Elevator Group Control Using Walking Time Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional group management control devices for elevators face inefficiencies due to large differences in distance from the hall call registration device to each elevator car, leading to inaccurate walking time predictions, resulting in unnecessary waiting or lateness for boarding, especially in systems with multiple cars and wide elevator halls.
Innovation Solution
The system divides elevator cars into groups based on their distance from the hall call registration device, using a representative distance value for each group to predict walking times and optimize car assignment, ensuring accurate predictions and reducing waiting times and lateness by keeping doors open only until the predicted walking time elapses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hall call registration device is installed in a place remote from the elevator hall, then security control is improved, but the walking time for users to reach the elevator hall increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by predicting walking time before the user actually reaches the hall, and pre-positioning the elevator car to arrive at the hall in synchronization with the user's arrival. The control device calculates predicted walking time based on distance and speed, then triggers the elevator to depart at the optimal moment, eliminating unnecessary waiting time while maintaining security benefits of remote registration device placement.
2Ease of operation
If the elevator car arrives at the hall before the user reaches the hall, then the user can board without waiting, but the elevator car must wait with door open which reduces operation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The control device uses feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring the relationship between predicted walking time and predicted arrival time. When the elevator arrives early, the system calculates the time difference and adjusts the door open duration accordingly, keeping the door open only for the necessary period until the user arrives, rather than waiting indefinitely. This feedback loop optimizes both user convenience and operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the elevator door open time based on real-time calculations of user walking speed and distance. Instead of using a fixed waiting period, the door remains open for a dynamically determined duration that matches the actual user arrival time, allowing the system to adapt to varying user speeds and conditions while minimizing unnecessary waiting time.
3Productivity
If the elevator car arrives at the hall after the user reaches the hall, then operation efficiency is improved, but the user becomes late for boarding which reduces reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs preliminary calculation of predicted walking time and uses this information to trigger the elevator departure at the precise moment needed. By calculating the optimal departure time in advance based on user walking speed and distance, the system ensures the elevator arrives at the hall just as the user arrives, preventing late arrivals that would compromise boarding reliability while maintaining operational efficiency.
4Ease of operation
If the door is kept open for a long time to accommodate all users, then user convenience is improved, but energy consumption increases and operation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by keeping the door open for only the necessary duration required for user boarding, rather than keeping it open for an extended period to accommodate all possible users. The door open time is precisely controlled to match the calculated user arrival time, providing sufficient convenience for actual users while avoiding excessive energy consumption that would result from unnecessarily prolonged door operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a group management control device for elevator in which the occurrence of useless waiting time and lateness for boarding is reduced even when there is a difference in the distance from a hall call registration device to each car. For this purpose, the group management control device for elevator which manages a plurality of elevators as a bank includes a hall call registration device, a walking time prediction section which predicts the walking time of a user on the basis of the distance from the hall call registration device to each of the elevators, and a hall call assignment section which decides an elevator to be assigned to a hall call on the basis of an evaluation value calculated by using the predicted walking time. The plurality of elevators which are managed as a bank are divided into a plurality of groups according to the distance from the hall call registration device. The walking time prediction section predicts the walking time for each group by using the same value preset as the distance for the elevators belonging to the same group.