JP7770995B2 - Elevator display control system and display control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an elevator display control system and a display control method.

Conventionally, systems have been known in which an image of the outside of the elevator is displayed on a display device installed inside the elevator car in synchronization with the car's ascending and descending movements. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an elevator video information system that displays an external image corresponding to at least one of the season, date, time, or weather on a display device inside the car in synchronization with the car's ascending and descending movements.

Patent No. 3484731

The aforementioned Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which elevator guide images for each floor that match the elevator travel time are stored, and a display control device selects the next floor guide image based on the elevator start signal, next floor information, and estimated waiting time information until the next floor, and displays it on a display device inside the car.

However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, it was necessary to prepare in advance elevator guide images (next floor guide images) for each running pattern, which was determined by factors such as running time and running speed, which could result in an enormous amount of data to be stored.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above situation, and its purpose is to enable a display that corresponds to the display area inside the car in conjunction with the elevator car's raising and lowering movement.

An elevator display control system according to one aspect of the present invention is an elevator display control system that displays an image in a display area inside an elevator car. The elevator display control system according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a car height position information acquisition unit that acquires car height position information indicating the absolute height position of the car in a hoistway; and a depiction unit that displays, in a display area inside the car, a group of images having height position information corresponding to the car height position information acquired by the car height position information acquisition unit. The car height position information acquisition unit corrects the acquired car height position information using information about the height of a building in which the elevator is installed, and further includes: a resolution setting unit that sets a resolution of an image to be extracted from the group of images based on information about the size and position of the display area; and an image group acquisition unit that reads out and outputs the group of images with the resolution set by the resolution setting unit from a storage unit.

According to at least one aspect of the present invention, it becomes possible to display information corresponding to the display area inside the car in conjunction with the raising and lowering operation of the car.
Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of each device constituting an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a method for photographing scenery outside a building according to an embodiment of the present invention and examples of images obtained by the photographing. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing information on the size of the car interior display device on which the video image based on the image group according to one embodiment of the present invention is displayed. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing information on the sizes of two walls inside the car when the object on which the image is displayed is a wall inside the car in one embodiment of the present invention. A figure showing an overview of the depiction range determination process when the object on which the image is displayed is an in-car display in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an overview of the depiction range determination process when the object on which the image is displayed is the wall surface of a car in one embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a diagram showing correspondence between the absolute position of the car, the height position of the building, and the height positions of the image group according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a depiction mode setting process performed by a depiction mode setting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a depiction mode determination process performed by a depiction mode determination unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a resolution setting process performed by a resolution setting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a download process performed by a download unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of height position detection processing by a height position detection unit, depiction range determination processing by a depiction range determination unit, and depiction processing by a depiction unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an elevator system according to a first modification. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of an absolute position calculation process performed by an absolute position calculation unit in the elevator system according to the first modification. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an elevator system according to a second modification. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a peripheral information output process performed by a peripheral information output unit according to Modification 2. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image on which peripheral information according to Modification 2 is superimposed. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an elevator system according to a third modification. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a peripheral information output process performed by a peripheral information output unit according to Modification 3.

An example of a form for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as an "embodiment") will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various numerical values in the embodiment are merely examples. Furthermore, in this specification and drawings, identical components or components having substantially the same functions will be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

<Outline of elevator system configuration>
First, the configuration of an elevator system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the elevator system 100.

As shown in FIG. 1, elevator system 100 (an example of an elevator display control system) includes car 1, elevator control device 2, archiver 3, and drawing device 4. Car 1, elevator control device 2, archiver 3, and drawing device 4 are communicatively connected to each other via network N.

[Basket]
The car 1 carries passengers or luggage (not shown) and moves up and down in a hoistway (not shown). The car 1 includes a speaker 11, an in-car display 12, a camera 13, and a position detector 14.

The speaker 11 emits predetermined announcements, etc. based on control by the elevator control device 2.

The car interior display 12 is a display device composed of a liquid crystal panel or organic electroluminescence panel, etc., and displays arrows indicating the destination floor and the direction of ascent and descent. The car interior display 12 also displays images transmitted from the imaging device 4, footage captured by the building camera 5, or footage captured by the maintenance camera 6 of various devices in the elevator shaft.

The camera 13 captures images of the inside of the car 1, generates a video signal, and transmits the video signal to the elevator control device 2.

The position detector 14 is installed on the upper or lower part of the exterior surface of the car 1 and detects the absolute position of the car 1 within the hoistway. The position detector 14 detects the current height position of the car 1 within the hoistway and the floor on which it is stopped based on the absolute position (e.g., height from the bottom of the hoistway) detected by, for example, a magnetic sensor that reads a magnetic tape (not shown) installed within the hoistway or a photoelectric sensor that detects the position of a hole in a shielding plate (not shown) installed within the hoistway, as well as initial value information. The position detector 14 transmits the detected height position information of the car 1 (hereinafter also referred to as absolute position detection information) to the elevator control device 2.

The elevator control device 2 is installed in the elevator's machine room (not shown) or in the elevator shaft, and controls the operation of the car 1. The elevator control device 2 includes an input/output information receiving unit 21 and a data output unit 22.

The input/output information receiving unit 21 receives absolute position detection information for car 1 transmitted from car 1 and outputs it to the data output unit 22, and receives a group of images transmitted from the imaging device 4 and outputs it to the data output unit 22. Furthermore, the input/output information receiving unit 21 receives images captured by the building camera 5 and images captured by the maintenance camera 6 of various devices in the elevator shaft, and outputs them to the data output unit 22.

The data output unit 22 transmits the absolute position detection information of the car 1 input from the input/output information receiving unit 21 to the imaging device 4, and transmits the image group or various captured images input from the input/output information receiving unit 21 to the car 1's in-car display 12. Note that in this embodiment, the illustration of the various functional units in the elevator control device 2 that control the operation of the car 1 has been omitted.

The building camera 5 is installed, for example, on the outside of the car 1 so that it can capture images of the exterior of the building, and captures the scenery outside the building. When the present invention is applied to an observation elevator whose elevator shaft is covered with glass or is exposed to the outside, it is assumed that the building camera 5 will be installed directly on the car.

Alternatively, the building camera 5 may be installed on the wall of the building independently of the car 1 and have a lifting mechanism that moves up and down in synchronization with the lifting and lowering movement of the car 1, or may be composed of multiple cameras installed at multiple height positions.

The maintenance camera 6 is installed, for example, on the outside of the car 1, and moves up and down in conjunction with the up and down movement of the car 1, capturing images of the status of various devices within the elevator shaft.

Archiver 3 (an example of a storage unit) is provided, for example, in a server (not shown) installed in an external facility or cloud environment, and stores various data. Archiver 3 is provided with a data management unit 30, which stores information such as ID 31, location information 32, image group 33, and height information 34.

ID 31 indicates an ID that identifies the building in which the elevator is installed. Location information 32 indicates the building's location information, and is composed of, for example, positioning information obtained using the GPS (Global Positioning System).

The image group 33 is composed of images of scenery outside the building captured in the past by a drone or other camera (not shown), images of scenery at tourist spots (an example of another location), etc. The image group 33 includes, for example, images captured in accordance with time periods such as morning, afternoon, and night, and images captured at multiple different time periods (periods, eras). A method for capturing the scenery outside the building and an example of an image group obtained by capturing the scenery will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.
The height information 34 is information indicating the physical height of the building.

The imaging device 4 is installed, for example, in a server (not shown) installed in an external facility or cloud environment, and reads an image corresponding to the height position of the car 1 from the image group in the archiver 3, and transmits the image to the car 1 via the elevator control device 2. The imaging device 4 has a imaging mode setting unit 41, a imaging mode determination unit 42, a resolution setting unit 43, a download unit 44, a height position detection unit 45, a imaging range determination unit 46, and a imaging unit 47.

The depiction mode setting unit 41 sets various depiction modes to on (enabled) or off (disabled) based on various commands entered from a mobile terminal or terminal device (not shown) by a building manager, maintenance manager, maintenance worker, etc., and on/off information for switches (not shown). Specifically, the depiction mode setting unit 41 switches between on and off in each of the following modes: real-time live-action mode, maintenance mode, other position display mode, and archiver display mode.

The real-time live-action mode is a mode in which images of the scenery outside the building captured in real time by the building camera 5 are displayed on the car display 12. Based on the real-time live-action mode, actual images of the outside of the building in which the elevator is installed are displayed inside the car 1, allowing elevator users to enjoy the scenery outside the window while inside the windowless car 1, providing a refreshing experience for users.

Maintenance mode is a mode in which images of the status of various devices inside the hoistway captured by the maintenance camera 6 are displayed on the car display 12. This mode is set when a maintenance worker is performing maintenance work. In maintenance mode, the status of various devices inside the hoistway can be confirmed from inside the car 1, allowing maintenance workers to perform maintenance inspections safely without entering the hoistway.

The other position display mode is a mode in which images of the tourist spot's scenery, captured by a building camera or drone installed in a building at the tourist spot (an example of a second building), are displayed on the car display 12. By displaying images captured at other positions inside the car 1 based on the other position display mode, elevator users can have a simulated experience of visiting a tourist spot while remaining inside the car 1, which can be refreshing.

The archiver display mode is a mode in which an image of the scenery outside the building in which the elevator is located, stored in the archiver 3, is displayed on the car display 12. By displaying an image of the scenery outside the building in which the elevator is located inside the car 1 based on the archiver display mode, elevator users can feel as if they are looking at the scenery outside a window, even while inside the windowless car 1, and can achieve a refreshing effect. An example of the procedure for the depiction mode setting process by the depiction mode setting unit 41 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 9 below.

The depiction mode determination unit 42 determines whether each of the various modes described above is enabled (set to ON). An example of the procedure for the depiction mode determination process performed by the depiction mode determination unit 42 will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 10.

The resolution setting unit 43 sets the resolution of the image extracted from the image group in the archiver 3 and displayed on the car interior display 12 based on information about the size and position of the display area of the car interior display 12. Note that when an image is projected onto the wall surface of car 1 using a projector (not shown) or the like installed inside car 1 rather than the car interior display 12, the resolution setting unit 43 sets the resolution of the image to be displayed in the display area based on information about the size and position of the display area (hereinafter also referred to as the depiction range) of the area where the image is projected (rendered). An example of the procedure for the resolution setting process by the resolution setting unit 43 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5 below.

The download unit 44 (an example of an image group acquisition unit) acquires (downloads) images corresponding to the mode set by the depiction mode setting unit 41 from the archiver 3 and stores the acquired images in a storage area (not shown). An example of the procedure for the image group acquisition process by the download unit 44 will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 12.

The height position detection unit 45 (an example of a car height position information acquisition unit) acquires absolute position detection information for car 1, i.e., information on the absolute height position of car 1 within the hoistway, transmitted from the data output unit 22 of the elevator control device 2. The height position detection unit 45 also compensates (corrects) the acquired absolute position detection information for car 1 with building height information. The height position information obtained through correction is output to the depiction range determination unit 46.

The depiction range determination unit 46 determines the depiction range of the image based on the height position information corrected by the height position detection unit 45. An overview of the height position detection process by the height position detection unit 45 and the depiction range determination process by the depiction range determination unit 46 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 6 and 7 below, and examples of the steps of each process will be described in detail with reference to Figure 13 below.

The depiction unit 47 cuts out and extracts the image (image group) of the depiction range determined by the depiction range determination unit 46 from the video downloaded by the download unit 44, and transmits the extracted image group to the car interior display 12 of the car 1 via the elevator control device 2. An example of the procedure for the depiction processing by the depiction unit 47 will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 13.

The camera video output unit 48 acquires video captured by the building camera 5 or maintenance camera 6, transmits the video to the car 1 via the elevator control device 2, and displays it on the car display 12 or the wall of the car 1, etc.

<Example of computer hardware configuration>
Next, the configuration (hardware configuration) of the control system of each device constituting the elevator system 100 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of each device that makes up the elevator system 100. The calculator 200 shown in Figure 2 is hardware used as a so-called computer.

Computer 200 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, a non-volatile storage 204, and a communication I/F (Interface) 205, each of which is connected to bus B.

The CPU 201 reads the program code of the software that realizes each function according to this embodiment from the ROM 202, expands it in the RAM 203, and executes it. Alternatively, the CPU 201 reads the program code directly from the ROM 202 and executes it as is. Note that the computer 200 may include a processing device such as an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) instead of the CPU 201. Variables, parameters, etc. that arise during the calculation processing by the CPU 201 are temporarily written to the RAM 203.

The functions of each component constituting the imaging device 4 are realized by the CPU 201 reading from the ROM 202 and executing the programs required to realize these functions.

The non-volatile storage 204 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, or a non-volatile memory card. The non-volatile storage 204 stores the operating system (OS), various parameters, and programs for operating the computer 200. The functionality of the archiver 3 is realized by the non-volatile storage 204.

The program may also be stored in ROM 202. The program is stored in the form of computer-readable program code, and CPU 201 sequentially executes operations in accordance with the program code. In other words, ROM 202 or non-volatile storage 204 is used as an example of a computer-readable, non-transitory recording medium that stores a program to be executed by a computer.

The communication I/F 205 is composed of communication devices that control communications between other devices. Networks over which the communication I/F 205 controls communications include, for example, multi-drop serial communications such as RS-485, and communication paths that provide multiple topologies such as Ethernet (registered trademark). Communication paths that provide multiple topologies include wired communication paths such as LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network), and wireless communication paths such as RAN (Radio Area Network).

Furthermore, for example, networks for which the communication I/F 205 performs communication control include wireless networks such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and wireless networks in wireless communication infrastructure. The functions of the input/output information receiving unit 21 and data output unit 22 of the elevator control device 2 are realized by the communication I/F 205.

<Method of photographing scenery outside the building and examples of images obtained by the photographing>
Next, a method for photographing the scenery outside the building and an example of a group of images obtained by the photographing will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a method for photographing the scenery outside the building and an example of a group of images obtained by the photographing.

Figure 3 shows drone 7 capturing images of the scenery outside the building. Drone 7 captures images while moving, for example, from bottom to top in the direction indicated by the upward arrow in Figure 3 outside the building. Three vertically long rectangles indicated by dashed lines around drone 7 represent image groups 101 to 103, respectively, generated based on the images captured by drone 7.

Image groups 101 to 103 correspond to three sides of the building, respectively, and are vertically elongated image groups that include the entire landscape of each side, from near the ground surface to the top of the building. Areas 104 to 106 shown in color in Figure 3 are areas photographed by drone 7, and the images of these photographed areas are stored in association with information about the height position of drone 7. In other words, image groups 101 to 103 are each image groups that contain height position information. If drone 7 photographs the area from the ground floor to the top floor of the building while changing the photographing height, image groups 101 to 103 each contain height position information (distance from the ground in the vertical direction) corresponding to the height from the ground floor to the top floor of the building.

Note that while Figure 3 shows an example in which the image group has a vertically elongated shape with a long side corresponding to the height of the building, the present invention is not limited to this. The image group may also be composed of multiple captured images corresponding to capture areas, such as capture areas 104 to 106. In this case, different height position information is associated with each of the multiple captured images and stored. Furthermore, if car 1 moves in a direction other than vertical, an image group corresponding to the target's movement direction may be created. In this case, the image group will not be vertically elongated, but will be images that are long in the movement direction. In other words, the image group according to the present invention is intended to be images constructed using a configuration that can display external images within the range in which car 1 can move.

Furthermore, while Figure 3 illustrates an example in which three image groups 101 to 103 corresponding to the three surfaces of car 1 are generated, the present invention is not limited to this. The image groups may be provided in correspondence with the surfaces on which the car interior display 12 that displays the images is provided, and the number of image groups may be one, two, or four.

<Resolution setting process by resolution setting unit>
Next, an outline of the resolution setting process performed by the resolution setting unit 43 (see FIG. 1) will be described with reference to FIGS.

Figure 4 shows size information for the target car display 12 (labeled "target equipment" in the figure) on which the image from the image group is displayed. Figure 4 shows that the horizontal (X) size of the car display 12 is "X0" and the vertical (Y) size is "Y0". The resolution setting unit 43 sets (defines) the resolution of the extraction range when extracting an image of an area corresponding to the size of the car display 12 from the image group. The resolution setting unit 43 sets the width in the X and Y directions, and the coordinate axes as the resolution.

For example, if the image of the entire area of the image group 102 shown in Figure 3 were reduced to the size of the car display 12 and displayed, the aspect ratio of the image displayed on the car display 12 would change, resulting in image distortion. To prevent this distortion from occurring, the resolution setting unit 43 sets a resolution that can reproduce as faithfully as possible the aspect ratio and scale of the scenery outside the building that can be seen through the car display 12 if it were treated as a window.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing information about the sizes of two walls inside car 1 when the target on which the image is to be displayed is a wall inside car 1. Figure 5 shows that the horizontal (X) size of wall 16a (labeled "target equipment (1)" in the figure) onto which the image is projected by projector 15a is "X1" and the vertical (Y) size is "Y1". It also shows that the horizontal (X) size of wall 16b (labeled "target equipment (2)" in the figure) onto which the image is projected by projector 15b is "X2" and the vertical (Y) size is "Y2".

Even when the image to be displayed is on a wall inside car 1, the resolution setting unit 43 sets the resolution of the extraction (depiction) range as a parameter when extracting an image from the image group and displaying (depicting) it on the target equipment based on the size of the image display area.

<Rendering range determination process by rendering range determination unit>
Next, an outline of the depiction range determination process performed by the depiction range determination unit 46 (see FIG. 1) will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG.

Figure 6 shows an overview of the depiction range determination process when the image is displayed on the car interior display 12, and Figure 7 shows an overview of the depiction range determination process when the image is displayed on the wall surface of car 1.

The left side of Figure 6 shows vertically elongated image groups 101 to 103, while the right side of Figure 6 shows car 1 located at a certain height. The depiction range determination unit 46 determines the height position H1 in the image group of the extraction (depiction) range to be extracted from the image group (depicted on the target equipment) based on the absolute position detection information of car 1 received by the height position detection unit 45 from the elevator control device 2. More specifically, the depiction range determination unit 46 determines the height position H1 of the depiction range in the image group based on the height position of car 1 indicated in the absolute position detection information supplemented (corrected) by the height position of the building. The height position H1 is the height from the bottom edge to the center of the depiction range 110, described below. An example of correcting the height position based on the building height position will be described in detail with reference to Figure 8, described below.

The depiction range determination unit 46 determines the depiction range 110 of the image on the car interior display 12 based on the height position and the resolution information set by the resolution setting unit 43. The depiction unit 47 then extracts images of the depiction range 110 determined by the depiction range determination unit 46 from the group of images downloaded by the downloading unit 44. The depiction unit 47 then transmits the extracted images to the car interior display 12 of car 1 via the elevator control device 2 for display. By performing such processing by the depiction range determination unit 46 and the downloading unit 44, the amount of data of the group of images downloaded from the archiver 3 can be reduced.

Figure 7 shows an example of the depiction range when the image display target is the wall surface of car 1 and there are two display surfaces. In this case, the depiction range determination unit 46 determines the image depiction ranges 111 to 112 for each of the image group 101 corresponding to the first surface of car 1 and the image group 102 corresponding to the second surface, based on the height position H2 corresponding to the absolute position detection information of car 1.

Next, an example of correcting the absolute position of car 1 by the height position detection unit 45 will be described with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the correspondence between the absolute position of car 1, the height position of the building, and the height positions of the image group.

Figure 8 shows an example in which building B is equipped with an elevator 10a for the upper bank and a shuttle elevator 10b that transports passengers to elevator 10a's departure floor. The lifting range of shuttle elevator 10b is from the first basement floor to elevator 10a's departure floor, and the height of this lifting range is 210 (m). In this case, the lower limit of the absolute position of shuttle elevator 10b, "0," corresponds to the height position of the first basement floor, and the upper limit of the absolute position, "210," corresponds to the height position of (the ceiling position of) elevator 10a's departure floor.

The lifting range of elevator 10a is from the departure floor to the top floor of building B, and the height of this lifting range is 100 (m). In this case, the lower limit of the absolute position of elevator 10a, "0", corresponds to the height position of the departure floor of elevator 10a, and the upper limit of the absolute position, "100", corresponds to the height position of the top floor (ceiling position) of elevator 10a.

On the other hand, the height position "0" of Building B corresponds to the height position of the bottom of Building B, which is in the basement, and the height position "300" corresponds to the top floor (ceiling position). Since image group 101 is a photograph of the scenery ranging from the ground to the top floor of Building B, the lower limit of the height position, "0", corresponds to the height position of the ground floor, and the upper limit of "280" corresponds to the height position of the top floor (ceiling position) of Building B. The actual height position of the top floor of Building B is "300", but this value is the value when the bottom of Building B is used as the starting point, so "280" when the ground floor is used as the starting point is the upper limit of the height position of image group 101.

For example, assume that the image to be displayed is the upper bank elevator 10a. In this case, the height position detection unit 45 compensates for the absolute position "0" detected by the elevator 10a with "200," which is the height position of building B. The depiction range determination unit 46 then sets the height position "180" in the image group 101 linked to the compensated "200" as the height position of the image depiction range.

By performing this processing by the height position detection unit 45 and the depiction range determination unit 46, it becomes possible to display, inside car 1, a scenic image of the outside of building B that corresponds to the height position of car 1 within building B, without having to prepare multiple images in advance that correspond to the running pattern, etc. Furthermore, regardless of the height position of the elevator, it becomes possible to display, inside car 1, a scenic image of the outside of building B that corresponds to the height position of car 1.

In an elevator in which the height position information of the lifting range of car 1 corresponds to the height position information of building B, the depiction range determination unit 46 may determine the height position in the depiction range image group of the image based on the absolute position detection information, without making corrections based on the height position of building B. Alternatively, the user may set an arbitrary correction position and designate any position as the ground floor.

<Drawing mode setting process by the drawing mode setting unit>
Next, the depiction mode setting process by the depiction mode setting unit 41 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the depiction mode setting process by the depiction mode setting unit 41.

First, the depiction mode setting unit 41 determines whether the setting of the device for setting the maintenance mode is enabled (step S1). Devices for setting the maintenance mode include, for example, buttons and switches. Instead of switching such devices between enabled (ON) and disabled (OFF), the activation of the maintenance mode may be instructed by a command from an external device (not shown), a trigger input based on a schedule, or the like.

If it is determined in step S1 that the settings of the equipment for setting the maintenance mode are valid (if step S1 is judged as YES), the depiction mode setting unit 41 enables the maintenance mode setting (step S2). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1 that the settings of the equipment for setting the maintenance mode are invalid (if step S1 is judged as NO), the depiction mode setting unit 41 determines whether the settings of the equipment for setting the real-time live-action mode are valid (step S3).

Like the device for setting the maintenance mode, the device for setting the real-time live-action mode is composed of, for example, buttons or switches. Alternatively, activation of the real-time live-action mode may be instructed by a command from an external device or a trigger input based on a schedule.

If it is determined in step S3 that the device settings for setting the real-time live-action mode are valid (if step S3 returns a YES judgment), the depiction mode setting unit 41 enables the real-time live-action mode setting (step S4). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3 that the device settings for setting the real-time live-action mode are invalid (if step S3 returns a NO judgment), the depiction mode setting unit 41 determines whether or not the other location display service is available (step S5).

The availability/inability of the other location display service may be switched based on the operation of a button or switch, or based on a command or trigger. If it is determined in step S5 that the other location display service is available (if step S5 returns a YES result), the depiction mode setting unit 41 enables the other location display mode setting (step S6).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S5 that the other location display service is not available (if step S5 is judged as NO), the depiction mode setting unit 41 determines whether connection to archiver 3 is possible (step S7). If a service is provided by archiver 3 and communication with archiver 3 is possible, step S7 will be judged as YES. On the other hand, if a service is not provided by archiver 3 or if communication with archiver 3 cannot be performed due to a communication failure or the like, step S7 will be judged as NO.

If step S7 returns a YES result, the depiction mode setting unit 41 enables the archiver display mode setting (step S8). After processing step S8, or if step S7 returns a NO result, the depiction mode setting process by the depiction mode setting unit 41 ends.

<Depiction mode determination process by the depiction mode determination unit>
Next, the depiction mode determination process by the depiction mode determination section 42 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the depiction mode determination process by the depiction mode determination section 42.

First, the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines whether the maintenance mode setting is enabled (step S11). If it is determined in step S11 that the maintenance mode setting is enabled (if step S11 is determined as YES), the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines whether a transition to maintenance mode has occurred (step S12). If it is determined in step S12 that a transition to maintenance mode has occurred (if step S12 is determined as YES), the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines that the depiction mode is maintenance mode (step S13). If it is determined that the depiction mode is maintenance mode, the image captured by the maintenance camera 6, acquired by the camera image output unit 48, is displayed on the car interior display 12, the wall of the car 1, or the like.

If step S11 is judged as NO, or if step S12 is judged as NO, the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines whether the real-time live-action mode setting is enabled (step S14). If step S14 determines that the real-time live-action mode setting is enabled (if step S14 is judged as YES), the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines whether a transition to real-time live-action mode has occurred (step S15).

If it is determined in step S15 that the mode has been switched to real-time live-action mode (if step S15 is determined to be YES), the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines that the depiction mode is real-time live-action mode (step S16). If it is determined that the depiction mode is real-time live-action, the image captured by the building camera 5 acquired by the camera image output unit 48 is displayed on the car interior display 12 or the wall of car 1, etc.

If step S14 returns a NO judgment, or if step S15 returns a NO judgment, the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines whether the other position display mode setting is enabled (step S17). If step S17 determines that the other position display mode setting is enabled (step S17 returns a YES judgment), the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines whether a transition to the other position display mode has occurred (step S18).

If it is determined in step S18 that the mode has been switched to other position display mode (if step S18 returns a YES judgment), the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines that the depiction mode is other position display mode (step S19). If it is determined that the depiction mode is other position display mode, captured video of another position obtained from a server or archiver 3 (not shown) or the like is displayed on the car interior display 12 or the wall of the car 1, etc.

If step S17 is a NO judgment, or if step S18 is a NO judgment, the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines whether the archiver display mode setting is enabled (step S20). If step S20 determines that the archiver display mode setting is enabled (step S20 is a YES judgment), the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines whether a transition to the archiver display mode has occurred (step S21).

If it is determined in step S21 that the mode has been switched to archiver display mode (if step S21 returns a YES result), the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines that the depiction mode is archiver display mode (step S22). If it is determined that the mode is archiver display mode, the video of the image group 33 acquired from the archiver 3 or the like is displayed on the car interior display 12 or the wall surface of the car 1, etc.

If step S20 returns a NO answer, or if step S21 returns a NO answer, the depiction mode determination unit 42 determines that no mode has been set and that the archiver 3 cannot be used (step S23). After processing step S13, step S16, step S19, step S22, or step S23, the depiction mode setting process by the depiction mode determination unit 42 ends.

<Resolution setting process by resolution setting unit>
Next, the resolution setting process by the resolution setting unit 43 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the resolution setting process by the resolution setting unit 43.

First, the resolution setting unit 43 determines whether the number of display screens for the image in car 1 is other than one (step S31). If it is determined in step S31 that the number of display screens is other than one, i.e., two or more (if step S31 returns a YES result), the resolution setting unit 43 sets information about the number of display screens as a parameter (step S32).

The resolution setting unit 43 then sets the size of each piece of target equipment corresponding to each number of faces (step S33). Examples of target equipment include the car interior display 12 and the display area on the wall inside the car 1. Next, the resolution setting unit 43 sets the resolution of each depiction range of the image when extracting an image from the image group and displaying it on the target equipment (step S34).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S31 that the number of display screens for the image in car 1 is one (if step S31 is determined to be NO), the resolution setting unit 43 sets the size of the target equipment present on that screen (step S35). Next, the resolution setting unit 43 sets the resolution of the depiction range of the image (step S36). After processing step S34 or step S36, the resolution setting process by the resolution setting unit 43 ends.

<Download processing by the download unit>
Next, the download process by the download unit 44 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the download process by the download unit 44.

First, the download unit 44 determines whether the currently set mode is the other position display mode (step S41). If it is determined in step S41 that the other position display mode is set (if step S41 returns a YES determination), the download unit 44 extracts from the archiver 3 video of another position with a display time that corresponds to the current time (step S42). Note that the current time and the display time do not need to correspond strictly; the download unit 44 can extract morning video if the current time is in the morning, daytime video if the current time is around noon, etc.

The download unit 44 then determines the location (area, direction, etc.) to be displayed on the target equipment in the video captured at another location (step S43). The location may be determined based on predetermined settings, etc., or based on the content of operational input by elevator users, etc. Next, the download unit 44 downloads the image group (data) corresponding to the display position from the archiver 3 at the resolution set by the resolution setting unit 43 (step S44).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S41 that the mode is not the other-position display mode (if step S41 is judged as NO), the download unit 44 determines whether the mode is the archiver display mode (step S45). If it is determined in step S45 that the mode is the archiver display mode (if step S45 is judged as YES), the download unit 44 extracts video captured at another position at the display time corresponding to the current time (step S46).

The download unit 44 then extracts the image group (data) for the time period (period, era, etc.) to be downloaded (step S47). The download unit 44 then downloads the target image group (data) from the archiver 3 at the resolution set by the resolution setting unit 43 (step S48).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S45 that the archiver display mode is not active (if step S45 is judged as NO), the download unit 44 clears any downloaded data (step S49). Thereafter, the rendering unit 47 controls the display (rendering) of the image stored in the ROM 202 (see FIG. 2) or the like within the rendering device 4 on the target equipment. After processing step S44, step S48, or step S49, the download process by the download unit 44 ends.

<Processing by height position detection unit, depiction range determination unit, and depiction unit>
Next, the processing by the height position detection unit 45, the depiction range determination unit 46, and the depiction unit 47 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the height position detection processing by the height position detection unit 45, the depiction range determination processing by the depiction range determination unit 46, and the depiction processing by the depiction unit 47.

First, the height position detection unit 45 receives the absolute position detection information of car 1 transmitted from the elevator control device 2 (step S51). Next, the height position detection unit 45 corrects the height position information of car 1 to match the height of building B (step S52). In other words, the height position detection unit 45 sets the height position of car 1 to the height position indicated in the absolute position detection information of car 1, compensated for by the height position of building B.

Next, the depiction range determination unit 46 determines the depiction range based on the information about the height position of car 1 corrected in step S52 (step S53).

The depiction unit 47 then determines whether or not there is any download data that has been downloaded by the download unit 44 (step S54). If it is determined in step S54 that there is any download data (a YES determination in step S54), the depiction unit 47 extracts an image (data) corresponding to the depiction range from the downloaded data (step S55). Next, the depiction unit 47 transmits the extracted data to the car display 12 (or a projector, etc.) via the elevator control device 2 (step S56).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S54 that there is no download data (if step S54 returns NO), an image corresponding to the depiction range is extracted from data stored in ROM 202 (see FIG. 2) or the like (step S57). Next, the depiction unit 47 performs the processing of step S56. That is, the extracted image (data) is transmitted to the car display 12 (or projector, etc.) via the elevator control device 2. After processing step S56, the depiction processing by the depiction unit 47 ends.

When an image group is read based on the process shown in Figure 13, the frame rate for reading (rendering) is preferably set to a rate corresponding to the rated speed of the elevator. If the rated speed of the elevator is relatively high, even if the frame rate is low, dropped frames are unlikely to occur in the displayed image. On the other hand, if the rated speed is constant, a low frame rate may result in the frame-by-frame images being displayed on the target equipment.

For example, when the vertically elongated image groups 101 to 103 shown in Figure 3 are to be depicted, the frame rate can be adjusted by changing the interval (the distance in the height direction) at which height position information is assigned to the image groups. Furthermore, when the image groups are made up of a collection of images corresponding to the shooting area 104 shown in Figure 3, the frame rate can be adjusted by changing the number of images associated with a height position (the distance between the height positions associated with each of the multiple images). Furthermore, by setting the frame rate for depicting the video to an optimal rate according to the rated speed of the elevator, it is possible to prevent dropped frames and other issues from occurring in the video depicted on the target equipment inside car 1.

The elevator system 100 according to the embodiment described above is an elevator system that displays an image of the outside of car 1 or the outside of building B in which the elevator is installed in a display area (target equipment) within elevator car 1. The elevator system 100 also includes a height position detection unit 45 that acquires absolute position detection information indicating the absolute position of car 1 in the height direction within the hoistway, and a rendering unit 47 that extracts from archiver 3 a group of images having height position information corresponding to the absolute car position detection information acquired by the height position detection unit 45, and displays the images in the display area within car 1.

Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to display an image of the outside of building B in which the elevator is installed in the display area inside car 1 in conjunction with the up and down movement of car 1, without having to prepare images for each travel pattern in advance. This allows elevator users to see the scenery outside building B while riding in car 1, making it possible for users to refresh themselves even in confined situations where measures to prevent infectious diseases are necessary.

<Modification 1>
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been given in which the position detector 14 (see FIG. 1) is capable of detecting the absolute position of the car 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. The absolute position (height position) of the car 1 may be calculated based on position correction information, position information estimated based on information on the passage of time, etc.

Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an elevator system 100A according to Variation 1. The elevator system 100A shown in Figure 14 differs from the elevator system 100 shown in Figure 1 in that the elevator control device 2A includes an absolute position calculation unit 23. The rest of the configuration is the same as that of the elevator system 100, so a duplicated explanation will be omitted.

Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for absolute position calculation processing by the absolute position calculation unit 23 of the elevator system 100A according to Modification 1.

First, the absolute position calculation unit 23 determines whether position correction information is available (step S61). The position correction information is composed of a correction value calculated based on information about the difference between the position of car 1 detected by the position detector 14A and the actual position of car 1.

In variant 1, the position detector 14A detects the position of car 1 in the hoistway based on, for example, the number of rotations of the hoisting machine motor (not shown) from the time of departure from the ground floor. The actual height position of car 1 is obtained based on the detection results of the position of a hole in a shielding plate (not shown) in the hoistway by an optical sensor (not shown) installed on the outside of car 1.

If it is determined in step S61 that position correction information is available (if step S61 returns a YES result), the absolute position calculation unit 23 performs position correction (correction of the height position of car 1) using the position correction information (step S62). Next, the absolute position calculation unit 23 outputs the position information corrected in step S62 as car absolute position information (step S63).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S61 that there is no position correction information (if step S61 is determined to be NO), the absolute position calculation unit 23 extracts the time at which car 1 was last stopped or the number of clocks of car 1's running pulses (step S64).

The absolute position calculation unit 23 then calculates the distance traveled by car 1 based on the time at the previous stop position extracted in step S64 or the number of clock pulses of the traveling pulses, and estimates the current position of car 1 based on this distance traveled (step S65). The absolute position calculation unit 23 then performs the processing of step S63. That is, the absolute position calculation unit 23 outputs information on the current position of car 1 estimated in step S65 as absolute position information of car 1. After processing step S63, the absolute value calculation processing by the absolute position calculation unit 23 ends.

Variation 1 allows for the same advantages as those achieved by the above-described embodiment to be achieved even in elevator systems that do not have a device for detecting the absolute position of car 1.

<Modification 2>
Next, an elevator system 100B according to Modification 2 of the present invention and a display control method using the elevator system 100B will be described with reference to Figures 16 to 18. The elevator system 100B according to Modification 2 displays information about the surroundings of building B that has been prepared in advance, along with the video (image group) read out from the archiver 3 according to the height position of the car 1.

Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an elevator system 100B according to Variation 2. The elevator system 100B shown in Figure 16 differs from the elevator system 100 shown in Figure 1 in that peripheral information 35 is stored in the archiver 3A and that the depiction device 4A is equipped with a peripheral information output unit 49. Other configurations are the same as those of the elevator system 100, so redundant explanations will be omitted.

The surrounding area information 35 is information that stores coordinate position information for various facilities such as tourist attractions, restaurants, and shops around building B, as well as information on the names of the various facilities and information on their image outlines (exterior frames). Note that the surrounding area information 35 may also include information other than the above.

The peripheral information output unit 49 reads the corresponding peripheral information 35 from the archiver 3A based on information about the image depiction range determined according to the height position of the car 1, and outputs it to the depiction unit 47. The depiction unit 47 then displays the peripheral information input from the peripheral information output unit 49 within the car 1, superimposed on the image read from the archiver 3A.

Figure 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the peripheral information output process by the peripheral information output unit 49. First, the peripheral information output unit 49 determines whether peripheral information 35 is registered in the archiver 3A (step S71). If it is determined in step S71 that peripheral information 35 is registered (if step S71 returns a YES determination), the peripheral information output unit 49 acquires information on the depiction position (range) of the image and displayable peripheral information 35 (step S72). Displayable peripheral information 35 includes peripheral information within a distance range from building B that is set as a preset value, and peripheral information within a range that can be seen as an image.

The peripheral information output unit 49 then identifies the position (coordinates) in the peripheral information 35 of the image corresponding to the depiction range (step S73). Based on the position information identified in step S73, the peripheral information output unit 49 then associates the normal image (the image read from the archiver 3A) with the peripheral information image (peripheral image), and outputs the association to the depiction unit 47 (step S74).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S71 that peripheral information has not been registered (if step S71 returns NO), the peripheral information output unit 49 reads the normal image from the archiver 3A and outputs it to the depiction unit 47 (step S75). After processing step S74 or step S75, the peripheral information output process by the peripheral information output unit 49 ends.

Figure 18 is a diagram showing an example of an image in which surrounding information is superimposed. Figure 18 shows surrounding information superimposed on an image of the scenery visible from building B. In the example shown in Figure 18, the text in the speech bubble clearly indicates that there are "tourist attraction A," "tenants B and C," "restaurants B and C," etc. in the vicinity of building B.

According to variant 2, elevator users can check information such as the names and locations of facilities around building B while riding in car 1.

<Modification 3>
Next, an elevator system 100C according to Modification 3 of the present invention and a display control method using the elevator system 100C will be described with reference to Figures 19 and 20. The elevator system 100C according to Modification 3 displays information about the surroundings of building B (peripheral information 35) superimposed on an image actually captured by the building camera 5.

Figure 19 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an elevator system 100C according to Variation 3. The elevator system 100C shown in Figure 19 differs from the elevator system 100B shown in Figure 16 in that the archiver 3B only includes an ID 31 and peripheral information 35, and the depiction device 4B only includes a depiction range determination unit 46, a peripheral information output unit 49A, and a depiction unit 47. The rest of the configuration is the same as that of the elevator system 100B, so repeated explanations will be omitted.

Figure 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for peripheral information output processing by the peripheral information output unit 49A. Steps S81 and S82 in Figure 20 are the same as steps S71 and S72 in Figure 17, respectively, and therefore will not be described again.

In step S83, the peripheral information output unit 49A identifies the position of the peripheral information within the depiction range. In variant example 3, the depiction device 4B does not read an image from the archiver 3B, but instead superimposes the peripheral information 35 on the video being captured in real time by the building camera 5. Therefore, the peripheral information output unit 49A associates the captured video with the peripheral information by matching the video captured by the building camera 5 with the peripheral information using pattern matching.

After processing step S83, the peripheral information output unit 49A outputs an image of the peripheral information associated with the video to the depiction unit 47 (step S84). After processing step S84, the peripheral information output process by the peripheral information output unit 49A ends.

According to variant 3, elevator users can view surrounding information superimposed on the actual scenery seen from building B, allowing them to obtain surrounding information more accurately.

<Other variations>
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and various modified examples, an example was given in which an image having height position information corresponding to the height position of car 1 is displayed in a display area within car 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the shuttle elevator 10b shown in FIG. 8, a group of images having height position information of the upper bank elevator 10a may be displayed. Such control can be realized, for example, by receiving input from elevator passengers via the in-car display 12 or a mobile terminal (not shown) of height position information (or information on buildings or scenery associated with the height position information) of the video they wish to view (display in car 1). This control allows elevator passengers to view video from their preferred height position from within car 1. For example, while riding in a low-rise elevator, passengers can virtually enjoy the view from a high-rise elevator, providing a highly refreshing experience.

It is also easy to imagine changing the configuration so that car 1 can display images according to the direction of movement of the object. In this case, it is necessary to prepare a group of images according to the distance in the direction of movement. Furthermore, while the above-mentioned embodiments and variations describe the correction of the height position, the present invention can also be applied to cars that move in directions other than horizontal by setting any position as the start position of the car's movement.

Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and variations provide detailed and specific descriptions of the device and system configurations in order to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those that include all of the configurations described.

In addition, the control lines or information lines indicated by solid lines or single arrows in Figures 1, 14, 16, and 19 indicate those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all control lines or information lines in the product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected.

In addition, in this specification, processing steps describing chronological processing include not only processing that is performed chronologically in the order described, but also processing that is not necessarily performed chronologically but is performed in parallel or individually (for example, parallel processing or processing by objects).

Furthermore, each component of the elevator system according to one embodiment or each of the variations described above may be implemented in any hardware, as long as the respective hardware can send and receive information to and from each other via a network. Furthermore, the processing performed by a certain processing unit may be realized by a single piece of hardware, or may be realized by distributed processing using multiple pieces of hardware.

1...car, 2, 2A...elevator control device, 3, 3A, 3B...archiver, 4, 4A, 4B...imaging device, 5...building camera, 6...maintenance camera, 12...in-car display, 14, 14A...position detector, 23...absolute position calculation unit, 33...image group, 35...peripheral information, 41...imaging mode setting unit, 42...imaging mode determination unit, 43...resolution setting unit, 44...download unit, 45...height position detection unit, 46...imaging range determination unit, 47...imaging unit, 48...camera image output unit, 49, 49A...peripheral information output unit, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C...elevator system

Claims (11)

An elevator display control system that displays an image in a display area inside an elevator car,
a car height position information acquisition unit that acquires car height position information that indicates an absolute position in a height direction within the elevator shaft of the car;
a depiction unit that depicts, in a display area within the car, a group of images having height position information corresponding to the car height position information acquired by the car height position information acquisition unit ,
the car height position information acquisition unit corrects the acquired car height position information using information on the height of a building in which the elevator is installed,
a resolution setting unit that sets a resolution of an image to be extracted from the image group based on information about the size and position of the display area;
an image group acquisition unit that reads out from a storage unit and outputs the image group for which the resolution determined by the resolution setting unit is set.
Elevator display control system. The elevator display control system according to claim 1 , wherein the car height position information acquisition unit corrects the acquired car height position information using arbitrary height information. 2. The elevator display control system according to claim 1, further comprising a depiction range determination unit that determines a depiction range, which is a range to be extracted from the image group read by the image group acquisition unit and depicted in the display area, based on the car height position information output from the car height position information acquisition unit and the resolution information set by the resolution setting unit. The elevator display control system according to claim 3 , wherein when the image output from the depiction unit is depicted in the display area inside the car, the frame rate of the depicted image is set to a rate corresponding to the rated speed of the elevator. The elevator display control system according to claim 4 , wherein the image group is a group of images obtained by previously photographing the outside of the building at different height positions. The elevator display control system according to claim 4 , wherein the group of images is a group of images previously obtained by photographing the exterior of a second building different from the building while varying the height position of the photographs. a depiction mode determination unit that determines a depiction mode of the image;
a camera image output unit that displays an image taken by a camera capable of photographing the outside of a building in which the elevator is installed in a display area inside the elevator car,
5. The elevator display control system according to claim 4, wherein the camera image output unit displays the image captured by the camera in a display area inside the car when the depiction mode determination unit determines that the depiction mode is a mode for depicting the image captured by the camera . a depiction mode determination unit that determines a depiction mode of the image;
a camera image output unit that displays an image captured by a maintenance camera capable of capturing an image of a device in the elevator shaft in a display area in the elevator car,
5. The elevator display control system according to claim 4, wherein the camera image output unit displays the image captured by the maintenance camera in a display area inside the car when the depiction mode determination unit determines that the depiction mode is a mode for depicting the image captured by the maintenance camera. The elevator display control system according to claim 5 or 7 , wherein the depiction unit displays an image of the group of images having height position information specified by a user of the elevator in a display area inside the car. The elevator display control system according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a peripheral information output unit that extracts peripheral information having information on a height position corresponding to the height position of the display area from peripheral information indicating information on facilities located outside the building in which the elevator is installed, and outputs the extracted peripheral information to the depiction unit. A display control method for an elevator display control system that displays an image in a display area inside an elevator car, comprising:
a step in which a car height position information acquisition unit acquires car height position information indicating an absolute position of the car in a height direction within a hoistway;
a procedure in which a depiction unit displays a group of images having height position information corresponding to the acquired car height position information in a display area inside the car ,
the car height position information acquisition unit corrects the acquired car height position information using information on the height of a building in which the elevator is installed,
a resolution setting unit that sets a resolution of an image to be extracted from the image group based on information about the size and position of the display area;
an image group acquisition unit that reads out from a storage unit and outputs the image group for which the resolution determined by the resolution setting unit is set.
Display control method.