An illustrative example elevator system includes a plurality of elevator cars. A dispatch controller assigns a first one of the elevator cars to travel to a landing in response to a first request for elevator service at that landing. At least one call button is operative to place a second request while the first one of the elevator cars is situated at the landing in response to the first request. The dispatch controller assigns a second one of the elevator cars to travel to the landing in response to the second request.

A method and an apparatus for computing allocation decisions in an elevator system is provided. Historical passenger batch journey data relating to the elevator system is obtained, wherein each passenger batch journey includes an origin and a destination floor of the journey, the number of passengers of the journey and the time of the journey. Historical passenger traffic statistics are constructed based on the passenger batch journey data, and expected calls are modelled based on the passenger traffic statistics. The modelled expected call is taken into account in computing subsequent allocation decisions in the elevator system.

A method of operating a building elevator system having a plurality of elevator systems organized into multiple elevator groups including: receiving an elevator call from a destination entry device in communication with the building elevator system; obtaining a favorability score from each of the multiple elevator groups of the building elevator system; determining an elevator group of the multiple elevator groups with the highest favorability score; and routing the elevator call to the elevator group of the multiple elevator groups with the highest favorability score.

A method for elevator call allocations in an elevator group of an elevator system includes applying statistical traffic forecasts modelling future passenger arrivals in the elevator system; receiving an indication of at least one elevator call; generating, for a fixed parameter, a set of scenarios based on the statistical traffic forecasts; determining a quality attribute for each candidate allocation policy of a set of candidate allocation policies by simulating, for each candidate allocation policy, the set of scenarios according to the candidate allocation policy in a current elevator call allocation situation in the elevator system; selecting a candidate allocation policy based on the quality attributes associated with the candidate allocation policies; and allocating the at least one elevator call to at least one elevator in the elevator group according to the selected candidate allocation policy.

Implemented is a configuration for deciding a transport machine into which a robot get, by taking efficiency and cooperativeness into consideration. A data processing section that selects a transport machine to be taken by a robot is included. The data processing section acquires robot information that is about the robot and transport-machine information that is about the transport machine, calculates scores corresponding to a plurality of available transport machines on the basis of the acquired information, and selects a transport machine to be used on the basis of the calculated scores. In a case where two or more transport machines satisfy a physical condition for permitting the robot to take the transport machines, the data processing section calculates an efficiency calculation value and a cooperativeness calculation value based on the robot information and the transport-machine information, and calculates scores on the basis of a function using the calculated efficiency calculation value and the calculated cooperativeness calculation value.

A method of operating a building elevator system within a building having a plurality of landings including: controlling a first elevator group; controlling a second elevator group; adjusting a range of landings served by one or more elevator systems of the second elevator group in response to at least one of the predicted passenger response time, the time of day, the amount of traffic received by the first elevator group, the amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, the amount of traffic within the first range of landings, the amount of traffic within the second range of landings, the amount of traffic received by the first elevator group relative to the amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, and the amount of traffic within the first range of landings relative to an amount of traffic within the second range of landings.

A method for dispatching an elevator car that includes determining a first duration for each of a plurality of first elevator cars to travel from a current location to a first location, and dispatching at least one of the first elevator cars to the first location when the first duration of the at least one first elevator car is less than a threshold duration. The method includes determining a second duration for an occupant to travel from the first location to a second location, and each of a plurality of second elevator cars to travel from the current location to the second location, when the first duration for the first elevator cars exceeds the threshold duration. The method includes dispatching at least one of the second elevator cars to the second location when the second duration of the at least one second elevator car is less than the threshold duration.

An elevator operation managing device capable of reducing a switching of passengers at a time of getting on and getting out of a car. The elevator operation managing device includes an in-car position acquisition unit and a car allocation acquisition unit. The in-car position acquisition unit obtains an in-car position of a user based on layout information and a congestion degree obtained in a congestion degree acquisition unit. The car allocation acquisition unit performs a car allocation to allocate the user to the car based on a received boarding floor and destination floor and the in-car position obtained in the in-car position acquisition unit.

An elevator includes a plurality of elevator units each including a car and a unit control section that controls operation of the car; and an operation management device that manages operation of the plurality of elevator units, in which, in a case where it is determined that any of the elevator units has left any of passengers behind, the operation management device additionally and immediately dispatches the car of another elevator unit to a floor where any of passengers has been left behind.

A method for reassigning a first elevator car of a plurality of elevator cars that includes dispatching the first elevator car from a current location to a first destination location to pick up an occupant at the first destination location. The method includes determining the first elevator car stopped at an intermediate location positioned between the current location and the first destination location. The method further includes determining a number of occupants within the first elevator car is greater than at least a second elevator car of a plurality of elevator cars after the first elevator car stopped at the intermediate location, and directing the first elevator car to a second destination location different from the first destination location.