Method and controller for assigning floor allocations of a plurality of service units in an elevator arrangement

Abstract

A method and a controller (19) for assigning floor allocations of a plurality of service units (3) in an elevator arrangement (1) are described. The elevator arrangement comprises: a cabin (5) being displaceable between multiple floors (9) and provided with a sound receiver (11), the plurality of service units (3), each being arranged at one of the floors and being provided with an associated sound emitter (13), and a controller (15) for controlling a displacement of the cabin and for controlling an activation of each of the sound emitters. The method comprises: displacing the cabin successively to each of the floors, upon the cabin being located at a current floor (10), activating all sound emitters of the service units and receiving sound generated by at least one of the activated sound emitters by the sound receiver, detecting characteristics of sound emitted from the activated sound emitter located at the current floor, and determining an identity of a service unit arranged at the current floor based on the detected characteristics and assigning a floor allocation including an information about the current floor linked to an information about the determined identity of the service unit arranged at the current floor.

Description

[0001] 2024 P00200WQ

[0002] - 1 -

[0003] Method and controller for assigning floor allocations of a plurality of service units in an elevator arrangement

[0004] The present invention relates to a method for assigning floor allocations of a plurality of service units in an elevator arrangement. Furthermore, the invention relates to a controller configured for implementing such method and to an elevator arrangement comprising such controller.

[0005] Elevators arrangements are typically installed in a building in order to transport passengers and / or goods between various floors throughout the building. For such purpose, the elevator arrangement typically comprises at least one cabin which may be displaced along a travel path for example in a vertical elevator shaft between multiple floors and which may be accessed by the passengers or goods upon stopping at one of the floors. Generally, a controller of the elevator arrangement controls a drive unit for displacing the cabin along the travel path.

[0006] The elevator arrangement typically comprises one or more service units arranged at each of the floors to be serviced by the cabin. Such service units may be for example devices which may be used by passengers for controlling an operation of the elevator arrangement. For example, a service unit may have a call button to be activated in order to call the elevator cabin to be displaced to a floor where a passenger is waiting. Alternatively, a service unit may be implemented and / or activated in other technical manners. The service units are generally coupled to the controller of the elevator arrangement such that an activation of one of the service units may be communicated to the controller. The service units may also be referred to as landing operation panels (LOP). Alternatively or additionally, the service unit may be configured for only indicating information to passengers, such units sometimes being referred to as landing indicator panels (LIP).

[0007] Upon installing an elevator arrangement, a plurality of service units is typically mounted at each of multiple floors to be serviced. Therein, the service units may initially be identical to each other. Accordingly, before assigning floor allocations to each of the 2024 P00200WQ

[0008] - 2 - service units, the controller of the elevator arrangement may not know at which of the floors a specific one of the service units is actually arranged.

[0009] Accordingly, before starting normal operation of the elevator arrangement, a floor allocation assigning procedure generally has to be implemented in which information is provided to the controller indicating for each of the service units at which floor the respective service unit is actually mounted. In cases in which more than one service unit is arranged at a single floor, additional information about the actual location and / or about an instance of each of the service units within the respective floor may additionally have to be provided in the floor allocation assigning procedure. Therein, plural service units may be provided at or next to plural elevator doors at different entrance locations relative to the cabin. Alternatively, multiple identical or differing service units may be arranged at the same entrance in which case not only additional information concerning location but for example also concerning instance could be intersting.

[0010] In an earlier approach, such floor allocation assigning procedure required a technician to travel from floor to floor and to manually assign the floor allocation. For example, the service units may comprise switches, which may be used to indicate a floor number, and the technician may set such switches at each of the service units to indicate the floor at which the respective service unit is arranged. However, such manual approach is labour- intensive, time-consuming and / or prone to human mistakes.

[0011] An alternative is described in EP 1 847 499 B 1. Therein, a method is proposed for setting the floor assignments of a multiplicity of operating units of a lift installation, wherein a multiplicity of operating units is distributed over a multiplicity of floors distributed over a plurality of storeys. The storeys can be approached by a lift cage comprising a transmitting unit such as e.g. RFID transmitter. In the process, the lift cage is moved to a predetermined floor. The operating unit assigned to the approached floor is activated using the RFID transmitter or, in an alternative embodiment, by pressing push buttons. The position data describing the storey in which the control unit is located is transmitted from the transmitting unit to the control unit and / or to the central control unit. The positional data are stored in a memory unit of the operating unit and / or in the central control unit. However, such approach generally requires additional hardware such as 2024 P00200WQ

[0012] - 3 -

[0013] RFID transmiters to be included in the elevator arrangement and therefore may increase costs and / or complexity to the elevator arrangement.

[0014] Accordingly, there may be a need for an improved method for assigning floor allocations of a plurality of service units in an elevator arrangement. Particularly, there may be a need for such method, which may be implemented in a partly or fully automated manner, which may be executed in a fast manner, which may be reliable and preferably not prone to human mistakes, which requires no or few additional hardware and / or which may be implemented at low costs and / or low complexity. Furthermore, there may be a need for a controller being configured for implementing or controlling such method and for an elevator arrangement comprising such controller.

[0015] Such needs may be met with the subject-mater of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims, described throughout the specification and / or visualized in the figures.

[0016] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for assigning floor allocations of a plurality of service units in an elevator arrangement is described. The elevator arrangement comprises a cabin, the plurality of service units and a controller. The cabin is displaceable along a travel path between multiple floors and is provided with a sound receiver. Each service unit is arranged at one of the floors and is provided with an associated sound emiter. The controller is configured for controlling a displacement of the cabin along the travel path and for controlling an activation of each of the sound emiters in the service units. The method comprises at least the following steps, possibly but not necessarily in the indicated order: displacing the cabin successively to each of the floors, upon the cabin being located at a current floor, activating all sound emiters of the service units arranged at all of the floors and receiving sound generated by at least one of the activated sound emiters by the sound receiver, detecting characteristics of sound emited from the activated sound emiter located at the current floor, and determining an identity of a service unit arranged at the current floor based on the detected characteristics and assigning a floor allocation including an information about 2024 P00200WQ

[0017] - 4 - the current floor linked to an information about the determined identity of the service unit arranged at the current floor.

[0018] According to a second aspect of the invention, a controller configured for controlling displacing an elevator cabin of an elevator arrangement along the travel path and for controlling an activation of each of a plurality of sound emitters in a plurality of service units and for assigning floor allocations of the plurality of service units is described. Therein, the controller is configured for at least one of implementing and controlling the method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention.

[0019] According to a third aspect of the invention, an elevator arrangement is described which comprises a cabin being displaceable along a travel path between multiple floors and being provided with a sound receiver, the plurality of service units, each service unit being arranged at one of the floors and being provided with an associated sound emitter, and a controller according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the invention.

[0020] Briefly summarized and without limiting the scope of the invention, basic ideas underlying embodiments of the invention and associated possible advantages may be roughly described as follows:

[0021] While conventional approaches for floor allocation assigning procedures generally require substantial manual efforts to be provided by a technician and / or substantial additional hardware for implementing some automation, embodiments of the approach described herein may enable a partly or preferably fully automated method for assigning floor allocations of plural service units in an elevator arrangement. Therein, the method uses no or only few additional hardware. Instead, hardware, which is already present in most elevator arrangements for other purposes, may be used for implementing the proposed method.

[0022] Specifically, a cabin of an elevator arrangement generally comprises a sound receiver such as a microphone for example in order to enable receiving spoken messages of a passenger in cases of emergency. Furthermore, a service unit of an elevator arrangement generally comprises an associated sound emitter such as a loudspeaker or a buzzer e.g. in order to enable emitting sound signals to passengers. Both the sound receiver in the cabin 2024 P00200WQ

[0023] - 5 - as well as the sound emitters in the various service units are generally coupled to a controller of the elevator arrangement such that the sound emitters may be activated individually by the controller and signals generated upon sound being received by the sound receiver may be transmitted to the controller.

[0024] In the method proposed herein, the sound receiver in the cabin and the sound emitters in the plural service units may be suitably used and controlled by the elevator controller in order to establish an optimized floor allocation assigning procedure.

[0025] In the proposed method, the cabin is successively displaced to each of the floors to be serviced by the elevator arrangement. When reaching one of the floors, all or at least some of sound emitters of the plural service units distributed at all of the floors are activated e.g. either successively or simultaneously. At the same time, sound generated by at least one of the activated sound emitters is received by the sound receiver in the cabin and sound emitted from the activated sound emitter located at the floor at which the cabin is currently located is analyzed for detecting its characteristics. For example, the sounds generated by the various sound emitters throughout the entire elevator arrangement may differ from each other with regards to the point in time when a sound is generated, with regards to a frequency or frequency profde, with regards to a sound pattern, etc., such that each of the sound emitters throughout the elevator arrangement may be individually identified upon detecting its sound characteristics. Accordingly, upon having determined an identity of a service unit arranged at the floor where the cabin is currently located, information about such current floor may be linked to an information about the determined identity of the service units arranged at this floor in order to assign a corresponding floor allocation.

[0026] This process may be repeated at several or preferably all of the floors to be serviced by the elevator arrangement such that, in the end, all service units of the elevator arrangement are distinctly assigned to one of the floors and the floor allocation of all service units is therefore completed for entire group of service units distributed throughout the floors in a building. Therein, for a first approached floor, preferably all of the sound emitters of the plural service units distributed at all of the floors are activated successively or simultaneously, whereas, for subsequently approached floors, it may be sufficient to active only those sound emitters which have not yet been allocated before. 2024 P00200WQ

[0027] - 6 -

[0028] In the following, possible features of embodiments of the invention and associated possible advantages will be described in more detail.

[0029] The floor allocation assigning method proposed herein may be applied to various types of elevator arrangements independently of a specific type of cabin, a specific type of drive unit for displacing the cabin and / or a specific type of service units. For example, the cabin may be small for accommodating only one or a few passengers or maybe large for accommodating multiple passengers or a large goods. The cabin may have one cabin door, multiple cabin doors or no cabin door. Furthermore, the proposed method may also be applied with double deck elevators for example for high rise buildings in which two cabins are included in a common frame and possibly vertically displaceable relative to each other in order to enable passengers at vertically neighboring floors to access either a lower one or an upper one of both cabins. The cabin may be suspended for example by belts or ropes forming suspension traction means driven for example by a traction sheave of a drive unit. Alternatively, other displacement techniques and / or drive units may be applied. The displacement of the cabin along the travel path is controlled by the controller of the elevator arrangement by suitably controlling the drive unit.

[0030] The cabin or, in a case of a double deck elevator, each of the cabins comprises at least one sound receiver. The sound receiver is configured for generating signals such as electric signals upon receiving sound. For example, the sound receiver may be a microphone. The signals may be communicated to the controller of the elevator arrangement for example via wirings or in a wireless manner. Generally, the sound receiver may be arranged anywhere at the cabin. Preferably, the sound receiver may be arranged inside the cabin such as to mainly receive sound generated within the cabin. Further preferably, the sound receiver may be arranged inside the cabin and close to a cabin door such as to enabling receiving sound from outside the cabin in case the cabin door is opened. For example, the sound receiver may be included in a cabin operation panel (COP) or as separate individual device. The cabin operation panel may be configured for enabling a passenger to indicate a target floor. Furthermore, such cabin operation panel may have a functionality to be activated in cases of emergency. Particularly, the sound receiver may be provided for receiving sound such as spoken 2024 P00200WQ

[0031] - 7 - messages generated by a passenger in the cabin. The sound receiver may be configured for receiving sound at different loudness levels and / or at different frequencies.

[0032] The plurality of service units is distributed throughout the elevator arrangement such that generally at least one service unit is provided at each one of the multiple floors to be serviced by the elevator cabin. The service unit may be adapted for enabling to be actuated by a passenger. For example, by actuating the service unit, the passenger may submit a cabin call to the elevator controller. The service unit may be implemented in a variety of techniques. For example, the service unit may be a simple device with a press button being pressed mechanically for actuating a cabin call. Alternatively, the service unit may be a more complex device to be actuated by capacitive or inductive contacting or by contactless actuation. Additionally or alternatively, the service unit may be adapted for enabling providing information to passengers. Such functionality may be used for example in order to indicate a current location of the cabin, an expected waiting time, etc. For example, the service unit may comprise one or more light sources such as LEDs, a display, a touchscreen, etc.

[0033] Each service unit includes an associated sound emitter. The sound emitter is configured for emitting sound upon being actuated. The sound emitter may be actuated upon receiving an actuation signal such as an electric signal. The actuation signal may be provided by the elevator controller. Preferably, the elevator controller may be configured for actuating each of the multiple sound emitters in the plural service units individually. The sound emitter may be for example a loudspeaker, a buzzer, a bell, a horn, etc. The sound emitter may be configured for generating only a single type of sound upon being actuated, such as is generally the case with buzzers, bells or horns. Alternatively, the sound emitter may be configured for generating various types of sound, such as is generally the case with loudspeakers. Particularly, the sound emitter may be configured for generating sound with a single frequency profile or at various different frequency profiles. The sound emitter may be configured for generating sound at a single loudness level or at various loudness levels. The sound emitter may be configured for being activated and deactivated at short time intervals of e.g. less than 2s, less than Is or less than 0.3s. Accordingly, the sound emitter may be adapted to be controlled to emit sound with different time patterns. Therein, a time pattern may include a sequence of settings at which the sound emitter is temporarily activated and temporarily deactivated or, 2024 P00200WQ

[0034] - 8 - altematively, the sound emitter is temporarily activated to emit sound at different loudness levels and / or at different frequency profdes.

[0035] Accordingly, while all of the service units may comprise a same type of sound emitter, each sound emitter may be controlled to emit an individual and therefore characterising sound. In other words, upon being actuated by the elevator controller, each sound emitter may generate an individual sound which is characterized by its point in time of sound generation, its time pattern, its frequency profde and / or its loudness level or loudness time profile.

[0036] The floor allocation assigning method proposed herein may use the sound receiver in the cabin and the sound emitters in the various service units at the plural floors in order to implement an automatic floor allocation. With such floor allocation, each of the service units may be provided with an attributed information about the actual floor and, optionally, an actual location within a floor where the respective service unit is arranged. Accordingly, after having conducted the floor allocation assigning procedure according to the proposed method, the elevator controller may have an information about where, i.e. at which floor and / or at which position within a floor, each of the service units of the elevator arrangement is arranged. Therefore, while the service units may be identical in terms of hardware and may therefore initially not be distinguished by the controller, after having conducted the floor allocation, the controller may individually allocate or assign signals received from a service unit or supplied to a service unit at a specific floor and / or location throughout the elevator arrangement.

[0037] During the proposed method, the cabin is successively displaced to each of the floors. For example, the cabin may be displaced from a lowermost floor to an uppermost floor or vice versa. Optionally, the cabin may continuously be displaced along the travel path. Alternatively, the cabin may be displaced from floor to floor and may temporarily stop at each of the floors. The cabin may be arranged at or close to a floor or may be stopped at a floor for a duration which is long enough for activating all sound emitters and detecting the characteristics of the emitted sounds. Optionally, when reaching one of the floors, a cabin door may temporarily be opened. 2024 P00200WQ

[0038] - 9 -

[0039] Upon the cabin being located at one of the floors referred herein to as “current floor”, the sound emitters of all service units arranged throughout the elevator arrangement are activated. As described in further detail below, the sound emitters may be actuated in a sequence, i.e. one after the other, or simultaneously.

[0040] Sound generated by at least one of the activated sound emitters is then received by the sound receiver of the cabin. In other words, sound generated by a sound emitter at the associated service unit located within one of the floors is transmitted to the cabin and may be received there at the sound receiver. The signals generated by the sound receiver upon receiving such sound may then be analysed for their characteristics. Such characteristics include, inter-alia, information about a point in time at which sound is received, information about a time pattern of the received sound, information about a frequency profile of the received sound, etc. In other words, the received sound may be analysed for its individual point in time at which it is generated and / or for its individual sound with which it is generated.

[0041] Based on such analysis and detected characteristics of the sound received by the sound receiver, an identity of the service unit arranged at the current floor may be determined. This information may then be used for assigning a floor allocation in which the information about the current floor is linked to the information about the determined identity of the service unit arranged at this floor.

[0042] According to an embodiment, a determination of whether a sound received by the sound receiver is emitted from the activated sound emitter located at the current floor or from an activated sound emitter located at another floor is based on a loudness level of the received sound.

[0043] In other words, upon detecting characteristics of sound received at the sound receiver, a distinction between sound emitted by the sound emitter located at the current floor and sound emitted by other sound emitters located at other floors may be made based on a loudness level of the received sound. Generally, the higher the loudness level of received sound, the higher a probability that the received sound is generated at a nearby location, i.e. by the sound emitter of the service unit which is arranged at the floor at which the cabin is currently located. While sound generated at other sound emitters located further 2024 P00200WQ

[0044] - 10 - away may also be received by the sound receiver, its loudness level is generally significantly lower as compared to sound emitted at the nearest service unit at the current floor.

[0045] Therein, the determination of the sound being received from the nearest service unit may be made based on an absolute value of the loudness level. For example, sound received by the sound receiver exceeding a predetermined limit loudness level may be interpreted as coming from the nearest sound emitter at the current floor whereas sound with a lower loudness level is recognised to come from other floors.

[0046] Alternatively, the determination of the sound being received from the nearest service unit may be made based on a comparison of loudness levels of various received sounds, i.e. on a relative basis. Particularly, sound received by the sound receiver having a higher loudness level than all other sounds received by the sound receiver may be interpreted as coming from the nearest sound emitter at the current floor.

[0047] According to an embodiment, upon activating the sound emitters of the service units, each of the plurality of sound emitters is activated by the controller separately one after the other.

[0048] In other words, upon the cabin reaching a current floor, all of the plurality of sound emitters may be activated sequentially such that, at a given point in time, only a single one of the sound emitters is temporarily activated. Such sequential activation of the sound emitters in the various service units may be easily controlled by the controller by sequentially sending triggering signals to the service units. Furthermore, activating the sound emitters at the plural service units sequentially may simplify determining the identity of a service unit a arranged at the current floor.

[0049] Particularly, according to an embodiment, upon activating the sound emitters of the service units, the controller controls all of the sound emitters to emit a same sound but at different points in time.

[0050] Expressed differently, each of the sound emitters comprised in the plural service units may be for example a simple device such as a buzzer, bell or horn, which, upon being 2024 P00200WQ

[0051] - 11 - activated, may emit a typical sound. Therein, all of the sound emitters may be identical throughout the plural service units and may therefore all emit the same typical sound.

[0052] However, the controller may trigger each of the sound emitters in the various service units at different points in time. Accordingly, the point in time at which one of the sound emitters emits its sound is unique and therefore characteristic for the respective sound emitter.

[0053] Thus, according to an embodiment, the identity of a service unit arranged at the current floor is determined based on a time coincidence between a timing of an activation of one of the sound emitters by the controller and a timing at which sound emitted from the activated sound emitter located at the current floor is received by the sound receiver.

[0054] In other words, taking into account an information about the timing at which a specific one of the plural sound emitters is activated by the controller and furthermore taking into account an information about the timing at which sound from the nearest sound emitter at the current floor is received by the sound receiver, an identification of the service unit arranged at the current floor may be determined and may then be used for allocating this service unit to the respective floor.

[0055] Therein, the time coincidence may mean that a time interval at which the respective sound emitter is triggered by the controller to emit its sound and a time interval at which the sound is received by the sound receiver at least partly overlap.

[0056] According to an embodiment in an alternative implementation, upon activating the sound emitters of the service units, all of the plurality of sound emitters are activated by the controller simultaneously.

[0057] Expressed differently, instead of activating the plural sound emitters sequentially, the controller may activate the sound emitters in all of the service units simultaneously, i.e. at a same point in time or within a same time interval.

[0058] However, while all of the sound emitters emit their sounds concurrently, the sound receiver located in the cabin at the current floor receives the sound generated by the 2024 P00200WQ

[0059] - 12 - sound emiter of the nearest service unit at the same floor at the highest loudness level, whereas sound generated by sound emiters at other floors are heard at most at a lower loudness level.

[0060] Accordingly, while all sound emiters may be actuated simultaneously and may therefore emit their sounds within a shorter time interval as compared to a sequential actuation of the sound emiters, thereby possibly accelerating the entire floor allocation procedure, the sound emiter located at the current floor may nevertheless be reliably detected taking into account for example the loudness levels of received sounds.

[0061] Particularly, according to an embodiment, upon activating the sound emiters of the service units, the controller controls each of the sound emiters to emit an individual sound which is different from sounds to be emited by other ones of the sound emiters.

[0062] In other words, while all the sound emiters may be structurally identical to each other and / or may be activated simultaneously, the controller may control each of the sound emiters to emit its own individual and therefore characteristic sound. Accordingly, the sound emited by each of the sound emiters may be distinguished from sound emited by an arbitrary other one of the sound emiters due to its individual sound characteristics.

[0063] Therein, the individual sound may be characterised by any sound characteristics which may be recognised upon analysing signals generated by the sound receiver upon receiving such sound. For example, each individual sound may have its characteristic sound patern or time profde according to which the emited sound is sequentially switched on and off in a predetermined patern and / or a loudness of the emited sound is sequentially raised and reduced in a predetermined profde. Additionally or alternatively, each individual sound may have its characteristic frequency or frequency profde. I.e. while for example a first sound emiter emits a sound at a first frequency or with a first frequency profde, a second sound emiter emits its sound at a different second frequency or with a different second frequency profde. Therein, the frequency or frequency profde may be fixed over time or may vary over time with a predetermined time variation profde.

[0064] Thus, according to an embodiment, the identity of a service unit arranged at the current floor is determined based on characteristics of an individual sound emited from the 2024 P00200WQ

[0065] - 13 - activated sound emitter located at the current floor which individual sound is different from sounds to be emitted by other ones of the sound emitters.

[0066] Expressed differently, by analysing of sound which is received by the sound receiver with regards to its loudness level and / or individual sound characteristics, the identity of the service unit and its associated sound emitter arranged at the current floor may be determined and may then be used for assigning the respective floor allocation.

[0067] According to an embodiment, the cabin comprises at least one cabin door. Therein, the method further comprises opening the cabin door upon the cabin being located at a current floor.

[0068] A cabin door may generally be provided at the elevator cabin in order to selectively allow or deny access to the cabin. The cabin door may be part of the cabin and may be displaced together with the cabin. Additionally to the cabin door, the elevator arrangement may comprise landing doors at door openings in an elevator shaft at each of the floors. Both, the cabin doors and the landing doors may be selectively opened and closed. Therein, during normal elevator operation, a landing door may generally only be opened in case the cabin is currently stopped at the respective landing. The cabin door and the landing door are then generally opened and closed concurrently.

[0069] In the method proposed herein, it may be advantageous to open the cabin door and / or the landing door upon the cabin reaching a current floor at which a service unit shall be identified. With the opened door(s), sound generated by the sound emitter at the service unit may then be easily transmitted towards the sound receiver at the cabin without being excessively dampened by any intermediate door acting as a sound barrier. Accordingly, the sound emitted at the nearest service unit in the adjacent current floor may be reliably recognised and distinguished from sound possibly generated at other service units at other floors.

[0070] According to an embodiment, the cabin comprises at least two cabin doors. Therein, at least two service units are arranged at one of the floors at different door locations adjacent to door openings associated to each of the cabin doors. The method may then further comprise determining an identity of a service unit arranged at the current floor at one of 2024 P00200WQ

[0071] - 14 - the different locations based on the detected characteristics and assigning the floor allocation including an information about the current floor and at least one of the door locations linked to an information about the determined identity of the service unit arranged at the current floor at the respective door location.

[0072] Elevator arrangements may comprise cabins having more than one cabin door such as to enable entering and leaving the cabin at different access locations, i.e. from or towards different areas in a building. For example, a first cabin door may be provided at a first side of the elevator cabin whereas a second cabin door may be provided at an opposite second side of the cabin. The cabin doors may be controlled by the elevator controller to be opened and closed independently from each other. For example, a first cabin door may be opened while a second cabin door remains closed.

[0073] Furthermore, elevator arrangements may comprise more than one service unit at one or each of its serviced floors. Therein, the two or more service units are generally arranged at different locations. Particularly, in case the elevator arrangement has a cabin with two or more cabin doors, the service units may be distributed along a same floor and may be arranged at different door locations adjacent to door openings associated to each of the cabin doors. For example, one service unit may be arranged next to a first landing door while a second service unit is arranged next to a second landing door at the same floor.

[0074] In such situation, the proposed method may be modified by further comprising a step of determining not only an identity of a service unit arranged at the current floor but additionally also determining one of the different locations at which the plural service units are arranged at this floor. Such identification may be made based on the detected characteristics of sound received by the sound receiver at the elevator cabin.

[0075] The floor allocation may then be specifically assigned by including both, an information about the current floor as well as an information about the door location at which the sound received by the sound receiver was emitted by the sound emitter. Such information may then be linked to an information about the determined identity of the service unit arranged at the current floor at the respective door location, thereby completing a floor allocation. 2024 P00200WQ

[0076] - 15 -

[0077] According to a further specified embodiment, upon the cabin being located at a current floor, the method comprises opening the plural cabin doors successively one after the other such that at most one of the cabin doors is open when the sound emitters are activated.

[0078] In other words, while the cabin is located at a current floor, its plural cabin doors should preferably not be opened all at the same time but successively one after the other. Accordingly, upon activating all sound emitters of the service units distributed throughout the elevator arrangement, the sound receiver in the cabin will receive the sound emitted at the service unit located at the current floor and next to the currently opened cabin door at a highest loudness level, whereas sounds emitted at other floors or at a door location of the same floor but behind the currently closed cabin door will be significantly dampened and therefore received by the sound receiver at most at a significantly reduced loudness level. Accordingly, while the elevator cabin being located at a floor comprising more than one service unit, it may nevertheless be distinguished between the service units by suitably successively opening and closing the cabin doors and detecting which one of the sounds emitted by the sound emitters in the respective service units may be heard louder.

[0079] Thus, a determination of the different door locations of the various service units at the same floor may be made in a reliable manner. Accordingly, such information may be reliably used upon assigning the floor allocation together with the door location.

[0080] Embodiments of a controller according to the second aspect of the invention are not only configured for controlling cabin displacement and activation of each of the plurality of sound emitters in the plural service units, but are additionally also configured for assigning floor allocations of the plurality of service units by implementing or controlling an embodiment of the floor location assigning method described herein.

[0081] For such purpose, the controller may be coupled for data communication with the service units and the sound emitters as well as with the sound receiver in the cabin. Such coupling may be established via wirings or in a wireless manner. Furthermore, the controller may comprise a processing unit or processor for evaluating signals and / or data received from sound receiver at the cabin and / or from the service units and / or for generating signals and / or data to be transmitted to the service units and their sound 2024 P00200WQ

[0082] - 16 - emitters. The controller may be configured for implementing or controlling the proposed method using suitable hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software. The controller may be programmable. The controller may comprise data memory for storing data and / or signals.

[0083] Embodiments of the elevator arrangement according to the third aspect of the invention comprise a cabin, a plurality of service units being distributed along the various floors to be serviced by the elevator arrangement and each being provided with an associated sound emitter. Furthermore, the elevator arrangement comprises a controller according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, which is configured for implementing or controlling the floor allocation assigning method described herein.

[0084] It shall be noted that possible features and advantages of embodiments of the invention are described herein partly with respect to a floor allocation assigning method and partly with respect to a controller for implementing such method and an elevator arrangement including such controller. One skilled in the art will recognize that the features may be suitably transferred from one embodiment to another and features may be modified, adapted, combined and / or replaced, etc. in order to come to further embodiments of the invention.

[0085] In the following, advantageous embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the enclosed drawing. However, neither the drawing nor the description shall be interpreted as limiting the invention.

[0086] Fig. 1 shows an elevator arrangement including a controller and being configured for implementing a floor allocation assigning method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] The figure is only schematic and not to scale. Same reference signs refer to same or similar features.

[0088] Fig. 1 shows a building 23 with an elevator arrangement 1 which is configured for establishing a floor allocation assigning method by which each of a multiplicity of potentially structurally identical service units 3 in the elevator arrangement 1 may be 2024 P00200WQ

[0089] - 17 - individually identified and allocated with respect to a floor 9 and, optionally, a door location 19 at which the respective service unit 3 is arranged.

[0090] The elevator arrangement 1 comprises a cabin 5, which may be displaced by a drive unit 25 along a travel path 7 throughout an elevator shaft 27. The cabin 5 may be displaced to each of multiple floors 9 by suitably controlling an operation of the drive unit 25 using a controller 15.

[0091] The cabin 5 comprises a sound receiver 11 such as a microphone. For example, the sound receiver 11 may be included in a cabin operation panel 12 inside the cabin 5. The sound receiver 11 is coupled to the controller 15 for data communication.

[0092] In the example shown, the cabin 5 comprises two cabin doors 17 arranged at opposite sides of the cabin 5. At each of the floors 9, corresponding door openings 21 including landing doors are provided at the elevator shaft 27.

[0093] At door locations 19 at or next to each of the door openings 21 and each of the floors 9, one of a plurality of service units 3 is provided. Each service unit 3 may for example be implemented with a functionality allowing passengers to call the elevator cabin 5.

[0094] Furthermore, each service unit 3 comprises an associated sound emitter 13. For example, the sound emitter 13 may be a buzzer, bell, horn or loudspeaker, which may be actuated by applying an electric signal. Actuation of the sound emitters 13 may be controlled by the controller 15. For such purpose, the controller 15 is coupled to each one of the sound emitters 13 in a way such as to enable addressing each of the sound emitters 13 individually.

[0095] Upon executing the proposed floor allocation assigning method, the cabin 5 is successively displaced to each of the floors 9. When the cabin 5 is located at a current floor 10, the controller 15 activates all sound emitters 13 of all service units 3. Therein, the sound emitters 13 may be activated sequentially one after the other or simultaneously altogether. 2024 P00200WQ

[0096] - 18 -

[0097] The sound receiver 11 in the cabin 5 may then receive sound generated by the activated sound emitters 13. Therein, sound which is received at a highest loudness level may be attributed as coming from the nearest one of the sound emitters 13, i.e. from the sound emitter 13 located at the current floor 10 at which the cabin 5 is currently located.

[0098] Characteristics of the sound emitted from the activated sound emitter 13 located at the current floor 10 may then be detected.

[0099] For example, in case the sound emitters 13 are actuated sequentially one after the other, such characteristics may relate to a point in time at which sound is received from the various sound emitters 13. A point in time at which the sound receiver 11 receives sound with a highest loudness level generally coincides with a point in time at which the controller 15 actuates the sound emitter 13 located at the current floor 10. Accordingly, the identity of the service unit 3 arranged at the current floor 10 may be determined based on such detected characteristics. A floor allocation may therefore be assigned accordingly by including information about the current floor 10 linked to the information about the determined identity of the service unit 3 arranged at the current floor 10.

[0100] Alternatively, in case the sound emitters 13 are actuated simultaneously altogether, the controller 13 may actuate each of the sound emitters 13 to emit a specific individual sound. Therein, the individual sounds of the various sound emitters 13 at the various service units 3 may differ from each other for example with respect to a sound pattern, a frequency, a frequency profile, a time profile, etc. Accordingly, the individual sound received by the sound receiver 11 with the highest loudness level may be associated with the sound emitter 13 which is actuated by the controller 15 to emit this specific individual sound. Accordingly, the identity of the service unit 3 arranged at the current floor 10 may be determined based on such detected characteristics relating to the individual sound. Again, a floor allocation may then be assigned accordingly by including information about the current floor 10 linked to the information about the determined identity of the service unit 3 arranged at this floor 10.

[0101] Furthermore, as the cabin 5 comprises two cabin doors 17 and service units 3 are arranged at or close to each of corresponding door openings 21 at the door locations 19, the method further comprises determining an identity of a service unit 3 arranged at the 2024 P00200WQ

[0102] - 19 - current floor 10 at one of the different door locations 19 based on the detected characteristics of the emitted sounds. The floor allocation is then assigned by including both an information about the current floor 10 as well as an information about the respective door location 19 linked to an information about the determined identity of the service unit 3 arranged at the current floor 10 at the respective door location 19.

[0103] Finally, possible details, features and / or advantages of embodiments of the proposed invention will be described with a slightly different wording as follows:

[0104] A method for adjusting the floor allocations for multiple service units of a lift installation with sound is proposed.

[0105] Existing solutions comprise for example:

[0106] 1. Floor and side of landing fixture is set by configuration switches on the fixture.

[0107] 2. Floor and side are set by a manual teaching process.

[0108] 3. Floor and side are set by an automatic teaching process with RFID.

[0109] A problem to be solved may be:

[0110] Reduce effort of technician by automation compared to the existing solutions 1 (no switch setting) and 2 (no need to travel with elevator and press buttons). Reduce cost of material by using anyway available material compared to the existing solutions 1 (no switches) and 3 (no RFID sender and receiver).

[0111] The proposed approach may comprise:

[0112] Define the floor allocation of landing fixtures with an automatic learning trip which travels to each floor, opens each access, in which moment the buzzer on the landing fixture activates. This sound is then detected by the microphone of the alarm system in the car at which point the position is configured. Considering sound there are two ways considered:

[0113] Way 1 : When the door opens, each landing fixture without allocation creates the sound one after the other. As soon as the microphone detects the sound, the active fixture is assigned to the floor the car is located and to the side the entrance is open.

[0114] Way 2: When the door opens, all landing fixtures create a specific sound (e.g., binary code with fixture serial number). The microphone detects the sound form, and the 2024 P00200WQ

[0115] - 20 - according fixture is assigned to the floor the car is located and to the side the entrance is open.

[0116] In an exemplary embodiment, the technician starts the teaching process on the elevator user interface. The elevator automatically travels to each entrance and allocates the landing fixtures.

[0117] Advantages compared to prior art approaches may be:

[0118] Compared to 1: No switches on the landing fixtures are required (cost saving) and the technician does not need to set the switches and there is no risk that he sets them wrongly (time saving).

[0119] Compared to 2: The technician does not have to accompany the elevator during the teaching trip and press the buttons and therefore can execute other tasks (time saving). Compared to 3: No RFID transmitter and receiver is required (cost saving).

[0120] The proposed approach may provide for a business value or advantage for an elevator manufacturer. Furthermore, it may provide for cost and time savings.

[0121] Finally, it should be noted that the term “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps and the “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. Also elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined. It should also be noted that reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

2024 P00200WQ- 21 -Claims:

1. Method for assigning floor allocations of a plurality of service units (3) in an elevator arrangement (1), the elevator arrangement (1) comprising: a cabin (5) being displaceable along a travel path (7) between multiple floors (9) and being provided with a sound receiver (11), the plurality of service units (3), each service unit (3) being arranged at one of the floors (9) and being provided with an associated sound emitter (13), and a controller (15) configured for controlling a displacement of the cabin (5) along the travel path (7) and for controlling an activation of each of the sound emitters (13) in the service units (3), the method comprising: displacing the cabin (5) successively to each of the floors (9), upon the cabin (5) being located at a current floor (10), activating all sound emitters (13) of the service units (3) arranged at all of the floors (9) and receiving sound generated by at least one of the activated sound emitters (13) by the sound receiver (11), detecting characteristics of sound emitted from the activated sound emitter (13) located at the current floor (10), and determining an identity of a service unit (3) arranged at the current floor (10) based on the detected characteristics and assigning a floor allocation including an information about the current floor (10) linked to an information about the determined identity of the service unit (3) arranged at the current floor (10).

2. Method of claim 1, wherein a determination of whether a sound received by the sound receiver (11) is emitted from the activated sound emitter (13) located at the current floor (10) or from an activated sound emitter (13) located at another floor (9) is based on a loudness level of the received sound.

3. Method of one of claims 1 and 2, wherein, upon activating the sound emitters (13) of the service units (3), each of the plurality of sound emitters (13) is activated by the controller (15) separately one after the2024 P00200WQ- 22 - other.

4. Method of one of the preceding claims, wherein, upon activating the sound emitters (13) of the service units (3), the controller (15) controls all of the sound emitters (13) to emit a same sound but at different points in time.

5. Method of one of the preceding claims, wherein the identity of a service unit (3) arranged at the current floor (10) is determined based on a time coincidence between a timing of an activation of one of the sound emitters (13) by the controller (15) and a timing at which sound emitted from the activated sound emitter (13) located at the current floor (10) is received by the sound receiver (11).

6. Method of one of claims 1 and 2, wherein, upon activating the sound emitters (13) of the service units (3), all of the plurality of sound emitters (13) are activated by the controller (15) simultaneously.

7. Method of one of the preceding claims, wherein, upon activating the sound emitters (13) of the service units (3), the controller (15) controls each of the sound emitters (13) to emit an individual sound which is different from sounds to be emitted by other ones of the sound emitters (13).

8. Method of one of the preceding claims, wherein the identity of a service unit (3) arranged at the current floor (10) is determined based on characteristics of an individual sound emitted from the activated sound emitter (13) located at the current floor (10) which individual sound is different from sounds to be emitted by other ones of the sound emitters (13).

9. Method of one of the preceding claims, wherein the cabin (5) comprises at least one cabin door (17), wherein the method further comprises: opening the cabin door (17) upon the cabin (5) being located at a current floor (10).2024 P00200WQ- 23 -10. Method of one of the preceding claims, wherein the cabin (5) comprises at least two cabin doors (17), and wherein at least two service units (3) are arranged at one of the floors (9) at different door locations (19) adjacent to door openings (21) associated to each of the cabin doors (17), wherein the method further comprises: determining an identity of a service unit (3) arranged at the current floor (10) at one of the different door locations (19) based on the detected characteristics and assigning the floor allocation including an information about the current floor (10) and at least one of the door locations (19) linked to an information about the determined identity of the service unit (3) arranged at the current floor (10) at the respective door location (19).

11. Method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises: upon the cabin (5) being located at the current floor (10), opening the cabin doors (17) successively one after the other such that at most one of the cabin doors (17) is open when the sound emitters (13) are activated.

12. Controller (15) configured for controlling displacing a cabin (5) of an elevator arrangement (1) along the travel path (7) and for controlling an activation of each of a plurality of sound emitters (13) in a plurality of service units (3) and for assigning floor allocations of the plurality of service units (3), wherein the controller (15) is configured for at least one of implementing and controlling the method according to one of the preceding claims.

13. Elevator arrangement ( 1 ) comprising : a cabin (5) being displaceable along a travel path (7) between multiple floors (9) and being provided with a sound receiver (11), the plurality of service units (3), each service unit (3) being arranged at one of the floors (9) and being provided with an associated sound emitter (13), a controller (15) according to claim 12.

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