EP2703328A1

EP2703328A1 - Notification system for elevator

Info

Publication number: EP2703328A1
Application number: EP11864255.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Masataka Akane
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 2011-04-26
Filing date: 2011-04-26
Publication date: 2014-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 2031-04-26
Also published as: CN103492300A; EP2703328A4; JP5630573B2; JPWO2012147159A1; WO2012147159A1; EP2703328B1; KR20140009506A; CN103492300B

Abstract

There is provided a notification system of an elevator, which can urge the user who has gotten into a car other than the car assigned to a desired service floor to pay attention to his/her wrong behavior. For this purpose, the notification system has a configuration including a first receiver provided in an elevator hall, a control unit that assigns a car selected from among a plurality of elevator cars to a service floor acquired from an identification medium by the first receiver by means of wireless communication, a plurality of second receivers provided respectively in the plurality of elevator cars, and a notification control device configured such that when a car arrives at a hall, in the case where the car concerned is not assigned to the service floor acquired from the identification medium by the second receiver in the car concerned by means of wireless communication, a speaker provided in the car concerned is caused to notify the user about predetermined content with voice.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a notification system of an elevator.

Background Art

As a next-generation elevator control system having a high efficiency, a service floor prediction system, which assigns a predetermined car to each service floor registered in a hall, has been attracting considerable attention.
An indicator for indicating the assigned car has been proposed. This indicator is provided in a hall. According to this indicator, the user can confirm, in a hall, the car assigned to a desired service floor (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Citation List

Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: International Publication No. WO20091141859

Summary of Invention

Technical Problem

The elevator users are in the habit of getting into a car the door of which is opened. Therefore, even if the indicator in a hall indicates the car assigned to a desired service floor, in some cases, the user gets into the car the door of which is opened, which is a car other than the car assigned to the desired service floor. In this case, that user cannot move to his/her desired service floor.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and accordingly an object thereof is to provide a notification system of an elevator, which can urge the user who has gotten into a car other than the car assigned to a desired service floor to pay attention to his/her wrong behavior.

Means for Solving the Problems

A notification system of an elevator system of the present invention includes a first receiver provided in an elevator hall; a control unit which assigns a car selected from among a plurality of elevator cars to a service floor acquired from an identification medium by the first receiver by means of wireless communication; a plurality of second receivers provided respectively in the plurality of elevator cars; and a notification control device configured such that when a car arrives at a hall, in the case where the car concerned is not assigned to the service floor acquired from the identification medium by the second receiver in the car concerned by means of wireless communication, a speaker provided in the car concerned is caused to notify the user about a predetermined content with voice.

Advantageous Effect of Invention

According to the present invention, the user who has gotten into a car other than the car assigned to a desired service floor can be urged to pay attention to his/her wrong behavior.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a configuration view of a notification system of an elevator in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a flowchart for explaining the motion of a notification system of an elevator in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a flowchart for explaining the motion of a notification system of an elevator in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

Description of Embodiment

An embodiment for carrying out the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same signs are applied to the same or equivalent elements, and duplicated explanation thereof is simplified or omitted as appropriate.

First embodiment

Figure 1 is a configuration view of a notification system of an elevator in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
In Figure 1, in each elevator hall, there are provided a hall call button 1, an RF tag receiver (first receiver) 2, an indicator 3, a chime 4, and a hall lantern 5. In an elevator shaft, a plurality of cars (elevator Nos.) 6 are provided. In Figure 1, for simplification, only one car 6 is shown. In each car 6, an RF tag receiver (second receiver) 7 and a speaker 8 are provided. In the elevator shaft or a machine room, an elevator control unit 9 is provided.
Reference sign 10 denotes an elevator user. The user 10 carries an RF tag 11 with him/her as an identification medium. The RF tag 11 is provided with a built-in memory (not shown). In the built-in memory, a passenger ID (identification mark) and a service floor are recorded.
Next, the motion of the notification system in which a service floor is registered by using the RF tag 11 is explained with reference to Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a flowchart for explaining the motion of an elevator system in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.
In this flow, in Step S1, the user 10 has only to enter into the communication range of the RF tag receiver 2 provided in a hall. After this entrance, the process proceeds to Step S2. In Step S2, the RF tag receiver 2 acquires the passenger ID and the service floor recorded in the RF tag 11 by means of wireless communication. Thereafter, the process proceeds to Step S3, in which the RF tag receiver 2 sends a signal corresponding to the service floor to the elevator control unit 9.
Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step S4, in which the elevator control unit 9 assigns a car 6 selected from among a plurality of cars 6 to a car call of service floor based on the signal concerned. Then, the elevator control unit 9 sends a signal corresponding to the assigned car 6 to the indicator in the hall concerned. Also, the elevator control unit 9 dispatches the assigned car 6 to the hall in which the user 10 stands in waiting, and registers the service floor concerned as the destination of the car 6 concerned.
Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step S5, in which the indicator 3 indicates a mark indicating the assigned car 6 based on the received signal. By this indication, the user 10 is notified about the assigned car 6. Thereafter, when the car 6 arrives at the hall concerned, the chime 4 sounds and the hall lantern 5 lights up corresponding to the car 6 that has arrived.
Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step S6, in which the user 10 checks the mark indicating the car 6, which mark has been indicated on the indicator 3, and gets into the car 6. Then, the process proceeds to Step S7, in which the RF tag receiver 7 makes wireless communication with the RF tag 11 carried by the user 10 having gotten into the car 6. By means of this communication, the RF tag receiver 7 acquires the service floor recorded in the RF tag 11. Thereafter, the RF tag receiver 7 sends a signal corresponding to the service floor concerned to the elevator control unit 9.
Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step S8, in which the elevator control unit 9 compares the service floor corresponding to the signal concerned with the service floor registered on the car 6 in which the RF receiver 7 having sent the signal concerned is provided. If both the service floors coincide with each other, the process proceeds to Step S9. In Step S9, the elevator control unit 9 determines that the user 10 has gotten into the right car 6 assigned to the desired service floor. Based on this determination, the car 6 concerned runs toward the service floor in the state in which the user 10 is placed in the car 6.
On the other hand, if both the service floors do not coincide with each other in Step S8, the process proceeds to Step S10. In Step S10, the elevator control unit 9 determines that the user 10 has gotten into a car 6 other than the car 6 assigned to the desired service floor. In this case; the elevator control unit 9 functions as a notification control device for controlling the notification using the speaker 8. Specifically, the elevator control unit 9 sends a signal corresponding to a predetermined content to the speaker 8 in the car 6 concerned. Based on this signal, the speaker 8 notifies the user 10 about the desired content with voice.
Specifically, the speaker 8 notifies, with voice, the user 10 about the service floor recorded in the RF tag 11 carried by the user 10 concerned and the car 6 assigned to the service floor concerned. For example, the speaker 8 notifies, with voice, the user 10 about the content of "the person who goes to the tenth floor should get into elevator No. B" without identifying the individual person. By means of this notification, the user 10 recognizes wrong boarding into the car 6, and also recognizes the car 6 assigned to the service floor.
Next, the motion of the notification system in which a service floor is registered by using the hall call button 1 is explained with reference to Figure 3.
Figure 3 is a flowchart for explaining the motion of a notification system of an elevator in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.
Steps S11 to S15 are the same as Steps S1 to S5 in Figure 2. After Step S15, the process proceeds to Step S 16. In Step S 16, the user 10 has only to register an optional service floor by using the hall call button 1.
After this registration, the process proceeds to Step S 17. In Step S 17, the RF tag receiver 2 acquires again the passenger ID recorded in the RF tag 11 by means of wireless communication. Thereafter, the RF tag receiver 2 sends a signal, in which the acquired passenger ID and the service floor registered by the hall call button 1 are caused to correspond to each other, to the elevator control unit 9.
Subsequently, based on the signal concerned, the elevator control unit 9 records a set of passenger ID and service floor. Then, the indicator 3 in the hall concerned indicates a mark indicating the car 6 assigned to the service floor registered by the hall call button 1. At the same time, the registration of service floor made by the RF tag 11 is sometimes canceled.
Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step S 18, in which the user 10 checks the mark indicating the car 6, which mark has been indicated on the indicator 3, and gets into the car 6. Then, the process proceeds to Step S 19, in which the RF tag receiver 7 makes wireless communication with the RF tag 11 carried by the user 10 having gotten into the car 6. By means of this communication, the RF tag receiver 7 acquires the service floor recorded in the RF tag 11. Thereafter, the RF tag receiver 7 sends a signal corresponding to the service floor concerned to the elevator control unit 9.
Subsequently, the process proceeds to Step S20, in which the elevator control unit 9 compares the service floor corresponding to the signal concerned with the service floor registered on the car 6 in which the RF receiver 7 having sent the signal concerned is provided. If both the service floors coincide with each other, the process proceeds to Step S21. In Step S21, the elevator control unit 9 determines that the user 10 has gotten into the right car 6 assigned to the desired service floor. Based on this determination, the car 6 concerned runs toward the service floor in the state in which the user 10 is placed in the car 6.
On the other hand, if both the service floors do not coincide with each other in Step S20, the process proceeds to Step S22. In Step S22, the elevator control unit 9 determines that the user 10 has gotten into a car 6 other than the car 6 assigned to the desired service floor. Based on this determination, the elevator control unit 9 sends a signal corresponding to a predetermined content to the speaker 8 in the car 6 concerned. Based on this signal, the speaker 8 notifies the user 10 about the desired content with voice. By means of this notification, the user 10 recognizes wrong boarding into the car 6, and also recognizes the car 6 assigned to the service floor.
According to the first embodiment explained above, the speaker 8 notifies, with voice, the user 10 who has gotten into a car 6 other than the car 6 assigned to the desired service floor about the predetermined content. Therefore, the user 10 who has gotten into a car 6 other than the car 6 assigned to the desired service floor can be urged to pay attention to his/her wrong behavior.
Specifically, the user 10 is notified, with voice, about the desired service floor and the car 6 assigned to the service floor concerned. Therefore, the user 10 can be urged to get again into the car 6 assigned to the desired service floor. Therefore, the user 10 can move to the desired service floor quickly.
For example, in the case where a car call registration button is not provided in the car 6, if the user 10 gets into a car 6 mistakenly, the user 10 moves to a floor other than the desired destination floor. In this case, the user 10 must move to the desired service floor by going up and down the stairs, or must return to the primary floor by utilizing an elevator. In contrast, if the notification system of this embodiment is used, such wasteful movement becomes unnecessary.
Also, the content that are told by the speaker 8 do not identify the user 10. Therefore, in the state in which the privacy of the user 10 is ensured, the user 10 can be urged to get again into the car 6 assigned to the desired service floor.
Also, when the service floor has been registered by the operation of the hall call button 1, the registration of service floor made by using the RF tag 11 is sometimes canceled. In this case, even if the user 10 gets into the car 6 that is not assigned to the service floor recorded in the RF tag 11, the predetermined content are not told. Therefore, the user 10 can move to any floor other than the service floor recorded in the RF tag 11 in the state in which mistaken boarding is not pointed out.
Also, when the service floor has been registered by the operation of the hall call button 1, the speaker 8 notifies, with voice, the user 10 who has gotten into the car 6 other than the car 6 assigned to the service floor concerned about the predetermined content. Therefore, even in the case where the service floor has been registered by the operation of the hall call button 1, the user 10 who has gotten into the car 6 other than the car 6 assigned to the desired service floor can be urged to pay attention to his/her wrong behavior.
In addition to the notification given by the speaker 8 to the user 10 who has gotten into the car 6 other than the car 6 assigned to the desired service floor, at least one of the chime 4 and the hall lantern 5 may be operated at the same time. In this case, the user 10 can be caused to recognize mistaken boarding into the car 6 emphasizedly and more reliably.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, the notification system of an elevator in accordance with the present invention can be used for a system in which the user who has gotten into a car other than the car assigned to a desired service floor can be urged to pay attention to his/her wrong behavior.

Description of symbols

1: hall call button
2: RF tag receiver
3: indicator
4: chime
5: hall lantern
6: car
7: RF tag receiver
8: speaker
9: elevator control unit
10: user
11: RF tag

Claims

A notification system of an elevator, comprising:
a first receiver provided in an elevator hall;

a control unit which assigns a car selected from among a plurality of elevator cars to a service floor acquired from an identification medium by the first receiver by means of wireless communication;

a plurality of second receivers provided respectively in the plurality of elevator cars; and

a notification control device configured such that when a car arrives at a hall, in the case where the car concerned is not assigned to the service floor acquired from the identification medium by the second receiver in the car concerned by means of wireless communication, a speaker provided in the car concerned is caused to notify the user about a predetermined content with voice.
The notification system of an elevator according to claim 1, where in when a car arrives at a hall, in the case where the car concerned is not assigned to the service floor acquired from the identification medium by the second receiver in the car concerned by means of wireless communication, the notification control device causes the speaker provided in the car concerned to notify, with voice, the user about the service floor concerned and the car assigned to the service floor concerned.
The notification system of an elevator according to claim 2, where in when a car arrives at a hall, in the case where the car concerned is not assigned to the service floor acquired from the identification medium by the second receiver in the car concerned by means of wireless communication, the notification control device causes the speaker provided in the car concerned to notify, with voice, the user about a predetermined content of the service floor concerned and the car assigned to the service floor concerned without identifying the individual person caused to correspond to the identification medium.
The notification system of an elevator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, where in when a car arrives at a hall, in the case where the car concerned is not assigned to the service floor acquired from the identification medium by the second receiver in the car concerned by means of wireless communication, the notification control device causes at least one of a chime and a hall lantern provided in the hall concerned to operate.
The notification system of an elevator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, where in
the notification system further comprises a hall call button provided in a hall; and
when a service floor has been registered by the operation of the hall call button, when a car arrives at the hall in which the hall call button is provided, in the case where the car concerned is not assigned to the service floor acquired from the identification medium by the second receiver in the car concerned by means of wireless communication, the notification control device prohibits the speaker provided in the car concerned to notify the user about the predetermined content with voice.
The notification system of an elevator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, where in
the notification system further comprises a hall call button provided in a hall; and
when a service floor has been registered by the operation of the hall call button, when a car arrives at the hall in which the hall call button is provided, in the case where the car concerned is not assigned to the service floor registered by the operation of the hall call button, the notification control device causes the speaker provided in the car concerned to notify the user about the predetermined content with voice.
The notification system of an elevator according to claim 6, where in when a service floor has been registered by the operation of the hall call button, the notification control device records an identification mark acquired from the identification medium by the first receiver by means of wireless communication so as to cause the identification mark to correspond to the service floor concerned, and when a car arrives at the hall in which the hall call button is provided, in the case where the car concerned is not assigned to the service floor caused to correspond to the identification mark acquired from the identification medium by the second receiver in the car concerned by means of wireless communication, the notification control device causes the speaker provided in the car concerned to notify the user the predetermined content with voice.