JP2007159011A - Remote monitoring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a load applied to call termination as little as possible even if call originating signals of telephone sets are rapidly increased. <P>SOLUTION: When a monitoring center relaying apparatus 6 inputs a call originating signal from a user telephone set 1, 2, 3, the monitoring center relaying apparatus 6 discriminates the area of a call originating signal output source by detecting a call originating source telephone number contained in this call originating signal. The monitoring center relaying apparatus 6 outputs a calling signal to a telephone set, among telephone sets 7, 8, 9 at a monitoring center side, predetermined as a telephone set to terminate a call originated from the discriminated area. The monitoring center relaying apparatus 6 discriminates input frequency of call originating signals from areas and if the input frequency of a call originating signal from a telephone set in a partial area is increased by occurrence of a disaster such as an earthquake, the number of telephone sets as objects to terminate calls originated from the area is increased among the telephone sets 7, 8, 9 at the monitoring center side. Thus, even if calls originated from telephone sets in a partial area are rapidly increased, these calls can be terminated to telephone sets more than an ordinary state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote monitoring apparatus that performs monitoring based on a transmission signal from a telephone set of a remote monitoring target and a user.

  Conventionally, when an elevator confinement accident occurs, a user in a car can communicate with an operator of a remote monitoring center. When the user dials the telephone number of the elevator monitoring center or operates the intercom in the passenger car using the telephone (mobile phone) at hand, a telephone call signal is output to the monitoring center. In the monitoring center, a relay device and a plurality of telephones are installed, and these outgoing signals are received. Here, the relay device determines the area of the transmission source from the transmission signal from the user's telephone, and among the plurality of telephones on the monitoring center side, the telephone set in advance as the call destination responsible for the determined area A telephone call signal is output. In this way, the telephone of the monitoring center can be switched according to the call originator so that the operator of the monitoring center can communicate only with a user in a predetermined area. We are trying to improve efficiency.

  However, for example, when an earthquake occurs, the number of telephones from users living in the area increases rapidly. In that case, all the incoming calls must be made only by the telephones in charge of the above-mentioned earthquake occurrence area among the telephones on the monitoring center side, and the burden on the operator who handles the telephones becomes remarkably large. In addition, since the number of incoming calls is significantly smaller than the number of outgoing calls, some users cannot quickly contact the operator.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a remote monitoring device that can reduce the load applied to incoming calls as much as possible even when the number of outgoing signals increases rapidly.

  The remote monitoring device according to the present invention inputs a remote monitoring target and a transmission signal from the user, and stores, for each of a plurality of areas where remote monitoring is performed, the number of telephones to be called for the transmission signal for each area. In addition, the stored number can be changed, and a call signal is output to the number of telephones changed as described above among a plurality of telephones based on the area where the input signal is transmitted. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, even if the number of outgoing signals increases rapidly, the load applied to incoming calls can be reduced as much as possible.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a remote monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, elevator remote monitoring will be described as an example. However, the present invention can also be applied to remote monitoring of other elevators such as escalators and remote monitoring of facilities other than elevators.

  This elevator remote monitoring device has a plurality of user telephones 1, 2, 3, a public telephone network 4, and an elevator remote monitoring center 5. User telephones 1, 2, and 3 are telephones (fixed telephones and mobile phones) possessed by elevator users or intercoms in elevator cars.

The elevator remote monitoring center 5 includes a monitoring center relay device 6 and monitoring center telephones 7, 8, 9.
User telephones 1, 2, 3 are connected to a monitoring center relay device 6 of an elevator remote monitoring center 5 through a public telephone network 4. The monitoring center relay device 6 is connected to monitoring center telephones 7, 8 and 9.

  The monitoring center telephones 7, 8, 9 are telephones handled by the operator of the elevator remote monitoring center 5. The monitoring center relay device 6 inputs a transmission signal from the user telephones 1, 2, 3 and outputs a calling signal to any one or a plurality of the monitoring center telephones 7, 8, 9. When the operator of the telephone that has input the call signal goes off-hook, the telephone and the telephone from which the outgoing signal is output are ready to talk. In FIG. 1, only three user telephones and three monitoring center telephones are shown, but the number is not limited in practice.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration example of the monitoring center relay device 6 of the remote monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The monitoring center relay device 6 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication interface 13 that control the operation of the entire device, and these are connected to each other. The communication interface 13 is connected to the public telephone network 4 and the monitoring center telephones 7, 8, and 9. The communication interface 13 functions as an input means for inputting a transmission signal from a remote monitoring target and its user.

FIG. 3 is a table showing an example of the area name table stored in the storage unit 12 of the monitoring center relay device 6 of the remote monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The storage unit 12 stores an area name table in the format shown in FIG. 3 in addition to a program for control by the control unit 11. In this area name table, the source area code and the area name are associated with each other and managed. In the area name table shown in FIG. 3, area codes in each area are associated with “Metropolitan area”, “Kansai”, “Tohoku”, “Shin-Etsu”, “Hokuriku”, and the like. That is, the storage unit 12 functions as an area information storage unit that stores the area code of the caller telephone number and the area corresponding to the area code.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the allocation area table stored in the storage unit 12 of the monitoring center relay device 6 of the remote monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention in a table format.
The storage unit 12 stores an allocation area table in the format shown in FIG. 4 in addition to a program for control by the control unit 11. This assigned area table is a table in which the area of the telephone set that is the source of the outgoing signal that is the trigger of the ringing signal to be received is defined for each of the monitoring center telephones 7, 8, and 9. In this table, the monitoring center telephones 7, 8, and 9 are managed by associating their own telephone numbers and area names.

  In the allocated area table shown in FIG. 4, the telephone number “45 **-1201” of the monitoring center telephone 7 is associated with the area name “Metropolitan area” and the telephone number “45 **-1220” of the monitoring center telephone 8. Is associated with the area name “Kansai”, the telephone number “45 ** — 1203” of the monitoring center telephone 9 is associated with the area name “Tohoku”, and the other center telephone number “45 ** — 1204” is associated with the area. The name “Shin-Etsu” is associated, and the area name “Hokuriku” is associated with the other center telephone number “45 **-1205”.

FIG. 5 is a table showing an example of the allocation number table stored in the storage unit 12 of the monitoring center relay device 6 of the remote monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The storage unit 12 stores an allocation number table in the format shown in FIG. 5 in addition to a program for control by the control unit 11. In this allocation number table, the number of transmissions per unit time from telephones in the same region and the number of telephones to which ringing signals are to be output for the transmission signals are associated and managed. The number of transmissions per unit time is, for example, the number of transmission signals output per minute.

  In the allocation number table shown in FIG. 5, the allocation number “1” is associated with the transmission number “5 or less” per minute, and the allocation number “2” is allocated to the transmission number “6 to 10” per minute. The assigned number “3” is associated with the number of calls “11 to 15” per minute, the assigned number “4” is associated with the “16 to 20” number of calls per minute, The allocated number “5” is associated with the number of outgoing calls per minute “21 to 25”. Of course, this allocation number can be set arbitrarily.

  That is, the storage unit 12 functions as a call information storage unit that stores, for each region, the number of telephones to be called for a call signal for each of a plurality of regions where remote monitoring is performed.

FIG. 6 is a table showing an example of a transmission status management table stored in the storage unit 12 of the monitoring center relay device 6 of the remote monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The storage unit 12 stores a transmission status table in the format shown in FIG. 6 in addition to a program for control by the control unit 11. In this table, the area name, the number of inputs per minute of the outgoing signal from the telephone in the area corresponding to the area name, and the allocated number are managed in association with each other. This allocated number is the number of telephones to which a ringing signal is to be output in response to a call signal from a telephone set in the area associated with the call status management table.

  The monitoring center relay device 6 updates the information on the number of transmissions and the number of allocations per minute on the transmission status management table according to the change in the number of inputs per minute for the transmission signals from the telephones in each region. . That is, the control unit 11 functions as a number change unit that changes the number of telephones stored in the storage unit 12 as described above. The number of telephones is the number of telephones to be called for outgoing signals in each of a plurality of areas where the above-described remote monitoring is performed.

  Next, the processing operation of the remote monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a call processing operation between the user telephone and the monitoring center telephone in the remote monitoring apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  First, when an elevator user operates a telephone at hand among the user telephones 1, 2, and 3 and dials the telephone number of the elevator monitoring center, the telephone outputs a call signal to the public telephone network 4. This outgoing signal includes a source telephone number and a destination telephone number.

  When the communication interface 13 of the monitoring center relay device 6 inputs a transmission signal from the public telephone network 4 (step S1), the control unit 11 detects a transmission source telephone number included in the transmission signal. That is, the control unit 11 functions as a detection unit that detects a caller telephone number included in the call signal.

  The control unit 11 searches the region name table (see FIG. 3) stored in the storage unit 12 for the region name associated with the area code of the telephone number (step S2). That is, the control unit 11 functions as a region discriminating unit that discriminates the region from which the transmission signal is transmitted.

  Further, the control unit 11 retrieves the region name retrieved from the region name table in the past one minute and the number of retrievals as described above on the transmission status management table (see FIG. 6) stored in the storage unit 12. This is reflected in the number of outgoing calls per minute associated with the same area name as the name (step S3). That is, the control unit 11 functions as an input number determination unit that determines the number of inputs per unit time of a transmission signal from a telephone set in a predetermined area for each area.

  The control unit 11 searches the allocation number table (see FIG. 5) stored in the storage unit 12 for the allocation number associated with the area name managed in the transmission status management table, and searches for this information in the transmission status management table (FIG. 6). (Refer to the above) The number of allocations associated with the above-mentioned area name is reflected (step S4).

  In the control unit 11, the number of center telephone numbers associated with the area name managed in the allocated area table (see FIG. 4) stored in the storage unit 12 becomes the allocated number retrieved from the allocated number table as described above. In this manner, the region name on the allocated region table is updated (step S5).

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing, in tabular form, an example of updating the allocated area table stored in the storage unit 12 of the monitoring center relay device 6 of the remote monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
A specific example of the process in step S5 will be described. The control unit 11 stores the information in the storage unit 12 when the number of telephones to be received for the call from the user telephone in the metropolitan area is three as shown in the transmission status management table (see FIG. 6). The center telephone numbers associated with “Metropolitan area” which is the area name on the assigned area table (see FIG. 4) are “45 ** − 1201”, “45 ** − 1202” and “45 ** − 1203”. The allocation area table is updated so that there are three units.

  Here, before the allocation area table is updated, the center telephone number “45 ** − 1202” is the telephone number of the target telephone for outgoing calls from the Kansai user telephone as shown in FIG. * -1203 "is the telephone number of the target telephone for incoming calls from user telephones in Tohoku. Therefore, the control unit 11 is able to maintain incoming calls from these Kansai and Tohoku user telephones, and the area name associated with “45 **-1204” among the center telephone numbers on the assigned area table. “Kansai” is added to “Tohoku”, and “Tohoku” is added to the area name associated with the center telephone number “45 **-1205”.

  After such update of the allocated area table, the control unit 11 of the monitoring center relay device 6 is a telephone number in which the transmission source telephone number included in the transmission signal input by the communication interface 13 includes the area code of the metropolitan area. In this case, a ringing signal is output to the telephones having telephone numbers “45 **-1201”, “45 **-1220”, and “45 **-1203” among the monitoring center telephones (steps S6 and S7). .

  That is, the control unit 11 and the communication interface 13 output the calling signal to the number of telephones changed by the control unit 11 as described above among a plurality of telephones based on the area where the input signal is transmitted. Function as.

  A ringing tone is generated from the telephone to which the call signal is output. When any one of these telephones is off-hooked, the ringing tone of each telephone that is the output destination of the ringing signal stops, and the telephone that has performed the off-hook is in a state where it can talk to the caller telephone.

  In addition, when the caller telephone number included in the outgoing signal input by the communication interface 13 is a telephone number including an area code of either Shin-Etsu or Kansai, the control unit 11 sets the telephone number of the monitoring center telephone. A ringing signal is output to the telephone whose is “45 **-1204”.

  In addition, when the caller telephone number included in the call signal input by the communication interface 13 is a telephone number including an area code of either Hokuriku or Tohoku, the control unit 11 sets the telephone number of the monitoring center telephone. A ringing signal is output to the telephone whose is “45 **-1205”.

  As described above, in the remote monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention, an incoming call target assigned in advance for each area of the telephone on the monitoring center side according to the area of the transmission source of the transmission signal from the user telephone. A call signal is output to the telephone. Then, when the output frequency of outgoing signals from some telephones in each region increases, processing is performed to increase the number of incoming target telephones for outgoing calls from telephones in this region. As a result, even if the number of outgoing calls from a telephone in a certain region increases rapidly due to a disaster such as an earthquake, the incoming call can be received by a larger number of telephones than usual. Therefore, since the burden on the operator of the monitoring center can be reduced, a smooth response to a telephone call from the user can be realized.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Moreover, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be omitted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, you may combine suitably the component covering different embodiment.

The block diagram which shows the structural example of the remote monitoring apparatus according to embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the internal structural example of the monitoring center relay apparatus of the remote monitoring apparatus according to embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the area name table memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of the monitoring center relay apparatus of the remote monitoring apparatus according to embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the allocation area table memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of the monitoring center relay apparatus of the remote monitoring apparatus according to embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the allocation number table memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of the monitoring center relay apparatus of the remote monitoring apparatus according to embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the transmission condition management table memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of the monitoring center relay apparatus of the remote monitoring apparatus according to embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows an example of the telephone call processing operation between the user telephone and the monitoring center telephone in the remote monitoring apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the update example of the allocation area table memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of the monitoring center relay apparatus of the remote monitoring apparatus according to embodiment of this invention in a table format.

Explanation of symbols

  1, 2, 3 ... user telephones, 4 ... public telephone network, 5 ... elevator remote monitoring center, 6 ... monitoring center relay device, 7, 8, 9 ... monitoring center telephone.

Claims (4)

An input means for inputting a transmission signal from a remote monitoring target and its user;
Call information storage means for storing, for each area, the number of telephones to be called for the outgoing signal for each of a plurality of areas where remote monitoring is performed;
Number change means for changing the number stored in the call information storage means;
Remote control means comprising: output means for outputting a call signal to the number of telephones changed by the number change means among a plurality of telephones based on the area of the transmission source of the signal input by the input means Monitoring device. Further comprising an area discriminating means for discriminating an area from which the outgoing signal is transmitted;
The call information storage means stores the area and the telephone number of a telephone to be called for a call from a telephone in the area in association with each other,
The number changing means is
Change the area and telephone number stored in the call information storage means;
The output means includes
2. The telephone number associated with the area determined by the area determining means is searched from the call information storage means, and a call signal is output to the telephone corresponding to the searched telephone number. Remote monitoring device. Detecting means for detecting a source telephone number included in the outgoing signal;
An area information storage means for storing an area code of the calling telephone number and an area corresponding to the area code;
The area discriminating means is
3. The remote monitoring according to claim 2, wherein a region where the call signal is transmitted is determined using the region information storage unit based on an area code included in the telephone number detected by the detection unit. apparatus. It further comprises input number discrimination means for discriminating the number of inputs per unit time of outgoing signals from telephones in a predetermined area for each area,
The number changing means is
2. The remote monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number stored in the call information storage means is changed according to the number of inputs determined by the input number determination means.

Images