JP2013124179A - Elevator system and elevator control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an elevator system which exhibits an energy-saving effect and maintains user's convenience as much as possible.SOLUTION: Sensors 101a to 101c for detecting users waiting for the arrival of an elevator are provided in a plurality of floors. People number detecting parts 102a to 102c detect and output the number of waiting people in each floor. A total waiting people number calculation part 103 calculates the total of waiting people detected by the people number detecting parts 102a to 102c as a total waiting people number. A service control part calculates the number of elevators to be put in service out of a plurality of elevators based on the total of waiting people and controls service states of the plurality of elevators based on the computed number of elevators.

Description

  The present invention relates to an elevator system and an elevator control method.

  In elevator group management that controls multiple elevators, the number of elevator users is measured, the traffic flow between floors is memorized, and the floor to which each elevator car can respond is determined from the total number of passengers moving between floors. The first prior art is known (Patent Document 1). In the first prior art, power saving operation is achieved by assigning elevators based on the floors that can respond. The prior art aims at reducing the number of times the elevator is activated and reducing the power at the time of activation by performing allocation based on the response floor.

  In another patent document (Patent Document 2), the amount of electric power allowed for a plurality of elevators is detected, and the number of elevators that can be started simultaneously in the entire building (hereinafter referred to as a building) is set based on the allowable electric energy. The second prior art is also described.

  Furthermore, a third conventional technique for predicting an average non-response time after a predetermined time from a change state of an average non-response time with respect to a landing call is also known (Patent Document 3). In the third prior art, the predicted average non-response time is compared with a threshold value, and if it is determined that the number of operating units is excessive, the elevator is stopped.

JP 2011-102158 A JP-A-4-217570 JP 2010-208770 A

  The first prior art controls the allocation of calls to the car based on the available floor. As a result, the first prior art makes it possible to reduce the number of times the elevator group is activated. However, in actual traffic flows during quiet periods and normal times, calls are generated randomly, so it is difficult to appropriately set the floor that can respond so that the number of activations can be reduced.

  Since the second prior art does not consider the use situation of the elevator, the number of elevators that can be activated simultaneously is reduced more than necessary, which may impair the convenience of the user.

  In the third prior art, the relationship between the average non-response time and the number of elevators is unclear. The third prior art is considered to execute a simple control of determining whether the elevator is stopped compared to the average non-response time and a threshold value. Furthermore, since the threshold value varies greatly depending on the number of users in the building, the number of elevators installed, the transportation capacity of the elevators, etc., the third conventional technology sets the number of elevators suitable for the actual traffic conditions. I can't.

  Further, as a problem common to the respective prior arts, there is a problem that users are confused because the elevator to be stopped changes depending on the situation. Since the user does not know which elevator is at rest, the user waits in front of the resting elevator or roams around in front of the elevators.

  An object of the present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-mentioned problems, and the object is to provide an elevator system and an elevator control method that can control the operation of a plurality of elevators according to the use situation of the elevator. There is to do. Another object of the present invention is to control the operation of the elevator according to the number of people waiting for the arrival of the elevator, thereby ensuring both transportation capacity and achieving power saving, and an elevator system and an elevator control method. Is to provide.

  In order to solve the above problems, an elevator system according to the present invention is an elevator system that controls a plurality of elevators that operate between a plurality of floors, and is waiting for an elevator to arrive at at least one of the plurality of floors. Based on the total number of waiting people, a waiting number detection unit for detecting the number of waiting people corresponding to the number of people, a total waiting number calculation unit for calculating the total number of waiting people detected by the waiting number detection unit as a total waiting number And an operation control unit that calculates an operating number of the plurality of elevators to be operated and controls an operating state of the plurality of elevators based on the calculated operating number.

  The operation control unit may increase or decrease the number of operating units according to the increase or decrease of the total waiting number.

  The operation control unit may increase or decrease the number of operating units according to a predetermined order according to the increase or decrease of the total waiting number.

  The total waiting number calculation unit may calculate the total waiting number by multiplying the waiting number detected on a predetermined floor set in advance among a plurality of floors by a factor of 1 or more.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to control the operation of a plurality of elevators according to the use situation of the elevators. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to control the operation of the elevator according to the number of people waiting for the arrival of the elevator, and it is possible to achieve both securing transportation power and achieving power saving.

Explanatory drawing which shows the whole concept of this embodiment. The whole elevator system block diagram. Explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the operation number of an elevator is controlled. Explanatory drawing which shows the example of the sensor which detects the user who waits for an elevator. Explanatory drawing which shows the example of the method of calculating waiting number of persons. The flowchart which shows the process which sets the upper limit of an operation number. Explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the table which manages the upper limit of the number of operation. Explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the schedule data which manages the upper limit of the number of working units. The flowchart which shows the process which sets the number of operation according to the waiting number. The block diagram of the table which manages the relationship between the number of operation and transport capacity. The flowchart which shows the process for selecting the elevator machine which makes it operate | move or suspend. Explanatory drawing which shows that the order of an operation | movement or a stop is controllable according to the structure of an elevator landing. The flowchart which shows the process which determines whether a rest condition is satisfied. Explanatory drawing which shows the structural example for notifying a user that the elevator is working or dormant.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below do not limit the invention according to the claims. In addition, not all the combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solving means of the present invention.

  As shown in the overall schematic diagram of FIG. 1, the elevator system 1 controls, for example, a plurality of elevators that operate between a plurality of floors from the first floor to the Nth floor. Each floor is provided with sensor portions 101a to 101c for detecting the number of users waiting for the arrival of the elevator. These sensor units 101a to 101c correspond to “waiting number detection units”.

  The total number of users / waiting number calculation unit 103 as the “total waiting number calculation unit” is a total number of waiting numbers in a predetermined floor among waiting numbers detected in each floor detected by the sensor units 101a to 101c. calculate. The total value corresponds to “total waiting number”.

  The number of users is the number of people who use the elevator. The waiting number is the number of people waiting for the elevator among the number of users. In this embodiment, attention is paid to the number of people waiting on each floor, but a configuration in which control is performed based on the number of users is also possible.

  Based on the total value calculated by the calculation unit 103, the operation number calculation and setting unit 501 corresponding to the “operation control unit” calculates the number of elevators to be operated among a plurality of elevators.

  The operating elevator selected as the operation target is in a standby state to which a landing call can be assigned, for example. An elevator that is not selected as an operation target becomes a dormant elevator, and power supply is reduced as compared with an operation elevator.

  In this embodiment, since the above-described configuration is adopted, the number of operating elevators can be set according to the use situation of the elevators, and useless operation of the elevators can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to secure an appropriate transportation capacity according to the actual situation, and the convenience for the user is enhanced. Furthermore, since the elevator is not operated more than necessary, power consumption can be reduced, and peak power can also be reduced.

  Hereinafter, the configuration and the like of the energy saving elevator system 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, paying attention to the number of elevator users in the building, the number of operating elevators is appropriately changed according to the change in the number of users.

  Thereby, in a present Example, a user's convenience and an energy saving effect can be reconciled. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when changing the number of operating units, the elevators are operated or suspended according to a predetermined order. Thereby, in a present Example, the user can utilize a some elevator suitably, without being confused.

  Furthermore, in this example, the number of operating elevators can be controlled based on the power usage state of a building including a plurality of elevators or an area where the buildings exist. Thereby, for example, it is possible to appropriately respond to a power supply / demand balance adjustment request such as a request for a planned power outage.

  FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the energy saving elevator system 1. The big flow of control is briefly described first. In this system 1, first, the total number of elevator users in the building is detected by a sensor, and the time average component and the fluctuation component are calculated. Subsequently, the present system 1 calculates the number of operating elevators that satisfy the demand amount based on the time average component and the fluctuation component. Finally, the present system 1 operates or stops each elevator according to the order of operation or stop determined in advance based on the arrangement of the elevators.

  As described below, the control configuration of the system 1 includes a number detection processing unit 100 for detecting the number of users or the number of waiting people, a number of people data processing unit 200, an operating number upper limit processing unit 300, and a time schedule process. Unit 400 and an operation number processing unit 500.

  With these control configurations, power supply to the drive motors 703a and 703b for moving the elevator cars 704a and 704b up and down is controlled. As will be described later, the control configuration of this system controls the power supply to the elevator by controlling the opening and closing of switches 701a and 701b provided between the building power supply and the inverters 702a and 702b. Whether the elevator is operating or not is displayed on the state display unit 600 provided in the elevator platform (hereinafter also referred to as a platform).

  In the following description, the cars 704a and 704b are the car 704, the drive motors 703a and 703b are the drive motor 703, the inverters 702a and 702b are the inverter 702, and the switches 701a and 701b are the switch 701, unless otherwise specified. Each may be called.

  The control target of the system 1 is an elevator group composed of a plurality of elevators, but the plurality of elevators in the elevator group are not necessarily group-managed. Details of the control configuration will be described below.

  First, the sensor units 101a to 101c on each floor detect elevator users or landing passengers on each floor, and output detection signals or detection data. In the figure, the sensor section is displayed as “sensor”. The sensor unit 101a provided on the first floor is abbreviated as sensor (1), the sensor unit 101b provided on the second floor is abbreviated as sensor (2), and the sensor unit 101c provided on the Nth floor is abbreviated as sensor (N). To do. Unless otherwise distinguished, the sensor unit 101 may be called.

  Sensors for detecting waiting customers (waiting users) include, for example, cameras, infrared temperature sensors, security gates, security doors, ID (identification) tags, destination floor registration devices, load sensors in the car, etc. Can be used. Any one of these sensors may be used in combination.

  By analyzing image data taken with a camera such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera, it is possible to detect the presence / absence of a user, contour, and the like. If an infrared temperature sensor, an infrared temperature image sensor, or the like is used, the user's body temperature can be detected, and the number of users can be known from the distribution of body temperature. The security gate and the security door are entrance / exit management devices that allow only users who have succeeded in user authentication to pass through. For the authentication, for example, a fingerprint, a voice print, an iris, a vein shape, a password, an ID tag, or the like is used. When a user passes through a security gate or the like, entry / exit information indicating who belongs to which department at what time can be acquired. By using this information, it is possible to estimate the number of waiting passengers at the elevator platform provided ahead of the security gate.

  The destination floor registration device is a device for an elevator user to register his / her destination floor in advance, and is arranged, for example, in the vicinity of a security gate or the like. All users need to register the target floor in advance by operating the destination floor registration device. This is because the elevator car is dispatched according to the pre-registration. Therefore, the number of people waiting at the elevator platform can be estimated based on the information input to the destination floor registration device.

  The load sensor in the car detects the total weight of the users in the elevator car. By dividing the detected total weight by the average weight of the user, the number of users in the car can be estimated.

  By subtracting the number of users who got on the car and departed from the number of users who arrived at the elevator platform, the number of users currently waiting at the elevator platform can be calculated.

  Based on the user's recognition information detected by the sensor units 101a to 101c on each floor, the number of users or the waiting number is detected by the number of people detection units 102a to 102c for each sensor unit. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, the “number of users or waiting people” is referred to as waiting people or the like. The waiting number on the first floor is detected by the first floor number detection unit 102a based on the detection signal of the first floor sensor unit 101a. The waiting number on the second floor is detected by the number detecting unit 102b on the second floor based on the detection signal of the sensor unit 101b on the second floor. Similarly, the number of waiting people on the Nth floor is detected by the Nth floor number detecting unit 102c based on the detection signal of the sensor unit 101c on the Nth floor. If there is no particular distinction, it may be referred to as the number of people detection unit 102.

  Here, the number of users is the number of elevator users per predetermined time (for example, per 5 minutes) in a certain time. The number of waiting people is the number of people waiting at the landing among the elevator users. The concept of the number of users and the number of waiting people can be used for each elevator, for each floor, and for the entire building.

  The totaling unit 103 adds up the waiting numbers detected by the number detection unit 102 on each floor to calculate the total waiting number. The total waiting number (sometimes abbreviated as total number) is the waiting number of the entire building where the elevator group to be managed by this system is installed.

  In the present embodiment, a case where the number of waiting persons is detected on each floor in the building will be described. Alternatively, the number of waiting persons or the like may be detected for one or more specific floors. For example, in an office building or the like, the number of people waiting on the lobby floor or the floor with a canteen often occupies most of the people waiting on the entire building. Therefore, in this case, the waiting number of people on the lobby floor and / or the dining room floor may be detected. If it is configured to detect the number of waiting persons only for a specific floor or floors, the number of sensor units can be reduced, and the overall cost of the system can be reduced.

  When detecting the number of waiting persons for all the floors in the building, the number of waiting persons may be added by weighting each floor. For example, the total number of people is calculated by increasing the weight coefficient of a floor with many users, such as a lobby floor or a restaurant floor. Thereby, priority can be given to a floor with many users, and an elevator can be controlled.

  In addition, the structure which controls an elevator based not only on a lobby floor or a cafeteria floor but on the waiting number etc. in the floor in which all the floors used more frequently than other floors may be sufficient.

  The number of people data processing unit 200 performs data processing for the total number of people calculated by the summation unit 103. First, the time average calculation unit 201 calculates a time average value of the total number of people data. The time average value here is an average value per predetermined time or a value obtained by performing a low-pass filter process. By calculating the time average value of the total number of people data, it is possible to remove fine fluctuations from the total number of people data and extract bias component data.

  The deviation calculation unit 202 calculates the difference between the total number of people data at that time and the time average value. The selection determination unit 203 switches the number data to be used based on the magnitude of the difference between the time average value and the total number data.

  Specifically, when the difference between the time average value and the total number of people data is small, the selection determination unit 203 uses the time average value. When the difference between the time average value and the total number of people data is large, the selection determining unit 203 uses the total number of people data at that time as it is.

  By using the time average value as data such as the number of waiting persons, the number of elevators in operation can be determined stably without being affected by fine fluctuations. When the number of waiting people increases rapidly, the total number of people data at that time is used instead of the time average value. Thereby, it is possible to quickly cope with a sudden change in the number of waiting persons.

  Thus, in this embodiment, either the time average value of the total number of people data or the total number of people data is used as the elevator control data according to the difference between the total number of people data and the time average value. Thereby, in a present Example, according to a utilization condition, the elevator operation number can be set. In other words, when the number of waiters is relatively stable, the number of operating elevators can be set to a stable value, and when the number of waiters changes rapidly, the number of operating elevators is quickly followed. be able to.

  The operating unit upper limit processing unit 300 sets the upper limit value of the number of elevators to be operated based on the power usage amount of the power system in the building where the elevator is installed or the entire area where the building exists.

  The power system information database 301 (abbreviated as DB in the figure) manages data on the power usage or power usage rate of the power system in the area where the building exists. The power usage rate is the ratio of the power usage to the generated power. Hereinafter, “power usage or power usage rate” may be abbreviated as power usage.

  A CEMS (Community Energy Management System) 302 is a system for managing energy in a management target area. The CEMS 302 can input data such as the power consumption of the power system to the power system database 301 via a communication network or the like.

  A BEMS (Building Energy Management System) 303 is a system for managing energy of a building in which an elevator is installed. The BEMS 303 can receive data such as the power usage amount of the power system from a management system such as a power company and can input the data to the database 301.

  The power usage amount data or power usage rate data acquisition unit (hereinafter abbreviated as “data acquisition unit”) 304 is a power usage amount of at least one of the power system information database 301, the CEMS 302, and the BEMS 303 of the region or the building. Etc. are acquired by communication.

  An upper limit value setting unit (abbreviated as upper limit setting in the figure) 306 for setting an upper limit value of the number of operating elevators refers to the operating number upper limit table 305 based on the acquired power usage amount data and the like. Set the upper limit. In the table 305 abbreviated as “upper limit value” in the figure, the relationship between the power usage amount data and the upper limit value of the number of operating units is set in advance.

  When there is no means for acquiring data such as power consumption, the time schedule processing unit 400 can set an upper limit value for the number of elevators operating. The upper limit setting unit 306 refers to the schedule table 401 that manages the operating unit upper limit based on the current time acquired from the clock 402. As a result, the upper limit setting unit 306 can acquire the upper limit value data of the operating number at the current time from the table 401 and set the data as the upper limit value of the operating number.

  The upper limit value setting unit 306 can set the upper limit value of the number of operating units by combining the power usage amount data and the time schedule data 401 of the number of operating units. For example, the upper limit value setting unit 306 normally sets the operating unit upper limit value according to the time schedule data 401, and when the power usage amount or the like increases from a predetermined value, the upper limit number of operating units is set based on the power usage amount data or the like. Set the value.

  The operating number processing unit 500 calculates the operating number according to the upper limit value of the operating number and the total number of elevators. The operating number processing unit 500 operates or pauses the elevators in a preset order according to the calculated operating number.

  The operating number calculation and setting unit 501 is a function that calculates the number of operating elevators according to the number of waiting persons and the like, and sets the calculated operating number. The operating unit calculation and setting unit 501 calculates a value that is equal to or less than the operating unit upper limit value (hereinafter also abbreviated as the upper limit value) set by the upper limit setting unit 306 as the operating unit number. That is, the operation number calculation and setting unit 501 calculates the operation number that is a value equal to or less than the upper limit value and that is the most suitable (closest value) transportation capacity for the total waiting number of elevators, and the calculation. Set the value as the number of operating units.

  The operation number calculation and setting unit 501 uses the specification data stored in the elevator specification database 502 in order to calculate the operation number that provides the transport capacity closest to the total waiting number or the like. The specification data of each elevator includes, for example, speed, capacity, door opening / closing time, number of stop floors, acceleration / deceleration, and the like. Here, the transportation capacity represents the number of persons that can be transported by a plurality of elevators per predetermined time.

  When the total waiting number is calculated for one or a plurality of specific floors, the operation number calculation and setting unit 501 calculates the transport capacity for the specific floor, and the specific floor Calculate the number of units in operation so that they are closest to the floor transport capacity.

  When using the waiting number on the floor where the waiting number etc. is the maximum, the operating number calculation and setting unit 501 calculates the transport capacity capable of carrying the maximum waiting number, etc., and matches the transport capacity. Calculate the number of units in operation.

  The operating number calculation and setting unit 501 may obtain an operating number suitable for the waiting number or the like by a quotient obtained by dividing the waiting number or the like by the elevator car capacity instead of the transport capacity. This calculation method is more effective because the number of operating elevators corresponding to the number of waiting persons can be directly obtained when the number of waiting persons is used instead of the number of users.

  The elevator number selecting unit 503 selects an elevator number to be newly operated or suspended according to the number of operating numbers set by the operating number calculation and setting unit 501. In this embodiment, since a plurality of elevators are called as No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, etc., they are called elevators, not elevators.

  For example, when there are three elevators currently in operation and the set value of the number of operating units is reduced to two, the elevator number selection unit 503 selects one elevator number in accordance with a predetermined order from among the currently operated elevators. To stop the selected elevator. On the other hand, when the set value of the number of operating units increases to four, the elevator number selection unit 503 selects one elevator number from the suspended elevators according to a predetermined order, and operates the selected elevator number. .

  The elevator number selection unit 503 needs operation information of each elevator at the present time in order to select an elevator number to be newly operated or suspended. Therefore, the elevator number selection unit 503 acquires data indicating the latest state of each elevator from the elevator state data acquisition unit 504. The elevator state data acquisition unit 504 acquires data indicating the latest state of each elevator. The latest state data can include, for example, the current position of the car (elevator), the moving speed of the car, the open / close state of the car door, the planned stoppage of the car, the landing call assigned to the car, and the like.

  The elevator number selector 503 selects an elevator number to be operated or stopped in a predetermined order set in advance. The predetermined order is created based on the arrangement (layout) of each elevator in the elevator hall so that the user is not lost as much as possible. Data relating to a predetermined order according to the layout of the elevator hall is stored in the order table 505.

  When the stop of an elevator is determined by the elevator selection unit 503, the stop condition determination unit (abbreviated as stop determination in the figure) 506 determines whether the stop target elevator can be shifted to a stop state. To do. In this embodiment, by opening the switch 701 that connects the inverter 702 that supplies power to the suspension target elevator and the power source of the building, the supply of power to the suspension target elevator is cut off and put into a dormant state.

  The suspension condition determination unit 506 acquires state data regarding the suspension target elevator from the elevator state data acquisition unit 504, and determines whether or not the suspension target elevator can be stopped. In order to prevent the user from being confined in the car, for example, the suspension condition determination unit 506 is suspended when the door is closed and stopped for a predetermined time or more and no call is assigned. Determine that it is possible.

  In the present embodiment, in order to reduce the power consumption of the resting elevator as much as possible, in order to cut off the power supply to the resting elevator, a strict rest determination is performed so that the user is not confined in the car. For example, when a camera or an infrared temperature sensor for detecting a user in the car can be provided, it is also possible to determine whether or not the car can be paused by using signals from these sensors.

  The command output unit 507 outputs a power-on command signal or a power-off command signal to the elevator that has been determined to operate or stop. The power-on command signal and the power-off command signal are input to a switch 701 for opening and closing between the building power supply and the elevator.

  When the power-on command signal is input to the switch 701, the switch 701 is closed and the building power supply and the elevator inverter 702 are electrically connected. As a result, the drive motor 703 can be operated, and the elevator shifts from the resting state to the operating state.

  On the other hand, when the power cutoff command signal is input to the switch 701, the switch 701 is opened, and the connection between the building power supply and the inverter 702 is electrically cut off. Thereby, an elevator transfers to a dormant state from an operation state.

  In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, each elevator is provided with the control apparatus, and it drives with the instruction | indication from a control apparatus. The power-on command signal or the power-off command signal from the command output unit 507 is also input to the target elevator control device. The control device restores from the standby state to the active state or shifts from the active state to the standby state in response to these command signals.

  As described above, each elevator includes the switch 701 that can be remotely operated. For example, when the elevator of the first car is stopped, the switch 701a of the first car is opened by a power cut command signal from the command output unit 507 to cut off the power supplied to the inverter 702a and the motor 703a. Accordingly, standby power consumption in the inverter 702a and the drive motor 703a can be eliminated, and the power consumption of the resting elevator can be reduced.

  The state display unit 600 is a function for notifying the user whether the elevator is in an operating state or a resting state. As will be described later, one display device is provided in the elevator hall, or one in front of the door of each unit. The state display unit 600 displays the state of the elevator. The state display unit 600 can display only a resting elevator on the display device and can not display an operating elevator on the display device.

  A user who arrives at the elevator platform can easily recognize which elevator is at rest by looking at the display on the display device. Therefore, the user can go to the elevator in the operating state without hesitation.

  The series of control processes shown in FIG. 2 is realized by an arithmetic processing unit (not shown) such as a microprocessor executing a predetermined computer program. For example, the arithmetic processing unit periodically executes the control process at intervals of 1 to 5 minutes in accordance with the minimum fluctuation time such as the number of waiting persons.

  By controlling the elevator operation or stoppage at intervals of several minutes, it is possible to cope with a sudden increase in the number of waiting persons and a rapid increase in the amount of power used. Note that the control cycle can be set longer if the number of waiting persons or the like or a sudden increase in power consumption is not particularly dealt with.

  For example, the number of operating units may be changed with a control cycle of about 5 to 10 minutes at the minimum. Thereby, it can suppress that the operating state of an elevator is changed frequently and a user is confused. Furthermore, since the number of times the elevator state is changed can be reduced, deterioration of various components due to changes in voltage and current can be suppressed.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of the operation according to the control configuration of the present system. The three graphs shown in FIG. 3 each have the horizontal axis as the same time axis. Fig.3 (a) shows the time transition of the electric power consumption in a building or an area. FIG. 3B shows the time transition of the total waiting number. FIG. 3 (c) shows a time transition of the number of operating elevators determined according to the amount of electric power used, the number of waiting persons, and the like. In the following, how the number of operating elevators is adjusted according to the amount of power used and the number of waiting persons is divided into three areas: time area A (A01), time area B (A02), and time area C (A03). explain.

  Focusing on the time domain A (A01), the power consumption characteristic A04 in FIG. 3A maintains a constant value, and the waiting number A05 in FIG. 3B is increasing. In FIG. 3 (c), in the time domain A (A01), the operating number A07 is sequentially increased so as to obtain a transport capacity suitable for the number of waiting persons and the like within the range of the upper limit value A06 indicated by a dotted line. For example, the upper limit value of the number of operating units increases from two to three as indicated by reference numeral A08, and the upper limit value increases from three to four as indicated by reference numeral A09.

  Focusing on the time domain B (A02), the power consumption characteristic A04 in FIG. 3A increases, and the waiting number A05 in FIG. 3B keeps a constant value. In FIG. 3C, in the time domain B (A02), the power usage amount increases, so the upper limit value decreases according to the upper limit value table 305 that defines the relationship between the power usage amount and the operating unit upper limit value. For example, as indicated by reference numeral A10, the upper limit value of the number of operating units decreases from four to three.

  As a result of the upper limit being reduced from four to three, the actual number of elevators operating is also reduced from four to three. In the present embodiment, in this way, the upper limit value of the number of operating units is determined by giving priority to the amount of power used over the number of waiting persons.

  In this embodiment, setting the number of units based on the amount of power used (or power usage rate) is given top priority, and it is possible to obtain as much transportation capacity as possible as long as the number of people waiting in a range that does not exceed the upper limit determined by the amount of power used. Next, determine the upper limit of the number of units in operation.

  Therefore, even if the transport capacity is insufficient for the number of people waiting, etc., when the power usage is large (for example, when the power usage rate in the power system is 80% or more), the system uses the power usage. Priority is given to controlling the number of units in operation. Thereby, although the user of an elevator becomes temporarily inconvenient, it can contribute to maintenance of the supply-demand balance of the electric power of an electric power grid | system.

  Paying attention to the time domain C (A03), the power consumption characteristic A04 in FIG. 3 (a) shows a constant value with the increase stopped, and the waiting number A05 in FIG. 3 (b) has started to decrease. Yes. In FIG. 3C, in the time domain C (A03), the waiting capacity etc. A05 decreases, so the transport capacity becomes excessive. Therefore, as indicated by reference numeral A11, the number of operating elevators is further reduced by one.

  In this embodiment, the number of operating elevators is controlled to the minimum necessary number in accordance with the usage state (demand amount) of the elevators. For this reason, in a present Example, it can suppress that the elevator more than necessary operates, and can improve an energy saving effect.

  In other words, in the present embodiment, the elevator is configured so that the transportation capacity exceeds the total waiting number or the like according to the latest total waiting number or the like of the plurality of elevators (or the transportation capacity is as close as possible to the total waiting number or the like). Determine the number of units in operation. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the elevator can be operated with the minimum number of operating units that satisfy the usage demand of the elevator.

  As a result, in the present embodiment, it is possible to satisfy the conflicting demands of user convenience (secure transportation capacity) and power consumption reduction at a high level. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the power supply to the elevator to be stopped is shut off, it is possible to eliminate the standby power consumption of the elevator.

  Further, in this embodiment, when the elevator is operated or stopped, a predetermined elevator is operated or stopped according to a predetermined order based on the layout arrangement at the elevator hall of each unit. Therefore, the user can use the elevator group controlled by this system without being confused, and can wait at the elevator platform with peace of mind.

  On the other hand, it is also conceivable to first stop the elevator that can be stopped first. However, in this case, it is difficult for the user to predict which of a plurality of elevators will be stopped. Therefore, the user waits for the elevator with an uneasy feeling, and the convenience is low.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3C, if the number of elevators to be stopped changes every time the number of operating machines changes, the user is confused. Moreover, if the operating elevator is concentrated at a position where the user cannot easily reach (for example, at the back of the landing) on the layout of the elevator platform, the user will be rushed to the operating elevator, and convenience will be reduced.

  However, in the present embodiment, a status display unit 600 is provided for notifying the user which is the resting elevator. Therefore, even in the case of a configuration in which the elevator that can be stopped changes each time, the status display unit 600 can give information to the user waiting at the elevator platform in advance, thereby suppressing a decrease in convenience.

  Hereinafter, the details of the control configuration shown in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of sensor units 101a to 101c for detecting a user waiting for an elevator (and a user in a car).

  For example, on the lobby floor (first floor), an infrared human detection sensor 101a1 provided at the entrance 710 and a security gate 101a2 through which only authenticated persons pass are provided. The number of users who have entered the lobby floor can be detected by these sensors 101a1 and 101a2. Alternatively, an ID authentication device other than the security gate 101a2 may be used. Furthermore, a camera 101a3 may be installed on the ceiling of the hallway from the entrance 710 to the elevator platform to detect a user who goes to the elevator platform. Furthermore, a landing camera 101a4 can be installed on the ceiling of the elevator hall to detect a user waiting for the arrival of the elevator.

  The landing camera 101a4 is a sensor for detecting the number of users waiting for an elevator at the landing. The other sensors 101a1 to 101a3 are sensors that are detected before a person who is going to use the elevator arrives at the landing.

  Sensors on floors other than the lobby floor will be described. For example, on the Nth floor, a security door 101c2 is installed in a hallway toward the landing. A person who wants to use the elevator needs to successfully authenticate with the authentication device 101c1 provided in the security door 101c2. Therefore, the user who goes to the landing can be detected by the authentication device 101c1. Furthermore, a landing camera 101c3 may be provided on the ceiling of the Nth floor platform to detect the number of people waiting at the Nth floor platform.

  In addition to the sensor groups 101a1 to 101a4 and 101c1 to 101c3 arranged on the building side, other sensors 704a1 and 704a2 can be provided in the elevator car.

  The load sensor 704a1 detects the total load in the elevator car 704a. Therefore, the number of people in the car can be estimated by dividing the total load by the preset average user weight. Furthermore, a user (passenger) in the car can be detected by the car camera 704a2.

  When the sensors 101a1 to 101a4 and 101c1 to 101c3 are not attached to the building, it is possible to estimate the number of waiting persons by using the load sensor 704a1 in the car and / or the camera 704a2 in the car. .

  FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the number of people data processing unit 200. First, the time average calculation unit 201 calculates a time average value in a predetermined time width for the total number of people (total waiting number of people, etc.) PTn at the time n calculated by the total unit 103. For example, an average value is obtained every time n using a moving average method. The calculation formula is as shown in the following formula (1).

Time average value of waiting numbers, etc. = (1 / T) (ΣPTn) (1)
Here, Σ is an integrated value of PTn in the range of time T. The time T is set in the range of 1 minute to 10 minutes, for example. The reason for determining the time range for calculating the average is to ignore fine fluctuations such as the number of waiting people and focus on changes in the number of waiting people.

  For example, when the number of operating units is changed according to the change in the number of people at a time interval shorter than one minute, the number of operating units is changed more frequently than is actually necessary, so that the power saving effect is reduced.

  On the other hand, when the time T is set longer than necessary, the followability to changes in the number of waiting persons is deteriorated. For this reason, there is a possibility that the transportation capacity is insufficient, waiting time increases, and convenience for users is impaired. Therefore, in this embodiment, for the purpose of harmony between the power saving effect and convenience, for example, an average value of the waiting number of people is calculated in a time T of about 1 minute to 10 minutes.

  Here, instead of the process of calculating the time average, the total number of persons PTn may be regarded as a time-series signal and may be subjected to a calculation process by a low-pass filter (LPF).

  5 calculates a difference (PTn−￣PTn) between the data PTn at time n and the time average ￣PTn (the left bar is on PTn; the same applies hereinafter).

  Based on the magnitude of (PTn−￣PTn), the selection determining unit 203 selects which one of the time average ￣PTn and the data PTn at time n is used as the waiting number etc. data.

  Specifically, the selection determination unit 203 compares a predetermined threshold value with (PTn−￣PTn) by the threshold value comparison determination process 203a. The selection determining unit 203 uses the time average ￣PTn when (PTn−￣PTn) is smaller than the threshold, and the data at time n when (PTn−￣PTn) is larger than the threshold. The switch processing 203b switches to use PTn.

  In the present embodiment, the time average ￣PTn is used in the normal case, and the data PTn at time n is used when the number of waiting persons increases rapidly. As a result, in this embodiment, even when the number of waiting persons increases rapidly, such as immediately after the end of a large meeting, it is possible to quickly respond to the change. As a result, the operating number can be increased in response to a rapid increase in the number of waiting persons, and the waiting time of users waiting at the landing can be prevented from increasing.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a process for setting the upper limit value of the number of operating machines. Here, the process of setting the operating unit upper limit value based on the power consumption data and the time schedule table will be described. This process is mainly executed by the upper limit setting unit 306. In the description of the flowchart, the operation subject is described as the elevator system 1. The same applies to other flowcharts described below.

  The elevator system 1 determines whether it is possible to acquire power usage data or power usage rate data (FA01). Data such as power consumption is acquired by the data acquisition unit 304 from the power system information database 301, CEMS 302, and BEMS 303 described in FIG.

  When the power usage amount data can be acquired (FA01: YES), the elevator system 1 acquires the power usage amount data (FA02). The elevator system 1 sets the operating unit upper limit value A by referring to the operating unit upper limit value table 305 based on the data such as the amount of power used (FA03).

  On the other hand, for example, when there is no communication network function with BEMS 303 or CEMS 302, or when the communication network function is temporarily broken, data such as power consumption cannot be acquired (FA01: NO). ). Therefore, the elevator system 1 skips steps FA02 and FA03, and proceeds to step FA04.

  Here, a configuration example of the operating unit upper limit value table 305 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7A is an example of the operating unit upper limit value table 305, in which the range of data such as power consumption and the operating unit upper limit value corresponding thereto are set in a table format.

  In the example of FIG. 7A, the power usage rate data is represented by a power usage rate (ratio of power used to generated power in the power system). For example, when the power usage rate is 82%, the upper limit number of operating units is limited to two. In the example shown in FIG. 7, since a total of four elevators are provided, setting the upper limit value to two means that only half of all elevators can be operated.

  FIG. 7B is a graph showing the characteristics of the operating unit upper limit value table 305. The horizontal axis indicates the power usage rate, and the vertical axis indicates the operating unit upper limit value. As shown in the graph, the operating unit upper limit value decreases as the power usage rate (or power usage) increases. In particular, the region where the power usage rate is 80% or more is set as a “caution level” with a small margin for the balance between power supply and demand. When the power usage rate enters the attention level region, the upper limit value of the number of operating units is set to be equal to or less than half of the total number of elevators (in the case of group-managed elevators, the total number of elevators managed).

  Furthermore, the region where the power usage rate is 90% or more is a “warning level” where there is almost no margin for the balance between power supply and demand. In the warning level region, the upper limit value of the number of operating units is set to one in order to avoid a situation where the power supply and demand is unbalanced. Furthermore, in an area where the power usage rate is 95% or more, the upper limit value of the number of operating units is set to 0, and all elevators are suspended to reduce power consumption.

  As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7B, the upper limit of the number of operating units is determined according to the power usage (or power usage rate) of the building where the elevator is installed or the area where the building is located. Set the value. Thereby, the power consumption of an elevator can be appropriately controlled according to the power supply and demand situation. As a result, the elevator system 1 of the present embodiment can contribute to the stability of the power supply / demand balance.

  Returning to FIG. The elevator system 1 acquires time information from the clock 402 (FA04), refers to the schedule table 401 for the maximum number of operating units based on the time information, and sets the maximum number of operating units B (FA05).

  FIG. 8 is an example of the schedule table 401 for the maximum number of operating units. As shown in FIG. 8A, the schedule table 401 sets an operating unit upper limit value for each time. In FIG. 8, as an example, only the range from 8 o'clock to 20 o'clock is shown, but the configuration may be such that the upper limit number of operating units is set every hour in the range from 0 o'clock to 24 o'clock. Moreover, you may set an operation | movement number upper limit not in 1 hour unit but in other time units, such as a 30-minute unit and a 90-minute unit, for example.

  In FIG. 8B, the schedule table 401 is displayed in a graph. As shown in the graph of FIG. 8B, the number of operating units is limited in the daytime period (for example, from 11:00 to 16:00) when the power supply / demand balance is small. In particular, in the time zone from 13:00 to 15:00 when the power supply / demand balance becomes smaller, the upper limit number of operating units is set to, for example, two that is half the total number of elevators.

  Returning to FIG. The elevator system 1 determines whether data such as power consumption has been acquired (FA06). When data such as power usage is acquired (FA06: YES), the elevator system 1 determines whether the operating unit upper limit value A determined from the power usage state is smaller than the operating unit upper limit value B determined in the schedule. (FA07).

  When the upper limit value A based on the power usage state is smaller than the upper limit value B determined by the current time (A <B), the elevator system 1 sets the operating unit upper limit value to the upper limit value A (FA08). On the other hand, when the upper limit value A is equal to or higher than the upper limit value B (A ≧ B), the elevator system 1 determines whether to give priority to the upper limit value setting according to the power usage state (FA09).

  When priority is given to the setting of the upper limit value according to the power usage state (FA09: YES), the elevator system 1 sets the upper limit value of the number of operating units to the upper limit value A (FA08). When priority is not given to the upper limit setting according to the power usage state (FA09: NO), the elevator system 1 sets the upper limit number of operating units to the upper limit value B (FA10).

  In Step FA10, B, which is the smaller value between the upper limit value A and the upper limit value B, is eventually set as the operating unit upper limit value. In addition, when electric power consumption data cannot be acquired (FA06: NO), the elevator system 1 sets the operating unit upper limit value to the upper limit value B.

  As described above, in this embodiment, (1) a first setting method for determining an upper limit value based on a power usage state, (2) a second setting method for determining an upper limit value based on a time schedule, and (3) ( A total of three methods including a third setting method for determining an upper limit value by combining 1) and (2) are prepared in advance.

  The elevator system 1 sets the upper limit value of the number of units in operation by any one of these three methods. Thereby, when the data indicating the power usage state can be acquired, the upper limit value can be set based on the data, and when the data cannot be acquired, the upper limit value can be set according to the time schedule.

As a result, the elevator system 1 of the present embodiment can contribute to the stability of the power supply / demand balance.
Further, according to the third setting method, the smaller one of the upper limit value A determined by the power usage state and the upper limit value B determined by the time schedule is set as the operating unit upper limit value. Therefore, there is a possibility that higher energy saving effect and power saving effect can be obtained as compared with the case where the upper limit value is simply set by the time schedule.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing for calculating and setting the number of operating elevators according to the number of waiting persons and the like. This process is mainly executed by the operation number calculation and setting unit 501, but here, for convenience, the operation subject will be described as the elevator system 1.

  In FIG. 9, the number of operating units is calculated and set according to the power usage state and the elevator usage state using the upper limit number of operating units and the number of people waiting for the elevator. Hereinafter, the processing will be described in order.

  First, the elevator system 1 acquires the operating unit upper limit value data J1 from the operating unit upper limit value setting unit 306 (FB01). Next, the elevator system 1 acquires the waiting number etc. data from the selection determining unit 203 (FB02), and converts the waiting number etc. data into a value UN such as the waiting number per predetermined time (for example, per 5 minutes) (FB03). ). In order to compare the value of the transport capacity of the elevator and the number of waiting persons under the same conditions, in step FB03, the number of waiting persons per predetermined time is converted into UN.

  The elevator system 1 sets the minimum number of elevators J2 such that the value of the transport capacity (total transport capacity of all controlled elevators) is greater than the number of waiting persons UN per predetermined time, etc. Select from the table (FB04).

  Here, an example of the transport capacity table will be described with reference to FIG. The transport capacity table stores, for example, values of elevator transport capacity for each operating number. The elevator transportation capacity is set as the number of people that can be transported per predetermined time.

  The elevator system 1 compares the value of UN such as the waiting number per predetermined time calculated in step FB03 with the value of the record in the transport capacity table in order from the first record. The elevator system 1 selects from the table in FIG. 10 the minimum operating number in which the transportation capacity value per predetermined time exceeds the number of waiting persons per predetermined time, etc., and sets the selected value as the minimum operating number J2.

  The elevator system 1 calculates the number of passengers per lap time of each elevator based on, for example, the speed, capacity, door opening / closing time, stop floor number, acceleration / deceleration of each elevator, By summing the number of transporters and converting the total value into the number of transporters per predetermined time, the value of transport capacity can be obtained.

  Data such as the elevator speed used to calculate the transportation capacity can be obtained from the specification data stored in the elevator specification database 502. Note that the operation order set in the data 505 defining the order of operation and suspension is used for the transport capacity calculation for each operation number.

  Returning to FIG. The elevator system 1 determines whether the minimum operation number J2 is equal to or greater than the operation number upper limit J1 (FB05). When the upper limit value J1 is equal to or less than the minimum operation number J2 (J2 ≧ J1), the elevator system 1 sets J1 as the operation number J (FB06). On the other hand, when the minimum operation number J2 is smaller than the upper limit value J1 (J2 <J1), the elevator system 1 sets J2 to the operation number J (FB07).

  As described above with reference to FIG. 9, in this embodiment, priority is given to the upper limit value determined by either the power usage state or the time schedule, and the number of operating vehicles is equal to or less than this upper limit value and more than the number of waiting persons, etc. Select the minimum number of units to be used as the number of units in operation.

  As a result, in the present embodiment, the minimum number of elevators capable of transporting waiting persons and the like are operated under a situation where priority is given to the power usage state (power supply / demand balance state). Therefore, in this embodiment, the energy saving effect and the power saving effect can be further improved. This is because the system is operated with the minimum number corresponding to the number of people waiting. Furthermore, in this embodiment, not only the energy saving effect is enhanced, but also the convenience for the user is improved. This is to operate as many elevators as the number of people waiting.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing processing for selecting an elevator to be operated or stopped. This process is mainly performed by the elevator number selection unit 503, but for convenience, the elevator system 1 will be described as an operation subject. In this process, the elevator machine to be operated or stopped is selected according to the selected operating number. Hereinafter, the processing will be described in order.

  First, the elevator system 1 acquires the operating unit set value data J3 from the operating unit calculating and setting unit 501 (FC01). The elevator system 1 acquires the current operating number data J4 from the elevator state data acquisition unit 504 (FC02).

  The elevator system 1 compares whether the operating unit setting value J3 is equal to or greater than the current operating unit number J4 (FC03). When the operating unit setting value J3 is equal to or greater than the current operating unit number J4 (J3 ≧ J4), the elevator system 1 determines that the current operating unit number J4 is insufficient, and selects an elevator unit to be newly operated ( FC04). In step FC04, the elevator system 1 refers to the order table 505 and selects only (J3-J4) elevator machines to be newly operated.

  On the other hand, when the operating unit set value J3 is smaller than the current operating unit J4 (J3 <J4), the elevator system 1 determines that the current operating unit J4 is more than necessary, and selects the elevator to be stopped ( FC05). In step FC05, the elevator system 1 refers to the turn table 505, and selects (J4-J3) elevators from the currently operating elevators as suspension targets.

  Finally, although not shown in the figure, the elevator system 1 outputs data (such as a unit name) specifying the elevator number selected as the operation target or the suspension target to the next process. As described above, in this embodiment, the elevators to be operated or stopped are determined according to the predetermined order of operation or stop (the order specified in the table 505).

  In the present embodiment, since a plurality of elevators are operated or stopped in a certain order, a user who uses the building relatively often will know which elevator is in operation even if there is no special notice or indication. Or which elevator is at rest.

  Further, as will be described later, in this embodiment, the order of operation or stoppage is defined from the elevator platform structure and the user's traffic line in consideration of the passenger's boarding / exiting flights. Therefore, the convenience for the user can be further improved.

  FIG. 12 shows a configuration example of an order table 505 for managing the order of operation and the order of suspension. The order of operation or stoppage is determined by the arrangement (layout) of each unit at the elevator hall.

  12 (a), 12 (b), and 12 (c) show examples of setting the order of operation or stop according to the arrangement of a plurality of elevators, respectively. Unlike the case where the elevator is newly operated, when the elevator in operation is stopped, the landing is likely to be crowded, so it is necessary to determine the order so that the user can quickly get into the elevator.

  FIG. 12A shows an example in which a total of four elevators are arranged on one side of the landing. The left and right sides in FIG. 12A are the entrances and exits of the elevator platform. A flow line B02 that enters from the landing entrance B01 on the left side in the figure is the flow line with the largest number of waiting persons, that is, the main flow line of the elevator user. Unit numbers are distinguished by “# 1”, “# 2”, “# 3”, and “# 4”. Unit 1 is # 1 and Unit 2 is # 2. The rest order is displayed below the unit name. The first pause is S1, the second pause is S2, the third pause is S4, and the fourth pause is S4.

  In the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 12A, as shown in the order table B07 on the right side, for example, No. 4 (# 4) B06, No. 3 (# 3) B05, No. 2 (# 2) B04, 1 It is preferable to use Unit (# 1) B03. Order tables B07, B16, and B25 shown in FIG. 12 are specific examples of the order table 505 described in FIG.

  This is because the elevator that is farther from the entrance B01 through which the flow line B02 with the largest number of people passes is stopped earlier. As a result, the elevators B03 and B04 that are close to the main flow line B02 and are easy to access become less likely to be stopped. As a result, a user who has arrived at the landing can get into an operating elevator that is nearby. Therefore, the user does not have to walk to the back of the platform, and convenience is enhanced.

  Since the operating elevator is close to the entrance of the main flow line B02, the operating elevator easily enters the user's field of view. Therefore, the user can immediately notice the elevator in operation and can get into the elevator quickly.

  The order in which the elevator units that are in suspension are operated is opposite to the suspension order defined in the order table B07. That is, the first machine (# 1) B03, the second machine (# 2) B04, the third machine (# 3) B05, and the fourth machine (# 4) B06 are operated in this order.

  As a result, the first unit (# 1) B03 closest to the entrance of the main flow line B02 is stopped the latest and operates the earliest. Unit 1 (# 1) B03, which is the most convenient for the user, is controlled so that the operation time becomes the longest among all elevators. By maximizing the operating time of the elevator (# 1) that is most easily used by the user, the convenience of the user can be ensured and the increase in waiting time can be suppressed.

  Conversely, Unit 4 (# 4) B06 farthest from the entrance of the main flow line B02 is stopped the earliest and operates the latest. The No. 4 (# 4) B06, which is far and inconvenient for the user, is controlled so that the operation time is the shortest among all elevators. As a result, it is possible to lengthen the downtime of the elevator (# 4), which is difficult for the user to use, to eliminate the standby power consumption, and to secure the energy saving effect.

  As described above, when the elevator is stopped, the elevator that is far from the user and difficult to visually recognize is stopped earlier, and the elevator that is close to the user and easy to visually recognize is stopped later. When restarting an elevator that is not in operation, the unit that is closer to the user and easy to see is operated first, and the unit that is far from the user and difficult to see is operated later. The same applies to the other cases (b) and (c) described below.

  FIG. 12B shows an example in which a total of six elevators are arranged facing each other, three on each side of the landing. This is a platform for a dead alley where an entrance B08 is provided only on the left side in the figure. Many users enter the landing along the main flow line B09 from the entrance B08 in the direction indicated by the arrow.

  In the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 12 (b), the elevators that are most noticeable when viewed from the user passing through the main flow line B09 are No. 4 (# 4) B13, No. 5 (# 5) B14, No. 6 (# 6 ) B15, Unit 1 (# 1) B10, Unit 2 (# 2) B11, Unit 3 (# 3) B12.

  Therefore, as described in the order table B16 shown on the right side of FIG. 12B, the order of elevators to be stopped is determined in the reverse order of the order of the cars that are easily seen by the user. That is, Unit 3 (# 3) B12, Unit 2 (# 2) B11, Unit 1 (# 1) B10, Unit 6 (# 6) B15, Unit 5 (# 5) B14, Unit 4 (# 4) B13 Pause in order. The order of operation is opposite to the order of pause described above.

  FIG. 12 (c) is an example in which three elevators are arranged facing each other on both sides of the landing, as in FIG. 12 (b). The elevator hall in FIG. 12 (c) is narrower than the elevator hall in FIG. 12 (b).

  Many users enter the landing along the main flow line B18 in the direction of the arrow from the entrance B17 that exists only on the left side in the drawing. In FIG. 12 (c), since the landing area is small, the user arrives at the elevators (eg, No. 3 (# 3) B21, No. 6 (# 6) B24) at the back of the landing when crowded. Takes time. Therefore, it is desirable to operate the elevator as close as possible to the entrance B17 and to stop the elevator far from the entrance B17 as much as possible.

  Therefore, in the case of the configuration of FIG. 12 (c), as shown in the order table B25 shown on the right side of the drawing, No. 3 (# 3) B21, No. 6 (# 6) B24, No. 2 (# 2) B20, 5 Unit (# 5) B23, Unit 1 (# 1) B19, Unit 4 (# 4) B22 are suspended in this order. The order of operation is the reverse of the order of suspension, Unit 4 (# 4) B22, Unit 1 (# 1) B19, Unit 5 (# 5) B23, Unit 2 (# 2) B20, Unit 6 (# 6) Operate in order of B24, No. 3 (# 3) B21.

  When the stop order is set in this way, even when the number of stop elevators increases, the user can easily reach and use the nearby elevator that is easy to use. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress a decrease in convenience while realizing an energy saving effect.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a process for determining whether or not the elevator selected as the suspension target can be stopped. This process is mainly executed by the pause condition determination unit 506. Hereinafter, the processing will be described in order.

  First, the elevator system 1 determines whether there is an elevator to be newly stopped (FD01). When there is no elevator to be suspended (FD01: NO), this process is terminated. When there is an elevator unit to be suspended (FD01: YES), the name of the elevator unit to be suspended (any information that can identify the unit) may be acquired from the elevator selection unit 503 (FD02). ).

  Next, the elevator system 1 determines whether or not the elevator machine to be stopped satisfies a predetermined stop condition set in advance (FD03). The predetermined pause condition is, for example, as follows.

(Condition 1) The car door is in a closed state and the car is in a stopped state.
(Condition 2) The state of Condition 1 continues for a predetermined time (for example, 3 minutes),
It is. In step FD03, the elevator system 1 determines whether the elevator object to be stopped satisfies both of the two conditions.

  In addition, when information regarding a landing call or a car call assigned to the elevator to be suspended is obtained, a condition “no call is assigned” can be added to condition 1.

  The elevator system 1 determines that the elevator object to be stopped can be stopped when the elevator object to be stopped satisfies both condition 1 and condition 2 (FD03: YES), and the elevator system to be stopped The pause command is transmitted (FD04).

  When any one of the condition 1 and the condition 2 is not satisfied (FD03: NO), the elevator system 1 suspends the suspension of the elevator object to be suspended (FD05). The elevator system 1 does not transmit the suspension command to the elevator that is determined to be on hold, and determines again whether the elevator that is determined to be on hold satisfies the stop condition after a predetermined time has elapsed (FD05).

  After transmitting a stop command to the elevator to be stopped, the elevator system 1 decreases the value of the stop number J5 by one (FD06). The elevator system 1 repeats the determination processes FD03 to FD06 described above until the number J5 of suspension is equal to or less than zero (that is, until all the suspension target elevators are checked).

  In the present embodiment, it is possible to shut off the power supply to the elevator after confirming that it is an elevator that is not in use by performing the above-described stop determination process, and to ensure safety. .

  FIG. 14 shows a configuration example of the status display unit 600. FIG. 14A shows an example in which information on the operation or suspension of all elevators is collectively displayed on the elevator platform. For example, the display device 601 is attached to the entrance wall of the elevator hall. The display device 601 displays information received by the wireless device 602. The display device 601 displays current information regarding operation or suspension of each elevator.

  The display device 601 can display, for example, a layout drawing of an elevator hall, and can display information on the operation or suspension of each elevator in association with the layout drawing. Thereby, it is possible to guide the user in an easy-to-understand manner.

  Furthermore, the display device 601 may display the value of the power usage rate. Thereby, an understanding to an elevator stop can be acquired with respect to a user.

  In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, when controlling the number of operation by a time schedule, you may display on the display apparatus 601 the time schedule regarding the operation | movement and a stop. Thereby, the user can act after knowing the schedule, and the convenience of the user is improved.

  FIG. 14B shows a case where information is displayed for each elevator. Individual display devices 610a and 610b are installed in front of each elevator. The display device 610a corresponding to the elevator machine in the dormant state displays “not in operation”.

  On the other hand, the display device 610b corresponding to the elevator in operation does not display anything. This is to save power.

  In the energy-saving elevator system of the present embodiment, the number of operating units changes each time according to the power usage state, the number of people waiting, and the like, so that users who are not familiar with the system may be confused. However, in this embodiment, since the status display unit 600 is provided to notify the user of information related to the operation or suspension of the elevator, the user's confusion can be reduced and the decrease in convenience can be suppressed.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above. A person skilled in the art can make various additions and changes within the scope of the present invention. For example, instead of the character display or together with the character display, the user may be guided to the operation or the resting state of the elevator by voice. Furthermore, it may be configured such that an information terminal (including a mobile phone or the like) used by a user is notified of an elevator operation or suspension state or a time schedule in the form of an e-mail.

1: Elevator system 100: Detection process of the number of users or waiting people 101a: Sensor unit (1st floor)
102a: Number of users or waiting number detection unit 103: Total number of users or waiting number calculation unit 200: Number of people data processing unit 201: Time average calculation unit 202: Deviation calculation unit 203: Selection determination unit 300: Number upper limit value processing unit 301 : Power system information database 302: CEMS
303: BEMS
304: Power usage data or power usage rate data acquisition unit 305: Operating unit upper limit value table 306: Elevator operating unit upper limit value setting unit 400: Time schedule processing unit 401: Operating unit upper limit value schedule table 402: Clock 500: Operation number processing unit 501: Elevator operation number calculation / setting unit according to the number of persons 502: Elevator specification database 503: Elevator number selection unit 504: Elevator state data acquisition unit 505: Operation / pause order table 506: Pause condition determination unit 507 : Command output unit 600: Status display unit 701: Switch 702: Inverter 703: Motor

Claims (19)

In an elevator system that controls multiple elevators operating between multiple floors,
A waiting number detecting unit for detecting a waiting number corresponding to the number of people waiting for the arrival of the elevator on at least one of the floors;
A total waiting number calculation unit for calculating the total waiting number detected by the waiting number detection unit as a total waiting number;
Based on the total number of waiting persons, an operation number to be operated among the plurality of elevators is calculated, and an operation control unit that controls an operation state of the plurality of elevators based on the calculated operation number;
Elevator system with The elevator system according to claim 1,
The operation control unit increases or decreases the number of operating units according to the increase or decrease of the total waiting number of people,
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 2,
The said operation control part increases / decreases the said operation number according to the order previously determined according to the increase / decrease in the said total waiting number of persons, The elevator system characterized by the above-mentioned. The elevator system according to claim 3.
The total waiting number calculating unit calculates the total waiting number by multiplying the waiting number detected on a predetermined floor set in advance among the plurality of floors by a factor of 1 or more.
An elevator system characterized by that. In the elevator system as described in any one of Claims 1-4,
The operation control unit calculates the operation number so that the operation number decreases as the total waiting number decreases.
An elevator system characterized by that. In the elevator system as described in any one of Claims 1-5,
The operation control unit reduces the power supply to the non-operating elevator among the plurality of elevators, compared to the power supply to the operating elevator operated among the plurality of elevators,
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 6,
The operation control unit shuts off power supply to the resting elevator,
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 7,
The operation control unit shuts off power supply to a drive motor that drives the resting elevator when the resting elevator is in a door-closed state and a car stop state for a predetermined time or more set in advance.
An elevator system characterized by that. In the elevator system as described in any one of Claims 1-8,
The resting elevator is selected in a predetermined order set in advance based on the structure of the elevator hall,
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 9,
The resting elevator is selected in order from an elevator furthest from the flow line among the plurality of elevators.
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 9,
The resting elevators are selected in order from the elevator furthest from the elevator landing entrance,
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 1,
The operation control unit calculates a second operation number indicating an operation number of elevators to be operated among the plurality of elevators based on information on power consumption of the plurality of elevators, and is calculated based on the total waiting number. Selecting either the operating number or the second operating number by comparing the operating number with the second operating number,
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 12,
The operation control unit selects the second operation number when the second operation number is smaller than the operation number,
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 1,
The operation control unit selects the second operation number when the reduction of power consumption is instructed in advance even when the second operation number is greater than or equal to the operation number.
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 12,
The information on the power consumption is set based on a power consumption limit for a building in which the plurality of elevators are installed or a predetermined area where the building exists.
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 1,
The operation control unit calculates the number of operating units based on an average value in a predetermined time of the total waiting number of people,
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 1,
The operation control unit calculates a third operation number indicating an operation number of elevators to be operated among the plurality of elevators based on schedule information set in advance, and the operation calculated based on the total waiting number By comparing the number of operating units and the third operating unit, select either the operating unit or the third operating unit,
An elevator system characterized by that. The elevator system according to claim 17,
A display unit for displaying the schedule information is provided at the elevator platform,
An elevator system characterized by that. In an elevator control method for controlling a plurality of elevators operating between multiple floors using a computer,
The computer
A waiting number detecting step for detecting a waiting number corresponding to the number of waiting for the arrival of the elevator on at least one of the floors;
A total step of calculating the total number of waiting persons detected as a total waiting number;
Based on the total waiting number of persons, an operation number calculating step for calculating an operation number to be operated among the plurality of elevators,
A control step of controlling operating states of the plurality of elevators based on the calculated number of operating units;
Run the
An elevator control method characterized by the above.

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