JP2024077407A - Elevator management system, control method of elevator management system, terminal device, and terminal device control program - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress unnecessary call registrations due to mischief and so on, and to prevent a decline in operational efficiency.SOLUTION: An elevator management system (1) comprises: an identification information output control unit (112) to perform at least one of control to output elevator identification information to be displayed at a predetermined location and of control to output a signal to an area in a prescribed range; a terminal device (40) to acquire the identification information; a call registration processing unit (113) to receive a registration request from the terminal device (40) and to perform call registration processing; and a call registration determination unit (413) to determine, based on the identification information, whether or not it is suitable to execute a call registration processing. The identification information output control unit (112) to update contents of the identification information from time to time when prescribed conditions are met.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an elevator management system, a control method for an elevator management system, a terminal device that communicates with the elevator management system, and a terminal control program for the terminal device.

Patent document 1 discloses a technology for registering calls using a mobile terminal. In this technology, a two-dimensional code is input and data corresponding to the two-dimensional code is sent to a destination floor registration server using a mobile terminal, and elevator operation is controlled by the hall call and destination call registration commands contained in the data.

JP 2005-194031 A

However, when registering a call based on the information of a two-dimensional code read by a mobile terminal, if the two-dimensional code is recorded as image data, for example, it may be possible to register a call from a remote location, which could result in unnecessary call registrations due to vandalism, etc., and reduced operational efficiency.

One aspect of the present invention aims to prevent unnecessary call registrations due to pranks, etc., and to prevent a decrease in elevator operation efficiency.

In order to solve the above problems, an elevator management system according to one aspect of the present invention is an elevator management system that manages elevator operation, and includes an identification information output control unit that performs at least one of the following controls: control to display and output identification information including a building in which the elevator is provided, an elevator group consisting of a plurality of the elevators, and elevator specific information that identifies at least one of the elevators, at a predetermined location, and control to output a signal to an area within a predetermined range; a terminal device that acquires the identification information output by the identification information output control unit; a call registration processing unit that receives a call registration request for the elevator car from the terminal device and performs call registration processing; and a call registration judgment unit that judges whether or not to perform the call registration processing based on the identification information, and the identification information output control unit controls to update the content of the identification information whenever a predetermined condition is met.

According to the above configuration, the content of the identification information is updated at any time by the identification information output control unit. In addition, the call registration determination unit determines whether or not to perform the call registration process depending on the content of the identification information.

Because the content of the identification information indicates the timing at which the identification information was issued, the call registration process can be controlled according to the timing at which the identification information was issued. This makes it possible to suppress unnecessary call registrations due to pranks, etc., and to prevent a decrease in elevator operation efficiency.

In an elevator management system according to another aspect of the present invention, the identification information may further include information corresponding to an update time at which the identification information was updated, and the call registration determination unit may determine whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the update time at which the identification information was updated and the acquisition time at which the terminal device acquired the identification information.

According to the above configuration, the appropriateness of performing the call registration process is determined based on the difference between the update time when the identification information was updated and the acquisition time when the terminal device acquired the identification information. Therefore, for example, if the terminal device acquires the identification information after a predetermined time has elapsed since the identification information was updated, it can be determined not to perform the call registration process.

By appropriately setting the specified time, it is possible to eliminate call registration processing for call registration requests that require a certain amount of time between the update time and the acquisition time, such as when a user records identification information as image data or the like and then acquires the recorded identification information at a location away from a building or other facility that has an elevator car, and issues a call registration request.

In an elevator management system according to another aspect of the present invention, the identification information further includes information corresponding to an update time, which is the time when the identification information is updated, and the call registration determination unit may determine whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the update time when the identification information is updated and the transmission time when the terminal device transmits a call registration request for the car to the call registration processing unit.

According to the above configuration, the appropriateness of performing the call registration process is determined based on the difference between the update time when the identification information is updated and the transmission time when the terminal device transmits a car call registration request to the call registration processing unit. Therefore, for example, if a call registration request is made after a predetermined time has elapsed since the identification information was updated, it can be determined that the call registration process is not to be performed.

This makes it possible to eliminate call registration processing for call registration requests that take a certain amount of time from the update time to the call registration request.

In an elevator management system according to another aspect of the present invention, the call registration determination unit may determine whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the acquisition time, which is the time when the terminal device acquires the identification information, and the transmission time, which is the time when the terminal device transmits a call registration request for the car to the call registration processing unit.

According to the above configuration, the appropriateness of performing the call registration process is determined based on the difference between the acquisition time when the terminal device acquires the identification information and the transmission time when the terminal device transmits the call registration information. Therefore, for example, if the terminal device transmits a call registration request a predetermined time or more after acquiring the identification information, it can be determined not to perform the call registration process.

By appropriately setting the specified time, it is possible to eliminate call registration processing for call registration requests that require a certain amount of time from the time of acquisition to the time of the call registration request, such as when identification information is acquired by a terminal device at a specified location and then a call registration request is made using that identification information at a location away from a building or other facility that has an elevator.

In an elevator management system according to another aspect of the present invention, the identification information further includes information corresponding to an update time, which is the time when the identification information is updated, and the call registration determination unit may determine whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the update time of the identification information acquired by the terminal device and the reception time when the call registration processing unit receives a call registration request for the car together with the identification information from the terminal device.

According to the above configuration, the appropriateness of performing the call registration process is determined based on the difference between the update time of the identification information acquired by the terminal device and the reception time of the call registration request transmitted from the terminal device together with the identification information. Therefore, for example, if a car call registration request is received using identification information that has been updated for a predetermined time or more, it can be determined not to perform the call registration process.

By appropriately setting the specified time, it is possible to eliminate, for example, call registration processing based on a call registration request using old identification information. In addition, since the difference between the update time and the reception time can be calculated based on the time on the identification information output control unit and the call registration processing unit side, the difference between the update time and the reception time can be calculated without being affected by the time recognized by the terminal device.

An elevator management system according to another aspect of the present invention further includes an authentication unit that receives an authentication request transmitted together with the identification information acquired by the terminal device, and authenticates whether the terminal device is capable of making the call registration request based on an update time at which the identification information was updated and an authentication request reception time at which the authentication request was received, and the call registration determination unit may determine whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the authentication request reception time and the reception time at which the call registration processing unit received the car call registration request from the terminal device that was authenticated as being capable of the call registration process.

According to the above configuration, based on the difference between the update time when the identification information was updated and the authentication request reception time when the call registration processing unit received the authentication request from the terminal device, authentication is performed to determine whether the terminal device is a terminal device capable of making a call registration request. Therefore, for example, if an authentication request is attempted after a predetermined time has elapsed since the identification information was updated, the terminal device may not be authenticated as a terminal device capable of making a call registration request.

This makes it possible to eliminate call registration requests from terminal devices for which a certain amount of time has passed between the update time and the authentication request.

The appropriateness of performing the call registration process is determined based on the difference between the time of receiving the authentication request and the time of receiving the call registration request transmitted by the terminal device that has been authenticated as being capable of performing the call registration process. Therefore, for example, if a car call registration request is received a predetermined time or more after receiving the authentication request, it can be determined not to perform the call registration process.

This makes it possible to eliminate the call registration process for call registration requests that take a certain amount of time from the time the authentication request is received to the time the call registration request is made.

In an elevator management system according to another aspect of the present invention, the call registration determination unit may prohibit the call registration process from being performed if the call registration processing unit receives a call registration request based on the same identification information from the same terminal device a predetermined number of times or more.

A call registration request based on the same identification information from the same terminal device a predetermined number of times or more is considered to be a useless call registration request. With the above configuration, call registration requests based on the same identification information from the same terminal device are limited to a number less than a predetermined number of times, so that call registration processing for call registration requests that are likely to be useless can be eliminated.

In an elevator management system according to another aspect of the present invention, the call registration determination unit may be provided in the terminal device, and if the call registration request based on the same identification information has been transmitted a predetermined number of times or more, the call registration determination unit may prohibit transmission of the call registration request based on the identification information.

According to the above configuration, the call registration determination unit provided in the terminal device limits call registration requests based on the same identification information from the same terminal device to fewer than a predetermined number of times, thereby eliminating call registration processing for call registration requests that are likely to be useless.

In an elevator management system according to another aspect of the present invention, when the call registration processing unit receives the call registration request based on the same identification information a predetermined number of times or more, the call registration determination unit may prohibit the call registration process from being performed, and the identification information output control unit may update the identification information.

According to the above configuration, when a call registration request is made a predetermined number of times or more using the same identification information, the call registration process is prohibited and the identification information is updated. In other words, the number of call registration requests that can be made for one piece of identification information is limited. Therefore, for example, even if the identification information is illegally spread, call registrations will not be made more than the predetermined number of times, so unnecessary call registrations can be suppressed.

To solve the above problem, a terminal device according to one aspect of the present invention is a terminal device provided in the elevator management system, and includes an information acquisition unit that acquires the identification information, a call registration request unit that transmits a call registration request for the elevator car, and the call registration determination unit.

According to the above configuration, the call registration determination is performed on the terminal device side, so that, for example, the elevator management side only needs to control updating the contents of the identification information from time to time. The call registration determination on the terminal device side can be realized, for example, by an app running on the terminal device, so that the introduction cost of the elevator management system according to the present invention can be reduced.

In order to solve the above problems, a control method for an elevator management device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control method for an elevator management system that manages elevator operation, and includes an identification information output control step that performs at least one of control to display and output identification information including a building equipped with the elevator, an elevator group consisting of a plurality of the elevators, and elevator specific information that identifies at least one of the elevators at a predetermined location and control to output a signal in a predetermined range of area, a call registration processing step that receives a call registration request for the elevator car from a terminal device that has acquired the identification information output by the identification information output control step and performs call registration processing, and a call registration judgment step that judges whether or not to perform the call registration processing based on the identification information, and in the identification information output control step, control is performed to update the content of the identification information as needed when a predetermined condition is met.

The management device and terminal device of the elevator management system according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control program of the management device and the terminal device that realizes the management device and the terminal device on a computer by operating a computer as each part (software element) of the management device and the terminal device, and the computer-readable recording medium on which it is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress unnecessary call registrations due to pranks, etc., and prevent a decrease in elevator operation efficiency.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of an elevator management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of an operation of a terminal device of the elevator management system. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of an operation of a terminal device of an elevator management system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of an elevator management system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of an operation of a terminal device of the elevator management system. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of an operation of a management device of the elevator management system.

[Embodiment 1]
An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of an elevator management system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The elevator management system 1 is an elevator management system that manages the operation of an elevator 20, and suppresses unnecessary call registrations due to tampering or the like by identifying the elevator 20, etc. and updating the contents of identification information used for call registration as needed. In this way, the elevator management system 1 can prevent a decrease in the operation efficiency of the elevator 20 caused by tampering or the like. The identification information will be described in detail later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the elevator management system 1 includes a management device 10, an elevator 20, an identification information display unit 30, and a terminal device 40. In this embodiment, the elevator management system 1 is described as including only the elevator 20, but is not limited to the above. The elevator management system 1 may also include an elevator group having multiple elevators 20.

<Elevator>
The elevator 20 includes a car 21 and a control panel 22. In the elevator management system 1, the car 21 is, for example, a housing that carries users and moves up and down within a tower.

The control panel 22 is provided in each elevator 20, communicates with the management device 10, and controls the operation of the entire elevator 20 including the car 21. Each control panel 22 includes a control unit 23 and a memory 24. The memory 24 stores various programs executed by the control panel 22 and data used by the programs.

The control unit 23 comprehensively controls each part of the elevator including the car 21. The functions of the control unit 23 may be realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the memory 24. For example, the control unit 23 operates the car 21 from the call-registered boarding floor to the destination floor in response to an instruction from the management device 10.

When there are multiple elevator cars 21, the functions of the control panel 22 may be realized by a group management control panel.

<Identification information display section>
The identification information display unit 30 is controlled by an identification information output control unit 112 described later, and displays identification information (e.g., a two-dimensional code, etc.) at a predetermined location. Note that, instead of the identification information display unit 30, an identification information output unit having a signal output function for outputting a signal indicating the identification information, such as a sound wave signal outside the audible range, a visible light signal, etc., in a predetermined range of area may be provided. The identification information display unit 30 may also have a signal output function. The above-mentioned predetermined location and the above-mentioned predetermined range of area may be, for example, a part of the landing of the car 21.

(Identification information)
The identification information is information including elevator specification information for identifying the elevator 20. When the elevator management system 1 includes an elevator group consisting of a plurality of elevators 20, the identification information may include elevator specification information for identifying each elevator group. Also, for example, when the elevator management system 1 includes a plurality of elevators 20, and the plurality of elevators 20 are provided for each building, the identification information may include elevator specification information for identifying the building in which the elevator 20 is provided.

In other words, the identification information includes a building equipped with the elevator 20, an elevator group consisting of multiple elevators 20, and elevator specific information that identifies at least one of the elevators 20.

The identification information also includes information corresponding to the update time, which is the time when the identification information was updated. This makes it possible to determine the timing when the identification information was issued (updated) based on the contents of the identification information.

Furthermore, when an identification information display unit 30 is installed at the landing of each floor of the elevator car 21, the identification information may include information that specifies that the departure floor for call registration is the floor where the identification information display unit 30 is installed. Note that, when the identification information does not include such information, the identification information presented by the identification information display unit 30 on each floor can be standardized, but the user needs to input the departure floor when registering the call.

The identification information may also include information on the destination floor of the call registration. In that case, for example, in an elevator 20 with landings on the first to third floors, the landing on the second floor is provided with an identification information display unit 30 that displays identification information including information on the first floor as the destination floor and identification information including information on the third floor as the destination floor.

<Management Device>
The management device 10 updates the identification information and controls the operation of the elevator 20. The management device 10 includes a control unit 11 and a memory 12.

The control unit 11 comprehensively controls each unit of the management device 10. The functions of the control unit 11 may be realized by the CPU executing programs stored in the memory 12. Details of the control unit 11 will be described later. The memory 12 stores various programs executed by the control unit 11 and data used by the programs.

(Configuration of the control unit of the management device)
The control unit 11 includes an information acquisition unit 111, an identification information output control unit 112, a call registration processing unit 113, and an operation control unit 114. The functions of the management device 10 may be provided by a server.

The identification information output control unit 112 performs at least one of the following controls: displaying and outputting the identification information at a predetermined location, and outputting a signal in a predetermined range of an area. The identification information output control unit 112 also performs control to update the contents of the identification information whenever a predetermined condition is satisfied. The identification information output control unit 112 performs control to update the identification information at every predetermined update time, for example.

The information acquisition unit 111 acquires a call registration request including call registration information from the terminal device 40. The call registration information is information that includes information that identifies the elevator car 21 registered by the user and the desired departure floor and destination floor. When the information acquisition unit 111 acquires the call registration request, it outputs the acquired call registration request to the call registration processing unit 113.

The call registration processing unit 113 receives a call registration request for the elevator 20 car from the terminal device 40 and performs call registration processing. Specifically, the call registration processing unit 113 sets the departure floor and destination floor of the car 21 based on the call registration request output from the information acquisition unit 111, and outputs call registration setting information to the operation control unit 114.

The operation control unit 114 controls the operation of the elevator car 21 in accordance with the call registration setting information from the call registration processing unit 113. Specifically, the operation control unit 114 controls the operation of the elevator car 21 from the departure floor to the destination floor set by the call registration processing unit 113.

<Terminal Device>
The terminal device 40 acquires the identification information output by the identification information output control unit 112, and performs call registration using the acquired identification information.

The terminal device 40 is, for example, a mobile terminal device carried by a user who uses the elevator 20, and is an information processing terminal such as a smartphone. Communication between the terminal device 40 and the management device 10 is performed, for example, via a mobile phone communication line, a wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.

The terminal device 40 includes a control unit 41, a memory 42, and a camera 50. The control unit 41 performs overall control of each unit of the terminal device 40. The functions of the control unit 41 may be realized by a CPU executing a program stored in the memory 42. Details of the control unit 41 will be described later. The memory 42 stores various programs executed by the control unit 41 and data used by the programs.

(Configuration of the control unit of the terminal device)
The control unit 41 includes an information acquisition unit 411 , a call registration request unit 412 , and a call registration determination unit 413 .

The information acquisition unit 411 acquires the identification information. For example, the information acquisition unit 411 acquires an image of the identification information captured by the user using the camera 50, and acquires the identification information from the captured image. The information acquisition unit 411 also stores the acquisition time, which is the time when the identification information was acquired, in the memory 42.

The call registration request unit 412 transmits a call registration request for the car 21 of the elevator 20 to the call registration processing unit 113 of the management device 10. The call registration request unit 412 creates a call registration request based on the identification information acquired by the information acquisition unit 411 so that call registration is performed at the departure floor and destination floor specified by the user for the elevator 20 identified by the identification information, and transmits the call registration request to the call registration processing unit 113 via the information acquisition unit 111 of the management device 10.

The departure floor and destination floor may be specified by displaying a selection screen on the display unit (not shown) of the terminal device 40 using an app or the like and operating the selection screen. The selection screen may also display the remaining time during which the user can submit a call registration request. This allows the user to understand that the call registration must be submitted within a specified time (within the time displayed).

The call registration request unit 412 can send a call registration request to the management device 10 when the call registration determination unit 413 determines that it is appropriate to perform the call registration process.

(Call registration determination unit)
The call registration determination unit 413 determines whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the identification information. Specifically, the call registration determination unit 413 determines whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the update time at which the identification information acquired by the information acquisition unit 411 was updated and the acquisition time at which the terminal device 40 acquired the identification information.

If the difference between the update time and the acquisition time is within a predetermined time, the call registration determination unit 413 determines that it is appropriate to perform the call registration process. If the difference between the update time and the acquisition time is longer than the predetermined time, that is, if the identification information is acquired by the terminal device 40 after a time longer than a predetermined time has passed since the identification information was updated, the call registration determination unit 413 determines that it is not appropriate to perform the call registration process. Note that the predetermined time in this case may be, for example, 1 minute or more and 15 minutes or less.

By appropriately setting the specified time, for example, when a user records identification information as image data or the like and then acquires the recorded identification information at a location away from the building or the like in which the elevator car 21 is installed and a call registration request is made, the call registration determination unit 413 can determine that it is not appropriate to carry out the call registration process for a call registration request that takes a certain amount of time from the update time to the acquisition time.

Furthermore, the call registration determination unit 413 may determine whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the acquisition time, which is the time when the terminal device 40 acquires the identification information, and the transmission time, which is the time when the terminal device 40 transmits a call registration request for the elevator 21 to the call registration processing unit 113 using the identification information.

Here, the "transmission time when the call registration request is sent" refers to the time when the call registration request is sent to the management device 10 if the call registration determination unit 413 determines that it is appropriate to perform the call registration process. Therefore, the time when the call registration request is sent to the management device 10 can be considered to be the time (current time) when the call registration determination unit 413 determines whether or not it is appropriate to perform the call registration process. In other words, the determination based on the difference between the above acquisition time and the transmission time is the same as the determination based on the difference between the acquisition time and the current time.

If the difference between the acquisition time and the transmission time is within a predetermined time, the call registration determination unit 413 determines that it is appropriate to perform the call registration process. In other words, if the difference between the acquisition time and the current time is within a predetermined time, the call registration determination unit 413 determines that it is appropriate to perform the call registration process. Note that the predetermined time in this case may be, for example, 10 seconds or more and 120 seconds or less, taking into account individual differences in operation time, etc.

In addition, if the difference between the acquisition time and the transmission time is longer than a predetermined time, that is, if the terminal device 40 attempts to transmit a call registration request after a time longer than a predetermined time has passed since acquiring the identification information, the call registration determination unit 413 determines that it is not appropriate to perform the call registration process.

By appropriately setting the specified time, for example, when identification information is acquired by the terminal device 40 at a specified location and then a call registration request is made using that identification information at a location away from a building or the like that houses the elevator 21, the call registration determination unit 413 can determine that it is not appropriate to carry out the call registration process for the call registration request, which requires a certain amount of time from the acquisition time to the call registration request.

In addition, by appropriately setting the specified time, the call registration determination unit 413 can determine that it is not appropriate to perform the call registration process for a call registration request using old identification information.

If it is determined that the call registration process is appropriate, the call registration determination unit 413 permits the call registration request to be sent to the management device 10. If it is determined that the call registration process is not appropriate, the call registration determination unit 413 terminates the processing of the call registration request.

Furthermore, the call registration determination unit 413 may prohibit the sending of a call registration request based on the same identification information (terminate the processing of the call registration request) if a call registration request based on the same identification information has been sent a predetermined number of times or more in the past.

<An example of the operation of the elevator management system>
The control method of the elevator management system 1 that manages the operation of the elevator 20 includes an identification information output control step that performs at least one of control to display and output identification information at a predetermined location and control to output a signal in a predetermined range of area, a call registration processing step that receives a call registration request for the car 21 of the elevator 20 from a terminal device 40 that has acquired the identification information output by the identification information output control step and performs call registration processing, and a call registration judgment step that judges whether or not to implement the call registration processing based on the identification information, and the identification information output control step controls to update the contents of the identification information as necessary when predetermined conditions are satisfied.

Figure 2 is a flow diagram showing an example of the operation of the terminal device 40 of the elevator management system 1 of embodiment 1 of the present application.

First, the information acquisition unit 411 acquires identification information from an image captured by the camera 50 (step S1) and stores the acquisition time. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 411 acquires the update time from the acquired identification information (step S2).

Next, the call registration determination unit 413 determines whether the difference between the update time and the acquisition time is within a predetermined time (step S3). If the difference between the update time and the acquisition time is within the predetermined time (YES in step S3), the call registration determination unit 413 determines whether the difference between the acquisition time and the transmission time is within a predetermined time (step S4).

If the difference between the acquisition time and the sending time is within a predetermined time (YES in step S4), the call registration determination unit 413 permits the sending of the call registration request created by the call registration request unit 412, and the call registration request unit 412 sends the call registration request to the management device 10 (step S5).

If the difference between the update time and the acquisition time is longer than a predetermined time (NO in step S3), and if the difference between the acquisition time and the transmission time is longer than a predetermined time (NO in step S4), the call registration determination unit 413 ends the process. Note that only one of steps S3 and S4 may be processed.

As shown in the above process, the identification information indicates the timing at which the identification information was issued, so the call registration process can be controlled according to the timing at which the identification information was issued. This makes it possible to suppress unnecessary call registrations due to pranks, etc., and to prevent a decrease in elevator operation efficiency.

When the user makes a call registration request, the display unit of the terminal device 40 may display the remaining time (time limit) during which the user can send the call registration request. Specifically, when the user makes a call registration request, the display unit of the terminal device 40 may display the remaining time until the display switches from YES to NO in step S4.

[Modifications]
Modifications of this embodiment will be described below. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, the same reference numerals will be used to designate members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

In step S4 of FIG. 2, the call registration determination unit 413 may determine whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the update time when the identification information is updated and the transmission time when the terminal device 40 transmits a call registration request for the elevator 21 to the call registration processing unit 113 of the management device 10.

If the difference between the update time and the sending time is within a predetermined time, the call registration determination unit 413 determines that it is appropriate to perform the call registration process. Also, if the difference between the update time and the sending time is longer than a predetermined time, the call registration determination unit 413 determines that it is not appropriate to perform the call registration process. This makes it possible to exclude call registration processes for call registration requests that take a certain amount of time from the update time to the call registration request.

[Embodiment 2]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the terminal device 40 performs the authentication process described below, but other processes are similar to those of the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the identification information includes first authentication code information instead of update time information. The first authentication code is, for example, a code obtained by converting the update time of the identification information using a predetermined conversion method. This improves security because the conversion method is not made public, making it impossible to read date and time information from the identification information.

The call registration determination unit 413 acquires the first authentication code from the identification information. The call registration determination unit 413 also creates a second authentication code based on the current time (acquisition time). The second authentication code is, for example, a code obtained by converting the time at a predetermined interval using a predetermined conversion method during the period from X minutes before the current time to Y minutes after the current time. In other words, the call registration determination unit 413 generates multiple second authentication codes at predetermined intervals. The conversion method used to create the second authentication code is the same as the conversion method used to convert the update time into the first authentication code.

Here, for example, Y minutes is the allowable time for allowing a discrepancy between the time recognized by the terminal device 40 and the time recognized by the management device 10, and X minutes is the time obtained by adding the allowable time to the update interval of the identification information.

The call registration determination unit 413 determines whether the first authentication code matches any of the second authentication codes.

<An example of the operation of the elevator management system>
3 is a flow diagram showing an example of the operation of the terminal device 40 of the elevator management system 1 according to the second embodiment of the present application. Note that the processes of steps S11, S15, and S16 in FIG. 3 are the same as the processes of steps S1, S4, and S5 in FIG. 2.

First, the information acquisition unit 411 acquires identification information from an image captured by the camera 50 (step S11) and stores the acquisition time. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 411 acquires a first authentication code from the acquired identification information (step S2).

Next, the call registration determination unit 413 generates a second authentication code based on the acquisition time (step S13). Then, the call registration determination unit 413 determines whether or not the first authentication code matches any of the second authentication codes (step S14). If the first authentication code matches any of the second authentication codes (YES in step S14), the call registration determination unit 413 determines whether or not the difference between the acquisition time and the transmission time is within a predetermined time (step S15).

If the difference between the acquisition time and the sending time is within a predetermined time (YES in step S15), the call registration determination unit 413 permits the sending of the call registration request created by the call registration request unit 412, and the call registration request unit 412 sends the call registration request to the management device 10 (step S16).

If either the first authentication code or the second authentication code does not match (NO in step S14), or if the difference between the acquisition time and the transmission time is longer than a predetermined time (NO in step S15), the call registration determination unit 413 ends the process.

[Embodiment 3]
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the management device 10 performs authentication processing of identification information and determination processing of call registration. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of an elevator management system 1A according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 4, the elevator management system 1A is different from the elevator management system 1 in that it includes a terminal device 40A and a management device 10A instead of the terminal device 40 and the management device 10, but the other configurations are the same. Note that in this embodiment, it is described that the identification information includes information on the update time.

<Terminal Device>
The terminal device 40A is different from the terminal device 40 in that the control unit 41A further includes an authentication request unit 414. The authentication request unit 414 transmits an authentication request to the management device 10A to request authentication (terminal authentication) as to whether or not the terminal device 40A is a terminal device capable of making a call registration request.

The authentication request unit 414 creates a third authentication code from the acquired identification information. The third authentication code is, for example, a code obtained by converting the update time of the identification information using a predetermined conversion method. The identification information is converted into the third authentication code using a predetermined conversion method. The authentication request unit 414 transmits an authentication request to the management device 10A, which includes terminal information identifying the terminal device 40A and information about the third authentication code based on the identification information acquired by the terminal device 40A.

The information acquisition unit 411 receives an authentication result from the management device 10A. The call registration determination unit 413 determines whether or not the authentication is successful based on the received authentication result. If the authentication is successful, the call registration determination unit 413 determines whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the acquisition time, which is the time when the terminal device 40A acquires the identification information, and the transmission time, which is the time when the terminal device 40A transmits a call registration request for the elevator 21 to the call registration processing unit 113 using the identification information. If the authentication is unsuccessful, the call registration determination unit 413 ends the process.

If the difference between the acquisition time and the sending time is within a predetermined time, the call registration determination unit 413 determines that it is appropriate to perform the call registration process. If the difference between the acquisition time and the sending time is longer than a predetermined time, the call registration determination unit 413 determines that it is not appropriate to perform the call registration process.

If it is determined that the call registration process is appropriate, the call registration determination unit 413 allows the call registration request to be sent to the management device 10A. If it is determined that the call registration process is not appropriate, the call registration determination unit 413 ends the process.

<Management Device>
Compared to the management device 10, the management device 10A further includes an authentication unit 115 and a call registration determination unit 116 in a control unit 11A.

(Identification information output control unit)
The identification information output control unit 112 performs control to update the contents of the identification information whenever a predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, the identification information output control unit 112 performs control to update the identification information at every predetermined update time.

(Information Acquisition Unit)
The information acquisition unit 111 receives the authentication request transmitted based on the terminal information for identifying the terminal device 40A and the identification information acquired by the terminal device 40A. The information acquisition unit 111 also stores the authentication request reception time, which is the time when the authentication request was received, in the memory 12. The information acquisition unit 111 outputs the received information, etc. to the authentication unit 115 and the call registration processing unit 113.

(Authentication Department)
When the identification information is updated by the identification information output control unit 112, the authentication unit 115 generates a fourth authentication code from the latest updated identification information. The fourth authentication code is generated based on the update time of the latest identification information.

When the authentication unit 115 receives an authentication request, it obtains a third authentication code from the information included in the authentication request, and performs terminal authentication based on the third authentication code and the fourth authentication code by making the following judgments (1) and (2): (1) It determines whether the third authentication code matches any of the fourth authentication codes for the most recent predetermined number of times. (2) It determines whether the call registration judgment unit 116 has prohibited the execution of the call registration process.

Here, (1) means that the authentication condition (1) is satisfied if it is within the range of the most recent specified number of times. For example, if the most recent specified number of times is four, then if the identification information acquired by terminal device 40A matches any of the identification information updated four times in the past, the authentication condition (1) is satisfied. (2) will be described later.

If (1) the third authentication code matches any of the fourth authentication codes for the most recent predetermined number of times, and (2) the call registration determination unit 116 has not prohibited the call registration process from being performed, the authentication unit 115 authenticates that the terminal device 40A is a terminal device capable of making a call registration request (authentication successful). In other cases, the authentication unit 115 determines that the terminal device 40A is not a terminal device capable of making a call registration request (authentication failed). The authentication unit 115 outputs the authentication result of the terminal authentication to the call registration determination unit 413 of the terminal device 40A.

(Call registration determination unit)
The call registration determination unit 116 determines whether the call registration processing unit 113 has received a call registration request based on the same identification information from the same terminal device 40A a first predetermined number of times m or more. If the call registration processing unit 113 has received a call registration request based on the same identification information from the same terminal device 40A a first predetermined number of times m or more, the call registration determination unit 116 prohibits the execution of the call registration process (determination of (2) above). The first predetermined number of times m is not particularly limited, but can be set to, for example, 3 times in consideration of operational errors.

A call registration request that is made more than the first predetermined number m based on the same identification information from the same terminal device 40A is considered to have a high possibility of being a useless call registration request. Therefore, by limiting the number of times that the call registration process is performed on the call registration request to a number that is less than the first predetermined number m, it is possible to eliminate the call registration process for call registration requests that are likely to be useless.

The call registration determination unit 116 also determines whether a call registration request based on the same identification information has been transmitted a second predetermined number of times n or more. If a call registration request based on the same identification information has been transmitted a second predetermined number of times n or more, the call registration determination unit 116 prohibits the execution of the call registration process (determination of (2) above). This limits the number of call registration requests that can be requested for one piece of identification information. Therefore, for example, even if the identification information is illegally spread, call registration will not be performed a second predetermined number of times n or more, and unnecessary call registrations can be suppressed.

In addition, the identification information output control unit 112 updates the identification information when the call registration processing unit 113 receives a call registration request based on the same identification information a predetermined number of times or more.

When there are many call registration requests based on the same identification information, it is desirable to update the identification information, since there is a possibility that there are many legitimate users making call registration requests, as well as fraudulent registration requests due to the fraudulent spread of the identification information. By updating the identification information, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the call registration determination unit 116 will be prohibited from carrying out the call registration process, even if there are many legitimate users making call registration requests.

In contrast, if the call registration processing unit 113 receives a call registration request from the same terminal device 40A together with the same identification information a first predetermined number of times m or more, there is a high possibility that the registration request is a wasteful one, such as a prank by a specific user, and therefore there is no need to update the identification information.

The second predetermined number n may also be changed depending on the time period, the frequency of receiving past call registration requests, and the total load of all cars 21. The desired limit on the number of call registration requests that can be made for one piece of identification information differs between busy periods such as when people are commuting to and from work and off-peak periods such as daytime. Therefore, by setting the second predetermined number n to a limit that matches the frequency of use of the elevator 20, such as the time period, it is possible to appropriately suppress the prohibition of execution of call registration processing and the updating of identification information, thereby reducing the load on the elevator management system 1A and reducing the prohibition of legitimate call registrations that are not the result of pranks, etc.

In addition, the terminal device 40A (or account) of a specific user (e.g., in the case of an office building, employees working in the building) who is considered unlikely to make unauthorized call registrations other than legitimate call registrations may be pre-registered, and call registration requests from that terminal device 40A (or account) may not be counted.

In addition, compared to the determination based on the first predetermined number of times m, the determination based on the second predetermined number of times n is not limited to call registration requests from the same terminal device 40A, so it is preferable that the relationship between the first predetermined number of times m and the second predetermined number of times n be n ≧ m.

When the call registration determination unit 116 determines to prohibit the call registration process, it outputs the determination result to the authentication unit 115.

Furthermore, the call registration determination unit 116 determines whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the time when the authentication request was received and the time when the call registration processing unit 113 received a call registration request for the elevator 21 from the terminal device 40A that was authenticated as being capable of performing the call registration process.

If the difference between the authentication request reception time and the call registration request reception time is within a predetermined time, the call registration determination unit 116 determines that it is appropriate to perform the call registration process. If the difference between the authentication request reception time and the call registration request reception time is not within a predetermined time, the call registration determination unit 116 determines that it is not appropriate to perform the call registration process.

When the call registration determination unit 116 determines that it is appropriate to carry out the call registration process, the call registration processing unit 113 sets the departure floor and destination floor of the car 21 based on the call registration request, and outputs call registration setting information to the operation control unit 114.

The operation control unit 114 controls the operation of the elevator car 21 in accordance with the call registration setting information from the call registration processing unit 113. Specifically, the operation control unit 114 controls the operation of the elevator car 21 from the departure floor to the destination floor set by the call registration processing unit 113.

<An example of the operation of the elevator management system>
Fig. 5 is a flow diagram showing an example of the operation of the terminal device 40A of the elevator management system 1A. Fig. 6 is a flow diagram showing an example of the operation of the management device 10A of the elevator management system 1A. An example of the operation of the elevator management system 1A will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

(Operation of terminal device)
First, an example of the operation of the terminal device 40A will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The information acquisition unit 411 acquires identification information from an image captured by the camera 50 (step S21), and generates a third authentication code from the acquired identification information (step S22).

Next, the authentication request unit 414 sends an authentication request to the management device 10A (step S23, M1). After the authentication process in the management device 10A, the information acquisition unit 411 receives the authentication result from the management device 10A (step S24, M2).

The call registration determination unit 413 determines whether the authentication was successful based on the received authentication result (step S25). If the authentication was successful (YES in step S25), the call registration determination unit 413 determines whether the difference between the acquisition time and the transmission time is within a predetermined time (step S26).

If the difference between the acquisition time and the sending time is within a predetermined time (YES in step S26), the call registration determination unit 413 permits the sending of the call registration request, and the call registration request unit 412 sends the call registration request (step S27, M3).

If authentication fails (NO in step S25) or if the difference between the acquisition time and the transmission time is longer than a predetermined time (NO in step S26), the call registration determination unit 413 ends the process. Note that the process of step S23 may be performed by the call registration determination unit 413.

(Operation of management device)
Next, an example of the operation of the management device 10A will be described with reference to Fig. 6. First, the identification information output control unit 112 determines whether or not the update time has elapsed since the time when the identification information was last updated (step S31). If the update time has elapsed since the time when the identification information was last updated (YES in step S31), the identification information output control unit 112 updates the identification information (step S32).

The authentication unit 115 generates a fourth authentication code from the latest updated identification information (step S33). The authentication unit 115 also determines whether the management device 10A has received an authentication request from the terminal device 40A (step S34, M1).

If an authentication request is received (YES in step S34), the authentication unit 115 obtains a third authentication code from the information included in the authentication request (step S35). Next, the authentication unit 115 determines whether the third authentication code matches any of the fourth authentication codes received in the last predetermined number of times (step S36).

If any of the fourth authentication codes for the most recent predetermined number of times matches the third authentication code (YES in step S36), the authentication unit 115 causes the call registration determination unit 116 to determine whether the call registration processing unit 113 has received a call registration request based on the same identification information from the same terminal device 40A a first predetermined number of times or more m (step S37).

If the call registration processing unit 113 has not received a call registration request based on the same identification information from the same terminal device 40A for a first predetermined number of times m or more (NO in step S37), the authentication unit 115 causes the call registration determination unit 116 to determine whether a call registration request based on the same identification information has been transmitted a second predetermined number of times n or more (step S38). If a call registration request based on the same identification information has not been transmitted a second predetermined number of times n or more (NO in step S38), the authentication unit 115 authenticates that the terminal device 40A is a terminal device capable of making a call registration request (step S39) and transmits the authentication result to the terminal device 40A (step S40, M2).

After that, when a call registration request is sent from the terminal device 40A (M3), the call registration determination unit 116 determines whether the difference between the authentication request reception time and the call registration request reception time is within a predetermined time (step S41). If the difference between the authentication request reception time and the call registration request reception time is within the predetermined time (YES in step S41), the call registration processing unit 113 executes the call registration process (step S42). That is, the call registration processing unit 113 sets the departure floor and destination floor of the elevator 21 based on the call registration request, and outputs call registration setting information to the operation control unit 114. In addition, the operation control unit 114 controls the operation of the elevator 21 according to the call registration setting information from the call registration processing unit 113.

When the call registration process is executed, the call registration processing unit 113 stores the terminal information and the third authentication code that identify the terminal device 40A in the memory 12 (step S43). Storing the information (the terminal information and the third authentication code that identify the terminal device 40A) in the memory 12 after step S36 can reduce the amount of data stored in the memory 12, rather than storing the information in the memory 12 immediately after step S35.

Next, return to processing in step S31.

If the update time has not elapsed since the last time the identification information was updated (NO in step S31), the process proceeds to step S34.

If an authentication request has not been received (NO in step S34) or if the difference between the time the authentication request was received and the time the call registration request was received is not within a predetermined time (NO in step S41), the process returns to step S31.

If the fourth authentication code for the most recent predetermined number of times does not match the third authentication code (NO in step S36), and if the call registration processing unit 113 has received call registration requests based on the same identification information from the same terminal device 40A a first predetermined number of times or more m (YES in step S37), the authentication unit 115 determines that the terminal device 40A is not a terminal device capable of making call registration requests (step S46), and transmits the authentication result to the terminal device 40A (step S40, M2). Then, the process returns to step S31.

If a call registration request based on the same identification information has been sent the second predetermined number of times n or more (YES in step S38), the identification information output control unit 112 updates the identification information (step S44), and the authentication unit 115 generates a fourth authentication code from the updated identification information (step S45). Then, the process of step S46 is performed.

Note that only one of the process of step S26 shown in FIG. 5 and the process of step S41 shown in FIG. 6 may be performed.

In addition, in step S37, the call registration determination unit 116 may determine whether the same third authentication code has been obtained from the same terminal a first predetermined number of times m or more, and in step S38, the call registration determination unit 116 may determine whether the third authentication code has been obtained in the past a second predetermined number of times n or more. In this case, it is desirable to store the terminal information identifying the terminal device 40A and the third authentication code in the memory 12 in step S43 immediately after step S36. By storing the information (the terminal information identifying the terminal device 40A and the third authentication code) in the memory 12 immediately after step S36 and executing steps S37 and S38, the amount of data stored in the memory 12 can be reduced compared to storing the information in the memory 12 immediately after step S35.

[Modification 1]
In step S41 of Figure 6, the call registration determination unit 116 may determine whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the update time of the identification information acquired by the terminal device 40A and the reception time at which the call registration processing unit 113 receives a car call registration request together with the identification information from the terminal device 40A.

Specifically, the call registration determination unit 116 determines whether the difference between the update time and the reception time of the call registration request is within a predetermined time. If the difference between the update time and the reception time of the call registration request is within the predetermined time, the call registration processing unit 113 executes the call registration process. If the difference between the update time and the reception time of the call registration request is longer than the predetermined time, the call registration determination unit 413 ends the process.

By appropriately setting the specified time, it is possible to eliminate, for example, call registration processing based on a call registration request using old identification information. In addition, since the difference between the update time and the reception time of the call registration request can be calculated based on the time on the identification information output control unit 112 and the call registration processing unit 113 side, it is possible to calculate the difference between the update time and the reception time of the call registration request without being affected by the time recognized by the terminal device 40A.

[Modification 2]
The authentication unit 115 may receive an authentication request sent along with the identification information acquired by the terminal device 40A, and authenticate whether or not the terminal device 40A is a terminal device capable of making a call registration request based on the update time, which is the time when the identification information was updated, and the authentication request reception time, at which the authentication request was received.

Specifically, the authentication unit 115 determines whether the difference between the update time and the authentication request reception time is within a predetermined time. If the difference between the update time and the authentication request reception time is within the predetermined time, the authentication unit 115 determines that the terminal device 40A is a terminal device capable of making a call registration request. If the difference between the update time and the authentication request reception time is longer than the predetermined time, the authentication unit 115 determines that the terminal device 40A is not a terminal device capable of making a call registration request.

[Software implementation example]
The functions of the management devices 10/10A and terminal devices 40/40A (hereinafter referred to as the "devices") of the elevator management systems 1/1A are programs for causing a computer to function as the devices, and can be realized by programs for causing a computer to function as each control block of the devices (particularly each part included in the control units 11/41).

In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The functions described in each of the above embodiments are realized by executing the program using the control device and storage device.

The program may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media, not on a temporary basis. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the above control blocks can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the above control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, it is also possible to realize the functions of each of the above control blocks by, for example, a quantum computer.

The processes described in each of the above embodiments may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI may run on the control device, or on another device (such as an edge computer or a cloud server).

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments.

Reference Signs List 1, 1A Elevator management system 20 Elevator 40, 40A Terminal device 111, 411 Information acquisition unit 112 Identification information output control unit 113 Call registration processing unit 115 Authentication unit 116, 413 Call registration determination unit 412 Call registration request unit

Claims (12)

An elevator management system for managing elevator operations,
an identification information output control unit that performs at least one of control to display and output identification information including elevator identification information for identifying at least one of a building equipped with the elevator, an elevator group consisting of a plurality of the elevators, and elevator identification information for identifying at least one of the elevators at a predetermined location and control to output a signal in a predetermined range of an area;
a terminal device that acquires the identification information output by the identification information output control unit; and
a call registration processing unit that receives a call registration request for the elevator car from the terminal device and performs a call registration process;
a call registration determination unit that determines whether or not the call registration process is to be performed based on the identification information;
Equipped with
The identification information output control unit controls the updating of the contents of the identification information whenever a specified condition is satisfied, in an elevator management system. The identification information further includes information corresponding to an update time, which is a time when the identification information was updated;
The elevator management system described in claim 1, wherein the call registration determination unit determines whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the update time at which the identification information was updated and the acquisition time at which the terminal device acquired the identification information. The identification information further includes information corresponding to an update time, which is a time when the identification information was updated;
The elevator management system described in claim 1, wherein the call registration determination unit determines whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the update time when the identification information was updated and the transmission time when the terminal device sends a call registration request for the elevator to the call registration processing unit. The elevator management system according to claim 1, wherein the call registration determination unit determines whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the acquisition time, which is the time when the terminal device acquires the identification information, and the transmission time, which is the time when the terminal device transmits a call registration request for the car to the call registration processing unit. The identification information further includes information corresponding to an update time, which is a time when the identification information was updated;
The elevator management system described in claim 1, wherein the call registration determination unit determines whether or not to carry out the call registration process based on the difference between the update time of the identification information acquired by the terminal device and the reception time at which the call registration processing unit receives a call registration request for the elevator together with the identification information from the terminal device. an authentication unit that receives an authentication request transmitted together with the identification information acquired by the terminal device, and authenticates whether the terminal device is capable of making the call registration request based on an update time that is a time when the identification information is updated and an authentication request reception time that is when the authentication request is received;
The call registration determination unit,
An elevator management system as described in claim 1, which determines whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the difference between the time of receipt of the authentication request and the time of receipt by the call registration processing unit of a call registration request for the elevator from the terminal device that has been authenticated as being capable of the call registration process. The elevator management system according to claim 1, wherein the call registration determination unit prohibits the execution of the call registration process when the call registration processing unit receives the call registration request based on the same identification information from the same terminal device a predetermined number of times or more. The elevator management system according to claim 1, wherein the call registration determination unit is provided in the terminal device, and when the call registration request based on the same identification information is transmitted a predetermined number of times or more, the call registration determination unit prohibits transmission of the call registration request based on the identification information. The elevator management system according to claim 1, wherein, when the call registration processing unit receives the call registration request based on the same identification information a predetermined number of times or more, the call registration determination unit prohibits the call registration process from being performed, and the identification information output control unit updates the identification information. A terminal device provided in the elevator management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An information acquisition unit that acquires the identification information;
A call registration request unit that transmits a call registration request for the elevator car;
The call registration determination unit is provided with the terminal device. A terminal control program for causing a computer to function as the terminal device according to claim 10, the terminal control program causing a computer to function as the information acquisition unit, the call registration request unit, and the call registration determination unit. A control method for an elevator management system that manages elevator operation, comprising:
an identification information output control step of performing at least one of control to display and output identification information including elevator identification information for identifying at least one of a building equipped with the elevator, an elevator group consisting of a plurality of the elevators, and elevator identification information for identifying at least one of the elevators at a predetermined location and control to output a signal in a predetermined range of an area;
a call registration processing step of receiving a call registration request for the elevator car from a terminal device that has acquired the identification information output by the identification information output control step, and performing a call registration process;
a call registration determination step of determining whether or not to perform the call registration process based on the identification information,
In the identification information output control step, a control is performed to update the contents of the identification information whenever a predetermined condition is satisfied, in this control method for an elevator management system.

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