Touchless Elevator Communication Using Sensor Curtains

The patent replaces the mechanical button-pressing system with an optical sensing system. Instead of requiring physical contact with a button, users point a device (such as a smartphone or tablet) at the display, and the system detects the pointer's position through optical sensors to generate elevator calls. This substitution eliminates direct physical contact while maintaining the core function of elevator communication.

The patent introduces an intermediary sensing layer between the user and the elevator system. The optical sensors act as a mediator that detects the user's intent through pointing gestures without requiring direct contact. This intermediary layer translates the pointing motion into elevator call signals, enabling touchless interaction while preserving user convenience.

The patent divides the sensing space into multiple discrete sensor curtains arranged in a grid pattern. Each sensor curtain is composed of individual sensor elements that independently detect pointer positions. This segmentation allows the system to handle complex pointing gestures across a large display area while maintaining manageable computational complexity through modular processing of each sensor zone.

The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional button arrays to a three-dimensional sensing approach by adding depth information through optical sensing. The system detects the pointer's position in both horizontal and vertical dimensions while also capturing depth cues, enabling more precise and intuitive interaction without requiring additional physical buttons or switches.