Elevator Car Allocation by In-Car Position and Congestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional elevator operation managing devices do not effectively reduce passenger switching during boarding and alighting, leading to increased door opening and closing times and passenger discomfort due to inadequate consideration of in-car positions and congestion levels.
Innovation Solution
An elevator operation managing device that receives user boarding and destination floor information, calculates congestion levels, and allocates users to cars based on their in-car positions, reducing passenger switching by optimizing car allocation and informing users of their optimal positions within the car.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the elevator car is crowded with a large number of passengers, then the car capacity is maximized, but passengers located away from the door have trouble getting out due to other passengers blocking their path
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by notifying passengers of their assigned positions before boarding, and by pre-arranging the boarding sequence. This allows passengers to position themselves correctly in advance, preventing blocking issues before they occur. The notification unit provides advance information about which passengers should board first and where they should stand, ensuring smooth exits even when the car is crowded.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the boarding and alighting sequence based on real-time conditions such as passenger destinations, current car congestion, and door positions. The control unit continuously optimizes which passengers board or alight at each stop, creating a dynamic flow that prevents congestion and blocking while maximizing car capacity utilization.
2Device complexity
If passengers are not instructed on their in-car positions, then the system complexity is reduced, but passenger switching occurs at boarding and alighting times reducing operation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The notification unit provides feedback to passengers about their assigned positions and boarding sequences. This feedback mechanism ensures passengers understand where to stand and when to board, preventing disruptions and maintaining high operation efficiency without requiring complex physical guidance systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Passengers autonomously position themselves according to the notifications they receive, eliminating the need for manual assignment by elevator operators or complex automated physical positioning systems. The system provides information, and passengers self-organize accordingly, maintaining simplicity while improving efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If the door opens for a longer time to allow all passengers to exit, then passenger comfort is improved, but the door operation time increases reducing overall efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
Passengers are notified in advance of their alighting floors and positions, allowing them to prepare for exit. This preliminary organization enables faster, more coordinated disembarkation, reducing the time the door needs to remain open while ensuring all passengers can exit comfortably and safely.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically controls door operation timing based on the alighting sequence and passenger flow. Doors remain open just long enough for the planned alighting passengers to exit efficiently, then close promptly. This dynamic timing optimization balances passenger comfort with overall system efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator operation managing device capable of reducing a switching of passengers at a time of getting on and getting out of a car. The elevator operation managing device includes an in-car position acquisition unit and a car allocation acquisition unit. The in-car position acquisition unit obtains an in-car position of a user based on layout information and a congestion degree obtained in a congestion degree acquisition unit. The car allocation acquisition unit performs a car allocation to allocate the user to the car based on a received boarding floor and destination floor and the in-car position obtained in the in-car position acquisition unit.