Systems and methods for stopping an elevator

Abstract

The present invention provides an elevator control system that places one or more inactive elevator cars at different locations based on the relative number of occupants at each location. [Solution] A method for arranging multiple elevator cars includes determining the number of people staying at each of the multiple locations by determining the number of passengers exiting the multiple elevator cars at each of the multiple locations and determining the number of passengers entering the multiple elevator cars from each of the multiple locations. The method includes moving at least one of the multiple elevator cars to a first location having a total number of people greater than the number of people staying at each of the multiple locations when at least one of the multiple elevator cars is in an inactive state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for controlling elevator traffic, and more particularly to an example of an elevator control system that places one or more elevator cars in an inactive (idle) state at one or more locations based on the relative number of occupants at each location.

Background Art

[0002] Elevator systems generally may keep an elevator car at the location where it was previously used when there are no call requests for the elevator car. That is, the elevator car is parked at the last location (e.g., floor) it moved to when it completed its previous move. In such a system, the elevator car may be left idle at that location until the next call is received.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, keeping an inactive elevator car in the last used position may result in placing the elevator car in a location with fewer passengers than other positions. As a result, the elevator car may have to travel a longer distance to respond to a call request from a certain location (e.g., a floor) based on the number of people in that location, increasing the likelihood of future call requests, which could lead to reduced traffic and longer waiting times for passengers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] By providing a system that allows inactive elevator cars to be positioned where there are more passengers, the distance traveled when responding to a call can be minimized, thereby increasing traffic and reducing waiting times for passengers.

[0006] For example, a method for arranging multiple elevator cars includes determining the number of occupants at each of the multiple locations by determining the number of passengers exiting the multiple elevator cars at each of the multiple locations and determining the number of passengers entering the multiple elevator cars from each of the multiple locations. The method includes moving at least one of the multiple elevator cars to a first location having a total number of occupants greater than the number of occupants at each of the multiple locations when at least one of the multiple elevator cars is inactive.

[0007] In another example, a system for arranging multiple elevator cars includes at least one counting device located in each of the multiple elevator cars. The at least one counting device is configured to generate data indicating the number of passengers in the multiple elevator cars. The system includes a dispatch controller operably connected to the at least one counting device in each of the multiple elevator cars to receive the data indicating the number of passengers in the multiple elevator cars. The dispatch controller is configured to determine the number of occupants in each of the multiple locations by determining the number of passengers exiting the multiple elevator cars at each of the multiple locations and determining the number of passengers entering the multiple elevator cars from each of the multiple locations. The dispatch controller is configured to move at least one of the multiple elevator cars to a first location having a total number of occupants greater than the number of occupants in each of the multiple locations when at least one of the multiple elevator cars is inactive.

[0008] In a further example, a system for controlling traffic flow in multiple elevator cars includes a processor and a memory that stores instructions causing the processor to perform a plurality of operations when executed by the processor, the plurality of operations including determining the number of occupants at each of a plurality of locations by determining the number of passengers exiting the plurality of elevator cars at each of the plurality of locations and determining the number of passengers entering the plurality of elevator cars from each of the plurality of locations. The plurality of operations also includes moving at least one of the plurality of elevator cars to a first location having a total number of occupants greater than the number of occupants at each of the plurality of locations when at least one of the plurality of elevator cars is in an inactive state. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating a shipping system that includes one or more devices communicating over a network. [Figure 2]A schematic diagram of the work environment, including multiple elevator cars interacting with the shipping system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows a top view of the inside of the elevator car from the working environment. [Figure 4] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the hardware components of the computer device from the shipping system. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of positioning elevator cars using the dispatch system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for excluding elevator car calls using the dispatch system shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The accompanying drawings, incorporated into and constituting part thereof, illustrate various exemplary embodiments and, together with the specification, are useful in illustrating the principles of this disclosure. Aspects of this disclosure may be implemented in relation to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. These drawings illustrate different aspects of this disclosure, and where appropriate, reference numerals indicating similar structures, components, materials, and / or elements in different drawings are numbered similarly. It will be understood that various combinations of structures, components, and / or elements other than those specifically shown are contemplated and fall within the scope of this disclosure. Many aspects and embodiments are described herein. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that features of a particular aspect or embodiment may be used in conjunction with any or all features of other aspects or embodiments described herein.

[0011] The shipping system of this disclosure may take the form of various embodiments, some of which are shown in the figures and further described below. Both the general description above and the detailed description below are illustrative and descriptive and do not limit the features to those claimed. Where used herein, “equipped with,” “included,” or other variations thereof are intended not to imply that a process, method, article, or apparatus containing a list of elements includes only those, but may include other elements not expressly described or inherent in such a process, method, article, or apparatus. In addition, the term “exemplary” is used herein in the sense of “example” and not “ideal.” Note that all numerical values ​​disclosed or claimed herein (including all disclosed values, limitations, and ranges) may vary by + / - 10% from the disclosed numerical values ​​(unless different variations are specified). Furthermore, in the claims, values, limitations, and / or ranges mean + / - 10% of the values, limitations, and / or ranges.

[0012] Figure 1 shows an exemplary dispatch system 100, which may comprise a dispatch controller 105, a call device 110, an input device 120, a counting device 125, and a dispatch controller 130. One or more devices of the dispatch system 100 may communicate with each other in any configuration via a network 115. For example, the devices of the dispatch system 100 may be connected to each other in a communicative manner via wired or wireless connections. In some embodiments, the network 115 may be a wide area network ("WAN"), a local area network ("LAN"), a personal area network ("PAN"), etc. The network 115 may further include the Internet, and information and / or data provided between devices of the dispatch system 100 may originate online (for example, from a location away from other devices or the Internet-connected network). In other embodiments, the network 115 may utilize Bluetooth® technology and / or radio frequencies.

[0013] The operation controller 105 may be operably connected to a transport unit and may be configured to detect operation data of the transport unit and transmit it to one or more devices of the dispatch system 100, such as a dispatch controller 130. For example, the operation controller 105 may measure and record one or more parameters of the transport unit (e.g., operation data), which include, but are not limited to, current position, direction of movement, speed of movement, door position, and status (e.g., active, inactive, moving, stopped, idle, etc.). The operation controller 105 may include a computer device, which has one or more hardware components (e.g., a processor, memory, sensors, communication modules, etc.) for generating, storing, and transmitting operation data. As will be described in more detail herein, the operation controller 105 may be operably connected to an elevator car located within a building, and the dispatch system 100 may include at least one operation controller 105 for each elevator car.

[0014] Continuing to refer to Figure 1, the call device 110 may be located outside the transport unit and may be configured to receive user input from one or more passengers requesting access to the transport unit. For example, the user input may indicate a call requesting transport from the transport unit. The call device 100 may be configured to send the call request to one or more devices of the dispatch system 100, such as the dispatch controller 130. The call device 110 may include a keypad, a touchscreen display, a microphone, buttons, switches, etc. The call device 110 may further be configured to receive user input from multiple locations indicating the current location (e.g., a first location) and / or destination location (e.g., a second location) of the call request.

[0015] As will be described in more detail herein, the call device 110 may be located within a building, and the dispatch system 100 may have at least one call device 100 for each floor of the building. The call device 100 may be configured to send a message from one or more devices of the dispatch system 100 (e.g., a dispatch controller 130) that identifies an elevator car assigned to arrive at a floor of the building in response to a call request. The message may be communicated by the call device 100 through various appropriate forms, including, for example, text, voice, graphics, etc.

[0016] The input device 120 may be located inside the transport unit and may be configured to receive user input from one or more occupants of the transport unit. For example, the user input may indicate a command requesting redirection of the transport unit. The input device 120 may be configured to send commands to one or more devices of the dispatch system 100, such as a dispatch controller 130. The input device 120 may include a keypad, a touchscreen display, a microphone, buttons, switches, etc. As described in detail herein, the input device 120 may be located inside the elevator car, and the dispatch system 100 may include at least one input device 100 for each elevator car in a building. In other embodiments, the input device 120 may be omitted entirely from the dispatch system 100.

[0017] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, the counting device 125 may be disposed inside the transport unit and may be configured to detect passenger data of the transport unit and transmit it to one or more devices of the shipping system 100, such as the shipping controller 130. For example, the counting device 125 may measure and record the number of objects located within the transport unit, and the measurement and recording targets include, but are not limited to, passengers, their belongings, luggage, carry-on items, etc. The counting device 125 may include, for example, an optical system facing the inside of the transport unit, such as a sensor, a camera, a light beam, an infrared detector, etc. As will be described in more detail herein, the counting device 125 may be connected to an elevator car disposed within a building, and the shipping system 100 may include at least one counting device 125 for each elevator car of the building.

[0018] The dispatch controller 130 may be located outside the transport unit and may be configured to receive data (e.g., operation data, call requests, redirect commands, crew data, etc.) from one or more devices of the dispatch system 100. The dispatch controller 130 may further be configured to determine whether to dispatch at least one of the multiple transport units to the location of a call request received from a passenger wishing to board. The dispatch controller 130 may further be configured to determine the number of people in multiple locations (e.g., inside a building) based on data received from one or more devices of the dispatch system 100. The dispatch controller 130 may further include a computing device (see Figure 4) that can be operated to perform one or more processes (see Figure 5) to move an inactive transport unit to a location with a total number of people greater than the number of people in other multiple locations. The dispatch controller 130 may further be operable to perform one or more processes (see Figure 6) to disable a transport unit and prevent it from receiving call requests when the current number of passengers in the transport unit exceeds its passenger capacity. As will be described in more detail herein, the dispatch controller 130 may be operably connected to multiple elevator cars located within a building, and the dispatch system 100 may include at least one dispatch controller 130 for each building.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 2 here, the shipping system 100 may be utilized in a work environment 200 such as a building (e.g., a facility, factory, store, school, home, office, and various other structures). In this example, the transport unit may include one or more elevator cars within the building. The work environment 200 is merely exemplary, and it should be understood that the shipping system 100 can be utilized in various other suitable environments other than those shown and described herein, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the work environment may include a mass transportation system such that the transport unit includes buses, trains, subway vehicles, metro vehicles, vehicles, etc. In this example, the work environment 200 may include a plurality of floors defining multiple locations within the building, e.g., the first floor 204A, the second floor 204B, the third floor 204C, and the fourth floor 204D. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the construction of the work environment 200 may include additional and / or fewer floors.

[0020] The work environment 200 may further include one or more elevator shafts having at least one elevator car disposed within each elevator shaft. In this example, the work environment 200 includes a first elevator shaft 202 having a first elevator car 210 and a second elevator shaft 212 having a second elevator car 220. Although not shown, the work environment 200 may include additional (e.g., multiple) elevator shafts and / or elevator cars. Each elevator car 210, 220 may be connected to a pulley system 208 configured to move the elevator cars 210, 220 within the elevator shafts 202, 212 with respect to the floors 204A - 204D. The pulley system 208 may include various mechanical and / or electrical mechanisms for moving the elevator cars 210, 220 within the elevator shafts 202, 212, and it should be understood that such mechanisms include, but are not limited to, for example, motors, cables, counterweights, pulleys, etc.

[0021] Referring further to Figure 2, each elevator car 210, 220 may include at least one operation controller 105 operably connected to the pulley system 208, for example, via a wireless and / or wired connection 209. The operation controller 105 is configured to measure operation data (e.g., status) from the elevator cars 210, 220 by detecting the relative motion of the pulley system 208. Each elevator car 210, 220 may further include at least one input device 120 located inside the cabin of the elevator car 210, 220 to receive user input from one or more occupants 10 located inside the cabin.

[0022] Each floor 204A to 204D may include one or more call devices 110 and access doors 206 that provide access to the elevator cars 210 and 220 when the elevator doors 207 of the elevator cars 210 and 220 are located at the respective positions on floors 204A to 204D. The call device 110 may be configured to receive user input from one or more passengers 20 located on one of the floors 204A to 204D. For example, the call device 110 may be configured to receive user input indicating a call requesting transport through at least one of the elevator cars 210 and 220. The call device 100 may be configured to send a call request to a dispatch controller 130, which may include data indicating the current location within the work environment 200 from which the call request is originating. The call request may further include data indicating the destination location within the work environment 200 from which the passenger is requesting transport.

[0023] Referring further to Figure 2, each elevator car 210, 220 may also include at least one counting device 125 located inside the cabin. The counting device 125 may be located along the interior wall (e.g., ceiling) of each elevator car 210, 220 and may be configured to detect the number of occupants 10 inside the cabin. In some embodiments, the counting device 125 may be operable to distinguish one or more objects detected inside the elevator car 210, 220.

[0024] For example, as shown in Figure 3, the counting device 125 may be configured to detect items present in the cabin that occupy the capacity of the elevator cars 210, 220 (e.g., passengers 10, ancillary items 12, etc.) and items in the cabin that are not expected to occupy the capacity of the elevator cars 210, 220 (e.g., rails 14, etc.). The counting device 125 may measure the number of items detected in the elevator cars 210, 220 and record the measured number as passenger data. As further described herein, the counting device 125 may be configured to transmit passenger data for each elevator car 210, 220 to the dispatch controller 130 via the network 115 in order to determine the number of passengers (occupants) in multiple locations.

[0025] Referring here to Figure 4, the dispatch controller 130 may include a computer device incorporating multiple hardware configurations that enable the dispatch controller 130 to receive data (e.g., operation data, call requests, commands, crew data, etc.), process information (e.g., passenger capacity), and / or perform one or more processes (see Figures 5-6). An exemplary hardware configuration of the dispatch controller 130 may include at least one processor 132, at least one communication module 134, and at least one memory 136. In some embodiments, the dispatch controller 130 may include a computer, a mobile user device, a remote station, a server, cloud storage, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, the dispatch controller 130 is shown and described herein as a separate device from other devices of the dispatch system 100, but in other embodiments, one or more aspects of the dispatch controller 130 may be integrated with one or more other devices of the dispatch system 100. In other words, the exemplary hardware configuration of the dispatch controller 130 as shown herein may be integrated with one or more of the run controller 105, caller 110, input device 120, and / or counting device 125.

[0026] The processor 132 may include any computer device capable of executing machine-readable instructions, which may be stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium such as memory 136. For example, the processor 132 may include a controller, an integrated circuit, a microchip, a computer, and / or any other computer processing unit capable of operating to perform the calculations and logical operations necessary to run a program. As described in detail herein, the processor 132 is configured to perform one or more operations in accordance with instructions stored in memory 136, such as area logic 138.

[0027] Continuing to refer to Figure 4, memory 136 may include various programmed algorithms and data that support the operation of the dispatch system 100. Memory 136 may include any type of computer-readable medium suitable for storing data and algorithms, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard drives, and / or any device capable of storing machine-readable instructions. Memory 136 may include one or more datasets, which include, but are not limited to, operation data 140 received from the operation controller 105, elevator occupant data 142 and / or area occupant (stayer) data 144 (collectively referred to as "occupant data") obtained from the counting device 125.

[0028] As further described herein, elevator occupant data 142 may include the number of occupants 10 (and / or incidental items 12) in real time as detected by the counting device 125 within the cabin of each elevator car 210,220. Area occupant data 144 may include the number of occupants 10 previously detected by the counting device 125 within at least one elevator car 210,220 and transported to at least one of a plurality of locations within the work environment 200. In other words, area occupant data 144 may correspond to the number of occupants 10 transported by at least one of the plurality of elevator cars 210,220 to at least one of a plurality of floors 204A to 204D. The dispatch controller 130 may store the area occupant data 144 in memory 136 and be configured to associate the number of occupants 10 with their corresponding destinations within the work environment 200 (e.g., floors 204A to 204D). For example, the dispatch controller 130 may receive operation data 140 from the operation controller 105, correlate it with elevator occupant data 142, and determine the occupant data 144 within the area.

[0029] The dispatch controller 130 may also be configured to periodically update the area occupancy data 144 when it determines that one or more elevator cars 210, 220 have arrived at or departed from one or more floors 204A to 204D to transport at least one occupant 10. That is, the dispatch controller 130 may continuously change the area occupancy data 144 to include the current number of occupants 10 on each floor 204A to 204D, based on determining the number of occupants 10 arriving at or departed from each floor 204A to 204D (for example, detected by the counting device 125 of each elevator car 210, 220).

[0030] Furthermore, the memory 136 may include a non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing machine-readable instructions such as area logic 140. For example, the area logic 140 may include executable instructions that enable the dispatch system 100 to determine when one or more of the elevator cars 210, 220 are inactive and at what position (e.g., first position) the elevator car should be stopped while it is inactive. The executable instructions of the area logic 140 may further enable the dispatch system 100 to determine the real-time number of occupants (e.g., area occupant data 144) at multiple positions (e.g., floors 204A-204D) and identify a first position that has a total number of occupants greater than the number of occupants at the remaining multiple positions.

[0031] The dispatch logic 140 may further facilitate determining the passenger capacity of each elevator car 210,220 based on the number of passengers 10 physically present in each elevator car 210,220 (e.g., elevator passenger data 142). As will be described in more detail herein, the dispatch system 100 may be configured to determine whether the number of passengers 10 present in each elevator car 210,220 exceeds the passenger capacity of each elevator car 210,220. If the passenger capacity of at least one elevator car 210,220 is exceeded, the dispatch system 100 may prevent that elevator car from responding to additional call requests from passengers 20 wishing to be transported. That is, when determining which of the multiple elevator cars 210,220 to dispatch for a new call request, the dispatch system 100 may exclude that elevator car from consideration until the number of passengers 10 in that elevator car no longer exceeds its passenger capacity.

[0032] Referring to Figure 5, an exemplary method 300 is shown in which the dispatch system 100 is used to determine the number of occupants at multiple locations and to place an inactive elevator car at a location with a higher number of occupants. It should be understood that the steps shown and described herein, and the order in which they are presented, are exemplary only, and various embodiments may include additional steps and / or fewer steps without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, it should be understood that the dispatch system 100 may perform exemplary method 300 in conjunction with one or more other processes, such as exemplary method 400 (see Figure 6), which is described in more detail herein.

[0033] In step 302, the dispatch system 100 may receive a call request at a first location among several locations within the work environment 200. The call request may be initiated in response to a passenger requesting a ride 20 activating a call device 110 at a location such as the first floor 204A (e.g., an arrival location). The call device 100 may transmit the call request to the dispatch controller 130 via the network 115, and the call request may include data indicating the arrival location from which the call request was initiated (e.g., the first floor 204A). The call request may further include data indicating the destination location within the work environment 200 to which the passenger requesting a ride 20 intends to go (e.g., the second floor 204B).

[0034] In step 304, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to retrieve operation data 140 for each elevator car 210, 220 from the corresponding operation controller 105 and determine various movement parameters for each elevator car 210, 220, such as the current position, direction of movement, and speed of movement of each elevator car 210, 220. The dispatch controller 130 may further retrieve elevator occupant data 142 for each elevator car 210, 220 from the corresponding counting device 125 and determine the current number of occupants 10 in each elevator car 210, 220. The dispatch controller 130 may be configured to analyze the operation data 140 and elevator occupant data 142 of multiple elevator cars 210, 220 to determine which elevator car 210, 220 to dispatch to the destination.

[0035] In this example, the first elevator car 210 may be determined as the optimal elevator car from among a plurality of elevator cars 210, 220 for dispatching to the first floor 204A (e.g., the arrival location). In some embodiments, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to communicate with the call device 110 to send a message to the passenger 20 at the arrival location. For example, the dispatch controller 130 may communicate identification information of the first elevator car 210 assigned to respond to the call request. In other embodiments, the dispatch controller 130 may identify the first elevator shaft 202 to which the first elevator car 210 will arrive. The message may be transmitted via the call device 110 in various appropriate formats, including, for example, via a display (e.g., text format, image format, etc.), a speaker (e.g., voice format), etc. As will be described in more detail herein, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to prohibit dispatching one or more elevator cars 210, 220 in response to a call request when the passenger capacity of those elevator cars exceeds (see Figure 6).

[0036] In steps 306-310, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to determine the number of passengers at multiple locations. For example, in step 306, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to determine the number of passengers 10 entering the first elevator car 210 by retrieving elevator passenger data 142 from the counting device 125 when responding to a call request. The dispatch controller 130 may retrieve the elevator passenger data 142 in response to the first elevator car 210 arriving at the first floor 204A (e.g., arrival location) and receiving one or more passengers 10 from there. The counting device 125 may transmit a signal indicating the elevator passenger data 142 of the first elevator car 210 to the dispatch controller 130 via the network 115.

[0037] In some embodiments, the dispatch controller 130 may compare the number of passengers 10 in the first elevator car 210 before arriving at the first floor 204A with the number of passengers 10 in the first elevator car 210 after departing from the first floor 204A, in order to determine the number of passengers 10 received from the arrival location. In other words, the dispatch controller 130 may calculate the difference between the number of passengers in the first elevator car 210 before responding to the call request (from the first floor 204A) and the number of passengers in the first elevator car 210 before completing the call request to the second floor 204B. In this example, the first elevator 210 may have 0 passengers 10 before responding to the call request at the arrival location and include 1 passenger 10 when departing from the arrival location to the destination (e.g., the second floor 204B). Therefore, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to determine that one passenger 10 has entered the first elevator car 210 from the first floor 204A.

[0038] Continuing to refer to Figure 5, in step 308, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to determine the number of passengers 10 leaving the first elevator car 210 by retrieving elevator passenger data 142 from the counting device 125 after the call is completed. The dispatch controller 130 may also retrieve elevator passenger data 142 in response to the first elevator car 210 arriving at the second floor 204B (e.g., the destination) and dropping off one or more passengers 10 there. For example, the counting device 125 may be configured to detect the updated number of passengers 10 remaining in the first elevator car 210 when it arrives at the destination. The counting device 125 may transmit a signal indicating the elevator passenger data 142 of the first elevator car 210 to the dispatch controller 130 via the network 115.

[0039] In some embodiments, the dispatch controller 130 may compare the number of updated passengers 10 remaining in the first elevator car 210 (for example, after departing from the destination location) with the number of passengers 10 in the first elevator car 210 before arriving at the destination (for example, the elevator passenger data in step 306). In this example, the first elevator 210 may have one passenger 10 before completing the call request to the destination location, and may have zero passengers 10 when departing from the destination location. Thus, the dispatch controller 130 may determine that one passenger 10 has left the first elevator car 210 at the second floor 204B. The counting device 125 may be configured in steps 306, 308 to detect the total number of passengers 10 and / or objects 12 (see Figure 3) in the first elevator car 210. Therefore, when the dispatch controller 130 determines the number of passengers 10 in the first elevator car 210, it may take into account one or more objects 12 detected by the counting device 125.

[0040] Continuing with reference to Figure 5, in step 310, in order to determine the number of people at the arrival and destination locations, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to incorporate the elevator occupant data 142 received from the first elevator car 210 into the area occupant data 144 stored in memory. For example, the memory 136 may contain area occupant data 144 for each of several floors 204A to 204D, which may indicate the current number of people at each floor 204A to 204D. The dispatch controller 130 may update the current number of people at one or more locations based on the number of occupants 10 entering the first elevator car 210 from the arrival location (e.g., the first floor 204A) and the number of occupants 10 exiting the first elevator car 210 at the destination location (e.g., the second floor 204B).

[0041] In this example, the dispatch controller 130 may change the current number of occupants corresponding to the first floor 204A (e.g., area occupant data 144) by the number of occupants 10, i.e., the number of occupants 10 received by the first elevator car 210 from the arrival position. In this case, the current number of occupants of the first floor 204A stored in memory 136 in the form of area occupant data 144 may be reduced by one. The dispatch controller 130 may further change the current number of occupants corresponding to the second floor 204B by the number of occupants 10, i.e., the number of occupants 10 transported to the destination position by the first elevator car 210. In this case, the current number of occupants of the second floor 204B stored in memory 136 in the form of area occupant data 144 may be increased by one. The dispatch controller 130 may be configured to continuously update area occupant data 144 for each of the multiple floors 204A to 204D when at least one of the multiple elevator cars 210, 220 transports occupants 10 from the arrival position to the destination position.

[0042] Continuing to refer to Figure 5, in step 312, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to determine the operational status of the first elevator car 210. For example, the dispatch controller 130 may determine that the first elevator car 210 is assigned to respond to an additional call request. In this case, the first elevator car 210 may be in an active state, and the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to dispatch the first elevator car 210 to the arrival location of the additional call request in step 304. Alternatively, the dispatch controller 130 may determine that there is an additional destination to move to based on an existing call from a passenger 10 located inside the first elevator car 210. In this case, the first elevator car 210 may be in an active state, and the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to dispatch the first elevator car 210 in step 304. The dispatch controller 130 may determine that the first elevator car 210 is inactive when no further call requests are assigned to the first elevator car 210, and / or when the first elevator car 210 no longer has any additional destination locations from existing calls.

[0043] Corresponding to the determination in step 312 that the first elevator car 210 is in an inactive state, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured in step 314 to determine the first location containing the highest number of occupants from among multiple locations. That is, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to compare the area occupant data 144 of multiple locations with each other to evaluate the current number of occupants at each location. The dispatch controller 130 may determine that the first location has a highest number of occupants that is greater than the number of occupants at the remaining multiple locations. In this example, as can be seen in Figure 2, the occupants 20 on the first floor 204A may be 0, the second floor 204B may contain 1 occupant 20 (for example, transported there by the first elevator car 210 a little while ago), the third floor 204C may contain 2 occupants 20, and the fourth floor 204D may contain 3 occupants 20. Therefore, the dispatch controller 130 may determine that the fourth floor 204D has a larger number of current occupants than the remaining floors 204A to 204C.

[0044] Continuing to refer to Figure 5, in step 316, the dispatch controller 130 may determine whether the number of other inactive elevator cars 220 located in the first position exceeds a specified threshold. For example, the specified threshold may be stored in memory 136 and may be selectively adjustable by the operator of the dispatch system 100. In some embodiments, the specified threshold may include at least one elevator car. In other embodiments, the specified threshold may be a proportion of the multiple elevator cars 210,220 included in the working environment 200. In response to determining that the number of inactive elevator cars 220 located in the first position does not exceed the threshold, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured in step 318 to move the first elevator car 210 to the first position.

[0045] In this example, the specified threshold may include two elevator cars, and the dispatch controller 130 may identify one elevator car located at the first position (e.g., the second elevator car 220). Thus, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to dispatch the first elevator car 210 to the fourth floor 204D. The first elevator car 210 may remain on the fourth floor 204D while it is inactive. In other words, the first elevator car 210 may remain stationary on the fourth floor 204D until a call request from one of the multiple floors 204A to 204D is assigned to the first elevator car 210 by the dispatch controller 130 (e.g., via the call device 110). It should be understood that if the first elevator car 210 is located on the fourth floor 204D, and that fourth floor 204D has a larger number of occupants than the remaining multiple floors 204A to 204C, then the shortest travel distance for the first elevator car 210 to respond to future call requests can be minimized.

[0046] Alternatively, in response to the determination in step 316 that the number of inactive elevator cars 220 located at the first position exceeds a predetermined threshold, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to determine from multiple positions a second position having a maximum number of occupants that is less than that of the first position. For example, in step 320, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to compare the area occupant data 144 of multiple positions with each other to determine a second position having a maximum number of occupants that is greater than the number of occupants of the remaining multiple positions excluding the first position. In this example, the first floor 204A has 0 occupants 20, the second floor 204B has 1 occupant 20, the third floor 204C has 2 occupants 20, and the fourth floor 204D has 3 occupants 20 (see Figure 2). Therefore, the dispatch controller 130 may determine that, with respect to the number of people staying on the remaining floors 204A to 204B, the fourth floor 204D contains the largest number of people, and the third floor 204C contains the second largest number of people.

[0047] In this example, the specified threshold may include one elevator car, and the dispatch controller 130 may identify one elevator car located at the first position (e.g., the second elevator car 220). Thus, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to dispatch the first elevator car 210 to the third floor 204C in step 322. The first elevator car 210 may remain on the third floor 204C while the first elevator car 210 remains in an inactive state. In other words, the first elevator car 210 may remain stationary on the third floor 204C until a call request from one of the multiple floors 204A to 204D is assigned to the first elevator car 210 by the dispatch controller 130. Please understand that if the first elevator car 210 is located on the third floor 204D, and the second elevator car 220 is located on the fourth floor 204D, and floors 204C to 204D contain the largest number of occupants compared to the remaining floors 204A to 204B, then the shortest travel distance for either elevator car 210 or 220 to respond to a future call request can be minimized.

[0048] It should be understood that the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to periodically re-evaluate the current number of occupants in each of the multiple floors 204A to 204D (e.g., area occupancy data 144). Therefore, the dispatch controller 130 may move one or more inactive elevator cars 210, 220 to modified first and / or second positions based on the updated area occupancy data 144. For example, in response to the determination that the first position (identified in step 314) no longer has a higher number of occupants than the other multiple positions, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to reposition the inactive elevator cars 210, 220 to the modified first position which has the highest number of occupants. The dispatch controller 130 may further determine that the second position (identified in step 320) no longer has the second highest number of occupants compared to the other multiple positions, and as a result, the inactive elevator cars in the second position are repositioned to the modified second position which has the second highest number of occupants.

[0049] In some embodiments, method 300 may include a further step of placing one or more inactive elevators in an additional position (e.g., a third position) if the number of inactive elevator cars in a second position exceeds a predetermined threshold. In other embodiments, the predetermined threshold may be omitted entirely so that any inactive elevator cars 210, 220 are placed in the first position. In further embodiments, the predetermined threshold may be automatically adjusted by the dispatch controller 130 based on the traffic flow pattern of the work environment 200. For example, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to build a model based on operation data 140, elevator occupant data 142, area occupant data 144, etc., to map one or more traffic flow patterns. The data may be collected over a period of time (e.g., a day, a week, a month, a year, etc.) and stored in memory 136 to build the model.

[0050] The specified threshold may be modified based on one or more traffic flow patterns determined from the model. For example, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to increase and / or decrease the specified threshold at predetermined intervals during a specific period (e.g., days, weeks, months, years, etc.). In this case, the dispatch controller 130 may periodically adjust the specified threshold as appropriate to facilitate traffic flow within the work environment 200 via multiple elevator cars 210, 220. Furthermore, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to determine a first and / or second location based at least partially on the traffic flow patterns of the model. For example, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to identify one or more floors 204A-204D that have more occupants than the remaining floors at predetermined intervals during a specific period (e.g., days, weeks, months, years, etc.). In this case, the dispatch controller 130 may periodically adjust the determination of the first and / or second location to facilitate traffic flow within the work environment 200 via multiple elevator cars 210, 220.

[0051] Referring here to Figure 6, an exemplary method 400 is shown in which the dispatch system 100 is used to prevent the elevator car from receiving additional call requests when the passenger capacity is exceeded. It should be understood that the steps shown and described herein, and the order in which they are presented, are exemplary and may be included in various configurations, with additional steps added and / or fewer steps, without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, it should be understood that the dispatch system 100 may perform exemplary method 400 in conjunction with one or more other processes, such as exemplary method 300 described above.

[0052] In step 402, the dispatch system 100 may receive a call request at one of several locations within the work environment 200. The call request may be initiated in response to a passenger requesting to ride 20 activating a call device 110 at that location (one of floors 204A to 204D). The call device 100 may transmit the call request to the dispatch controller 130 via the network 115. In step 404, the dispatch controller 130 may retrieve elevator occupant data 142 for each elevator car 210, 220 from the corresponding counting device 125 to determine the current number of occupants 10 in each elevator car 210, 220. The counting device 125 may transmit a signal indicating the elevator occupant data 142 for the corresponding elevator car 210, 220 to the dispatch controller 130 via the network 115.

[0053] Referring further to Figure 6, in step 406, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to analyze elevator occupancy data 142 for multiple elevator cars 210, 220 to determine whether the number of occupants 10 exceeds the predefined elevator capacity of each elevator car 210, 220. It should be understood that each of the multiple elevator cars 210, 220 may have a different, predefined passenger capacity. The predefined passenger capacity may be stored in the dispatch system 100, for example, in memory 136. In some embodiments, the predefined passenger capacity may be selectively changed by the operator of the dispatch system 100.

[0054] In other embodiments, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to automatically adjust the predefined passenger capacity of each of the multiple elevator cars 210, 220 based on one or more parameters, such as operation data 140, elevator occupancy data 142, and area occupancy data 144. As previously described in detail, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to build a data-based model so that the dispatch controller 130 can adjust the predefined passenger capacity of the elevators 210, 220 based on one or more traffic flow patterns determined from the model.

[0055] Continuing to refer to Figure 6, in step 406, the dispatch controller 130 may, in response to the determination that the number of passengers 10 in an elevator car (e.g., the first elevator car 210, the second elevator car 220, etc.) does not exceed the predetermined passenger capacity, configure the dispatch controller 130 in step 408 to allow the elevator car to receive the call request. That is, when the dispatch controller 130 determines which of the multiple elevator cars 210, 220 to dispatch to the call request, it may consider whether the elevator car is available. In response to the determination in step 406 that the number of passengers 10 in an elevator car exceeds the predetermined passenger capacity, the dispatch controller 130 may, in step 410, configure the elevator car not to receive the call request. In this case, the dispatch controller 130 may determine that the elevator car is unavailable so that when it determines which of the multiple elevator cars 210, 220 to dispatch to the call request, that elevator car is excluded from consideration.

[0056] In step 412, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to wait for a specified period (e.g., 1 second, 1 minute) before returning to step 404 to re-evaluate the number of passengers 10 in the elevator car (e.g., via the counting device 125). In this case, the dispatch controller 130 may be configured to update the operating status of the elevator car (e.g., available, unavailable, operational, inoperable, etc.) when it determines that the updated number of passengers 10 no longer exceeds the passenger capacity of that elevator car. Alternatively, the counting device 125 may be configured to transmit a signal to the dispatch controller 130 via the network 115 indicating the updated number of passengers in the corresponding elevator cars 210, 220. In this case, the dispatch controller 130 may re-evaluate the operating status of the elevator cars 210, 220 upon receiving the signal from the counting device 125. In other embodiments, step 412 may be omitted from the exemplary method 400 so that the dispatch controller 130 completely excludes the elevator car from the target for a particular call request received in step 402.

[0057] It should be understood that one or more processes of the dispatch system 100 shown and described herein, such as exemplary methods 300, 400, may be implemented in a variety of other working environments. For example, the dispatch system 100 may be configured to apply one or more of exemplary methods 300, 400 in a transport system such as a bus service, train service, subway service, metro service, or ride-sharing service. With respect to exemplary method 300, the dispatch system 100 may determine the number of passengers at multiple locations (e.g., bus stops, train stations, subway stations, metro stations, etc.) and place inactive transport units (e.g., buses, trains, subways, metros, vehicles, etc.) at locations with a higher number of passengers.

[0058] Regarding exemplary method 400, the dispatch system 100 may refuse to accept additional call requests and / or passengers when a transport unit (e.g., a bus, train, subway, metro, or vehicle) exceeds its passenger capacity. In this case, the transport unit may bypass its location (e.g., a stopping position) and / or refuse to accept passengers onto the transport unit (e.g., by not opening its doors). In some embodiments, the dispatch system 100 may be configured to communicate with one or more remote stations to transmit information indicating passenger data. For example, the dispatch system 100 may send an alert to a remote station requesting assistance from an additional transport unit (e.g., a bus, train, subway, metro, or vehicle) at one or more locations when one or more current transport units exceed their passenger capacity. It should be understood that the dispatch system 100 may facilitate traffic flow by determining the minimum number of transport units needed at one or more locations or at one or more predetermined intervals to accommodate the expected number of passengers based on previous passenger data.

[0059] All technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art of the subject, unless otherwise specified. Where a singular noun is used herein, it includes the plural noun unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0060] The above description is illustrative and not intended to be restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and / or changes without departing from the general scope of this disclosure. For example, as already described, the above embodiments (and / or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Furthermore, some of the above embodiments may be omitted without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, specific situations or materials may be modified to suit the teachings of various embodiments without departing from their scope. Many other embodiments will also be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the above description.

[0061] [Example 1] A method for arranging multiple elevator cars, The number of people staying at each of the multiple locations Determining the number of passengers exiting the multiple elevator cars at each of the multiple locations, Determining the number of passengers entering the multiple elevator cars from each of the multiple locations, To make a judgment based on, When at least one of the plurality of elevator cars is in an inactive state, move at least one of the plurality of elevator cars to a first position having a total number of occupants greater than the number of occupants at each of the plurality of positions. Methods that include...

[0062] [Example 2] The further includes keeping at least one of the plurality of elevator cars parked at the first position when at least one of the plurality of elevator cars is in the inactive state, The method described in Example 1 above.

[0063] [Example 3] The further includes determining the number of passengers in each of the aforementioned elevator cars when each of the aforementioned elevator cars is in an active state. The method described in Example 1 above.

[0064] [Example 4] The further includes determining the destinations of the multiple elevator cars from the multiple locations, The method described in Example 1 above.

[0065] [Example 5] The system further includes updating the number of occupants at each of the multiple locations in response to determining that one or more of the multiple elevator cars are in an active state and that at least one of the multiple locations is the destination. The method described in Example 4 above.

[0066] [Example 6] The number of people staying at each of the aforementioned multiple locations The number of passengers exiting the multiple elevator cars at each of the multiple locations, The number of passengers entering the multiple elevator cars from each of the multiple locations, This further includes making a determination by calculating the difference, The method described in Example 1 above.

[0067] [Example 7] Each of the plurality of elevator cars includes a counting device configured to generate data indicating the number of passengers in the corresponding elevator car of the plurality of elevator cars. The method described in Example 1 above.

[0068] [Example 8] The further includes moving at least some of the inactive elevator cars to a second position having a second total number of occupants greater than the number of occupants at each of the multiple positions. The method described in Example 1 above.

[0069] [Example 9] The second total number of occupants at the second position is less than the total number of occupants at the first position, and the multiple elevator cars in the inactive state are configured to prioritize the first position over the second position. The method described in Example 8 above.

[0070] [Example 10] To determine whether the number of elevator cars in the inactive state at the first position exceeds a threshold, Moving a portion of the plurality of elevator cars that are in the inactive state to the second position, The method described in Example 9 above, further including the method described in Example 9 above.

[0071] [Example 11] It is determined that the number of passengers in the first elevator car exceeds the passenger capacity of the first elevator car, To exclude the first elevator car from being the target of the call, the first elevator car is prevented from receiving the call, The method described in Example 1 above, further comprising:

[0072] [Example 12] It is determined that the number of passengers in the first elevator car is less than the passenger capacity of the first elevator car, To enable the first elevator car to receive calls, The method described in Example 10 above, further comprising:

[0073] [Example 13] The first elevator car includes a counting device configured to count the number of passengers inside the first elevator car. The method described in Example 11 above.

[0074] [Example 14] A system for arranging multiple elevator cars, A counting device, at least one of which is located in each of a plurality of elevator cars, and which is configured to generate data indicating the number of passengers in the plurality of elevator cars, A dispatch controller operably connected to at least one counting device in each of the plurality of elevator cars to receive data indicating the number of passengers in the plurality of elevator cars, Equipped with, The aforementioned dispatch controller determines the number of people staying at each of the multiple locations. Determining the number of passengers exiting the multiple elevator cars at each of the multiple locations, Determining the number of passengers entering the multiple elevator cars from each of the multiple locations, It is configured to make decisions based on the following: The dispatch controller is configured to move at least one of the plurality of elevator cars to a first position having a total number of occupants greater than the number of occupants at each of the plurality of positions when at least one of the plurality of elevator cars is in an inactive state. system.

[0075] [Example 15] The dispatch controller is configured to keep at least one of the plurality of elevator cars parked at the first position when at least one of the plurality of elevator cars is in the inactive state. The system described in Example 14 above.

[0076] [Example 16] The aforementioned dispatch controller is The number of passengers in each of the aforementioned elevator cars when each of the aforementioned elevator cars is in an active state, The destinations from the multiple locations of the multiple elevator cars, The system described in Example 14 above, configured to determine the following.

[0077] [Example 17] The dispatch controller is configured to update the number of passengers at each of the multiple locations in response to determining that one or more of the multiple elevator cars are in an active state and that at least one of the multiple locations is the destination. The system described in Example 16 above.

[0078] [Example 18] The dispatch controller determines the number of people staying at each of the multiple locations. The number of passengers exiting the multiple elevator cars at each of the multiple locations, The number of passengers entering the multiple elevator cars from each of the multiple locations, It is configured to make a determination by calculating the difference. The system described in Example 14 above.

[0079] [Example 19] The aforementioned dispatch controller is If the number of passengers in the first elevator car exceeds the passenger capacity of the first elevator car, the first elevator car will be excluded from the call so that it cannot receive the call, or The number of passengers in the first elevator car falls below the passenger capacity of the first elevator car, and the first elevator car becomes capable of receiving the call, The system described in Example 14 above, configured to determine the following.

[0080] [Example 20] A system for controlling the traffic flow of multiple elevator cars, Processor and A memory that stores instructions that cause the processor to perform multiple operations when executed by the processor, Equipped with, The aforementioned multiple operations are, The number of people staying at each of the multiple locations Determining the number of passengers exiting the multiple elevator cars at each of the multiple locations, Determining the number of passengers entering the multiple elevator cars from each of the multiple locations, To make a judgment based on, When at least one of the plurality of elevator cars is in an inactive state, move at least one of the plurality of elevator cars to a first position having a total number of occupants greater than the number of occupants at each of the plurality of positions. A system that includes this.

Claims

[Claim 1] The method described in the specification.

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