JP2005206362A - Automatic elevator, operation method for automatic elevator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic elevator, usable in a place where use of wheelchairs is expected as in an apartment house for the aged or a home for the aged, and an operation method for the automatic elevator. <P>SOLUTION: This automatic elevator is provided in an automatic travel wheelchair traveling system in which traveling of an automatic travel wheelchair and a guide passage for the automatic travel wheelchair to travel are controlled. Based on instructions from the automatic travel wheelchair or instructions from a host computer, it is moved to the floor where the automatic travel wheelchair gets in, and it carries the automatic travel wheelchair to move to a target floor. When the automatic travel wheelchair enters the room, the automatic travel wheelchair is detected to open a door, and the automatic travel wheelchair is guided to enter the room. After recognizing that the automatic travel wheelchair enters the room to stop at a prescribed position, the door is closed, and the automatic travel wheelchair is withdrawn from the room. When it arrives at the target floor, the door is opened, withdrawal of the automatic travel wheelchair is guided, and after recognizing withdrawal of the automatic travel wheelchair from the room, the door is closed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic elevator for riding an automatic traveling wheelchair and an operation method of the automatic elevator.

  Japan is now heading toward an aged society, and many housing complexes, nursing homes, care houses and group homes for the elderly have been built. However, physical abilities gradually decline as the elderly become more and more difficult to walk due to pain in the legs and lower legs, walking less, and due to cerebral vascular disorders, the right and left body It may be paralyzed, making it difficult to walk, and many elderly people withdraw from their rooms.

  For such elderly people who have difficulty walking, it is possible to use a self-propelled wheelchair for the physically handicapped. Therefore, it may be difficult for the elderly themselves to perform the operation. Therefore, it is necessary to pay sufficient attention to safety for the elderly.

Note that an invention relating to a travel route guidance device that guides a route from a departure location to a destination by designating a departure location and a destination is disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-323333 A

  However, there is a system that guides or automatically travels along a route like the “travel route guidance device” disclosed in Patent Document 1, but when traveling in a place other than a roadway such as a wheelchair, There are many things that do not generally exist in the roadway or factory, such as walls, furniture, obstacles, or doors, and it is necessary to guide them in consideration of these things.

  In addition, a wheelchair passenger, such as an elderly person, is generally inconvenient for a part of the body, so it is desirable to reduce the burden on the passenger when traveling. In addition, with other travel guidance systems, it is desirable to travel safely so as not to give anxiety to passengers who are on the road and to those with limited mobility. In addition, there are obstacles, doors, elevators, etc., such as indoors, parks, etc. that are not on the roadway, so if you apply the conventional system that guides the driving route of the roadway other than the vehicle, the passengers in the wheelchair will It is difficult to ensure safety of traveling.

  In addition, there are automatic transport systems in factories, etc., but these are the key differences between wheelchairs and users with users who have some physical disabilities such as elderly people. There is a common problem with the travel route guidance apparatus described above in that it is a user with reduced ability.

  Thus, wheelchair-based automated driving requires special considerations compared to conventional travel route guidance devices, and it is expected that a shortage of caregivers will become a serious problem in the face of a rapidly aging society. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an automatic wheelchair driving system that can automatically and autonomously run a wheelchair.

  In addition, in an automatic traveling system for wheelchairs, vertical movement by an elevator is an important issue in addition to planar movement. If there is an automatic elevator for wheelchair automatic travel, a solid can be used as a flat surface, and by moving vertically, planar movement is possible at a minimum. However, currently there is no automatic elevator built into the wheelchair automatic driving system and it can only be used on a flat surface, so if a wheelchair user goes to another floor without a caregiver, In addition, the user of the wheelchair must operate the buttons of the elevator itself, and the conventional method of restricting the number of people who can ride by the load weight does not necessarily require the wheelchair even if the load weight is less than the specified value. Because there is not always enough space to ride, it is not possible to manage whether or not a wheelchair can be / cannot be rided only by the loaded weight. In this way, the development of an automatic elevator for wheelchair automatic traveling in consideration of wheelchair users has been an urgent task.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and its purpose is to provide wheelchairs for elderly housing, nursing homes, hospitals, care houses, group homes, supermarkets, department stores, public buildings, parks, etc. It is an object to provide an automatic elevator and an automatic elevator operating method that can be used in a place where the use of the elevator is assumed and is safe and easy to operate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the automatic elevator according to the present invention is an automatic elevator in a wheelchair automatic traveling system that manages the traveling management of an automatic traveling wheelchair and the taxiway on which the automatic traveling wheelchair travels. In accordance with an instruction from the automatic traveling wheelchair or an instruction from a host computer, movement to the floor for placing the automatic traveling wheelchair, destination floor moving means for moving the automatic traveling wheelchair to the destination floor, and automatic traveling When a wheelchair is entered, the automatic traveling wheelchair is detected, the door is opened, the automatic traveling wheelchair is guided to enter, and the door is closed after confirming that the automatic traveling wheelchair has entered and stopped at a predetermined position. When leaving the automatic traveling wheelchair and the automatic traveling wheelchair, confirm that you have reached the target floor, open the door, guide the automatic traveling wheelchair to leave, Characterized in that it comprises a leaving inductive means for closing the door after it is confirmed that the chamber.
Thereby, the automatic elevator can be automatically used during automatic traveling of the automatic traveling wheelchair. That is, it is not necessary for the user of the automatic traveling wheelchair to determine whether or not the user can actually get on the elevator, and there is no need to indicate whether he / she wants to ride, so that the burden on the wheelchair passenger can be reduced. Using such a statement of intention or operating a button on an automatic elevator is a wheelchair rider whose remaining ability has declined, or wheelchair boarding with a dementia symptom that may forget the target floor or operation method. In some cases, the burden on the user is very heavy, and the burden on the user can be greatly reduced, and erroneous operations can be eliminated.

In addition, the automatic elevator of the present invention detects an empty space in the car based on the detection result of the area sensor that detects the automatic traveling wheelchair in the car. It is characterized in that it comprises means for notifying the automatic traveling wheelchair or the host computer of passing or notifying when there is no space.
As a result, when it becomes necessary to use the automatic elevator during automatic traveling of the automatic traveling wheelchair, an available automatic elevator can be automatically selected and used.

The automatic elevator according to the present invention further includes an output means for notifying the car that the automatic traveling wheelchair enters when receiving an instruction for placing the automatic traveling wheelchair from the automatic traveling wheelchair or a host computer. It is characterized by providing.
The present invention also relates to a driving method for an automatic elevator in a wheelchair automatic traveling system that manages the traveling management of an automatic traveling wheelchair and the taxiway on which the automatic traveling wheelchair travels, from an instruction from the automatic traveling wheelchair or from a host computer In accordance with the instructions, when moving to the floor to put the automatic traveling wheelchair, and moving the automatic traveling wheelchair to the target floor and entering the automatic traveling wheelchair, the automatic traveling wheelchair is detected and the door is opened, After guiding the automatic traveling wheelchair into the room, confirming that the automatic traveling wheelchair has entered and stopped at the specified position, close the door, and when leaving the automatic traveling wheelchair, confirm that you have arrived at the destination floor. The door is closed after confirming that the automatic traveling wheelchair has left the door, guiding the exit of the automatic traveling wheelchair.

According to the automatic elevator of the present invention, the automatic traveling wheelchair is detected when moving to the floor for placing the wheelchair and entering the automatic traveling wheelchair in response to a request from the automatic traveling wheelchair or a request from the host computer. Then, the door is opened, the entrance of the automatic traveling wheelchair is guided, and after confirming that the automatic traveling wheelchair has entered and stopped at a predetermined position, the door is closed and moved to the target floor. Further, when leaving the automatic traveling wheelchair, the door is opened after confirming that it has reached the destination floor, the exit of the automatic traveling wheelchair is guided, and the door is closed after confirming that the automatic traveling wheelchair has exited.
Thereby, the automatic elevator can be automatically used during automatic traveling of the automatic traveling wheelchair. In other words, it is not necessary for the user of the automatic traveling wheelchair to judge whether or not the elevator can actually be taken, and it is not necessary to indicate the intention to ride or not, and the burden on the user (passenger) of the automatic traveling wheelchair is reduced. Can do. Using such a statement of intention or operating a button on an automatic elevator is a wheelchair rider whose remaining ability has declined, or wheelchair boarding with a dementia symptom that may forget the target floor or operation method. In some cases, the burden on the user is very heavy, and the burden on the user can be greatly reduced, and erroneous operations can be eliminated.

Further, in the automatic elevator of the present invention, an empty space in the automatic elevator is detected based on the detection result of the area sensor in the car, and if there is a space for the automatic traveling wheelchair, the automatic traveling wheelchair that requested the automatic elevator It operates to get on, and when there is no space, it passes or is notified to the automatic traveling wheelchair or the host computer.
As a result, when it becomes necessary to use the automatic elevator during automatic traveling of the automatic traveling wheelchair, an available automatic elevator can be automatically selected and used.

  Further, in the automatic elevator according to the present invention, when the instruction for placing the automatic traveling wheelchair is received, the automatic traveling wheelchair is notified in the car that the passenger is entering the room. It is possible for a person to grasp that the automatic traveling wheelchair enters the room, thereby allowing the user to open a place near the doorway and smoothly board the automatic traveling wheelchair.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an automatic traveling wheelchair 100 according to the present invention, FIG. 1 (a) is a top view, FIG. 1 (b) is a side view, and FIG. 1 (c) is a front view. It is the drawing which emphasized and showed the part of unit 101.

  The automatic traveling wheelchair 100 shown in FIG. 1 shows an example in which a drive unit 101, an input / output device 105, and a controller 106 are installed on a normal wheelchair. The drive unit 101, the input / output device 105, and the controller 106 are shown. By removing the, it can be used as a normal wheelchair.

  The drive unit 101 is equipped with a battery 102. The battery 102 drives a drive motor 103, and supplies power to a wheelchair control device (also referred to as an in-vehicle computer) 104, an input / output device 105, and the like.

  The drive motor 103 is a DC motor for driving the moving tire 110, and drives the two moving tires 110 individually by the two drive motors 103. As a result, the traveling direction of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 can be changed with a minimum turning radius.

  The wheelchair control device (onboard computer) 104 is a computer control device for controlling the entire automatic traveling wheelchair 100, and also communicates with a host computer (described later), various automatic doors, and an automatic elevator (elevator). It has a function to send and receive.

  The input / output device 105 is an input / output device in which a touch panel, a speaker, a microphone, an optical flash, and the like are installed as necessary. The touch panel is used for inputting a destination and the like, the speaker is used for notifying the passenger of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 of the driving situation information, and the microphone is used for inputting the destination information and the like by voice. And the light flash is used to notify the passenger of the alarm. In addition to setting the destination by the input / output device 105, necessary information for automatic driving is transmitted to the passenger by voice or a light flash as necessary to resolve anxiety during automatic driving.

  The controller 106 is a device for a passenger to manually operate the automatic traveling wheelchair 100. In an emergency, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 can be stopped by operating the control lever 106a of the controller 106. The input / output device 105 and the controller 106 are attached to a place where a wheelchair user can easily operate. In particular, the controller 106 is attached to a necessary place in accordance with a user's physical ability such as a hand, a foot, and a jaw to control automatic driving, and a control lever 106a that allows free movement is incorporated. .

  Further, the sensor unit 107 includes an induction chip reader that reads an induction chip such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) embedded in a floor of the guide path or a magnetic for reading a magnetic tape attached to the floor surface of the guide path. A sensor is provided. In addition, the sensor unit 107 includes an in-vehicle camera, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor / human sensor for monitoring people and animals, an obstacle, and other automatic traveling wheelchairs, as necessary. A collision prevention sensor is installed to prevent collision with the robot.

  The guiding tire 111 is a tire for stabilizing the traveling of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100. The automatic traveling wheelchair 100 also includes a device that can be completely stopped by a large damper with an automatic stopping function even when an obstacle suddenly approaches the automatic traveling wheelchair 100, and a movable protective handrail for protecting the body. Etc. are installed.

  In addition, the drive unit 101 of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is configured to be detachable and can be lent to a necessary person for a necessary period. Further, in order to charge the battery 102 of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 at night or the like, when not in use, the battery 102 can be automatically driven to a certain place such as the side of the bed and automatically charged.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the guide path, and shows an example in which an RFID chip is embedded in the floor surface as the guide chip 211 along the guide path 200. Position information is recorded on the guide chip 211, and an RFID reader mounted on the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 automatically travels while reading the information recorded on the guide chip 211 and confirming the position of the travel route. In the example shown in FIG. 2, an example in which the taxiway 200 has two round-trip lanes is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Further, when there are a plurality of lanes of the taxiway 200 in the same traveling direction, the obstacle can be avoided by changing the lane when an obstacle is detected.

  In addition, it is also possible to equip one lane with a plurality of rows of guide chips 211. In this case, it is possible to sense and control position information in the width direction with respect to the traveling direction of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100. Become.

  In addition, it is possible to improve convenience for users by combining wheelchair guideways and electric transfer machines for nursing care so that wheelchair passengers can be transported to toilets and bathrooms in each room. .

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a conceptual diagram of the taxiway, and is a diagram showing an example of the taxiway when the wheelchair automatic traveling system according to the present invention is installed in a five-story building.
On each floor, taxiways 301 to 306 are provided, and various automatic doors (indoors, fire doors, etc.) 311 to 315 and automatic elevator doors 316 to 320 are provided. The various automatic doors 311 to 315 and the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 are electrically collated by radio waves or magnetism, and are automatically opened and closed so that the traveling of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is not hindered. In addition, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 also transmits the information on the destination floor to the automatic elevator so as to automatically land.

  In addition, a wheelchair detection sensor 330 is attached to an arbitrary place, each departure place, arrival place, each branch point, and the like on the taxiways 301 to 306, and a host computer 400 for performing overall movement management of each automatic traveling wheelchair is provided. Install in one place or multiple places to manage the entire system.

  In addition, speakers, microphones, surveillance cameras, etc. are installed in the vicinity of the taxiways 301 to 306, and when trouble occurs, the wheelchair passengers can be contacted by voice, etc. Information such as a monitor image and sound can be sent to a place where a person is present so that necessary measures can be taken when a failure occurs.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the drive unit of the automatic traveling wheelchair. The drive unit 101 provided in the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 includes a wheelchair control device (also referred to as an in-vehicle computer) 104, an input / output device. 105, a drive motor 103, a controller 106, a guidance chip reader 131, and a monitoring camera 132 are provided. Further, in the wheelchair control device (onboard computer) 104, a control unit 141 that performs overall control of the drive unit 101, a communication unit 142 for communicating with the host computer 400, various automatic doors 311 and automatic elevators, a motor A control circuit unit 143 and a processing program unit 150 are provided.

The processing program unit 150 includes the following processing units.
The taxiway route information acquisition processing unit 151 acquires the route information of the taxiway by the wheelchair control device 104 itself or the route information calculated by the host computer 400 based on the information of the departure point and the destination. It is a processing part for doing. The obstacle detection processing unit 152 is a processing unit that acquires image information from the monitoring camera 132 and calculates the shape, size, distance to the obstacle, and the like of the obstacle.

  The obstacle avoidance processing unit 153 is a processing unit for performing avoidance processing such as collision prevention according to the type of obstacle. The detour route acquisition processing unit 154 is a processing unit for acquiring a detour route of an obstacle, and the wheelchair control device (in-vehicle computer) 104 itself calculates a detour route or the detour route calculated by the host computer 400. Get information. If the obstacle is the automatic door 311, the automatic door opening / closing instruction processing unit 155 communicates with the automatic door 311 to instruct opening / closing by the wheelchair control device 104 itself or via the host computer 400. Part.

  The automatic elevator movement instruction processing unit 156 is a processing unit for the wheelchair control device 104 itself or the host computer 400 to issue an automatic elevator call instruction to go to the destination floor.

The traveling state notification processing unit 157 is a processing unit for notifying the passenger of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 of the traveling state as needed. The notification of the driving situation can be performed by voice using, for example, the speaker 105b.
The motor control processing unit 158 is a processing unit for issuing a command to the motor control circuit unit 143 to control the rotation speed of the drive motor 103 and to control the rotation direction for rotating the wheelchair.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the host computer, and shows only a part directly related to the present invention. The host computer 400 includes a control unit 401 that performs overall control of the host computer 400, a database 402, and a processing program unit 410.

The processing program unit 410 includes the following processing units.
The information transmission processing unit 411 to the administrator room is a processing unit for transmitting monitoring information from the monitoring camera, an obstacle alarm, and the like to the administrator in the administrator room 500. The automatic traveling wheelchair monitoring processing unit 412 is a processing unit for monitoring the entire traveling state of each automatic traveling wheelchair.

  The taxiway route calculation processing unit 413 receives the destination information from the automatic traveling wheelchair 100, calculates the optimum route of the taxiway based on the current position of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 and the destination information, and the automatic traveling wheelchair. 100 is a processing unit for notifying 100. Note that the route calculation of the taxiway may be performed on the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 side.

  The detour route calculation processing unit 414 is a processing unit that calculates a detour route and notifies the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 when the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 encounters an obstacle. The calculation of the detour route may be performed on the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 side.

  The automatic elevator movement instruction processing unit 415 is a processing unit for calling the automatic elevator 432 and instructing movement to go to the destination floor. In addition, you may make it perform calling of this automatic elevator 432, and a movement instruction | indication in the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 side.

  The automatic door opening / closing instruction processing unit 416 and a processing unit for instructing the automatic door 431 to open / close. The automatic door opening / closing instruction may be given on the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 side. The traveling state notification processing unit 417 is a processing unit for notifying passengers of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 of the traveling state as needed.

  The taxiway monitoring processing unit 418 is a processing unit for monitoring the taxiway by the taxiway installation sensor 430 installed near the taxiway 200 (floor, wall, ceiling, etc.). The taxiway installation sensor 430 performs monitoring of obstacles, monitoring of fires by the in-facility installed disaster prevention sensor, monitoring of obstacles by the in-facility installation monitoring camera, and monitoring of obstacles by wheelchair built-in sensors, for example. Further, when an obstacle or the like is found, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is notified, and an instruction to reduce or stop the speed of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is given.

The database 402 records information necessary for system operation.
For example, wheelchair management information includes user information about each automatic traveling wheelchair 100 used in this system, verification information for opening and closing an automatic door, the current position of each automatic traveling wheelchair 100, usage status, Information such as the movement trajectory and time is recorded. In addition, the wheelchair management information can be verified as a record at a later date if necessary.

  The sensor management information is management information in which the position, type, and the like of the guidance chip and the guidance path installation sensor used in the system are recorded. The automatic door management information is management information in which information such as the location of the automatic door used in the system and the open / closed state is recorded. The automatic elevator management information is management information that records the location of the automatic elevator used in the system, information on the operation status, and the like. Taxiway management information is management information in which information about taxiways installed in a building is recorded.

  FIG. 6 is a first flowchart for explaining the automatic traveling of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100, and shows an example in the case of automatic traveling from the own room to another destination floor. Hereinafter, the traveling of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, a passenger of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 inputs a destination using the touch panel 105 a provided in the input / output device 105. Alternatively, the destination is voiced by the microphone 105c provided in the input / output device 105 (step S101).
The destination information input from the input / output device 105 is notified to the host computer 400, and the route of the taxiway is calculated (selected) by the host computer 400 and notified to the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 (step S102). The automatic traveling wheelchair 100 receives route information of the taxiway from the host computer 400, selects a route, and starts automatic traveling (step S103).
If the destination is erroneously input, it can be canceled by the input / output device 105 and the destination can be set again (step S104).

  The automatic traveling wheelchair 100 automatically travels while reading the information on the guidance chip on the taxiway and checking whether the taxiway is passable (step S104).

  If the taxiway is impassable, it moves to the nearest taxiway (step S105). If the taxiway is passable, the vehicle automatically travels while checking for obstacles (step S106). In addition to checking obstacles on the taxiway using wheelchair built-in sensors (vehicle camera, ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, etc.), this obstacle check includes taxiway installation sensors (monitoring camera, thermal smoke sensor, magnetic sensor, Obstacles on the taxiway are monitored by infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, etc.

  If an obstacle is detected (step S107), it is confirmed whether the detected obstacle is a recognized obstacle (automatic door, automatic elevator door, etc.) or an unspecified obstacle, and the obstacle is already recognized. In the case of an obstacle (automatic door, automatic elevator door, etc.), the door opening signal or the automatic elevator call signal is sent to the automatic door, automatic elevator, etc. directly from the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 or via the host computer 400. Transmit (steps S108 and S109).

  In this case, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 and the automatic door perform individual verification (step S110). When the collation result is “OK”, the door power supply is turned “ON”, the door is opened (step S111), and the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is notified that the automatic door is opened. After receiving the automatic door opening confirmation signal (step S112), the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 starts automatic traveling (step S120). Note that if the collation result is “indeterminate” in step S110, the passenger of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 cannot pass through the automatic door, so it is necessary to select another taxiway again.

When it is determined in step S107 that the obstacle is an unspecified obstacle, the speed of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is adjusted to decrease or stop the traveling speed (step S113). Then, it is determined whether or not the obstacle can be bypassed.
If detouring is possible, the host computer 400 searches for a detour route and notifies the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 (step S114). The automatic traveling wheelchair 100 acquires information on the detour route and detours the obstacle (step S115). When it is confirmed that the obstacle has been detoured and has returned to the initially selected taxiway, normal automatic driving is started (steps S116 and S120).
On the other hand, if the obstacle cannot be detoured, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 stops (step S117) and notifies the administrator or the like (step S118). After the obstacle is manually removed (step S119), the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 starts automatic traveling (step S120).

  In step S120, when the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 starts automatic traveling, the automatic traveling is performed toward the destination while selecting the taxiway (step S121). When the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 arrives at the destination, the automatic traveling is terminated (step S122). ).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart 2 for explaining the automatic traveling of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100, and shows an example of automatic traveling in the own room.
The flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is basically the same processing flow as the flowchart shown in FIG.
In step S108 of FIG. 7, the recognized obstacle is only the automatic door, and the automatic elevator door is not the target. Further, in step S109, only the door opening signal is targeted, and the automatic elevator call signal is not targeted.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the obstacle detection process, and details the procedure of the obstacle detection process. Hereinafter, the flow of the obstacle detection process will be described with reference to FIG.
On the self-propelled wheelchair side, obstacles on the taxiway are checked by a wheelchair built-in sensor. For example, obstacle monitoring by an in-vehicle camera, human / animal monitoring by an infrared sensor / human sensor, object (non-magnetic substance) monitoring by an ultrasonic sensor, and magnetic substance monitoring by a magnetic sensor are performed (step S201). .
In addition, a signal from the wheelchair built-in sensor is transmitted to the in-vehicle computer, and monitoring processing is performed by the in-vehicle computer (step S202).
When an obstacle is sensed (step S203), the wheelchair speed adjustment is reduced or stopped (step S204). In addition, the system side is notified that an obstacle has been detected (arrow line a).

  On the automatic traveling wheelchair side, after adjusting the speed of the wheelchair, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 itself or the host computer 400 checks whether or not an obstacle can be bypassed (step S205). If detouring is possible, a detour route is acquired from the host computer 400 and detouring is performed (steps S206, S207, and S208). The automatic traveling wheelchair returns to the normal route after detouring the obstacle (step S209). If it is determined in step S205 that detouring is not possible, the administrator is notified of the situation (arrow line b).

  On the other hand, on the system side, an obstacle check on the taxiway by an administrator (manned monitoring in an administrator room) is performed. For example, monitoring of obstacle alarms by sensors installed in taxiways, monitoring of fire alarms by disaster prevention sensors installed in facilities, monitoring of obstacles by monitoring cameras installed in facilities, monitoring of alarms by sensors installed in wheelchairs, etc. (Step S301).

  When the administrator confirms an obstacle alarm, first the situation of the obstacle is confirmed. (Step S302). When an obstacle is found (step S303), the passenger of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is notified by voice / light signal to remove the obstacle (step S304), and the administrator moves or removes the obstacle. Is performed (step S305). Thereafter, the automatic traveling wheelchair starts automatic traveling (step S209).

  If no obstacle is found in step S302 (step S306), the wheelchair is restarted by a sound / light signal or the like (step S307), and the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 resumes automatic traveling. (Step S209).

On the system side, the taxiway is monitored by a taxiway installation sensor.
For example, monitoring of a magnetic material using a magnetic sensor, monitoring of an object (non-magnetic material) using an ultrasonic sensor, monitoring of a fire or the like using a thermal smoke sensor, monitoring of an obstacle using a monitoring camera, and the like are performed (step S401).

A signal from the guide path installation sensor is transmitted to the host computer, and monitoring processing is performed by the host computer (step S402).
When an obstacle is detected (step S403), a signal for reducing or stopping the speed adjustment of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is transmitted (step S404), and the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is decelerated or stopped (arrowed line c). ). Also, the administrator is notified that an obstacle has been detected (arrow line d).

  Moreover, FIG. 9 is a figure for demonstrating the detouring process when there exists an obstruction on a taxiway. Hereinafter, the flow of the detouring process will be described with reference to FIG. When an obstacle is found by the in-vehicle camera of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 (step S501), the size of the obstacle, the distance to the obstacle, and the like are calculated by the in-vehicle computer of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 (step S502). Further, the status of the taxiway, width, and obstacles are detected (step S503). Then, it is determined whether or not an obstacle can be bypassed.

  If detouring is possible, a detour route is acquired and detouring is performed (steps S504, S505, S506). Then, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 returns to the normal route after detouring the obstacle (step S507). If it is determined in step S503 that detouring cannot be performed, the administrator is notified of the situation, and the administrator removes the obstacle (steps S508 and S509).

Next, the automatic elevator will be further described. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an outline of an automatic elevator in a wheelchair automatic traveling system.
This automatic elevator is an elevator that enables a wheelchair user to move on the floor by linking an automatic elevator control panel 800 for an automatic elevator and a host computer 400 of an automatic wheelchair traveling system. The automatic elevator is provided with two opposing automatic doors 601 and 602 for the entrance and the exit along the flow of the taxiway (traveling path) 200, and the user of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 proceeds with the wheelchair. You can get on and off the car 610 of the automatic elevator without changing the direction. For example, by entering from the automatic door 601 side and leaving from the automatic door 602 side, the automatic elevator can be used without changing the traveling direction of the wheelchair.

  Further, in the elevator car 610 and the automatic doors 601 and 602, various sensors necessary for the wheelchair automatic traveling system, for example, door opening / closing sensors 601a and 602a, an in-car area sensor 611, a control guidance sensor 612, and a monitoring camera are provided. 620 etc. are provided, and the acquired information is notified to the automatic elevator control panel 800 and the host computer 400.

  Further, the host computer 400 that has obtained the destination information input to the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 calculates the route information, and if it is necessary to move to the floor, the automatic elevator control panel 800 connected wirelessly or by wire automatically The elevator is called up to the floor of the movement source, the elevator automatic doors 601 and 602 are opened and closed, safety is confirmed, and the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is guided. In addition, the automatic elevator automatically landings on the calling floor, and after confirming the landing / opening of the door, the wheelchair 100 enters the room and exits after confirming the landing and opening of the target floor.

  In addition, for the wheelchair users who are in the certain range of the elevator hall and waiting on the wheelchair users, the fact that the automatic elevator is grasping the requirements of the users of the wheelchair by synthetic voice, lamps, images, etc. An output device (speaker, lamp, image display device, etc.) for output is provided at the entrance of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 or the automatic elevator.

  In addition, when the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 enters a certain range (for example, an elevator hall) of the automatic elevator, the destination floor of the wheelchair is guided by a synthesized voice or the like, and the user of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 moves forward or backward. At the same time as providing necessary information, notification of the existence of a wheelchair for automatic driving inside and outside the automatic elevator by synthetic voice, lamp, image, etc., and providing necessary information in advance to other wheelchairs or elevator users when landing or leaving Allows entry and exit.

  Further, whether or not it is possible to secure a sufficient space for the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 to enter the interior of the car 610 of the automatic elevator is calculated by the in-car area sensor 611, and if it is insufficient, the elevator is allowed to pass through, This is notified to the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 and the host computer 400. In this calculation, the car area sensor 611 detects the presence or absence of a person or baggage within the detection range of the sensor, and the number of car area sensors 611 that have been detected as having no person or baggage and its detection range. Based on the size, the size of the empty space is calculated, and when the empty space is larger than the size of the bottom area of the wheelchair 100, the wheelchair is allowed to enter.

  The automatic elevator according to the present invention can be easily refurbished as an elevator for a self-propelled wheelchair by attaching various sensors to the existing elevator and connecting the host computer wirelessly or by wire after the control panel has been replaced. It is said. In addition, it has a notification facility for emergency manager rooms and an interphone facility.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the automatic elevator. Hereinafter, the operation flow in the automatic elevator will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 10. The operation information in the automatic elevator is always notified to the host computer 400.
First, the automatic elevator receives an “automatic elevator call instruction” from the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 or the host computer 400 (step S601). If the automatic elevator is in use, the fact is notified to the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 or the host computer 400 (steps S602 and S603). In this case, the automatic traveling wheelchair that requested the automatic elevator is in a temporary standby state.

  If the automatic elevator is not currently in use, it moves to the calling floor (step S604). Upon arrival (landing) on the calling floor, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 that intends to use the automatic elevator is collated (step S605). When the collation is confirmed (step S606), the automatic door 601 on the entrance side of the automatic elevator is opened. Further, it is confirmed by the door opening / closing sensor 601a that the automatic door 601 on the entrance side of the automatic elevator is completely opened (step S607).

  After confirming that the automatic door 601 is completely opened, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is guided to enter the room (step S608). In this case, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is guided to enter the room along the guide path 200 by the control guidance sensor 612 provided on the floor in the car 610. When it is confirmed that the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 has entered and stopped at the predetermined safe position by the area sensor 611 (step S609), the automatic door 601 on the entrance side is closed, and the automatic door 601 is completely opened by the door opening / closing sensor 601a. It is confirmed that it has been closed (step S610). In principle, the guidance for entering the car of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is performed on the automatic elevator side according to an instruction from the host computer 400, but the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 itself may perform the guidance.

  Then, the elevator car 610 moves to the destination floor (step S611). When the destination floor is reached, it is confirmed that the user can safely leave the destination floor (step S612), the exit-side automatic door 602 is opened, and the door opening sensor 602a confirms that the automatic door 602 has been completely opened. (Step S613).

  When the automatic door (exit side) 602 is opened, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is guided to leave the room (step S614). In this case, the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is guided to exit along the guide path 200 by the control guidance sensor 612 provided on the floor, ceiling, or wall in the car 610. Then, the area sensor 611 confirms that the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 has completely left the room (step S615), and after the safety is confirmed, the automatic door (exit side) is closed (step S616). In principle, the guidance of leaving the car from the car of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 is performed on the automatic elevator side according to the instruction of the host computer 400, but the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 itself may perform it.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where there are two automatic doors has been described. However, the number of the automatic doors may be one. In this case, after riding on the elevator, the traveling direction of the wheelchair is directed to the door side. (Direction change) control is performed. In addition, this direction change control may be issued to the wheelchair from the automatic elevator side or may be performed by the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 itself.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, two or more automatic doors may be provided. In this case, based on an instruction from the automatic elevator control device 700, which door is the doorway to the destination floor is a voice. -You may make it provide the output means which notifies a passenger in an automatic elevator before landing by a lamp, an image, etc.
In the above-described embodiment, when an instruction for placing the automatic traveling wheelchair is received from the automatic traveling wheelchair or the host computer, a voice message is sent to a person who is in the car that the automatic traveling wheelchair enters An output device for notifying by a lamp, an image, or the like may be provided. Thereby, before the automatic traveling wheelchair enters, it becomes possible for the passenger in the car to be urged to make a space near the doorway of the door, and the automatic traveling wheelchair can be smoothly entered.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an automatic elevator control device that controls the operation of the automatic elevator, and shows functions necessary for controlling the automatic elevator. The automatic elevator control device (or its function) may be provided in the host computer 400 or in the automatic elevator control panel 800.

  In FIG. 12, an automatic elevator controller 700 controls the raising and lowering of the car 610 of the automatic elevator and the automatic opening and closing of the automatic doors 601 and 602, and the guidance control of entering and leaving the car 610 of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100. The apparatus includes an EV control unit 701, a processing program unit 710, and a database 720 that collectively control the entire automatic elevator control device 700.

The processing program unit 710 includes the following processing units.
The information transmission processing unit 711 to the manager room monitors the manager room 500 by monitoring information by the monitoring camera 620 in the car 610 of the automatic elevator, state information of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 in the automatic elevator, and various sensors. A processing unit for transmitting information and the like.
The destination floor movement processing unit 712 is a processing unit for performing call control of the car 610 of the automatic elevator and movement control of the car 610 to the destination floor.
When the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 enters the car 610, the entrance guidance processing unit 713 detects the wheelchair 100, opens the door, and guides the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 to enter the room by the control guidance sensor 612. Then, after confirming that the vehicle has stopped at a predetermined safe position, the door is closed.
When leaving the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 from the car 610, the leaving guidance processing unit 714 confirms that the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 has arrived at the target floor, opens the door, and guides the leaving of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 by the control guidance sensor 612. After confirming that the user has safely left the room, the door is closed.

The EV door opening / closing instruction processing unit 715 is a processing unit for instructing the automatic doors 601 and 602 to open / close.
The in-car area detection processing unit 716 collects information on various sensors provided in the car 610, such as door opening / closing sensors 601a and 602a, an in-car area sensor 611, a control guidance sensor 612, and a monitoring camera 620. Is a processing unit.
The taxiway route calculation processing unit 717 is a processing unit that receives information on the destination of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 and calculates information on the destination floor of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 and a guidance route when leaving the car 610. .
The automatic traveling wheelchair monitoring processing unit 718 performs processing for monitoring the safety of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 inside the automatic elevator and monitoring the traveling state of other automatic traveling wheelchairs in the vicinity of the landing position of the automatic elevator (elevator hall). Part.
When the emergency call processing unit 719 detects that a situation that threatens the safety of the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 has occurred by the in-car area detection processing unit 716 and the automatic traveling wheelchair monitoring processing unit 718, It is a processing unit for notification.

The database 720 records information necessary for the operation of the automatic elevator.
For example, the floor movement management information 721 records the current operating status of the automatic elevator, for example, when a plurality of automatic elevators are used, which floor each automatic elevator is currently in, and lifting history information. The

  The EV door open / close management information 722 is information for managing the open / close state of the automatic door of each automatic elevator. The sensor management information 723 collects information on various sensors provided in the car of the automatic elevator, such as door opening / closing sensors 601a and 602a, an in-car area sensor 611, a control guidance sensor 612, and a monitoring camera 620. It is the recorded information.

The wheelchair management information 724 records information about the automatic traveling wheelchair 100 using the automatic elevator. Further, the taxiway management information 725 records information on the taxiway necessary for the operation of the automatic elevator.
The management information can be verified as a record at a later date if necessary.

  The automatic elevator control panel 800 is a control panel in which a power supply main circuit is housed and various devices necessary for driving the automatic elevator are housed. A drive control device (for example, an inverter and an elevator) A control device such as a sequencer) 801, a door opening / closing drive control device (for example, a hydraulic unit control device) 802, various sensor information collection units (for example, a sequencer) 803, and the like are provided.

  As described above, the processing program unit 150 in the wheelchair control device 104 shown in FIG. 4, the processing program unit 410 in the host computer 400 shown in FIG. 5, and the automatic elevator control device shown in FIG. A program for realizing the functions of the processing program unit 710 in 700 is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium is read into a computer system and executed, whereby FIG. Processing necessary for the functions of the processing program unit 150 in the wheelchair control device 104 shown, the processing program unit 410 in the host computer 400 shown in FIG. 5, and the processing program unit 710 in the automatic elevator control device 700 shown in FIG. May be. Here, the “computer system” includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices.

The “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a storage device such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a general medium such as a ROM and a CD-ROM, and a hard disk incorporated in a computer system.
Furthermore, the “computer-readable recording medium” dynamically holds a program for a short time like a communication line when transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. In this case, it is intended to include those that hold a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory inside a computer system that becomes a server or a client in that case (transmission medium or transmission wave).
The program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above, and further, a program that can realize the functions described above in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system, a so-called difference file (difference). Program).

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, the automatic traveling wheelchair of this invention, a wheelchair automatic traveling system, and an automatic elevator are not limited only to the above-mentioned illustration example, The range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention Of course, various changes can be made.

  In the present invention, a highly safe wheelchair automatic traveling system can be constructed inside or outside a building or facility, and can support a wheelchair user such as an elderly person to actively live, Since the burden on the caregiver can be reduced, the present invention can be applied to an automatic traveling wheelchair, an automatic wheelchair traveling system, an automatic elevator, a wheelchair automatic traveling method, and the like.

The figure which shows the structural example of the automatic traveling wheelchair by this invention. The figure which shows the structural example of a taxiway. The figure which shows the conceptual diagram of a taxiway. The block diagram which shows the structural example of the drive unit of an automatic traveling wheelchair. The block diagram which shows the structural example of a host computer. The flowchart for demonstrating the automatic driving | running | working of an automatic driving wheelchair. The flowchart for demonstrating the automatic driving | running | working of an automatic driving wheelchair. The figure for demonstrating an obstruction detection process. The figure for demonstrating a detour process. The figure which shows the outline | summary of the automatic elevator in a wheelchair automatic running system. The flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of an automatic elevator. The figure which shows the structural example of an automatic elevator control apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

100 Automatic Wheelchair 101 Drive Unit 104 Wheelchair Control Device (In-vehicle Computer)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 105 Input / output device 107 Sensor part 110 Moving tire 131 Guidance chip reader 132 Surveillance camera 141 Control part 142 Communication part 143 Motor control circuit part 150 Processing program part 151 Guidance path route information acquisition processing part 152 Obstacle detection processing part 153 Obstacle Avoidance processing unit 154 Detour route acquisition processing unit 155 Automatic door opening / closing instruction processing unit 156 Automatic elevator movement instruction processing unit 157 Travel condition notification processing unit 158 Motor control processing unit 200 Guide path 211 Guide chip 311 Various automatic doors 316 Automatic elevator door 400 Host Computer 601 Automatic door (inlet side) 601a Door open / close sensor (inlet side)
602 Automatic door (exit side) 602a Door open sensor (exit side)
611 Area sensor 612 Control guidance sensor 620 Monitoring camera 700 Automatic elevator control device 701 EV control unit 710 Processing program unit 711 Information transmission processing unit to manager room 712 Target floor movement processing unit 713 Entrance guidance processing unit 714 Exit guidance processing unit 715 EV door opening / closing instruction processing unit 716 Car area detection processing unit 717 Taxiway route calculation processing unit 718 Automatic traveling wheelchair monitoring processing unit 719 Emergency call processing unit 800 Automatic elevator control panel

Claims (4)

An automatic elevator in a wheelchair automatic traveling system that manages the traveling management of the automatic traveling wheelchair and the taxiway on which the automatic traveling wheelchair travels,
In accordance with an instruction from the automatic traveling wheelchair or an instruction from a host computer, movement to a floor for placing the automatic traveling wheelchair, and destination floor moving means for moving the automatic traveling wheelchair to the destination floor,
When entering an automatic traveling wheelchair, the automatic traveling wheelchair is detected, the door is opened, the automatic traveling wheelchair is guided, the door is closed after confirming that the automatic traveling wheelchair has entered and stopped at a predetermined position Entry guidance means;
When leaving the automatic wheelchair, the door is opened after confirming that it has reached the destination floor, the exit of the automatic wheelchair is guided, and the door is closed after confirming that the automatic wheelchair has left An automatic elevator characterized by comprising: Based on the detection result of the area sensor that detects the self-driving wheelchair in the car, if there is a space for the self-driving wheelchair to enter the automatic elevator, the automatic elevator The automatic elevator according to claim 1, further comprising means for operating the vehicle so as to be put on the vehicle and for notifying the automatic traveling wheelchair or the host computer of the passage or the fact that there is no space. 2. An output means for notifying the car that the automatic traveling wheelchair enters when receiving an instruction for placing the automatic traveling wheelchair from the automatic traveling wheelchair or a host computer. Or the automatic elevator of Claim 2. A driving method of an automatic elevator in a wheelchair automatic driving system that manages a driving management of an automatic driving wheelchair and a guideway on which the automatic driving wheelchair runs,
In accordance with an instruction from the automatic traveling wheelchair, or an instruction from the host computer, moving to the floor for placing the automatic traveling wheelchair, and moving the automatic traveling wheelchair to the destination floor,
When entering the automatic wheelchair, the automatic wheelchair is detected, the door is opened, the automatic wheelchair is entered, the door is closed after confirming that the automatic wheelchair has entered and stopped in place. ,
When leaving the automatic wheelchair, the door is opened after confirming that it has reached the target floor, the exit of the automatic wheelchair is guided, and the door is closed after confirming that the automatic wheelchair has left. How to operate an automatic elevator.

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