ELEVATOR LANDING DESTINATION FLOOR REGISTERING APPARATUS

Abstract

 Provided is a landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator, which enables an input content desired by a user to be quickly determined. A landing destination-floor registering apparatus (1) for an elevator is an apparatus which registers a multi-digit destination floor number by an input performed in a landing of the elevator, and includes: an input section (3) capable of inputting the multi-digit destination floor number by sequentially performing one input corresponding to a single floor; an indication section (5) for indicating at least a content input from the input section; and a determination/registration section (7) for determining, when the one input is performed on the input section as a long-press input, the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the long-press input, as a destination floor to register the destination floor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator.

Background Art

[0002] A landing destination-floor registering apparatus for inputting a destination desired by a user is provided to a landing at each of floors at which an elevator stops. Call-registration buttons corresponding to the respective floors , at which the elevator stops, are generally provided to the apparatus in many cases. In recent years, along with an increase in the number of high-rise buildings each having a large number of floors at which the elevator stops, the number of apparatus of a type for inputting a destination floor with a numerical keypad has increased so as to avoid an array of a large number of call-registration buttons.

[0003] As an apparatus relating to the type described above, Patent Literature 1 discloses an apparatus including a numerical keypad for inputting a destination floor, and an indicator for indicating the destination floor input by a user in association with an elevator number of an elevator which is assigned to carry out transportation to the destination floor. According to the apparatus described above, there is an advantage in that, after inputting the destination floor with the numerical keypad, the user needs not be confused about which elevator of a plurality of elevators is assigned to actually travel to the desired destination floor.

[0004] Further, as an apparatus similarly using a numerical-keypad input method, Patent Literature 2 discloses an apparatus which provides support to the user for an input operation by storing, through learning, a floor which is frequently registered in a specific time period and flashing a button lamp for a button which has a high probability of being subsequently operated by the user.

[0005] Further, Patent Literature 3 discloses an apparatus which includes a numerical keypad and preset destination-floor buttons for specific floors, which are provided independently of the numerical keypad, and is configured so that destination floors to be assigned to the destination-floor buttons for the specific floors are automatically determined, through learning, to be floors for which the number of call registrations is large.

[0006] The destination-floor registering apparatus using the numerical keypad input method is frequently used for the high-rise buildings having a large number of destination floors because of the characteristics thereof. Moreover, due to the characteristics of the high-rise buildings, the number of users who board and exit the elevators and the number of installed elevators are large. Therefore, the elevators move at a relatively high speed, and therefore the relationship between the positions of the plurality of elevators which are being raised and lowered is relatively complex as well in many cases. Therefore, when it takes time to determine an input content desired by the user, there may arise a situation in which the elevator cannot be assigned efficiently and timely.

Citation List

Patent Literature

[0007] 

[PTL 1] JP 2001-287876 A

[PTL 2] WO 2010/001446

[PTL 3] JP 08-119543 A

Summary of Invention

Technical Problem

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the problem described above, and therefore has an object to provide a landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator, which enables an input content desired by a user to be quickly determined.

Solution to Problem

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, there is provided a landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator, which registers a multi-digit destination floor number by an input performed in a landing of the elevator, the landing destination-floor registering apparatus including: an input section capable of inputting the multi-digit destination floor number by sequentially. performing one input corresponding to a single floor; an indication section for indicating at least a content input from the input section; and a determination/registration section for determining, when the one input is performed on the input section as a long-press input, the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the long-press input, as a destination floor, and for registering the destination floor.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

[0010] According to the landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator of the present invention, the input content desired by a user can be quickly determined. Moreover, the occurrence of erroneous inputs and unnecessary call registrations can be reduced. As a result, convenience for the user and a travel efficiency of the elevator can be improved.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0011] 

[FIG. 1] A schematic view illustrating a destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[FIG. 2] A flowchart illustrating an operation of the landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator.

[FIG. 3] A view illustrating an operating panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Description of Embodiments

[0012] In the following, description is given of a landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator according to embodiments of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. The same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals in the figures.

First Embodiment

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator according to this embodiment. A landing destination-floor registering apparatus 1 is an apparatus for registering amulti-digit destination floor number by an input performed in a landing of the elevator, and includes an input section 3, an indication section 5, and a determination/registration section 7, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0014] To each of landings at floors, at which the elevator stops, in a structure to which this embodiment is applied, an operating panel 9, to which a user inputs a call operation for the elevator, is provided. Each of the operating panels 9 includes an indicator panel for indicating a content described below and an input panel including a plurality of so-called numerical keypad type input buttons. The input section 3 is formed of the input panel, whereas the indication section 5 is formed of the indicator panel.

[0015] The input section 3 has a configuration in which a plurality of push buttons to be operated with small spatial movement such as a press and a return are arranged in a numerical keypad-like pattern. A multi-digit destination floor number can be input by sequentially performing inputs each corresponding to a single floor. Specifically, for example, when the user is to input the 12th floor as a destination floor, a button "1" corresponding to the first floor (single floor) (one input) and a button "2" corresponding to the second floor (single floor) (one input) are sequentially pressed. In this manner, the 12th floor can be input as the destination floor number corresponding to a two-digit destination floor number.

[0016] The indication section 5 can indicate at least a content input from the input section 3. For example, when the button "1" is pressed on the input section 3, a number "1" is immediately indicated. Further, when the button "2" is subsequently pressed, a number "2" is immediately indicated behind the number "1". As a whole, a number "12" is indicated. It is apparent that the indication section 5 may be configured so as to be able to indicate a content other than that input from the input section 3. For example, indication for informing the user of an elevator number of an elevator which is assigned to carry out transportation to the destination floor input by the user may be performed.

[0017] The input section 3 and the indication section 5 are connected to the determination/registration section 7. The determination/registration section 7 of this embodiment has the following two functions. First, as a first function, when a long-press input (a long button press) is performed as one input on the input section 3, the determination/registration section 7 determines the contents sequentially input thus far, which include the long-press input, as the destination floor number to register the destination floor. The function is more specifically described below.

[0018] Situations, in which the user inputs, for example, the 112th floor as the destination floor in a building having 120 floors as destination floors, that is, a three-digit number of floors, are described. First, when a first input for "1", which is not a long-press input (input which does not correspond to a long button press), is performed and subsequently another input for "1", which is not a long-press input, is performed again, the determination/registration section 7 suspends the determination of the destination floor at this point of time. Upon a subsequent input for "2" , which is not a long-press input, candidate destination floors are narrowed down to one floor. Therefore, the determination/registration section 7 determines the 112th floor as the destination floor. On the other hand, situations, in which the user inputs, for example, the 11th floor as the destination floor, are described. At the time when a long-press input for "1" is performed subsequent to an input for "1", which is not a long-press input, in the landing of the first floor, the determination/registration section immediately determines, as the destination, the 11th floor corresponding to "1" and "1" which are the contents sequentially input thus far, which include the second long-press input for "1".

[0019] The registration of the destination floor in a building with a two-digit number of floors is performed in the same manner. Situations, in which the user is to input, for example, the 56th floor as the destination floor in a building having, for example, 60 floors as the destination floors, are described. First, when a first input for "5", which is not a long-press input, is performed, the determination/registration section suspends the determination of the destination floor at this point of time. Upon a subsequent input for "6", which is not a long-press input, the candidate destination floors are narrowed down to one floor. Therefore, the determination/registration section determines the 56th floor as the destination floor. On the other hand, situations, in which the user inputs, for example, the 5th floor as the destination floor, are described. When a long-press input for "5" is performed in the landing of the first floor, the determination/registration section immediately determines, as the destination floor, the 5th floor corresponding to the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the long-press input for "5", specifically, "5" which is the only sequential input in this example.

[0020] Further, as a second function, when one input is performed on the input section 3 without a long press, the determination/registration section 7 compares the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the one input, and a previously prepared data table for a floor, at which the elevator stops, with each other. When the number of candidate destination floors corresponding to the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the one input, is only one as a result of the comparison, the candidate is determined as the destination floor so that the destination floor is registered. The data table for the floor, at which the elevator stops, may be stored in the determination/registration section 7 as information or may be stored in a component different from the determination/registration section 7 so as to be used at appropriate time.

[0021] The second function is specifically described. For example, in the case of a building having ten or more floors above ground and one floor below ground as the destination floors, the number of prepared digits to be input as the destination floor is two. To the first basement floor, an indication "B1" is assigned. In the building, when "B" is input so that the user is to input, for example, the first basement floor as the destination floor, the determination/registration section 7 compares the content sequentially input thus far ("B" is first input, and therefore only "B" in this example) and the data table with each other. There is only one candidate destination floor corresponding to the content sequentially input thus far (only "B"), which includes "B", that is, the first basement floor (B1). Therefore, the candidate (first basement floor) is immediately determined as the destination floor even without a long-press input.

[0022] As another example, for a building having 120 floors above ground as the destination floors or a building having 20 floors below ground as the destination floors, three digits for, for example, the 112th floor or the 11th basement floor, are prepared as the number of digits to be input as the destination floor. Therefore, when the user inputs, for example, "5" and "6" for two digits or "B" and "2" for two digits, the determination/registration section 7 can narrow down the candidates to one by the comparison described above. Therefore, the 56th floor and the 20th basement floor are respectively immediately determined as the destination floor even without a long-press input.

[0023] Next, an operation of the landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator according to this embodiment, which is configured as described above, is described referring to a flowchart of FIG. 2. As an example of preconditions, there is described an operation performed in a building having a structure with at least one floor below ground and 28 or more floors above ground and in a state in which floors to be served by the elevator, at which the elevator can stop, are not all the floors included in the structure but only the 1st basement, 1st, 5th, 10th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th floors. Data of the floors to be served at the point of time is contained in the data table described above.

[0024] As described in Step S1 of FIG. 2, in a state in which the landing destination-floor registering apparatus 1 is waiting for a button input performed by the user, the user enters "1" with a numerical-keypad button on the input section 3 as described in Step S2. Then, the processing proceeds to branch-condition processing in Step S3. First, when the destination floor for the user is the 1st floor, the user performs a long press on the button "1" in Step S2. In Step S4, through the processing in Step S3, the determination/registration section 7 immediately registers a call for the "1"st floor as the destination floor.

[0025] On the other hand, when the button "1" is pressed without a long press in Step S2, the processing by the determination/registration section 7 proceeds to Step S5 through Step S3. In Step S5, the determination/registration section 7 compares the input one-digit number and selectable floors among the above-mentioned floors, at which the elevator can actually stop at the point of time, with each other to determine whether or not the candidate destination floors can be narrowed down to one floor. In this example, the number "1" is input. Therefore, the number of floors selectable by the input is two, that is, "1st floor" and "10th floor". Therefore, the candidate destination floors cannot be narrowed down to one floor. Thus, the processing by the determination/registration section 7 proceeds to Step S7.

[0026] In Step S7, the determination/registration section 7 ensures a predetermined input waiting time. After the elapse of the waiting time, the destination floor is determined in Step S8. For example, the determination/registration section 7 maintains an input waiting state for about one to three seconds in Step S7. After the confirmation of absence of an input of a second digit number, the "1st floor" is determined as the destination floor in Step S8. When a button "0" is pressed for input during the waiting time in Step S7, the "10th floor" is determined as the destination floor.

[0027] In the manner described above, the input waiting time, which is inevitably always generated after the input of the first digit in a configuration without the present invention, is not generated unless the processing proceeds to Step S7 in the present invention. Therefore, the input content desired by the user can be immediately determined.

[0028] On the other hand, when the destination floor for the user is, for example, the first basement floor "B1", in Step S2 of FIG. 2, the user first performs an input without a long press on the button "B", and then the processing proceeds to Step S5. In this case, as the number which has a possibility of being input subsequently to the input "B", there exists only "1" of the "B1"st floor among the above-mentioned floors at which the elevator can stop. Therefore, in Step S5, the determination/registration section 7 can narrow the candidate destination floors down to one floor, that is, "B1". Therefore, in Step S6, the determination/registration section 7 automatically inputs "1" subsequently to the input with the button "B". As a result, "B1" is indicated on the indication section 5. Further, the first basement floor "B1" is determined as the destination floor. As described above, by providing the processing in Step S5, the number of button inputs performed by the user can be reduced from that during a conventional input operation by at least one.

[0029] In this example, also when the destination floor for the user is the "5"th floor, the same processing is performed. At the point of time at which the user presses the button "5" on the numerical keypad, a call for the 5th floor is immediately registered.

[0030] As described above, also when the destination floor is determined in Step S6, the waiting time in Step S7 is not generated as in the case where the destination floor is determined in Step S4 as described above. Therefore, a period of time to the call registration can be shortened.

[0031] According to the landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator of this embodiment as described above, the following advantages are obtained. First, for the destination-floor registering apparatus using the numerical-keypad input method, there is supposed the case where a number having two or more digits is input to determine the destination floor because the apparatus is frequently installed in high-rise buildings. As a comparison mode without the present invention, even in the case where the destination floor number for the user is a one-digit number, after the user inputs a first-digit number, there is a possibility that the processing is suspended until a predetermined time elapses or the processing does not proceed unless a determination button having a function of determining the destination floor is pressed by the user himself/herself. In the mode described above, the waiting time and the amount of operation of the user correspondingly increase. As a further comparison mode, in the case where only one floor (first basement floor) exists as the floor under ground, there is a possibility that the button "1" is required to be subsequently pressed even though it is apparent that the destination floor for the user is the "B1"st floor at the point of time at which the user presses the button "B". The mode described above has a problem in that the user is forced to perform a needless operation.

[0032] In contrast to the modes described above, in this embodiment, when one input is performed by the user as the long-press input, the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the long-press input, is determined as the destination floor to register the destination floor. Therefore, the destination floor can be registered without waiting for an input operation dedicated for the determination, such as an input operation performed with a determination button, and without waiting for the elapse of a predetermined non-input time. Therefore, the amount of operation (the number of times of operation) and the operation time of the user can be reduced to quickly determine the input content desired by the user.

[0033] Moreover, in this embodiment, when one input is performed on the input section without a long press, the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the one input, and the previously prepared data table for the floor, at which the elevator stops, are compared with each other. When the number of candidate destination floors corresponding to the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the one input, is only one as a result of the comparison, the candidate is determined as the destination floor so that the destination floor is registered. Therefore, a needless operation can be eliminated. Also by the elimination of the needless operation, the amount of operation (the number of times of operation) and the operation time of the user are reduced. As a result, the input content desired by the user can be quickly determined.

Second Embodiment

[0034] FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an operating panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment described above except for a part described below. The determination/registration section 7 of the second embodiment has a third function described below in addition to the first and second functions described in the first embodiment.

[0035] The determination/registration section 7 additionally has the following function. That is, when one input is performed on the input section 3 without a long press, the determination/registration section 7 compares the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the one input, and the previously prepared data table for the floor, at which the elevator stops, with each other. The determination/registration section 7 indicates a plurality of candidate destination floors on the indication section 5 when there is a plurality of candidate destination floors which correspond to the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the one input, as a result of the comparison.

[0036] Specifically, when the candidate destination floors cannot be narrowed down to one floor in Step S5 of FIG. 2, the plurality of candidates are indicated on the indication section 5 for guidance. As a specific example, in a state in which the floors at which the elevator can stop are only the 1st basement, 1st, 5th, 10th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th floors under the same preconditions as those in the first embodiment, when "2" is input without a long press in Step S2 of FIG. 2, the determination/registration section 7 recognizes that there exist a plurality of candidate destination floors in Step S5. "20", "21", "22", "23", "25", "26", "27", and "28" are indicated on the indication section 5, as floor numbers containing the input "2". In this manner, the user can know which button is to be subsequently pressed for input.

[0037] Also with the landing destination-floor registering apparatus according to this embodiment, the effects of reducing the amount of operation (the number of times of operation) and the operation time of the user and quickly determining the input content desired by the user can be obtained as in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, besides the above-mentioned effects, the following advantage is also obtained. In a high-rise building or the like using the mode such as the numerical-keypad input method, the number of floors which can be input is large. Therefore, there are problems in that the user is confused and that a travel efficiency of the elevator is lowered when a floor number is erroneously input. According to this embodiment, however, the user can know the content to be subsequently input by referring to the indication of the candidates, which can contribute to the resolution of the problems described above.

[0038] The contents of the present invention have been specifically described above referring to the preferred embodiments. It is apparent that those skilled in the art can adopt various modified modes based on the basic technical thought and teaching of the present invention.

[0039] For example, the input section according to the present invention includes input means having a configuration which is not currently referred to as the numerical keypad as long as the means allows the user to designate the array of a multi-digit character by sequentially performing a plurality of inputs each corresponding to a single floor. Moreover, the input mode for the input section is not limited to the mode with the buttons to be operated with the spatial movement such as a press and a return. Therefore, as an example, the present invention can be carried out by using an input mode through a numerical-keypad image displayed on a touch screen or an input mode with a handwriting input on the touch screen.

Reference Signs List

[0040] 1 landing destination-floor registering apparatus, 3 input section, 5 indication section, 7 determination/registration section, 9 operating panel

Claims

1. A landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator, which registers a multi-digit destination floor number by an input performed in a landing of the elevator, the landing destination-floor registering apparatus comprising:

an input section capable of inputting the multi-digit destination floor number by sequentially performing one input corresponding to a single floor;

an indication section for indicating at least a content input from the input section; and

a determination/registration section for determining, when the one input is performed on the input section as a long-press input, the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the long-press input, as a destination floor, and for registering the destination floor.

2. A landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator according to claim 1, wherein:

when the one input is performed on the input section without a long press, the determination/registration section compares the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the one input, and a previously prepared data table for a floor, at which the elevator stops, with each other; and

when, as a result of the comparison, the number of candidate destination floors corresponding to the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the one input, is only one, the determination/registration section determines the candidate destination floor as the destination floor, and registers the destination floor.

3. A landing destination-floor registering apparatus for an elevator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

when the one input is performed on the input section without the long press, the determination/registration section compares the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the one input, and the previously prepared data table for the floor, at which the elevator stops, with each other; and

when, as a result of the comparison, there is a plurality of candidate destination floors corresponding to the content sequentially input thus far, which includes the one input, the determination/registration section causes the indication section to indicate the plurality of candidate destination floors.

Drawing