A method of operating an elevator

Abstract

The application relates to an operation method of an elevator, which is suitable for a paid elevator system, the paid elevator system comprising a car, an identity recognition system, a signal processing and sending system and an elevator control system. The identity recognition system collects passenger information in real time and verifies the information, when the identity recognition is passed, the passenger information is sent to the signal processing and sending system, the signal processing and sending system reads a family account corresponding to the passenger information, if the family account has no overdue charge, a signal is sent to the elevator control system, the car is controlled to run by the elevator control system, and a boarding order is generated after arriving at a destination floor. In this way, the smooth progress of a paid project such as old elevator replacement and old elevator reconstruction can be promoted, and great economic pressure is not caused to users, the users pay for boarding according to needs, the payment period is long, the cost of only one order can be settled each time, and large investment cost of the elevator company can be gradually recovered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an elevator operation method for facilitating the smooth implementation of paid elevator services such as old elevator replacement, specifically an elevator operation method. Background Technology

[0002] Elevators typically have a lifespan of 15-20 years, at which point they need to be replaced. Therefore, when an elevator reaches the end of its lifespan, preparations for replacement must begin. In residential areas, elevator replacement primarily involves homeowners, elevator companies, and property management companies. However, the property management fees paid by homeowners often don't cover the cost of replacements, or only a small portion. Since elevators are essential for residences and homeowners, the cost of replacement should be borne by the homeowners collectively. Regarding cost sharing, homeowners on different floors have differing opinions. For example, lower-floor homeowners believe they can use the stairs and are unwilling to pay the associated fees. This hinders the replacement process, while continuing to use the old elevator poses safety hazards and leads to it failing inspection. This same conflict occurs not only with elevator replacements but also with other maintenance projects such as elevator renovation and component replacement (typically, the five core components have a 10-year warranty; replacements outside the warranty period require homeowner payment).

[0003] Therefore, the cost of projects such as old elevator replacement, old elevator renovation, parts replacement and elevator maintenance is a common problem nationwide, and this problem will become more and more acute as the urbanization rate increases. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an elevator operation method applicable to paid elevator projects such as old elevator replacement, old elevator renovation, elevator component replacement, and elevator maintenance. In this method, after the elevator is put into use, users pay to ride the elevator. The elevator company recovers the cost of the elevator project in this way, which can effectively alleviate the economic pressure on users and ensure the reasonable interests of the elevator company, thereby solving the cost problem in paid projects such as old elevator replacement.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an elevator operation method applicable to a paid elevator system, the paid elevator system comprising a car, an identity recognition system installed inside the car, a signal processing and transmission system, and an elevator control system. In this method, the identity recognition system collects and verifies passenger information in real time. When identity recognition fails, the identity recognition system controls the voice prompt system inside the car to issue prompt signal I. When identity recognition succeeds, the identity recognition system sends the passenger information to the signal processing and transmission system. The signal processing and transmission system reads the family account corresponding to the received passenger information: if the family account has no outstanding fees, it sends a signal to the elevator control system, which then controls the car to operate and generates a ride order upon reaching the destination floor, deducting the order fee from the family account; if the family account has outstanding fees, it issues prompt signal II through the voice prompt system.

[0006] In the aforementioned technical solution, only users with valid passenger information are eligible to use the elevator, thus preventing unauthorized use and protecting user interests. This method charges a fixed price per ride, with each ride generating a ride order and payment deducted upon arrival at the destination floor. If the account balance is insufficient after payment, the user cannot use the elevator on subsequent rides. This approach facilitates paid projects such as elevator replacement and renovation without placing a significant financial burden on users. Users pay only on demand, with a long payment cycle, and each ride only requires settling the cost of one order. Furthermore, the significant investment in paid projects by the elevator company can be gradually recovered.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment, in this method, the paid elevator system supports the use of an elevator-riding app. Each household user registers a family account through the app, and users can recharge, query elevator-generated orders, and view accumulated spending amounts within the app. Each family account includes several family members; after each elevator ride, an order is generated in the family account, and fees are deducted from the family account. The cost of each order is included in the accumulated spending amount of the family account. Multiple family members can be added to a single family account, so each household only needs to register one account. Users can independently change family member information on the elevator-riding app on their mobile phones and freely query relevant information, such as account balance, remaining unpaid amount, and historical elevator orders, making elevator use convenient for family members and ensuring transparency in every expenditure.

[0008] As a preferred option, the identity recognition system includes a facial recognition system. Based on the number of family members and individual needs, each family account records the facial information of several family members, and users can use facial recognition to ride the elevator without contact. In addition to the facial recognition system, a card reader can also be used to identify identities. Based on the number of family members and individual wishes, each family account can be activated with several IC cards, and users can use the card to ride the elevator, meeting the usage needs of different groups of people.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, the consumption limit of the family account is a consumption cap, which is the user's share of the paid elevator project, m. This share is calculated based on the set sharing method and the total cost M of the paid elevator project, where the total cost M is advanced by the elevator company. The share m has a consumption period D. If the consumption amount of the family account reaches m before the end of period D, the family account can ride the elevator for free for the remaining time of period D. If period D expires but the cumulative elevator consumption amount of the family account has not reached m, the remaining amount needs to be paid in one lump sum, and the family account that has not paid the remaining amount cannot ride the elevator. The elevator company advances all costs for the paid elevator project, and each user pays their share of the cost by using the elevator within a specified period. Since a large upfront payment is not required, this alleviates the financial burden on users and effectively resolves the conflict between users who cannot afford the large costs of replacing old elevators and those who desire a solution to elevator operation problems. This ensures fair elevator use for all users, protects their rights, and incentivizes users to actively participate in cost-sharing for the replacement project. Throughout the entire operation, the interests of both users and the elevator company are protected, thus actively promoting the smooth progress of projects such as elevator replacement. This method can be applied not only to elevator replacement projects but also to annual maintenance services, elevator renovations, and other elevator projects that require user payment.

[0010] As a preferred option, the shared amount m is deposited directly by the user in full or in part into their family account, or the family account is linked to the user's bank card or third-party payment account, enabling automatic payment without a password when taking the elevator. Since the paid elevator system generates an order only after the elevator car reaches its destination floor, the family account balance only needs to be sufficient to cover the order to avoid affecting future elevator rides. This provides users with great convenience in choosing their recharge amount; users can recharge small amounts multiple times or make a large one-time recharge, allowing them to choose how to manage their funds. Furthermore, if a bank card or third-party payment account is linked, the user does not need to recharge their family account, thus allowing for even greater freedom in managing their funds.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment, the cost-sharing method includes a resident grouping method and a cost calculation method. Based on the grouping method, the total number of floors participating in the cost-sharing is first divided into K segments. Then, the cost-sharing amount for each household is calculated according to the established calculation method, with the cost-sharing amount increasing from the bottom segment to the top segment. Since there are many households in the same unit, it is difficult to calculate the cost-sharing amount for each household individually and achieve fairness. By grouping residents into K segments, the cost-sharing is first calculated on a segment-by-segment basis, and then the cost-sharing amount for each household within each segment is calculated. Furthermore, setting the cost-sharing amount to increase from the bottom segment to the top segment aligns with the changing benefits for users, ensuring a more equitable cost-sharing experience for all users.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, the grouping method includes: based on the total number of floors L (a total of D households) participating in the sharing, using the number of segments K=3 as a fixed coefficient, dividing the total number of floors L participating in the sharing by 3, when the remainder is 0, each of the low-rise, middle-rise, and high-rise segments has L÷3 floors of residents; when the remainder is 1, the middle-rise segment adds one floor, at which point the low-rise segment has (L-1)÷3 floors of residents, the middle-rise segment has (L-1)÷3+1 floors of residents, and the high-rise segment has (L-1)÷3 floors of residents; when the remainder is 2, the low-rise and high-rise segments each add one floor, at which point the low-rise segment has (L-2)÷3+1 floors of residents, the middle-rise segment has (L-2)÷3 floors of residents, and the high-rise segment has (L-2)÷3+1 floors of residents.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment, the calculation method includes: first, calculating the average value M ÷ D based on the total cost M and the total number of households participating in the cost sharing, and using this average value as the average cost sharing amount for households in the middle-floor section; then, following the principle of increasing costs from the low-floor section to the middle-floor section and to the high-floor section, setting an increasing ratio d, 0 ≤ d ≤ 0.1, calculating the average cost sharing amount for each household in the low-floor section M ÷ D (1-d), and the average cost sharing amount for each household in the high-floor section M ÷ D (1+d). As a preferred embodiment, in this method, the elevator-using app can generate temporary elevator cards. When a non-registered user without a family account needs to use the elevator, the registered user sends the temporary elevator card to the non-registered user through the elevator-using app. The non-registered user then sends passenger information to the signal processing and transmission system via the temporary elevator card on their mobile phone. During the period D, when the registered user's accumulated consumption amount is less than m, the system generates an order and deducts fees for each temporary elevator card sent and used. When the user's family account's accumulated consumption amount reaches m, no further fees are deducted for sending and using temporary elevator cards during the remaining time period D. This method provides convenience for visitors using the elevator, allowing users to help visitors use the elevator without leaving their homes, thus providing convenience and saving on elevator fares. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the first principle of the elevator operation method provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the second principle of the elevator operation method provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The following will describe in detail the implementation of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, so that the implementation process of how this application uses technical means to solve technical problems and achieve technical effects can be fully understood and implemented accordingly.

[0016] The present invention provides an embodiment of an elevator operation method, which is applicable to paid elevator systems, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the paid elevator system includes a car, an identification system installed inside the car, a signal processing and transmission system, and an elevator control system. The paid elevator system also supports the use of a ride-hailing app (such as "Elevator Bus"). Each household user registers a family account through the app, allowing them to top up their account, check ride orders, and view accumulated spending amounts.

[0017] In the operation method of this embodiment, the identity recognition system in the paid elevator system adopts a facial recognition system. According to the number of family members and individual needs, passenger information of several family members is entered when registering a family account. This passenger information includes facial recognition information. After the user enters the car, the facial recognition system collects passenger information and verifies the passenger information. This verification has two results: one is identity verification failure. In order to notify the passenger of the verification result in a timely manner, the identity recognition system will control the voice prompt system in the car to issue a prompt signal I, such as "Sorry, your identity verification failed". In this case, the passenger will not be able to take the elevator or will have to take the elevator by other means. The other is identity verification success. At this time, the identity recognition system sends the passenger information to the signal processing and transmission system. After receiving passenger information from the facial recognition system, the signal processing and transmission system reads the corresponding family account. Depending on the specific details of the family account, the system will provide two feedback results: First, if the family account is in arrears (including unpaid orders or the pre-set consumption limit has not been reached), the system sends a signal to the voice prompt system inside the elevator car, which will issue a prompt signal II, such as "You have unpaid fees, please pay before taking the elevator." Second, if the family account has no arrears (no unpaid orders or the pre-set consumption limit has been reached), the system sends a signal to the elevator control system, which then controls the elevator car's operation. During operation, this method generates an elevator order and deducts fees after each ride. In practice, considering the possibility of residents forgetting to top up, to avoid affecting passengers' normal elevator use, each family account can be given a certain credit limit. When the credit limit is used, a notification message is generated on the elevator app so that passengers can top up promptly.

[0018] The purpose of this elevator operation method is primarily to address resident payment issues related to paid elevator projects such as old elevator replacement, old elevator renovation, elevator component replacement, and elevator maintenance. In this method, users need to register a family account in the elevator's mobile app. One family account can register information for multiple family members; therefore, only users with valid registration information are eligible to use the elevator, preventing free-riding and protecting the interests of users sharing the costs. Regarding the cost-sharing payment method, this embodiment adopts a system where the elevator company advances the total cost, and users pay their share in installments within a specified period. Specifically, the elevator company and users sign a contract stipulating that the elevator company will advance the total cost M of the paid elevator project. The share m for each user is calculated according to a preset allocation method. Each user pays their share m cumulatively through elevator rides. Therefore, in a paid elevator project, the consumption limit of a family account is the share m. Users can directly deposit the full or partial share m into their family account. In addition, the contract stipulates that the user's consumption period is D. If the consumption amount of the family account reaches m in advance within the period D, the family account can ride the elevator for free for the remaining period of the consumption period D. If the period D expires but the cumulative elevator consumption amount of the family account has not reached m, the remaining amount needs to be paid in one lump sum. The family account that has not paid the remaining amount cannot ride the elevator, and the elevator company can pursue the remaining unpaid amount according to the contract.

[0019] Regarding the apportionment method used in this embodiment, it includes resident grouping and amount calculation. Regarding resident grouping, the total number of floors participating in the apportionment is set to L (a total of D households; it should be noted that, for example, the first floor, the second floor, etc., which do not require elevator access, are not included in the grouping), and is divided into k floors. In this embodiment, K=3 is used as a fixed coefficient, that is, it is divided into three floors: low floor, middle floor, and high floor. Among them, the low floor has D1 households, the middle floor has D2 households, and the high floor has D3 households, and D1+D2+D3=D. Specifically, the total number of floors L participating in the cost-sharing is divided by 3. When the remainder is 0, each of the low-rise, middle-rise, and high-rise sections has L÷3 floors. When the remainder is 1, one floor is added to the middle-rise section. At this time, the low-rise section has (L-1)÷3 floors of residents, the middle-rise section has (L-1)÷3+1 floors of residents, and the high-rise section has (L-1)÷3 floors of residents. When the remainder is 2, one floor is added to both the low-rise and high-rise sections. At this time, the low-rise section has (L-2)÷3+1 floors of residents, the middle-rise section has (L-2)÷3 floors of residents, and the high-rise section has (L-2)÷3+1 floors of residents. Regarding the calculation of the amount, first calculate the average value M÷D based on the total cost M and the total number of households participating in the sharing, and use the average value as the average share of households in the middle section. Then, according to the principle of increasing cost from the low-rise section to the middle section to the high-rise section, set an increasing ratio d, 0≤d≤0.1, and calculate the average share of each household in the low-rise section M÷D(1-d), and the average share of each household in the high-rise section M÷D(1+d).

[0020] To ensure a fairer allocation of costs among residents on different floors within the same floor segment, further calculations can be performed. Taking a middle floor segment with L ÷ 3 floors as an example, let's assume the specific allocation amount for each floor in the middle floor segment, from bottom to top, is an arithmetic sequence with a common difference of p. Then, the specific allocation amount for residents on the median floor is the average allocation amount M ÷ D. Starting from the median household and counting downwards, the specific allocation amount for the i-th floor (per household) is M ÷ D - (i-1)p. Starting from the median household and counting upwards, the specific allocation amount for the j-th floor (per household) is M ÷ D + (j-1)p. Similarly, the specific allocation amount for each household in the lower and upper floor segments can be further calculated.

[0021] In the above method, only users with valid passenger information are eligible to use the elevator, thus preventing unauthorized use and protecting user interests. However, since visitors (such as relatives, friends, and service personnel) frequently use the elevator, this method allows the elevator app to generate temporary elevator cards (e.g., "Family Access Cards" generated using the "Elevator Bus" app) for the convenience of residents. When a non-registered user without a family account needs to use the elevator, the registered user sends the temporary elevator card to the non-registered user through the elevator app. After entering the elevator car, the non-registered user taps the temporary elevator card on their mobile phone. At this time, the signal processing and transmission system collects the information sent by the temporary elevator card and reads the family account that sent the card. During the time limit D, when the registered user's accumulated consumption amount is less than m, the system generates an order and deducts fees for each temporary elevator card sent and used. When the user's family account's accumulated consumption amount reaches m, sending and using a temporary elevator card is free of charge. This method provides convenience for visitors to take the elevator, allowing users to help visitors take the elevator without leaving the building, which is both convenient for users and saves on elevator fees.

[0022] It should be noted that the paid elevator system used in this implementation employs a facial recognition system to identify users. Figure 2 As shown, according to the needs of most users, a card reader system can also be used to identify the user's identity. In this case, based on the number of family members and their personal wishes, several IC cards need to be opened for each family account. Users take the elevator by swiping their cards. When in use, after the card reader system successfully identifies the IC card, it sends the passenger information corresponding to the IC card to the signal processing and transmission system. If the card reader system cannot identify the IC card, it will issue a prompt signal I through the voice prompt system.

[0023] The specification and claims use certain terms to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that hardware manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in name, but rather on differences in function. The term "comprising" throughout the specification and claims is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "comprising but not limited to." "Approximately" means that within an acceptable margin of error, those skilled in the art can solve the technical problem and substantially achieve the technical effect within a certain margin of error.

[0024] It should be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a product or system comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a product or system. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the product or system that includes said element.

[0025] The foregoing description illustrates and describes several preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, as previously stated, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the forms disclosed herein and should not be construed as excluding other embodiments. It can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments, and can be altered within the scope of the inventive concept described herein through the foregoing teachings or techniques or knowledge in related fields. Any modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for operating an elevator, applied to a paid elevator system, the paid elevator system comprising a car, an identification system installed inside the car, a signal processing and transmission system, and an elevator control system, characterized in that, The method includes: an identity recognition system collecting and verifying passenger information in real time; if identity recognition fails, the identity recognition system controls the voice prompt system inside the elevator car to issue a prompt signal I; if identity recognition succeeds, the identity recognition system sends the passenger information to the signal processing and sending system; the signal processing and sending system reads the family account corresponding to the received passenger information; if the family account has no outstanding fees, it sends a signal to the elevator control system, which then controls the elevator car to operate and generates an elevator ride order upon reaching the destination floor, deducting the order fee from the family account; if the family account has outstanding fees, it issues a prompt signal II through the voice prompt system; the family account has a spending limit, which is the limit for paid elevator rides. The user's share of the cost, m, is calculated based on the set allocation method and the total cost M of the paid elevator project, where the total cost M is advanced by the elevator company. The share of m has a consumption period. If the consumption amount of a family account reaches m before the end of the period, the family account can ride the elevator for free for the remaining period. If the period expires but the family account's accumulated elevator consumption amount has not reached m, the remaining amount needs to be paid in a lump sum, and the family account that has not paid the remaining amount cannot ride the elevator. The allocation method includes a grouping method for residents and a calculation method for the amount. According to the grouping method, the total number of floors participating in the allocation is first divided into K segments, and then the share of each household is calculated according to the set calculation method, with the allocation fee increasing from the bottom segment to the top segment.

2. The elevator operation method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: In this method, the paid elevator system supports the use of an elevator-riding APP. Each family user registers a family account through the elevator-riding APP, and the user can recharge in the elevator-riding APP and query the orders generated by the elevator ride and the cumulative consumption amount. The family account includes several family members. Each time a family member takes the elevator, an order will be generated in the family account and the fee will be deducted from the family account. The fee generated by each order is counted in the cumulative consumption amount of the family account.

3. The elevator operation method as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The identity recognition system includes a facial recognition system. Based on the number of family members and individual needs, each family account records the facial information of several family members, and users can take the elevator by facial recognition.

4. The elevator operation method as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The identity recognition system includes a card reader. Based on the number of family members and their wishes, each family account is activated with several IC cards, and users can use the elevator by swiping their cards.

5. The elevator operation method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The shared amount m is deposited directly by the user in full or in part into the family account, or the family account is linked to the user's bank card or third-party payment account, enabling automatic payment without a password when taking the elevator.

6. The elevator operation method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The grouping method includes: based on the total number of floors L participating in the sharing, which is D households, using the number of segments K=3 as a fixed coefficient, that is, dividing the total number of floors L participating in the sharing from bottom to top into three segments: low-rise segment, middle-rise segment, and high-rise segment, where the low-rise segment has D1 households, the middle-rise segment has D2 households, and the high-rise segment has D3 households, and D1+D2+D3=D; dividing the total number of floors L participating in the sharing by 3, when the remainder is 0, each floor in the low-rise segment, middle-rise segment, and high-rise segment has... There are L ÷ 3 floors of residents. When the remainder is 1, one floor is added to the middle floor section. At this time, the low floor section has (L-1) ÷ 3 floors of residents, the middle floor section has (L-1) ÷ 3 + 1 floors of residents, and the high floor section has (L-1) ÷ 3 floors of residents. When the remainder is 2, one floor is added to both the low floor section and the high floor section. At this time, the low floor section has (L-2) ÷ 3 + 1 floors of residents, the middle floor section has (L-2) ÷ 3 floors of residents, and the high floor section has (L-2) ÷ 3 + 1 floors of residents.

7. The elevator operation method as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The calculation method includes: first, calculating the average value M÷D based on the total cost M and the total number of households participating in the cost sharing, and using the average value as the average cost sharing amount for households in the middle-floor section; then, according to the principle of increasing costs from the low-floor section, the middle-floor section to the high-floor section, setting an increasing ratio d, 0≤d≤0.1, calculating the average cost sharing amount for each household in the low-floor section M÷D(1-d), and the average cost sharing amount for each household in the high-floor section M÷D(1+d).

8. A method for operating an elevator as described in any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: In this method, the elevator app can generate temporary elevator cards. When a non-registered user without a family account needs to use the elevator, the registered user sends the temporary elevator card to the non-registered user through the elevator app. The non-registered user then sends passenger information to the signal processing and transmission system via the temporary elevator card on their mobile phone. During the specified period, if the registered user's accumulated consumption amount is less than m, the system generates an order and deducts fees for each temporary elevator card sent and used. If the user's family account accumulated consumption amount reaches m, no further fees will be deducted for sending and using temporary elevator cards during the remaining period of the consumption period.

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