Video Monitoring Elevator Dispatch and Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator systems face inefficiencies in wait time, door dwell time, and ride time due to inadequate passenger demand prediction and security breaches, such as 'card pass back' and 'piggybacking', which increase passenger wait times and compromise security.
Innovation Solution
A video monitoring system that tracks objects outside and inside elevator doors using video cameras, processing video input to provide passenger data to the elevator control system, optimizing dispatch and door control, and enhancing access control by authenticating passengers and detecting unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional access control systems are used, then security is provided, but security breaches such as card pass back and piggybacking can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The video monitoring system acts as an intermediary between the access control system and the elevator dispatch system. It captures images of passengers, verifies their presence, and provides this information to the control system to prevent unauthorized access methods like piggybacking and card pass back by ensuring only authorized individuals enter the elevator
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/card-based access control verification with an optical/video-based verification system. Instead of relying solely on card swiping mechanisms, the system uses video cameras and image processing to visually confirm passenger identity and presence, substituting mechanical verification with optical detection
2Productivity
If a single elevator is dispatched to a floor with multiple waiting passengers, then the elevator capacity is utilized, but some passengers must wait for a second elevator increasing overall wait time
Solution Approach 1:
The video monitoring system performs preliminary detection and counting of waiting passengers before the elevator arrives. By identifying the number of passengers in advance, the system can determine whether to dispatch one or multiple elevators, allowing proactive optimization of dispatch decisions rather than reactive responses after passengers are already waiting
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where video monitoring data about waiting passengers is continuously fed back to the control system. This real-time information allows the control system to adjust dispatch decisions dynamically, sending additional elevators when passenger counts indicate it would reduce overall wait time
3Ease of operation
If an elevator cab carrying maximum passengers continues to stop at floors requesting service, then all floor requests are addressed, but ride time increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The video monitoring system provides continuous feedback to the control system about the elevator's loading status and passenger presence. When the system detects that the elevator is fully loaded, this information feeds back to automatically adjust the dispatch algorithm to bypass additional stops, preventing unnecessary extensions of ride time while still ensuring all floors receive service through other elevators
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator control system (24) provides elevator dispatch and door control based on passenger data received from a video monitoring system. The video monitoring system includes a video processor (16) connected to receive video input from at least one video camera (12). The video processor (16) tracks objects located within the field of view of the video camera, and calculates passenger data parameters associated with each tracked object. The elevator controller (24) provides elevator dispatch (26), door control (28), and security functions (30) based in part on passenger data provided by the video processor (16). The security functions may also be based in part on data from access control systems (14).