JP7620342B2 - PLC Gateway System - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a PLC gateway system that vertically transports self-propelled transport devices, such as transport robots controlled by PLC, using an elevator.

In recent years, there has been a great demand for elevators to transport transport robots (AGVs (Automatic Guide Vehicles), AMRs (Automatic Mobile Robots)) and automated forklifts vertically in factories and logistics centers.

In factories and logistics centers, sequencers called PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) are used to control conveyors, the transport robots and automatic forklifts mentioned above.

Furthermore, as in Patent Document 1, elevators themselves may also be controlled by PLC. In such factories, the management master not only issues operating instructions to transport robots, etc., but also operates the elevators themselves using a PLC stream.

JP 2015-210761 A

However, as in Patent Document 1, in order to directly control the elevator control panel with a PLC, it is necessary to pull out the A contact from the control panel and develop a circuit board, which poses the problem of a considerable delivery time and high construction costs.

The object of the present invention is to solve the problems described above and provide a PLC gateway system that can realize vertical transport of a self-propelled transport device using an elevator controlled by PLC, with relatively simple installation work and relatively low cost, regardless of the elevator manufacturer or model.

In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the PLC gateway system of the present invention is to
Self-propelled transport devices such as transport robots and automatic forklifts,
A PLC that controls the self-propelled transport device;
A PLC interface that controls input/output signals between the PLC and the PLC;
an elevator having an input device for inputting a destination floor, a direction of travel, etc.;
an operation panel module provided in the input device, the operation panel module including a relay connected in parallel to a button of the input device and an interface device for controlling the relay;
an on-car control module mounted on an elevator car, the on-car control module being capable of communicating with the PLC via the PLC interface and with the operation panel module;
The car control module controls the relay via the operation panel module based on a PLC signal from the PLC to operate the elevator and transport the self-propelled transport device vertically.

According to the one aspect, when the car control module receives a PLC signal for controlling the elevator from the PLC, the car control module controls the operation panel module to turn the relay on or off. As a result, the button of the input device is pressed down, and the operation of the elevator is controlled by a control device originally provided in the elevator, causing the elevator to vertically transport the self-propelled transport device.
Therefore, according to this aspect, a PLC gateway system is provided that can realize vertical transportation of a self-propelled transport device using an elevator controlled by PLC, regardless of the elevator manufacturer or model, with relatively simple installation work and relatively low cost.

Another aspect of the present invention is
The input device is provided on each floor, and includes an up button and a down button as the buttons,
The relay of the operation panel module connected to the input device is connected in parallel to each of the up button and the down button, and the interface device of the operation panel module controls the relays connected in parallel to each of the up button and the down button, respectively;
When the on-car control module receives a car call request together with information about the landing floor and the disembarking floor as a PLC signal from the PLC, it sends an instruction to the operation panel module connected to the input devices at the landing floor and the disembarking floor to turn on the relays connected in parallel to the up button and down button of the input devices at the landing floor and the disembarking floor, and moves the elevator car to the landing floor and the disembarking floor.

According to this aspect, when the car-mounted control module receives a car call request from the PLC together with information on the landing floor and the disembarking floor, it transmits an instruction to the operation panel module connected to the input devices at the landing floor and the disembarking floor to press down the up button and the down button of the input device at the landing floor and the disembarking floor. When the interface device of the operation panel module receives an instruction from the car-mounted control module to press down the up button and the down button, it controls the relay to press down the up button and the down button. As a result, the control device that controls the entire elevator moves the elevator car to the landing floor and the disembarking floor in response to the up button and the down button being pressed. Therefore, according to this aspect, a PLC gateway system is provided that can realize vertical transportation of a self-propelled transport device using an elevator controlled by PLC, with relatively simple installation work and relatively low cost, regardless of the elevator manufacturer or model.

Another aspect of the present invention is
The input device is an input device having a plurality of destination floor buttons,
The relays of the operation panel module connected to the input device are connected in parallel to each of the destination floor buttons, and the interface device of the operation panel module controls the relays connected in parallel to the destination floor buttons;
When the on-car control module receives a car call request together with information on the landing floor and the disembarking floor as a PLC signal from the PLC, it sends an instruction to the operation panel module connected to the input device to turn on the relay connected in parallel to the destination floor buttons corresponding to the landing floor and the disembarking floor, and moves the elevator car to the landing floor and the disembarking floor.

According to this aspect, when the car-mounted control module receives a car call request from the PLC together with information on the landing floor and the disembarking floor, it transmits an instruction to the operation panel module connected to the input device of the landing floor and the disembarking floor to press the destination floor button corresponding to the landing floor and the disembarking floor. When the interface device of the operation panel module receives an instruction from the car-mounted control module to press the destination floor button, it controls the relay to press the destination floor button. As a result, the control device that controls the entire elevator moves the elevator car to the landing floor and the disembarking floor in response to the pressing of the destination floor button. Therefore, according to this aspect, a PLC gateway system is provided that can realize vertical transportation of a self-propelled transport device using an elevator controlled by PLC, with relatively simple installation work and relatively low cost, regardless of the elevator manufacturer or model.

Another aspect of the present invention is
The input device further includes an input device having a door open button and a door close button,
The relay of the operation panel module connected to the input device is connected in parallel to each of the door open button and the door close button, and the interface device of the operation panel module controls the relay connected in parallel to the door open button and the door close button,
The on-car control module sends an instruction to turn on or off the relay connected in parallel to the door open button and the door close button, thereby opening or closing the elevator doors.

According to this aspect, the car-mounted control module transmits an instruction to the operation panel module connected to the input device to press the door open button or the door close button. When the interface device of the operation panel module receives an instruction from the car-mounted control module to press the door open button or the door close button, it controls the relay to press the door open button or the door close button. As a result, the control device that controls the entire elevator opens or closes the elevator door in response to pressing the door open button or the door close button. Therefore, according to this aspect, it is possible for a self-propelled transport device to get on and off the elevator, and a PLC gateway system is provided that can realize vertical transport of a self-propelled transport device using an elevator controlled by PLC, with relatively simple installation work and relatively low cost, regardless of the elevator manufacturer or model.

The present invention provides a PLC gateway system that can realize vertical transport of a self-propelled transport device using an elevator controlled by PLC, with relatively simple installation work and relatively low cost, regardless of the elevator manufacturer or model.

1 is a diagram illustrating a PLC gateway system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an elevator according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic view of each floor in the elevator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the control relationship between the components in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the control relationship between an on-car control module, a first operation panel module, a second operation panel module, a first input device, a second input device, and a control panel in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram for explaining an operation of the PLC gateway system in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram for explaining a control relationship between components in a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram for explaining the control relationship between an on-car control module, a first operation panel module, a second operation panel module, a first input device, a second input device, and a control panel in a second embodiment of the present invention.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram that shows a schematic diagram of a PLC gateway system of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram that shows a schematic diagram of an elevator of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram that shows a schematic diagram of each floor in the elevator of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the control relationship between each component in the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining the control relationship between an on-car control module, a first operation panel module, a second operation panel module, a first input device, a second input device, and a control panel in the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the PLC gateway system in the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the PLC gateway system 100 of this embodiment includes a management PC 1, a main control panel 10, a conveyor 20, a self-propelled transport device 30, and an elevator 40.

The management PC 1 is configured, for example, by a personal computer, and is connected to the main control panel 10 to perform serial communication with the main control panel 10. The management PC 1 can also communicate with the self-propelled transport device 30 via a switching hub 26 and a Wi-Fi access point 27. The management PC 1 and the switching hub 26, and the switching hub 26 and the Wi-Fi access point 27 are connected, for example, by a wired LAN.

The management PC1 is capable of registering maps of factories where the self-propelled transport device 30 will travel, and editing courses including creating markers and routes. A user uses the management PC1 to register maps and edit courses. The management PC1 is also capable of editing the ladder program of the PLC 11, and a user uses the management PC1 to edit ladder programs for the conveyor 20, the self-propelled transport device 30, and the elevator 40. When editing a ladder program for the self-propelled transport device 30, for example, a route consisting of two points, a start point and an end point, is connected to create the entire travel course. In addition, the management PC1 manages the routes of the self-propelled transport device 30, monitors travel, and manages logs.

The management PC1 transmits the above-mentioned ladder program to the PLC11 of the main control panel 10, and the PLC11 stores the ladder program in an executable manner. After starting up the system, the management PC1 receives driving commands and the like from the PLC11 via serial communication, and also transmits information about the self-propelled transport device 30 to the PLC11 via serial communication.

The main control panel 10 includes a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) 11 and a network unit 12. The PLC 11 performs transport instruction management by the conveyor 20, vehicle dispatch management for the self-propelled transport device 30, and vertical transport management by the elevator 40, in accordance with the above-mentioned ladder program. The network unit 12 is a unit that can connect to multiple remote I/Os 25 as a PLC interface, and output signals from the PLC 11 are transmitted to the conveyor 20, elevator 40, etc. via the network unit 12 and the remote I/Os 25. In addition, output signals from the conveyor 20, elevator 40, etc. are transmitted to the PLC 11 via the remote I/Os 25 and the network unit 12.

The conveyor 20 is a conveyor that transports luggage from a specified start point to an end point, and is connected to the remote I/O 25. The conveyor 20 starts the transport operation according to a signal from the PLC 11, and the fact that the luggage has been transported to the end point is transmitted to the PLC 11 by a sensor (not shown) or the like via the remote I/O 25.

The self-propelled transport device 30 is a transport device including a transport robot (AGV (Automatic Guide Vehicle), AMR (Automatic Mobile Robot)) and an automatic forklift, etc., and receives commands from the management PC 1 via the Wi-Fi access point 27, moves from a specified start point to an end point, and performs operations such as transporting luggage. The fact that the self-propelled transport device 30 has reached the end point is transmitted from the self-propelled transport device 30 to the PLC 11 via the remote I/O 25.

As shown in FIG. 2, the elevator 40 includes a car 42 arranged in a hoistway 41, an in-hoistway sensor module 43, an on-car control module 44, a door 45, a first input device 46, a second input device 47, and a third input device 48.

The car control module 44 of the elevator 40 is connected to the remote I/O 25, receives commands from the PLC 11 via the remote I/O 25, and transmits signals indicating the operating status of the elevator 40 to the PLC 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, the elevator 40 also includes a drive unit 60 that raises and lowers the car 42, a wire 62 that is wound around the drive unit 60 and connects the counterweight 61 to the car 42, and a control panel 63 that controls the operation of the drive unit 60 and the door 45. The control panel 63 may be configured as a computer including a CPU and memory, or may be configured as a combination of relays and switches.

The elevator 40 in this embodiment is not an elevator that has an A contact drawn from the control panel 63 for control by the PLC 11, or a board for control by the PLC 11. In other words, the elevator 40 in this embodiment is a conventional elevator that cannot be controlled by the PLC 11 in this state. Therefore, in this embodiment, instead of connecting the remote I/O 25 to the control panel 63, the remote I/O 25 is connected to the car-mounted control module 44, and the car-mounted control module 44 is used as a PLC gateway, making it possible to control the elevator 40 by the PLC 11. Details of the control will be described later.

The elevator shaft sensor modules 43 are installed on the inner wall of the elevator shaft 41 at predetermined positions corresponding to each floor, and are modules for determining the position of the car 42. Each elevator shaft sensor module 43 is equipped with an RFID tag indicating the corresponding floor. As shown in FIG. 4, the elevator shaft sensor modules 43 can communicate with the car control module 44. In this embodiment, the RFID tag of the elevator shaft sensor module 43 is, for example, a battery-less passive tag, and operates by obtaining power from the carrier wave sent from the car control module 44. The RFID tag itself does not have a signal source, and communicates by, for example, reflecting the carrier wave sent from the car control module 44. The ID information of the RFID tag includes information indicating each floor, and this ID information is returned on the reflected wave.

The car-mounted control module 44 is a control module installed on the top of the car 42. As described above, the car-mounted control module 44 can communicate with the elevator shaft sensor module 43 and reads the ID information of the RFID tag from the elevator shaft sensor module 43. As shown in FIG. 4, the car-mounted control module 44 is connected to the remote I/O 25 and can communicate with the PLC 11 via the remote I/O 25 and the network unit 12. The car-mounted control module 44 receives car call requests and commands such as moving from a boarding floor to a disembarking floor from the PLC 11 via the network unit 12 and the remote I/O 25, and performs predetermined processing as described below. The car-mounted control module 44 also transmits signals indicating the status of the elevator 40 to the PLC 11 via the remote I/O 25 and the network unit 12.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a first input device 46, a second input device 47, and a third input device 48 are provided on the entrance side of the elevator 40.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the first input device 46 is provided with an up button 46A, which is a push button marked with an up mark, and a down button 46B, which is a push button marked with a down mark. As shown in Fig. 5, the up button 46A and the down button 46B are analog-connected to the control panel 63. When the up button 46A and/or the down button 46B is pressed, the control panel 63 moves the car 42 to the floor where the up button 46A and/or the down button 46B was pressed.

The second input device 47 is a device for inputting instructions to open and close the door 45 of the elevator 40. The second input device 47 is provided with a door open button 47A, which is a push button with an open mark displayed, and a door close button 47B, which is a push button with a close mark displayed. The door open button 47A and the door close button 47B are connected to the control panel 63 by analog connection as shown in FIG. 5. When the door open button 47A is pressed, the control panel 63 operates the opening and closing device of the door 45 to open the door 45. The door close button 47B is also connected to the control panel 63 by analog connection, and when the door close button 47B is pressed, the control panel 63 operates the opening and closing device of the door 45 to close the door 45.

The third input device 48 is a device for inputting instructions for the destination floor of the elevator 40. The third input device 48 is provided with a plurality of destination floor buttons (not shown), which are push buttons on which the numbers of the stopping floors are displayed. Although not shown in FIG. 5, the destination floor buttons are connected to the control panel 63 by an analog connection. When a destination floor button is pressed, the control panel 63 moves the car 42 to the destination floor corresponding to the pressed button.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the first input device 46 is connected to the first operation panel module 50. The first operation panel module 50 is provided with a first instruction input relay 52, a second instruction input relay 53, and a first interface device 54. The first instruction input relay 52 is connected in parallel to the up button 46A. The first instruction input relay 52 is connected to the first interface device 54 and is turned on and off by commands from the first interface device 54. The first interface device 54 is capable of communicating with the on-car control module 44, receives a predetermined control signal from the on-car control module 44, and outputs a command to the first instruction input relay 52 to turn the first instruction input relay 52 on and off.

Similarly, the second instruction input relay 53 is connected in parallel to the down button 46B. The second instruction input relay 53 is connected to the first interface device 54, and is turned on and off by commands from the first interface device 54. The first interface device 54 is capable of communicating with the on-car control module 44, and receives a predetermined control signal from the on-car control module 44 to output a command to the second instruction input relay 53, thereby turning the second instruction input relay 53 on and off.

If no ON signal is input from the first interface device 54, the first instruction input relay 52 remains in the OFF state. On the other hand, when an ON signal is input from the first interface device 54, the first instruction input relay 52 turns ON. Then, a signal indicating that the up button 46A has been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the control panel 63 outputs an operation command to the drive device 60 to move the car 42 to the floor where the up button 46A was pressed.

Similarly, if an on signal is not input from the first interface device 54, the second instruction input relay 53 remains in the off state. On the other hand, if an on signal is input from the first interface device 54, the second instruction input relay 53 turns on. Then, a signal indicating that the down button 46B has been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the control panel 63 outputs an operation command to the drive device 60 to move the car 42 to the floor where the down button 46B was pressed.

In this way, the first interface device 54 can turn on and off the first instruction input relay 52 and the second instruction input relay 53 connected to the up button 46A and the down button 46B, thereby moving the car 42 to the floor where the up button 46A and the down button 46B are pressed.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the second input device 47 is connected to the second operation panel module 51. The second operation panel module 51 is provided with a third instruction input relay 55, a fourth instruction input relay 56, and a second interface device 57. The third instruction input relay 55 is connected in parallel with the door open button 47A. The third instruction input relay 55 is connected to the second interface device 57 and is turned on and off by commands from the second interface device 57. The second interface device 57 is capable of communicating with the on-car control module 44, receives a predetermined control signal from the on-car control module 44, and outputs a command to the third instruction input relay 55 to turn the third instruction input relay 55 on and off.

Similarly, the fourth instruction input relay 56 is connected in parallel to the door close button 47B. The fourth instruction input relay 56 is connected to the second interface device 57, and is turned on and off by commands from the second interface device 57. The second interface device 57 is capable of communicating with the on-car control module 44, receives a predetermined control signal from the on-car control module 44, and outputs a command to the fourth instruction input relay 56 to turn the fourth instruction input relay 56 on and off.

If no ON signal is input from the second interface device 57, the third instruction input relay 55 remains in the OFF state. On the other hand, if an ON signal is input from the second interface device 57, the third instruction input relay 55 turns ON. Then, a signal indicating that the door open button 47A has been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the control panel 63 outputs an operation command to the opening and closing device of the door 45 to open the door 45.

Similarly, if no ON signal is input from the second interface device 57, the fourth instruction input relay 56 remains in the OFF state. On the other hand, if an ON signal is input from the second interface device 57, the fourth instruction input relay 56 turns ON. Then, a signal indicating that the door close button 47B has been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the control panel 63 outputs an operation command to the opening and closing device of the door 45 to close the door 45.

In this way, the second interface device 57 can turn on and off the third instruction input relay 55 and the fourth instruction input relay 56 connected to the door open button 47A and the door close button 47B, so that the door 45 can be opened or closed, as if the door open button 47A and the door close button 47B were pressed.

The operation of the PLC gateway system 100 configured as above will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the PLC gateway system 100. In this example, a case will be described in which the self-propelled transport device 30 is on the second floor and a dispatch request to the fifth floor is made from the PLC 11.

First, when the PLC 11 sends a dispatch request to the management PC 1 to dispatch the self-propelled transport device 30 to the fifth floor, the management PC 1 receives this dispatch request (step S1). The management PC 1 is aware of the position information and status of the self-propelled transport device 30, and sends an instruction to the self-propelled transport device 30 on the second floor to move to the position of the elevator 40 on the second floor (step S2).

When the self-propelled transport device 30 receives the instruction from the management PC 1, in this example, it starts moving to the position of the elevator 40 on the second floor. When the self-propelled transport device 30 arrives at the position of the elevator 40 on the second floor, it sends a signal to the management PC 1 notifying it of its arrival (step S3).

The management PC 1, which receives this signal, sends a signal to the PLC 11 informing it that the self-propelled transport device 30 has arrived at the position of the elevator 40 on the second floor (step S4). Upon receiving this signal, the PLC 11 sends a car call request signal to the car control module 44 of the elevator 40 to move the car 42 to the second floor (step S5).

When the car on-board control module 44 receives a car call request from the PLC 11, it transmits an instruction to the first operation panel module 50 attached to the first input device 46 on the second floor to press the up button 46A and the down button 46B of the first input device 46 on the second floor (step S6).

When the first interface device 54 of the first operation panel module 50 attached to the first input device 46 on the second floor receives an instruction to press the up button 46A and the down button 46B from the car on-board control module 44, it turns on the first instruction input relay 52 and the second instruction input relay 53. Therefore, a signal indicating that the up button 46A and the down button 46B have been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the up button 46A and the down button 46B are in a pressed state. The control panel 63 outputs an operation command to the drive device 60 to move the car 42 to the floor where the up button 46A and the down button 46B were pressed (step S6).

The reason why both the up button 46A and the down button 46B are pressed in this way is so that when the car on-board control module 44 receives a car call request, it can handle both cases where the car 42 is located below the second floor and where the car 42 is located above the second floor. By performing the processing in this way, it is possible to simplify the movement control of the car 42.

When the car 42 arrives at the second floor, which is the landing floor, the car-mounted control module 44 receives the ID information of the RFID tag of the elevator shaft sensor module 43 and detects that the car 42 has arrived at the second floor (step S7).

When the on-car control module 44 detects that the car 42 has reached the second floor, it transmits a signal to the PLC 11 informing it that the car 42 has reached the second floor (step S8). The PLC 11, which receives this signal, transmits a command to the on-car control module 44 of the elevator 40 to open the door 45 (step S9).

When the car control module 44 receives this command, it transmits an instruction to the second operation panel module 51 attached to the second input device 47 on the second floor to press the door open button 47A on the second input device 47 on the second floor (step S10).

When the second interface device 57 of the second operation panel module 51 attached to the second input device 47 on the second floor receives an instruction to press the door open button 47A from the car control module 44, it turns on the third instruction input relay 55. Therefore, a signal indicating that the door open button 47A has been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the door open button 47A is in a pressed state. The control panel 63 outputs an operation command to the opening and closing device of the door 45, causing the door 45 to be in an open state.

The car-mounted control module 44 can detect that the door 45 is in an open state by using a sensor (not shown) or the like. When the car-mounted control module 44 detects that the door 45 is in an open state, it transmits a signal to the PLC 11 notifying the PLC 11 that the door 45 is in an open state (step S11).

When PLC 11 receives this signal, it sends a command to management PC 1 to move the self-propelled transport device 30 located at the elevator 40 into the car 42 (step S12). When management PC 1 receives this signal, it sends a command to the self-propelled transport device 30 located at the elevator 40 to move into the car 42 (step S13).

When the self-propelled transport device 30 receives this command, it starts moving into the cage 42, and when it detects via a sensor or the like that the movement into the cage 42 has been completed, it sends a signal to the management PC 1 informing it that the movement into the cage 42 has been completed (step S14).

The management PC 1, which receives a signal notifying that the self-propelled transport device 30 has completed moving into the cage 42, transmits a signal to the PLC 11 notifying that the self-propelled transport device 30 has completed moving into the cage 42 (step S15).

The PLC 11, which receives this signal, sends a command to the on-car control module 44 of the elevator 40 to close the door 45 (step S16). When the on-car control module 44 receives this command, it sends an instruction to the second operation panel module 51 attached to the second input device 47 on the second floor to press the door close button 47B of the first input device 46 on the second floor (step S17).

When the second interface device 57 of the second operation panel module 51 attached to the second input device 47 on the second floor receives an instruction to press the door close button 47B from the car control module 44, it turns on the fourth instruction input relay 56. Therefore, a signal indicating that the door close button 47B has been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the door close button 47B is in a pressed state. The control panel 63 outputs an operation command to the opening and closing device of the door 45 to close the door 45.

The car control module 44 can detect that the door 45 is closed by a sensor (not shown) or the like. When the car control module 44 detects that the door 45 is closed, it transmits a signal to the PLC 11 notifying the PLC 11 that the door 45 is closed (step S18).

PLC 11, which receives this signal, sends a command to the on-car control module 44 of the elevator 40 to move the car 42 to the fifth floor (step S19). Upon receiving the command to move to the fifth floor from PLC 11, the on-car control module 44 sends a command to the first operation panel module 50 attached to the first input device 46 on the fifth floor to press the up button 46A and down button 46B of the first input device 46 on the fifth floor (step S20).

When the first interface device 54 of the first operation panel module 50 attached to the first input device 46 on the fifth floor receives an instruction to press the up button 46A and the down button 46B from the car on-board control module 44, it turns on the first instruction input relay 52 and the second instruction input relay 53. Therefore, a signal indicating that the up button 46A and the down button 46B have been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the up button 46A and the down button 46B are in a pressed state. The control panel 63 outputs an operation command to the drive device 60 to move the car 42 to the floor where the up button 46A and the down button 46B were pressed (step S20).

In this way, both the up button 46A and the down button 46B are pressed in order to simplify the movement control of the car 42, just as when the car 42 is called to the second floor.

When the car 42 arrives at the fifth floor, which is the landing floor, the car on-board control module 44 receives the ID information of the RFID tag of the elevator shaft sensor module 43 and detects that the car 42 has arrived at the fifth floor (step S21).

When the on-car control module 44 detects that the car 42 has reached the fifth floor, it transmits a signal to the PLC 11 informing it that the car 42 has reached the fifth floor (step S22). The PLC 11, which receives this signal, transmits a command to the on-car control module 44 of the elevator 40 to open the door 45 (step S23).

When the car control module 44 receives this command, it transmits an instruction to the second operation panel module 51 attached to the second input device 47 on the fifth floor to press the door open button 47A on the second input device 47 on the second floor (step S24).

When the second interface device 57 of the second operation panel module 51 attached to the second input device 47 on the fifth floor receives an instruction to press the door open button 47A from the car control module 44, it turns on the third instruction input relay 55. Therefore, a signal indicating that the door open button 47A has been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the door open button 47A is in a pressed state. The control panel 63 outputs an operation command to the opening and closing device of the door 45, causing the door 45 to be in an open state.

The car-mounted control module 44 can detect that the door 45 is in an open state by using a sensor (not shown) or the like. When the car-mounted control module 44 detects that the door 45 is in an open state, it transmits a signal to the PLC 11 notifying that the door 45 is in an open state (step S25).

The PLC 11, which receives this signal, sends a command to the management PC 1 to cause the self-propelled transport device 30 in the car 42 of the elevator 40 to dismount from the car 42 (step S26). The management PC 1, which receives this signal, sends a command to the self-propelled transport device 30 in the car 42 to move out of the car 42 and dismount (step S27).

When the self-propelled transport device 30 detects disembarking from the elevator 40 using a sensor or the like, it sends a signal to the management PC 1 notifying that disembarking is complete (step S28). When the management PC 1 receives a signal from the elevator 40 of the self-propelled transport device 30 notifying that disembarking is complete, it sends a signal to the PLC 11 notifying that the self-propelled transport device 30 has disembarked from the elevator 40 and arrived at the fifth floor (step S29). When the PLC 11 receives this signal, it sends a command to a specified device to perform the necessary subsequent control.

In this way, according to the PLC gateway system 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to enable vertical transportation of the self-propelled transport device 30 using the existing elevator 40, without the need to perform new complex wiring or create a new dedicated board so that the control panel 63 of the elevator 40 can be directly controlled by the PLC 11.

As described above, the PLC gateway system 100 uses the on-car control module 44 attached to the car 42 as a PLC gateway, communicates with the PLC 11 via the on-car control module 44, and outputs instructions to the first operation panel module 50 attached to the first input device 46 via the on-car control module 44. The car 42 can be moved to a floor according to the instructions from the PLC 11 by operating the door open button 47A and the door close button 47B via the first operation panel module 50. Therefore, regardless of the manufacturer or model of the elevator 40, it is possible to provide a PLC gateway system 100 that enables vertical transportation of the self-propelled transport device 30 using the elevator 40 under the control of the PLC 11 with relatively simple installation work and relatively low cost.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. In the above-mentioned first embodiment, an aspect has been described in which an instruction is output from the on-car control module 44 to the first operation panel module 50 attached to the first input device 46, and the door open button 47A and the door close button 47B are operated by the first operation panel module 50 to move the car 42 to a floor according to an instruction from the PLC 11.

However, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, a third input device 48 that inputs instructions for the destination floor of the elevator 40 is attached to a third operation panel module 58, and the third operation panel module 58 is used to operate destination floor buttons 48A to 48E to move the car 42 to a floor according to the instructions from the PLC 11. In this embodiment, as an example, a case where the destination floors are the 1st to 5th floors will be described.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, a third operation panel module 58 is connected to the third input device 48. The third operation panel module 58 is provided with a fifth instruction input relay 59A, a sixth instruction input relay 59B, a seventh instruction input relay 59C, an eighth instruction input relay 59D, a ninth instruction input relay 59E, and a third interface device 59F.

The fifth instruction input relay 59A to the ninth instruction input relay 59E5 are connected in parallel to the destination floor buttons 48A to 48E for the first to fifth floors, respectively. The fifth instruction input relay 59A to the ninth instruction input relay 59E are connected to the third interface device 59F, and are turned on and off by commands from the third interface device 59F. The third interface device 59F can communicate with the on-car control module 44, and receives a predetermined control signal from the on-car control module 44 to output commands to the fifth instruction input relay 59A to the ninth instruction input relay 59E, turning the fifth instruction input relay 59A to the ninth instruction input relay 59E on and off.

If no on signal is input from the third interface device 59F, the fifth instruction input relay 59A to the ninth instruction input relay 59E remain in the off state. On the other hand, if an on signal is input from the third interface device 59F, the fifth instruction input relay 59A to the ninth instruction input relay 59E are turned on. Then, a signal indicating that a destination floor button 48A to 48E has been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the control panel 63 moves the car 42 to the floor corresponding to the pressed destination floor button.

In this way, the third interface device 59F can turn on and off the fifth instruction input relay 59A to the ninth instruction input relay 59E5 connected to the destination floor buttons 48A to 48E, allowing the car 42 to move to the desired floor, just as if the destination floor button 48A to 48E had been pressed.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, in step S5, the PLC 11 transmits a car call request signal to the car control module 44 of the elevator 40 to move the car 42 to the second floor. In step S6, the car control module 44 transmits an instruction to the first operation panel module 50 attached to the first input device 46 on the second floor to press the up button 46A and the down button 46B of the first input device 46 on the second floor.

However, in this embodiment, instead of step S6, the car control module 44 sends an instruction to the third operation panel module 58 attached to the third input device 48 to press the destination floor button 48B corresponding to the second floor on the third input device 48.

When the third interface device 59F of the third operation panel module 58 attached to the first input device 46 receives an instruction to press the destination floor button 48B from the car control module 44, it turns on the sixth instruction input relay 59B. Therefore, a signal indicating that the destination floor button 48B has been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the destination floor button 48B is in a pressed state. The control panel 63 outputs an operation command to the drive device 60 to move the car 42 to the second floor, which corresponds to the destination floor button 48B.

In addition, in the second embodiment described above, in step S20, when the car control module 44 receives a command to move to the fifth floor from the PLC 11, it transmits an instruction to the first operation panel module 50 attached to the first input device 46 on the fifth floor to press the up button 46A and the down button 46B of the first input device 46 on the fifth floor.

However, in this embodiment, instead of step S20, the on-car control module 44 sends an instruction to the third operation panel module 58 attached to the third input device 48 to press the destination floor button 48E corresponding to the fifth floor on the third input device 48.

When the third interface device 59F of the third operation panel module 58 attached to the first input device 46 receives an instruction to press the destination floor button 48E from the car control module 44, it turns on the ninth instruction input relay 59E. Therefore, a signal indicating that the destination floor button 48E has been pressed is input to the control panel 63, and the destination floor button 48E is in a pressed state. The control panel 63 outputs an operation command to the drive device 60 to move the car 42 to the fifth floor, which corresponds to the destination floor button 48E.

As described above, according to this embodiment, instead of using the first operation panel module 50 to operate the door open button 47A and the door close button 47B to move the car 42 to a floor according to an instruction from the PLC 11, the third operation panel module 58 turns on and off the fifth instruction input relay 59A to the ninth instruction input relay 59E5 connected to the destination floor buttons 48A to 48E, so that the car 42 can be moved to the desired floor as if the destination floor buttons 48A to 48E were pressed. Therefore, regardless of the manufacturer or model of the elevator 40, it is possible to provide a PLC gateway system 100 that enables vertical transportation of the self-propelled transport device 30 using the elevator 40 under the control of the PLC 11, with relatively simple installation work and relatively low cost.

In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the third input device 48 is provided on the entrance side of the elevator 40 on each floor, but the third input device 48 controlled by the third operation panel module 58 may be a third input device 48 provided on any floor.

In addition, the third operation panel module 58 may be installed only on the third input device 48 on one of the floors, for example, the first floor, rather than on the third input device 48 on all floors.

Furthermore, the third input device 48 may be provided inside the car 42 of the elevator 40, rather than at the entrance side of the elevator 40 on each floor.

Third Embodiment
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the on-car control module 44 is connected to the remote I/O by wire, but the present invention is not limited to this aspect.
For example, in this embodiment, the on-car control module 44 is configured to be able to communicate with a cloud server (not shown), and receives instructions from the PLC 11 from the cloud server using a PLC signaling method. In addition, signals are also transmitted from the on-car control module 44 to the PLC 11 via the cloud server.

In the above example, the self-propelled transport device 30 received control commands from the management PC 1 via the Wi-Fi access point 27, but in this embodiment, the self-propelled transport device 30 is also configured to be able to communicate with the cloud server, and receives control commands from the management PC 1 via the cloud server over TCP/IP via Wi-Fi in a PLC signaling format.

In this manner, in a configuration in which the self-propelled transport device 30 receives instructions from the management PC 1 or the PLC 11 via the cloud, in a conventional system that does not use the car-mounted control module 44 as the PLC gateway of the present invention, it was necessary to establish API linkage between the elevator 40 and the self-propelled transport device 30.

In other words, it was necessary to modify the self-propelled transport device 30 to enable API connection and establish API integration with the controller installed in the elevator 40.

However, in this embodiment, the car on-board control module 44 is used as the PLC gateway of the present invention described above. The car on-board control module 44 converts the PLC-based command signal from the PLC 11 and operates the elevator 40, which has the advantage that no modifications are required to connect to an API in the self-propelled transport device 30.

In both the above-mentioned embodiment and this embodiment, the car control module 44 is provided with the function of a PLC gateway, but the car control module 44 that controls the elevator 40 and the PLC gateway that receives and converts PLC-based command signals from the PLC 11 may be provided separately.

In this case, the PLC gateway receives a PLC-based command signal from the PLC 11 via the cloud and converts the signal into a signal used for communication with the on-cage control module 44. The PLC gateway and the on-cage control module 44 are configured to be able to communicate with each other, for example, via LoRa communication, and the on-cage control module 44 that receives the signal converted by the PLC gateway can operate the elevator as described above.

(Modification)
The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the door 45 is opened and closed by instructions from the car control module 44 based on commands from the PLC 11 when passengers board and disembark the self-propelled transport device 30. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the opening and closing of the door 45 may be left to the control of the control panel 63, and the self-propelled transport device 30 may move independently after checking the open/closed state of the door 45 by itself.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which, when moving the car 42, both the up button 46A and the down button 46B are operated at the same time by the on-car control module 44 and the first operation panel module 50. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, when a car call request is received from the PLC 11, the on-car control module 44 may grasp both the floor for which the car call request was received and the position of the car 42, and may operate either the up button 46A or the down button 46B depending on the situation, taking into account the upper and lower floor relationships between the landing floor and the disembarking floor.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the self-propelled transport device 30 communicates only with the management PC 1, and the door 45 opens and closes in response to commands from the PLC 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this aspect, and the self-propelled transport device 30 may be configured to be able to communicate with the car-top control module 44, and the door 45 may be opened and closed based on a signal from the self-propelled transport device 30.

1 Management PC
10 Main control panel 20 Conveyor 30 Self-propelled transport device 40 Elevator 41 Hoistway 42 Cage 43 Hoistway sensor module 44 Cage control module 45 Door 46 First input device 46A Up button 46B Down button 47 Second input device 47A Door open button 47B Door close button 48 Third input device 48A Destination floor button 48B Destination floor button 48C Destination floor button 48D Destination floor button 48E Destination floor button 50 First operation panel module 51 Second operation panel module 52 First instruction input relay 53 Second instruction input relay 54 First interface device 55 Third instruction input relay 56 Fourth instruction input relay 57 Second interface device 58 Third operation panel module 59A Fifth instruction input relay 59B Sixth instruction input relay 59C Seventh instruction input relay 59D Eighth instruction input relay 59E Ninth instruction input relay 59F Third interface device 60 Drive device 61 Counterweight 62 Wire 63 Control panel 100 PLC gateway system

Claims (4)

Self-propelled transport devices, including transport robots and automatic forklifts,
A PLC that controls the self-propelled transport device;
A PLC interface that controls input/output signals between the PLC and the PLC;
an elevator having an input device for inputting information including a destination floor and a direction of travel;
an operation panel module provided in the input device, the operation panel module including a relay connected in parallel to a button of the input device and an interface device for controlling the relay;
an on-car control module mounted on an elevator car, the on-car control module being capable of communicating with the PLC via the PLC interface and with the operation panel module;
The car control module controls the relay via the operation panel module based on the PLC signal from the PLC to operate the elevator and vertically transport the self-propelled transport device.
PLC gateway system. The input device is provided on each floor, and includes an up button and a down button as the buttons,
The relay of the operation panel module connected to the input device is connected in parallel to each of the up button and the down button, and the interface device of the operation panel module controls the relays connected in parallel to each of the up button and the down button, respectively;
When the car on-car control module receives a car call request together with information on the landing floor and the disembarking floor as a PLC signal from the PLC, the car on-car control module transmits an instruction to the operation panel module connected to the input devices at the landing floor and the disembarking floor to turn on the relays connected in parallel to the up button and the down button of the input devices at the landing floor and the disembarking floor, thereby moving the elevator car to the landing floor and the disembarking floor.
2. The PLC gateway system according to claim 1. The input device is an input device having a plurality of destination floor buttons,
The relays of the operation panel module connected to the input device are connected in parallel to each of the destination floor buttons, and the interface device of the operation panel module controls the relays connected in parallel to the destination floor buttons;
When the car on-board control module receives a car call request together with information on the landing floor and the disembarking floor as a PLC signal from the PLC, the car on-board control module transmits an instruction to the operation panel module connected to the input device to turn on the relays connected in parallel to the destination floor buttons corresponding to the landing floor and the disembarking floor, thereby moving the elevator car to the landing floor and the disembarking floor.
2. The PLC gateway system according to claim 1. The input device further includes an input device having a door open button and a door close button,
The relay of the operation panel module connected to the input device is connected in parallel to each of the door open button and the door close button, and the interface device of the operation panel module controls the relay connected in parallel to the door open button and the door close button,
The car control module transmits an instruction to turn on or off the relay connected in parallel to the door open button and the door close button, thereby opening or closing the elevator door.
4. The PLC gateway system according to claim 2 or 3.