JP2005298124A - Control method of elevator, and its device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a control method of an elevator in which each control device can apply group managing processing to each elevator with an equivalent load with no distinction between main and sub, and to provide its device. <P>SOLUTION: The control devices of all of a plurality of elevators have an accessible storage device. On detecting a landing call registration, the control device of each elevator calculates its own assignment evaluation value, and records the calculation result in the storage device. After recording in all elevators is completed, the control device of each elevator compares an assignment evaluation value of the other elevator with its own assignment evaluation value. When the control device determines that its own assignment evaluation value is the best, it obtains assignment for the landing call for itself, and responds to the call. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an elevator control method and an apparatus for carrying out operation management with a plurality of elevators as one group.

  In recent years, a group management control of elevators has come to be frequently used in order to organically link a high floor and a large number of elevators and realize high-efficiency operation as a whole. In this group management control, when a large number of elevators are installed, in addition to the control device that manages the operation operation of each elevator alone, a group management control device that comprehensively manages the operation operation of all elevators is installed. Become.

  The group management control device selects, for example, one elevator that is most suitable for servicing the floor where the hall call is registered from among a plurality of elevators that form the same group when the hall call is registered. And a function of issuing a command (allocation) to the corresponding elevator to service the corresponding floor. The function of selecting and assigning elevators affects the waiting time of users and is an important function that affects the operation efficiency of elevators. The specifications required for group management control devices tend to become more sophisticated and complicated.

  On the other hand, the cost reduction for the elevator in recent years, the space saving of the machine room or the machine room less has been advanced, and the control device is required to be compact. Therefore, a technique has been proposed in which the group management control device is abolished and the group management function is provided to the control devices of the elevators forming the same group. The technology proposed here implements processing equivalent to group management with one of the elevators as the main elevator, and other elevators operate as sub-elevators in response to group management commands from the main elevator controller. This system is configured so that the group management control device as a single unit is not required by having the main elevator control device carry out the processing normally performed by the group management control device. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-6-80322 (column 2, lines 27-42, FIG. 1)

  In addition, among the group management functions implemented by the main elevator controller in the group management control system, the assigned evaluation value calculation process for determining which elevator responds to the hall call is also performed in the sub-elevator controller. Some have reduced the load of the main elevator by making it feasible (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-2574 (15th column, 15th line-30th line, Fig. 1)

However, in any of the above-described conventional techniques, a main elevator is required, and the assignment determination process for the hall call is also controlled by the main elevator, so that the load on the main elevator control device is larger than that of the sub-elevator control device. It is inevitable.
In addition, when the main elevator control device becomes incapable of functioning due to a failure or the like, there is a case where one of the sub elevators is switched to the main elevator and has a backup function for performing group management processing. However, a switching process from the sub-elevator to the main elevator, a switching process when the failed control device is restored, and the like occur, and a complicated system design is forced.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and is provided with a storage device that can be accessed by a plurality of elevator control devices. When a landing call registration is detected, each elevator control device is It calculates and calculates its own allocation evaluation value and records the calculation result in the storage device. And after all elevators have completed the recording, the control device of each elevator compares the assigned evaluation value of the other elevators with its own assigned evaluation value, and if it determines that its assigned evaluation value is the best, An assignment for the corresponding hall call is acquired and the call is answered.

  The elevator control method according to the present invention is installed in a building composed of a plurality of floors, and manages a plurality of elevators installed in the same hall as one group, and by registering a hall call, the group Select the optimal elevator from among the elevators and respond to the hall call, connect the control devices of each elevator in the group with a transmission line, access the control devices to the storage device, When the landing call registration is detected, the control device of each elevator calculates its own assigned evaluation value and records the calculation result in the storage device, and the assigned evaluation value of all elevators in the group is recorded in the storage device. After that, the elevator control device having the best allocation evaluation value obtains the allocation for itself, so that the hall call is registered for the elevator. It is intended to respond to that floor and direction.

  In addition, the elevator control device according to the present invention is installed in a building composed of a plurality of floors, and manages a plurality of elevators installed in the same hall as one group, by registration of hall calls, A storage device that selects an optimal elevator from the elevators in the group and responds to the hall call, is connected to a transmission path together with the control device of each elevator, and is accessible from each control device; , Calculation means for the control device of each elevator to calculate its own assigned evaluation value upon detection of landing call registration, recording means for recording the calculation result of the calculation means in the storage device, and assignment evaluation of all the elevators After the value is recorded in the storage device, the elevator controller with the best allocation evaluation value acquires the allocation for itself Those with a stage, a.

  According to the present invention, when a storage device capable of transmitting data connected to the control devices of all elevators is installed and it is detected that the hall call is registered, the control device of each elevator calculates its assigned evaluation value. The calculated allocation evaluation value is transmitted to the storage device and recorded. After all elevators have recorded their assigned evaluation values in the storage device, each elevator sequentially refers to the storage device and compares the assigned evaluation values of other elevators with their own assigned evaluation values. If the assigned evaluation value of other elevators is better, it will finish the process for the corresponding landing call, and if the assigned evaluation value of the other elevator is the best, it will allocate to itself and serve the corresponding landing call. Therefore, each control device can perform group management processing with an equivalent load without distinguishing between main and sub.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an elevator system to which the present invention is applied. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a single elevator. Here, the elevator single 1 corresponds to elevators A to C, and subscripts a to c is attached. Reference numeral 2 denotes a landing button, which is indicated by subscripts a to c corresponding to elevators A to C as in the elevator unit 1. That is, the elevator 1 and the landing button 2 are shown as an image of the elevator viewed from an elevator landing. In this embodiment, three elevators of Unit A to Unit C are illustrated, but the present invention is applied to an elevator system in which a plurality of elevators are provided and managed as the same group. .

  In addition, each elevator 1 is connected to a control device 4 that is usually installed in a machine room via a transmission path 3. Each elevator 1 is lifted, lowered, opened and closed according to instructions from the control device 4. Perform the operation. Note that the transmission path 3 and the control device 4 are also indicated by subscripts a to c corresponding to elevators A to C as in the case of the elevator alone 1 or the landing button 2.

  Further, the control devices 4 are connected to each other by a transmission line 5. Various methods can be considered for the transmission line 5. In this embodiment, a bus type network used in a LAN or the like is assumed. Show. A storage device 6 is connected to the network formed by the transmission path 5, and this storage device 6 exists on the same network as the network to which each control device 4 is connected. 4 can access the storage device 6. The storage device 6 may be stored in the control device 4 of a certain elevator 1, for example, because it is not necessary to place a unit of only the storage device 6 in the machine room due to recent technological advances in downsizing and increasing capacity. Is possible.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functions implemented for the control device 4 and the storage device 6 shown in FIG. In this figure, 4 indicates a control device, 6 indicates a storage device, and the control device 4 includes a group management control unit 7 and each unit control unit 8. In addition, the group management control part 7 is corresponded to the function mounted in the group management control apparatus in the elevator with a group management control apparatus.

  Each unit control unit 8 is a functional part implemented by a control device connected to a normal individual elevator, and determines operations such as raising, lowering, and opening / closing the elevator car, and gives control commands to the elevator. Has a function of transmitting. As the group management control unit 7, means for realizing the functions described in this embodiment are illustrated as an example. A hall call detection unit 9, an allocation evaluation value calculation unit 10, a storage device communication unit 11, an allocation execution unit. 12 is comprised. These means are necessary for carrying out the process from the detection of the hall call to the determination of the assigned car. Of course, the group management function includes various other functions, but in this embodiment, means for performing other functions are omitted.

  The hall call detecting means 9 has a function of detecting that a hall call is registered, and is transmitted from the control device 4 to which the hall button 2 is connected to the above-described network, and each car acquires information. . When the hall call detection means 9 detects the hall call registration, the assignment evaluation value calculation means 10 calculates the assigned evaluation value of its own machine by the method described later. The calculated allocation evaluation value is sent to the storage device communication means 11 and data is transmitted to the storage device 6 on the network. The storage device 6 is composed of a storage device reading means 13 and a recording unit 14, and the storage device reading means 13 receives only data transmitted to the storage device 6 from various data on the network. It is determined whether or not the data is correct. Moreover, although mentioned later, the access permission non-permission to the storage device 6 is also controlled with respect to the control device 4 of each elevator 1. When it is confirmed that the data is correctly transmitted, data is written to the recording unit 14.

The above-described content relates to a method of performing writing to the storage device 6, but when referring to the written data, the storage device reading means 13 is similarly requested for data, If requested, the storage device reading means 13 obtains the requested data from the recording unit 14 and transmits the data to the requested control device 4.
The allocation evaluation value information of the other machine is acquired by the storage device communication unit 11 of the control device 4 and transmitted to the allocation execution unit 12. Here, the allocation evaluation value of the other unit is compared with its own allocation evaluation value, and if the allocation evaluation value of its own is the best, allocation is performed for itself, and an allocation command is output to each unit control unit 8 To do. In response to the allocation command, each of the platform control units 8 causes the elevator to respond toward the floor and direction in which the hall call is registered, and services the hall call.

Here, the allocation evaluation value calculated by the evaluation calculation means 10 will be described.
As is well known, the allocation evaluation values include, for example, estimated arrival time (waiting time) evaluation values, out-of-forecast evaluation values, full passage evaluation values, allocation limit evaluation values, allocation priority evaluation values, and the like. Is obtained by summing multiple evaluation values,
Allocation evaluation value = Expected arrival time (waiting time) evaluation value + Unforeseen evaluation value + Full evaluation value + Allocation limit evaluation value + Total calculation value expressed by allocation priority evaluation value is calculated for all units, The assigned evaluation value of the unit is obtained.
For example, the allocation evaluation value related to out-of-forecasts is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-31706, and the allocation evaluation value related to full passage is disclosed in detail in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 56-88078. Yes.

Next, a process from when the hall call detection means 9 detects a hall call until the assigned car is determined will be described.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a process from detection of a hall call to determination of an assigned car. In step 1, hall call registration is detected. This is performed by the hall call detecting means 9 in FIG. Next, the process proceeds to step 2, and the allocation evaluation value is calculated. This is implemented by the above-described method in the allocation evaluation value calculation means 10 of FIG. When the calculation of its own assigned evaluation value is completed, the process proceeds to step 3. In step 3, it is determined whether or not there is an access right to the storage device 6. As described above, the storage device 6 can be accessed by the control devices 4 of all the elevators 1. However, in a state where a plurality of control devices 4 perform writing simultaneously or other control devices 4 have not completed writing, When data is read out, the data content becomes unreliable and there is a risk of performing an incorrect operation. Therefore, it is necessary to control the storage device 6 so that only one control device 4 can always access it independently. In this embodiment, the access management is performed by the storage device reading in FIG. Implemented by means 13.

  When only one control device 4 requests access, access is permitted as it is, but when a plurality of control devices 4 request access, a control device 4 that temporarily denies access occurs. To do. In this case, an access request is continuously issued to the storage device 6 until access is permitted. When the access permission is received, the process proceeds to step 4, where the calculated allocation evaluation value is transmitted to the storage device 6, and the transmitted data is recorded on the storage device 6 side.

  Next, the storage device 6 is accessed again in order to obtain allocation evaluation value data of other units. In the case of step 5, as in step 3, the access request is output until permission is granted, and if permission is granted, the process proceeds to step 6. In step 6, allocation evaluation values of other units are acquired. If there is a unit for which no allocation evaluation value recording has been performed, allocation unit determination must be suspended until all unit allocation evaluation value recording is completed. Therefore, it is first investigated whether the allocation evaluation value recording for all the units has been completed before acquiring the allocation evaluation value. If the all-unit allocation evaluation is completed, the process proceeds to step 7. If not completed, the process is repeated from step 5.

  Further, there may be a case where there is an abnormality in a part of the control device 4 of the elevator 1 and the allocation evaluation value cannot be output to the storage device 6. In the case of a transmission failure, it can be recognized on the storage device 6 side, but it is also conceivable that an abnormal state may occur in which the allocation evaluation value is not transmitted even if the transmission is normal. If the assignment evaluation value is not completed until it is sent, the responsiveness to the hall call becomes worse. Therefore, there is an elevator control device 4 in which the assignment evaluation value is not transmitted even if a predetermined time is reached. In such a case, the elevator 1 is treated as abnormal, and a process for determining the assigned car number from the remaining elevators 1 is provided (timeout process). When the time information that is the basis for determining the passage of the predetermined time is written in the storage device 6, the time written together with the assigned evaluation value for each elevator is also recorded. The writing of this time may be performed by the control device 4 of each elevator 1, or a method of performing the writing on the storage device 6 side in consideration of the transmission time can be considered. As described above, when all unit allocation evaluation value recording is completed (including timeout), the process proceeds to step 7 described above, and allocation evaluation values of other units are acquired.

  Then, when proceeding to step 8, the own allocation evaluation value is compared with the allocation evaluation value of another unit. As a result, if the allocation evaluation value of itself is the best, the process proceeds to step 9. If the allocation evaluation value of the other unit is better, the allocation determination process for itself is terminated. Its own allocation is the best, and after proceeding to Step 9, the allocation right is acquired. This is for notifying other units that it will execute the allocation. The processing is omitted in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, but when the allocation right is obtained, the storage device 6 is accessed again to acquire the allocation right. Record the flag. Then, it progresses to step 10, assigns to self, and makes the elevator 1 respond to a corresponding hall call.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image of data recorded in the storage device 6. Reference numeral 40 denotes a recording area created for each floor, direction, and button row where a hall call is generated. In this embodiment, it is indicated that the A button is registered in the upward direction on the fifth floor. Reference numeral 41 denotes a recording area for recording the assigned evaluation value and the recording time (current actual time) for the corresponding hall call for each elevator. Actually, the control device 4 of each elevator 1 calculates its own assigned evaluation value, requests the storage device 6 to record data, and is recorded in the corresponding area by the storage device reading means 13. In this embodiment, for the # 1 and # 3 machines, the allocation evaluation value and the recording time are recorded in response to a recording request from the control device 4 of each elevator 1. The recording time does not have to be the current real time, and the timer count value possessed by the control device 4 or the storage device 6 may be used. However, when the time is recorded by the control device 4, the current count value must be the same for all elevators. In the # 2 machine, the recorded allocation evaluation value is 0, indicating that the allocation evaluation value recording process has not been completed yet. For the # 4 machine, the allocation evaluation value is the maximum value (in this example, the data type is determined by 2 bytes). This value is unthinkable in normal allocation evaluation, indicating that this unit is out of group control.

  “Outside group management” means that the relevant unit has left the operation management state as a group and has performed an independent operation that does not respond to a landing call, or has refused to be assigned due to an abnormality. When the transmission with the storage device 6 is normal and the control device 4 of the elevator 1 recognizes that it is out of management, this assigned evaluation value is set by the control device 4 of the elevator 1. When the transmission with the storage device 6 is abnormal, the elevator 1 is excluded from the allocation target by the time-out process described above. 42 is a flag indicating the determined state of the assigned unit, and the elevator 1 which is the best assigned evaluation value from the assigned evaluation value of all the units performs the assignment to itself. This plug is set in order to notify that has been assigned. In this embodiment, 0 means that the assigned number machine has not been determined. For example, a value such as 1 is determined.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, when a storage device capable of data transmission connected to all elevator control devices is installed and it is detected that a hall call is registered, each elevator control device itself The allocation evaluation value is calculated, and the calculated allocation evaluation value is transmitted to the storage device and recorded. After all elevators have recorded their assigned evaluation values in the storage device, each elevator sequentially refers to the storage device and compares the assigned evaluation values of other elevators with their own assigned evaluation values. If the assigned evaluation value of other elevators is better, it will finish the process for the corresponding landing call, and if the assigned evaluation value of the other elevator is the best, it will allocate to itself and serve the corresponding landing call. Therefore, each elevator has the effect of enabling the group management processing to be performed with an equivalent load without distinguishing between main and sub.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, the case where the hall call is detected by reading the hall button information transmitted to the network has been described in the first embodiment. However, the hall button 2 is connected to detect the hall button information. The second embodiment may be configured to record the detection status in the storage device 6, and this is described in the second embodiment.
That is, FIG. 5 is for explaining the second embodiment, and is a diagram showing recorded information for the storage device 6. The functional configuration and processing flow are almost the same as those in the first embodiment.

  Embodiment 2 shown in FIG. 5 is basically the same as FIG. 4 of Embodiment 1, but an area 50 indicating the hall call registration information described above is added. In this example, the value is set to 1. However, 1 is set when a hall call is detected, and 0 is set when it is not detected. The control device 4 of each elevator 1 periodically checks the detection status, and when a hall call is detected, performs the same processing as described in the first embodiment.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the registration status of the hall call is recorded in the storage device 6 and the information is accessed by the control device 4 of all elevators to realize the detection of call registration. In general, the hall button information fetched into a specific elevator control device 4 called a connected car is transmitted to the storage device 6 by the corresponding elevator control device 4, and the information is recorded.

  As a result, it is not necessary for each elevator to take in the hall button information, and even when the hall buttons 2 are installed in the hall on the same floor, Since information can be accumulated in the storage device 6, it is possible to suppress a large amount of data from flowing between the elevator control devices 4, and to reduce the load that each unit takes in and processes all landing button information. There is an effect that can be done.

  As described above, according to the elevator control method and apparatus according to the present invention, each control device can perform group management processing with an equivalent load without distinguishing between main and sub for each elevator.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a transmission image between a system in which a plurality of elevators to which the present invention is applied, a control device, and a storage device are connected. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control device and a storage device in the first embodiment. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a form of a recording area provided on the storage device in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a form of a recording area provided on a storage device in the second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 elevator alone, 2 landing buttons,
3 transmission line, 4 control device,
5 transmission line, 6 storage device,
7 group management control unit, 8 each unit control unit,
9 hall call detection means, 10 evaluation value calculation means,
11 storage device communication means, 12 allocation execution means,
13 storage device reading means, 14 storage unit,
40 areas, 41 areas,
42 Flag indicating the determined status of assigned units,
50 Area showing hall call registration information.

Claims (3)

Installed in a building consisting of multiple floors and managed multiple elevators installed in the same hall as one group, and by registering the hall call, the most suitable elevator from the elevators in the group In the elevator control method of selecting and responding to the hall call,
Each elevator control device in the group is connected by a transmission line, each control device is accessed to a storage device, and when a landing call registration is detected, each elevator control device calculates its own assigned evaluation value. The calculation result is recorded in the storage device, and after the assignment evaluation values of all elevators in the group are recorded in the storage device, the elevator control device having the best assignment evaluation value acquires the assignment to itself. By this, the elevator control method of responding to the floor and direction in which the hall call is registered. Installed in a building consisting of multiple floors and managed multiple elevators installed in the same hall as one group, and by registering the hall call, the most suitable elevator from the elevators in the group In the elevator control device to select and respond to the hall call,
A storage device that is connected to the transmission path together with the control device of each elevator and is accessible from the control device, and a calculation means that the control device of each elevator calculates its own assigned evaluation value by detecting landing call registration And a recording means for recording a calculation result of the calculation means in the storage device, and an elevator control device having the best assignment evaluation value after the assignment evaluation values of all the elevators are recorded in the storage device. An elevator control apparatus comprising: an allocation acquisition unit that acquires an allocation to itself.   The elevator control device according to claim 1, wherein the elevator control device to which the landing button is connected is provided with means for recording in a storage device to realize detection of landing call registration.

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