JP7837425B2 - Cleaning of elevator cars - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates, as a whole, to the technical field of elevator systems. More specifically, the invention relates to the execution of cleaning operations for elevator cars.

background

In recent years, technological advancements have led to the increasing automation of various tasks related to building maintenance. In particular, various types of robots are being introduced to handle buildings, their tenants, and visitors in diverse situations. At least some robots can move around within buildings and therefore perform a variety of tasks. Examples of such robots include guidance robots, delivery robots, and cleaning robots.

Elevator systems, particularly elevator cars, require regular maintenance, and one aspect of this maintenance is the periodic cleaning of the elevator cars. In many buildings, cleaning of corridors and hallways is already performed by cleaning robots, so it may be desirable to use cleaning robots to clean the elevator cars as well. However, this approach presents the challenge of the continuous use of the elevator system. Therefore, it is necessary to schedule the cleaning of the elevator cars, minimize the time the cars are reserved for cleaning, and carry out the cleaning in a way that does not disrupt people within the building.

To efficiently integrate various systems, it is necessary to implement solutions that provide integration capabilities.

overview

A brief overview of some aspects of the various embodiments of the present invention is provided below to provide a basic understanding of them. This overview is not intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the entire invention, nor is it intended to identify the main or important elements of the invention or to elaborate on its scope. The following overview merely serves as an introduction to a more detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention, briefly outlining some of the concepts of the invention.

The present invention aims to provide a method, control system, and computer program for controlling the cleaning of elevator cars in an elevator system.

The object of the present invention is achieved by a method, control system, and computer program for controlling the cleaning of elevator cars in an elevator system as defined by each of the independent claims of this patent application.

According to the first embodiment, if a method is provided for controlling the cleaning of an elevator car in an elevator system, the method is performed by a control system.
We received data indicating that the cleaning robot has been assigned the task of cleaning elevator cars.
Generate a control signal to move the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located.
When the elevator car arrives at the floor where the cleaning robot is located, the elevator system is set to cleaning mode.

The data indicating that a cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning elevator cars may include data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area on a certain floor. For example, the data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area may correspond to position data generated by a cleaning control system that controls at least part of the cleaning robot's operation. Alternatively or additionally, the data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area may correspond to position data generated by an indoor positioning system configured to monitor the cleaning robot's position. Furthermore, the data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area may correspond to data generated by a sensor system configured to monitor the elevator door area on that floor. For example, the sensor system may include at least one of at least one image acquisition device and at least one receiver that can be communicably connected to the cleaning robot by short-range wireless communication technology.

Data indicating that a cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning elevator cars may include at least one of the following: data describing the cleaning program set for the cleaning robot, and data confirming that the cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning elevator cars.

This method may further include a step of not assigning a call to the elevator system in which the cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car, before generating a control signal to move the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located.

In addition, this method further generates a control signal to move the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located,
A process to determine the status of the elevator system,
The system may also include the step of detecting that the elevator car's movement to the floor where the cleaning robot is located is being obstructed by this situation, and then generating a control signal that requests a change to the elevator car's cleaning schedule.

For example, a control signal requesting a schedule change may include data indicating the time for cleaning.

Furthermore, this method may further include a step of generating a control signal to deactivate the cleaning mode of the elevator system. For example, the generation of the control signal to deactivate the cleaning mode may be performed in response to at least one of the following: receiving a signal indicating that the cleaning operation of the elevator car is complete, and detecting that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car. Furthermore, the detection that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car may be performed based on location data received from at least one of the cleaning control system and the indoor positioning system. Alternatively or additionally, the detection that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car may be performed based on at least one of the following: image data received from an image acquisition device configured to generate image data from inside the elevator car, and a communication connection established between the cleaning robot and an access sensor installed in the elevator car.

Furthermore, this method also,
This may include generating a control signal to indicate to one or more signaling devices in the elevator system that the elevator car is being cleaned.

Furthermore, this method may also include generating a control signal that performs one of the following actions: closing the elevator doors when the cleaning robot enters the elevator car, opening the elevator doors when an indication that the cleaning work is complete is received, or moving the elevator car to the floor where cleaning is to be performed when the cleaning robot enters the elevator car.

According to a second aspect, a control system is provided for controlling the cleaning of the elevator car of an elevator system, and this control system is
We received data indicating that the cleaning robot has been assigned the task of cleaning elevator cars.
Generate a control signal to move the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located.
The system is configured to set to cleaning mode when the elevator car arrives at the floor where the cleaning robot is located.

The data indicating that a cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning elevator cars may include data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area on a certain floor. For example, the data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area may correspond to position data generated by a cleaning control system that controls at least part of the cleaning robot's operation. Alternatively or additionally, the data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area may correspond to position data generated by an indoor positioning system configured to monitor the cleaning robot's position. Furthermore, the data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area may correspond to data generated by a sensor system configured to monitor the elevator door area on that floor. For example, the sensor system may include at least one of at least one image acquisition device and at least one receiver that can communicate with the cleaning robot via short-range wireless communication technology.

Furthermore, data indicating that a cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning elevator cars may include at least one of the following: data describing the cleaning program set for the cleaning robot, and data confirming that the cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning elevator cars.

This control system may also be configured to prevent assigning calls to elevator systems where the cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car, before generating a control signal to move the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located.

In addition, this control system further generates a control signal to move the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located,
Determine the status of the elevator system,
If the system detects that the elevator car's movement to the floor where the cleaning robot is located is being obstructed by this situation, it may be configured to generate a control signal requesting a change in the elevator car's cleaning schedule.

For example, this control system may be configured to include data indicating the time for cleaning in the control signal requesting a change in the schedule.

Furthermore, the control system may be configured to generate a control signal to deactivate the elevator system's cleaning mode. For example, the control system may be configured to generate a control signal to deactivate the cleaning mode in response to at least one of the following: receiving a signal indicating that the elevator car cleaning operation is complete, or detecting that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car. Additionally, the control system may be configured to detect that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car based on location data received from at least one of the cleaning control system and the indoor positioning system. Alternatively or additionally, the control system may be configured to detect that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car based on at least one of the following: image data received from an image acquisition device configured to generate image data from inside the elevator car, and a communication connection established between the cleaning robot and an access sensor installed in the elevator car.

Furthermore, this control system may be configured to generate a control signal that causes one or more signaling devices in the elevator system to indicate that the elevator car is being cleaned.

Furthermore, this control system may be configured to generate a control signal that performs one of the following actions: closing the elevator doors when the cleaning robot enters the elevator car, opening the elevator doors when an indication that the cleaning task is complete is received, or moving the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is to be performed when the cleaning robot enters the elevator car.

According to the third aspect, a computer program is provided, which includes computer-readable program code, and is configured such that when the computer-readable program code is executed on one or more computing devices, it causes the method according to the first aspect as defined above to be performed.

In this application, the phrase "number of ~" refers to any positive integer starting from 1, such as 1, 2, or 3.

In this application, the term "multiple" refers to any positive integers beginning with 2, such as 2, 3, or 4.

Various exemplary and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention relating to both structure and operation methods will be best understood by reading them in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, along with additional purposes and advantages, and by the following description of specific exemplary and non-limiting embodiments.

In this specification, the verbs “to include” and “to provide” are used as open limitations and do not exclude or require the existence of configurations not listed. The configurations described in the dependent claims can be combined in any way unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the use of “one,” i.e., the singular form, should not be understood throughout this specification as excluding the possibility of plural configurations.

Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but the invention is not limited to these examples.
An example illustrating this concept is provided below. A general overview of the method is provided as an example. Another embodiment of the method is outlined below as an example. A schematic diagram of an example apparatus is shown below.

Description of Exemplary Embodiments

The specific examples provided in the following description should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or availability of the attached claims. The list and group of examples provided in the following description are not exhaustive unless otherwise specified.

This invention provides a solution for coordinating cleaning operations within a building with the operation of the elevator system located within the building, thereby also performing cleaning of the elevator car. The cleaning of the elevator car is performed using the cleaning robot according to the present invention, as described below.

An example of an environment in which the present invention can be implemented is shown in Figure 1. This environment is a building 1000 in which the elevator system 100 is installed. For simplicity, the elevator system 100 in Figure 1 is equipped with only one elevator, but the application of the present invention is not limited to such an elevator system 100 and may also be applied to an elevator system 100 equipped with multiple elevators. The elevator system 100 in Figure 1 includes an elevator car 110 and a counterweight 120 arranged to move up and down within an elevator shaft 130. The elevator car 100 and the counterweight 120 are suspended by a hoisting rope 115, and the hoisting rope 115 is arranged to travel on a traction sheave of a hoisting machine 140, and the hoisting machine 140 is equipped with an electric motor in addition to the traction sheave. The hoisting machine 140 may be considered to belong to the elevator drive system, which also includes a frequency converter 145 configured to supply input current to the electric motor in a known manner. The operation of the frequency controller 145, and consequently the operation of the hoisting machine 140, is controlled by the elevator control unit 150, which can control the overall operation of the elevator system 100. As is widely known, the elevator system 100 may include many other physical elements, such as a call originator and signal transmission device that provide an interface for sending and receiving information with passengers and other tenants within the building 1000 in which the elevator system 100 is located. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the elevator car 110 may be equipped with one or more sensor devices, such as an image acquisition device 112 or an access sensor 114, where the access sensor 114 is configured to detect nearby devices via communication between the access sensor 114 and the nearby device. Also, in Figure 1, the elevator door is indicated by reference numeral 125.

Depending on the implementation of the present invention, the building 1000 may be further equipped with various additional devices, such as an image acquisition device 155 configured to monitor at least a predetermined location on each floor or floor level, as described below. The building may also be equipped with a sensor 160, which may be an access sensor operating similarly to, for example, the access sensor 114 of an elevator car 110. These elements may be part of the elevator system 100, or at least accessible by the elevator system 100, and the elevator control unit 150 may be able to access the data obtained from each sensor 155, 160.

The building 1000 may also be equipped with devices suitable for forming an internal communication network, such as a wireless communication network. For example, such devices may be base stations 170 located on each floor of the building, with each base station 170 forming a wireless network service area on each floor. The wireless communication technology may be, for example, Wi-Fi. The wireless communication network may actually be a public network or a private network, that is, it may be accessible to the public or to a predetermined group of devices. Naturally, both public and private networks may be available. The wireless communication network installed in the building may be accessible via a communication network 175, such as a data network like the Internet. Furthermore, the building may be equipped with additional devices for establishing an indoor positioning system for each device within the building 1000. The indoor positioning system may be based on the use of the wireless communication network installed in the building together with the base stations 170, and such devices may be configured to, for example, perform signal measurements and generate data that directly or indirectly indicates their own position based on the signal measurement results. Furthermore, the indoor positioning system may be based on beacon devices installed in the building, or it may be another known indoor positioning system.

As previously described, at least a portion of building 1000 is to be cleaned by a cleaning robot 180. The cleaning robot 180 is a device capable of moving around within building 1000 and performing cleaning tasks according to its capabilities. For example, cleaning tasks, as a non-limiting example of the robot's capabilities, include vacuuming and floor washing. The cleaning robot 180 is a device equipped with the necessary systems to move within a predetermined range. The robot 180 may also be equipped with multiple sensors, which it uses to acquire information about its surroundings and adjust its movement and path accordingly. Naturally, the cleaning robot 180 may also be equipped with a system for performing cleaning tasks, which may include, for example, an electric vacuum system and, if applicable, a floor washing device with a water tank.

The cleaning robot 180 during cleaning operations may be controlled, for example, through a cleaning control system 187 operating on a server device 185 located on a communication network 175, and the server device 185 may be communicatively connected to the cleaning robot 180. The cleaning control system 187 operated by the server device 185 may refer to, for example, a computer program, and a cleaning program can be defined for the cleaning robot 180 using this program. The cleaning program may take into account the floor plan and any additional definitions regarding the cleaning area, such as restricted areas or areas requiring special attention. According to some embodiments, at least a portion of the cleaning program stored in the cleaning control system 187 may be defined by the operator of the cleaning control system 187 using a user device 190 such as a laptop computer, PC, tablet computer, or mobile terminal. Furthermore, it should be noted that the cleaning program may be transferred to and stored in the cleaning robot 180, and calls to specific cleaning programs may be executed from, or at least via, the server device 185.

According to some embodiments, the cleaning control system 187 and elevator system 100, operated by the server device 185, may be provided with an applicable interface, such as an application programming interface (API), to enable communication between the aforementioned entities. For example, the cleaning control system 187 and elevator control unit 150, operated by the server device 185, may be configured to communicate with this interface. Alternatively or additionally, each of the aforementioned entities may be configured to communicate with each other by another system, such as a control system configured to act as an intermediary system between two entities. Furthermore, the cleaning robot 180 may have access rights to at least some local systems within the building, for example, to an indoor positioning system and at least some of the sensors provided in the building 1000 and/or elevator system 100, in the manner described in the following description relating to at least some embodiments of the present invention.

Next, with reference to Figure 2, which schematically shows at least some steps of a method based on one example, yet another aspect relating to the present invention will be described. This method provides a solution for controlling the cleaning of the elevator car 110 of an elevator system 100 using at least one cleaning robot 180. Control may be performed by a control system, which in this application is an elevator control unit 150 according to one embodiment. However, other entities communicatively connected to the necessary entities may be configured to perform the operation of the control system described in this application.

In step 210, the elevator control unit 150 receives data 210 indicating that the cleaning robot 180 has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110. In other words, each control unit 150 can detect, based on the received data, that the cleaning robot 180 has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110 of the elevator system 100. The received data may be of various types and may be received 210 from various sources, as described below.

According to some exemplary embodiments, detection that the cleaning robot 180 has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110 may be based on data indicating the location of the cleaning robot 180, which can be identified by various methods. In particular, it may be detected that the cleaning robot 180 is located in a predetermined vicinity of the area of the elevator door 125 on a certain floor. For example, if the elevator door area is defined as the elevator door 125 itself, and the cleaning robot 180 is located within a predetermined distance from the elevator door 125, this may be defined from the data received 210. In such a method, it may be defined that the distance from the elevator door 125 to the cleaning robot 180 is less than a predetermined standard, or that the cleaning robot 180 is located in a predetermined area from the elevator door 125, for example, a designated waiting area on that floor. The location information of the cleaning robot 180 may be received from various sources. According to one exemplary embodiment, the cleaning control system 187 provides the elevator control unit 150 with data indicating the location of the cleaning robot 180. Depending on the implementation, the position data may be transmitted continuously during the operation of the cleaning robot 180, or it may be configured to be transmitted at predetermined intervals, triggered by, for example, a predetermined criterion. For example, the cleaning control system 187 may be configured to transmit position data when it detects that the cleaning robot 180 is located in a predetermined location, such as the waiting area defined in the cleaning control system. The position data received by the elevator control unit 150 from the cleaning control system 187 should be in a format applicable to the determination by which the elevator control unit 150 performs detection. In other words, the elevator control unit 150 may map the received data to information about the floor plan, thereby determining whether to perform detection of work. Naturally, if the cleaning control system 187 only transmits position data when the cleaning robot 180 is located in a predetermined location, the elevator control unit 150 may perform detection based on the reception of such data. The above explanation is based on a method for receiving position data of the cleaning robot 180 from the cleaning control system. However, the same method may also be applied if the cleaning robot 180 is configured to communicate with the elevator control unit 150 without using the cleaning control system 187.

In some other embodiments, the data indicating the position of the cleaning robot 180, used to detect whether the cleaning robot 180 is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door 125, may be based on position data generated by an indoor positioning system. The indoor positioning system may be any known system configured to monitor the position of the cleaning robot 180 and provide the above data directly, or through other entities such as the cleaning robot 180 if the cleaning robot 180 is configured to communicate with the elevator system 100 and the elevator control unit 150 within the system, or any control system configured to implement at least a part of the present invention.

Furthermore, according to several other embodiments, detection of the cleaning robot 180 being assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110 may be performed based on detection of the cleaning robot 180 being located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area on a certain floor, and detection of the cleaning robot 180 being located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area 125 may be performed based on data generated by a sensor system installed on that floor. The sensor system advantageously generates data that enables monitoring of the elevator door area on that floor. For example, the sensor system may include at least one of at least one image acquisition device 155 or at least one receiver communicably connected to the cleaning robot 180 by short-range wireless communication technology. An example of a receiver communicably connected to the cleaning robot 180 may be an access sensor 160 located near the elevator door 125, which is configured to communicate with the cleaning robot 180, for example, when the cleaning robot 180 is located in the elevator door area. The data obtained from the detection described above may be transmitted to a control system 150 configured to perform this method.

The above description refers to the term "elevator door area." This area should be understood as any predetermined region where it is possible to detect that the cleaning robot 180 is assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110. In other words, the elevator door area can be defined by coordinates defining each region of the floor, but in some other embodiments, it may be defined by the operating area of several entities, such as sensors. If the sensor is an image acquisition device, the door area may be defined by the focal area of the image acquisition device. On the other hand, if the sensor is a receiver or transmitter of a wireless signal, the elevator door area may be defined by the effective range of such a sensor. In a preferred embodiment, the elevator door area is a region restricted in at least one direction by the elevator door 125, extending outward from the elevator door 125 on the floor.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, detection of whether the cleaning robot 180 has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110 is performed based on data containing a description of the cleaning program set for the cleaning robot 180. By configuring such a method, the cleaning control system 187 may communicate with the elevator control unit 150 and generate and transmit data indicating that the cleaning robot 180 has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110. Correspondingly, the elevator control unit 150 may acquire a portion of such data from the received data and perform actions as described below. The data indicating the cleaning program may include, for example, an indication that the elevator car 110 is to be cleaned, the time at which cleaning will be performed, and/or the floor on which cleaning is scheduled. This information is a non-limiting example and may be applied alone, in combination with others, or to other data not described herein. The important point here is receiving data indicating that the elevator car 110 will be cleaned by the cleaning robot 180.

Furthermore, data indicating that the cleaning robot 180 has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110 may be detected based on data confirming that the cleaning robot 180 has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110. For example, the cleaning robot 180 may be configured to generate an acknowledgment to the cleaning control system 187 when the cleaning robot 180 begins cleaning the elevator car 110, and the acknowledgment may be interpreted as an assignment to clean the elevator car 110. This has the advantage that the system receives update information regarding the progress of the cleaning task. According to some exemplary embodiments, information regarding the acknowledgment may also be sent to other entities, such as the elevator control unit 150. Alternatively, the acknowledgment may be configured to be sent directly from the cleaning robot 180 to the elevator control unit 150 and/or other entities. Correspondingly, the cleaning robot 180 may be configured to send each acknowledgment at a different stage, for example, if the cleaning task is to be performed at a specific point in the future, it may be sent when the time for the cleaning task is internally set. Entity elements such as the elevator control unit 150 may receive a portion of the data and take that portion into consideration when executing the process in the method described below. In this way, it is also possible to notify the relevant entity elements that the cleaning robot 180 is assigned to clean the elevator car 110 at a specific point in time.

In yet another embodiment, the cleaning robot may be configured to receive data indicating that it has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110 from an entity configured to monitor the state of the elevator car 110, at least in terms of cleanliness. For example, at least one sensor, such as an image acquisition device, may be configured to acquire data including a description of the cleanliness of the elevator car 110, and by analyzing the acquired data, the entity may generate an indication that the elevator car 110 needs cleaning. Such an indication is transmitted directly or indirectly to a control system configured to control the generation of tasks for the cleaning robot 180. Such a control system may be a cleaning control system 187. The entity receiving data indicating the cleanliness of the elevator car 110 may be an elevator system, which includes an image acquisition device that captures images of the inside of the elevator car 110, or a building control system configured to monitor the cleanliness of the building, and furthermore, the cleanliness of the elevator car 110. In other words, if, based on data measured by one of the methods described above, it is detected that the cleanliness of the elevator car 110 falls below a standard level, the cleaning robot 180 is assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110. The portion of the data related to this assignment is then transmitted to each control entity, such as the control system implementing this method, as data indicating that the cleaning robot 180 has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110.

The above description outlines various approaches. By using these approaches, data indicating that the cleaning robot 180 is assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110 can be received, and detection can be performed accordingly. Unless otherwise specified, these approaches may be applied individually or in combination. According to the present invention, a control signal may be generated to move the elevator car 110 to the floor where the cleaning robot 180 is located. The floor where the cleaning robot 180 is located may be stored in data storage accessible by the elevator control unit 150, and the elevator control unit 150 retrieves information from this data storage when performing detection. Alternatively or additionally, information regarding the floor where the cleaning robot 180 is located is received as data, and the cleaning task of the elevator car 110 is detected based on this information. For example, this information may be related to location information or other data received by the elevator control unit 150, or it may be accessible by the elevator control unit 150.

When the elevator car 110 arrives at the floor where the cleaning robot 180 is located, the elevator system 100 is set to cleaning mode 230. The arrival of the elevator car 110 at that floor may be detected based on signal transmission received by the elevator control unit 150. For example, it may be based on sensor data indicating that the elevator car 110 is not moving. Alternatively or additionally, arrival may be detected based on data indicating the status of the elevator door 125, i.e., data indicating that the elevator door 125 is open. Such information may be obtained, for example, from the motor of the elevator door 125, or from the safety circuit of the elevator system 100 that opens in response to the opening of the elevator door 125. Setting the elevator system 100 to cleaning mode 230 means that the operation of the elevator system 100 is restricted to at least the extent that cleaning can be performed. For example, setting the cleaning mode may include opening the elevator door 125 to allow the cleaning robot 180 to enter, and, if possible, preventing any calls from being assigned to the elevator system 100. According to some exemplary embodiments, the elevator control unit 150 is configured to generate a control signal that causes one or more signaling devices of the elevator system 100 to indicate that the elevator car 110 is being cleaned. The signaling devices refer to hall lanterns installed on each floor, but may also refer to audio devices suitable for providing an audio signal indicating that cleaning is in progress. Naturally, the cleaning mode may also be indicated by other user interfaces, such as the elevator car control panel in the elevator car 110.

As described above, in order to perform cleaning work, the elevator car 110 is commanded to move to the floor where the cleaning robot 180 is located. This means that the elevator 110 will not be able to serve passengers during the cleaning work. Therefore, and to ensure that the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 180 is performed as efficiently as possible, further measurements may be taken, as described below, considering yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, according to one embodiment, the elevator to which the elevator car 110 belongs may be made unusable by not assigning a call to the elevator system 100 to which the cleaning robot 180 is assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car 110. Such an operation may be performed by configuring the elevator control unit 150 to generate a control signal prior to generation 220 that moves the elevator car 110 to the floor where the cleaning robot 180 is located, and to set the elevator system 100 in a mode where it cannot be assigned a call.

According to another exemplary embodiment, the method includes the steps of determining the response status of the elevator system 100, performed by the elevator control unit 150 or the control system performing the method, prior to generating a control signal to move the elevator car 110 to the floor where the cleaning robot 180 is located, and, if the response status detects that the movement of the elevator car 110 to the floor where the cleaning robot 180 is located is being prevented, generating a control signal requesting a change in the cleaning schedule for the elevator car 110. In other words, the elevator control unit 150 may be configured to determine the number of calls already assigned to the elevator system 100, for example, the time required to respond to unprocessed calls, and generate a control signal accordingly, i.e., to indicate that a change in the cleaning schedule is necessary. Such a signal may be transmitted from the elevator control unit 150 to the cleaning control system 187. For example, the control signal requesting a change in the schedule may include data indicating an appropriate cleaning time from the perspective of the elevator system 100, taking into account the aforementioned unprocessed calls. The data may include, for example, an indication of the time required to respond to unhandled calls before the elevator car 110 moves to the floor where the cleaning robot 180 is located. The cleaning control system 187 may take this response time into account and control the cleaning robot 180 accordingly.

At some point, cleaning of the elevator car 110 is completed, and the elevator system 100 is returned to its normal operation mode. This is achieved by configuring the elevator control unit 150 to generate a control signal that cancels the cleaning mode of the elevator system 100 and returns the system to normal mode. This is shown in Figure 3 as a step belonging to an example of the method according to an embodiment of the present invention. That is, in step 310, the generation of controls 310 that cancel the cleaning mode of the elevator system 100 is performed. This is achieved, for example, by setting the elevator system 100 to normal mode when cleaning is completed. For example, the generation of the control signal 310 to cancel the cleaning mode may be performed when a signal indicating that the cleaning work of the elevator car 110 has been completed is received. Alternatively or additionally, the control signal to cancel the cleaning mode may be generated when it is detected that the cleaning robot 180 is not located inside the elevator car 110. For example, the detection that the cleaning robot 180 is not located inside the elevator car 110 may be performed based on position data obtained from at least one of the cleaning control system 187 and the indoor positioning system. In other words, each system may generate data indicating the position of the cleaning robot 180, and based on the generated data, it may detect, for example, when the cleaning robot 180 enters the elevator car 110 and performs work inside it, and in particular, when the cleaning robot 180 exits the elevator car 110 due to the completion of cleaning work, etc. This detection may be achieved by defining the area of the elevator car 110 in an area map applicable to this method and detecting the position of the cleaning robot 180. According to another exemplary embodiment, detection that the cleaning robot 180 is not located inside the elevator car 110 may be performed based on image data received from an image acquisition device 112 configured to generate image data from inside the elevator car 110. In other words, the image acquisition device 112 may be configured to detect objects inside the elevator car 110 by acquiring images of the inside of the elevator car 110. This allows for the detection of whether the cleaning robot is inside the elevator car 110 and when it has left the elevator car 110 by applying a known pattern recognition algorithm to the image data. Each elevator car 110 may be equipped with the aforementioned so-called access sensor 114, which may be arranged to provide short-range wireless communication with other entities such as the cleaning robot 180, and the presence of the cleaning robot 180 inside the elevator car 110 may be detected based on the communication connection established between the cleaning robot 180 and the access sensor 114.

Considering various embodiments of the present invention that use a cleaning robot 180 to clean an elevator car 110, it is clear that the cleaning operation itself may cause confusion for users of the elevator system 100, for example, because the elevator system 100 cannot be used even when the elevator car is located on a certain floor. To avoid such confusion, further measurements may be taken within the framework of the present invention according to some exemplary embodiments. For example, the elevator control unit 150 may be configured to generate a control signal that causes the elevator door 125 to close when the cleaning robot 180 enters the elevator car 110. This prevents passengers from entering the elevator car 110 during cleaning. Correspondingly, upon receiving an indication that the cleaning operation is complete, another control signal may be generated to open the elevator door 125 on the floor where the elevator car 110 is located. According to yet another embodiment, a specific position in the elevator shaft 130 corresponding to a predetermined floor may be designated for cleaning operations. Therefore, when the cleaning robot 180 detects that it has entered the elevator car 110, the elevator control unit 150 may generate a control signal to move the elevator car 110 to the floor where cleaning is to be performed or to another location. For example, such a floor may be one with statistically lower traffic than other floors, or a floor not used for public purposes.

As described above, aspects of the present invention are described with reference to an implementation in which the elevator control unit 150 is configured to act as a control system for performing the method according to the present invention. However, as described above, the control system may be any other device configured to communicate with each of the above-described entity elements, for example, the elevator control unit 150 and the server 185 may be configured to perform a cleaning control system 187 to enable the method described above. A control system such as the elevator control unit 150 suitable for performing the method according to the present invention may be, for example, the device schematically illustrated in Figure 4. In other words, the device shown in Figure 4 may be configured to perform, for example, a function to control the cleaning of the elevator car 110 of the elevator system 100. For clarity, it should be noted that the block diagram in Figure 4 shows some components of an entity element applicable to perform the function of the device. The device comprises a processing unit 410 and a storage unit 420. In addition to the various data described above, the storage unit 420 may store a computer program code 425 for controlling the cleaning of the elevator car 110 of the elevator system 100 in the manner described above. This device may further include a communication interface 430 for communicating with the other entities described above, such as a wireless communication interface, a wired communication interface, or both. Therefore, the communication interface 430 may include one or more modems, antennas, and other hardware and software capable of achieving communication under the control of the processing unit 410. Furthermore, I/O (input/output) components may be arranged together with the processing unit 410 and a portion of the computer program code 425 to provide a user interface, receiving input from users such as technicians and providing output to the device's user as needed. In particular, the user I/O component may include one or more user input means such as keys or buttons, a keyboard, a touchscreen, or a touchpad. The user I/O component may also include output means such as a loudspeaker, a display, or a touchscreen. The components of this device may be connected to each other in a communicative manner via a data bus that enables the transmission of data and control information between components.

The memory unit 420 and a portion of the computer program code 425 stored therein may be further configured such that the processing unit 410 causes the device to execute at least a portion of the methods described herein. The processing unit 410 may be configured to read from and write to the memory unit 420. Although each processing unit 410 is illustrated as a single component, each may be implemented as one or more independent processing components. Similarly, although the memory unit 420 is illustrated as a single component, it may be implemented as one or more independent components, some or all of which may be integrated or removable, and/or provide persistent, semi-persistent, dynamic, or cached storage.

The computer program code 425 may include instructions that can be executed by a computer. When these instructions are loaded into the processing unit 410 of each control system, such as the elevator control unit 150, they execute functions corresponding to the processes performed in the control of cleaning the elevator car 110 of the elevator system 100. For example, the computer program code 425 may include a computer program consisting of one or more sequences of one or more instructions. The processing unit 410 can read one or more sequences of the one or more instructions contained therein from the storage unit 420 to load and execute the computer program. The one or more sequences of one or more instructions may be configured, when executed by the processing unit 410, to cause the device to perform the method described above. Therefore, the device may comprise at least one processing unit 410 and at least one storage unit 420 containing the computer program code 425 for one or more programs. The at least one storage unit 420 and the computer program code 425 are configured to cause the device to perform this method using at least one processing unit 410.

The computer program code 425 may be, for example, a computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable non-temporary medium on which the computer program code 425 is stored. When the computer program code 425 is executed by the processing unit 410, it causes the device to execute this method. The computer-readable non-temporary medium includes a storage device or a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD, or Blu-ray disc, or other product that embodies the computer program. As another example, the computer program may be provided as a signal configured to reliably transfer the computer program.

Furthermore, computer program code 425 may include its own application, for example, computer program code that causes the method to be executed in the manner described herein.

Any of the programmed functions described above may be executed in firmware or hardware configured or programmed to perform the necessary tasks.

For completeness, it should be noted that the entity implementing this method as part of the control system may be implemented using multiple devices, as schematically shown in Figure 4, as a distributed computing environment corresponding to the control system. For example, one of these devices may be communicatively connected to the others, sharing data from this method and allowing another device to execute at least another part of it. This allows the method, executed in the distributed computing environment, to generate detection results as described above. For example, some steps of this method may be shared between the elevator control unit 150 and the cleaning control system 187 operated by the server 185.

Some aspects of the present invention may relate to, for example, an elevator system, which comprises the above-described elements and is configured to carry out the method described herein.

The advantage of this invention lies in the fact that, as described above, the elevator car 110 can be efficiently cleaned by arranging various physical elements to share and utilize information. Furthermore, the equipment according to this invention can reduce implementation costs by making various existing components, such as sensors and similar devices, available for use in this invention.

The specific examples provided in the above description should not be construed as limiting the applicability and/or interpretation of the attached claims. The lists and groups of embodiments presented in the above description are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

Claims (31)

A method for controlling the cleaning of elevator cars in an elevator system, performed by a control system,
The cleaning robot receives data indicating that it has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car.
A control signal is generated to move the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located.
The elevator system is set to cleaning mode when the elevator car arrives at the floor where the cleaning robot is located .
The data indicating that the cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car includes data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area on a certain floor.
A method in which the data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in the predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area corresponds to position data generated by an indoor positioning system configured to monitor the position of the cleaning robot . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in the predetermined vicinity area with respect to the elevator door area corresponds to position data generated by a cleaning control system that controls at least a part of the operation of the cleaning robot. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area corresponds to data generated by a sensor system configured to monitor the elevator door area on a certain floor. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the sensor system comprises at least one of at least one image acquisition device and at least one receiver that can be communicated to the cleaning robot by short-range wireless communication technology. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data indicating that the cleaning robot has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car includes at least one of data describing a cleaning program set for the cleaning robot and data confirming that the cleaning robot has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the method further generates the control signal for moving the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located,
A method including the step of not assigning calls to elevator systems in which the cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the method further generates the control signal for moving the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located,
A step of determining the response status of the elevator system,
A method comprising the step of detecting that the movement of the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located is being prevented by the response status, and generating a control signal requesting a change in the cleaning schedule for the elevator car. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the control signal requesting the change of the schedule includes data indicating the time to clean. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the method further,
A method comprising generating a control signal to cancel the cleaning mode of the elevator system. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the generation of the control signal for canceling the cleaning mode is performed in accordance with at least one of receiving a signal indicating that the cleaning work of the elevator car has been completed, and detecting that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising generating a control signal for disabling the cleaning mode of the elevator system,
The generation of the control signal for canceling the cleaning mode is performed in response to at least one of the following: receiving a signal indicating that the cleaning of the elevator car has been completed, and detecting that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car.
Detection that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car is performed based on the location data received from the cleaning control system . The method according to claim 10, wherein the detection that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car is performed based on the location data received from the indoor positioning system. The method according to claim 10 , wherein detection of the absence of the cleaning robot from the elevator car is performed based on at least one of image data received from an image acquisition device configured to create image data from the elevator car and a communication connection established between the cleaning robot and an access sensor disposed in the elevator car. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , further comprising generating a control signal causing one or more signaling devices of the elevator system to indicate that the elevator car is being cleaned. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 , the method further comprising generating a control signal that causes the cleaning robot to close the elevator doors when it enters the elevator car, to open the elevator doors when it receives an indication that the cleaning work has been completed, and to move the elevator car to the floor where cleaning is to be performed when it enters the elevator car. A control system for controlling the cleaning of elevator cars in an elevator system,
The cleaning robot receives data indicating that it has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car.
A control signal is generated to move the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located.
The elevator system is configured to set to cleaning mode when the elevator car arrives at the floor where the cleaning robot is located .
The data indicating that the cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car includes data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area on a certain floor.
The data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in the predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area corresponds to position data generated by an indoor positioning system configured to monitor the position of the cleaning robot . The control system according to claim 16 , wherein the data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in the predetermined vicinity area with respect to the elevator door area corresponds to position data generated by a cleaning control system that controls at least a part of the operation of the cleaning robot. The control system according to claim 16 , wherein the data indicating that the cleaning robot is located in a predetermined vicinity of the elevator door area corresponds to data generated by a sensor system configured to monitor the elevator door area on a certain floor. A control system according to claim 18 , wherein the sensor system includes at least one of at least one image acquisition device and at least one receiver that can be communicated to the cleaning robot by short-range wireless communication technology. The control system according to claim 16 , wherein the data indicating that the cleaning robot has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car includes at least one of data describing a cleaning program set for the cleaning robot and data confirming that the cleaning robot has been assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car. In the control system according to any one of claims 16 to 20 , the control system further generates the control signal for moving the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located,
A control system configured to not assign calls to elevator systems in which the cleaning robot is assigned the task of cleaning the elevator car. In the control system according to any one of claims 16 to 21 , the control system further generates the control signal for moving the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is located,
Determine the response status of the elevator system,
A control system configured to generate a control signal requesting a change in the cleaning schedule for the elevator car when it detects that the elevator car's movement to the floor where the cleaning robot is located is being obstructed by the response status. A control system according to claim 22 , wherein the control system is configured to include data indicating the time to clean in a control signal requesting a change in the schedule. A control system according to any one of claims 16 to 23 , wherein the control system is further configured to generate a control signal for disabling the cleaning mode of the elevator system. A control system according to claim 24 , wherein the control system is configured to generate the control signal for canceling the cleaning mode in response to at least one of receiving a signal indicating that the cleaning operation of the elevator car has been completed, and detecting that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car. The control system according to claim 17 is further configured to generate a control signal for disabling the cleaning mode of the elevator system,
The control system is configured to generate the control signal to cancel the cleaning mode in response to at least one of the following: receiving a signal indicating that the cleaning of the elevator car has been completed, or detecting that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car.
The control system is configured to detect, based on the position data received from the cleaning control system , that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car. A control system according to claim 25, wherein the control system is configured to detect whether the cleaning robot is located inside the elevator car based on the position data received from the indoor positioning system. A control system according to claim 25 , wherein the control system is configured to detect that the cleaning robot is not located inside the elevator car, based on at least one of image data received from an image acquisition device configured to create image data from inside the elevator car, and a communication connection established between the cleaning robot and an access sensor disposed in the elevator car. A control system according to any one of claims 16 to 28 , wherein the control system is further configured to generate a control signal that causes one or more signaling devices of the elevator system to indicate that the elevator car is being cleaned. A control system according to any one of claims 16 to 29 , wherein the control system is further configured to generate a control signal that causes the system to perform one of the following actions: close the elevator door when the cleaning robot enters the elevator car; open the elevator door when it receives an indication that the cleaning work has been completed; or move the elevator car to the floor where the cleaning robot is to be cleaned when the cleaning robot enters the elevator car. A computer program comprising program code readable by a computer, wherein the program code readable by a computer is configured such that, when executed on one or more computing devices, it causes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 to be performed.