JP2022131265A - Passenger conveyor and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a passenger conveyor and a control method capable of urging passengers not to become dense without drastically degrading transport capacity.SOLUTION: A passenger conveyor conveys a passenger by moving footsteps and includes an acquisition unit, a first determination unit, and a voice control unit. The acquisition unit acquires image data showing a temperature of a passenger existing on a footstep photographed by an infrared imaging device installed in a range where the passenger can be imaged. The first determination unit determines whether or not the temperature of the passenger is a predetermined temperature or higher based on the image data acquired by the acquisition unit. The voice control unit outputs voice for announcing that passengers should keep a space therebetween from an acoustic device installed in a range reachable to the sense of hearing of the passengers when the first determination unit determines that a passenger has the predetermined temperature or higher.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to passenger conveyors and control methods.

Passenger conveyors such as escalators, in principle, do not limit the number of users, so when people are crowded, people will be close to each other when using them. Recently, due to the influence of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), people are being called to avoid close contact with each other as much as possible. does not currently exist. In addition, passenger conveyors are originally installed for the purpose of transporting people. An operation that always restricts the user's transportation operation is not preferable.

As a technique for controlling such a passenger conveyor, a technique for controlling a moving walkway according to the contents detected by a sensor that detects the state of passengers at predetermined intervals on the side wall of the moving walkway has been disclosed. In addition, a thermography camera is provided to acquire the temperature distribution of a predetermined range of the passenger conveyor, and when a part of the temperature distribution acquired by the thermography camera is detected to have a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined reference temperature, the controller decelerates the boarding section. , the stopping of the boarding section, or the notification of the detection.

Japanese Patent No. 3647791 Japanese Patent No. 6581252

However, the conventional technology has the problem that it is not possible to encourage passengers not to be crowded without significantly reducing the transportation capacity as described above.

A passenger conveyor according to an embodiment is a passenger conveyor that moves passengers by moving steps, and includes an acquisition unit, a first determination unit, and a voice control unit. The acquisition unit acquires image data indicating the temperature of the passenger present on the steps captured by an infrared imaging device installed within a range capable of capturing an image of the passenger. The first determination unit determines whether or not the temperature of the passenger is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature based on the image data acquired by the acquisition unit. When the first determination unit determines that the temperature of the passenger is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the voice control unit outputs an announcement to the effect that the passengers should be spaced apart from each other from a sound device installed within a range that can be heard by the passengers. output sound.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of the overall configuration of the escalator of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of urging the escalator of the embodiment to prevent crowding of passengers. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electrical hardware configuration of the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of functional blocks of a main control unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation flow of the escalator of the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining temperature detection confirmation in the escalator of the modification.

Below, the passenger conveyor and the control method of the embodiment will be described in detail based on the drawings. Note that the components in these embodiments include those that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same, and the following embodiments do not limit the present invention. .

Passenger conveyors include, for example, escalators for ascending and descending, and horizontal escalators called so-called moving walkways. The passenger conveyor of the following embodiments will be described using an escalator for vertical movement as an example, but the passenger conveyor is not limited to this.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of the overall configuration of the escalator of the embodiment. The overall configuration of the escalator 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The escalator 10 shown in FIG. 1 will be described as an ascending escalator having an entrance on the lower floor side and an exit on the upper floor side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the escalator 10 includes a truss 12, a platform 32, and a platform 34. As shown in FIG.

The truss 12 is a structure forming the base of the escalator 10 . The truss 12 is arranged across the upper and lower floors of the building 1, supported by the support angles 2 on the upper floor side and by the support angles 3 on the lower floor side. Also, the truss 12 is composed of an upper horizontal truss 121 , an inclined truss 122 and a lower horizontal truss 123 .

The upper horizontal truss 121 is a structure on the upper floor side of the truss 12 and is arranged in the upper pit 4 which is a space formed on the upper floor side of the building 1 . The upper horizontal truss 121 has an upper machine room 14 in which a driving device 18 and the like, which will be described later, are arranged.

The inclined truss 122 is a structure that connects the upper horizontal truss 121 and the lower horizontal truss 123 and is inclined from the upper floor to the lower floor.

The lower horizontal truss 123 is a structure on the lower floor side of the truss 12 and is arranged in the lower pit 5 which is a space formed on the lower floor side of the building 1 . The lower horizontal truss 123 has a lower machine room 16 in which a driven sprocket 26 and the like, which will be described later, are arranged.

The boarding plate 32 is a plate member arranged on the upper surface side of the upper horizontal truss 121 for the user to board the escalator 10 (specifically, the upper surface of the steps 30 described later). The boarding plate 32 is arranged so as to be substantially flush with the upper surfaces of the steps 30 that move one after another on the upper horizontal truss 121 side.

The boarding plate 34 is a plate member arranged on the upper surface side of the lower horizontal truss 123 for the user to get on/off the escalator 10 (specifically, the upper surface of the steps 30 described later). The boarding plate 34 is arranged on the side of the lower horizontal truss 123 so as to be substantially flush with the upper surfaces of steps 30, which will be described later, which move one after another.

1, the escalator 10 further includes a drive 18, a drive sprocket 24, a driven sprocket 26, a step chain 28, a plurality of steps 30, a guide rail 25, and a controller 50. , is equipped with

The driving device 18 is a device for moving passengers upstairs or downstairs by rotating an induction motor to raise and lower a plurality of steps 30 . A drive device 18 is arranged in the upper machine room 14 . Drive 18 comprises a motor 20 and a drive chain 22 .

The motor 20 is an induction motor, for example, and is a motor that rotates the drive sprocket 24 via the drive chain 22 . The drive chain 22 is an endless chain stretched between the output shaft of the motor 20 and the drive sprocket 24, and is a chain that transmits the rotational force of the output shaft of the motor 20 to the rotation of the drive sprocket 24.

The drive sprocket 24 is a gear that rotates when the torque of the output shaft of the motor 20 is transmitted by the drive chain 22 . A drive sprocket 24 is located in the upper machine room 14 . A step chain 28 is stretched between the drive sprocket 24 and the driven sprocket 26 .

The driven sprocket 26 is a gear that rotates when the torque of the driving sprocket 24 is transmitted by the step chain 28 . A driven sprocket 26 is arranged in the lower machine room 16 .

The step chain 28 is a pair of endless chains arranged side by side in the direction of the rotation axis of the drive sprocket 24 and the driven sprocket 26, and is stretched between the drive sprocket 24 and the driven sprocket 26. to the rotation of the driven sprocket 26. A plurality of steps 30 are attached to the pair of step chains 28 .

The step 30 is a member that moves in accordance with the rotational direction of the attached step chain 28 when a passenger is placed on its upper surface, thereby raising and lowering the passenger. A plurality of steps 30 are attached to the step chain 28 at regular intervals. The step 30 has a front wheel 30a and a rear wheel 30b, and is guided by the front wheel 30a and the rear wheel 30b traveling along the guide rail 25. As shown in FIG.

The guide rail 25 is a rail member arranged from the upper machine room 14 on the upper floor toward the lower machine room 16 on the lower floor. The guide rail 25 guides the movement of the steps 30 via the front wheels 30a and the rear wheels 30b.

The control device 50 is a device that controls the overall operation of the escalator 10 . The control device 50 is arranged in the upper machine room 14 on the upper floor. The place where the control device 50 is arranged is not limited to the upper machine room 14, and may be arranged in the lower machine room 16 on the lower floor, for example.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the escalator 10 includes a balustrade 36, a front skirt guard 40, a front skirt guard 42, a skirt guard 44, operation panels 52 and 56, speakers 54 and 58, and a thermography camera 57. and have.

The balustrade 36 is a pair of handrail members erected on the upper surface side of the truss 12 and arranged in the longitudinal direction of the step 30 (for example, the direction of the rotation axis of the drive sprocket 24). The balustrade 36 has a handrail belt 38 on its top for the passenger to grip for safety.

The front skirt guard 40 is a cover member that covers the front lower part of the balustrade 36 on the upper story side. The front skirt guard 40 has an inlet portion 46 which is an entrance for the handrail belt 38. As shown in FIG.

The front skirt guard 42 is a cover member that covers the front lower part of the balustrade 36 on the lower floor side. The front skirt guard 42 has an inlet portion 48 which is an entrance for the handrail belt 38. As shown in FIG.

The skirt guard 44 is a cover member that connects the front skirt guard 40 and the front skirt guard 42 and protects the side lower part of the balustrade 36 .

The operation panel 52 is arranged on the inner surface of the front skirt guard 40 (or the front skirt guard 40 side of the skirt guard 44 ) and is an operation panel for operating the operation of the escalator 10 . The operation panel 56 is arranged on the inner surface of the front skirt guard 42 (or the front skirt guard 42 side of the skirt guard 44 ) and is an operation panel for operating the escalator 10 .

The speaker 54 is, for example, an acoustic device that is arranged on the inner surface of the upper floor of the balustrade 36, and that outputs the operation state of the escalator 10 and an announcement to encourage passengers to leave a space between themselves, which will be described later. The speaker 58 is, for example, an acoustic device that is arranged on the inner surface of the lower floor side of the balustrade 36, and that outputs the operation state of the escalator 10 and an announcement to encourage passengers to leave a space between themselves, which will be described later. The speakers 54, 58 are placed, for example, within the auditory reach of the passengers.

The thermography camera 57 is installed in a range capable of capturing images of objects such as passengers, detects infrared radiant energy emitted from the objects such as passengers, and generates image data for visualizing the temperature distribution. It is an infrared imaging device that For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the thermography camera 57 is installed on the lower floor side (entrance side) of the balustrade 36 so as to capture images of passengers who are about to get on the escalator 10 from the entrance. The thermography camera 57 outputs image data for visualizing the temperature distribution to the control device 50 as temperature information about objects such as passengers.

Note that the thermography camera 57 is not limited to outputting image data for visualizing the temperature distribution. It is also possible to detect whether or not by itself, and output the detection result as temperature information. In addition, the thermography camera 57 is not limited to being installed on the lower floor side (entrance side) of the balustrade 36, for example, in front of a guide fence for guiding passengers, or at an entrance such as the ceiling 62. It may be installed at any position as long as it can image a passenger who is about to get on.

The display 60 is a display device that displays image data detected by the thermography camera 57, and a display prompting passengers to leave a space between themselves, which will be described later. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the display 60 is suspended from the ceiling 62 on the side of the entrance of the escalator 10, and is installed at a position where it can be visually recognized by passengers who are about to board the escalator 10 from the entrance. The display 60 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. Note that the display 60 is not limited to being installed suspended from the ceiling 62, and may be installed near the entrance of the escalator 10, for example.

The escalator 10 shown in FIG. 1 is assumed to be an ascending escalator with the entrance on the lower floor side and the exit on the upper floor side. may be an escalator for descending with the entrance on the lower floor side and the exit on the lower floor side.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of urging the escalator of the embodiment to prevent crowding of passengers. Referring to FIG. 2, the operation of the escalator 10 according to the present embodiment to encourage passengers not to be crowded will be described.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which a passenger is about to get on the escalator 10 from the entrance of the escalator 10 . As shown in FIG. 2, the thermographic camera 57 takes an image of a passenger who is about to get on the escalator 10 from the entrance, and controls the image data for visualizing the temperature distribution as the temperature information about the object such as the passenger. output to device 50; The display 60 displays image data representing the temperature distribution captured by the thermography camera 57, as shown in FIG. As a result, a passenger who is about to board from the entrance can visually recognize the body temperature of other passengers, including himself/herself.

The control device 50 receives temperature information, which is image data captured by the thermography camera 57. Based on the temperature information, the body temperature of the passenger using the escalator 10 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature (for example, 37.5°C). 5 degrees) or more. The control device 50 detects a passenger whose temperature is determined to be equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature as a fever person.

When the control device 50 detects a feverish person, as shown in FIG. 2, the control device 50 causes the speaker 58 to output an announcement urging passengers to leave a space between themselves. In addition, when detecting a person with fever, the control device 50 causes the display 60 to display a message to the effect that passengers should be spaced apart from each other, as shown in FIG. This can audibly and visually encourage passengers not to be crowded. Details of the operation of the escalator 10 to prevent passengers from crowding together will be described later with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electrical hardware configuration of the embodiment; The electrical hardware configuration of the escalator 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the escalator 10 includes a main control unit 9, a drive circuit 7, a motor 20, operation panels 52 and 56, speakers 54 and 58, a thermography camera 57, a display 60, and a communication device. 71 and a storage device 72 .

The main control unit 9 is a controller composed of a microcomputer or the like that controls the escalator 10 as a whole. The main control unit 9 is arranged inside the control device 50 . The main control unit 9 is not limited to a microcomputer, and may be a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), for example.

The drive circuit 7 is an inverter device for controlling the rotation of the motor 20 . The drive circuit 7 is connected to the main controller 9 and operates under the control of the main controller 9 .

The operation panels 52 and 56 are operation panels for operating the escalator 10, as described above. The operation panels 52 and 56 are connected to the main control unit 9, and information on operations performed on the operation panels 52 and 56 is transmitted to the main control unit 9.

The speakers 54 and 58 are connected to the main control unit 9, and according to the control of the main control unit 9, output the operating state of the escalator 10 and an announcement prompting passengers to leave a space between themselves.

As described above, the thermography camera 57 is an imaging device that detects infrared radiant energy emitted from objects such as passengers and generates image data for visualizing the temperature distribution. The thermography camera 57 outputs image data for visualizing the temperature distribution to the control device 50 as temperature information about objects such as passengers.

As described above, the display 60 is a display device that displays the image data detected by the thermography camera 57 and prompts passengers to leave a space between them.

The communication device 71 is a device that performs data communication with an external device (for example, a host computer, etc.). The communication device 71 may be, for example, a communication I/F for wired connection with an external device, or a wireless communication device for wireless communication with an external device using an antenna. The communication device 71 performs communication conforming to, for example, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)/IP (Internet Protocol).

The storage device 72 is a non-volatile storage device that stores image data captured by the thermography camera 57, the determination result of the passenger's body temperature by the control device 50, the time of use of the heat-generating person, the number of heat-generating persons, and the like. The storage device 72 is, for example, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, or the like.

It should be noted that the hardware configuration of the escalator 10 shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and does not have to include all of these, and may include other components. For example, in the configuration shown in FIG. 3, two operating panels (operating panels 52 and 56) are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this, and one of the operating panels is provided. It can be a thing.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of functional blocks of a main control unit according to the embodiment; The configuration of the functional blocks of the main control unit 9 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the main control unit 9 includes a conveyor control unit 101, an image acquisition unit 102 (acquisition unit), a heat generation determination unit 103 (first determination unit), a count unit 104, and an audio control unit. 105 , display control unit 106 , time determination unit 107 (second determination unit), communication unit 108 , and storage unit 109 .

The conveyor control unit 101 is a functional unit that controls the operation of the drive circuit 7 to move the plurality of steps 30 of the escalator 10 and control the ascending and descending motions of passengers.

The image acquisition unit 102 is a functional unit that acquires image data that visualizes the temperature distribution of the temperature of the passenger captured by the thermography camera 57 as temperature information of the passenger.

Based on the temperature information acquired by the image acquisition unit 102, the fever determination unit 103 determines whether the body temperature of the passenger using the escalator 10 is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature (for example, 37.5 degrees). It is a functional unit that determines That is, the heat generation determination unit 103 determines whether or not the passenger is generating heat. The fever determination unit 103 detects a passenger determined to have a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature as a fever person.

Note that the temperature information acquired by the image acquisition unit 102 and subject to determination by the heat generation determination unit 103 is not limited to image data representing the temperature distribution captured by the thermography camera 57 . For example, the thermography camera 57 detects by itself whether or not there is an object having a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold based on information indicating the imaged temperature distribution, and outputs the detection result as temperature information. It can be a thing. In this case, the fever determination unit 103 may determine (detect) whether or not the person has a fever based on the detection result indicated by the temperature information.

The counting unit 104 is a functional unit that counts the elapsed time after detection when the heat generation determination unit 103 determines that the passenger has a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, that is, when a fever person is detected.

The audio control unit 105 is a functional unit that controls the audio output operation of the speaker 58 . For example, when the fever determination unit 103 detects a fever person, the voice control unit 105 causes the speaker 58 to output an announcement urging passengers to leave a space between themselves. Note that when a plurality of speakers such as the speakers 54 and 58 are installed, the audio control unit 105 may output audio only to the speaker closest to the passenger. In this case, the audio output unit 105 may select a new speaker for output so as to keep following the passenger, if necessary. Naturally, when the passenger gets off the escalator 10, the voice control unit 105 stops the voice output of the announcement. In addition, when the heat generation determination unit 103 detects a passenger whose body temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the voice control unit 105 may output an announcement voice only from the speaker behind the step 30 in the traveling direction. In addition, since passengers ahead in the traveling direction get off the escalator 10 first, there is no need to output the voice of the announcement. However, when the detected passenger walks on the steps 30 and moves in the traveling direction, the voice control unit 105 outputs an announcement voice because there is a risk of infection.

The display control unit 106 is a functional unit that controls the display operation of the display 60. FIG. For example, the display control unit 106 causes the display 60 to display image data representing the temperature distribution captured by the thermography camera 57 . In addition, when the heat generation determination unit 103 detects a fever person, the display control unit 106 causes the display 60 to display a message to the effect that the passengers are urged to leave a space between themselves.

The time determination unit 107 is a functional unit that determines whether or not the elapsed time counted by the counting unit 104 has passed a predetermined exit arrival time (predetermined time). Here, the time to reach the exit means the time estimated to be required from when the passenger gets on the escalator 10 from the entrance until the passenger reaches the exit. The time to reach the exit may be set in advance, or may be automatically calculated according to the moving speed of the steps 30 .

A communication unit 108 is a functional unit that performs data communication with an external device (for example, a host computer, etc.). The communication unit 108 transmits, for example, the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 102, the judgment result of the passenger's body temperature by the fever judgment unit 103, the time of use of the person with fever, the number of persons with fever, and the like to the external device. Further, the communication unit 108, for example, notifies a dedicated application (predetermined application) installed in an information terminal such as a smartphone owned by a passenger who has been detected as having a fever by the fever determination unit 103 that the passenger has been detected as having a fever. It may be sent. As a result, only passengers who are detected as having a fever can grasp their own fever status in a way that respects human rights, and the concerned fever person can take appropriate measures without causing panic to those around them. can be done. The communication unit 108 is realized by executing a program by the communication device 71 and the main control unit 9 shown in FIG.

The storage unit 109 is a functional unit that stores, for example, image data captured by the thermography camera 57, the judgment result of the passenger's body temperature by the control device 50, the time of use of the person with fever, the number of persons with fever, and the like. The storage unit 109 is implemented by the storage device 72 and the main control unit 9 shown in FIG.

The conveyor control unit 101, the image acquisition unit 102, the heat generation determination unit 103, the count unit 104, the audio control unit 105, the display control unit 106, and the time determination unit 107 described above are programmed by the main control unit 9 shown in FIG. is implemented by executing Some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

Note that each functional unit of the main control unit 9 shown in FIG. 4 conceptually shows the function, and is not limited to such a configuration. For example, a plurality of function units illustrated as independent function units in the main control unit 9 shown in FIG. 4 may be configured as one function unit. On the other hand, the main control unit 9 shown in FIG. 4 may divide the processing content of one functional unit into a plurality of functional units to form a plurality of functional units.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation flow of the escalator of the embodiment. The flow of operation of the escalator 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

<Step S11>
The conveyor control unit 101 of the main control unit 9 starts the operation of the escalator 10 according to the operation on the operation panels 52 and 56. FIG. Then, the process proceeds to step S12.

<Step S12>
The image acquisition unit 102 of the main control unit 9 acquires image data that visualizes the temperature distribution of the temperature of the passenger captured by the thermography camera 57 as the temperature information of the passenger. The image acquisition unit 102 sends temperature information, which is acquired image data, to the heat generation determination unit 103 . The image acquiring unit 102 causes the storage unit 109 to store the temperature information, which is the acquired image data. Further, the communication unit 108 transmits temperature information, which is image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 102, to an external device as necessary. Also, the display control unit 106 causes the display 60 to display the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 102 . Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

<Step S13>
Based on the temperature information received from the image acquisition unit 102, the heat generation determination unit 103 of the main control unit 9 determines whether the body temperature of the passenger using the escalator 10 is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature (for example, 37.5 degrees). Determine whether or not there is The fever determination unit 103 detects a passenger determined to have a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature as a fever person. In this case, the fever determination unit 103 stores the detection result (determination result) of the fever person, the usage time (detection time) of the fever person, and the number of the fever person in the storage unit 109 . In addition, the communication unit 108 transmits at least one of the detection result of the fever person by the fever determination unit 103, the usage time of the fever person (detection time), and the number of the fever person to the external device as necessary. . In addition, the communication unit 108 may transmit to a dedicated application installed in an information terminal such as a smartphone possessed by a passenger who has been detected as having a fever by the fever determination unit 103 that the passenger has been detected as having a fever. If the temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature (if a fever person is detected) (step S13: Yes), the process proceeds to step S14.

<Step S14>
When the heat determination unit 103 determines that the passenger has a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature (when a fevered person is detected), the counting unit 104 of the main control unit 9 starts counting the elapsed time after detection. Then, the process proceeds to step S15.

<Step S15>
The audio control unit 105 of the main control unit 9 causes the speaker 58 to start outputting an announcement prompting passengers to leave a space between themselves. Then, the process proceeds to step S16.

<Step S16>
In addition, the display control unit 106 of the main control unit 9 causes the display 60 to start displaying a message prompting passengers to leave a space between themselves. It should be noted that the display on the display 60 is not limited to being performed after the voice output in step S15, and may be displayed at the same time as the voice output or before the voice output. Then, the process proceeds to step S17.

<Step S17>
If a new fever person is detected by the heat generation determination unit 103 (step S17: Yes), the process proceeds to step S18, and if not detected (step S17: No), the process proceeds to step S19.

<Step S18>
When a new fever person is detected by the heat generation determining unit 103, the counting unit 104 resets the counting of the elapsed time after the detection started in step S14 to 0 and continues counting. Then, the process proceeds to step S19.

<Step S19>
The time determination unit 107 of the main control unit 9 determines whether or not the elapsed time counted by the counting unit 104 has passed the predetermined exit arrival time. When the elapsed time has passed the exit arrival time (step S19: Yes), the process proceeds to step S20, and when it has not passed (step S19: No), the process returns to step S15.

<Step S20>
When the elapsed time has passed the egress arrival time, the voice control unit 105 stops outputting the voice announcement to the effect that the speaker 58 is urging passengers to leave a space between themselves. Then, the process proceeds to step S21.

<Step S21>
The display control unit 106 causes the display 60 to hide the urge to leave a space between passengers. Then, the process proceeds to step S22.

<Step S22>
The conveyor control unit 101 stops the operation of the escalator 10 when the operation panel 52, 56 is operated to stop the operation (step S22: Yes). If there is no shutdown operation (step S22: No), the process proceeds to step S12.

The operation of the escalator 10 is performed according to the flow of steps S11 to S22 described above.

As described above, in the escalator 10 of the present embodiment, the image acquisition unit 102 acquires image data indicating the temperature of the passenger captured by the thermography camera 57, and the heat generation determination unit 103 acquires the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit . Based on the obtained image data, it is determined whether or not the passenger is generating heat. When the heat generation determining unit 103 determines that the passenger is generating heat, the audio control unit 105 outputs voice signals from the speakers 54 and 58 to the passengers. An announcement to the effect that there will be an interval is to be output by voice. This can encourage passengers to avoid crowding without significantly reducing transport capacity. In addition, since the person with fever is not identified and notified to the surroundings, control can be performed in consideration of the human rights of the person with fever.

In addition, when the heat generation determination unit 103 determines that the passenger has a fever, the counting unit 104 starts counting the elapsed time. , and if the time determination unit 107 determines that the elapsed time has passed the predetermined time, the voice control unit 105 stops the voice output of the announcement. As a result, the announcement urging people to leave a space can be made only while the person with fever is detected and getting on the escalator 10, and unnecessary restrictions on the use of the escalator 10 can be avoided.

In addition, when the heat generation determination unit 103 determines that the passenger is generating heat, the display control unit 106 causes the display 60 to display a message indicating that the passengers should be spaced apart from each other. As a result, it is possible to visually encourage passengers not to be crowded.

It should be noted that the main control unit 9 (third determination unit) determines the congestion state of passengers (whether or not there is a stagnation) based on the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 102, and determines that a stagnation has occurred. In this case, the voice control unit 105 causes the speaker 58 to stop outputting the voice announcement urging the passengers to leave a space, and the display control unit 106 causes the display 60 to urge the passengers to leave a space. may be hidden. This allows the transportation of passengers to be prioritized.

Further, when the escalators 10 are installed adjacently, the announcement may be output not only to the escalator 10 on which the detected passenger is boarding, but also to the adjacent escalator 10 as well. For example, when one escalator 10 moves upward and the other adjacent escalator 10 moves downward, all the speakers installed in the other escalator 10 can be heard by passengers on the other escalator 10. An announcement may be output by voice. Also, when two escalators 10 are moving in the same direction, the same announcement as one escalator 10 should be made to the other escalator 10 as well.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining temperature detection confirmation in the escalator of the modification. With reference to FIG. 6, the operation of checking the temperature in the escalator 10 of the modification of the present embodiment will be described. The escalator 10 of this modified example will be described with respect to the differences from the escalator 10 of the above-described embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the thermography camera 57 and the display 60 are installed on the entrance side of the escalator 10 has been described. In this modified example, a configuration in which a thermography camera 57 and a display 60 are installed on the exit side of the escalator 10 will be described. Also, it is assumed that the escalator 10 of this modified example is installed near the entrance EN of a facility such as a store. That is, in FIG. 6, the inside of the facility is on the right side of the entrance EN.

As shown in FIG. 6, the thermography camera 57 is installed on the upper floor side (exit side) of the balustrade 36 so as to take an image of passengers arriving near the exit. The thermography camera 57 outputs image data for visualizing the imaged temperature distribution to the control device 50 as temperature information about objects such as passengers.

The display 60 displays image data detected by the thermography camera 57, and a display requesting that passengers leave a space between themselves, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 6, the display 60 is suspended from the ceiling 62 on the side of the exit of the escalator 10, and is located near the exit and near the entrance EN of the facility so that the manager MG can visually recognize the display 60. is installed in In other words, the display 60 is installed so as to display in the same direction as the moving direction of the steps 30 of the escalator 10 (passenger transportation direction).

Other configurations of the escalator 10 of this modified example are the same as those of the escalator 10 of the above-described embodiment.

As described above, in the escalator 10 of the present modification, the manager MG near the exit can check the body temperature of the passenger and the detection result of the fever person by viewing the display 60 . This eliminates the need for the manager MG to measure the temperature of each passenger at the entrance of the facility, thereby simplifying temperature measurement.

Note that the thermography camera 57 may automatically change its imaging direction according to the moving direction of the steps 30 of the escalator 10 (passenger transportation direction). That is, the thermography camera 57 automatically swings so as to capture an image in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the steps 30 of the escalator 10, thereby switching the imaging direction. For example, when the escalator 10 in FIG. 6 is used as a descending escalator, the thermography camera 57 is directed toward the entrance EN side, which is opposite to the moving direction of the steps 30 of the escalator 10. What is necessary is just to switch a direction.

Also, the above-described embodiments and modifications are examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-described embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, changes, and combinations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

1 building, 2, 3 support angle, 4 upper pit, 5 lower pit, 7 drive circuit, 9 main control section, 10 escalator, 12 truss, 14 upper machine room, 16 lower machine room, 18 drive unit, 20 motor, 22 Drive chain, 24 drive sprocket, 25 guide rail, 26 driven sprocket, 28 step chain, 30 step, 30a front wheel, 30b rear wheel, 32, 34 platform, 36 handrail, 38 handrail belt, 40, 42 front skirt guard, 44 skirt guard, 46, 48 inlet section, 50 control device, 52 control panel, 54 speaker, 56 control panel, 57 thermography camera, 58 speaker, 60 display, 62 ceiling, 71 communication device, 72 storage device, 101 conveyor control section , 102 image acquisition unit, 103 heat determination unit, 104 count unit, 105 voice control unit, 106 display control unit, 107 time determination unit, 108 communication unit, 109 storage unit, 121 upper horizontal truss, 122 inclined truss, 123 lower horizontal Truss, EN Entrance, MG Admin

A passenger conveyor according to an embodiment is a passenger conveyor that moves passengers by moving steps, and includes an acquisition unit, a first determination unit, and a voice control unit. The acquisition unit obtains image data indicating the temperature of the passengers present on the steps captured by an infrared imaging device installed within a range capable of capturing an image of the passengers with the direction opposite to the moving direction of the steps as the imaging direction . get. The first determination unit determines whether or not the temperature of the passenger is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature based on the image data acquired by the acquisition unit. When the first determination unit determines that the temperature of the passenger is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the voice control unit outputs an announcement to the effect that the passengers should be spaced apart from each other from a sound device installed within a range that can be heard by the passengers. output sound.

Claims (9)

A passenger conveyor that moves passengers by moving steps,
an acquisition unit that acquires image data indicating the temperature of a passenger present on the steps captured by an infrared imaging device installed within a range capable of capturing an image of the passenger;
a first determination unit that determines whether or not the temperature of the passenger is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature based on the image data acquired by the acquisition unit;
When the first determination unit determines that the temperature of the passenger is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, an audio device installed within a range that can be heard by the passenger outputs an announcement to the effect that the passengers should be spaced apart from each other. a voice control unit;
passenger conveyor. a counting unit that starts counting the elapsed time when the first determination unit determines that the temperature of the passenger is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature;
a second determination unit that determines whether the elapsed time counted by the counting unit has passed a predetermined time;
further prepared,
2. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said voice control unit stops the voice output of said announcement when said second determination unit determines that said elapsed time has passed said predetermined time. 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: a display control unit that causes a display device to display a message indicating that a space should be provided between passengers when the first determination unit determines that the temperature of the passengers is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature. Described passenger conveyor. The passenger conveyor according to claim 3, wherein the display control section causes the display device to display the image data acquired by the acquisition section. 5. The passenger conveyor according to claim 4, wherein the display control unit displays the image data in the same direction as the direction in which the passengers are transported on the display device installed on the exit side of the passenger conveyor. 2. A communication unit configured to externally transmit at least one of the image data acquired by the acquisition unit, the determination result by the first determination unit, the usage time of the person with fever, and the number of people with fever. Passenger conveyor according to any one of 1 to 5. The said communication part transmits to the predetermined application installed in the information terminal which the passenger who was judged by the said 1st determination part to be above the said predetermined temperature to have been detected as a fever person to the effect that it was detected as a fever person. 7. Passenger conveyor according to 6. Based on the image data acquired by the acquisition unit, further comprising a third determination unit that determines whether or not passengers stay,
When the third determination unit determines that retention has occurred,
The voice control unit stops the voice output of the announcement,
6. The passenger conveyor according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the display control unit causes the display device to hide the indication that passengers are to be spaced apart. A control method for a passenger conveyor that moves passengers by moving steps,
an acquisition step of acquiring image data indicating the temperature of a passenger present on the steps captured by an infrared imaging device installed within an imaging range of the passenger;
a determination step of determining whether or not the temperature of the passenger is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature based on the acquired image data;
When it is determined that the temperature of the passenger is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, a voice control step of outputting an announcement to the effect that the passengers should leave a space from each other from a sound device installed in a range that can be heard by the passenger;
A control method with

Images