GB2267977A

GB2267977A - Anti-crime system for elevators

Info

Publication number: GB2267977A
Application number: GB9312107A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jeong O Kim
Original assignee: Goldstar Industrial Systems Co Ltd
Current assignee: LS Electric Co Ltd
Priority date: 1992-06-19
Filing date: 1993-06-11
Publication date: 1993-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 2013-06-11
Also published as: GB9312107D0; CN1081782A; KR940006489B1; ES2076086A2; ES2076086B1; ES2076086R; GB2267977B; KR940000360A

Abstract

An anti-crime system for elevators, comprising a plurality of cameras CM, one per cage, a monitor installed in a service room, the monitor receiving video information from the plurality of cameras and displaying a selected one of the received video information, a master interphone installed in the service room, a plurality of slave interphones, one per cage, the slave interphones being connected in parallel to the master interphone, a camera selection circuit for selecting the camera of one of the cages to be monitored by a concierge in the service room, an interphone call circuit for forming a speech path between the master and slave interphones, and an anti-crime operation control circuit for forcing the corresponding cage to return to a specified floor for an arrest of a criminal when anti-crime and arrest operation switches are turned on. <IMAGE>

Description

ANTI-CRIME SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates in general to the protection of passengers from crimes in elevators, and more particularly to an anti-crime system for elevators, in which a closed circuit is provided in each elevator, a single monitor is employed to monitor the elevators and an anti-crime operation is performed only when it is required by a passenger or a concierge.

Description of the Prior Art Recently, criminal acts in cages of elevators have constituted a social problem and the following anti-crime methods have been proposed as a part of the countermeasures.

The first method is to install a high sound sensor in the cage of the elevator, which senses a shriek of terror which a passenger utters upon encountering a crime'in the cage, and to perform a desired anti-crime operation when the shriek is sensed by the high sound sensor. This method is disadvantageous in that it cannot be performed sufficiently under a criminal's menace.

The second method is to actuate an anti-crime operation switch in a service room for a specified period of time such as, for example, the dead of night, to stop the elevator every floor during it's moving to a destination floor. This method gives the passenger inconvenience. Also, this method is desirable to take a psychological precaution against a criminal act, but has the disadvantage of being not able to cope sufficiently with the criminal act itself.

The third method is to mount view-windows on a door of an entrance port of the elevator and a door of the elevator cage, respectively, to allow an outsider to view the inside of the cage. This method has a psychological anti-crime effect, which will be lost for a dull period of time such as, for example, the dead of night. Moreover, a sufficient effect cannot be anticipated as long as the outsider does not intend to view the inside of the cage.

The fourth method is to use closed circuits. Namely, a camera is mounted on the ceiling of each cage and connected to a corresponding one of monitors in the service room, thereby allowing the concierge in the service room to view the insides of the cages. This method is superior to other methods, but has a disadvantage in that the installation and maintenance costs are high when it is applied to a large scale of apartment complex or building in which a multiplicity of elevators are installed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an anti-crime system for elevators, in which a single monitor is employed to monitor cages of the elevators and a conversation between a passenger in each cage and a concierge in a service room can be performed through an interphone.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an anti-crime system for elevators, in which an anti-crime operation is performed only when it is required by a passenger or a concierge in a service room, and a cage of the elevator is forced to return to a specified floor when a crime is committed, so that a criminal can be arrested.

In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by a provision of an anticrime system for elevators, comprising: a plurality of cameras, each mounted in the inside of a corresponding one of cages of the elevators to shoot the inside of the corresponding cage; a monitor installed in a service room, said monitor receiving video information from said plurality of cameras and displaying a selected one of the received video information; a master interphone installed in the service room; a plurality of slave interphones, each mounted in a corresponding one of the cages, said slave interphones being connected in parallel to said master interphone; camera selection means for selecting the camera of one of the cages to be monitored by a concierge in the service room; interphone call means for forming a speech path between said master and slave interphones to allow said slave interphone in each cage to call said master interphone in the service room; and anticrime operation control means for forcing the corresponding cage to return to a specified floor for an arrest of a criminal when anti-crime and arrest operation switches are turned on.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows an overview of an anti-crime system for elevators in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a view schematically illustrating an operating board which is applied to the present invention; Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of an interphone call circuit forming a speech path between a master interphone and a slave interphone in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram of a camera selection circuit in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 5 is a block diagram of an anti-crime operation control device in accordance with the present invention;; Fig. 6 is a detailed circuit diagram of an input unit in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detailed circuit diagram of an output unit in Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram of the anti-crime operation control device in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown an overview of an anti-crime system for elevators in accordance with the present invention. As shown in this drawing, the anti-crime system comprises a plurality of cameras CM, each mounted on a desired portion of the ceiling of a corresponding one of cages 100 of the elevators, and a monitor 211 installed in a service room 200. Each camera CM shoots the inside of the corresponding cage 100 and the monitor 211 displays the situations shot by the cameras CM so that a concierge in the service room 200 can monitor the inside of each cage 100. The cameras CM are connected in parallel to the monitor 211 through corresponding coaxial cables WC and connectors CONC in corresponding connection boxes 113, each of which is mounted on a wall 114 of an elevator well or shaft.

The anti-crime system also comprises a master interphone INTM 220 installed in the service room 200 and a plurality of slave interphones INTS 110, each mounted on an operating board 111 in a corresponding one of the cages 100 and connected to the master interphone 220 through a connector CONI in a corresponding one of the connection boxes 113 and a corresponding one of coaxial cables WI.

The anti-crime system also comprises a camera selection circuit for selecting the camera CM of one of the cages 100 to be monitored by the concierge in the service room 200, an interphone call circuit for allowing the slave interphone 110 in each cage 100 to call the master interphone 220 in the service room 200, and an anti-crime operation control device for forcing the corresponding cage to return to a specified floor for an arrest of a criminal when anti-crime and arrest operation switches are turned on.

Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown a circuit diagram of the interphone call circuit which allows the slave interphone 110 in each cage 100 to call the master interphone 220 in the service room 200. In this drawing, when an emergency call button EBT is pushed, there is formed a line of a terminal, contacts a2 and c2 of a hook switch HWS 224, an oscillator 223, a light emitting diode LED, contacts c2 and a2 of a slave interphone select switch SELSW 225, the emergency call button EBT and a "-' terminal. When a handset is taken, the +" and "-' terminals are connected to a transmitter 221 and a receiver 222 of the master interphone 220 through contacts a2 and b2 and a1 and b1 of the hook switch 224, respectively.Also in this case, the transmitter 221 and the receiver 222 of the master interphone 220 are connected to a receiver 112 and a transmitter 111 of the slave interphone 110 through the slave interphone select switch 225, respectively.

Referring to Fig. 4, there is shown a circuit diagram of the camera selection circuit in accordance with the present invention. As shown in this figure, the camera selection circuit includes an automatic/manual mode select switch SWO for selecting a manual mode when the concierge selects a desired one of the cages at his option to monitor it and an automatic mode to allow a passenger to ask an anti-crime support, so that the corresponding cage can automatically be monitored.The camera selection circuit also includes a plurality of select switches SW1-SW4, each for selecting a corresponding one of the cameras CMl-CM4 to be monitored when the concierge selects the manual mode, and a plurality of contacts A21-A24, each for connecting a corresponding one of the cameras to be monitored to the monitor 211 in the service room 200 when the passenger pushes the anti-crime operation switch BBLP on the operating board OPB 111 in the cage 100 to ask the anti-crime operation under the condition that the concierge selects the automatic mode.

At that time that the concierge recognizes through the monitor 211 and the interphones 220 and 110 that a crime is committed, he pushes a corresponding one of arrest operation switches PACKSW1-PACKSW4 to operate a control board 213 of the corresponding elevator to force the corresponding cage 100 to return to the specified floor (ground floor). At this time, hall call, cage call and door open circuits are broken. After the cage 100 returns to the sepcified floor1 the concierge must push an entrance port button HB1 for a predetermined period of time (for example, 5 seconds) to open the door of the elevator. As a result, the criminal can be arrested.

Referring to Fig. 5, there is shown a block diagram of the anti-crime operation control device in accordance with the present invention. A central processing unit (microprocessor) 115 is adapted to recognize signals inputted through an input unit 117, store the recognized signals into a memory 116 and output corresponding signals through an output unit 118 on the basis of an operation control program. Fig. 6 is a detailed circuit diagram of the input unit 117 in Fig. 5. In this drawing, the reference numeral POSi designates an elevator position signal, GS a cage door switch status signal, HB1 the ground floor entrance port button, CB1-CB10 destination floor buttons on the operating board in the cage 100, CLBT a door close button, and PACKSW the arrest operation switch mentioned above with reference to Fig. 4, respectively.Further inserted numerals designate addresses of the memory 116 in Fig. 5. For example, XPOSi/11 indicates that information is stored at an address 11 of the memory 116 and is a position detection signal. Fig. 7 is a detailed circuit diagram of the output unit 118 in Fig. 5. In this drawing, the reference numeral A designates a relay which is driven during the anticrime operation, BBLP an anti-crime operation indicating lamp, and ZBB and ZBBF internal bufferes of the central processing unit 115 in Fig. 5, respectively.

Referring to Fig. 8, there is a circuit diagram of the anti-crime operation control device in accordance with the present invention. This drawing represents a mechanical sequence of the program, which is stored in a program region of the memory 116. As shown in this drawing, the anti-crime operation control device. includes .an anti-crime operation registration circuit 310 having a door close button XCL, a plurality of destination floor registration buttons XCB1-XCB10 and a plurality of destination f floor registration relays ZXB10-ZXB1, the destination floor registration relays ZXB10 ZXB1, each being turned on when the door close button XCL is turned on and a corresponding one of the destination floor registration buttons XCB1-XCB10 is turned on, to register the anti-crime operation to a destination floor, and an anti-crime operation hold circuit 320 having a plurality of destination floor operation relays ZB10-ZB1 and a plurality of position detection relays XPOSi10-XPOSi1, the destination floor operation relays ZB10-ZB1, each being turned on when a corresponding one of the destination floor registration relays ZXB10-ZXB1 is turned on, to perform the anti-crime operation to the destination floor, and being held by a corresponding one of self-contacts ZB10'-ZB1' until a position of the destination floor is detected by a corresponding one of the position detection relays XPOSil0-XPOSi1.

An anti-crime operation indication circuit 330 has an anti-crime operation indication relay ZBB which is turned on when at least one of the self-contacts ZB10'-ZB1' of the destination floor operation relays ZB10-ZB1 is turned on.

A flickering circuit 340 includes an anti-crime operation flicker indication relay ZBBF and a flicker, the anti-crime operation flicker indication relay ZBBF being turned on when the anti-crime operation indication relay ZBB is turned on, to operate the flicker to generate a flicker signal for flickering the anti-crime indicating lamp BBLP.

An arrest operation start circuit 350 has an arrest operation relay ZPACK and an arrest operation switch XPACK, the arrest operation relay ZPACK being turned on when the arrest operation switch XPACK is turned on and is held by its self-contact.

An arrest operation circuit 360 includes a specified floor arrival relay ZHBT and a door open control relay ZHBC, the specified floor arrival relay ZHBT being turned on by a specified floor hall call button XHB, the arrest operation relay ZPACK, the corresponding position detection relay XPOSi and an in-operation relay Z10 and being held by its selfcontact, the door open control relay ZHBC being turned on when the specified floor arrival relay ZHBT is turned on and held.

An arrest operation control circuit 370 includes a ground floor return relay being turned on when the arrest operation relay ZPACK is turned on and hall call registration, car call registration and door open relays being turned on when the arrest operation relay ZPACK is turned off, the door open relay being turned on when the door open control relay ZHBC continues to be turned on for a predetermined period of time, to control the arrest operation.

The operation of the elevator anti-crime system with the above-mentioned construction will hereinafter be described in detail.

As shown in Fig. 4, the concierge switches the automatic/manual mode select switch SWO to a manual mode terminal m when he intends to select a desired one of the cages at his option to monitor it and to an automatic mode terminal a when the passenger asks the anti-crime support, so that the corresponding cage can automatically be monitored.

Under the condition that the concierge selects the manual mode by operating the switch SWO, he switches one of the switches SW1-SW4 to select a desired one of the cameras CM1 CM4 installed in the cages. As a result, the selected camera is connected to the monitor 211 in the service room, thereby allowing the concierge to monitor the inside of the desired elevator. In the automatic mode, when the passenger pushes the anti-crime operation switch BBLP on the operating board OPB 111 in the cage 100 to ask the anti-crime operation, a corresponding one of the contacts A21-A24 is closed and the remainings are maintained at their open states. As a result, only the corresponding camera is connected to the monitor 211 in the service room 200, thereby allowing the concierge to monitor the inside of the corresponding elevator.

For example, under the condition that the automatic/manual mode select switch SWO is switched to the manual mode terminal m, when the passenger in the first elevator registers his destination floor by pushing a desired one of the destination floor call registration buttons CB1-CB8 on the operating board 111 in the cage and asks the anti-crime operation by pushing the anti-crime operation switch BBLP on the operating board OPB 111, only the anti-crime operation relay contact A21 corresponding to the first elevator is closed, thereby causing the camera CMl in the first elevator to be connected to the monitor 211 through the relay switch A21 and the automatic mode terminal a of the automatic/manual mode select switch SWO. As a result, the situation in the first elevator is displayed on the monitor 211.

On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 3, when the emergency call button EBT is pushed, there is formed the line of the + terminal - the contacts a2 and c2 of the hook switch HWS 224 - the oscillator 223 - the light emitting diode LED - the contacts c2 and a2 of the slave interphone select switch SELSW 225 - an anti-crime operation command relay Al - the terminal. As a result, the concierge can recognize the present situation by viewing the flickered state of the light emitting diode LED or hearing the oscillating sound. Upon recognizing the present situation, the concierge will take the handset. When the handset is taken, the +" and "-" terminals are connected to the transmitter 221 and the receiver 222 of the master interphone 220 through the contacts a2 and b2 and al and bl of the hook switch 224, respectively.At this time, if the concierge pushes the slave interphone select switch 225, the transmitter 221 and the receiver 222 of the master interphone 220 are connected to the receiver 112 and the transmitter 111 of the slave interphone 110, respectively.

This forms the speech path between the passenger in the first elevator and the concierge in the service room 200. Also in the case where the anti-crime operation command relay Al is turned on instead of the emergency call button, the light emitting diode is flickered to call the service room. The anti-crime operation command relay Al is turned on when the passenger in the cage pushes the anti-crime operation switch.

At that time that the concierge recognizes through the monitor 211 and the interphones 220 and 110 that a crime is committed, he pushes the arrest operation switch PACKS1 to operate the control board 213 of the first elevator to force the cage 100 to return to the specified floor (ground floor).

At this time, the hall call, cage call and door open circuits are broken. After the cage 100 returns to the sepcified floor the concierge pushes the entrance port button HB1 for the predetermined period of time to open the door of the elevator. As a result, the criminal can be arrested.

At the moment that the cage 100 is arrived at the specified floor, the anti-crime operation command relay Al and the anti-crime operation relays A21-A24 are all opened, thereby causing the closed TV camera CM1-CM4 and the interphone circuit not to be operated.

The anti-crime operation and the resulting arrest operation are performed on the basis of the mechanical sequence of the program which is stored in the program region of the memory 116, as shown in Fig. 8. The anti-crime operation registration circuit 310 is to allow the passenger to register the anti-crime operation. The registration of the anti-crime operation is performed by pushing a desired one of the destination floor registration buttons XCB1-XCBlO and the door close button XCL simultaneously. For example, when the door close button CLBT and the 10th floor button CB10 are pushed simultaneously, the destination floor registration relay ZXB10 is turned on.

The anti-crime operation hold circuit 320 is to record and hold the input button signal from the anti-crime operation registration circuit 310. For example, when the destination floor registration relay ZXB10 is turned on, the destination floor operation relay ZB10 is turned on and held by its selfcontact ZB10'. Thereafter, the destination floor operation relay ZB10 is turned off when the position detection relay detects that the cage 100 is arrived at the 10th floor, i.e., XPOSi = 10.

In the anti-crime operation indication circuit 330, when at least one of the anti-crime operation registration destination floors is held in the anti-crime operation hold circuit 320, the anti-crime operation indication relay ZBB is turned on to indicate that the elevator is in the anti-crime operation. The flickering circuit 340 generates the flicker signal to flicker the anti-crime indicating lamp BBLP.

Provided that the arrest operation switch signal XPACK is inputted due to occurrence of a criminal act, the arrest operation is started under the control of the arrest operation start circuit 350. Once the arrest operation is started, it is held by the self-contact of the arrest operation switch XPACK. In the arrest operation circuit 360, the specified floor arrival relay ZHBT is turned on by the specified floor hall call button XHB, the arrest operation relay ZPACK, the corresponding position detection relay XPOSi and the inoperation relay Z10 and is held by its self-contact. Also, the door open control relay ZHBC is turned on when the specified floor arrival relay ZHBT is turned on and held. As a result, the cage is arrived at the specified floor (ground floor) for the arrest and its door remains at its closed state.

Then, in the arrest operation control circuit 370, the ground floor return relay is turned on when the arrest operation relay ZPACK is turned on, thereby causing the cage to return to the specified floor (ground floor). Also, the hall call registration, car call registration and door open relays are turned on when the arrest operation relay ZPACK is turned off, so that the general operation can be performed.

Further, the door open relay is turned on when the door open control relay ZHBC continues to be turned on for the predetermined period of time, to force the door to be open.

As a result, the criminal can be arrested at the ground floor.

As hereinbefore described, according to the present invention, the manual mode is selected when the concierge selects a desired one of the cages at his option to monitor it and the automatic mode is selected to allow the passenger to ask the anti-crime support. Therefore, the desired monitoring and arrest operation can be performed with the low cost and high efficiency.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An anti-crime system for elevators, comprising: a plurality of cameras, each mounted in the inside of a corresponding one of cages of the elevators to shoot the inside of the corresponding cage; a monitor installed in a service room, said monitor receiving video information from said plurality of cameras and displaying a selected one of the received video information; a master interphone installed in the service room; a plurality of slave interphones, each mounted in a corresponding one of the cages, said slave interphones being connected in parallel to said master interphone; camera selection means for selecting the camera of one of the cages to be monitored by a concierge in the service room; interphone call means for forming a speech path between said master and slave interphones to allow said slave interphone in each cage to call said master interphone in the service room; and anti-crime operation control means for forcing the corresponding cage to return to a specified floor for an arrest of a criminal when anti-crime and arrest operation switches are turned on.

2. An anti-crime system for elevators, as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said camera selection means includes: an automatic/manual mode select switch for selecting a manual mode when the concierge selects a desired one of the cages at his option to monitor it and an automatic mode to allow a passenger to ask an anti-crime support, so that the corresponding cage can automatically be monitored; a plurality of select switches, each for selecting a corresponding one of the cameras to be monitored when the concierge selects the manual mode; and a plurality of contacts, each for connecting a corresponding one of the cameras to be monitored to said monitor in the service room when the passenger pushes the anti-crime operation switch to ask the anti-crime operation under the condition that the concierge selects the automatic mode.

3. An anti-crime system for elevators, as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said interphone call means includes: a line of a "+" terminal, a hook switch, an oscillator, a light emitting diode, a slave interphone select switch, a emergency call button and a "-" terminal, formed when the emergency call button is pushed, said "+" and "-" terminals being connected to a transmitter and a receiver of said master interphone through said hook switch7 respectively, when a handset is taken, said transmitter and receiver of said master interphone being connected to a receiver and a transmitter of said slave interphone through said slave interphone select switch, respectively.

4. An anti-crime system for elevators, as set forth in Claim 17 wherein said anti-crime operation control means includes: an anti-crime operation registration circuit having a door close button, a plurality of destination floor registration buttons and a plurality of destination floor registration relays, said destination floor registration relays, each being turned on when said door close button is turned on and a corresponding one of said destination floor registration buttons is turned on, to register the anti-crime operation to a destination floor;; an anti-crime operation hold circuit having a plurality of destination floor operation relays and a plurality of position detection relays7 said destination floor operation relays, each being turned on when a corresponding one of said destination floor registration relays is turned on, to perform the anti-crime operation to the destination floor, and being held by a corresponding one of self-contacts until a position of the destination floor is detected by a corresponding one of said position detection relays; an anti-crime operation indication circuit having an anti-crime operation indication relay, said anti-crime operation indication relay being turned on when at least one of the self-contacts of said destination floor operation relays is turned on;; a flickering circuit having an anti-crime operation flicker indication relay and a flicker, said anti-crime operation flicker indication relay being turned on when said anti-crime operation indication relay is turned on, to operate said flicker to generate a flicker signal for flickering an anti-crime indicating lamp; an arrest operation start circuit having an arrest operation relay and an arrest operation switch, said arrest operation relay being turned on when said arrest operation switch is turned on and is held by its self-contact;; an arrest operation circuit having a specified floor arrival relay and a door open control relay, said specified floor arrival relay being turned on by a specified floor hall call button, the arrest operation relay, the corresponding position detection relay and an in-operaton relay and being held by its self-contact, said door open control relay being turned on when said specified floor arrival relay is turned on and held; and an arrest operation control circuit having a ground floor return relay being turned on when said arrest operation relay is turned on and hall call registration, car call registration and door open relays being turned on when said arrest operation relay is turned off, said door open relay being turned on when said door open control relay continues to be turned on for a predetermined period of time, to control the arrest operation

5.An anti-crime system for elevators, comprising: a plurality of cameras, each mounted to film the inside of the corresponding cage; a remote monitor for receiving video information from said plurality of cameras and displaying a selected one of the received video information; a master interphone installed local to said monitor; a plurality of slave interphones, each mounted in a corresponding one of the cages, said slave interphones being connected in parallel to said master interphone; camera selection means for selecting the camera of one of the cages to be monitored; interphone call means for forming a speech path between said master and slave interphones to allow said slave interphone in each cage to communicate with said master interphone; and anti-crime operation control means for causing the corresponding cage to return to a specified floor when anti-crime and arrest operation switches are turned on.

6. An anti-crime system for elevators substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,