HK1096365B - Destination floor elevator system and method for allocating an elevator in a destination floor elevator system - Google Patents

Description

Destination floor elevator system and method for allocating elevators in such a system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to elevator systems. In particular, the invention relates to a method for allocating an elevator in a destination floor elevator system, which method comprises: an elevator group, which consists of a plurality of elevators; a passenger data terminal for reserving elevators for use by passengers; and an elevator group control system for controlling the elevators in response to signals from the passenger data terminals.

Background

In a destination floor elevator system, each passenger wanting to enter an elevator presents at the exit landing of the building the destination floor he/she wants to travel to. The target floor is presented using a passenger data terminal dedicated to this purpose, such a terminal being an extended variant of the landing call button. The actual landing call buttons are extended by adding a more versatile user interface that allows the user, i.e. the passenger, to indicate the floor he/she wants to reach by elevator.

Such a destination floor elevator system and method for use in which passenger data terminals include certain disadvantages. These disadvantages become especially apparent in over-peak traffic situations, especially in the morning and at lunch hours. These disadvantages include the following.

Especially at lunch time, people in buildings tend to get in groups with their co-workers to lunch. In prior-art destination floor elevator systems, however, each passenger traveling on an elevator must individually input his/her own destination floor to the destination floor elevator system. This naturally means that each passenger has to wait individually for a specific elevator specifically assigned to him/her, although the destination floor to which this passenger wants to go is the same as another destination floor to which he/she belongs to the same group of people with him/her. A problem arises in this case as to how the users should behave in such a situation. Perhaps each user would stand in a team and wait to turn to him/herself to place a call via a passenger data terminal and indicate his/her own destination floor to the destination floor elevator system. Secondly, even if the passenger should wait for his/her turn to complete these tasks via the passenger data terminal, he/she must do so and enter his/her data. On the other hand, if passengers do not take their turn to themselves to enter their destination floors into the destination floor elevator system and their passenger data terminals, the ES will receive incomplete information regarding the number of passengers actually traveling to a given destination floor.

In such a situation, incomplete information received by the destination floor elevator system and particularly its control system may result in compromising the level of service provided by the ES to numerous passengers. It is obvious that elevators and ES are able to serve passengers better if the ES has more accurate information about the number of passengers going to each destination floor. In prior-art solutions the problem is that the elevators are crowded prematurely and in an uncontrolled manner, since not all people of the group of people who travel together let the system know that they are going to travel on the same elevator together with some other person of the group.

Secondly, even if the passengers do so in a conventional destination floor elevator system in the manner described in the ideal case above, in other words if each passenger waits for his/her own turn to use the passenger data terminal and provide accurate information about his/her own destination floor, there are still significant disadvantages in this process. Obviously, each passenger must spend a certain amount of time, about 5 seconds, to enter information about his/her destination floor and whether he/she belongs to a crowd. This means that the teams of people waiting to turn to them grow at the passenger data terminal. An additional delay occurs due to the fact that the passenger can indicate his/her destination floor only when it is his/her turn to use the passenger data terminal, rather than immediately, such as upon arrival at a building or upon the occurrence of his/her need to go to a given destination floor. The information about the number of passengers and their destination floors thus arrives at the destination floor elevator system and especially their control system later than necessary, and elevator allocation decisions have to be made on the basis of insufficient and late-arriving information. As a consequence, elevator allocation decisions are delayed and their quality is lower than in the ideal situation.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to achieve a method and a system for allocating elevators in a destination floor elevator system so that some of the above-mentioned problems encountered with prior-art solutions are avoided.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for allocating an elevator in a destination floor elevator system, comprising:

an elevator group comprising several elevators;

passenger data terminals for reserving elevators for use by passengers;

an elevator group control system for controlling the elevators in response to signals from the passenger data terminals,

the method is characterized by comprising the following steps:

the size of the passenger population and the destination floor are entered into the control system of the elevator group;

one or more elevators are assigned to the group of passengers according to the size of the group of passengers and the target floor; and

each of the group of passengers is informed of the dispatch.

Preferably, the input of the size of the crowd and the target floor is made by means of the passenger data terminal.

Preferably, the passenger data terminal is one of the following devices:

general-purpose passenger data terminals;

a movable table;

a terminal in a data transmission network;

a terminal in a telecommunications network; and

a wireless terminal.

Preferably, the size of the passenger population and the target floor are input in response to a reminder given to the user.

Preferably, the size of the passenger population and the target floor are input using a user interface of the passenger data terminal.

Preferably, the user interface of the passenger data terminal comprises at least one of:

a crowd size indicator;

a button;

a crowd button;

a window user interface, an

A key for determining the size of the crowd.

Preferably, the assignment is achieved by optimizing the operating factors of the elevators and/or the passenger service efficiency.

Preferably, elevator operating factors and passenger service efficiency are determined based on at least one of the following factors:

utilization rate of the elevator;

energy consumption of the elevator;

a call time;

waiting time; and

travel time.

Preferably, the aforementioned assignment is implemented using a mathematical algorithm.

Preferably, the aforesaid allocation is achieved by placing the entire group of passengers in as few elevators as possible.

Preferably, the population size is limited.

Preferably, after said assigning, one or more assigned elevators are reserved for use by said group of people at the exit landing.

Preferably, the aforementioned information communication is achieved using the passenger data terminal.

Preferably, the aforementioned communication of information is accomplished using an illuminated indicator panel.

Preferably, the aforementioned communication of information is accomplished using public address.

Preferably, peak traffic conditions are identified in response to said population size.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a destination floor elevator system including:

an elevator group comprising several elevators;

passenger data terminals for reserving elevators for use by a number of passengers;

an elevator group control system for controlling the elevators in response to signals from the passenger data terminals,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

said passenger data terminal being configured to receive the size and destination floor of the passenger population and to direct them to the control system of the elevator group;

the control system of the elevator group is configured so as to allocate one or more elevators to a passenger population according to the size of the passenger population and the destination floor, and

the passenger data terminal is configured to inform the individual of the group of people of the aforementioned assignment.

Preferably, the size of the passenger population and the destination floor are entered by means of a passenger data terminal.

Preferably, the passenger data terminal is one of the following devices:

general-purpose passenger data terminals;

a movable table;

a terminal in a data transmission network;

a terminal in a telecommunications network; and

a wireless terminal.

Preferably, the size of the passenger population and the target floor are input in response to a reminder given to the user.

Preferably, the size of the passenger population and the destination floor are entered using a user interface of the passenger data terminal.

Preferably, the user interface of the passenger data terminal comprises at least one of:

a crowd size indicator;

a button;

a crowd button;

a window user interface, an

A key for determining the size of the crowd.

Preferably, the assignment is achieved by optimizing the operating factors of the elevators and/or the passenger service efficiency.

Preferably, elevator operating factors and/or passenger service efficiency are determined based on at least one of the following factors:

utilization rate of the elevator;

energy consumption of the elevator;

a call time;

waiting time; and

travel time.

Preferably, the aforementioned assignment is implemented using a mathematical algorithm.

Preferably, the aforesaid assignment is achieved by placing the entire passenger population in as few elevators as possible.

Preferably, the size of the population is limited.

Preferably, after the aforesaid assignment, one or more of the assigned elevators remain at the landing for the group of people.

Preferably, the aforementioned information communication is achieved using the passenger data terminal.

Preferably, the aforementioned communication of information is accomplished using an illuminated indicator.

Preferably, the aforementioned communication of information is accomplished using public address.

Preferably, peak traffic conditions are identified in response to the size of the population.

Inventive embodiments are also presented in the description part of the present application. The inventive content disclosed in the application can also be defined in other ways. The inventive content may also consist of several separate inventions, especially if the invention is considered in the light of explicit or implicit sub-tasks or in respect of advantages or sets of advantages achieved. In such cases, some of the attributes contained in the claims below may be superfluous from the point of view of separate inventive concepts. Within the framework of the basic principle of the invention, features of different embodiments of the invention can be applied in conjunction with other embodiments.

The main idea of the invention is to make it possible for a passenger using an elevator to indicate that he/she belongs to a certain group of persons who travel from a certain landing to one or more destination floors at the same time. Thus, according to the invention, the passenger can also inform the system that he/she belongs to a certain group of people when he/she proposes his/her destination floor. This information is entered using the passenger data terminal. In particular, the passenger data terminal may have a user interface with menus or buttons to indicate that the passenger belongs to a group of people. It is also possible that only one of the crowd will enter information into the passenger data terminal telling the system how many of the crowd will travel to the target floor. The destination floor elevator system and in particular its group control system thus receives information about how many passengers will travel from the landing to the destination floor. The elevator system can now dispatch one elevator with enough space to accommodate the whole passenger population or the elevator system can dispatch several elevators for the whole population if necessary.

Advantages of the invention include the following.

The process of calling an elevator at a certain landing floor or landing can be accelerated in situations where passengers want to take the same elevator. In this case only one of the population needs to determine the size of the population and the required target floor.

Furthermore, the system of the invention ensures that passengers travelling in the same group of people can actually use the same elevator, thereby keeping the group of people consistent.

Furthermore, the system of the invention shortens the queues formed at the passenger data terminal on the exit landing, since all passengers comprised in the crowd do not have to enter elevator calls themselves, as long as one person of the crowd is sufficient to do so. Therefore, the queue ahead of the passenger data terminal is greatly shortened. This means that the comfort level for the passengers is increased, since there is little waiting and annoyance.

The disclosed solution also provides the advantage that the elevator dispatching system receives information about the number of passengers in the crowd and their destination floors at an earlier stage, so that the exact number of elevators available can be delivered to the landing floor more quickly than in the prior-art solutions. At the same time, the information available about the number of passengers and their destination floors is more accurate, so that the service level of the elevator system can be further increased. A further advantage of the inventive solution is that a possible identification of an over-peak traffic situation can be made earlier, since an indication of a peak traffic situation will occur in correspondence with the larger crowd size given by a certain passenger when calling elevators for a group by means of the passenger data terminal.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing the operation of the method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a passenger data terminal consistent with the present invention;

fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the operation of a destination floor elevator system according to the invention.

Detailed Description

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of the operation of the method of the present invention. The method for allocating elevators is implemented in a destination floor elevator system, which comprises an elevator group consisting of several elevators; passenger data terminals for reserving elevators for use by a number of passengers; and an elevator group control system for controlling the elevators, the control system being responsive to signals from the passenger data terminals. A typical characteristic of destination floor elevator systems is that the passenger data terminal is disposed on the exit landing of the building, i.e. on the floor that people arriving at the building enter in order to wait for the elevator to be transported to their respective destination floor. Via the passenger data terminal the passenger informs the system of a given destination floor he/she wants to go to. The target floor refers to the floor in the building that the passenger wants to reach.

The method of the invention is carried out starting at step (101). In the method of the invention the size and destination floor of the group of people travelling together are input (103) to the control system of the elevator group. This is often done by a passenger, but may also be done by another person, such as one of the maintenance personnel in the building. After receiving the information about the passenger destination, the passenger data terminal sends this information to the elevator group control system. The elevator group control system assigns (105) the appropriate elevator to the group of passengers. In the method of the invention one or more elevators are allocated to the passengers using the aforesaid size of the crowd and the aforesaid destination floor. That is, if a crowd cannot be transported by one elevator, it is assigned to several elevators. After this, the individual members of the group of passengers are informed (107) of the dispatch. Such information may be given via the aforementioned passenger data terminal. Another possibility is to use an illuminated indicator panel to convey information. Such indicator boards may be placed in a space communicating with the landing floor where many passengers waiting for the elevators are located. Such information may also be conveyed as a statement given by a person or machine.

In the method of the invention, the allocation procedure is performed, in which one or more elevators are allocated to a group of passengers, e.g. by optimizing the elevator operating factors and/or passenger service efficiency. The operating factors and passenger service efficiencies refer to, for example, one or more of the following factors: utilization ratio of the elevator, energy consumption of the elevator, call time, waiting time and travel time. It is also obvious that the assignment can also be implemented using, for example, a suitable mathematical algorithm.

An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the allocation is implemented by placing the entire group of passengers in as few elevators as possible. A second embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the size of the population is limited. It is also possible that the size of the population is not limited.

In the method of the invention, after allocation, one or more allocated elevators are reserved (109) for use by people at the landing level. This means that the elevators are directed to the floor in question so that they are available to the people waiting for them.

In one embodiment of the invention, identification of the peak traffic condition is accomplished in response to the size of the population entered into the passenger data terminal by a passenger. This identification is used in the elevator group control system to change the control of the elevators in such a way that they are controlled in such a way that the elevators are controlled in a peak traffic situation. This may mean, for example, that elevators are dispatched to the landing level more frequently and more quickly than calls to elevators are received therefrom. This ensures that the landing surface is not congested.

Fig. 2 is a simplified diagram of a user interface 201 of a passenger data terminal 200 consistent with the present invention. Such a passenger data terminal 200 is intended to be placed, for example, in a doorway of a building, at an exit landing. Passenger data terminal 200 may be one of various devices: a general-purpose passenger data terminal, a mobile station, a terminal in a data transmission network, a terminal in a telecommunications network and/or a wireless terminal.

The crowd size and the target floor are input via the passenger data terminal 200. Such information is typically entered by a passenger. It is also possible that this information is entered by a person designated to accomplish this task, such as by others in the building's gatekeeper, guard or other attendant.

The method and system of the present invention, the size of the passenger population and the target floor are input in response to a reminder 203 provided to the user. Such a reminder 203 may be provided to the user via the passenger data terminal 200.

In this method and system, the size of the passenger population and the target floor are input using the user interface 201 of the passenger data terminal. This user interface 201 of the passenger data terminal comprises at least one of the following: a crowd size indicator 205, a button 207, a crowd button 209, a window user interface 201, and/or a button 211 for determining crowd size.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the operation of a destination floor elevator system according to the invention. The system comprises: an elevator group 301, which consists of a number of elevators 303, 304; passenger data terminal 305 reserves elevators for use by passengers. The system also comprises an elevator group control system 307 for controlling the elevators in response to signals from the passenger data terminal 305. The elevator group control system 307 routes the elevators to the required floors on the basis of the elevator hall calls received from the elevators and landing calls received from the different floors and destination floors, and the crowd size data received from the passenger data terminal 305. In the control of the elevators, the elevator group control system 307 employs various algorithms suited to the purpose.

In the destination floor elevator system of the invention the passenger data terminal 305 is arranged to receive the size and destination floor of a group of passengers and to send this information further to the elevator group control system 307. The elevator group control system 307 is arranged to allocate one or more elevators to the group of passengers using the size of the group of people as basic data and the destination floors to which each person in the group of people wishes to arrive by elevator. Passenger data terminal 305 is configured to inform the individuals in the group of passengers of the elevator assignment implemented.

In this destination floor elevator system, particularly on the landing level, the size of the crowd and the destination floor are input via the passenger data terminal 305. The passenger data terminal may be one of the following various devices: a general-purpose passenger data terminal, a mobile station, a terminal in a data transmission network, a terminal in a telecommunications network, and/or a wireless terminal. It should thus be noted that with telecommunication and data transmission networks it is possible to arrange an option in the user interface of the mobile terminal or computer of a passenger to reserve an elevator for a particular required journey of a group of passengers having particular requirements.

In the method and system of the present invention, the input of the size and destination floor of a group of passengers is made in response to a reminder given to the user. This reminder may be given via the user interface of the passenger data terminal. Second, the size and destination floor of a group of passengers may be entered using the user interface of the passenger data terminal.

The destination floor elevator system of the present invention is characterized in that the user interface of the passenger data terminal is at least one of: a crowd size indicator, a button, a crowd button, a window user interface, and/or a button for determining crowd size.

In the destination floor elevator system of the invention, elevators are allocated e.g. by optimizing elevator run factors and/or passenger service efficiency. Elevator operating factors and passenger service efficiency refer to factors such as one or more of: utilization ratio of the elevator, energy consumption of the elevator, call time, waiting time and travel time. It is also obvious that the assignment can also be implemented using, for example, a suitable mathematical algorithm.

When passengers are to be placed in the elevators of the target floor elevator system of the invention, the elevator allocation to different users or passengers is implemented by placing all a group of passengers in as few elevators as possible. The size of the population that may also travel together is limited.

In effect, after each elevator is assigned in the target floor elevator system of the present invention, one or more of the assigned elevators is reserved for use by a group of passengers at the landing. The passengers, especially the passengers in the group, are informed of the assignment of the elevators via the passenger data terminals. It is also possible to give this information using an illuminated indicator panel. It is also possible to convey this information as a public announcement, which may be done, for example, by a voice synthesizer or building service personnel.

In the target floor elevator system of the invention it is also possible to identify an over-peak traffic situation in response to the size of the crowd. This means that when a passenger calling an elevator gives a size of a group exceeding a certain threshold value, this can be regarded as an over-peak traffic situation. The identification of such an over-peak traffic situation may also be conditional such that it is only implemented during certain periods, such as between 07:30-09:20 am and between 11:15-14:00 am on weekdays.

It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, in which the invention is described by way of example, but that it may be varied within the scope of the inventive concept.

Claims (34)

1. A method for dispatching elevators in a destination floor elevator system, comprising:

an elevator group (301) comprising several elevators (303, 304);

passenger data terminals (305) for reserving elevators (303, 304) for use by passengers (309);

an elevator group control system (307) for controlling the elevators (303, 304) in response to signals from the passenger data terminal (305),

the method is characterized by comprising the following steps:

the size and destination floor of the passenger population (311) are input (103) into the control system (307) of the elevator group;

one or more elevators are assigned (105) to the group of passengers according to the size of the group of passengers (311) and the target floor; and

each of the group (311) of passengers is informed (107) of the assignment.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the input of the size and target floor of the crowd (311) is performed by means of the passenger data terminal (305).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the passenger data terminal (305) is one of:

general-purpose passenger data terminals;

a movable table;

a terminal in a data transmission network;

a terminal in a telecommunications network; and

a wireless terminal.

4. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the size and target floor of the passenger population (311) are entered in response to a reminder (203) given to the user.

5. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the size and the target floor of the passenger population (311) are entered using the user interface (201) of the passenger data terminal (305, 200).

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that said user interface (201) of the passenger data terminal (305, 200) comprises at least one of:

a population size indicator (205);

a button (207);

a crowd button (209);

a window user interface (201), an

A button (211) for determining the size of the crowd.

7. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned dispatching (105) is implemented by optimizing the operating factors and/or passenger service efficiency of the elevators (303, 504).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein elevator operating factors and passenger service efficiency are determined based on at least one of the following factors:

utilization rate of the elevator;

energy consumption of the elevator;

a call time;

waiting time; and

travel time.

9. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said assigning (105) is performed by means of a mathematical algorithm.

10. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforesaid allocation (105) is implemented by placing the whole group of passengers (311) in as few elevators (303, 304) as possible.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the population (311) is limited in size.

12. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that after said assigning (105), one or more assigned elevators are reserved (109) for use by said group of people at the landing level.

13. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned information communication (107) is carried out by means of the passenger data terminal (305, 200).

14. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned information communication (107) is carried out by means of an illuminated indicator panel.

15. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said information communication (107) is carried out by means of a public address.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein peak traffic conditions are identified in response to the size of the population.

17. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the size and the target floor of the passenger population (311) are entered using the user interface (201) of the passenger data terminal (305, 200).

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said user interface (201) of a passenger data terminal (305, 200) comprises at least one of:

a population size indicator (205);

a button (207);

a crowd button (209);

a window user interface (201), an

A button (211) for determining the size of the crowd.

19. A target floor elevator system comprising:

an elevator group (301) comprising several elevators (303, 304);

passenger data terminals (305, 200) for reserving elevators (303, 304) for use by a number of passengers (309);

an elevator group control system (307) for controlling the elevators (303, 304) in response to signals from the passenger data terminals (305, 200),

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

said passenger data terminal (200, 305) being configured to receive the size and destination floor of a passenger population (311) and to send them to the control system (307) of the elevator group;

the control system (307) of the elevator group is configured to allocate one or more elevators (303, 304) to a passenger population (311) on the basis of the size and destination floor of the passenger population (311), and

the passenger data terminal (200, 305) is configured to inform (107) the aforementioned assignment to the individual persons of the crowd (311).

20. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 19, characterized in that the size of the passenger population (311) and the destination floor are entered by means of passenger data terminals (200, 305).

21. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 20, characterized in that the passenger data terminal (200) is one of the following:

a general-purpose passenger data terminal (305);

a movable table;

a terminal in a data transmission network;

a terminal in a telecommunications network; and

a wireless terminal.

22. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that the size of the passenger population (311) and the destination floor are entered in response to a reminder (203) given to the user.

23. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 20, characterized in that the size of the passenger population (311) and the destination floor are entered by means of the user interface (201) of the passenger data terminal (200, 305).

24. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 23, characterized in that the user interface (201) of the passenger data terminal (200) comprises at least one of the following:

a population size indicator (205);

a button (207);

a crowd button (209);

a window user interface (201), an

A button (211) for determining the size of the crowd.

25. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 19, characterized in that the aforementioned allocation (105) is implemented by optimizing the operating factors and/or passenger service efficiency of the elevators (303, 304).

26. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 25, characterized in that elevator run factors and/or passenger service efficiency are determined on the basis of at least one of the following factors:

utilization rate of the elevator;

energy consumption of the elevator;

a call time;

waiting time; and

travel time.

27. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 19, characterized in that the aforementioned allocation (105) is implemented using a mathematical algorithm.

28. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 19, characterized in that the aforementioned allocation (105) is implemented by placing the entire passenger population (311) in as few elevators (303, 304) as possible.

29. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 19, characterized in that the size of the people group (311) is limited.

30. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 19, characterized in that after the aforementioned allocation (105) one or more allocated elevators (303, 304) remain at the landing for the people (311).

31. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 19, characterized in that the aforementioned information communication (107) is implemented by means of the passenger data terminal (200, 305).

32. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 19, characterized in that the aforementioned information communication (107) is implemented by means of an illuminated indicator.

33. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 19, characterized in that the aforementioned information communication (107) is implemented using announcements.

34. Destination floor elevator system according to claim 19, characterized in that peak traffic situations are identified in response to the size of the people group.