HK1188198B - Elevator system - Google Patents

Description

Elevator system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an elevator system. More specifically, the invention relates to dynamic optimization of the transport capacity of an elevator system during peak hours.

Background

One dimensional principle of elevator systems installed in buildings is the ability of the elevator system to serve elevator passengers in various passenger traffic situations within the framework of the desired service objective. The dimensioning of the transport capacity of the elevator system is usually set according to peak hours instead of e.g. according to average passenger traffic needs, which means that the number of elevators of the elevator system must be selected so high that the elevator system can also manage to meet the set service objective during peak hours. The peak times are usually short and in some cases even predictable based on statistical information collected about the travel events of the elevator system. For example, in office buildings, people who normally work in said buildings arrive at their workplace at approximately the same time in the morning and cause so-called upward congestion in the elevator system, and correspondingly, when they leave the workplace in the afternoon, they cause so-called downward congestion in the elevator system. During other times than peak hours, the elevator system usually has unused transport capacity due to the younger passenger traffic, in which case the elevators remain unoccupied or they are underutilized most of the time. Due to peak hours, the elevator system must be "over-dimensioned" because, among other things, the speed and number of elevators and/or the shaft space required by the elevators must be increased in order to achieve the desired transport capacity, which results in considerable additional costs.

The number of stops made by the elevators on the route between floors greatly affects the transport capacity of the elevator system and at the same time the number of elevators needed. One prior-art method for increasing the transport capacity and for reducing the number of stops is to use a destination control system for controlling the elevator system, in which control system each passenger already at the departure floor indicates the destination floor to which he/she is going. Another prior-art method for increasing the transport capacity and for reducing the number of stops is to divide the floors into zones so that each zone is served only by certain elevators of the elevator system. However, elevator systems according to prior art do not adapt to the traffic flow during peak hours, as a result of which the waiting time and/or other service time of passengers can increase to become unreasonable if the elevator system is not sufficiently "out of scale" with respect to the average traffic demand. There is therefore a need for an elevator system which can be better adapted to the traffic flow during peak hours, so that the over-dimensioning need for an elevator system will be reduced and an elevator system installed in a building can be implemented more simply with fewer elevators.

Object of the Invention

The object of the present invention is to eliminate or at least alleviate the above-mentioned drawbacks occurring in prior-art solutions. The object of the invention is also to achieve one or more of the following objectives:

-reducing the space requirement and/or the number of elevators in the building,

increasing the transport capacity of the elevator system, especially in elevator systems subject to predicted and/or prevailing congestion,

increasing the average utilization of the elevator

An elevator system whose transport capacity is automatically adapted to the prevailing passenger traffic situation,

serving passengers in an elevator system "fairly", and

better consideration of the needs of a particular group in elevator service.

Disclosure of Invention

The method according to the invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the characterization part of claim 1. The elevator system according to the invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the characterization part of claim 11. Other embodiments of the invention are characterized by what is disclosed in the other claims. Some embodiments of the invention are also presented in the description part and drawings of the present application. The inventive content of the application can also be defined differently than in the claims presented below. The inventive content may also consist of several separate inventions, especially if the invention is considered in the light of expressions or implicit sub-tasks or from the point of view of advantages or categories of advantages achieved. In this case, some of the attributes contained in the claims below may be superfluous from the point of view of separate inventive concepts. The features of the various embodiments may be applied within the scope of the basic inventive concept in conjunction with other embodiments.

The invention discloses a method for optimizing the transport capacity of an elevator system. An elevator system serves two or more floors in a building and comprises at least one elevator and call-giving appliances for registering calls given by passengers. In the method, one or more floors served by the elevator system are dynamically locked based on defined locking rules. Locking of floors in this context means that the elevator of the elevator system does not serve the locked floors, i.e. the elevator car does not stop at the locked floors for the purpose of leaving/taking passengers at/from them. The number of floors locked is of variable size and depends on the conditions defined by the locking rules being fulfilled.

The invention also discloses an elevator system comprising at least one elevator, a control system and call-giving appliances connected to the control system for registering calls given by passengers. The control system is arranged to dynamically lock one or more floors served by the elevator system on the basis of locking rules registered in the control system.

In one embodiment of the invention, destination calls given by passengers to locked floors are registered. On the basis of the destination call, in order to take a passenger from the departure floor to an unlocked floor, an elevator car is allocated to the passenger, from which unlocked floor there is an alternative access to the locked floor. A destination call refers to a call given from outside the elevator car, which call defines both the departure floor (call floor) and the destination floor (target floor) to which the passenger is traveling. Alternative walkways in this context refer to routes formed by stairs and/or escalators and/or moving walkways, with which passengers can move from unlocked floors to locked floors or vice versa. According to an opportunity, the unlocked floor to which a passenger is brought by the elevator according to an embodiment is arranged immediately above or below the locked floor to which the passenger is traveling. In order for a passenger to conveniently reach his/her destination, he/she can be given a call and/or guided during an elevator trip, e.g. by leaving from the elevator car at an unlocked floor according to a route, and using an alternative passage to move to the locked floor to which he/she is traveling on the basis of the call.

In one embodiment of the invention the giving of calls is prevented at the locked floors and the passengers are guided from the locked floors to the appropriate/nearest unlocked floors of the elevator service of the elevator system. As a result of the embodiment, unnecessary calls to locked floors can be prevented from being given and passengers can be guided to move to the nearest unlocked floor from which calls to elevators can be given.

In one embodiment of the invention a performance indicator describing the transport capacity of the elevator system is monitored and at least one floor served by the elevator system is locked if the value of the performance indicator exceeds a given limit value. The monitored performance indicators are e.g. average waiting times indicating how fast the elevator system can serve passengers waiting to be transported in the elevator lobby. As a result of the described embodiment, it is possible to immediately increase the transport capacity and shorten the waiting time by locking floors from a plurality of floors served by the elevator system, in case it is for example possible to automatically recognize that the average waiting time and/or the maximum waiting time exceeds a given limit value.

In one embodiment of the invention statistical information about the travel events of the elevator system is collected, on the basis of which information the time period is predicted, during which the performance indicators describing the transport capacity of the elevator system may exceed a given limit value. One or more floors served by the elevator system are locked based on the predicted time period, in which case the number of stops is reduced and the transport capacity is increased. As a result of the described embodiment, the elevator system can be prepared in time for future peak hours, so that the service of passengers can be improved in the elevator system.

In one embodiment of the invention the effect of locking on the transport capacity of the elevator system is simulated and the floor to be locked is selected on the basis of the simulation. As a result of the described embodiment, it is possible to automatically determine the floor with the best positive effect on the transport capacity locking of the elevator system.

In one embodiment of the invention, the passenger is identified as belonging to a particular group in connection with giving a call. Based on the identification, the passenger is allowed to travel to one or more locked floors. As a result of the described embodiment, a special group of people, for example physically disabled, can be served so that they can travel directly to the locked floor if they so wish. The identification may be based on, for example, an electrical identifier, camera identification, the use of a button indicating a particular shipment, or an identification method suitable for some other purpose.

In one embodiment of the invention, one or more of the lowest floors are locked. The lowest floor refers to the floor immediately above the entrance hall and any floor, e.g. a parking lot floor, which may be immediately below the entrance hall, where there is access to the entrance hall along stairs and/or escalators. As a result of the described embodiment, the transport capacity of the elevator system can be increased considerably by guiding passengers directly from the lowest floor to the entrance lobby, e.g. during departure from a passenger transport, without the passengers using elevators in order to depart from the building.

In one embodiment of the invention the floor to be locked is selected by evenly distributing the floor-specific locking times over a desired period of time (equalizing period). In the described embodiment, the floors to be locked are changed, for example, daily, so that the locking time is equalized between the desired floors, for example in a time interval of one week. As a result of the described embodiment passengers visiting different floors are served equally in the elevator system on average. Floors can also be divided into zones based on user groups and floors to be locked can be selected by distributing the locking time of a particular zone evenly over a desired period of time. As a result of the described embodiment, the passenger groups using different zones are served equally in the elevator system.

With the solution according to the invention it is possible to increase the transport capacity of the elevator system especially during peak times by leaving some floors out of service, thereby reducing the stops of the elevators. Thanks to the invention, passengers are accelerated to their destination, although some passengers have to use stairs and/or escalators for some journeys in order to reach their destination floor. Passengers may be assisted in reaching a destination by guiding the passenger from the locked floor to the nearest floor served by the elevators of the elevator system. Accordingly, if the passenger's destination floor is a locked floor, the passenger can be guided during the elevator trip, thereby assisting and accelerating him/her to the destination. Passenger and/or user groups can be served fairly by equalizing floor-specific and/or zone-specific locking periods with each other. The needs of a particular group can also be taken into account in elevator service by identifying passengers, e.g. physically disabled persons, and by allowing him/her to travel to the locked floor. In general, with the solution according to the invention, the service capacity of the elevator system can be increased, particularly during peak times, the elevator system can be simplified, or even the number of elevators needed in the building can be reduced.

Drawings

In the following, the invention will be described in detail by means of examples of embodiments thereof, in which:

fig. 1 presents an elevator system according to the invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 illustrates an elevator system 100 according to the invention, which system comprises elevators A, B, C and D; a controller system 130 (group control) which controls the elevator system; and call-giving appliances 110, which are arranged in the elevator lobbies of floors 0-12. The call-giving device 110 is a destination call panel adapted to give a destination call and comprising destination call buttons 111 and a display 112. A part of the call-giving devices in the elevator lobby can be implemented using conventional up/down buttons, which in this case is a so-called hybrid system. The elevator system according to the invention can also be implemented as a conventional elevator system by using only up/down buttons as call-giving devices in the elevator lobby. The call-giving device 110 may also be provided with a reader device 113 which can read the information included in the personal identifier 114 in the belongings of the passenger. The identifier 114 is an identifier based on RFID technology, for example. The call-giving device may also be provided with a special sorting button 111a with which e.g. a physically handicapped passenger can order himself/herself for special transport.

The control system 130 comprises a memory, a processor unit and software which, when run in the processor unit, performs a control process of the elevator system. Information about the floors served by the elevator system, which in the case according to fig. 1 may include floors 0-12, is also recorded in the memory of the control system.

The control system 130 registers the calls given by the passengers with the call-giving appliances 110 and allocates the best elevator car for the use of the passenger on the basis of the call and the status information of the elevator system. The allocation may be based on e.g. genetic (genetic) allocation methods or other allocation methods known per se in the art. Based on the allocation result, the control system 130 sends the necessary control commands to the elevator-specific control units C1, C2, C3 and C4.

According to the invention, the control system locks the floors served by the elevator system according to a given locking rule. By means of the locking rules the control system endeavors to select the floors to be locked so that, on the one hand, the transport capacity of the elevator system will be increased as much as possible and, on the other hand, the persons traveling to the different floors will be served fairly in the elevator system. The locking rules may be defined, for example, based on the predictability of the passenger flow of the building. Peak hours may be predefined in buildings where the behavior of passenger flows is highly predictable, in which case it is worthwhile to lock one or more floors in order to increase the transport capacity of the elevator system. For example, in an office building, it is common to know the number of employees visiting the building, the floor on which each employee works, and the time to and from work. The lock-out period can thus be determined manually, for example in connection with commissioning (commissioning) and/or service access of the elevator system and configured into the control system. A configuration terminal may also be connected to the control system, by means of which terminal the customer (building owner or other counterpart) can monitor the transport capacity of the elevator system and/or change the locking rules.

If the passenger flow of the building cannot be predicted with sufficient accuracy, the control system can monitor the travel events of the elevator system and make predictions on the basis of the travel events as to the traffic situation prevailing in the elevator system at any given time and as to whether the transport capacity of the elevator system is sufficient to achieve the desired service objective. Based on the travel event, the control system may determine values for one or more performance indicators that describe the transport capacity of the elevator system. The above-mentioned performance indicators are e.g. the average waiting time, the maximum waiting time, the travel time, the average car load, the number of given calls, the number of stops of the elevator, or a suitably weighted sum of the above-mentioned performance indicators. The value of the performance indicator is calculated, for example, based on the travel events registered during the last 5 minutes. When the control system detects that the value of the performance indicator to be monitored exceeds a predetermined limit value, the so-called first limit value, the control system locks at least one floor served by the elevator system. If the transport capacity of the elevator system is not sufficient to serve passengers despite the locking (e.g. the waiting time still exceeds a given limit value), the control system locks more floors until the transport capacity of the elevator system is sufficient based on the monitored performance indicators. Accordingly, the control system removes the locking of at least one floor when the congestion stops in due course and the value of the monitored performance indicator or indicators drops below a given second limit value. The process can be repeated until all floor locks are eliminated.

Long-term traffic statistics on travel events can also be collected and periods of time can be predicted during which one or more performance indicators describing the transport capacity of the elevator system will likely exceed preset limit values. Based on the time period in question, the control system may predict future congestion and lock one or more floors in advance. The predicted period may be, for example, a week, in which case a particular day's prediction may be made for each day of the week.

The floor from which the floor to be locked is selected at any given time may be determined manually or automatically. In the manual determination, information about the floor used for locking is recorded in the memory of the control system, e.g. in connection with a commissioning of the elevator system. On the other hand, the automatic determination may take place e.g. by simulating the operation of the elevator system, so that during the simulation the floors are virtually locked one after the other and the influence of the locking on one or more performance indicators describing the transport capacity of the elevator system, e.g. the waiting time, is calculated. The floor whose locking of the floors has the highest influence on the performance indicators is selected as the floor to be locked. The long-term statistical information collected about travel events may be used, for example, to generate calls and other travel events needed in the simulation.

When the floor to be used for locking is determined, the floor to be locked at that time is selected from the above-mentioned plurality of floors on the basis of the locking rules recorded in the memory of the control system 130. One possibility is to start locking floors from the lowest floor, in which case e.g. passengers leaving the floor in question during a passenger transport can use stairs. The floors to be locked can also be selected so that the floor-specific locking times will be evenly distributed within the desired equalization period. For example, by locking different floors on different weekdays, the floor-specific locking times will be equalized at intervals of one week. It is also possible to equalize floor-specific locking times by registering the locking times of the floors and by locking the floor at any given time for which the sum of the locking times during the equalization period is the lowest. The floors may also be divided into zones and the locking times may be evenly distributed by zone. The areas may be divided based on, for example, the user population of the building (resident, company X, company Y, etc.).

When the control system locks a floor, the passengers are informed of the lock and guided to move, for example using stairs leading to a lower unlocked floor. The display 112 of the call-giving appliance 110 on the floor in question and/or the guide marking 160 in the elevator lobby of the floor in question can be used for guidance.

If the passenger gives a destination call to a locked floor, the control system allocates an elevator car for taking the passenger from the departure floor to the nearest unlocked floor, from which there is an alternative access to the above-mentioned locked floor. The unlocked floor is preferably the floor immediately above or below the locked floor. Thus, although the passenger has to use a staircase and/or an escalator in order to reach the destination floor, he/she can reach the destination faster despite performing a part of the travel along the staircase and/or escalator because the waiting time of the passenger at the departure floor is shortened, for example, due to the locking. The display 112 of the call-giving device can be used to inform the passenger of the elevator allocated and of the floor from which the passenger has to leave from the elevator car. The passenger can also be guided in the elevator car by the guiding means 150 by soliciting him/her to leave the elevator car at the correct floor and using the stairway leading from the leaving floor to the locked floor to which he/she is traveling on the basis of the call.

In order to avoid that those passengers belonging to a particular group, e.g. passengers using wheelchairs, unjustifiably experience locking of floors, the locking can be bypassed for each specific passenger if the passenger is identified as a passenger belonging to a certain particular group. The identification may be based on, for example, the use of a classification button 111a in the call-giving device 110. By pressing the sort button 111a, the passenger can indicate that himself/herself is physically disabled and can designate elevator traffic to the locked floor. Alternatively, the identification may be based on an electrical identifier, with the reader device 113 reading the information contained in the electrical identifier in connection with giving a call and transmitting the information to the control system. The identification may also be based on identification based on camera pictures, wherein the identification uses image processing methods known per se in the art, and the passenger may be identified as a passenger using a wheelchair, for example.

The invention is not limited to be applied to the above-described embodiments, but many variations are possible within the scope of the inventive concept defined by the claims below.

Claims (17)

1. Method for optimizing the transport capacity of an elevator system serving two or more floors in a building and comprising at least one elevator and call-giving appliances for registering calls given by passengers, characterized in that the method comprises the phases: defining locking rules for the floors; dynamically locking at least one floor served by the elevator system based on the locking rules; registering a destination call given by a passenger to a locked floor; and allocating an elevator car to the passenger for bringing the passenger from a call floor to an unlocked floor based on the destination call, wherein there is an alternative access from the unlocked floor to the locked floor.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the passenger is given guidance information about the aforementioned destination call in connection with giving a call and/or during an elevator trip.

3. Method according to any of claims 1-2, characterized in that the method comprises the following stages: preventing call giving for locked floors; and the passenger is guided to an alternative passage from the locked floor to the unlocked floor.

4. Method according to any of claims 1-2, characterized in that the method comprises the following stages: monitoring at least one performance indicator describing a transport capacity of the elevator system; and locking one or more floors served by the elevator system if the value of the aforementioned performance indicator exceeds a given limit value.

5. Method according to any of claims 1-2, characterized in that the method comprises the following stages: collecting statistical information about travel events of the elevator system; predicting a time period during which a value of a performance index describing the transport capacity of the elevator system exceeds the given limit value, on the basis of the above statistical information; and locking one or more floors served by the elevator system for the period of time.

6. Method according to any of claims 1-2, characterized in that the floor or floors to be locked are selected from the lowest floors.

7. The method of any of claims 1-2, characterized by simulating the effect of the locking on the transport capacity of the elevator system; and selecting one or more floors to be locked based on the simulation.

8. Method according to any of claims 1-2, characterized in that the method comprises the following stages: identifying the passenger as belonging to a particular group in connection with placing a call; and allowing travel to one or more locked floors based on the identification.

9. Method according to any of claims 1-2, characterized in that the floor to be locked is selected by evenly distributing floor-specific locking times and/or zone-specific locking times within the desired equalization period.

10. Elevator system, which comprises at least one elevator (A, B, C, D), a control system (130) of the elevator system, and call-giving appliances (110) connected to the control system (130) for registering calls given by the passengers, characterized in that the control system (130) is arranged to dynamically lock one or more floors served by the elevator system on the basis of locking rules recorded in the control system, to register destination calls given by passengers, and to allocate an elevator car to the passenger for the purpose of bringing the passenger to an unlocked floor where there is an alternative access to the locked floor, if the aforementioned destination call is to a locked floor.

11. Elevator system according to claim 10, characterized in that the elevator system further comprises guide means (112, 150, 160) for guiding the passenger to an alternative passage between the locked and unlocked floors.

12. Elevator system according to any of claims 10-11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the elevator system is arranged to monitor at least one performance indicator describing the transport capacity of the elevator system and to lock at least one floor served by the elevator system if the value of the above-mentioned performance indicator exceeds a given limit value.

13. Elevator system according to any of claims 10-11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the control system is arranged to select the floor to be locked from a number of the lowest floors.

14. Elevator system according to any of claims 10-11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the elevator system is arranged to simulate the effect of the locking on the transport capacity of the elevator system and to select one or more floors to be locked on the basis of the simulation.

15. Elevator system according to any of claims 10-11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the elevator system is arranged to collect statistical information about travel events of the elevator system, to make predictions about the transport capacity of the elevator system on the basis of the above-mentioned statistical information, and to lock one or more floors on the basis of the above-mentioned predictions.

16. Elevator system according to any of claims 10-11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the elevator system comprises means (113, 111a) for identifying a passenger as belonging to a special group, and in that the elevator system is arranged to allow travel to one or more locked floors on the basis of the above-mentioned identification.

17. Elevator system according to any of claims 10-11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the guidance system is arranged to evenly distribute floor-specific locking times and/or zone-specific locking times within a desired equalization period.