JP2009256010A - Escalator device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an escalator device coping with an accident caused by abnormal boarding of running up/running down steps on an escalator. <P>SOLUTION: In the escalator device, a state of abnormal boarding is detected by analyzing a video from a video means taking a video of the escalator. The escalator device executes: an initial setting processing for determining a travel distance of a moving object from the video acquired by operating an unmanned escalator and determining a travel range of a person from a video acquired by operating the escalator on which the person normally steps; and an abnormal boarding detecting processing for issuing an alert of abnormal boarding, when the travel distance acquired by analyzing the video of the normally-operated escalator is different from the travel distance determined in the initial setting processing, or when a travel range acquired by analyzing the video of the normally-operated escalator exceeds the travel range determined in the initial setting processing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an escalator device that reduces the number of accidents experienced by escalator passengers.

  Conventionally, an escalator that monitors the surroundings includes a safety switch that operates by detecting an abnormal state of the escalator, means for stopping the escalator by the operation of the safety switch, and imaging means for imaging the situation around the escalator. An image processing means for detecting a passenger who uses the escalator in an irregular state based on an output image of the imaging means, and a guidance means for alerting unauthorized use in accordance with the output of the image processing means; A means for storing a predetermined time of the output image of the imaging means by the operation of the safety switch is provided (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-60132

  However, the accident involving the escalator includes an accident caused by an abnormal movement in which a passenger runs up the escalator, and there is a problem that the conventional safety device cannot cope.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an escalator device that responds to an accident caused by an abnormal ride such as running up or down an escalator.

  The escalator device according to the present invention is an escalator device that detects a state of abnormal boarding by analyzing a video from video means for photographing the escalator, and a moving amount of a moving object from the video obtained by driving the escalator unattended. And an initial setting process for determining the movement range of the person from the video obtained by driving the escalator on which the person has successfully boarded, and the movement obtained by analyzing the video of the escalator that is normally operated When the amount is different from the moving amount determined in the initial setting process, or the moving range obtained by analyzing the video of the escalator operated normally exceeds the moving range determined in the initial setting process. An abnormal boarding detection process that issues a warning as an abnormal boarding is executed.

The effect of the escalator device according to the present invention is to automatically detect abnormal rides that run up or down the escalator and issue warnings to alert people who are taking abnormal rides and reduce accidents. Be able to.
Further, when it is detected that the passenger has approached the fixed object, the escalator is stopped urgently to prevent the passenger from being caught.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an escalator device according to the best mode for carrying out the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the escalator device according to the present invention includes a moving handrail 12 of the escalator 11, a step 13, an escalator control unit 6 that controls the escalator 11, and digital as image means for imaging the escalator 11 and its surroundings. A camera 7, a video analysis apparatus 1 that analyzes an image captured by the digital camera 7 and monitors the escalator 11, and a speaker 8 as a guidance unit that performs guidance for alerting the user of the escalator 11.
In FIG. 1, the digital camera 7 and the video analysis device 1 are separately illustrated for easy understanding, but actually, the video analysis device 1 is built in the digital camera 7.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing functions of the video analysis apparatus 1 of FIG.
A video analysis apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a video processing unit 2, a video analysis unit 3, an alarm processing unit 4, and a video storage unit 5.
The video processing unit 2 receives a video signal from the digital camera 7, performs signal processing for the video analysis unit 3, and transmits the video signal to a liquid crystal monitor 9 as a video display unit.
The video analysis unit 3 interlocks with the driving signal from the escalator control unit 6, obtains a discrimination point from the video processing signal from the video processing unit 2, and compares the movement amount of the discrimination point with the stored normal time video. Anomaly detection is performed.
The alarm processing unit 4 outputs a warning to the speaker 8 when an abnormality is detected in the video analysis unit 3.
The video storage unit 5 stores video of a predetermined time period among videos taken by the digital camera 7 at the time of warning output.
The work tool 10 performs singularity setting when executing the initial setting process, transfers and collects stored data, and plays, saves, and deletes the recorded video in the video storage unit 5. Since the work tool 10 is used for setting and video confirmation, it can be connected to the video analysis apparatus 1 as necessary.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the initial setting process executed by the video analysis unit 3.
In step S1, an image when the escalator 11 is stopped (hereinafter referred to as “image when stopped”) is analyzed to determine a fixed object such as a wall or a ceiling.
In step S2, it is determined whether or not the analysis of the stopped image is completed. When the analysis is completed, the process proceeds to step S3. When the analysis is not completed, the process returns to step S1.
In step S3, a singular point is set. The singular point setting is set by using the work tool 10 when it is not possible to discriminate from a fixed object because there are few differences in light and darkness or light and shade differences in the analysis of the video when stopped.
In step S4, it is determined whether or not the singular point setting is completed. When the singular point setting is completed, the process proceeds to step S5, and when the singular point setting is not completed, the process returns to step S3.

In step S5, an image when the escalator 11 is driven and no passengers are placed (hereinafter referred to as “image when no passenger is driven”) is analyzed. Here, moving image analysis of the moving handrail 12 and the step 13 is performed during escalator operation. Unlike the analysis of the stop-time video in step S1, the detected movement is determined as the escalator moving unit. The escalator moving unit applies easy-to-identify tape to the moving handrail 12 and the step 13, and the step 13 recognizes the amount of movement using a point having a difference in light and darkness or light and dark, such as a warning color on the step.
In step S6, it is determined whether or not the analysis of the non-passenger video is completed. When the analysis is completed, the process proceeds to step S7. When the analysis is not completed, the process returns to step S5.

In step S7, an image when the escalator is operated and a passenger is normally placed (hereinafter referred to as “passenger-operated image”) is analyzed. A location where the passenger's hand, head, body, leg, etc. can be compared with the escalator 11 or a fixed object is recognized as a discrimination point 15 to obtain a movement range.
In step S8, it is determined whether or not the analysis of the video with passengers is completed. If the analysis is completed, the process proceeds to step S9. If the analysis is not completed, the process returns to step S7.
In step S9, the moving amount of the moving handrail 12 and the step 13 obtained as a result of the analysis of the passenger-free driving image in step S5 and the movement range obtained as a result of the analysis of the passenger-operated driving image in step S7 are stored. The initial setting process ends.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of abnormal boarding detection processing when an escalator is used for a general passenger.
In step S11, when the escalator 11 starts operation for general use and receives an operation signal from the escalator control unit 6, the video sent from the video processing unit 2 is analyzed, and the movement amount of the discrimination point 15 and the discrimination point 15 are determined. Determine the movement range of.
In step S12, it is determined whether or not the movement amount of the passenger discrimination point 15 in the video analysis unit 3 is different from the movement amount obtained and stored in the analysis of the video with passengers in step S7, and the movement amount is different. If not, the process proceeds to step S13, and if the amount of movement is different, the process proceeds to step S14.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state where the passenger 14 is on the step 13.
For example, when the discrimination point 15 (the head in the case of FIG. 5) of the passenger 14 is larger than the movement amount of the step 13, it is judged that the vehicle has run up, and when it is less, it is judged that the vehicle has run down.

  In step S13, it is determined whether or not the moving range of the passenger discrimination point 15 in the video analysis unit 3 is wider than the moving range obtained and stored in the video analysis during driving with passengers in step S7. If not, the process proceeds to step S17.

6 and 7 are views showing a state in which the passenger 14 puts out a part of his body outside the moving handrail 12. FIG. 6 shows a state where the passenger 14 puts his hand outside the moving handrail 12, and FIG. 7 shows a state where the passenger 14 puts his head outside the moving handrail 12.
And when the hand or head which made the discrimination | determination point 15 of the passenger 14 detected outside the moving handrail 12, it will judge that it starts.
In step S14, the warning processing unit 4 issues a warning from the speaker 8 and proceeds to step S15.
In step S15, it is determined whether or not the determination point 15 of the passenger 14 has approached the fixed object detected in step S1, and when the determination point 15 has approached the fixed object, the process proceeds to step S16, and the determination point 15 becomes a fixed object. When not approaching, the process returns to step S11.
In step S16, the video analysis unit 3 outputs an emergency stop signal to the escalator control unit 6 to stop the escalator 11 and prevent passengers from being caught.
In step S17, it is determined whether or not the escalator 11 has stopped and the driving signal from the escalator control unit 6 has been interrupted. Return to.

The escalator device according to the present invention reduces the number of accidents by alerting a person who has abnormally boarded by automatically detecting an abnormal ride that runs up or down the escalator 11 and issuing a warning. Can do.
Further, when it is detected that the passenger has approached a fixed object, the escalator 11 is stopped urgently to prevent the passenger from being caught.
In the above description, the escalator has been described. However, the present invention can also be provided to a man conveyor such as a walking sidewalk.

It is the schematic of the escalator apparatus of the best form for implementing this invention. It is a functional block diagram which shows the function of the video analysis apparatus of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the initial setting process which a video analysis part performs. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of an abnormal boarding detection process when use of an escalator is serviced by the general passenger. It is a figure which shows the state in which the passenger is riding on the step. It is a figure which shows the state which the passenger's hand has protruded on the outer side of the moving handrail. It is a figure which shows the state which the passenger's head has protruded on the outer side of the moving handrail.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Video analysis device, 2 Video processing part, 3 Video analysis part, 4 Alarm processing part, 5 Video storage part, 6 Escalator control part, 7 Digital camera, 8 Speaker, 9 Liquid crystal monitor, 10 Work tool, 11 Escalator, 12 Movement Handrail, 13 steps, 14 passengers, 15 distinction points.

Claims (2)

In the escalator device that detects the abnormal boarding state by analyzing the video from the video means for photographing the escalator,
Initial setting for determining the amount of moving object from the image obtained by driving the escalator unattended, and determining the moving range of the person from the image obtained by driving the escalator on which the person has successfully boarded Processing,
The moving range obtained by analyzing the video of the escalator operated normally is different from the moving amount determined in the initial setting process, or the moving range obtained by analyzing the video of the escalator operated normally. An escalator device that executes an abnormal boarding detection process that issues a warning as an abnormal boarding when the vehicle exceeds the movement range determined in the initial setting process. A fixed object is determined from the video obtained by stopping the escalator as the initial setting process,
2. The escalator device according to claim 1, wherein the escalator is stopped when a discrimination point obtained by analyzing the video of the escalator normally operated as the abnormal boarding detection process approaches the fixed object. 3.

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