Elevator Destination Control System with Visual Range Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator systems, particularly on cruise ships with multiple decks, face inefficiencies and user discomfort due to unfamiliarity with destination control systems, especially during peak traffic when passengers struggle to navigate elevators serving different decks, leading to blocked destination operating panels and reduced system efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The elevator system integrates car operating panels inside elevators, hall lanterns for position and direction indication, and signaling means combined with hall lanterns to indicate elevator arrival, along with range identifiers on elevators to facilitate user navigation, combining destination control with continuous call allocation principles for improved efficiency and user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If destination control system is used to improve efficiency and transport capacity, then system productivity increases, but ease of operation deteriorates for inexperienced users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces hall lantern means and signaling means as intermediary elements that mediate between the destination control system and inexperienced users. These visual indicators serve as a bridge, providing intuitive guidance without requiring users to understand complex destination control operations. The hall lanterns display elevator position and direction, while signaling means indicate arrival, creating a simple visual language that all users can understand regardless of their familiarity with the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the information presentation to inexperienced users by separating the destination control function from the operational interface. Instead of requiring users to interact with destination panels, the system segments information into visual displays (hall lanterns showing position and direction) and auditory signals (arrival notifications). This segmentation allows the destination control system to operate efficiently in the background while presenting a simplified, intuitive interface to users.
2Productivity
If multiple elevators serve different decks to increase transport capacity, then productivity improves, but device complexity increases for navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color-coded range identifiers to elevators that serve different destination ranges or deck groups. Each elevator is assigned a specific color that corresponds to the decks it serves, creating an intuitive visual coding system. Users can quickly identify which elevator to take by matching the color indicator with their destination deck, eliminating the need to understand complex routing logic or memorize which elevators serve which decks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a visual dimension (color/coding) to the elevator identification system beyond traditional floor buttons or destination panels. By encoding elevator destination ranges in the color dimension, users gain an additional intuitive way to navigate the multi-deck system. This dimensional addition transforms a complex routing problem into a simple visual matching task.
3Ease of operation
If destination operating panels are placed at each landing to improve accessibility, then ease of operation improves, but loss of time increases during peak traffic due to blocked panels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the primary call-initiation function from the destination operating panels at landings and relocates it to the car operating panels inside elevators. This extraction reduces the dependency on landing panels during peak traffic, as users can enter the elevator and initiate their destination call inside the car. The landing panels remain available but are no longer the sole or primary interface, reducing congestion and blocking issues during high-traffic periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by providing car operating panels that allow users to input their destination after entering the elevator. This self-service capability reduces the need for users to precisely time their panel interactions at landings, as they can complete the call initiation process inside the elevator at their own pace. The system adapts to user timing rather than requiring users to adapt to system timing.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention refers to an elevator system offering sophisticated transport capacity even under conditions where the passengers are not familiar with the use of a destination call system, e.g. on cruise ships. The elevator control system 10 comprises at least one group control with a destination control system (DCS) 52, and • - at least one elevator group having elevators 14-22 with a different destination range, • - destination operating panels (DOPs) 24, 26 at each landing, • - car operating panels (COPs) 38 located in the elevators, • - hall lantern means 30, 32 indicating the moving direction of their corresponding elevator, • - signaling means 32, 35 indicating the arrival of an elevator at the landing 12, whereby the DCS 52 is configured to display, in the vicinty of the elevators a range identifier of the elevators 14 - 22 serving the destination and to indicate the next arriving elevator.