HK1210755B - Arrangements for maintaining favorite floor lists in elevator systems - Google Patents

Description

Apparatus for maintaining a list of preferred floors in an elevator system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to elevator systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and an elevator system for maintaining a passenger-specific list of preferred floors.

Background

For elevator systems, call-giving methods are known in which the passenger can give the so-called destination calls to the elevator system by means of an identifier, e.g. an RFID tag (radio frequency tag) on his/her person. In which case the elevator system must be provided with a reading unit which reads the data contained in the identification means, the so-called identity data, and sends it to the elevator system. Based on the identity data, the elevator system determines a destination floor for the passenger and allocates an elevator from the elevator system for carrying the passenger into the floor of interest. The destination floor may be, for example, the passenger's place of work or the floor on which the apartment is located. If the reading unit is in the elevator car, the passenger can also give a destination call in the elevator car in the manner described above. The constant access control is also connected to the aforementioned prior-art solutions in such a way that each passenger information for those destination floors in the building to which the passenger has access is recorded in the elevator system or in a special access control system.

However, the solution given by the aforementioned calls has a number of disadvantages. Information about the passenger identifier, such as the destination floor associated with an automatic call (the so-called default floor), has to be manually configured to the elevator system or to the access control system associated with the elevator system. Configuration is typically performed by a system administrator, which increases the maintenance cost of the system and often limits the flexible use of the identifiers. Furthermore, in a case where a resident of the building or other frequent visitor stops visiting the building, his/her information must be manually deleted from the aforementioned elevator system or access control system. In the solutions according to prior art, there is usually one default floor per passenger, which the passenger himself/herself cannot change. This solution is therefore not suitable for situations where the passenger has multiple preferred floors he/she wants to pass by at times.

Disclosure of Invention

Object of the Invention

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

the self-learning system may automatically maintain/update a list of preferred floors for each passenger presented to the passenger in connection with giving the call,

-accelerating and accelerating the travel in the elevator system,

-reducing maintenance costs of the elevator system and/or the access control system,

-a dynamic system adapted to automatically change the habits developed during the travel of the passengers, and

solutions are easy to add to/modernize existing elevator systems.

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 presented in the characterization part of claim 7. Other embodiments of the invention are characterized by what is disclosed in the other claims. Some inventive embodiments are also presented in the description part and in the drawings of the present application. The inventive content of the application can also be defined differently than presented in the claims presented below. This summary may also include several separate inventions, especially if the inventions are considered in the light of expressions or implicit sub-tasks or from the point of view of advantages or categories of advantages. 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 can be applied within the framework of the basic inventive concept in conjunction with other embodiments.

The invention also discloses a method for maintaining a list of preferred floors in an elevator system, which elevator system comprises at least one elevator, call-giving devices for registering calls given by passengers, a control system responding to the aforementioned calls, and storage means registering at least one list of passenger-specific preferred floors, and in which method a passenger is identified in connection with giving a call. In the method the passenger-specific list of preferred floors is updated based on calls given by the passenger and/or given updating criteria. By call is herein meant a destination call given outside the elevator, also a destination call given inside the elevator car. By preference floor list is meant a list in which there is at least one destination floor associated with the user's registered call, the so-called preference floor. Updating the preferred floor list in this context means adding a new preferred floor to the preferred floor list and/or deleting a preferred floor already on the preferred floor list and/or changing the order of preferred floors in the preferred floor list. Updating the preferred floor list based on given update criteria is, for example, one or more of the following rules:

the destination floor to which the passenger has recently traveled is added to the list of preferred floors, and if necessary the earliest preferred floor to which the passenger has not given a call is deleted.

The destination floor for which the passenger made the most elevator trips within a certain period of time (e.g. within the last 30 days) is added to the preferred floor list. The preferred floor for which the passenger gave the least calls in the preceding time period is removed from the preferred floor list if desired.

-deleting a preferred floor from the list of preferred floors if a given period of time from a previous call by the passenger to the preferred floor concerned has expired;

-if the passenger has not given a single elevator call within a given time limit, all data related to the passenger's list of preferred floors is deleted from the memory of the elevator system.

A passenger is identified when he/she is in a call-giving device/in an elevator lobby ready to give his/her call. Any identification technique suitable for the purpose may be used to identify the passenger, such as a personal RFID tag, a code transmitted by a mobile phone and/or a biometric identifier. For reading the identification data contained in the identification element, the elevator system, for example a call-giving device (call panel), is provided with a suitable reading unit.

The basic idea of the invention is that the elevator system, or the system connected to it, records data about trips made by passengers, forms a preferred floor list on the basis of the data, and the system automatically maintains the preferred floor list on the basis of the required updating criteria. When a passenger is identified before call registration, the elevator system presents the call-giving buttons in accordance with a list of preferred floors, i.e. preferred floors, e.g. in a highlighted manner compared to the other call-giving buttons, i.e. except the preferred floors. A stronger light intensity and/or a change in light intensity (i.e., blinking) of the text/symbols connected to the buttons may be used as a highlight.

In one embodiment of the invention a list of preferred floors is formed for the departure floor and/or for the time period. An active preferred floor list is selected from the formed preferred floor list based on the passenger's departure floor and/or calendar time. Only the list of valid preferred floors is displayed to the passenger on the call-giving device and updated based on the calls given by the passenger. As a result of this embodiment, the best preferred floor list can be displayed to the passenger, regardless of from which floor he/she requests elevator service.

In one embodiment of the invention the elevator system comprises a number of elevator groups among which the favorite floor lists are distributed. As a result of this embodiment, the passenger has the same list of preferred floors in his/her use, regardless of which elevator group he/she uses in the building.

The invention also discloses an elevator system comprising at least one elevator, call-giving means for registering calls given by passengers, a control system responding to the aforementioned calls, means for identifying the passenger in connection with the call, and storage means for registering at least one passenger-specific list of preferred floors. The elevator system according to the invention is arranged to update the aforementioned list of preferred floors on the basis of calls given by passengers and/or given updating criteria.

The solution according to the invention achieves a number of advantages over the prior art solutions. The elevator system according to the invention is a self-learning system and therefore does not require human resources to allocate or maintain passenger specific preference floors. The teaching of the preferred floor is based on elevator trips made by the passenger him/herself, making the system easy to use and flexible. The system according to the invention is adapted to adapt to changes occurring in the passenger's travel habits by automatically updating the list of preferred floors. As a result of the invention the preferred floor list will not grow unreasonably because preferred floors resulting from arbitrary/infrequent trips will be deleted therefrom. As a result of the invention, information about people who presumably no longer use the elevator system is automatically deleted from the system according to the invention, so that the system is not unnecessarily loaded. In summary, the acceleration and facilitation of travel in an elevator system according to the invention is given by updating the personal preference floor list and by indicating the call buttons distinctly and differently from the other call buttons with respect to calls. In this context, reference is also made to other advantages achieved with the invention, which are presented above in connection with different embodiments.

Drawings

The invention will be described in detail below with the aid of some examples of its embodiments, in which:

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

fig. 2 illustrates a second elevator system according to the invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 illustrates an elevator system 10 according to the invention, which comprises elevators 10a and 10b, a control system 10c of the elevator system, call-giving appliances 12 connected to the control system 10c for registering calls given by passengers, and storage means 15 connected to the control system, in which storage means passenger-specific favorite floor lists are recorded. The personal identification means 11, which is for example an RFID tag, is given the use of the passenger, the identity data contained in the identification means being readable by means of a reading unit 19 connected to the call-giving device 12. The reading distance is preferably of such a length that the reading unit can read the identification data when the identification means 11 is, for example, in the pocket of a passenger. The identity data comprises, for example, an individual ID number, which is read by the reading unit 14 and sent to the control system 10 c. The call-giving devices 12 and the reading units 19 can also be installed in the elevator car (not shown in fig. 1). The storage means 15 can also be assigned to one or more call-giving devices 12 in such a way that in each call-giving device there is a preferred floor list of at least one passenger, the updating of which list is managed by the call-giving device concerned. As a result of the allocation of the storage means, it is easy to provide an elevator system with the solution according to the invention by modernizing only the call-giving system and not the remaining equipment belonging to the elevator system, such as the control system 10 c.

The call-giving devices 12 are preferably destination operating panels realized by touch displays. Fig. 1 only illustrates the target operating panel 12 at floor F1 (entrance lobby floor), which panel can present the required call buttons 12a and, if necessary, other information relating to call giving in the display unit 12 b. The call-giving devices and/or reading devices are connected to the control system by means of a data transmission connection 14, either wired or wireless.

When the holder (passenger) of the identifier 11 arrives at the entrance lobby F1 of the building, he/she goes to the call-giving device 12, in which case the reading device 19 reads the ID number of the identifier 11. The control system receives the ID number and on the basis of this obtains from the storage means 15 a list of the passenger's preferred floors (so-called valid preferred floor list). The preferred floor list may have been manually entered into the storage means 15 in advance or the first preferred floor has been generated based on the first call given by the passenger.

Based on the list of preferred floors, the control system configures the call-giving devices 12 in such a way that the call buttons 12a of at least some of the preferred floors are highlighted on the call-giving devices compared to the call buttons of other floors. If he/she goes to any of his/her preferred floors, the passenger quickly finds the correct call button due to the highlighting. If the passenger goes to a floor other than the floor he/she prefers, he/she can give his/her call on the "non-highlighted" button.

One task of the control system 10c is to update the passenger specific preferred floor list on calls given by the passenger and/or on given update criteria, such as:

the control system adds the destination floor to which the passenger last went and which is not on the preferred floor list to the preferred floor list. At the same time, the control system deletes the preferred floor from the preferred floor list for which the last trip was made before the longest time. In this way the maximum length of the preferred floor list is kept constant, comprising for example 10 preferred floors.

The control system counts the number of elevator trips/calls made by passengers to different destination floors over a certain period of time, e.g. over the last 30 days. The favorite floor list is updated based on the digits of the control system in such a way that the destination floor on which the passenger gives the most calls is on the list. The maximum length of the preferred floor list is set to, for example, ten preferred floors.

-the control system deletes the preferred floor if a given period of time has expired from the previous call by the passenger to the preferred floor concerned;

-if the passenger has not given a single elevator call within a given time period, the control system deletes all data relating to the passenger's preferred floor list from the memory means.

In the example shown above, a reading unit 14 is connected to the call-giving devices 12 in the elevator lobby, which reading unit reads the identity data contained in the identification element 11 owned by the passenger. The control system has information about the location of the reading unit so it can deduce at which floor (departure floor) and in which elevator lobby of the call-giving device the passenger is at any given time and can utilize the information in selecting the list of preferred floors (e.g. if the preferred floor is a specific departure floor). In this embodiment, the control system maintains a respective list of preferred floors for each departure floor, which is updated depending on the departure floor on which the passenger registered the call. For example, in the elevator system according to fig. 1, the elevator service floors F1, F2... F10, so each passenger can have 10 favorite floor lists, the floor preference list corresponding to the passenger's departure floor being selected as the active favorite floor list.

A second embodiment according to the present invention is a time based floor preference list. In this embodiment the control system uses the memory means to maintain a list of preferred floors for the passenger, wherein one list is selected as the active preferred floor list, for example depending on the time of day and/or day of the week.

Fig. 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention, in which a terminal device 22, for example a mobile phone, is used as a call-giving device in passenger personal use, which is provided with, for example, a touch display 22a and application software for using a favorite floor list. The reading means 29 is, for example, a bluetooth base station or other reading means suitable for wireless data transmission means, which receives an ID number, for example, the telephone number of a mobile telephone, transmitted by the terminal device 22. In this embodiment the list of preferred floors can be recorded in the storage means 15 in such a way as described before, but sent to the terminal device and presented to the passenger on the display 22B of the terminal device during the call-giving phase. Alternatively, the passenger-specific favorite floor lists may be recorded in the memory of the terminal device, and they may be updated in the manner described above.

According to one embodiment of the invention the preference floor list is distributed between two or more elevator groups. In this embodiment the elevator group can have a common storage 15, wherein the elevator group (group control) has read and write access or the passenger has a terminal device 22 in which a passenger-specific preference floor list is maintained.

The invention is not limited to the application to the embodiments described above, but many variations are possible within the scope of the inventive concept defined by the claims. Thus, for example, one or more control devices may be included in the control system 10 c.

Claims (9)

1. Method for maintaining a list of preferred floors in an elevator system, which elevator system comprises at least one elevator, call-giving devices for registering calls given by passengers, a control system responding to the aforementioned calls, and storage means registering at least one list of passenger-specific preferred floors, in which method a passenger is identified in connection with giving a call, characterized in that the method comprises the phases:

the aforementioned list of preferred floors is updated on the basis of calls given by passengers and/or given updating criteria,

the control system presents one or more call-giving buttons highlighted compared to other call-giving buttons in the call-giving devices according to the list of preferred floors.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the favorite floor list is updated on the basis of the destination floor data of the latest call given by the passenger.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the following phases:

counting the number of calls given by a passenger to different destination floors in a given time period; and updating the preferred floor list based on the aforementioned times.

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims 1-3, characterized in that a preferred floor is removed from the list of preferred floors if the passenger has not given a single call to the aforementioned preferred floor within a given period of time.

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims 1-3, characterized in that all data relating to the passenger's list of preferred floors is deleted if the passenger has not given a single call within a given period of time.

6. A method according to any of the preceding claims 1-3, characterized in that a preference floor list is formed for the departure floor and/or for the time period.

7. Elevator system, which comprises at least one elevator (10a, 10b), call-giving devices (12, 22) for registering calls given by passengers, a control system (10c) responding to the aforementioned calls, means (10c, 11, 21) for reading identification data of an identifier (19, 29) held by a passenger in connection with giving a call, and storage means (15, 25) for registering at least one passenger-specific favorite floor list, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the control system is arranged to update the aforementioned favorite floor list on the basis of calls given by passengers and/or given update criteria, that the control system (10c) is arranged to, according to the aforementioned favorite floor list, present in the call-giving devices (12, 22) one or more call buttons (12a, 22a) in that respect

8. Elevator system according to claim 7, characterized in that the elevator lobby (F1, F2 … … F10) and/or the elevator car (10a, 10b) are provided with a reading unit (19, 29) for reading the identity data contained in the identifier element (11, 22).

9. Elevator system according to any of the preceding claims 7-8, characterized in that the storage means (15) are allocated to one or more call-giving devices (12, 22).