Elevator Call Reassignment Through Mobile Boarding Detection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing elevator systems cannot determine whether the user who made an elevator call actually boards the elevator car, leading to overcrowding and inefficiencies, as some passengers may board without registering, preventing others from doing so.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that uses mobile devices to track the location and intent of individuals making elevator calls, allowing for real-time adjustments to allocate elevator cars based on actual boarding intentions, including alerts for potential overcrowding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If elevator systems allow users to submit elevator calls using mobile devices, then user convenience and call submission efficiency are improved, but the system cannot determine whether the specific user actually boards the assigned elevator car, leading to overcrowding and allocation inefficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelevator call submissionVSAvoidboarding intention information
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors the locations of mobile devices and provides feedback to the elevator control module. When a user submits an elevator call, the system tracks their movement in real-time and determines whether they board the assigned elevator car by detecting if their mobile device enters the elevator car's detection zone. This feedback mechanism resolves the information loss about boarding intentions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical elevator call buttons with mobile device-based calling systems. The mobile device's location detection capabilities (GPS, Wi-Fi positioning, or proximity sensors) substitute for physical presence confirmation, allowing the system to digitally track and determine user boarding status without requiring physical interaction at the elevator.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If the system assigns elevator cars based on call requests without tracking user location, then allocation speed is improved, but passengers may board without registering, causing overcrowding and preventing assigned passengers from boarding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelevator allocation speedVSAvoidelevator car capacity management
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-assigning elevator cars to users based on their call requests before the users actually arrive at the elevator. The control module maintains a registry of assigned users and their corresponding elevator cars, and prepares capacity calculations in advance. This allows rapid allocation while maintaining reliability through subsequent location-based verification of actual boarding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3647247B1Reassignment based on piggybacking
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 OTIS ELEVATOR CO
  • EP3647247B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3647247B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3647247B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

A method of operating an elevator call control system including: receiving a first elevator call (302a) from a first individual (402a) carrying a first mobile device (208a), the first elevator call (302a) including a destination request to travel from a first boarding floor to a destination floor; assigning a first elevator car (103a) to the first elevator call (302a); detecting a location of the first mobile device (208a); detecting a location of a second mobile device (208b); and determining that a second individual (402b) carrying the second mobile device (208b) intends to board the first elevator car (103a) with the first individual (402a) carrying the first mobile device (208a) in response to determining the location of the first mobile device (208a) and the location of the second mobile device (208b).