Control system and control method for controlling start and stop of multiple passenger conveyors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11407618-B2
Application number	US-202117217117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2021
Priority date	Apr 3, 2020
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

A control system and a control method for controlling the start and stop of multiple passenger conveyors are provided. The control system includes a remote camera for capturing images of the corresponding external state of the passenger conveyor in real time; a remote controller for controlling and collecting the operation state of the passenger conveyor; a monitoring server connected with each remote camera and the remote controller through a data network. The monitoring server uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to analyze images captured by the remote camera to determine whether there are passengers on the passenger conveyor; when the monitoring server determines that there are passengers on the passenger conveyor, the passenger conveyor is grouped into a non-automatic start and stop group; when the monitoring server determines that there are no passengers on the passenger conveyor, the passenger conveyor is grouped into an automatic start and stop group.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system for controlling the start and stop of multiple passenger conveyors, wherein
the control system includes a remote camera and a remote controller corresponding to each of the plurality of passenger conveyors;
the control system also includes a monitoring server;
the monitoring server automatically issues start and stop instructions at a predetermined time;
the remote camera is used for capturing images of an external state of a corresponding passenger conveyor in real time;
the remote controller is arranged to control and collect an operation state of the corresponding passenger conveyor;
the monitoring server is connected with each remote camera and the remote controller through a data network;
the monitoring server uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to analyze the images captured by the remote camera to determine whether there are passengers on the passenger conveyor;
when the monitoring server determines that there are passengers on the corresponding passenger conveyor, the passenger conveyor is grouped into a non-automatic start and stop group;
when the monitoring server determines that there are no passengers on the corresponding passenger conveyor, the passenger conveyor is grouped into an automatic start and stop group.

2. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control system includes a data transmission unit corresponding to each of the plurality of passenger conveyors;
the monitoring server is connected with each data transmission unit through the data network;
the data transmission unit is arranged to receive state data about the operation state of the corresponding passenger conveyor collected by the remote controller.

3. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein
the control system also includes an alarm device corresponding to each of the plurality of passenger conveyors;
the monitoring server is connected with each alarm device through the data network.

4. The control system according to claim 3 , wherein
the monitoring server will not issue start and stop instructions to the remote controller corresponding to the passenger conveyor grouped into the non-automatic start and stop group.

5. The control system according to claim 4 , wherein
the remote camera continues to capture images of the external state of the passenger conveyor grouped into the non-automatic start and stop group in real time;
when the monitoring server determines that there are no passengers on the passenger conveyor grouped into the non-automatic start and stop group based on the image, the monitoring server sends the start and stop instruction, the remote controller receives the start and stop instruction and controls the start and stop of the passenger conveyor.

6. The control system according to claim 3 , wherein
the monitoring server sends start and stop instructions to the remote controller corresponding to the passenger conveyor grouped into the automatic start and stop group, and the remote controller receives the start and stop instructions and controls the start and stop of the passenger conveyor.

7. The control system according to claim 3 , wherein
the alarm device is arranged to give an alarm to the passenger, so as to prompt the passenger to leave the passenger conveyor or not enter the passenger conveyor within a certain time range.

8. The control system of claim 7 , wherein
after the alarm device sends out the alarm for a certain time, the remote camera continues to capture images of the external state of the passenger conveyor grouped into the automatic start and stop group in real time;
when the monitoring server determines that there are no passengers on the passenger conveyor grouped into the automatic start and stop group based on the image, the monitoring server sends the start and stop instruction, the remote controller receives the start and stop instruction and controls the start and stop of the passenger conveyor;
when the monitoring server determines that there are passengers on the passenger conveyor grouped into the automatic start and stop group based on the image, the monitoring server will not issue the start and stop instructions.

9. The control system according to claim 6 , wherein
after the monitoring server sends the start instruction and the remote controller receives the start instruction and controls the start of the passenger conveyor, if the remote controller determines that the passenger conveyor has not accelerated to the normal operation speed, the passenger conveyor is grouped into a non-automatic start group;
after the monitoring server issues a stop instruction and the remote controller receives the stop instruction and controls the passenger conveyor to stop, if the remote controller determines that the passenger conveyor has not slowed down or stopped, the passenger conveyor is grouped into a non-automatic stop group;
if the remote controller determines that the passenger conveyor accelerates to the normal operation speed or if the remote controller determines that the passenger conveyor decelerates or stops, the data transmission unit is set to receive the state data about the current operation state of the corresponding passenger conveyor collected by the remote controller;
if the data transmission unit transmits the state data to the monitoring server, the control system prepares the next corresponding auto start and auto stop operation;
if the data transmission unit does not transmit the state data to the monitoring server, the corresponding passenger conveyors are grouped into the non-automatic start and stop group.

10. The control system of claim 9 , wherein
the monitoring server includes a human-computer interaction device for displaying the state data.

11. A control method for controlling the start and stop of multiple passenger conveyors, wherein
the start and stop are controlled by a control system;
the control system includes a remote camera, a remote controller, a data transmission unit and an alarm device corresponding to each of the plurality of passenger conveyors;
the control system also includes a monitoring server;
the remote camera is set to capture an image of an external state of the corresponding passenger conveyor in real time;
setting the remote controller to control and collect an operation state of the corresponding passenger conveyor;
connecting the monitoring server with each remote camera and the remote controller through a data network;
the monitoring server automatically issues start and stop instructions at a predetermined time;
the monitoring server uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to analyze the images captured by the remote camera to determine whether there are passengers on the passenger conveyor;
when the monitoring server determines that there are passengers on the corresponding passenger conveyor, the passenger conveyor is grouped into a non-automatic start and stop group;
when the monitoring server determines that there are no passengers on the corresponding passenger conveyor, the passenger conveyor is grouped into an automatic start and stop group.

12. The control method according to claim 11 , wherein
connecting the monitoring server with each data transmission unit through the data network;
the data transmission unit is set to receive state data about the operation state of the corresponding passenger conveyor collected by the remote controller.

13. The control method according to claim 12 , wherein
the monitoring server is connected with each alarm device through the data network.

14. The control method according to claim

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Fan Jinquan
• Chen Zhong

Classifications

• B66B25/00 Primary

  Control of escalators or moving walkways (walkways of variable speed type B66B21/12; handrails of variable speed type B66B23/26; of general application G05) · CPC title

• B66B27/00

  Indicating operating conditions of escalators or moving walkways (of general application G08) · CPC title

• B66B25/003 Primary

  Methods or algorithms therefor · CPC title

• B66B21/025

  of variable speed type · CPC title

• B66B29/005

  Applications of security monitors · CPC title