EP2695839A1

EP2695839A1 - Elevator control system

Info

Publication number: EP2695839A1
Application number: EP11863226.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Shinichi Kuroda
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 2011-04-07
Filing date: 2011-04-07
Publication date: 2014-02-12
Also published as: WO2012137337A1; CN103459284A; EP2695839A4; JPWO2012137337A1; KR20130143727A

Abstract

Provided is an elevator control system which can automatically register a call for a user according to the schedule and position of the user.

In this control system, an IC tag in which individual identifying information is recorded is used. A schedule management device manages schedule data on an individual identified by individual identifying information. A control device controls the operation of an elevator. This control system is provided with a receiver, identification means, communication means, action identifying means, and control means. The identification means identifies a floor on which the receiver which received the individual identifying information is installed. The communication means sends the individual identifying information received by the receiver to the schedule management device. The action identifying means identifies a floor to which an individual who is identified by the individual identifying information received by the receiver is going to move. The control means registers a hall call on the basis of the receiver-installed floor identified by the identification means and the floor to which an identified individual is going to move, which is identified by the action identifying means.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a control system which appropriately controls an elevator according to the schedule of a user.

Background Art

Patent Literature 1 below discloses a system which indicates information necessary for seeing a visitor on a terminal of a person who receives the visitor visiting a facility. In the system described in Patent Literature 1, a badge in which an IC (integrated circuit) tag is incorporated is handed over to a visitor and necessary information is received from the IC tag.

Citation List

Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-323531

Summary of Invention

Technical Problem

In a facility provided with the system described in Patent Document 1, in the case where a person on the facility side moves to another floor in order to receive a visitor, for example, the operation of an elevator becomes difficult when the person carries documents to be shown to the visitor with both hands, thereby posing a problem.
Such problems can occur similarly also in facilities not provided with the system described in Patent Literature 1.
The present invention was made to solve the problem as described above and an object of the invention is to provide an elevator control system which can automatically register a call for a user according to the schedule and position of the user.

Solution to Problem

An elevator control system of the present invention is a system which uses an IC tag in which individual identifying information is recorded. The system comprises a schedule management device which manages schedule data on an individual identified by the individual identifying information, a control device which controls the operation of an elevator and is connected to the schedule management device via a prescribed network, a first receiver which is provided in a hall of the elevator and receives the individual identifying information from the IC tag, identification means which identifies a floor on which the first receiver which received the individual identifying information is installed, communication means which sends the individual identifying information received by the first receiver to the schedule management device, action identifying means which is provided in the schedule management device and identifies a floor to which an individual who is identified by the individual identifying information received by the first receiver is going to move on the basis of the schedule data and the information from the communication means, and control means which is provided in the control device and registers a hall call on the basis of the first-receiver-installed floor identified by the identification means and the floor to which the identified individual is going to move, which is identified by the action identifying means.

Advantageous Effect of Invention

According to the present invention, it becomes possible to automatically register a call for a user according to the schedule and position of the user.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the general configuration of an elevator control system in a first embodiment according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of schedule data.
Figure 3 is a flowchart showing actions of the elevator control system in the first embodiment according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence between meeting room names and floor names.

Description of Embodiments

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings, like numerals refer to like or corresponding parts and redundant descriptions of these parts are appropriately simplified or omitted.

First Embodiment

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the general configuration of an elevator control system in a first embodiment according to the present invention. Figure 1 shows an example in which this control system is applied to an office building where many employees work.
In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a workroom where an employee 2 performs work in the office building. The workroom 1 is provided with a personal computer (hereinafter, also simply called "PC") 3 furnished to this employee 2.
In recent offices, from the viewpoint of security enhancement, an employee ID card on which an IC (integrated circuit) tag is mounted is sometimes furnished to each employee. Reference numeral 4 denotes an employee ID card owned by the employee 2. At least information for identifying the employee 2 (an individual) (for example, an employee number: hereinafter, also called "individual identifying information") is recorded in the IC tag incorporated in the employee ID card 4. The employee 2 can start the PC 3 by holding the employee ID card 4 in front of a card reader (not shown) connected to the PC 3 in the workroom 1.
In this office, a system performing the schedule management of each employee using software for managing schedules (hereinafter, also called "scheduler") has been introduced.
Reference numeral 5 denotes a schedule management device which manages data regarding schedules of each employee (hereinafter, also called "schedule data"). The schedule management device 5 is made up of, for example, a management server of the scheduler (a server-type personal computer). The schedule management device 5 is provided with storage means 6 (for example, a hard disk), data update means 7, and action identifying means 8.
The schedule management device 5 and the PC of each employee are connected to a local area network 9. For this reason, each employee can change and read schedule data from his or her PC.
In the following, referring to also Figure 2, a description will be given of the case where the employee 2 updates his or her own schedule data. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of schedule data. As shown in Figure 2, schedule data of each employee is stored in the storage means 6. In the following, a concrete description will be given, with the individual identifying information (personal ID) on the employee 2 as "1."
The employee 2 describes (inputs) schedules, such as a meeting and a reception for a visitor, in the scheduler from the PC 3. The employee 2 inputs from the PC 3 the place where a schedule (for example, a meeting) is carried out (for example, a meeting room name), the start date and time of the schedule, and the finish date and time of the schedule. After the input of necessary information to the scheduler, the employee 2 performs a prescribed update operation. When the update operation has been performed, the PC 3 sends the inputted information and the individual identifying information on the employee 2 to the schedule management device 5 via the local area network 9.
In the schedule management device 5, on the basis of the information received from the PC 3, the data update means 7 performs the update of the schedule data. For this reason, the latest schedule data of the employee 2 is accumulated in the schedule management device 5. The schedule data includes at least information on the place where the schedule is carried out (place of holding) and information on the start date and time of the schedule. In this embodiment, for each schedule, the date, start time, finish time, and meeting room name are linked and stored.
The function of the action identifying means 8 will be described later together with the function of a control device 10 of an elevator.
The control device 10 controls the operation of an elevator installed in this office building.
The control device 10 is provided with, for example, communication means 11, control means 12, identification means 13, and storage means 14.
The communication means 11 is means by use of which the control device 10 has communication with external equipment. The control device 10 is connected to the local area network 9. The communication means 11 performs the sending and receiving of information to and from external equipment (for example, the schedule management device 5) via the local area network 9.
The control means 12 appropriately controls the operation of an elevator. A hall button 15 is installed in each hall of the elevator. When the hall button 15 is pressed, a registration request for a hall call is sent from the hall button 15 to the control means 12. Upon receipt of the registration request from the hall button 15, the control means 12 registers the corresponding hall call. After performing the registration of the hall call, the control means 12 causes a corresponding hall button 15 (an UP button, a DOWN button) to light up.
In Figure 1, the hall button installed on the 3rd floor of the office building is denoted by the symbol 15a and the hall button installed on the 4th floor is denoted by the symbol 15b.
Each hall of the elevator is provided with a receiver 16. The receiver 16 is a device by use of which the record information is received from an IC tag incorporated in the employee ID card of each employee. For example, when the employee 2 approaches a hall of the elevator, individual identifying information "1" is sent from the IC tag in the employee ID card 4 to the receiver 16. Upon receipt of the individual identifying information from the IC tag, the receiver 16 sends the received individual identifying information and prescribed floor identifying information to the identification means 13. Floor identifying information refers to information for identifying on which floor the receiver is installed.
In Figure 1, the receiver installed on the 3rd floor of the office building is denoted by the symbol 16a and the receiver installed on the 4th floor is denoted by the symbol 16b.
An IC tag can send the record information in the inside to the receiver 16 so long as the distance is on the order of several meters. For this reason, it is unnecessary for the employee 2 in the hall of the elevator to take the trouble to hold the employee ID card 4 in front of the receiver 16.
On the basis of the information inputted from the receiver 16, the identification means 13 identifies the floor on which the receiver 16 which received the individual identifying information is installed.
For example, in the case where an RSW (a rotary switch) is mounted on the receiver 16, floor identifying information is set in the receiver 16 using this RSW. In this case, when the employee 2 carrying the employee ID card 4 approaches a hall on the 3rd floor, individual identifying information "1" is sent from the IC tag of the employee ID card 4 to the receiver 16a. Upon receipt of the individual identifying information "1" from the IC tag of the employee ID card 4, the receiver 16a sends this individual identifying information "1" and the floor identifying information "3" of the receiver 16a to the identification means 13. From the floor identifying information "3" received from the receiver 16a, the identification means 13 identifies the receiver-installed floor (the floor on which the receiver 16a is installed) as "the 3rd floor."
In the case where the receiver 16 and the identification means 13 are connected together by TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), it is also possible to use an IP address assigned to the receiver 16 as floor identifying information. For example, in the case where the identification means 13 received individual identifying information "1" from the receiver 16a installed on the 3rd floor, the identification means 13 identifies the receiver-installed floor as "the 3rd floor" from the IP address assigned to the receiver 16a. In this case, it is necessary to register the correspondence relationship between the IP address and the receiver-installed floor beforehand.
After identifying the floor on which the receiver 16 which received the individual identifying information is installed, the identification means 13 sends information on the identified receiver-installed floor to the control means 12.
Also, on the basis of the information inputted from the receiver 16, the identification means 13 sends the individual identifying information received by the receiver 16 to the communication means 11. After receiving individual identifying information from the identification means 13, the communication means 11 sends the individual identifying information (i.e., the individual identifying information received by the receiver 16) to the schedule management device 5. In the schedule management device 5, after receiving individual identifying information from (the communication means 11 of) the control device 10, the action identifying means 8 starts the processing for identifying later actions of the employee (an individual) identified by the individual identifying information.
In the following, referring to also Figures 3 and 4, a description will be given of actions carried out when the schedule management device 5 receives individual identifying information from the control device 10. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing actions of the elevator control system in the first embodiment according to the present invention. Specifically, Figure 3 shows the processing flow of the action identifying means 8. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence between meeting room names and floor names.
When the schedule management device 5 received individual identifying information from the control device 10 (Yes in S1), first, the action identifying means 8 obtains current date and time information from the time function incorporated in the schedule management device 5 (S2). Also, on the basis of the individual identifying information received from the control device 10, the action identifying means 8 obtains schedule data on an employee identified by the individual identifying information from the storage means 6 (S3).
Next, on the basis of the obtained current date and time information and schedule data, the action identifying means 8 identifies the place to which the employee (an employee present in the vicinity of a hall of the elevator) is going to move (S4).
For example, in the case where the current date and time is "14:55, October 1" and the receiver 16a of the 3rd floor received individual identifying information "1," if the schedule data shown in Figure 2 is stored in the storage means 6, the action identifying means 8 identifies the place to which the employee 2 is going to move as "meeting room 101." At this time, the action identifying means 8 performs the identification of the place to which the employee 2 is going to move on the basis of the place of holding a schedule whose start date and time or whose finish date and time is set in a prescribed period including the current date and time. For example, if the start date and time or the finish date and time is set in a 20-minute period of 10 minutes before the current time and 10 minutes after the current time, the action identifying means 8 identifies the place of holding a schedule which starts or finishes at that time (in this embodiment, the meeting room name) as the place to which the employee 2 is going to move.
In the case where for a plurality of schedules, start date and time is set within the above-described prescribed period, the action identifying means 8 performs the identification of the place to which the employee 2 is going to move on the basis of, for example, the start date and time nearest to the current date and time. In the case where the start date and time or finish date and time of any schedule has not been set within the above-described prescribed period, the action identifying means 8 identifies a prescribed unidentified place (for example, "meeting room 000") as the place to which the employee 2 is going to move.
After identifying the place to which the employee is going to move in S4, next, the action identifying means 8 identifies on which floor the identified place to which the employee is going to move exists, that is, the action identifying means 8 identifies the floor to which the employee is going to move (S5). In the schedule management device 5, information on the correspondence relationship between places capable of being registered in schedule data (in this embodiment, meeting room names) and the floors on which the place exists is registered beforehand in the storage means 6. On the basis of this correspondence information, the action identifying means 8 identifies the floor to which the employee is going to move.
For example, in the case where in S4 the action identifying means 8 identified the place to which the employee 2 is going to move as "meeting room 101," the action identifying means 8 identifies the floor to which the employee 2 is going to move as "the 1st floor" from the correspondence table shown in Figure 4. In the case where in S4 the action identifying means 8 identified the place to which the employee 2 is going to move as "meeting room 000," the action identifying means 8 identifies the floor to which the employee 2 is going to move as a prescribed unidentified floor.
In the case where in S5 the action identifying means 8 identifies the place to which the employee is going to move, the action identifying means 8 sends information on the identified floor to which the employee is going to move to the control device 10 of the elevator (S6).
After the sending of individual identifying information to the schedule management device 5, on receiving from the schedule management device 5 information on the floor to which the employee is going to move as a response to the sending, the communication means 11 of the control device 10 sends the received information on the floor to which the employee is going to move to the control means 12.
On the basis of the floor on which the receiver 16 is installed, which was identified by the identification means 13, and the floor to which the employee is going to move, which was identified by the action identifying means 8, the control means 12 registers a hall call. Also, after the registration of a hall call, the control means 12 causes a hall button 15 corresponding to the hall call to light up.
Specifically, the control means 12 compares the information on the receiver-installed floor received from the identification means 13 and the information on the floor to which the employee is going to move, which was received from the action identifying means 8 via the communication means 11, and indentifies the moving direction of the employee. Then, on the basis of the identified moving direction, the control means 12 registers a hall call of the receiver-installed floor identified by the identification means 13. Also, the control means 12 causes a hall button 15 in a direction corresponding to the above-described moving direction to light up.
For example, in the above-described example in which at 14: 55 individual identifying information "1" was sent from the employee ID card 4 of the employee 2 to the receiver 16a of the 3rd floor, the information on "the 3rd floor" from the identification means 13 and the information on "the 1st floor" from the communication means 11 are inputted to the control means 12. In this case, because the floor to which the employee is going to move which is "the 1st floor," which was identified by the action identifying means 8, is in a zone lower than the receiver-installed floor which is "the 3rd floor," which was identified by the identification means 13, the control means 12 identifies the moving direction of the employee 2 as a downward direction, and registers a downward hall call of the 3rd floor. Also, the control means 12 causes a downward-direction hall button 15a installed on the 3rd floor to light up.
In the case where the floor to which the employee is going to move, which was identified by the action identifying means 8, is in a zone higher than the receiver-installed floor which is "the 3rd floor," which was identified by the identification means 13, the control means 12 identifies the moving direction of the employee 2 as an upward direction, and registers an upward-direction hall call of the 3rd floor. Also, the control means 12 causes an upward-direction hall button 15a installed on the 3rd floor to light up.
Furthermore, when the action identifying means 8 identified a prescribed unidentified floor, the control means 12 causes a notice for promoting the operation of the hall button 15a to be given from a hall of the receiver-installed floor "the 3rd floor" identified by the identification means 13.
With the elevator control system having the above-described configuration, it is possible to automatically register a hall call for an employee in such a manner as to adapt to the schedule and current position of the employee. Furthermore, because a corresponding hall button 15 lights up during the registration of a hall call, it is possible to positively communicate to the employee present in the hall that the hall call has been automatically registered. For this reason, it is unnecessary for the employee in the hall to perform any operation (action) in order to register a hall call.
Although the above description applies to the period of time until a hall call is automatically registered, with this control system, it is also possible to automatically register a car call after the registration of a hall call.
In the following, a description will be given of the configuration and actions for realizing this function.
Reference numeral 17 denotes a car which ascends and descends in a shaft of an elevator. Actions of the car 17 are controlled by the control means 12. An operating panel 18 and a receiver 19 are installed in the car 17.
The operating panel 18 is provided with a plurality of car call buttons (not shown) corresponding to floors at which the car 17 stops. When a car call button of the operating panel 18 is pressed, a registration request for a car call is sent from the operating panel 18 to the control means 12. Upon receipt of the registration request from the operating panel 18, the control means 12 registers a corresponding car call. After performing the registration of the car call, the control means 12 causes a corresponding car call button to light up.
The receiver 19 is intended for receiving record information from an IC tag incorporated in the employee ID card of each employee. For example, when the employee 2 boards the car 17 of an elevator, individual identifying information "1" is sent from the IC tag in the employee ID card 4 to the receiver 19. Upon receipt of the individual identifying information from the IC tag, the receiver 19 sends the received individual identifying information to the control means 12.
Upon receipt of the individual identifying information from the receiver 19 after the automatic registration of the hall call, the control means 12 registers a car call corresponding to the floor to which the employee is going to move, which was identified by the action identifying means 8, on the basis of the information received from the communication means 11. For example, in the above-described example in which "the 1st floor" was identified as the floor to which the employee 2 is going to move, upon receipt of the same individual identifying information "1" from the receiver 19 after the automatic registration of a downward hall call of the 3rd floor, the control means 12 registers a car call of the 1st floor. Also, the control means 12 causes a car button of the 1 st floor provided in the operating panel 18 to light up.
In the case where automatic registration of a car call is performed, for example, upon receipt of information on the floor to which the employee is going to move from the communication means 11, the control means 12 causes the storage means 14 to store the information by correlating the information to individual identifying information. Upon receipt of individual identifying information from the receiver 19, the control means 12 performs the registration of a car call and the lighting-up of a car call button on the basis of the contents stored in the storage means 14.
With the configuration described above, the employee can move from a hall to a destination floor without performing a button operation.

Industrial Applicability

The elevator control system of the present invention can be used in an environment in which the schedule control of individuals is performed using IC tags.

Reference Signs List

1: workroom
2: employee
3: personal computer
4: employee ID card
5: schedule management device
6, 14: storage means
7: data update means
8: action identifying means
9: local area network
10: control device
11: communication means
12: control means
13: identification means
15: hall button
16, 19: receiver
17: car
18: operating panel

Claims

An elevator control system which uses an IC tag in which individual identifying information is recorded, comprising:
a schedule management device which manages schedule data on an individual identified by the individual identifying information;

a control device which controls the operation of an elevator and is connected to the schedule management device via a prescribed network;

a first receiver which is provided in a hall of the elevator and receives the individual identifying information from the IC tag;

identification means which identifies a floor on which the first receiver which received the individual identifying information is installed;

communication means which sends the individual identifying information received by the first receiver to the schedule management device;

action identifying means which is provided in the schedule management device and identifies a floor to which an individual who is identified by the individual identifying information received by the first receiver is going to move on the basis of the schedule data and the information from the communication means; and

control means which is provided in the control device and registers a hall call on the basis of the first-receiver-installed floor identified by the identification means and the floor to which the identified individual is going to move, which is identified by the action identifying means.
The elevator control system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a hall button provided in each hall of the elevator,

wherein after registering a hall call on the basis of the first-receiver-installed floor identified by the identification means and the floor to which the identified individual is going to move, which is identified by the action identifying means, the control means causes a hall button corresponding to the registered hall call to light up.
The elevator control system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:
a second receiver which is provided in a car of the elevator and receives the individual identifying information from the IC tag,

wherein when the second receiver receives the individual identifying information from the IC tag after the registration of a hall call, the control means registers a car call corresponding to the floor to which the identified individual is going to move, which is identified by the action identifying means.
The elevator control system according to claim 3, further comprising:
a plurality of car call buttons provided in the car of the elevator,

wherein after registering a car call corresponding to the floor to which the identified individual is going to move, which is identified by the action identifying means, the control means causes a car call button corresponding to the registered car call to light up.
The elevator control system according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein
the schedule data has information on a place where a schedule is to be carried out and information on start date and time of the schedule, and
the action identifying means identifies the floor to which the identified individual is going to move on the basis of a place of holding the schedule for which the start date and time is set within a prescribed period including the current date and time.
The elevator control system according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein in the case where a prescribed unidentified floor has been identified by the action identifying means, the control means causes a notice for promoting the operation of a hall button to be given from a hall of the first-receiver-installed floor identified by the identification means.