Elevator group management system

• US 8,602,172 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Naohiko, Iwata, Masafumi, Kobori, Shingo, Tokura, Sakurako, Koba, Yoshimasa, Takeshima, Kouji, Mitsuda, Masayuki, Nonami, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US13/125,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20110198160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187380-389, 187391-393
• US Class Current: 187/382
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/2458 For elevator systems with multiple shafts and a single car per shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/102 Up or down call input
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/103 Destination call input before entering the elevator car
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/211 Waiting time, i.e. response time
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/216 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/222 Taking into account the number of passengers present in the elevator car to be allocated
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/235 Taking into account predicted future events, e.g. predicted future call inputs
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/403 by real-time traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 50/00 Energy efficient technologies in elevators, escalators and moving walkways, e.g. energy saving or recuperation technologies

Abstract

A car-based running power computing mechanism computes running power values of each car in both cases including cases before and after a newly generated hall call is assigned. A car-based regenerative power computing mechanism computes regenerative power values of each car in the both cases. A car-based future running power computing mechanism computes future running power values of each car in the both cases. A car-based future regenerative power computing mechanism computes future regenerative power values of each car in the both cases. A car-based assigned total evaluation index computing mechanism obtains an in-travel power consumption value and an in-future-travel power consumption value based on the running power values, regenerative power values, future running power values, future regenerative power values and the like, to thereby compute assigned total evaluation indices of each car in the both cases. An assigned car deciding mechanism decides an assigned car based on the assigned total evaluation indices.

Claims

1. An elevator group management system that decides any of a plurality of cars as an assigned car in response to a newly generated hall call, comprising:

waiting time evaluation index computing means computing a waiting time evaluation index based on an estimated arrival time at a loading floor by the hall call for each of said plurality of cars in a first case before an assignment is made as said assigned car and a second case after an assignment is made as said assigned car, and outputting waiting time evaluation index information in which said waiting time evaluation index is specified;

an in-travel power consumption computing section computing an in-travel power consumption value in a travel-expected section from a current position to a last stop position for each of said plurality of cars in each of said first and second cases, and outputting in-travel power consumption value information in which said in-travel power consumption value is specified, said travel-expected section being expected to be covered by a known call for each car;

an in-future-travel power consumption computing section computing an in-future-travel power consumption value in a predetermined future travel-expected section following the last stop position of the travel-expected section expected to be covered by each car for each of said plurality of cars in each of said first and second cases, and outputting in-future-travel power consumption value information in which said in-future-travel power consumption value is specified; and

an assigned car deciding section computing, based on said waiting time evaluation index information, in-travel power consumption value information and in-future-travel power consumption value information, an assigned total evaluation index before assignment and an assigned total evaluation index after assignment for each of said plurality of cars in said first and second cases and deciding, as said assigned car, a car with the smallest value of the assigned total evaluation index after assignment with respect to the assigned total evaluation index before assignment.

2. The elevator group management system according to claim 1, wherein in functions of said assigned total evaluation index before assignment and said assigned total evaluation index after assignment, a rate of an increase in slope of the function of said waiting time evaluation index is larger than a rate of an increase in slope of at least one function of said in-travel power consumption value information and said in-future-travel power consumption value information.

3. The elevator group management system according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined future travel-expected section includes one travel section or a round-trip travel section from the last stop position expected to be covered to a terminal floor remote from the last stop position.

4. The elevator group management system according to claim 1, wherein:

said in-travel power consumption computing section includes;

work load computing means computing, based on the expected number of loading people in said travel-expected section of each car, in-travel power running work loads and in-travel regeneration work loads in said travel-expected section by an elevator hoist machine for each of said plurality of cars in said first and second cases, and outputting in-travel power running work load information and in-travel regeneration work load information in which said in-travel power running work loads and said in-travel regeneration work loads are specified;

loss computing means computing, based on said in-travel power running work load information, said in-travel regeneration work load information, and at least one of a loss value of said elevator hoist machine, a loss value of a power supply, a loss value of a mechanical system, a loss value at start-up and a loss value at stop, in-travel power running loss amounts and in-travel regeneration loss amounts in said travel-expected section for each of said plurality of cars in said first and second cases, and outputting in-travel power running loss amount information and in-travel regeneration loss amount information in which said in-travel power running loss amounts and said in-travel regeneration loss amounts are specified;

running power computing means computing, based on said in-travel power running work load information and said in-travel power running loss amount information, an in-travel running power value in said travel-expected section of each car in each of said first and second cases, and outputting in-travel running power value information in which said in-travel running power value is specified; and

regenerative power computing means computing, based on said in-travel power regeneration work load information and said in-travel power regeneration loss amount information, an in-travel regenerative power value in said travel-expected section of each car in each of said first and second cases, and outputting in-travel regenerative power information in which said in-travel regenerative power value is specified; and

said in-travel power consumption value information includes said in-travel running power value information and said in-travel regenerative power value information.

5. The elevator group management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

weighting coefficient computing means outputting weighting coefficient information in which at least one of a weighting coefficient of said in-travel power consumption value information and a weighting coefficient of said in-future-travel power consumption value information is specified, using at least one value of a height of a building for installation, the number of stop floors, a traffic flow index in each time period, the number of cars managed as a group, and a car speed, wherein

said assigned car deciding section further computes said assigned total evaluation index before assignment and said assigned total evaluation index after assignment based on said weighting coefficient information.

6. The elevator group management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

basic power computing means computing a basic power value including power consumption of at least one device of in-car lighting, in-car air conditioner and a control panel for each of said plurality of cars in said first and second cases, and outputting basic power value information in which said basic power value is specified, wherein

said assigned car deciding section further computes said assigned total evaluation index before assignment and said assigned total evaluation index after assignment based on said basic power value information.

7. The elevator group management system according to claim 4, further comprising:

number of between-stop-floors loading people estimating means estimating the number of between-stop-floors loading people in said travel-expected section for each of said plurality of cars in each of said first and second cases, and outputting number of between-stop-floors loading people estimation information in which the estimated number of people loading between the each stop floors is specified, wherein

said work load computing means computes said in-travel power running work load and in-travel regeneration work load based on said number of between-stop-floors loading people estimation information.

8. The elevator group management system according to claim 7, further comprising:

hall destination floor registration devices capable of registering destination floors in a hall, wherein

said number of between-stop-floors loading people estimating means estimates said number of people loading between the each stop floors based on information regarding the destination floors, said information being obtained from said hall destination floor registration devices.

9. An elevator group management system that decides any of a plurality of cars as an assigned car in response to a newly generated hall call, comprising:

waiting time evaluation index computing means computing a waiting time evaluation index based on an estimated arrival time at a loading floor by the hall call for each of said plurality of cars in a first case before an assignment is made as said assigned car and a second case after an assignment is made as said assigned car, and outputting waiting time evaluation index information in which said waiting time evaluation index is specified;

running power computing means computing a positive running power value in a travel-expected section from a current position to a last stop position for each of said plurality of cars in each of said first and second cases, and outputting running power value information in which said running power value is specified, said travel-expected section being expected to be covered by each car;

regenerative power computing means computing a regenerative power value in said travel-expected section of each car for each of said plurality of cars in each of said first and second cases, and outputting positive regenerative power value information in which said regenerative power value is specified; and

an assigned car deciding section computing, using functions in which slopes with respect to respective values of said waiting time evaluation index information, running power value information and regenerative power value information are positive, an assigned total evaluation index before assignment and an assigned total evaluation index after assignment of each of said plurality of cars in said first and second cases, and deciding, as said assigned car, a car with the smallest value of the assigned total evaluation index after assignment with respect to the assigned total evaluation index before assignment.

10. The elevator group management system according to claim 9, wherein in functions of said assigned total evaluation index before assignment and said assigned total evaluation index after assignment, a rate of an increase in slope of the function of said waiting time evaluation index is larger than a rate of an increase in slope of at least one function of said running power value information and said regenerative power value information.

11. The elevator group management system according to claim 9, further comprising:

work load computing means computing, based on the expected number of loading people in said travel-expected section of each car, in-travel power running work load and in-travel regeneration work load in said travel-expected section by an elevator hoist machine for each of said plurality of cars in said first and second cases, and outputting in-travel power running work load information and in-travel regeneration work load information in which said in-travel power running work load and said in-travel regeneration work load are specified; and

loss computing means computing, based on said in-travel power running work load information, said in-travel regeneration work load information, and at least one of a loss value of said elevator hoist machine, a loss value of a power supply, a loss value of a mechanical system, a loss value at start-up and a loss value at stop, an in-travel power running loss amount and an in-travel regeneration loss amount in said travel-expected section for each of said plurality of cars in said first and second cases, and outputting in-travel power running loss amount information and in-travel regeneration loss amount information in which said in-travel power running loss amount and said in-travel regeneration loss amount are specified, wherein

said running power computing means outputs said running power value information based on said in-travel power running work load information and said in-travel power running loss amount information, and

said regenerative power computing means outputs said regenerative power value information based on said in-travel regeneration work load information and said in-travel regeneration loss amount information.

12. The elevator group management system according to claim 9, further comprising:

weighting coefficient computing means outputting weighting coefficient information in which at least one of a weighting coefficient of running power and a weighting coefficient of regenerative power, using at least one value of a height of a building for installation, the number of stop floors, a traffic flow index in each time period, the number of cars managed as a group, and a car speed, wherein

said assigned car deciding section further computes said assigned total evaluation index before assignment and said assigned total evaluation index after assignment based on said weighting coefficient information.

13. The elevator group management system according to claim 9, further comprising:

basic power computing means computing a basic power value including power consumption of at least one device of in-car lighting, in-car air conditioner and a control panel for each of said plurality of cars in said first and second cases, and outputting basic power value information in which said basic power value is specified, wherein

said assigned car deciding section further computes said assigned total evaluation index before assignment and said assigned total evaluation index after assignment based on said basic power value information.

14. The elevator group management system according to claim 11, further comprising:

number of between-stop-floors loading people estimating means estimating the number of between-stop-floors loading people in said travel-expected section for each of said plurality of cars in each of said first and second cases, and outputting number of between-stop-floors loading people estimation information in which the estimated number of people loading between the each stop floors is specified, wherein

said work load computing means computes said in-travel power running work load and in-travel regeneration work load based on said number of between-stop-floors loading people estimation information.

15. The elevator group management system according to claim 14, further comprising:

hall destination floor registration devices capable of registering destination floors in a hall, wherein

said number of between-stop-floors loading people estimating means further estimates the number of between-stop-floors loading people based on information regarding the destination floors, said information being obtained from said hall destination floor registration devices.

16. The elevator group management system according to claim 9, further comprising:

travel-state-per-unit-time computing means computing a travel state being at least one value of a car position of each car, a position of a balance weight, car acceleration and car speed per unit time and outputting travel state information in which said travel state is specified per unit time;

torque-per-unit-time computing means computing a torque value of each car per said unit time based on said travel state information and outputting torque information in which said torque value per said unit time is specified; and

power-consumption-per-unit-time computing means computing power consumption of each car per unit time based on said travel state information and said torque information and outputting positive power information in which positive power consumption is specified per unit time or negative power information in which negative power consumption is specified, wherein

said running power computing means outputs said running power value information based on said positive power information, and

said regenerative power computing means outputs, based on said negative power information, said regenerative power value information by conversion into a positive value.