Elevator communication controller and communication control method

• US 6,471,011 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Nobukazu, Ando, Hiroshi, Koura, Kunikazu, Gokan, Hiroshi, Tatsumi, Shougo
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US09/959,603
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187/248, 187/380, 187/382, 187/384, 187/385, 187/387, 187/388, 187/391, 187/393, 187/277, 700/3, 700/20, 700/21, 700/27, 340/3.1, 340/3.5, 340/3.52, 340/7.46, 340/7.47, 709/208, 709/211, 709/238, 709/245, 710/110
• US Class Current: 187/247
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/34 Details , e.g. call counting devices, data transmission from car to control system, devices giving information to the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3415 Control system configuration and the data transmission or communication within the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3423 Control system configuration, i.e. lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3446 Data transmission or communication within the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3453 Procedure or protocol for the data transmission or communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40006 Architecture of a communication node current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 Bus for use in automation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A cmmunications control system for elevators having control units including at least respective car control units and elevator hall registration control units, each of the control units having a node, the nodes being connected to each other via a network, and each of the nodes having a management table establishing correspondence between node number and network address. The elevator communications control system includes a node acting as a master when a first network address corresponding to the node number of this node is, upon referring to the management table, a specific address in the management table, and sending to all other nodes a broadcast communication to notify that the node is a temporary master having the first network address added and receives from another temporary master a broadcast communication for notifying that this other node is the temporary master having a second network address corresponding to the node number of the other temporary master added, if the first network address and the second network address conform to specific conditions.

Claims

1. A communications control system for elevators having a plurality of control units including at least respective car control units and elevator hall registration control units, each of the plurality of control units having a node, the plurality of nodes being connected to each other via a network, and each of the nodes having a management table establishing correspondence between a node number and a network address, the communications control system comprising:

a node acting as a master when a first network address corresponding to the node number of the node is, upon referring to the management table, a specific address in the management table, and sending to all other nodes a broadcast communication to notify that the node is a temporary master having the first network address added and receiving from a second temporary master at a second node a broadcast communication notifying that the second node is a temporary master having a second network address corresponding to the node number of the second temporary master added, if the first network address and the second network address conform to specific conditions; and

a node acting as a slave when the network address corresponding to the node number of the node is not a specific address in the management table, and when the first network address corresponding to the node number is a specific address in the management table, upon referring to the management table, the node sends to all other nodes a broadcast communication to notify that the node is a temporary master having the first network address added and receives from another temporary master a broadcast communication notifying that the other node is a temporary master having a second network address corresponding to the node number of the other temporary master added, if the first network address and the second network address do not conform to specific conditions.

2. The communications control system for elevators according to claim 1, wherein the node acting as the slave acts as a quasi-master when the node does not receive synchronization start data from the node acting as the master, within a predetermined amount of time, and, upon referring to the management table, a third network address corresponding to the node number of the node is a second specific address in the management table, the node sending to all other nodes a broadcast communication to notify that the node is a temporary master having the third network address added and receiving from another temporary master a broadcast communication for notifying that this other node is the temporary master having a fourth network address corresponding to the node number of the other temporary master added, if the third and, fourth network addresses conform to specific conditions;

and

the node acting as a slave acts as a slave again when the node references the management table and the third network address corresponding to its node number is not the second specific address in the management table and a broadcast communication is received from a node acting as the quasi-master stating this node acting as the quasi-master is the temporary master within the predetermined amount of time.

3. The communications control system for elevators according to claim 2, wherein, when the node acting as the slave detects that the master and the quasi-master do not exist, sending to the other nodes by a broadcast communication of a management table rebuild request data requesting management table data currently held by the node added, and switching to an operation for determining the master upon rebuilding the management table, based on the management table rebuild request data received from another node.

4. The communications control system for elevators according to claim 1, wherein the master sends first synchronization start data to a first slave among a plurality of slaves;

upon receiving synchronization completion data from a previous slave, sends subsequent synchronization start data to a subsequent slave in sequence;

upon receiving the synchronization completion data from a last slave, from among the plurality of slaves, completes one cycle of synchronization communication, measures the one cycle of the synchronization communication as a synchronization communication cycle time and measures duration between the sending of the synchronization start data to each slave as a synchronization communication node allocated time, thus managing the communication;

each slave, upon receiving the synchronization start data from the master, sends data to another node; and

,

upon completing the sending of the data, sends synchronization completion data to the master.

5. The communications control system for elevators according to claim 4, wherein each slave puts data to be sent into a sending buffer before receiving the synchronization start data from the master.

6. The communications control system for elevators according to claim 4, wherein

the master measures time duration of one cycle of the synchronization communication for a particular slave, and when the measured synchronization communication cycle time is less than a target synchronization communication cycle time, the master adds an allocated time to the synchronization start data in a later synchronization communication with that particular slave and sends the synchronization start data, the allocated time being a differential of the measured synchronization communication cycle time and the target synchronization communication cycle time;

and

the slave, upon receiving the synchronization start data from the master, sends excess data to another node, separately from the data normally communicated, based on the allocated time.

7. The communications control system for elevators according to claim 4, wherein the slave measures time duration of one cycle of its own synchronization communication, and, when the measured synchronization communication cycle time is less than a target synchronization communication cycle time, the slave adds an allocated time to a synchronization response data in a later synchronization communication with the master and sends the synchronization response, the allocated time being a differential of the measured synchronization communication cycle time and the target synchronization communication cycle time;

the slave sends excess data to another node separately from the normal data communication and based on the allocated time; and

the master, upon receiving the synchronization response data from the slave, controls the synchronization communication based on the allocated time.

8. A communications control system for elevators having a plurality of control units including at least respective car control units and elevator hall registration control units, each of the plurality of control units having a node, the plurality of nodes being mutually connected via a network as a single master and a plurality of slaves, and each node having a management table establishing correspondence between a node number and a network address wherein

the master sends a first synchronization start data to a first slave among a plurality of slaves;

upon receiving synchronization completion data from a previous slave, the slave sends subsequent synchronization start data to a subsequent slave, in sequence;

upon receiving the synchronization completion data from a last slave from among the plurality of slaves, completes one cycle of synchronization communication, and measures the one cycle of the synchronization communication as a synchronization communication cycle time, and measures duration between sending of the synchronization start data to each slave as a synchronization communication node allocated time, thus managing the communication;

each slave, upon receiving the synchronization start data from the master, sends data to another node; and

upon completing sending of the data, sends synchronization completion data to the master.

9. The communications control system for elevators according to claim 8, wherein each slave puts data to be sent into a sending buffer before receiving the synchronization start data from the master.

10. The communications control system for elevators according to claim 8, wherein

the master measures time duration of one cycle of the synchronization communication for a particular slave, and when the measured synchronization communication cycle time is less than a target synchronization communication cycle time, the master adds an allocated time to the synchronization start data in a later synchronization communication with that particular slave and sends the synchronization start data the allocated time being a differential of the measured synchronization communication cycle time and the target synchronization communication cycle time; and

the slave, upon receiving the synchronization start data from the master, sends excess data to another node, separately from the data normally communicated, based on the allocated time.

11. The communications control system for elevators according to claim 8, wherein

the slave measures time duration of one cycle of its own synchronization communication, and, when this measured synchronization communication cycle time is less than a target synchronization communication cycle time, the slave adds an allocated time to a synchronization response data in a later synchronization communication with the master and sends the synchronization response, the allocated time being a differential of the measured synchronization communication cycle time and the target synchronization communication cycle time;

the slave sends excess data to another node separately from the normal data communication and based on the allocated time; and

the master, upon receiving the synchronization response data from the slave, controls the synchronization communication based on the allocated time.

12. A communications control method for elevators having a plurality of control units including at least respective car control units and elevator hall registration control units, each of the plurality of control units having a node, the plurality of nodes being mutually connected via a network, and each of the nodes having a management table establishing correspondence between a node number and a network address, the communications control method comprising:

a node acting as a slave when the network address corresponding to the node number of the node is not a specific address in the management table, and, when the first network address corresponding to the node number is a specific address in the management table, upon referring to the management table, the node sends to all other nodes a broadcast communication to notify that the node is a temporary master having the first network address added and receives from another temporary master a broadcast communication notifying that the other node is a temporary master having a second network address corresponding to the node number of this other temporary master added, if the first network address and the second network address do not conform to specific conditions.

13. The communications control method for elevators according to claim 12, wherein the node acting as the slave acts as a quasi-master when the node does not receive synchronization start data from the node acting as the master, within a predetermined amount of time, and, upon referring to the management table, a third network address corresponding to the node number of the node is a second specific address in the management table, the node sends to all other nodes a broadcast communication to notify that this node is a temporary master having the third network address added and receives from another temporary master a broadcast communication notifying that this other node is the temporary master having a fourth network address corresponding to the node number of the other temporary master added, if the third and, fourth network addresses conform to specific conditions;

and

the node acting as a slave acts as a slave again when the node references the management table and the third network address corresponding to its node number is not the second specific address in the management table and a broadcast communication is received from a node acting as the quasi-master stating this node acting as the quasi-master is the temporary master within the predetermined amount of time.

14. A communications control method for elevators according to claim 13, when the node acting as the slave detects that the master and the quasi-master do not exist, sending to the other nodes by a broadcast communication of a management table rebuild request data requesting management table data currently held by the node added, and switches to an operation for determining the master upon rebuilding the management table, based on the management table rebuild request data received from another node.

15. The communications control method for elevators according to claim 12, further comprising:

the master sending first synchronization start data to a first slave among a plurality of slaves;

upon receiving synchronization completion data from a previous slave, sending subsequent synchronization start data to a subsequent slave in sequence;

upon receiving the synchronization completing data from a last slave from among the plurality of slaves, completing one cycle of synchronization communication, measuring the one cycle of the synchronization communication as a synchronization communication cycle time, and measuring duration between the sending of the synchronization start data to each slave as a synchronization communication node allocated time, thus managing the communication;

each slave, upon receiving the synchronization start data from the master sending data to another node; and

upon completing the sending of the data, communicating synchronization completion data to the master.

16. The communications control method for elevators according to claim 15, wherein each slave puts data to be sent into a sending buffer before receiving the synchronization start data from the master.

17. The communications control method for elevators according to claim 15, wherein

the master measures time duration of one cycle of the synchronization communication for a particular slave, and when this measured synchronization communication cycle time is less than a target synchronization communication cycle time, the master adds an allocated time to the synchronization start data in a later synchronization communication with that particular slave and sends the synchronization data, the allocated time being a differential of the measured synchronization communication cycle time and the target synchronization communication cycle time;

and

the particular slave, upon receiving the synchronization start data from the master, sends excess data to another node separately from the data normally communicated, based on the allocated time.

18. The communications control method for elevators according to claim 15, wherein

the slave measures time duration of one cycle of its own synchronization communication, and, when this measured synchronization communication cycle time is less than a target synchronization communication cycle time, the slave adds an allocated time to a synchronization response data in a later synchronization communication with the master and sends the synchronization response, the allocated time being a differential of the measured synchronization communication cycle time and the target synchronization communication cycle time;

the slave sends excess data to another node separately from the normal data communication and based on the allocated time; and

the master, upon receiving the synchronization response data from the slave, controls the synchronization communication based on the allocated time.