ELEVATOR CONTROLLER

Abstract

 [Problem] Disasters such as earthquakes occurred frequently, and at the occurrence of the disaster, a rescue running operation has been performed by causing an elevator to arrive at a refuge floor or the nearest floor, and the elevator has been thereafter brought into a closed-door cessation state for the sake of safety. It has become necessary to cope with a case where a passenger having failed to escape from an elevator cage has fallen into a confined state in such a closed-door running-cessation state of the elevator.
[Means for Resolution] An elevator control apparatus comprises passenger detection means for detecting the existence or nonexistence of a passenger in an elevator cage when a closed-door running-cessation state has continued for, at least, a predetermined time period in a state where the elevator cage has arrived at a predetermined floor, announcement issue means for making a getting-off prompt announcement which prompts the passenger in the elevator cage to getting off the elevator cage, after the passenger detection means has detected the passenger in the elevator cage, and door control means for forcibly opening the door of the elevator cage after the announcement issue means has made the getting-off prompt announcement.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates to an elevator control apparatus.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] As prior-art techniques intended to cope with the confinement of a passenger in a cage, there have been known JP-2000-143110A (Patent Document 1), JP-6-1555A (Patent Document 2) and JP-2003-246558A (Patent Document 3). Patent Document 1 discloses an abnormality notification apparatus for an elevator wherein, when the confinement of a passenger in a cage is decided, the confinement is announced to a hall. Patent Document 2 discloses a running apparatus for an elevator wherein, in a case where a cage call is not registered in spite of the lapse of a predetermined time period since the detection of a passenger in a cage, a door is opened, and the occurrence of an abnormality in the cage is notified. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses an announcement device for an elevator wherein an announcement can be made in a sound volume suitable for the surrounding environment.

[0003] 

Patent Document 1: JP-2000-143110A

Patent Document 2: JP-6-1555A

Patent Document 3: JP-2003-246558A

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEM THAT THE INVENTION IS TO SOLVE

[0004] In recent years, disasters such as earthquakes occurred frequently. At the occurrence of the disaster, a rescue running operation in which an elevator is caused to arrive at a refuge floor or the nearest floor is performed, and the elevator is thereafter brought into a closed-door running-cessation state for the sake of safety. It has become necessary to cope with a case where, in such a closed-door running-cessation state of the elevator, a passenger having failed to escape from an elevator cage has fallen into a confined state. Nevertheless, coping with such a situation is not disclosed in any of Patent Documents 1, 2 and 3 mentioned above.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0005] An elevator control apparatus according to this invention is an apparatus wherein an elevator cage is caused to ascend or descend in compliance with a call registration signal of either of a hall call registration device and a cage call registration device. The elevator control appratus is characterized by comprising passenger detection means for detecting existence or nonexistence of a passenger in the elevator cage when a closed-door running-cessation state has continued for, at least, a predetermined time period in a state where the elevator cage has arrived at a predetermined floor; announcement issue means for making a getting-off prompt announcement which prompts the passenger in the elevator cage to get off the elevator cage, after the passenger detection means has detected the passenger in the elevator cage; and door control means for forcibly opening a door of the elevator cage after the announcement issue means has made the getting-off prompt announcement.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[0006] According to the elevator control apparatus in this invention, even in a state where a passenger in an elevator cage has failed to escape from the elevator cage without being able to get off for any reason, after the arrival of the elevator cage at a predetermined floor on account of a rescue running operation at the occurrence of a disaster, or the like, the existence or nonexistence of the passenger in the elevator cage is detected by passenger detection means, announcement issue means makes a getting-off prompt announcement for the passenger after the passenger detection means has detected the passenger, and door control means forcibly opens the door of the elevator cage after the announcement issue means has made the getting-off prompt announcement. Therefore, the elevator control apparatus has the advantages that a confined state can be avoided to enhance the safety more, and that a suspicious person, a child, an elderly person, or the like can be prevented from staying in the elevator cage for a long time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] 

[Fig. 1] It is a block diagram of the respective S/W functions of an elevator control apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention.

[Fig. 2] It is a system architecture diagram showing the elevator control apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention.

[Fig. 3] It is a block diagram showing the elevator control apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention.

[Fig. 4] It is a flow chart for incarnating the blocks of the S/W functions in Fig. 1.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0008] Now, Embodiment 1 of this invention will be described in conjunction with the drawings.
Incidentally, throughout the drawings, identical numerals and signs indicate identical or equivalent portions.

EMBODIMENT 1:

[0009] First, an elevator control system for controlling the ascent and descent of an elevator, in Embodiment 1 will be described in conjunction with Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a system architecture diagram showing an elevator control apparatus 100.
Referring to Fig. 2, numeral 1 designates a motor which drives an elevator cage, numeral 2 a pulse encoder which is mounted on the motor 1 and which detects the rotation of the motor 1, numeral 4 a gate signal generation circuit which generates a gate signal in accordance with a PWM instruction from a pulse width modulation (hereinbelow, abbreviated to "PWM") unit 3006 to be explained later, numeral 5 a power source, numeral 6 a power circuit by which the output of the power source 5 is fed to the motor 1 while being switched in accordance with the output of the gate signal generation circuit 4, numeral 7 a sheave which is rotated in synchronism with the motor 1, numeral 8 the elevator cage which is coupled with a rope 11 and which ascends and descends in accordance with the rotation of the sheave 7, and numeral 9 a balance weight which is coupled with the end of the rope 11 remote from the elevator cage.
In the elevator cage 8, there are mounted an announcement device 80 which reports a message to a passenger in the elevator cage, a weighing device 81 which serves to detect a load in the elevator cage, a camera (to be explained later), a cage call registration device 82, and so forth. The cage call registration device 82, the announcement device 80 and the weighing device 81 are connected with an elevator control circuit 3 through a transmission line 12.
Next, numerals 10 designate hall call registration devices RSa - RSn which are furnished with hall call registration buttons, and which perform the hall call registration controls of respective floors. These hall call registration devices RSa - RSn are also connected with the elevator control circuit 3 through a transmission line 12.
In addition, the elevator control circuit 3 is configured of an elevator control circuit 30 and a transmission interface 31, and the transmission interface 31 controls transmissions with the hall call registration devices 10 and the devices 80, 90 and 91 in the elevator cage 8.

[0010] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the elevator control unit 30. By the way, in Fig. 3, the same constituents as in Fig. 2 are assigned the same reference numerals.
The elevator control unit 30 is configured of a central processing unit (hereinbelow, termed "CPU") 3001 which is control means for executing various arithmetic processes, a pulse count unit 3004 which counts the pulse outputs of the pulse encoder 2, a ROM 3005 in which the control programs of the CPU are stored, a 2-port RAM 3003 which exchanges data with the transmission interface 31, a RAM 3002 in which the arithmetic data of the CPU, etc. are stored, and the PWM unit 3006 which outputs PWM instructions for controlling the ascent and descent of the elevator cage 8 in accordance with the arithmetic results of the CPU.

[0011] Next, the operation of the elevator control unit 30 configured as stated above will be described.
When a call registration arises from the cage call registration device 82 or the hall call registration device 10, it is loaded into the 2-port RAM 3003 via the transmission line 12 and through the transmission interface 31. The CPU 3001 loads a predetermined velocity pattern (velocity instruction) from the ROM 3005 in correspondence with the signal of the call registration.
In addition, the pulse count unit 3004 counts the pulse outputs of the pulse encoder 2 which is rotated in synchronism with the rotation of the motor 1, and the CPU 3001 computes the positional point of the cage and the rotational speed of the motor 1 on the basis of the count value of the pulse count unit 3004 so as to perform a control in order that the rotational speed of the motor 1 at each positional point may conform to the velocity pattern.
Incidentally, the program of this operation is stored in the ROM 3005.
The PWM unit 3006 outputs a PWM instruction corresponding to the instruction value of the velocity pattern, and the gate signal generation circuit 4 outputs a gate signal in accordance with the PWM instruction.
Incidentally, the program of this operation is also stored in the ROM 3005.
In addition, the power circuit 6 feeds a power source output to the motor 1 while switching this output in correspondence with the gate signal.
In this way, the rotational speed of the motor 1 is controlled, whereby the elevator cage 8 ascends or descends.

[0012] Next, essential portions in Embodiment 1 will be described in conjunction with Figs. 1 and 4.
Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the respective S/W functions of the elevator control unit 30, while Fig. 4 is a flow chart for incarnating the S/W function blocks in Fig. 1, and this program is stored in the ROM 3005.
Referring to Fig. 1, numeral 301 designates load-in-elevator-cage detection means, which detects a load in the elevator cage 8 on the basis of a weighing signal WH from the weighing device 81. Numeral 302 designates picture-in-cage detection means for detecting a passenger in the cage by a camera picture PT which is sent from a camera (not shown) mounted in the elevator cage 8. Numeral 303 designates elevator running mode detection means, which detects that the elevator has shifted into a closed-door running-cessation state having no direction.
Numeral 304 designates pseudo-confinement detection means. In general, a situation where the elevator cage 8 stops in a non-floor-arrival state and where a passenger is confined therein is termed a "confinement state". This embodiment 1, however, deals with a state where the elevator cage 8 has arrived at a predetermined floor, and where a passenger has not gotten off the elevator cage for such a reason as failing to get off or where he/she cannot get off. This state shall be termed "pseudo confinement", and the passenger shall be termed a "pseudo-confined passenger". The pseudo-confinement detection means 304 detects the pseudo-confined passenger who remains in the cage without getting off (being able to get off) the cage for such a reason as having failed to get off the cage, on the basis of detection signals from the load-in-cage detection means 301 or picture-in-cage detection means 302 and the elevator running mode detection means 303. Numeral 306 designates announcement issue means for issuing a getting-off prompt announcement ANE for prompting the passenger to a movement for getting off, on the basis of an announcement ringing instruction from the pseudo-confinement detection means 304. Numeral 305 designates door control means, for example, door opening-and-closure means for outputting a door opening instruction signal DOI for opening the door of the elevator cage 8, in compliance with a door opening request signal DOR from the pseudo-confinement detection means 304, the announcement issue means 306 or a cage door control device (not shown).

[0013] Next, operations based on the CPU in Embodiment 1 will be described in conjunction with Fig. 4.
Referring to Fig. 4, at a step 41, it is decided if the running cessation state of the elevator has continued for a predetermined time period (60 sec in this example). Here, the "running cessation state of the elevator" signifies a state where the elevator has fallen into a closed-door running-cessation state having no direction, or a state where the rescue running operation of causing the elevator to arrive at a refuge floor or the nearest floor has been performed at the occurrence of a disaster, and where the elevator has been thereafter brought into a closed-door running-cessation state for the sake of safety, so that a user passenger cannot use the elevator any longer.
When the elevator running-cessation state does not continue for, at least, the predetermined time period, the decision result of the step 41 becomes "NO", and the routine proceeds to a step 48, at which an ordinary running operation is continued.
On the other hand, in a case where the elevator running-cessation state has continued for, at least, the predetermined time period, the decision result of the step 41 becomes "YES", and the routine proceeds to a step 42, at which the existence or nonexistence of a passenger in the elevator cage 8 is decided. At the step 42, it is decided, for example, if a weighing detection value is equal to, at least, a predetermined value of 30 kg. Although the existence or nonexistence of the passenger in the elevator cage 8 is decided by the weighing detection value here, a camera may be installed in the elevator cage 8 so as to decide the existence or nonexistence of the passenger by a picture-in-cage PT, or these measures may well be combined.
When the weighing detection value is less than the predetermined value, the decision result of the step 42 becomes "NO" with the passenger regarded as being nonexistent in the elevator cage, the routine proceeds to a step 49, at which the running cessation state is continued. In a case where the weighing detection value is equal to, at least, the predetermined value, the decision result of the step 42 becomes "YES" with the passenger regarded as being existent in the elevator cage 8, the routine proceeds to a step 43, at which a getting-off prompt announcement issue ANE for prompting the passenger to a movement for getting off the elevator cage is made, for example, "Please push the door opening button" is announced. Simultaneously, in a case where a door-opening-button lamp and an illuminator in the cage are put out, they are lit up at a step 44.
At a step 45, it is decided if the door opening button in the elevator cage 8 has been depressed. In a case where the button has been depressed, the decision result of the step 45 becomes "YES", and the routine proceeds to a step 46, at which the door of the elevator cage 8 is opened. Simultaneously, "Please get off when the door is opened" is announced at a step 47.
In a case where the door opening button has not been depressed, the decision result of the step 45 becomes "NO", and if the non-depressed state of the button has continued for a predetermined time period (for example, 60 sec) is decided at a step 50. In a case where the state has not continued for the predetermined time period, the step 45 is repeated.
In a case where it has been decided at the step 50 that the non-depressed state has continued for, at least, the predetermined time period, the decision result of the step 50 becomes "YES". Then, it is judged that the passenger in the elevator cage 8 is in a situation where he/she cannot perform the movement for getting off the cage, and the door of the elevator cage 8 is opened at a step 51. Simultaneously, "Boo Xn" is announced at a step 52.
The announcement at the step 52 is not the getting-off prompt announcement issue ANE for prompting the passenger to the movement for getting off the cage, but it is a caution announcement ANC for reporting that the passenger might be in an immobile state in the elevator cage 8, to the surrounding dwellers, etc. outside the elevator cage.

[0014] As described above, the elevator control apparatus is configured so as to make the getting-off prompt announcement issue which prompts the passenger having failed to get off the cage, to the movement for getting off the cage. Therefore, even in a case where the passenger has failed to escape from the cage after the elevator has arrived at the refuge floor or the nearest floor on account of the rescue running operation at the occurrence of the disaster, or the like, the apparatus has the advantage that the pseudo confinement state is avoidable.
Besides, the elevator control apparatus is configured so that, even in the state where the passenger in the cage cannot get off the cage for any reason, the door may be forcibly opened when the predetermined condition has held true. Therefore, the apparatus has the advantages that the safety is enhanced more, and that a suspicious person, a child, an elderly person or the like can be prevented from staying in the cage for a long time.

Claims

1. An elevator control apparatus wherein an elevator cage is caused to ascend or descend in compliance with a call registration signal of either of a hall call registration device and a cage call registration device, characterized in that the elevator control apparatus comprises:

passenger detection means for detecting existence or nonexistence of a passenger in the elevator cage when a closed-door running-cessation state has continued for, at least, a predetermined time period in a state where the elevator cage has arrived at a predetermined floor;

announcement issue means for making a getting-off prompt announcement which prompts the passenger in the elevator cage to get off the elevator cage, after said passenger detection means has detected the passenger in the elevator cage; and

door control means for forcibly opening a door of the elevator cage after said announcement issue means has made the getting-off prompt announcement.

2. The elevator control apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said passenger detection means detects the existence or nonexistence of the passenger in the elevator cage when the closed-door running-cessation state has continued for, at least, the predetermined time period after completion of a rescue running operation of causing the elevator cage to arrive at the predetermined floor at occurrence of a disaster.

3. The elevator control apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said door control means forcibly opens the door of the elevator cage on the basis of manipulation of a door opening button in the elevator cage after said passenger detection means has detected the passenger in the elevator cage.

4. The elevator control apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said door control means forcibly opens the door of the elevator cage upon lapse of, at least, a predetermined time period without manipulation of a door opening button in the elevator cage, after said passenger detection means has detected the passenger in the elevator cage.

5. The elevator control apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said door control means forcibly opens the door of the elevator cage upon lapse of, at least, a predetermined time period after said announcement issue means has made the getting-off prompt announcement.

6. The elevator control apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that a caution announcement is made to outside the elevator cage upon lapse of, at least, a predetermined time period after said announcement issue means has made the getting-off prompt announcement.

Drawing