Image monitoring apparatus for elevator

• US 7,823,703 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Amano, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US12/468,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20090223749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187380-388, 187391-396
• US Class Current: 187/392
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0012 Devices monitoring the users of the elevator system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/91 Elevator

Abstract

In an image monitoring apparatus for an elevator, an image recording unit records an image in a car photographed by a camera, and monitors based on the image in the car whether or not there is a violent behavior of a passenger in the car. The image recording unit makes a recording density of the image in the car higher than usual when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected. The operation control unit homes the car on a predetermined floor when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected by the image recording unit.

Claims

1. An image monitoring apparatus for an elevator, comprising:

operation control means for controlling operation of a car; and

image recording means for recording an image in the car photographed by a camera, and for detecting, based on the image in the car, whether or not there is a violent behavior of a passenger in the car, wherein

when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected by the image recording means, the operation control means determines whether the car is moving, and if the car is determined to be moving, moves the car to a nearest floor, and if the car is determined to be not moving, opens a door of the car.

4. The image monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image recording means comprises:

means for recording a sequence of images of an interior of the car; and

means for detecting the violent behavior of the passenger in the car by comparing only certain regions of each of successive images in the sequence of images of the interior of the car.

2. An image monitoring apparatus for an elevator, comprising:

an operation control unit configured to control operation of a car; and

an image recording unit configured to record an image in the car photographed by a camera, and to detect, based on the image in the car, whether or not there is a violent behavior of a passenger in the car,

wherein, when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected by the image recording unit, the operation control unit determines whether the car is moving, and if the car is determined to be moving, moves the car to a nearest floor, and if the car is determined to be not moving, opens a door of the car.

3. An image monitoring method for an elevator, the method comprising:

controlling operation of a car;

recording an image in the car photographed by a camera;

detecting, based on the image in the car, whether or not there is a violent behavior of a passenger in the car; and

determining, when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected in the detecting step, whether the car is moving, and if the car is determined to be moving, moving the car to a nearest floor, and if the car is determined to be not moving, opening a door of the car.