JP7724185B2 - Shared ride allocation device, elevator system, and shared ride allocation method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a ride-sharing allocation device, elevator system, and ride-sharing allocation method, and is suitable for use in a ride-sharing allocation device, elevator system, and ride-sharing allocation method that allocates elevator rides to users with strollers or other pushcarts.

In facilities such as department stores and shopping malls, customers (hereafter referred to as "users") often use elevators with infants in strollers or other pushcarts. Various technologies have been proposed to allow such users with pushcarts to use elevators.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an elevator system that enables elevator users with infants in strollers or other pushcarts to smoothly transport the infant to their required destination. The elevator system in Patent Document 1 determines whether the infant is crying from audio and images, and can display content according to the determined infant's condition (for example, information about diaper changing spaces or upcoming events).

JP 2017-124915 A

However, when using an elevator, users with infants in strollers or other pushcarts have to be considerate of other nearby users, worrying about the stroller taking up space or the infant's crying causing a nuisance, and these considerations can cause stress. However, while the elevator system in Patent Document 1 mentioned above can provide useful information to the infant or their parents depending on the infant's condition, it is not a technology that takes into account the surrounding situation, making it difficult to solve the above problem.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a ride allocation device, elevator system, and ride allocation method that can reduce the stress that arises when users with infants in strollers use elevators, due to consideration of the surrounding conditions of the ride.

To solve this problem, the present invention provides a ride allocation device that allocates a ride between a user carrying an infant in a stroller and other users in an elevator car when the user attempts to use the elevator. The ride allocation device includes: a registration information acquisition unit that acquires registration information input by the user from an information terminal mounted on the stroller, including floor information indicating the elevator's floor, infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined condition, and passenger availability information indicating whether the infant can ride with other infants in the predetermined condition, and registers a call for the car based on the registration information; an allocation determination unit that determines the allocation of users to the car based on the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit so that a first user with an infant in the predetermined condition does not ride with a second user who is not permitted to ride with other infants in the predetermined condition; and a result output unit that outputs output information for a guide display based on the ride allocation determined by the allocation determination unit to a display device visible to the users.

In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides an elevator system that, when a user carrying an infant in a stroller attempts to use an elevator, allocates a shared car between the user and other users in the elevator car, and includes an elevator that controls the operation of the car in response to call registration, a stroller provided to each user and equipped with an information terminal, and a shared car allocation device that determines which car the user can use, and the stroller has an information terminal that accepts registration information input by the user and transmits it to the shared car allocation device, and the registration information includes floor information indicating the floor the elevator is to use, infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined state, and The elevator system includes ride permission information indicating whether or not the user is permitted to ride with other infants who are in the predetermined state, and the shared ride allocation device has a registration information acquisition unit that acquires the registration information input to the information terminal and registers calls for the elevator car based on the registration information; an allocation determination unit that determines the allocation of shared rides of users to the elevator car based on the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit so that a first user with an infant who is in the predetermined state and a second user who is not permitted to ride with other infants who are in the predetermined state do not ride together; and a result output unit that outputs output information for a guide display based on the shared ride allocation determined by the allocation determination unit to a display device visible to the users.

In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a ride allocation method using a ride allocation device that allocates a ride between a user carrying an infant in a stroller and another user in the elevator car when the user attempts to use the elevator. The ride allocation device acquires, as registered information input by the user from an information terminal mounted on the stroller, floor information indicating the floor to be used by the elevator, infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined state, and passenger availability information indicating whether the infant can ride with other infants in the predetermined state, and allocates the ride between the user and another user in the elevator car based on the registered information. A shared ride allocation method is provided that includes: a registration information acquisition step for registering car calls; an allocation determination step in which the shared ride allocation device determines the allocation of shared rides of users to the cars based on the registration information acquired in the registration information acquisition step so that a first user with an infant in the predetermined state and a second user who is not allowed to ride with other infants in the predetermined state do not ride together; and a result output step in which the shared ride allocation device outputs output information for a guidance display based on the shared ride allocation determined in the allocation determination step to a display device visible to the users.

This invention reduces the stress that users with infants in strollers experience when using elevators, due to consideration of the surrounding environment.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of the main configuration of an elevator system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an external view of a stroller 10. FIG. 11 is a diagram (part 1) showing an example of screen transitions on a registration information input screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 2) showing an example of screen transitions on the registration information input screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 3) showing an example of screen transitions on the registration information input screen. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure for acquiring registration information. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the shared allocation process when registration information of pattern A is input. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of allocation registration information. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example (part 1) of a guidance display on the guidance display 33. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example (part 2) of a guidance display on the guidance display 33.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The following description and drawings are illustrative of the present invention, and have been omitted or simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and all application examples that conform to the concept of the present invention are included within the technical scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to make various additions and modifications to the present invention within the scope of the present invention. The present invention can also be implemented in a variety of other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be plural or singular.

In the following explanation, various types of information may be described using terms such as "table," "list," and "queue," but the various types of information may also be expressed using data structures other than these. To indicate that the information is not dependent on the data structure, "XX table," "XX list," etc. may be referred to as "XX information." When describing the content of each piece of information, terms such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, but these terms are interchangeable.

In addition, in the following explanation, when describing elements of the same type without distinguishing between them, reference signs or common numbers in reference signs will be used, and when describing elements of the same type with distinction between them, the reference signs of those elements will be used, or the ID assigned to those elements will be used instead of the reference signs.

In addition, while the following description may describe processing performed by executing a program, a program is executed by at least one processor (e.g., a CPU) to perform a predetermined process using storage resources (e.g., memory) and/or interface devices (e.g., communication ports) as appropriate, and therefore the processor may be the entity performing the processing. Similarly, the entity performing the processing by executing a program may be a controller, device, system, computer, node, storage system, storage device, server, management computer, client, or host having a processor. The entity performing the processing by executing a program (e.g., a processor) may include a hardware circuit that performs some or all of the processing. For example, the entity performing the processing by executing a program may include a hardware circuit that performs encryption and decryption, or compression and decompression. A processor operates as a functional unit that realizes a specified function by operating in accordance with a program. Devices and systems that include a processor are devices and systems that include these functional units.

A program may be installed on a device such as a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server includes a processor (e.g., a CPU) and storage resources, and the storage resources may further store a distribution program and a program to be distributed. The processor of the program distribution server may then execute the distribution program, causing the processor of the program distribution server to distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. Also, in the following description, two or more programs may be realized as one program, and one program may be realized as two or more programs.

(1) Configuration Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the main configuration of an elevator system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the elevator system 1 includes a stroller 10, a ride allocation device 20, and an elevator 30.

The stroller 10 is an example of a pushcart that users can use to transport infants and small children, and is loaned out to users of facilities such as shopping malls by those facilities. The strollers 10 are all the same size and shape (although multiple standard sizes may be available) and are equipped with an information terminal 11 with communication capabilities. Each stroller 10 is also assigned a management identifier (e.g., a car number) in advance, and the ride-sharing allocation device 20 can identify each individual stroller 10 by this identifier.

The information terminal 11 is a computer terminal equipped on the stroller 10, and is equipped with an input/output device, such as a touch panel, that allows the user to input operations and notify the user (in this example, display output is used as an example, but audio output or paper output is also possible). In addition to the input/output device, the information terminal 11 also includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that processes input/output information, memory that stores information, and a communications interface that allows communication with the ride allocation device 20. The information terminal 11 is realized, for example, by pre-installing a tablet terminal or the like that is capable of touch operation on the stroller 10. As an alternative method for realizing the information terminal 11, it may be possible to use an information processing terminal such as a smartphone owned by the user. In this case, however, a specific application program that realizes the functions of the information terminal 11 must be installed on the information processing terminal.

Figure 2 is an external view of the stroller 10. As shown in Figure 2, an information terminal 11 is mounted on the back of the stroller 10. A user can place an infant in the front of the stroller 10 and go shopping, etc. Furthermore, when a user intends to use the elevator 30, the user can input registration information (described below) by operating the touch panel of the information terminal 11. The input of registration information will be explained in detail below with specific examples shown in Figures 3 to 5. Note that the input of registration information may also serve as a call registration for the elevator 30's car 31.

The ride-sharing allocation device 20 is a device that allocates a ride between a user with an infant in a stroller 10 and other users in the elevator 30 car 31 when the user wishes to use the elevator 30, and is realized, for example, by a computer configured with a processor, main memory, auxiliary memory, and a communication interface. The ride-sharing allocation device 20 is communicatively connected to the information terminal 11 via a wireless communication network 40, and is also communicatively connected to the elevator 30 control panel 32 and information display 33 via wired or wireless communication.

Figure 1 shows the functional configuration of the shared ride allocation device 20, including a registration information acquisition unit 21, an allocation determination unit 22, and a result output unit 23.

The registration information acquisition unit 21 has the function of acquiring, via the network, registration information entered from the information terminal 11 installed in each stroller 10. The registration information acquisition unit 21 also has the function of registering a call for the car 31 on the elevator 30 based on the acquired registration information.

The allocation determination unit 22 has the function of determining the allocation of users to cars 31 based on the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit 21 from each information terminal 11, so that a user who has an infant in a predetermined state in a stroller 10 does not ride together with a user who does not allow other infants in a predetermined state to ride with them.

The result output unit 23 has the function of outputting output information for displaying guidance based on the shared bus allocation determined by the allocation determination unit 22 to a display device visible to the user. Specifically, the display device is the elevator guidance display 33. Note that the result output unit 23 may also be configured to display output information for displaying guidance on the touch panel of the information terminal 11; in this case, the touch panel of the information terminal 11 also corresponds to the display device.

Elevator 30 is an elevator installed in a facility or the like. Figure 1 shows elevator car 31, control panel 32, and information display 33 as components of elevator 30 that are closely related to the shared ride allocation device 20. Like a typical elevator, elevator 30 also includes various other components not shown in Figure 1 (for example, a hoist, a counterweight, etc.).

The car 31 is a car that moves up and down within the elevator shaft to transport passengers and luggage. The operation of the car 31 is controlled by a control panel 32. Inside the car 31, an operation panel (not shown) is provided that allows users to perform operations such as opening and closing the doors and specifying the destination floor.

The ride allocation device 20 in this embodiment allocates rides to users' cars 31. More specifically, rides may be allocated to a single car 31 based on its arrival timing (e.g., first car, next car, next car, etc.), or rides may be allocated to multiple cars 31 on a car-by-car basis (e.g., first car, second car, etc.), or a combination of these may be used. In other words, in this embodiment, the number of cars 31 installed in the elevator 30 is not limited to a specific number.

The control panel 32 is a device that controls the operation of the elevator 30's car 31, car doors (not shown), and landing doors (not shown). The control panel 32 is one of the basic components of a typical elevator, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Note that while FIG. 1 shows one car 31 and one control panel 32 inside the elevator 30, the elevator system 1 of this embodiment may also include multiple elevators 30 (i.e., multiple cars 31). If multiple elevators 30 are included, in addition to the control panels 32 that control each car 31, an integrated control panel (not shown) that controls these control panels from a higher level will be required; however, as conventional technology can be used, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The information display 33 is a display installed near the landing door on each floor, and displays various information to users. In addition to displaying the ride allocation determined by the ride allocation device 20, the information display 33 can also display advance notice of the arrival of the car 31. A specific example of the display on the information display 33 is shown in Figure 6, which will be described later. Note that the information display 33 does not have to be an independent display, and may, for example, be installed in conjunction with the call button (not shown) on the car 31.

(2) Processing The processing executed in the elevator system 1 will be described in detail below.

(2-1) Input operation of registration information In the elevator system 1, when a user carrying an infant in a stroller 10 intends to travel using the elevator 30, in addition to the operation of calling the car 31, registration information regarding the passenger sharing the elevator with other users is input. The input operation of the registration information is performed on a touch panel or the like of the information terminal 11 mounted on the stroller 10, and the input content is transmitted from the information terminal 11 to the registration information acquisition unit 21 of the ride-sharing allocation device 20 via the network 40.

The content displayed on the screen (touch panel, etc.) of the information terminal 11 is realized, for example, by providing a GUI (Graphical User Interface) via the registration information acquisition unit 21. Alternatively, the information terminal 11 may realize a predetermined screen display by executing a pre-installed application. In either case, information is sent from the information terminal 11 to the ride-sharing allocation device 20 as appropriate in response to input operations by the user.

Figures 3 to 5 are diagrams (No. 1 to No. 3) showing example screen transitions on the registration information input screen. Screens 110A to 110J shown in Figures 3 to 5 are specific examples of screen displays that are displayed on the touch panel of information terminal 11 when the user enters registration information. When entering registration information, questions or notifications for the user are displayed, as shown on screens 110A to 110J, and the user enters registration information by selecting and pressing the image or character string displayed on each screen that corresponds to the answer. Specific procedures for entering registration information will be explained below with reference to Figures 3 to 5.

First, on screen 110A in FIG. 3(A), the user is asked whether or not to call an elevator car 31. Screen 110A also displays the stroller 10's identifier (car number) that has been preset in the information terminal 11. If the user selects "No" on screen 110A, no registration information is entered, and the screen transitions to screen 110C in FIG. 3(C), ending the process. On the other hand, if the user selects "Yes" on screen 110A, the screen transitions to screen 110B in FIG. 3(B).

Screen 110B in Figure 3(B) requests the user to specify a destination floor. If the user selects "Cancel" on screen 110B without specifying a destination floor, the screen transitions to screen 110C in Figure 3(C) and processing ends. On the other hand, if the user selects a specific destination floor on screen 110B, the screen transitions to screen 110D in Figure 3(D). Note that on screen 110C, the call floor corresponding to the floor where the stroller 10 (information terminal 11) is located is displayed in half brightness so that it cannot be selected as a destination floor. Conventionally known technology can be used to recognize the floor where the stroller 10 is located. Detailed explanations will be omitted, but for example, the stroller 10 may be equipped with an altitude measurement sensor such as a barometric pressure sensor, or the position of the information terminal 11 may be estimated from the radio wave strength of wireless communication. Alternatively, the user may input the call floor on a touch panel or the like of the information terminal 11.

Screen 110D in Figure 3(D) displays the destination floor selected by the user on screen 110C and requests confirmation. If the user does not agree with the display on screen 110D and selects "No," the screen will return to screen 110C in Figure 3(C). On the other hand, if the user agrees with the display on screen 110D and selects "Yes," the screen will transition to screen 110E in Figure 4(E).

Screen 110E in FIG. 4(E) asks the user about the condition of the infant in the stroller 10. As an example, screen 110E displays options of "normal/sleeping," which indicates that the infant is in a calm state, and "unhappy/crying," which indicates that the infant is in a disturbed state. In this example, "unhappy/crying" is set as the predetermined state for the infant, and screen 110F, described below, asks whether to allow another user to ride with their infant if they are in this predetermined state. If the user selects "normal/sleeping" on screen 110E, the screen transitions to screen 110F in FIG. 4(F). On the other hand, if the user selects "unhappy/crying" on screen 110E, the screen transitions to screen 110G in FIG. 4(G).

Screen 110F in Figure 4(F) asks whether or not to allow the vehicle to ride with other infants who are in a "predetermined state (e.g., irritable or crying)." For example, if a user wants to avoid waking up a sleeping infant, they may want to avoid riding with other infants who are in a predetermined state. If the user selects "normal/sleeping" on the display of screen 110F, they have selected to allow the vehicle to ride with other infants who are in a predetermined state, and the screen transitions to screen 110H in Figure 4(H). On the other hand, if the user selects "irritable/crying" on the display of screen 110F, they have selected not to allow the vehicle to ride with other infants who are in a predetermined state, and the screen transitions to screen 110I in Figure 5(I).

Screen 110G in FIG. 4(G) requests final confirmation of the registration information entered on the previous screens. Specifically, screen 110G displays that the stroller 10 being used is stroller No. 1, that the call registration is for floor 8 as the destination, and that the infant being carried is in a specified state (in this example, irritable or crying). If the user agrees with the display on screen 110G and selects "Confirm," the registration information input for the "Pattern A" type described below is confirmed, and the screen transitions to screen 110J in FIG. 5(J). On the other hand, if the user does not agree with the display on screen 110G, "Back" is selected, and the screen transitions to the previous screen, i.e., screen 110E in FIG. 4(E). At this time, the user can modify the content on the selection screen on screen 110E, or return to screens 110A, 110B, and 110D to modify the desired content.

Note that in the transition from screen 110E to screen 110G, the user is not asked whether or not to ride with other infants who are in a predetermined state, as in screen 110F. This is because, if the user selects on screen 110E that the infant they are bringing is in a predetermined state (e.g., irritable or crying), it is assumed that the user is strongly concerned that their infant will be a nuisance to those around them, and is unlikely to care about the state of other infants (to refuse to ride with them). Furthermore, users tend to want to quickly complete the registration information input operation if their infant is irritable or crying. For these reasons, in this example, the step of selecting whether or not to ride with other infants who are in a predetermined state is omitted, and in the case where the transition to screen 110G is made, it is assumed that the user is permitted to ride with other infants who are in a predetermined state, even though this is not displayed on the screen. However, as a variation in the input of registration information, even if the user selects "Unhappy/Crying" on screen 110E, screen 110G may be displayed to allow the user to select whether or not to allow other infants in a specified state to ride with them.

As mentioned above, screen 110H in FIG. 4(H) is displayed when the user selects permission to ride with other infants in a predetermined state in response to the display on screen 110F. Like screen 110G, this screen 110H requests final confirmation of the registration information entered on the previous screens. Specifically, screen 110H displays that the stroller 10 being used is car No. 1, that the call registration is being performed with the destination floor set to floor 8, that the infant being accompanied is in a predetermined state (in this example, irritable or crying), and that permission to ride with other infants in a predetermined state is granted. If the user agrees with the display on screen 110H and selects "Confirm," the input of the registration information for type "Pattern A," described below, is confirmed, and the screen transitions to screen 110J in FIG. 5(J). On the other hand, if the user does not agree with the display on screen 110H, "Back" is selected, and the screen transitions to the previous screen, i.e., screen 110F in FIG. 4(F).

As mentioned above, screen 110I in FIG. 5(I) is displayed when the user selects in response to the display on screen 110F that the user will not be permitted to ride with other infants in a predetermined state. Like screens 110G and 110H, this screen 110I requires final confirmation of the registration information entered on the previous screens. Specifically, screen 110I displays that the stroller 10 being used is car No. 1, that the call registration is for floor 8 as the destination, that the infant being accompanied is in a predetermined state (in this example, irritable or crying), and that the user will not be permitted to ride with other infants in a predetermined state. If the user agrees with the display on screen 110I and selects "Confirm," the input of the registration information for type "Pattern B," described below, is confirmed, and the screen transitions to screen 110J in FIG. 5(J). On the other hand, if the user does not agree with the display on screen 110I, "Back" is selected, and the screen transitions to the previous screen, i.e., screen 110F in FIG. 4(F).

When "Confirm" is selected on any of the above screens 110G, 110H, and 110I, the confirmed registration information is sent from the information terminal 11 to the shared ride allocation device 20 via the network 40, and is acquired by the registration information acquisition unit 21. Then, based on the acquired registration information, the registration information acquisition unit 21 notifies the elevator 30 control panel 32 of the floor to be used (call floor and destination floor) and registers the call for the car 31. The registration information acquisition unit 21 also inputs the registration information to the allocation determination unit 22, which determines the allocation of passengers to cars 31 (shared ride allocation). After these processes are completed, the information terminal 11 receives a notification of receipt of the registration information from the shared ride allocation device 20 and displays screen 110J of Figure 5 (J) on its touch panel.

Screen 110J in Figure 5 (J) notifies the user that the registration information selected by the user has been registered in the shared car allocation device 20. When screen 110J is displayed, the call (call registration) of the car 31 has been completed. Furthermore, as will be described in detail later with reference to Figures 9 and 10, the shared car allocation determined by the allocation determination unit 22 is displayed on an information display 33 located near the landing door. The user can then wait near the landing door and use the allocated car 31 by following the instructions on the information display 33.

(2-2) Registration Information Acquisition Process Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the registration information acquisition process. The registration information acquisition process shown in Figure 6 is a process in which the registration information acquisition unit 21 of the ride-sharing allocation device 20 acquires registration information in response to an input operation on the information terminal 11. As described above, after the information terminal 11 executes the process shown in Figure 6 by executing a pre-installed application program, the registration information acquisition unit 21 of the ride-sharing allocation device 20 may acquire the final registration information.

As shown in FIG. 6, first, the registration information acquisition unit 21 acquires the user's destination floor (step S101). The destination floor acquired in step S101 corresponds to the selection result on screen 110B in FIG. 3(B).

Next, the registration information acquisition unit 21 determines whether the infant or toddler brought by the user is in a predetermined state (e.g., irritable or crying) (step S102). The determination in step S102 corresponds to the selection result on screen 110E in FIG. 4(E). If the infant or toddler is in the predetermined state (YES in step S102), the process proceeds to step S103; if the infant or toddler is not in the predetermined state (NO in step S102), the process proceeds to step S104.

In step S103, the registration information acquisition unit 21 classifies the registration information entered into the information terminal 11 into pattern A and, based on the registration information, performs a call registration for the car 31 on the control panel 32 of the elevator 30. This processing path corresponds to the flow when "Confirm" is selected on screen 110G in Figure 4 (G). When registering a call on the control panel 32, the call floor and destination floor are notified. The destination floor was acquired in step S101. The call floor can be acquired by detecting the floor on which the information terminal 11 (or stroller 10) is located at any time when the registration information is entered on the information terminal 11.

In step S104, the registration information acquisition unit 21 determines whether riding with other infants who are in a predetermined state is permitted. This determination corresponds to the selection result on screen 110F in Figure 4 (F). If riding with other infants who are in a predetermined state is permitted (YES in step S104), the process proceeds to step S103, where the registration information entered into the information terminal 11 is classified into pattern A, and a call registration for the car 31 is made to the control panel 32 of the elevator 30 based on the registration information. This processing path corresponds to the flow when "Confirm" is selected on screen 110H in Figure 4 (H). On the other hand, if riding with other infants who are in a predetermined state is not permitted (NO in step S104), the process proceeds to step S105.

In step S105, the registration information acquisition unit 21 classifies the registration information input to the information terminal 11 into pattern B, and based on the registration information, performs call registration for the car 31 on the control panel 32 of the elevator 30. This processing path corresponds to the flow when "Confirm" is selected on screen 110I in Figure 5 (I).

(2-3) Shared ride allocation processing Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the shared ride allocation processing when registration information of pattern A is input. The shared ride allocation processing is a process of determining which car 31 to allocate to a user based on the user's registration information, and is executed by the allocation determination unit 22. The shared ride allocation processing can be executed at any timing between the time when the registration information acquisition unit 21 acquires the registration information from the information terminal 11 and the time when the car 31 arrives at the call floor.

Below, with reference to Figure 7, we will explain how the allocation determination unit 22 allocates shared rides based on the arrival timing of the elevator 31, using one elevator 30 equipped with one elevator car 31 as an example.

As shown in Figure 7, first, the allocation determination unit 22 inputs the registration information of pattern A from the registration information acquisition unit 21 (step S201). In the following description of Figure 7, this registration information will be referred to as the "relevant registration information." Next, the allocation determination unit 22 checks whether another call registration has already been registered for the elevator 30 (car 31) to be called based on the relevant registration information (step S202). If a call has already been registered (YES in step S202), the process proceeds to step S203; if a call has not already been registered (NO in step S202), the process proceeds to step S211.

In step S203, the allocation determination unit 22 determines whether the registration information of pattern A can be accepted in the shared group with the latest priority. Details will be described later with reference to Figure 8, but priority is a value that ranks the shared group to which each user (in other words, each registration information) is assigned, and priorities are assigned in the order of 1, 2, ... starting with the earliest arriving car 31. Whether or not the call can be accepted in step S203 is determined based on the capacity of the car 31 and the position of the car 31 at the time of call registration, etc. More specifically, if the registration information involves an upbound call registration, for example, the determination in step S203 determines, based on physical factors, whether the user corresponding to the registration information can board the upbound car 31 that will arrive at the call floor earliest from the current time.

If it is determined in step S203 that the request can be accepted (YES in step S203), proceed to step S221; if it is determined that the request cannot be accepted (NO in step S203), proceed to step S204.

In step S204, the allocation determination unit 22 refers to the allocation registration information and determines whether registration information for pattern B is registered in the shared group with the latest priority. Details of the allocation registration information will be described later with reference to Figure 8.

If the registration information for pattern B has already been registered in step S204 (YES in step S204), the allocation determination unit 22 assigns a priority to the registered information that is the latest priority (lowest priority) for pattern B plus 1 (step S205), and terminates the joint allocation process.

On the other hand, if the registration information for pattern B has not already been registered in step S204 (NO in step S204), the allocation determination unit 22 assigns a priority to the registered information that is the latest priority (lowest priority) for pattern A plus 1 (step S206), and terminates the joint allocation process.

Furthermore, in step S211, which is reached if step S202 returns NO, the allocation determination unit 22 assigns the highest priority to the registered information and terminates the shared allocation process.

In step S221, which is reached when step S203 returns YES, the allocation determination unit 22 refers to the allocation registration information and determines whether registration information for pattern B has been registered in the shared group with the latest priority. If registration information for pattern B has already been registered in step S221 (YES in step S221), the allocation determination unit 22 assigns a priority to the registered information that is the latest priority (lowest priority) of pattern B plus 1 (step S222), and terminates the shared allocation process. On the other hand, if registration information for pattern B has not already been registered in step S221 (NO in step S221), the allocation determination unit 22 assigns the latest priority (lowest priority) of pattern A to the registered information (step S223), and terminates the shared allocation process.

Next, we will explain the allocation registration information in detail. The allocation registration information is data generated by the shared ride allocation process performed by the allocation determination unit 22. It is generated for each elevator 30 and for each ascending/descending direction based on the registration information entered by each user, and is stored in the shared ride allocation device 20.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of allocation registration information. The allocation registration information 220 shown in Figure 8 has a record for each piece of registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit 21, and each record is composed of the following items: car name 221, time 222, acceptance/non-acceptance determination A 223, acceptance/non-acceptance determination B 224, pattern 225, floor 226, priority 227, and guidance display 228.

The car name 221 indicates the car number of the stroller 10, and the time 222 indicates the order in which each piece of registration information was entered. In the case of Figure 8, the time 222 is assigned an integer in order starting from 0, but it may also be set to the time each piece of registration information was entered.

Acceptance/non-acceptance determination A223 is a flag indicating the result of the determination of whether the registration information of Pattern A can be accepted in the joint allocation process for the registration information, and corresponds to the determination result in step S203 in Figure 7. In the case of Figure 8, acceptance/non-acceptance determination A223 is set to "◎", "◯", "×", etc.

In the acceptance determination A223, "◎" and "◯" mean that the registration information of pattern A of the record in question has been accepted by the shared group with the latest priority (in other words, the lowest priority), and in particular, "◎" indicates that the registration information of the record in question was registered first among shared groups assigned the same priority 227. If the registration information of pattern A is accepted by the shared group with the latest priority, the priority assigned to the registration information of pattern A in step S222 or step S223 of Figure 7 is recorded in the priority 227 of the record in question.

In the acceptance determination A223, "x" means that the registration information of pattern A of the record in question was not accepted by the shared group with the latest priority. As explained in step S203 of Figure 7, situations in which the registration information of pattern A is not accepted by the shared group with the latest priority include when the elevator 31 exceeds its capacity, or when the elevator 31 is in a position where it cannot stop at the call floor when the call is registered.

As explained in step S204 of FIG. 7, if the registration information for pattern A is not accepted by the bus group with the latest priority, it is determined whether registration information for another pattern (i.e., pattern B) has already been registered. If registration information for another pattern has been registered, as explained in step S205 of FIG. 7, the registration information for pattern A is assigned a priority that is +1 greater than the latest priority (lowest priority) assigned to the registration information for that other pattern at that time. On the other hand, if registration information for another pattern has not been registered, as explained in step S206 of FIG. 7, the registration information for pattern A is assigned a priority that is +1 greater than the latest priority (lowest priority) assigned to the registration information for that other pattern at that time. The priority assigned in step S205 or step S206 above is then recorded in priority 227 of the record. Note that when the processing of steps S205 and S206 in FIG. 7 is performed, the registration information for pattern A of the record in question is assigned a priority that is the latest priority (lowest priority) of the existing pattern A or pattern B plus 1, and as a result, it is registered at the beginning of the new priority order. Therefore, a "◎" is also displayed for records in which an "X" is recorded in the acceptance judgment A223.

Acceptance/non-acceptance determination B224 is a flag that indicates the result of a determination as to whether the registration information is acceptable or not in the joint allocation process for the registration information of pattern B. Acceptance/non-acceptance determination B224 is a data item based on the same concept as acceptance/non-acceptance determination A223, and therefore will not be explained further.

Pattern 225 indicates the pattern type of the registration information for the record. In the case of Figure 8, "A" or "B" is recorded, but if more types are available, it is not limited to these two types.

Floor 226 indicates the call floor and destination floor for a car call based on the registration information of the record. Specifically, for example, if "1-5" is recorded, this means that the call floor is the first floor and the destination floor is the fifth floor.

Priority 227 indicates the priority assigned to the registration information of the record by the shared ride allocation process. In the case of Figure 8, the smaller the priority value, the earlier the shared ride group of the elevator 31 arrives. In other words, a "1" is assigned to the shared ride group that arrives first. Each time the elevator 31 completes one trip in a specified direction (upward in the case of Figure 8), the priority 227 value for each record is updated by subtracting 1 overall. Furthermore, once one trip in a specified direction is completed, records with a priority 227 of "1" are no longer needed (the elevator 31 corresponding to the registration information has been used), and therefore the record is deleted.

The guidance display 228 indicates a character string representing the shared bus group when output to the guidance display 33. Specifically, for example, the shared bus group with the highest priority is displayed as "first," the shared bus group with the second highest priority is displayed as "next," and the shared bus group with the third highest priority is displayed as "next after."

Note that the allocation registration information 220 shown in Figure 8 relates to an upbound direction where the elevator car 31 has a capacity of five people, but allocation registration information for the downbound direction is also generated in a similar manner.

As described above, by performing the shared ride allocation process of Figure 7, the allocation determination unit 22 can allocate users of registered information for pattern A based on the input registration information for pattern A so that they do not ride in the same shared ride group as users of registered information for pattern B, and can generate allocation registration information such as that shown in Figure 8.

The allocation determination unit 22 can also perform shared ride allocation processing when registration information of pattern B is input, based on the same concept as the shared ride allocation processing of pattern A shown in Figure 7. Although detailed explanation will be omitted, by performing shared ride allocation processing on registration information of pattern B, the allocation determination unit 22 can allocate shared rides so that users of registration information of pattern B do not ride together with users of registration information of pattern A.

In order to briefly explain the perspective of shared ride allocation, the process in Figure 7 does not use as a judgment condition whether the infant accompanied by the user is actually in a "predetermined state (unhappy or crying)" or not, but rather determines allocation based on a classification into pattern A, which allows riding with an infant in a predetermined state, and pattern B, which does not, so that users with registration information of different patterns do not share a ride.

The shared ride allocation process described with reference to Figures 7 and 8 classifies the registration information entered by each user into registration information of pattern A, which allows riding with infants in a specified state, and registration information of pattern B, which does not allow riding with infants in a specified state, and assigns users corresponding to registration information of the same classification pattern to the same shared ride group (in other words, users corresponding to registration information of different classification patterns are not assigned to the same shared ride group). In this case, registration information from a user with an infant in a specified state may be considered to be registration information of pattern A without confirming whether or not the infant can ride with the user.

However, the shared ride allocation process according to this embodiment is not limited to this. It is also possible to further increase the number of classification patterns for registration information so that combinations of predetermined classification patterns are not assigned to the same shared ride group. Specifically, for example, registration information of users accompanied by infants in a predetermined condition may be preferentially classified as Pattern C registration information, and the allocation determination unit 22 may allocate the information so that at least users of Pattern C registration information do not ride together with users of Pattern B (passenger refusal) registration information. In this case, even if a user has registration information in Pattern A (passenger permission), if the infant they are accompanying is not currently in a predetermined condition (i.e., does not fall under Pattern C), they can be assigned to ride together with users of registration information in Pattern B (passenger refusal). As a result, Pattern A users who are tolerant of other users can ride together with users of registration information in any of Patterns A, B, or C if their infant is not in a predetermined condition, benefiting from a shorter wait time for an available elevator 31 to arrive.

In addition, in the shared ride allocation process described with reference to Figures 7 and 8, users of each registered information are allocated in the order in which the registration information was entered. However, as a variant, allocation may be performed not in the order in which the registration information was entered, but for multiple registered information registered within a predetermined time period, so that users of registered information of Pattern A (passenger permission) are given priority over users of registered information of Pattern B (passenger denial) to board the elevator 31 that arrives first (the first shared ride group). Reasons for adopting such processing include shortening the wait time until an available elevator 31 arrives for users of registered information of Pattern A, which does not restrict conditions for riding with other users, or because it is generally expected that there will be more users of registered information of Pattern A than users of registered information of Pattern B. In addition, whether to prioritize passenger permission or passenger denial in shared ride allocation may be determined by the facility's judgment, etc.

(2-4) Displaying the Results of Shared Ride Allocation After the shared ride allocation process is completed, the result output unit 23 outputs, to a predetermined display device, output information for displaying guidance based on the shared ride allocation determined by the allocation determination unit 22. The predetermined display device may be any display device that allows the user to view the displayed content, and specifically, for example, the guidance display 33. The predetermined display device may also include the display (touch panel) of the information terminal 11.

Figures 9 and 10 show examples (part 1 and part 2) of guidance displays on the guidance display 33. Figure 9 shows an example of the guidance display when registering an upbound call, and Figure 10 shows an example of the guidance display when registering a downbound call.

Screen 330A shown in Figure 9 (A) is an example of a guidance display that is displayed on the guidance display 33 during normal times after an upbound call has been registered. Here, normal times refer to times when the arrival of the elevator car 31 is not imminent. Screen 330A displays the three most recent shared groups for the upbound direction, "first," "next," and "next after," and the users assigned to each group are displayed by the stroller 10 car number. By looking at screen 330A like this, users can easily identify the elevator car 31 that they may use.

Then, when the car 31 approaches the call floor (for example, after the car 31 reaches the first floor below the call floor), the display content of the guidance display 33 transitions from screen 330A to screen 330B in Figure 9 (B). Screen 330B notifies the user that the car 31 is about to arrive, and indicates users who can use the arriving car 31 by the car number of their stroller 10. As a guidance display for shared ride allocation, it is sufficient to output at least screen 330A, but displaying screen 330B can more effectively prevent users from other shared ride groups from accidentally boarding the car.

Screen 331A shown in Figure 10(A) is an example of a guidance display that is displayed on the guidance display 33 under normal circumstances after a down call has been registered. Screen 331B shown in Figure 10(B) is an example of a guidance display that is displayed on the guidance display 33 when the elevator car 31 approaches the call floor (for example, after the elevator car 31 has reached the first floor above the call floor). The display contents of each screen can be considered to be similar to those of screens 330A and 330B described in Figure 9, and detailed explanations will be omitted. The effects obtained by displaying such screens 331A and 331B are also similar to those of screens 330A and 330B.

As described above, with the elevator system 1 (shared ride allocation device 20) according to this embodiment, when a user carrying an infant in a stroller 10 uses the elevator 30, registration information is input via the information terminal 11. Based on this registration information, the shared ride allocation device 20 performs call registration and allocates a car 31 (shared ride group) available to the user, and displays the allocation result on the information display 33, etc. The registration information includes floor information indicating the floor (call floor and destination floor) to be used by the user on the elevator 30, infant information indicating whether the infant being carried by the user is in a predetermined state (e.g., irritable or crying), and passenger availability information indicating the user's intention regarding whether to share the elevator with other infants who are in the predetermined state. When allocating cars 31 available to users, the allocation of users to cars is determined based on the registration information so that a first user with an infant in the predetermined state does not share a second user who is not permitted to share another infant in the predetermined state.

When using a closed space such as an elevator 30, if a user's infant is cranky or crying, the user may be concerned about causing a nuisance to others in the same vehicle. For example, if a user's crying infant wakes up a sleeping infant belonging to another user, the user may feel very uncomfortable. To address this issue, the elevator system 1 (shared vehicle allocation device 20) of this embodiment can allocate shared vehicles to passengers so that a first user with an infant in a specified state does not share a second user who does not allow other infants in a specified state. This reduces the stress users may experience when considering the surrounding conditions of the shared vehicle.

In addition, in this embodiment, standard-sized strollers 10 are rented from commercial facilities, etc., so the space that the strollers 10 will occupy in the elevator 31 can be determined in advance. Therefore, when allocating a shared ride to a user's elevator 31, the shared ride allocation device 20 can easily determine the maximum number of users that can ride in the elevator 31 without using an image recognition system using a camera, an occupancy rate detection device, etc.

In addition, the elevator 30 in this embodiment is assumed to be a dedicated elevator for passengers using strollers 10. In this case, general passengers without infants will not ride in the car 31, ensuring a more understanding environment than general passengers regarding strollers 10 taking up space and infants causing trouble to those around them due to crying or acting up. This has the effect of reducing the need for passengers to be considerate of those around them. Furthermore, by making the elevator dedicated to strollers, passengers can board the car 31 without having to fold up their strollers 10, which increases convenience for passengers with sleeping infants.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 elevator system 10 stroller 11 information terminal 20 shared ride allocation device 21 registration information acquisition unit 22 allocation determination unit 23 result output unit 30 elevator 31 car 32 control panel 33 guide display 40 network

Claims (12)

A shared ride allocation device that allocates a shared ride between a user carrying an infant in a stroller and another user in an elevator car when the user is about to use the elevator,
a registration information acquisition unit that acquires, as registration information input by the user from an information terminal mounted on the pushcart, floor information indicating the floor to be used by the elevator, infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined state, and passenger availability information indicating whether the infant can ride with other infants in the predetermined state, and performs call registration for the elevator car based on the registration information;
an allocation determination unit that determines the allocation of users to the elevator car based on the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit so that a first user with an infant in the predetermined state and a second user who is not allowed to ride with other infants in the predetermined state do not ride together;
a result output unit that outputs output information for displaying guidance based on the bus allocation determined by the allocation determination unit to a display device that is visible to the user;
A ride-sharing allocation device comprising: The allocation determination unit
classifying the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit into a first group in which passengers are permitted to ride with infants in the predetermined state or a second group in which passengers are not permitted to ride with infants in the predetermined state based on the infant information or the passenger permission information included in the registration information;
The ride allocation device according to claim 1, wherein the ride allocation device allocates rides to users of each registered information for each group. The allocation determination unit
classifying the registration information into the first group when the infant information included in the registration information indicates that the infant is in a predetermined state, or when the passenger permission information included in the registration information indicates that the infant is permitted to ride with other infants in the predetermined state;
The shared ride allocation device described in claim 2, characterized in that if the passenger eligibility information included in the registration information indicates that passengers are not permitted to ride with other infants or young children who are in the specified state, the registration information is classified into the second group. The allocation determination unit
classifying, among the registered information corresponding to the first group, registered information in which the infant information indicates that the infant is in a predetermined state, into a third group;
The ride allocation device according to claim 2, characterized in that the ride allocation device allocates rides to each user so that at least users of the registration information of the second group do not ride together with users of the registration information of the third group. The ride sharing allocation device according to claim 2 , wherein the allocation determination unit determines allocations for users who have input the registration information in the order of the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit. The shared allocation device described in claim 2, characterized in that when the multiple registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit within a specified period are classified into the first group and the second group, the allocation determination unit gives priority to users of the registration information of the first group over users of the registration information of the second group and allocates them to the elevator that arrives first. The ride sharing allocation device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined state is at least one of a state in which the infant is in a bad mood and a state in which the infant is crying. The shared ride allocation device according to claim 1, characterized in that the result output unit outputs the output information for the guidance display to a guidance display device installed near the elevator landing door or to the information terminal. The shared ride allocation device described in claim 1, characterized in that the result output unit outputs output information to the display device when the elevator allocated to the user by the allocation determination unit approaches the call floor of the user, notifying that an available elevator is about to arrive. An elevator system that, when a user carrying an infant in a stroller intends to use an elevator, allocates a shared ride between the user and other users in the elevator car,
an elevator that controls the operation of the elevator car in response to call registration;
a pushcart provided to each of the users and equipped with an information terminal;
a shared car allocation device that determines a car that can be used by the user;
Equipped with
The pushcart has an information terminal that accepts registration information input by the user and transmits the registration information to the shared ride allocation device,
The registered information includes: floor information indicating the floor to be used by the elevator; infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined state; and riding permission information indicating whether the infant is allowed to ride with other infants in the predetermined state;
The ride-share allocation device is
A registration information acquisition unit that acquires the registration information input to the information terminal and registers the car call based on the registration information;
an allocation determination unit that determines the allocation of users to the elevator car based on the registration information acquired by the registration information acquisition unit so that a first user with an infant in the predetermined state and a second user who is not allowed to ride with other infants in the predetermined state do not ride together;
a result output unit that outputs output information for a guidance display based on the shared bus allocation determined by the allocation determination unit to a display device visible to the user. 11. The elevator system of claim 10, wherein the push cart is a standard size stroller. A ride allocation method using a ride allocation device that allocates a ride between a user carrying an infant in a stroller and another user in an elevator car when the user is about to use the elevator, comprising:
a registration information acquisition step in which the shared elevator allocation device acquires, as registration information input by the user from an information terminal mounted on the pushcart, floor information indicating the floor to be used by the elevator, infant information indicating whether the infant is in a predetermined state, and passenger availability information indicating whether the infant can ride with other infants in the predetermined state, and performs call registration for the elevator based on the registration information;
an allocation determination step in which the shared ride allocation device determines the allocation of shared rides of users to the elevators based on the registration information acquired in the registration information acquisition step, so that a first user with an infant in the predetermined state and a second user who is not allowed to ride with other infants in the predetermined state do not ride together;
a result output step in which the ride allocation device outputs output information for a guidance display based on the ride allocation determined in the allocation determination step to a display device visible to the user;
A joint allocation method comprising: