unit 46.

Next, the control instruction unit 46 determines a control instruction to the door controller 20 based on the judgment result regarding the dangerous state transmitted from the state judgment unit 44 (step S160). In step S160, for example, if the target area determined in step S130 is area A, the control instruction unit 46 determines to output a warning issuance instruction to open the door. Also, if the target area determined in step S130 is area C, the control instruction unit 46 determines to output, for example, an instruction to issue a warning that there is a possibility of being pulled into the door and an instruction to slow down the opening speed of the door. Also, if the target area determined in step S130 is area B, the control instruction unit 46 determines to output an instruction to stop the door opening operation of the car door 24 and the landing door 32. Note that the control instruction determined in step S160 corresponds to the measurement area-dependent control instruction in this invention.

Then, the control instruction unit 46 transmits the contents of the determined control instruction to the door controller 20 (step S170). Then, although not shown in FIG. 8, the door controller 20 controls the door motor 22 and/or the input/output device 28 according to the contents of the control instruction from the control instruction unit 46. For example, when an instruction to decelerate the doors or an instruction to stop the doors is output, the door motor 22 is controlled to control the opening and closing operations of the car doors 24 and the landing doors 32. On the other hand, when an instruction to issue a warning is output, a warning or alert is issued via the speaker and/or display device of the input/output device 28.

In this way, depending on the measurement area and the open/closed state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32, it is possible to appropriately handle the "entrapment event" by issuing a warning, decelerating the door, or stopping the door according to the situation.

[Method of controlling an elevator system when door closing starts and during door closing]
Next, a method for controlling the elevator system 1 when the doors start to close and when they are in the middle of closing will be described. Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling the elevator system 1 when the doors start to close and when they are in the middle of closing. When the doors start to close and when they are in the middle of closing, for example, the measurement areas shown in Figs. 7A and 7B are set.

First, the object detection unit 42 acquires the measurement data sent from the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 (step S200). Next, the object detection unit 42 detects the presence of an object in the measurement area and determines the position of the object (step S210). Next, the object detection unit 42 determines whether or not an object has been detected (step S220).

If it is determined in step S220 that an object has not been detected (no determination in step S220), the process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S220 that an object has been detected (yes determination in step S220), the object detection unit 42 refers to the position of the object determined in step S210 and the measurement area set in the object detection unit 42 (areas A, D, E in FIG. 7A) to determine the target area in which the object exists (step S230). The object detection unit 42 then transmits the determined target area to the state determination unit 44.

Next, the state determination unit 44 acquires information on the open/closed state of the car doors 24 and the landing doors 32 transmitted from the door controller 20 (step S240). Next, the state determination unit 44 judges a dangerous state based on the acquired open/closed state of the car doors 24 and the landing doors 32 and the target area determined in step S230 (step S250). Then, the state determination unit 44 transmits the judgment result to the control instruction unit 46.

Next, the control instruction unit 46 determines a control instruction to the door controller 20 based on the dangerous state transmitted from the state determination unit 44 (step S260). For example, if the exposed area of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 is small, the first dangerous area 100 is wide, and the target area determined in step S230 is area A, the control instruction unit 46 determines to output a control instruction to slow down the door speed. Also, if the exposed area is large, the first dangerous area 100 is narrow, and the target area determined in step S230 is area D, the control instruction unit 46 determines to output an instruction to stop the door closing operation of the car door 24 and the landing door 32. Furthermore, if the exposed area is small, the first dangerous area 100 also has a margin equal to or larger than the average shoulder width of a person, and the target area determined in step S230 is area D, the control instruction unit 46 determines to output an instruction to reverse the opening and closing operation of the car door 24 and the landing door 32. The control instructions determined in step S260 correspond to the measurement area-dependent control instructions in this invention.

Then, the control instruction unit 46 transmits the determined control instruction content to the door controller 20 (step S270). Then, although not shown in FIG. 9, the door controller 20 controls the door motor 22 based on the control instruction content from the control instruction unit 46.

As described above, in this embodiment, a measurement area (target area) in which an object exists is determined, and a dangerous state can be determined from the target area and the open/closed state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32. This makes it possible to output a control instruction dependent on the measurement area according to the dangerous state. Also, in this embodiment, while the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are being opened or closed, a control instruction dependent on the measurement area is always output according to the flow shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9. This makes it possible to continuously detect each of the events of "entrainment event", "entrapment event", and "collision event" and the progress leading up to these events, and to perform control according to these progress.

2. Elevator system according to the second embodiment
Next, an elevator system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are of a double-leaf type, but in the second embodiment, the car door 25 and the landing door 33 are of a single-leaf type.

Figure 10 is a diagram of the area around the entrance and exit of the elevator system according to the second embodiment, viewed from above, showing the measurement areas of the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54. In Figure 10, the car door 25 and the landing door 33 are shown in a state where they are slightly opened from the closed state. In Figure 10, the boundary of the measurement area is shown by a dashed line, and the positions where the second sensor unit 51 and the fourth sensor unit 53 are attached are shown by virtual lines. In Figure 10, the parts corresponding to Figure 4 are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations are omitted. In addition, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that the car door 25 and the landing door 33 are of a single-leaf type. Therefore, illustrations of other configurations are omitted, and duplicated explanations are omitted.

When the car door 25 and the landing door 33 are of the single-leaf type, the second sensor unit 51 provided on the upper surface of the car side frame 26 is provided at the end opposite the side where the car door 25 is stored in the door closing direction of the car door 25. On the other hand, the fourth sensor unit 53 provided on the upper surface of the floor side frame 34 is provided at the end opposite the side where the landing door 33 is stored in the door closing direction of the landing door 33.

As in Figure 4, for the single-leaf car door 25 and landing door 33, measurement areas are set according to the danger level in the areas where a "pull-in event," "caught event," or "collision event" may occur. An example of how the measurement areas are set is described below.

When the car door 25 and the landing door 33 are slightly open, a first danger area 100 is set in which a person may be caught between the car door 25 and the landing door 33 and the car side frame 26 and the floor side frame 34. As shown in FIG. 10, the first danger area 100 is set in the area between the leading ends of the car door 25 and the landing door 33 on one side in the door closing direction and the car side frame 26 and the floor side frame 34.

In this way, the first danger area 100 where there is a risk of a "pinching event" occurring is designated as area D. A "pinching event" is likely to occur when the doors are in the process of closing, but not when the doors are in the process of opening. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, area D may be set only when the car door 25 and the landing door 33 are in the door closed state.

In addition, when a gap exists between the car side frame 26 and the car door 25, or/and between the landing door 33 and the floor side frame 34, and the car door 25 and the landing door 33 move in the door-opening direction, second danger areas 102, 106 are set in which the user's hands, clothes, belongings, etc. may be pulled into the gap (door pocket). As shown in FIG. 10, the second danger area 102 is set in a predetermined area including the gap between the car side frame 26 and the car door 25, the side surface of the car side frame 26 continuing from the gap, and the surface of the car door 25 on the car room 13 side. On the other hand, the second danger area 106 is set in a predetermined area including the gap between the floor side frame 34 and the landing door 33, the side surface of the floor side frame 34 continuing from the gap, and the surface of the landing door 33 on the floor 30 side.

In this way, the second danger areas 102, 106 where there is a risk of a "pull-in event" occurring are designated as area B. There is a risk of a "pull-in event" occurring when the doors are in the middle of opening, but it will not occur when the doors are in the middle of opening. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, area B may be set only when the car door 25 and the landing door 33 are in the open state.

In addition, security areas 112, 116 are set, which are less dangerous than area B, but are likely to be drawn into the gap (door pocket) when the car door 25 and the landing door 33 are opened. As shown in FIG. 10, the security area 112 is set in a predetermined area including the surface of the car door 25 on the car room 13 side of the car door 25, and is set to extend further in the door closing direction than the second danger area 102. In addition, the security area 116 is set in a predetermined area including the surface of the landing door 33 on the floor 30 side of the landing door 33, and is set to extend further in the door closing direction than the second danger area 106.

The alert areas 112, 116 set in this way are referred to as area C. There is a risk of a "pull-in event" occurring when the doors are in the middle of opening, but it will not occur when the doors are in the middle of opening. Therefore, area B, like area C, may be set only when the car door 25 and landing door 33 are in the open state.

Furthermore, areas that are less dangerous than areas D, B, and C, but where there is a possibility of dangerous events occurring, are set as prevention areas 120 and 122. The area on the car room 13 side, which is less dangerous than area C, but where there is a possibility of a "drawn-in event" and a "trapped event" occurring, is set as prevention area 120. Furthermore, the area on the floor 30 side, which is less dangerous than area C, but where there is a possibility of a "drawn-in event", a "collision event", and a "trapped event" occurring, is set as prevention area 122.

As in the first embodiment, the prevention area 120 is an area excluding areas B and C, and is set to an area from the surface of the car door 25 to a position a predetermined distance t1 (first prevention distance t1) away in a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of the car door 25. Here, the first prevention distance t1 is set in the same way as the first prevention distance t1 in FIG. 4.

On the other hand, the prevention area 122 is an area excluding area B and area C, as in the first embodiment, and is set to an area from the surface of the landing door 33 to a position a predetermined distance t2 (second prevention distance t2) away in a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of the landing door 33. Here, the second prevention distance t2 is set in the same way as the second prevention distance t2 in FIG. 4.

The prevention areas 120, 122 set in this way are referred to as Area A. Area A is less dangerous than Areas B to D, but is an area set up to prevent accidents from occurring, and is preferably set both when the door is opening and when it is closing. As will be described later, Area A changes in response to changes in Areas B to D when the door is opening and closing.

The areas in the car room 13 other than areas A to D and the area on the floor 30 side are set as safety areas 130, 132. The safety areas 130, 132 are away from the car door 25 and the landing door 33, and are therefore less affected by events that depend on the open/closed state of the car door 25 and the landing door 33. The safety areas 130, 132 are set to the areas other than areas A to D within the measurement data that can be detected by the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, 54.

The safety areas 130, 132 set in this way are referred to as area E. As in the first embodiment, area E also changes in accordance with changes to areas A to D according to the open/closed state of the car door 25 and the landing door 33.

As described above, even in a single-door elevator, by dividing the measurement area in the object detection unit 42 as shown in FIG. 10, it is possible to detect "pull-in events," "collision events," "entrapment events," and the events leading up to these events. This allows the sensor controller 40 to output control instructions to the door controller 20 according to these events, making it possible to avoid danger.

3. Third embodiment
<3-1. Configuration of elevator system>
Next, an elevator system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of an elevator system 2 according to the third embodiment. In Fig. 11, parts corresponding to those in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals and duplicated explanations will be omitted. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the object detection unit 42 detects objects using object data from a mobile terminal 90 carried by a pedestrian A present on a floor 30.

In the third embodiment, object data of a mobile terminal 90 carried by a pedestrian A present on the floor 30 is transmitted to an edge controller 80 by carrier wireless communication or the like. The edge controller 80 is configured to be capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the sensor controller 40 via a network 82, and transmits object data received from the mobile terminal 90 to the sensor controller 40. The mobile terminal 90 is a communication device such as a smartphone, and is capable of measuring position by triangulation using a GPS (Global Positioning System), a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and communication with multiple communication base stations via carrier wireless communication. This makes it possible to measure the position and behavior of pedestrian A carrying the mobile terminal 90.

Typical data related to the behavior of pedestrian A that can be acquired by the mobile terminal 90 include the movement speed and movement direction of pedestrian A, which are so-called vector data. Figure 12 shows an example of a measurement area set while the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are in the process of closing, and an example of vector data 72, 74 that can be acquired from the mobile terminal 90 of objects A1 and A2. The measurement area shown in Figure 12 is the same as the example shown in Figure 7A.

In the first embodiment, the object detection unit 42 sets multiple measurement areas, changes the measurement areas according to door movements, and sets risk levels such as danger areas, alert areas, and safety areas for each measurement area, making it possible to respond to possible dangerous events. However, the second preventive distance t2 described in FIG. 4 is set according to a preset threshold value and the average speed V of a person walking quickly. Therefore, as shown in the vector data 72 in FIG. 12, it is difficult to deal with the presence of an object A1 approaching at a speed that greatly deviates from the average speed.

In contrast, as shown by vector data 74 in FIG. 12, even if object A2 moving in a direction away from the landing door 32 is present in area A set in the prevention area 122, in the first embodiment, a control instruction such as deceleration of the door speed is determined in response to the presence of object A2. That is, even if object A2 is an object that actually exists regardless of the opening and closing operation of the landing door 32, unnecessary control instructions may be output to the door controller 20.

In contrast, in the third embodiment, the sensor controller 40 can more accurately output control instructions to the door controller 20 by detecting vector data (object data) that can be acquired from the mobile terminal 90 of pedestrian A. The following describes a control method that uses object data that can be acquired from the mobile terminal 90 of pedestrian A.

<3-2. Example of control method in case an object does not reach the landing door when the landing door is closed>
FIG. 13 is a flow diagram showing a control method in a case where an object A2 that does not reach the landing door 32 when the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are closed is present in the area A on the floor side.

First, the object detection unit 42 of the sensor controller 40 acquires object data from a portable terminal carried by object A2 present in area A via the edge controller 80 (step S300). Next, the object detection unit 42 determines whether or not there is object data transmitted from the edge controller 80 (step S310). If it is determined in step S310 that there is no object data (no determination in step S310), the determination of the presence or absence of object data ends and the process proceeds to step S360 described below.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S310 that object data is present (YES in step S310), the state determination unit 44 calculates the time it takes for the object detected by the edge controller 80 to reach the landing door 32 (step S320). At this time, the state determination unit 44 calculates the arrival time using the vector data 74 contained in the object data.

Next, the state determination unit 44 determines whether or not the object A2 will reach the landing door 32 before the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are closed, based on the arrival time calculated in step S320 and information on the open/closed state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 acquired from the door controller 20 (step S330). If it is determined in step S330 that this is possible (yes in step S330), the process returns to step S310, and if another object data exists, the process resumes for the other object data.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S330 that this is impossible (impossible determination in step S330), that is, if it is determined that object A2 will not reach the landing door 32 before the car door 24 and landing door 32 are closed, the control instruction unit 46 determines a measurement area-dependent control instruction cancellation instruction for the determined object A2. The measurement area-dependent control instruction is an instruction output by the flow of FIG. 9. The cancellation instruction determined here corresponds to the object data-dependent control instruction of the present invention. Thereafter, the control instruction unit 46 accumulates the cancellation instruction for the determined object A2 (step S350).

The processes of steps S310 to S350 are repeated until all object data acquired via the edge controller 80 remains. If the presence or absence of object data is determined to be absent, the control instruction unit 46 transmits the stored cancellation instruction (control instruction dependent on object data) to the door controller 20 (step S360).

At this time, if no cancellation instruction has been accumulated in step S350, the control instruction unit 46 transmits a control instruction to the door controller 20 without a cancellation instruction.

The flow shown in FIG. 13 is executed, for example, simultaneously with the flow shown in FIG. 9. In the flow shown in FIG. 9, when the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 detect the object A2 in the area A on the landing door 32 side shown in FIG. 12, a control instruction (measurement area-dependent control instruction) such as decelerating the door speed or stopping the door is output to the door controller 20. On the other hand, in the flow shown in FIG. 13, when the object A2 in the area A on the landing door 32 side shown in FIG. 12 is not moving toward the car door 24 and the landing door 32, the measurement area-dependent control instruction output in step S270 in FIG. 9 can be canceled by the cancellation instruction output in step S360. In other words, even if the object A2 exists near the landing door 32, if the object exists independently of the car door 24 and the landing door 32, the measurement-dependent control instruction related to the object A2 can be canceled. Therefore, the car door 24 and the landing door 32 can be controlled more accurately.

Note that if no control instruction for cancellation is accumulated in step S350, the measurement area-dependent control instruction for object A2 output in step S270 in FIG. 9 is not canceled.

<3-3. Example of control method in case where there is an object that will reach the landing door when the landing door is closed>
FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing a control method in a case where an object A1 that will reach the landing door 32 when the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are closed is present in the area E on the floor side.

First, the object detection unit 42 of the sensor controller 40 acquires object data from the mobile terminal 90 carried by the object A1 present in area E on the floor 30 side via the edge controller 80 (step S400). Next, the object detection unit 42 determines whether or not there is object data transmitted from the edge controller 80 (step S410). If it is determined in step S410 that there is no object data (no determination in step S410), the determination of the presence or absence of object data ends and the process proceeds to step S460 described below.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S410 that object data is present (YES in step S410), the state determination unit 44 calculates the time it takes for the object detected by the edge controller 80 to reach the landing door 32 (step S420). At this time, the state determination unit 44 calculates the arrival time using the vector data 72 contained in the object data.

Next, the state determination unit 44 determines whether or not the object A1 will reach the landing door 32 before the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are closed, based on the arrival time calculated in step S420 and information on the open/closed state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 acquired from the door controller 20 (step S430). If it is determined in step S430 that this is not possible (determination of impossibility in step S430), the process returns to step S410 and resumes processing for another object data acquired via the edge controller 80.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S430 that this is possible (determination of yes in step S430), that is, if it is determined that the object A1 will reach the landing door 32 before the car door 24 and the landing door 32 are closed, the control instruction unit 46 determines a control instruction for the determined object A1. The control instruction in step S430 is the same as the control instruction determination in step S260 in FIG. 9. Note that the control instruction determined in step S440 corresponds to the object data-dependent control instruction in the present invention.

Then, the control instruction unit 46 accumulates information regarding the control instructions for the determined object (step S450).

The processes of steps S410 to S450 are repeatedly executed until all object data acquired via the edge controller 80 remains. If it is determined that there is no object data, the control instruction unit 46 transmits the accumulated control instructions to the door controller 20 (step S460). At this time, if no control instructions have been accumulated in step S450, the control instruction unit 46 transmits information indicating "no control instructions" to the door controller 20.

The flow shown in FIG. 14 is executed simultaneously with the flow shown in FIG. 9. In the flow shown in FIG. 9, area E is considered to be a safe area, and even if object A1 is present in area E, a control instruction corresponding to object A present in area E (measurement area dependent control instruction) is not output. Therefore, when object A1 present in area E approaches the landing door 32 side at a speed faster than the average speed, the car door 24 and the landing door 32 cannot be appropriately controlled. On the other hand, by executing the flow shown in FIG. 14 simultaneously with the flow shown in FIG. 9, when object A1 present in area E approaches the landing door 32 at a speed significantly exceeding the average speed, the control instruction unit 46 can output a control instruction dependent on object data. As a result, the control instruction unit 46 can output a control instruction such as door deceleration, door movement direction reversal, door stop, etc. to the door controller 20. As a result, the open/close state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 can be controlled more accurately.

<4. Fourth embodiment>
In the first to third embodiments described above, an object is detected by the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54, but there is a possibility that malfunction may occur in the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54. In the fourth embodiment, a control method will be described in the case where a malfunction (failure) occurs in any of the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 in the elevator system 1 in the first embodiment, for example.

Figure 15 is a flow diagram showing a control method when a malfunction occurs in any of the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54. Note that the flow diagram shown in Figure 15 is executed simultaneously with the flow diagram shown in Figure 8 and the flow diagram shown in Figure 9.

First, the object detection unit 42 of the sensor controller 40 acquires measurement data from the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 (step S500). The object detection unit 42 determines the positions of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 from the measurement data transmitted from any of the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 (step S510).

Meanwhile, the state determination unit 44 of the sensor controller 40 acquires information on the open/closed state of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 transmitted from the door controller 20 (step S520). Then, the state determination unit 44 calculates the positions of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 from the information acquired in step S520 (step S530).

Next, in step S510, the state determination unit 44 compares the positions of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 detected by the object detection unit 42 with the positions of the car door 24 and the landing door 32 calculated in step S530 (step S540). If it is determined that there is a match in step S540 (match determination in step S540), the process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a mismatch in step S540 (mismatch determination in step S540), it is determined that the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 are malfunctioning, and the control instructions determined in step S160 in FIG. 8 or step S260 in FIG. 9 are invalidated (step S550). In this case, the control instructions determined in step S160 in FIG. 8 or step S260 in FIG. 9 are not output to the door controller 20, and the control instructions output in the subsequent processes are also invalidated.

In this way, the sensor controller 40 and the door controller 20 can work together to detect malfunctions in the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54. This makes it possible to invalidate unnecessary control instructions due to malfunctions or failures in the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54, improving reliability.

The above-mentioned embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. In the first to fourth embodiments, the first to fifth sensor units 50, 51, 52, 53, and 54 are provided, but in the present invention, the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiments can be obtained by providing at least one sensor that can capture images of the vicinity of the elevator entrance. Also, the setting of the measurement area shown in FIG. 4 etc. can be changed in various ways.

Furthermore, for example, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration, and it is also possible to add another configuration to the configuration of the embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration.

1, 2...Elevator system, 10...Elevator controller, 12...Cab door, 13...Cab room, 16...Main rope, 18...Hoisting machine, 20...Door controller, 22...Door motor, 24...Cab door, 26...Cab side jamb, 28...Input/output device, 30...Floor, 32...Landing door, 34...Floor side jamb, 40...Sensor controller, 42...Object detection unit, 44...State determination unit, 46...Control instruction unit, 50...First sensor unit, 51...Second sensor unit, 52...Third sensor unit, 53...Fourth sensor unit, 54...Fifth sensor unit, 60...Communication path, 70...Elevator, 80...Edge controller, 82...Network, 90...Mobile terminal

Claims (8)

In an elevator system that controls the open/close states of elevator car doors and hall doors,
a door controller that controls opening and closing operations of the car door and the landing door;
A sensor unit capable of capturing an image of an area around an elevator entrance where the car door and the landing door of the elevator are provided;
an object detection unit that sets a plurality of measurement areas in an area around the boarding/alighting entrance and detects the presence of an object in each of the measurement areas using the measurement data acquired by the sensor unit;
a state determination unit that determines a dangerous state based on a measurement area in which an object detected by the object detection unit exists and on an open/closed state of a car door and a landing door acquired from the door controller;
a control instruction unit that outputs a measurement area-dependent control instruction to the door controller based on the hazardous state determined by the state determination unit;
Equipped with
The object detection unit changes the setting of the measurement area depending on the open/closed state of the car door and the landing door.
Elevator system. 2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement area-dependent control instruction output from the control instruction unit is to slow down an opening/closing speed of the car door and the landing door, to stop an opening/closing operation of the car door and the landing door, or to reverse an opening/closing direction of the car door and the landing door. The elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein the state determination unit determines the dangerous state depending on an exposed area of the car door and the landing door. The object detection unit detects object data relating to a moving speed and a moving direction of an object transmitted from an external terminal via an edge controller,
the state determination unit determines a dangerous state based on the object data and an open/close state of the car door and the landing door,
2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the control instruction unit outputs an object data-dependent control instruction to the door controller and changes the measurement area-dependent control instruction based on the object data and an open/closed state of the car door and the landing door. The elevator system according to claim 4 , wherein the object data-dependent control instruction includes cancellation of the measurement area-dependent control instruction. the object detection unit detects positions of the car door and the landing door from the measurement data acquired by the sensor unit,
the state determination unit detects positions of the car door and the landing door from information transmitted from the door controller,
2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the state determination unit compares positions of the car door and the landing door detected by the object detection unit with positions of the car door and the landing door detected by the state determination unit to determine whether or not the sensor unit has a malfunction. The elevator system according to claim 6 , wherein, when the state determination unit determines that the sensor unit is malfunctioning, the control instruction unit invalidates the measurement area-dependent control instruction. a door controller that controls opening and closing operations of the car door and the landing door;
A control method for an elevator system including a sensor unit capable of capturing an image of an area around an elevator entrance where the elevator car door and the landing door are provided, comprising:
A plurality of measurement areas are set in an area around the boarding/alighting entrance, and the presence of an object is detected in each of the measurement areas using the measurement data acquired by the sensor unit;
determining a dangerous state based on a measurement area in which the detected object exists and an open/close state of a car door and a landing door acquired from the door controller;
outputting a measurement area-dependent control instruction to the door controller based on the determined hazardous state ;
The setting of the measurement area is changed according to the open/closed state of the car door and the landing door.
A method for controlling an elevator system.

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