Elevator Terminal Floor Display for High-Rise Call Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator operator terminals in high-rise buildings require numerous buttons or RFID systems that are costly and cumbersome, lacking user-friendliness and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
An elevator operator terminal with a display device and processing unit that generates a user interface with a call input area and a floor indicator area, allowing flexible display of floors and enabling call input within a specified height range, using a shift function for scrolling through additional floors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a high number of buttons are used to enable input of all possible destination floors in very high buildings, then all floors can be selected, but the space requirements and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic display where the set of selectable floors in the call input area changes based on the elevator's current position and travel direction. The floor indicator area dynamically updates to show floors that are currently selectable versus floors that are already passed or not yet reachable, allowing the interface to adapt to the elevator's state without requiring static buttons for all possible floors.
Solution Approach 2:
The display is segmented into two distinct areas: the call input area for selecting destination floors and the floor indicator area for displaying floor information. This segmentation allows the system to present floor information in a structured way, showing only relevant floors in the call input area while maintaining visibility of additional floors in the indicator area, thereby reducing the number of simultaneously visible selection options.
2Loss of information
If all floor buttons are displayed simultaneously, then all destinations are visible, but the display area and terminal size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The display dynamically adjusts which floors are shown in the call input area based on the elevator's current position and direction of travel. Only floors that are reachable and relevant to the current situation are displayed for selection, while other floors are shown in the floor indicator area or omitted, thereby reducing the display area required for floor selection while maintaining necessary information visibility.
3Ease of operation
If the terminal is positioned at a comfortable height for user input, then ease of operation improves, but the number of displayable floors is limited by the fixed display area
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal maintains a fixed, ergonomically optimized position for user interaction while the display content dynamically adapts to show the appropriate set of floors based on the elevator's current position and travel direction. The floor indicator area provides additional floor information that would otherwise require more display space, allowing the terminal to remain at a comfortable height while still providing comprehensive floor information.
4Device complexity
If RFID card readers are used instead of buttons, then the number of physical inputs is reduced, but the cost and management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a graphical user interface with visual display fields representing floors, replacing physical buttons with virtual buttons on a screen. This approach eliminates the need for RFID card readers or other complex input devices while maintaining a simplified user interface. The visual display fields can be selected through standard touch or button input, providing a cost-effective solution that reduces physical input requirements without increasing manufacturing or management complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator operator terminal includes a display device, a storage device and a processing device for use with an elevator system in a building. The processing device is connected to the storage device and activates the display device to generate a user interface having a plurality of display fields. The user interface has a call input area and a floor indicator area. The call input area displays a predetermined first number of display fields that are each associated with a predetermined floor in the building and are enabled for call input. The floor indicator area displays a predetermined second number of display fields that are each associated with a predetermined floor in the building and are disabled for call input.