Method for regulating parameters for elevator destination floor assignment

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters. The parameter is the maximum number of destination floors a single elevator can stop at. The destination floors to be stopped at refer to the set of destination floors included in the call signals for destination floors already assigned to the elevator but not yet reached. The adjustment method implements first monitoring and / or second monitoring. When at least one of the monitoring results is true, the parameter is reduced to decrease the number of times the first elevator stops at the destination floors to be stopped. The first monitoring involves monitoring whether the actual carrying capacity provided by the elevator is less than the passenger demand for elevator transport. The second monitoring involves monitoring whether the number of destination floors to be stopped for any elevator has reached the parameter. This invention, by reasonably adjusting the parameters of the elevator destination floor allocation system, can improve elevator operating efficiency, shorten passenger waiting time, and alleviate elevator capacity shortages during periods of high passenger flow.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of elevators, and more specifically to a method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters. Background Technology

[0002] In existing destination floor dispatching systems, a limit is usually set in advance for the number of destination floors each elevator will stop at after departing from the main floor, based on the elevator's service floors in the building and the elevator configuration. This avoids problems such as reduced elevator efficiency and excessive time passengers spend in the car due to too many elevator stops.

[0003] Regarding this limit, Reference 1 (Chinese Patent Application No.: 200780053055.7) proposes that when a new destination call is generated, the call count of each car is calculated using a predetermined method based on the already completed allocation information of each car; it is determined whether there is an elevator whose call count is less than the limit value. If there is, a responding elevator is selected from the elevators whose call count is less than the limit value for the new destination call; otherwise, the limit value is relaxed, that is, the limit value is increased, until there is an elevator whose call count is less than the increased limit value.

[0004] Reference 2 (Chinese Patent Application No.: 202310185641.8) builds upon Reference 1 by selecting elevators with call counts less than the limit as initial selection cars. It further determines whether there are initial selection cars that meet the priority number selection rules. If so, it selects a responding elevator for the new destination call from the initial selection cars that meet the priority number selection rules. Otherwise, it relaxes the priority number selection rules until there are initial selection cars that meet the priority number selection rules.

[0005] The solutions described in the existing literature are very effective when passenger flow is not very high. However, when passenger flow is high, the probability of not having an elevator with a call count less than the limit increases significantly. According to the solutions in the existing literature, the limit on the number of destination floors to be stopped by each elevator after it departs from the main floor station will be continuously relaxed (i.e., the upper limit of the number of destination floors in the set of destination floor call signals allocated to a single elevator in this application, i.e., the number of destination floors to be stopped). The end result is that the limit is very large, that is, the number of destination floors to be stopped by each elevator is very large, which leads to an excessive number of stops between the starting floor and the farthest floor each time the elevator runs, resulting in a serious reduction in elevator operating efficiency.

[0006] During periods of high passenger flow, the correct approach is to appropriately reduce the number of destination floors the elevator is waiting to stop at. This is because a smaller number of floors reduces the number of stops the elevator makes, thereby improving its operating efficiency. At the same time, because of the high passenger flow, the number of passengers going to the same destination floor is significantly greater than during off-peak hours. Therefore, even if the number of destination floors is small, the corresponding number of passengers can still reach the elevator's rated passenger capacity, thus avoiding a waste of elevator capacity.

[0007] Therefore, how to reasonably adjust the upper limit of the number of destination floors in the set of destination floors used to limit the destination floor call signals allocated to a single elevator in the elevator destination floor allocation system has become a technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is how to reasonably adjust the upper limit of the number of destination floors in the set of destination floors in the destination floor call signals allocated to a single elevator in the elevator destination floor allocation system.

[0009] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention discloses a method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters. The parameter is the maximum number of destination floors a single elevator can stop at. The destination floors to be stopped at refer to the destination floors included in the set of destination floors that have been allocated to the elevator but have not yet been reached by the elevator's call signals. The adjustment method implements first monitoring and / or second monitoring. When at least one of the monitoring results is true, the parameter is reduced to decrease the number of times the first elevator stops at the destination floors to be stopped. The first monitoring involves monitoring whether the actual carrying capacity provided by the elevator is less than the passenger's demand for passenger transport capacity. The second monitoring involves monitoring whether the number of destination floors to be stopped by any elevator has reached the parameter.

[0010] Preferably, the adjustment method performs the first monitoring according to the following steps: Step 1: Determine the n closest first elevators that left the first floor, where n is a pre-specified positive integer; Step 2: Determine the number of passengers in each elevator when it leaves the first floor; Step 3: Calculate the sum of the number of passengers inside each elevator and use it as the actual transport capacity; Step 4: Determine the second moment when the second elevator leaves the first floor first, and the third moment when the third elevator leaves the first floor last. Step 5: Count the number of new destination floor call signals during the second and third time periods and use them as the capacity demand; Step 6: Compare the actual transport capacity with the transport capacity demand. If the actual transport capacity is less than the transport capacity demand, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed valid; otherwise, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed invalid.

[0011] Preferably, the adjustment method performs the first monitoring according to the following steps: Step S1: Determine a given time length T, and shift the time length T backward from the current time to obtain the 0th time. Step S2: Determine the first elevator that leaves the first floor between time 0 and the current time; Step S3: Determine the number of passengers in each elevator when it leaves the first floor. Step S4: Calculate the sum of the number of passengers inside each elevator and use it as the actual carrying capacity; Step S5: Determine the second moment when the second elevator leaves the first floor first, and the third moment when the third elevator leaves the first floor last. Step S6: Count the number of newly added destination floor call signals during the second and third time periods, and use them as the capacity demand; Step S7: Compare the actual transport capacity with the transport capacity demand. If the actual transport capacity is less than the transport capacity demand, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed valid; otherwise, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed invalid.

[0012] Preferably, the adjustment method only counts the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped for each elevator when a new destination floor call signal is received. When the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped for all elevators has reached the parameter, the monitoring result of the second monitoring is considered to be valid; otherwise, the monitoring result of the second monitoring is considered to be invalid.

[0013] Preferably, the adjustment method further implements a third monitoring, and only when the monitoring result of the third monitoring is true, will it be determined whether to reduce the number of times the first elevator stops at the destination floor by reducing the parameter based on the monitoring results of the first monitoring and / or the second monitoring; the third monitoring is to monitor whether the difference between the number of passengers in the car and the rated passenger capacity of the elevator when the elevator leaves the first floor is less than a first threshold.

[0014] Preferably, after reducing the parameter, the adjustment method performs a fourth monitoring; the fourth monitoring refers to whether the difference between the number of passengers in the cars of the m elevators leaving the first floor immediately after reducing the parameter and the rated passenger capacity of the elevator is greater than a second threshold. If the monitoring result is greater than the threshold, the current reduction operation of the parameter is cancelled; otherwise, the current reduction operation is retained, where m is a positive integer.

[0015] Preferably, before reducing the parameter, the adjustment method compares whether the reduced parameter value is less than the lower limit of the parameter. The reduction operation on the parameter will only be performed if the comparison result is not less than the lower limit.

[0016] Preferably, the adjustment method performs first and second monitoring each time a new destination floor call signal is received, and increases the parameter when one of conditions 1 and 2 is met simultaneously with condition 3: Condition 1: The monitoring results of the first and second monitoring in k consecutive monitoring sessions are both invalid; Condition 2: In k consecutive monitoring sessions, the percentage of times when both the first and second monitoring results are invalid exceeds the sixth threshold. Condition 3: The parameter value after the parameter is increased is less than the upper limit of the parameter.

[0017] Preferably, when the adjustment method receives a new destination floor call signal each time, if the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped by all elevators has reached the parameter and / or the number of passengers remaining in the elevator car when it arrives at the first floor is less than the third threshold, then for each elevator, the quotient and remainder are obtained by dividing the number of passengers corresponding to the destination floor call signal already assigned to that elevator by the elevator's rated passenger capacity. Then, the fourth elevator corresponding to the smallest quotient is determined. Next, the remainder is used as the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped by that elevator. From the fourth elevators, the fifth elevator whose monitoring result of the second monitoring is true is selected. Finally, one of the fifth elevators is selected as the responding elevator for the destination floor call signal.

[0018] Preferably, the adjustment method determines the quotient corresponding to the responding elevator, uses it as the number of elevator arrivals that the passenger calling the elevator on the new destination floor needs to wait for, and informs the passenger calling the elevator on the new destination floor.

[0019] Beneficial technical effects The method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters of the present invention can improve elevator operating efficiency, shorten passenger waiting time, and alleviate insufficient elevator capacity during peak passenger flow by reasonably adjusting the parameters of the elevator destination floor allocation system. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification and claims of the present invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. Example 1

[0021] This embodiment provides a method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters. The parameter is the maximum number of destination floors a single elevator can stop at. The destination floors to be stopped at refer to the destination floors included in the set of destination floors that have been allocated to the elevator but have not yet been reached by the elevator's call signals. The adjustment method implements a first monitoring and / or a second monitoring. When at least one of the monitoring results is true, the parameter is reduced to decrease the number of times the first elevator stops at the destination floors to be stopped. The first monitoring is to monitor whether the actual carrying capacity provided by the elevator is less than the passenger's demand for the elevator to carry passengers. The second monitoring is to monitor whether the number of destination floors to be stopped by any elevator has reached the parameter.

[0022] As described in the background section, existing technologies count the number of calls for each elevator upon receiving a new destination floor call signal. When all elevator call counts are less than a limit, the upper limit on the number of destination floors in the set of destination floors allocated to a single elevator is relaxed (i.e., increased). However, relaxing this parameter means an increase in the number of stops the elevator makes during its journey from its starting floor to the furthest destination floor. This increase in stops leads to a decrease in elevator operating efficiency, which is unreasonable for high-traffic scenarios such as morning rush hour. In such scenarios, even if the elevator's operating efficiency is improved by reducing the upper limit on the number of destination floors in the set of destination floors allocated to a single elevator call signal, there would be no waste of elevator capacity due to insufficient passengers in the car.

[0023] This embodiment first analyzes and discovers that the number of passengers corresponding to a single destination floor in high-traffic scenarios is greater than the number of passengers corresponding to a single destination floor in non-high-traffic periods. Then, it infers that existing counting schemes would lead to a decrease in elevator operating efficiency during high-traffic periods due to an excessive number of destination floors waiting to stop. On the other hand, the number of passengers corresponding to the destination floor call signals allocated to a single elevator would exceed the elevator's rated passenger capacity. Next, it is determined that relaxing (i.e. increasing) the upper limit of the set of destination floors in the destination floor call signals allocated to a single elevator would lead to a decrease in elevator capacity efficiency. Furthermore, it is determined that under the premise of not wasting elevator capacity (i.e., the elevator is basically at full capacity when leaving a high-traffic floor), the rationality and feasibility of improving elevator operating efficiency by reducing this parameter are determined. Finally, the counting scheme of this embodiment is obtained.

[0024] In this embodiment, the adjustment method compares whether the reduced parameter value is less than the lower limit of the parameter before reducing the parameter. The reduction operation on the parameter will only be performed if the comparison result is not less than the lower limit of the parameter. Example 2

[0025] This embodiment further defines and explains the first and second monitoring methods based on embodiment 1.

[0026] For the first monitoring, the adjustment method shall be implemented according to the following steps: Step 1: Determine the n closest first elevators that left the first floor, where n is a pre-specified positive integer; Step 2: Determine the number of passengers in each elevator when it leaves the first floor; Step 3: Calculate the sum of the number of passengers inside each elevator and use it as the actual transport capacity; Step 4: Determine the second moment when the second elevator leaves the first floor first, and the third moment when the third elevator leaves the first floor last. Step 5: Count the number of new destination floor call signals during the second and third time periods and use them as the capacity demand; Step 6: Compare the actual transport capacity with the transport capacity demand. If the actual transport capacity is less than the transport capacity demand, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed valid; otherwise, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed invalid.

[0027] Alternatively, the adjustment method shall be implemented with the following steps for the first monitoring: Step S1: Determine a given time length T, and shift the time length T backward from the current time to obtain the 0th time. Step S2: Determine the first elevator that leaves the first floor between time 0 and the current time; Step S3: Determine the number of passengers in each elevator when it leaves the first floor. Step S4: Calculate the sum of the number of passengers inside each elevator and use it as the actual carrying capacity; Step S5: Determine the second moment when the second elevator leaves the first floor first, and the third moment when the third elevator leaves the first floor last. Step S6: Count the number of newly added destination floor call signals during the second and third time periods, and use them as the capacity demand; Step S7: Compare the actual transport capacity with the transport capacity demand. If the actual transport capacity is less than the transport capacity demand, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed valid; otherwise, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed invalid.

[0028] For the second monitoring, the adjustment method will only count the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped for each elevator when a new destination floor call signal is received. When the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped for all elevators has reached the parameter, the monitoring result of the second monitoring is considered to be valid; otherwise, the monitoring result of the second monitoring is considered to be invalid. Example 3

[0029] This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1, with further limitations and explanations.

[0030] The adjustment method also implements a third monitoring, and only when the monitoring result of the third monitoring is valid will it be determined whether to reduce the number of times the first elevator stops at the destination floor by reducing the parameter, based on the monitoring results of the first monitoring and / or the second monitoring; the third monitoring is to monitor whether the difference between the number of passengers in the car and the rated passenger capacity of the elevator when the elevator leaves the first floor is less than a first threshold.

[0031] The purpose of the third monitoring is: because the technical solution of this application is more suitable for high passenger flow scenarios, the third monitoring ensures that the difference between the number of passengers in the elevator car when the elevator leaves the first floor and the rated passenger capacity of the elevator is less than the first threshold, that is, the number of passengers in the elevator car when the elevator leaves the first floor is very close to the rated passenger capacity of the elevator, so as to ensure that the technical solution of this application is only implemented in high passenger flow scenarios. Example 4

[0032] This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1, with further limitations and explanations.

[0033] After reducing the parameter, the adjustment method will perform a fourth monitoring. The fourth monitoring refers to whether the difference between the number of passengers in the cars of the m (m is a positive integer) elevators leaving the first floor immediately after the parameter reduction and the rated passenger capacity of the elevator is greater than a second threshold. If the monitoring result is greater than the threshold, the current reduction operation of the parameter will be cancelled; otherwise, the current reduction operation will be retained.

[0034] The fourth monitoring is mainly to prevent the elevator from leaving high-traffic floors in a non-full or non-near-full-load state after the parameter value is reduced, thus resulting in a waste of elevator capacity. Example 5

[0035] This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1, with further limitations and explanations.

[0036] The adjustment method performs first and second monitoring each time a new call signal for the target floor is received, and increases the parameters when one of conditions 1 and 2 is met simultaneously with condition 3. Condition 1: The monitoring results of the first and second monitoring in k consecutive monitoring sessions are both invalid; Condition 2: In k consecutive monitoring sessions, the percentage of times when both the first and second monitoring results are invalid exceeds the sixth threshold. Condition 3: The parameter value after the parameter is increased is less than the upper limit of the parameter.

[0037] This embodiment essentially provides a mechanism for determining under what circumstances the current parameter value is too small after reducing the parameter, and that the parameter value needs to be increased to make the current parameter value suitable for the current scenario. Example 6

[0038] This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1, with further limitations and explanations.

[0039] The adjustment method, upon receiving a new destination floor call signal, if the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped by all elevators has reached the parameter and / or the remaining number of passengers in the elevator car when it arrives at the first floor (for the terminal floor, this is the elevator's rated passenger capacity; various embodiments of this application use high passenger flow as the terminal floor as an example) is less than a third threshold, then for each elevator, the quotient and remainder obtained by dividing the number of passengers corresponding to the destination floor call signal already assigned to that elevator by the elevator's rated passenger capacity are calculated. The fourth elevator corresponding to the smallest quotient is then determined. Next, the remainder is used as the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped by that elevator. From the fourth elevators, the fifth elevator whose monitoring result from the second monitoring is valid is selected. Finally, one of the fifth elevators is selected as the responding elevator for the destination floor call signal.

[0040] The adjustment method determines the quotient corresponding to the responding elevator and uses it as the number of elevator arrivals that the passenger calling the elevator on the new destination floor needs to wait for, and informs the passenger calling the elevator on the new destination floor.

[0041] This embodiment is actually designed to address the situation where reducing this parameter may result in the discovery that there is no elevator with a call count lower than this parameter when a new destination floor call signal is received, thus making it impossible to assign a responding elevator to the new destination floor call signal.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters, wherein the parameter is the maximum number of destination floors to be stopped by a single elevator, and the destination floors to be stopped refer to the destination floors included in the set of destination floors that have been allocated to the elevator but have not yet arrived at, characterized in that, The adjustment method implements first monitoring and / or second monitoring, and when at least one of the monitoring results is true, the number of times the first elevator stops at the destination floor is reduced by decreasing the parameter; The first monitoring is to monitor whether the actual carrying capacity provided by the elevator is less than the passenger's demand for the elevator to carry passengers; The second monitoring involves monitoring whether the number of destination floors awaiting stop for any elevator has reached the specified parameter.

2. The method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment method implements the first monitoring according to the following steps: Step 1: Determine the n closest first elevators that left the first floor, where n is a pre-specified positive integer; Step 2: Determine the number of passengers in each elevator when it leaves the first floor; Step 3: Calculate the sum of the number of passengers inside each elevator and use it as the actual transport capacity; Step 4: Determine the second moment when the second elevator leaves the first floor first, and the third moment when the third elevator leaves the first floor last. Step 5: Count the number of new destination floor call signals during the second and third time periods and use them as the capacity demand; Step 6: Compare the actual transport capacity with the transport capacity demand. If the actual transport capacity is less than the transport capacity demand, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed valid; otherwise, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed invalid.

3. The method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment method implements the first monitoring according to the following steps: Step S1: Determine a given time length T, and shift the time length T backward from the current time to obtain the 0th time. Step S2: Determine the first elevator that leaves the first floor between time 0 and the current time; Step S3: Determine the number of passengers in each elevator when it leaves the first floor. Step S4: Calculate the sum of the number of passengers inside each elevator and use it as the actual carrying capacity; Step S5: Determine the second moment when the second elevator leaves the first floor first, and the third moment when the third elevator leaves the first floor last. Step S6: Count the number of newly added destination floor call signals during the second and third time periods, and use them as the capacity demand; Step S7: Compare the actual transport capacity with the transport capacity demand. If the actual transport capacity is less than the transport capacity demand, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed valid; otherwise, the monitoring result of the first monitoring is deemed invalid.

4. The method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment method only counts the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped for each elevator when a new destination floor call signal is received. When the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped for all elevators has reached the parameter, the monitoring result of the second monitoring is considered to be valid; otherwise, the monitoring result of the second monitoring is considered to be invalid.

5. The method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment method also implements a third monitoring, and only when the monitoring result of the third monitoring is true, will it be decided whether to reduce the number of times the first elevator stops at the destination floor by reducing the parameter based on the monitoring results of the first monitoring and / or the second monitoring; The third monitoring method is to monitor whether the difference between the number of passengers in the elevator car and the elevator's rated passenger capacity is less than a first threshold when the elevator leaves the first floor.

6. The method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters according to claim 1, characterized in that, After reducing the parameter, the adjustment method will perform a fourth monitoring. The fourth monitoring refers to whether the difference between the number of passengers in the cars of the m elevators that leave the first floor immediately after the parameter is reduced and the rated passenger capacity of the elevator is greater than a second threshold. If the monitoring result is greater than the threshold, the current reduction operation of the parameter is cancelled; otherwise, the current reduction operation is retained, where m is a positive integer.

7. The method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before reducing the parameter, the adjustment method compares whether the reduced parameter value is less than the lower limit of the parameter. The reduction operation on the parameter will only be performed if the comparison result is not less than the lower limit.

8. The method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment method performs first and second monitoring each time a new call signal for the target floor is received, and increases the parameters when one of conditions 1 and 2 is met simultaneously with condition 3. Condition 1: The monitoring results of the first and second monitoring in k consecutive monitoring sessions are both invalid; Condition 2: In k consecutive monitoring sessions, the percentage of times when both the first and second monitoring results are invalid exceeds the sixth threshold. Condition 3: The parameter value after the parameter is increased is less than the upper limit of the parameter.

9. The method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the adjustment method receives a new destination floor call signal each time, if the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped by all elevators has reached the parameter and / or the number of passengers remaining in the elevator car when it arrives at the first floor is less than the third threshold, then for each elevator, the quotient and remainder are obtained by dividing the number of passengers corresponding to the destination floor call signal already assigned to that elevator by the elevator's rated passenger capacity. Then, the fourth elevator corresponding to the smallest quotient is determined. Next, the remainder is used as the number of destination floors waiting to be stopped by that elevator. From the fourth elevators, the fifth elevator whose monitoring result of the second monitoring is true is selected. Finally, one of the fifth elevators is selected as the responding elevator for the destination floor call signal.

10. The method for adjusting elevator destination floor allocation parameters according to claim 9, characterized in that, The adjustment method determines the quotient corresponding to the responding elevator, uses it as the number of elevator arrivals that the passenger calling the elevator on the new destination floor needs to wait for, and informs the passenger calling the elevator on the new destination floor.