JP7616935B2 - Equipment operation unit, equipment operation system, and control method for equipment operation unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an equipment operation unit, an equipment operation system, and a method for controlling an equipment operation unit.

For example, at a building construction site, the site may be patrolled to check safety, quality, progress, etc. Furthermore, even after construction is completed, the inside of a building may be patrolled to manage various aspects of the building. It is being considered to have such patrols performed not by humans, but by mobile objects such as robots that move around the building automatically, or by remote control by humans.

When a moving body moves between different floors in a building, it is considered that an elevator is used. In this case, as is well known, an elevator is provided with an operation button for calling the elevator at each floor. In addition, inside the elevator, operation buttons for specifying the floor to which the elevator will move and for instructing the opening and closing of the doors, etc. are provided. Therefore, when a moving body uses an elevator, it is necessary to operate these operation buttons provided on the elevator. Furthermore, when it is required for the moving body to, for example, turn on the lights or open and close the doors, it is necessary to operate the operation buttons for the lights and the doors. Therefore, it is considered that an arm for pressing the operation buttons is provided on the moving body.
However, equipping a moving body with an arm leads to an increase in costs. In addition, in order to operate the operation button with an arm, if the moving body acts autonomously, the moving body needs to recognize the position of the operation button and the mark indicating the operation content displayed on the operation button. For this reason, the moving body needs to be equipped with an image processing function for recognizing the operation button, which leads to a further increase in costs. In addition, if the moving body is small and lightweight, the reaction force generated when the operation button is pressed at the tip of the arm may cause the moving body to become unstable.

In response to this, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which, in an elevator system equipped with a call registration means for registering destination floor call items, information on the movement of the user's limbs detected by a motion detection means is analyzed, and a destination floor call item is selected and registered based on the analysis results. In such a configuration, the management system interprets the user's movements to recognize which button the user is trying to press, and the management system controls the system as if the button desired by the user had been automatically pressed.

It is conceivable to apply the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, in which the mobile object sends request information about the button to be pressed to the elevator device's management system, and the management system automatically performs control as if the desired button had been pressed based on the request information sent from the mobile object. However, to realize such a configuration, the control program on the elevator device's management system needs to be equipped with a function for performing control according to the request information sent from the mobile object. For this reason, such a function is difficult to implement unless it is developed by the developer of the elevator device's management system. Therefore, for example, it is difficult for the management company of the building in which the elevator device is installed to provide a function that corresponds to operation by the mobile object without modifying the elevator device's management system, and it is not easy to realize this.

JP 2017-13984 A

The object of the present invention is to provide an equipment operation unit, an equipment operation system, and a control method for an equipment operation unit that can easily ensure that a button is pressed reliably in response to a request from a mobile object.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.
That is, the equipment operation unit of the present invention is characterized by comprising a housing attached to the surface of an equipment operation section having an operation button of an equipment, a receiving section that receives request information from an external mobile body requesting operation of the operation button, an actuator provided within the housing corresponding to the operation button and having an operator for pressing the operation button, and a controller that controls the actuator so that the operator presses the operation button corresponding to the request information requested from the mobile body based on the request information received by the receiving section.
According to this configuration, when an external mobile object such as a robot requests the operation of an operation button on a device operation unit provided on the device, the receiving unit receives request information from the mobile object. Based on the request information received by the receiving unit, the controller controls the actuator so that the actuator's operator presses the operation button corresponding to the request information. Based on the control of the controller, the actuator presses the operation button with the operator. In this way, the operation button on the device operation unit can be operated in response to the request information received from the external mobile object.
In such a configuration, the operation button provided on the device is pressed from outside by the device operation unit, which allows the operation button to be operated from outside by a mobile object without making any changes to the control program on the device itself.
Therefore, it is possible to easily realize reliable pressing of the button in response to a request from the mobile object.

In one aspect of the present invention, the equipment operation unit of the present invention further includes a manual button held on the housing so as to be movable in a direction toward and away from the operation button.
With this configuration, when a user presses the manual button, the manual button approaches and comes into contact with the operation button, and the user can press the operation button via the manual button. In this way, not only can button operations be performed in response to requests from the mobile object, but also the user can manually operate the button.

In one aspect of the present invention, the equipment operation unit of the present invention includes a sensor that detects that a part of the user's body has approached, the sensor being provided corresponding to the operation button, and the controller controls the actuator so that, when the sensor detects that a part of the user's body has approached, the operation button corresponding to the sensor is pressed by the operator.
According to this configuration, when the sensor detects that a part of the user's body, such as a finger, is approaching, the controller uses the actuator to press the operation button corresponding to the sensor. This allows the user to press the operation button by bringing a part of the body close to the sensor without having to press the operation button or manual button.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the device operation unit of the present invention, the housing has a fixing portion that is fixed to a surface of the device operation portion.
According to this configuration, the housing can be fixed to the surface of the device operation unit or to a wall surface around the device operation unit by the fixing part. In other words, the device operation unit is externally attached to the device operation unit or to a wall surface around the device operation unit. By externally attaching such a device operation unit to an existing device, it is possible to add a function of operating the operation buttons by a moving object.

In one aspect of the present invention, the equipment operation unit of the present invention is an elevator device provided in a building.
According to such a configuration, by providing the equipment operation unit in the elevator device, it becomes possible to operate the elevator operation buttons using a moving object.

In one aspect of the present invention, the equipment operation system of the present invention comprises an equipment operation unit as described above and the mobile body, wherein the mobile body comprises a mobile body main body, a mobile running unit that enables the mobile body to move on a floor surface, a request information generation unit that generates request information to request the operation button to be pressed, and a transmission unit that transmits the request information generated by the request information generation unit to the receiving unit.
According to this configuration, the mobile object such as a robot can move on a floor surface by the mobile propulsion unit. The request information generating unit of the mobile object generates request information for requesting pressing of an operation button. The generated request information is transmitted from the transmitting unit to the receiving unit of the device operation unit.
On the device operation unit side, when the receiving section receives request information from an external mobile object, the controller controls the actuator so that the actuator's operator presses the operation button corresponding to the received request information. The actuator presses the operation button with the operator based on the control of the controller. In this way, the operation button of the device operation section can be operated in response to the request information received from the external mobile object.
Therefore, it is possible to easily realize reliable pressing of the button in response to a request from the mobile object.

In one aspect of the present invention, the control method for an equipment operation unit of the present invention is a control method for an equipment operation unit as described above, characterized in that it includes a step of receiving request information from the moving body requesting operation of the operation button, and a step of activating the actuator so as to press the operation button corresponding to the request information with the operator based on the received request information.
According to this configuration, when request information is received from an external mobile object such as a robot, the actuator is operated so that the operation button corresponding to the received request information is pressed by the actuator. In this way, the operation button of the device operation unit can be operated in response to the request information received from the external mobile object.
Therefore, it is possible to easily realize reliable pressing of the button in response to a request from the mobile object.

The present invention makes it easy to ensure that a button is pressed reliably in response to a request from a mobile object.

1 is a diagram showing an example of a building equipped with a device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which request information is being transmitted from a moving object located outside an elevator to an outside equipment operation unit in the equipment operation system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which request information is being transmitted from a moving body located inside an elevator to an inside device operation unit in the device operation system according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an inner device operation unit. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a moving body. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the device operation system. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of the equipment operation unit. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the equipment operation unit, taken along line II of FIG. 8 . FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of a control method for the device operation unit according to the present embodiment.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, the embodiments for implementing the device operation unit, device operation system, and device operation unit control method according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

An example of a building equipped with a device operation system is shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which request information is transmitted from a mobile object located outside an elevator to an outside device operation unit in the device operation system according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which request information is transmitted from a mobile object located inside an elevator to an inside device operation unit in the device operation system according to this embodiment.
As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the device operation system 1 is for operating a device operation unit 22 of a device 2. The device 2 may be of any form and for any purpose, so long as it is equipped with a device operation unit 22 having operation buttons 24 (see Figs. 4 and 5). In this embodiment, the device 2 is an elevator device 20 provided in a building 10 having a plurality of stories 11 in the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 1. The building 10 may be of any form and for any purpose, so long as it has a plurality of stories 11. In this embodiment, the building 10 is a building 10 under construction. The building 10 may be a completed building.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the elevator device 20 includes an elevator body 21 and a device operation unit 22 .
The elevator body 21 is box-shaped and can accommodate people and goods inside. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the elevator body 21 has elevator-side opening and closing doors 23 that can be opened and closed on each floor 11. The elevator body 21 moves up and down by a lifting mechanism (not shown) in an elevator shaft 12 that is provided to extend in the vertical direction within the building 10. The elevator body 21 stops at a predetermined floor 11 in response to an operation input to a device operating unit 22.

At each level 11, an elevator opening 15 that connects the elevator shaft 12 to the elevator antechamber 13 is formed in the partition wall 14 that separates the elevator shaft 12 from the elevator antechamber 13. The elevator opening 15 is provided with an openable and closable level-side door 16. When the elevator body 21 is stopped at a specific level, people and goods can pass between the elevator antechamber 13 and the elevator body 21 by opening and closing the elevator side door 23 and the level-side door 16.

Fig. 4 is a front view showing the outer device operation section. Fig. 5 is a front view showing the inner device operation section. Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show a state in which an outer device operation unit 3A and an inner device operation unit 3B, which will be described later, are provided so as to cover the outer device operation sections (the outer device operation section 22A and the inner device operation section 22B), and the outer device operation section 22A and the inner device operation section 22B covered by the outer device operation unit 3A and the inner device operation unit 3B are shown by dashed lines.
4 and 5, the device operation unit 22 is provided with a plurality of operation buttons 24 for operating the elevator main body 21. In this embodiment, the operation buttons 24 are of a type that, when pressed from the outside, move slightly inwardly and determine whether or not they have been pressed by detecting whether or not the operation buttons 24 have moved or the amount of movement, etc.
The equipment operation unit 22 includes an outside equipment operation unit 22A provided in the elevator anteroom 13 on the outside of the elevator shaft 12, and an inside equipment operation unit 22B provided in the elevator main body 21, on each story 11. The outside equipment operation unit 22A is provided on the partition wall 14 on the side of the elevator opening 15, on each story 11. The inside equipment operation unit 22B is provided on the inner wall 21w on the side of the elevator side opening/closing door 23 in the elevator main body 21.

As shown in FIG. 4, the external device operation section 22A provided on each story 11 includes a plurality of operation buttons 24 and a cover panel 25A.
The outside device operation unit 22A is provided with a plurality of operation buttons 24, including operation buttons 24A and 24B for calling the elevator body 21 to the relevant story 11. The operation button 24A is for calling the elevator body 21 to ascend to another story 11 above the relevant story 11. The operation button 24B is for calling the elevator body 21 to descend to another story 11 below the relevant story 11.
The cover panel 25A is attached and fixed to the partition wall 14. The cover panel 25A is formed with openings 25h that accommodate the operation buttons 24. Each operation button 24 is provided so as to be depressable in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the partition wall 14.

As shown in FIG. 5, the inner device operation section 22B includes a plurality of operation buttons 24 and a cover panel 25B.
The inside device operation unit 22B is provided with a plurality of operation buttons 24, including operation buttons 24C to 24F and operation buttons 24G and 24H. The operation buttons 24C to 24F are for specifying the destination floor 11 of the elevator body 21. The operation button 24G is for keeping the elevator side door 23 and the floor side door 16 open. The operation button 24H is for closing the elevator side door 23 and the floor side door 16 that are in the open state.
The cover panel 25B is attached and fixed to the inner wall 21w of the elevator body 21. The cover panel 25B is formed with openings 25g that accommodate the operation buttons 24. Each operation button 24 is provided so as to be depressable in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the inner wall 21w.

When each operation button 24 of the equipment operation unit 22 (outer equipment operation unit 22A, inner equipment operation unit 22B) is pressed, the elevator device 20 automatically executes a predetermined operation corresponding to the pressed operation button 24 under the control of an elevator control device provided in a control room (not shown). Note that the configuration of the elevator device 20 described above is known.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the equipment operation system 1 includes a mobile object 5 and an equipment operation unit 3. In the equipment operation system 1, the mobile object 5 remotely controls the equipment operation unit 3 wirelessly to press the operation button 24 of the equipment operation section 22 of the elevator device 20.

Fig. 6 is a side view showing the configuration of the moving body Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the device operation system.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the moving body 5 includes a moving body main body 51, a moving/propelling unit 52, a moving body operation control unit 53, a request information generating unit 54, and a transmitting unit 55.
In this embodiment, the moving body 5 is configured to be able to move autonomously. That is, the moving body 5 is configured to be able to determine, by its own judgment, a destination and a moving route within the building 10. In this embodiment, the moving body 5 is a robot.
The mobile body 51 is equipped with a camera (not shown) for checking, for example, the safety, quality, progress, etc. of the construction site within the building 10.
The moving/running unit 52 enables the moving body 51 to move on each floor 11 in the building 10 and on the floor surface inside the elevator body 21. In this embodiment, the moving/running unit 52 includes a plurality of leg members 52f that enable the moving body 51 to walk on four legs.

The mobile unit operation control unit 53 controls the operation of each part of the mobile unit 5. The mobile unit operation control unit 53 controls the operation of the mobile travel unit 52 and the camera (not shown) so that the mobile unit 5 moves along a route registered in advance within the building 10 while checking each part with a camera.

When the moving object 5 moves from the floor 11 where the moving object 5 is currently located to another floor 11 in the building 10, the moving object 5 uses the elevator device 20. When the moving object 5 uses the elevator device 20, the request information generating unit 54 generates request information Ir for requesting the device operation unit 3 described later to press the operation button 24. As shown in FIG. 2, when the moving object 5 is located in the elevator antechamber 13, the request information generating unit 54 generates request information Ir for requesting the outside device operation unit 3A described later to press the operation button 24. As shown in FIG. 3, when the moving object 5 is located in the elevator main body 21, the request information generating unit 54 generates request information Ir for requesting the inside device operation unit 3B described later to press the operation button 24.

The transmission unit 55 wirelessly transmits the request information Ir generated by the request information generation unit 54 to the device operation units 3 (the outer device operation unit 3A and the inner device operation unit 3B). The transmission unit 55 transmits the request information Ir to the device operation units 3 by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or infrared communication.

The device operation unit 3 presses the operation buttons 24 of the device operation section 22 (outer device operation section 22A, inner device operation section 22B) based on request information wirelessly transmitted from the mobile object 5. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the device operation unit 3 is attached so as to cover the surface of the device operation section 22. In this embodiment, the device operation unit 3 includes an outer device operation unit 3A attached so as to cover the outer device operation section 22A, and an inner device operation unit 3B attached so as to cover the inner device operation section 22B.

The outer device operation unit 3A and the inner device operation unit 3B each include a housing 31, a receiver 32, an actuator 33, a manual button 37, a battery 45, and a controller 40.

As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 31 of the outer device operation unit 3A is attached to the surface of the cover panel 25A or the partition wall 14 surrounding the cover panel 25A. As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 31 of the inner device operation unit 3B is attached to the cover panel 25B or the inner wall 21w surrounding the cover panel 25B.

Fig. 8 is a plan sectional view of the equipment operation unit, and Fig. 9 is a side sectional view of the equipment unit, taken along line II of Fig. 8.
8 and 9, the housing 31 is in the shape of a hollow box and has a fixing portion 31c that is fixed to the cover panels 25A, 25B, or the partition wall 14 or the inner wall 21w by adhesive, double-sided tape, screws, or the like. A back opening 31d that exposes each operation button 24 to the inside of the housing 31 is formed on the side of the housing 31 that faces the partition wall 14 and the inner wall 21w. A front opening 31e that houses the manual button 37 is formed on the side of the housing 31 opposite to the side that faces the cover panels 25A, 25B, or the partition wall 14 and the inner wall 21w.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a receiving unit 32, an actuator 33, a battery 45, and a controller 40 are built into the housing 31.
The receiving unit 32 receives the request information Ir transmitted from the transmitting unit 55 of the mobile object 5 by short-range wireless communication.

A plurality of actuators 33 are provided corresponding to the plurality of operation buttons 24 provided on the outer device operation section 22A and the inner device operation section 22B. In this embodiment, since each of the outer device operation section 22A and the inner device operation section 22B has a plurality of operation buttons 24, each of the outer device operation unit 3A and the inner device operation unit 3B also has a plurality of actuators 33 corresponding thereto. Each actuator 33 presses a corresponding operation button 24 based on the request information Ir received by the receiving section 32.
FIG. 10 is a front view showing the manual button.
As shown in Figures 8 to 10, each actuator 33 includes an actuator body 34 and an operator 35. The actuator body 34 is fixed to the housing 31. The actuator body 34 is formed of, for example, a servo motor, and has a drive shaft 34s parallel to the surface of the operation button 24. The operator 35 has a base end 35c supported by the drive shaft 34s. As shown in Figure 9, the operator 35 normally extends from the base end 35c to a tip end 35d parallel to the surface of the operation button 24. When the drive shaft 34s is rotationally driven by the actuator body 34, the operator 35 rotates around the drive shaft 34s and presses the operation button 24 with the tip end 35d.

The manual button 37 is operated by the user (person) with the finger, not by the moving body 5, to press the operation button 24. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the manual button 37 is provided corresponding to each operation button 24. The manual button 37 is attached to the front opening 31e via a ring-shaped elastic body 37r. The manual button 37 has a button plate 37p and a pressing member 37q integrally. The button plate 37p is a plate-like member arranged parallel to the surface of the operation button 24. The pressing member 37q extends from the button plate 37p to the operation button 24 side. As shown in FIG. 10, the pressing member 37q is formed by cutting out a part of a cylinder so that it is, for example, C-shaped when viewed from the direction facing the button plate 37p. The C-shaped pressing member 37q accommodates the operator 35 in a cutout part 37s in the circumferential direction, thereby avoiding interference between the pressing member 37q and the operator 35.
When a user applies force with his or her fingers to press the button plate 37p toward the operation button 24, the elastic body 37r elastically deforms and moves toward the operation button 24, causing the pressing member 37q to come into contact with the operation button 24, and the operation button 24 is pressed by the pressing member 37q.

The manual button 37 may have a light-transmitting portion 37t so that the button plate 37p can be seen through the mark M, such as an arrow, a destination floor, open, closed, or the like, displayed on the operation button 24. In this case, the manual button 37 is made of a translucent or transparent resin material or the like.
Also, the manual button 37 may be provided with the same marks M as those displayed on the operation button 24, such as an arrow, a destination floor, open, closed, etc., by printing or the like.

As shown in FIG. 8, the manual buttons 37 are provided with sensors 39 covering the button plates 37p so as to correspond to the operation buttons 24 corresponding to each manual button 37. In this embodiment, the sensors 39 are non-contact sensors. That is, the sensors 39 detect the approach of the user's finger by a change in capacitance or the like. When the sensor 39 detects the approach of the user's finger, the controller 40 described below operates the actuator body 34 corresponding to the operation button 24 corresponding to the sensor 39, thereby pressing the operation button 24 with the operator 35. In other words, when the sensor 39 detects the approach of the user's finger, the actuator 33 presses the corresponding operation button 24 without displacing the manual button 37 toward the operation button 24.

The battery 45 supplies power to the controller 40 and the actuator body 34 .
The controller 40 controls the actuator 33 corresponding to the operation button 24 so that the operation button 24 corresponding to the request information Ir requested from the moving object 5 is pressed by the operator 35 based on the request information Ir received by the receiving unit 32. As shown in FIG. 7 , the controller 40 functionally comprises a request information receiving unit 41, a sensor input receiving unit 42, and an actuator control unit 43.

The request information receiving unit 41 receives the request information Ir from the mobile object 5 , which is received by the receiving unit 32 .
The sensor input receiving unit 42 receives a detection signal indicating that the sensor 39 provided on the manual button 37 has detected the approach of a user's finger.

The actuator control unit 43 controls the operation of the actuator body 34 corresponding to the request information Ir or the detection signal based on the request information Ir received by the request information receiving unit 41 and the detection signal received by the sensor input receiving unit 42. When the request information receiving unit 41 receives the request information Ir, the actuator control unit 43 identifies the operation button 24 corresponding to the request content on the mobile object 5 side and operates the actuator body 34 of the actuator 33 corresponding to the operation button 24. For example, when the operation of the operation button 24A of the external device operation unit 22A is requested on the mobile object 5 side, the actuator control unit 43 operates the actuator body 34 of the actuator 33 corresponding to the operation button 24A and presses the operation button 24A with the operator 35. For example, when the operation of the operation button 24B of the external device operation unit 22A is requested on the mobile object 5 side, the actuator control unit 43 operates the actuator body 34 of the actuator 33 corresponding to the operation button 24B and presses the operation button 24B with the operator 35. Also, when the operation of one of the operation buttons 24C to 24F for specifying a destination floor is requested on the inside device operation unit 22B on the mobile unit 5 side, the actuator body 34 of the actuator 33 corresponding to the operation button 24 of the requested destination floor is operated, and the corresponding operation button 24C to 24F is pressed with the operator 35. Alternatively, when the operation of one of the operation buttons 24G, 24H for opening and closing the elevator side opening door 23 and the floor side opening door 16 is requested on the mobile unit 5 side on the inside device operation unit 22B, the actuator body 34 of the actuator 33 corresponding to the operation button 24 of the requested operation is operated, and the corresponding operation button 24G, 24H is pressed with the operator 35.

When the sensor input receiving unit 42 receives a detection signal from the sensor 39 indicating that the user's finger has been detected approaching, the actuator control unit 43 identifies the operation button 24 corresponding to that sensor 39, operates the actuator body 34 of the actuator 33 corresponding to that operation button 24, and presses the corresponding operation button 24 with the operator 35.

Next, a method for controlling the above-mentioned device operation unit 3 will be described.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of a control method for the device operation unit according to this embodiment.
The control method of the device operation unit 3 shown in FIG. 11 is executed individually by each of the outer device operation unit 3A and the inner device operation unit 3B.
When the transmitting unit 55 of the mobile object 5 transmits the request information Ir, the receiving unit 32 of each of the outer device operation unit 3A and the inner device operation unit 3B receives the request information Ir. The request information accepting unit 41 successively determines whether or not the receiving unit 32 has received the request information Ir from the mobile object 5 (step S1).

As a result, when the receiving unit 32 receives the request information Ir, the request information accepting unit 41 accepts the received request information Ir.
Next, the actuator control unit 43 checks the contents of the request information Ir received by the request information receiving unit 41. That is, the actuator control unit 43 identifies, in the request information Ir, the type of the operation button 24 that the moving object 5 has requested to be pressed (step S2).
Next, the actuator control unit 43 operates the actuator body 34 of the actuator 33 corresponding to the identified operation button 24 (step S3), whereby the drive shaft 34s of the actuator body 34 is rotationally driven to rotate the operator 35, and the requested operation button 24 is pressed.

If it is determined in step S1 that the receiving unit 32 has not received the request information Ir, the sensor input receiving unit 42 determines whether or not a detection signal indicating that the user's finger has been approached has been received from the sensor 39 (step S4). If a detection signal from the sensor 39 has not been received, the process returns to step S1 after a predetermined time has elapsed, and the process is repeated.
If a detection signal has been received from the sensor 39 in step S4, the actuator control unit 43 identifies the operation button 24 corresponding to the sensor 39 that received the detection signal, and operates the actuator body 34 of the actuator 33 corresponding to the operation button 24 (step S5). As a result, the drive shaft 34s of the actuator body 34 is rotationally driven to rotate the operator 35, and the operation button 24 corresponding to the sensor 39 that the user has brought his/her finger close to is pressed.

The equipment operation unit 3 as described above comprises a housing 31 attached to the surface of the equipment operation section 22 having the operation buttons 24 of the equipment 2, a receiving section 32 that receives request information Ir from an external mobile object 5 requesting operation of the operation button 24, an actuator 33 provided within the housing 31 in correspondence with the operation button 24 and equipped with an operator 35 for pressing the operation button 24, and a controller 40 that controls the actuator 33 so that the operator 35 presses the operation button 24 corresponding to the request information Ir requested from the mobile object 5 based on the request information Ir received by the receiving section 32.
According to this configuration, when an external moving body such as a robot 5 requests the operation of the operation button 24 of the device operation unit 22 provided in the device 2, the receiving unit 32 receives request information Ir from the external moving body 5. Based on the request information Ir received by the receiving unit 32, the controller 40 controls the actuator 33 so that the actuator 35 of the actuator 33 presses the operation button 24 corresponding to the request information Ir. Based on the control of the controller 40, the actuator 33 presses the operation button 24 with the actuator 35. In this way, the operation button 24 of the device operation unit 22 can be operated in response to the request information Ir received from the external moving body 5.
In such a configuration, the operation button 24 provided on the device 2 is pressed from outside by the device operation unit 3. This allows the operation button 24 to be operated from outside by the mobile object 5 without making any changes to the control program on the device 2 side.
Therefore, it is possible to easily realize reliable pressing of the operation button 24 in response to a request from the mobile object 5.

In this embodiment, as described above, when the operation button 24 provided on the device 2 is pressed from outside by the device operation unit 3, there is no need to access or modify the control program on the device 2 side. In this way, since there is no need to add or intervene other programs in the control program on the device 2 side, it is possible to prevent the security of the control program on the device 2 side from being violated.
In this embodiment, the moving object 5 is configured to be able to move autonomously, and can operate buttons in the surrounding environment that need to be operated when moving, based on the moving object 5's own judgment and transmission of request information. Therefore, there is no need for a human to accompany the moving object 5 when it moves.

In particular, in this embodiment, the device operation unit 22 has a plurality of operation buttons 24, a plurality of actuators 33 are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of operation buttons 24, and each actuator 33 has an operator 35, and the controller 40 controls the actuator 33 so that the operation button 24 corresponding to the request information Ir among the plurality of operation buttons 24 is pressed with the operator 35 of the actuator 33 corresponding to that operation button 24.
According to such a configuration, even if a plurality of operation buttons 24 are provided, the operation buttons 24 can be operated in response to a request from the moving object 5 .

The equipment operation unit 3 further includes a manual button 37 held on the housing 31 so as to be movable in a direction toward and away from the operation button 24 .
According to this configuration, when the user presses the manual button 37, the manual button 37 approaches and abuts against the operation button 24, and the operation button 24 can be pressed via the manual button 37. In this way, not only button operations in response to requests from the moving object 5 but also button operations manually performed by the user can be performed.

Further, the manual button 37 has a light-transmitting portion 37t so that the mark M displayed on the operation button 24 can be seen through the light-transmitting portion 37t.
According to this configuration, when the manual button 37 is arranged to face the operation button 24, the operation button 24 is covered by the manual button 37, but by providing the manual button 37 with a transparent portion 37t, the various marks M displayed on the operation button 24 can be seen through the transparent portion 37t. This eliminates the need to add marks corresponding to the marks M of the operation button 24 to the manual button 37 itself, and the manufacturing cost of the manual button 37 can be reduced.

It also has a sensor 39 that detects when a part of the user's body approaches, and the sensor 39 is provided corresponding to the operation button 24. When the sensor 39 detects that a part of the user's body approaches, the controller 40 controls the actuator 33 so that the operation button 24 corresponding to the sensor 39 is pressed by the operator 35.
According to this configuration, when the sensor 39 detects that a part of the user's body, for example a finger, has come close, the controller 40 causes the actuator 33 to press the operation button 24 corresponding to the sensor 39 with the operator 35. This allows the user to press the operation button 24 by bringing a part of the body close to the sensor 39 without having to press the operation button 24 or the manual button 37.

In particular, in this embodiment, the sensor 39 is a non-contact sensor.
According to such a configuration, even if the operation button 24 requires contact with the human body, the operation button 24 can be operated without touching the operation button 24 .

The housing 31 also has a fixing portion 31 c that is fixed to the surface of the device operation unit 22 .
According to this configuration, the housing 31 can be fixed by the fixing portion 31c to the surface of the device operation section 22 or to a wall surface around the device operation section 22. In other words, the device operation unit 3 is externally attached to the device operation section 22 or to a wall surface around the device operation section 22. By externally attaching such a device operation unit 3 to an existing device 2, it becomes possible to add a function of operating the operation button 24 by the moving object 5.

Moreover, the equipment 2 is an elevator device 20 provided in the building 10 .
According to such a configuration, by providing the equipment operation unit 3 in the elevator device 20 , it becomes possible to operate the elevator operation button 24 by using the moving object 5 .

In addition, the above-mentioned equipment operation system 1 includes the above-mentioned equipment operation unit 3 and a mobile body 5, and the mobile body 5 includes a mobile body main body 51, a mobile running unit 52 that enables the mobile body main body 51 to move on a floor surface, a request information generation unit 54 that generates request information Ir for requesting the pressing of the operation button 24, and a transmission unit 55 that transmits the request information Ir generated by the request information generation unit 54 to the receiving unit 32.
According to this configuration, the mobile object 5 such as a robot can move on a floor surface by the mobile propulsion unit 52. The mobile object 5 generates request information Ir for requesting pressing of the operation button 24 by the request information generating unit 54. The generated request information Ir is transmitted from the transmitting unit 55 to the receiving unit 32 of the equipment operation unit 3.
On the device operation unit 3 side, when the receiving section 32 receives the request information Ir from the external mobile object 5, the controller 40 controls the actuator 33 so that the operator 35 of the actuator 33 presses the operation button 24 corresponding to the received request information Ir. The actuator 33 presses the operation button 24 with the operator 35 based on the control of the controller 40. In this way, the operation button 24 of the device operation section 22 can be operated in accordance with the request information Ir received from the external mobile object 5.
Therefore, it is possible to easily realize reliable pressing of the operation button 24 in response to a request from the mobile object 5.

In addition, the control method of the equipment operation unit 3 as described above includes a step S1 of receiving request information Ir requesting operation of the operation button 24 from the mobile body 5, and a step S3 of activating the actuator 33 so as to press the operation button 24 corresponding to the request information Ir with the operator 35 based on the received request information Ir.
According to this configuration, when request information Ir is received from an external moving body 5 such as a robot, the actuator 33 is operated so that the operation button 24 corresponding to the received request information Ir is pressed by the operator 35 of the actuator 33. In this way, the operation button 24 of the device operation unit 22 can be operated in response to the request information Ir received from the external moving body 5.
Therefore, it is possible to easily realize reliable pressing of the operation button 24 in response to a request from the mobile object 5.

(Modification of the embodiment)
The device operation unit, device operation system, and device operation unit control method of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments explained with reference to the drawings, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope.
For example, in the above embodiment, all of the operation buttons 24 of the equipment operation unit 22 of the elevator device 20 are configured to be pressed down by the actuator 33, but it is also possible to configure only some of the operation buttons 24 of the equipment operation unit 22 to be pressed down by the actuator 33.

In the above embodiment, the operation button 24 is a type that moves slightly inward when pressed from the outside, and determines whether it has been pressed by detecting whether or not this movement has occurred, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the operation button 24 may be a type that determines whether it has been pressed by electrically detecting contact with a human body or the like. In such a case, it is possible to deal with this by providing an electrode on the tip 35d of the operation element 35 and grounding the electrode. That is, even in this case, based on the request information Ir received by the receiving unit 32, the controller 40 controls the actuator 33 so that the operation element 35 presses the operation button 24 corresponding to the request information Ir requested from the moving object 5, and the actuator 33 causes the operation element 35 to press the corresponding operation button 24. As a result, the tip 35d of the operation element 35 comes into contact with the operation button 24, and this contact is electrically detected, and the operation button 24 detects that it has been pressed.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the equipment operation section 22 of the elevator device 20 is provided with an equipment operation unit 3 and an equipment operation system 1, but the operation buttons 24 operated by the equipment operation unit 3 and the equipment operation system 1 are not limited to the elevator device 20, and may be, for example, for turning on and off lighting devices, opening and closing doors and shutters, etc.

In the above embodiment, the sensor 39 detects the approach of a part of the user's body by a change in capacitance, but the detection method in the sensor 39 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the sensor 39 may detect the approach of a part of the user's body by reflection of detection light.

In the above embodiment, the device operation unit 3 is provided with the manual button 37, but the device operation unit 3 may be configured not to include the manual button 37. In this case, the user (person) inserts his/her finger into the front opening 31e provided in the housing 31 to directly operate the operation button 24.
In this way, when the sensor 39 is provided in the absence of the manual button 37, it is desirable to provide the sensor 39 at a position where it can detect a finger, such as near the surface opening 31e on the rear side of the housing 31.

In the above embodiment, the moving body 5 has a quadrupedal structure using a plurality of leg members 52s as the moving body 5, but the present invention is not limited to this. The moving body 52 may also have a plurality of wheels, for example.
Alternatively, in the above embodiment, a robot is exemplified as the moving body 5, but the moving body 5 is not limited to this and may be an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) or the like.
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the moving object 5 is configured to be able to move autonomously, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the moving object 5 may be configured to be moved by remote control by a human. In this case, the moving object 5 may be configured to generate and transmit a request signal Ir requesting operation of the operation button 24 by remote control by a human.

In the above embodiment, the mobile object 5 is used to inspect the building 10 under construction, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the mobile object 5 may be used to inspect the building 10 after completion. Furthermore, the mobile object 5 is not limited to being used for inspecting the building 10, and may be used for other purposes, such as transporting goods.
In addition, the configurations described in the above embodiments can be selected or changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Equipment operation system 35 Operator 2 Equipment 37 Manual button 3 Equipment operation unit 37t Transmitting section 5 Mobile body 39 Sensor 10 Building 40 Controller 20 Elevator device 51 Mobile body main body 22 Equipment operation section 52 Mobile travel section 24 Operation button 54 Request information generating section 31 Housing 55 Transmitting section 31c Fixed section Ir Request information 32 Receiving section M Mark 33 Actuator

Claims (6)

a housing attached to a surface of a device operation unit having operation buttons of the elevator apparatus ;
a receiving unit for receiving request information from an external robot requesting an operation of the operation button;
an actuator provided in the housing in correspondence with the operation button, the actuator including an operator for pressing down the operation button;
a controller that controls the actuator so that the operation button corresponding to the request information requested by the robot is pressed by the operation device based on the request information received by the receiving unit ,
The robot comprises:
a request information generating unit that generates request information for requesting pressing of an operation button of the elevator device when the request information generating unit is located in a front room of the elevator device facing the operation button of the elevator device;
a transmission unit that transmits the request information generated by the request information generation unit . The equipment operation unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a manual button held on the housing so as to be movable in a direction toward and away from the operation button. A sensor is provided to detect when a part of the user's body is in close proximity,
The sensor is provided in correspondence with the operation button,
The device operation unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the controller controls the actuator so that, when the sensor detects that a part of the user's body has come close, the operator presses the operation button corresponding to the sensor. The device operation unit according to claim 1 , wherein the housing has a fixing portion that is fixed to a surface of the device operation portion. An equipment operation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ;
The robot ,
The robot comprises:
The robot body,
and a robot traveling unit that enables the robot body to move on a floor surface. A method for controlling an equipment operation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , comprising the steps of:
receiving request information from the robot requesting an operation of the operation button;
and actuating the actuator so as to press, with the operator, the operation button corresponding to the request information based on the received request information.

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