Typically a technician is physically present to investigate a malfunction of an elevator system. Devices, systems and methods are provided for actively monitoring one or more lift devices, such as elevators and escalators. A computing system for electrically controlling an elevator controller, includes: a field board electrically connected to an elevator controller, and the field board communicates with a computing platform device, which in turn is connected to a server over the Internet. The field board includes relay switches that are electrically connected to the elevator controller. The server sends poking commands that triggers a relay switch to open or close, which causes the elevator controller to generate a call signal to move the elevator to an upper or a lower floor. If the elevator does not move according to a poking command, then a malfunction is reported.

A method of operating a building elevator system within a building having a plurality of floors including: controlling a building elevator system comprising a first elevator system having a first elevator car and a second elevator system having a second elevator car; determining one or more sectors for the plurality of floors in response to at least one of a time of day, manual input, a density of the down peak traffic, and whether there is simultaneous up peak or inter-floor traffic, the one or more sectors comprising a first sector having a first plurality of floors and a second sector having a second plurality of floors; assigning the first elevator car to the first sector; and assigning the second elevator car to the second sector.

One embodiment provides a method for optimizing schedules of a plurality of elevators in a building having a plurality of floors, including: receiving, from a user, an indication requesting that an elevator from the plurality of elevators stop at a particular floor, wherein each of the plurality of elevators has a schedule comprising floors where the elevator will stop; identifying the number of users in the elevator waiting area of each of the particular floors where an indication requesting a stop has been received; and updating, in view of the identified number of users at each of the particular floors, the schedule for the plurality of elevators to optimize the stops for the plurality of elevators, wherein the updating comprises dynamically routing the plurality of elevators upon (i) receipt of indications and (ii) identification of the number of users at each of the particular floors.

An elevator system (2) comprises an elevator car (4a-d) that is moveable within a hoistway (6a-d). The elevator car (4a-d) comprises a first wireless communication unit (12a-d). A controller (8a-d) is arranged to communicate with the elevator car (4a-d) , the controller (8a-d) comprising a second wireless communication unit (14a-d). The first and second wireless communication units (12a-d, 14a-d) are arranged to exchange elevator operational data using a wireless communication protocol. Each data symbol within a set of data symbols corresponding to the elevator operational data is modulated onto a plurality of orthogonal sub-carriers using an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing modulation scheme. The modulated plurality of orthogonal sub-carriers are transmitted between the first and second wireless communication units (12a-d, 14a-d) over a wireless interface (16a-d).

A method for controlling an elevator group having a plurality of elevators based upon user generated destination calls includes: receiving a destination call containing information regarding the waiting floor on which an associated user is waiting and the destination floor to which the user should be transported; waiting for a delay time period; assigning a service elevator from the plurality of elevators after the delay time period has passed and controlling the service elevator to pick up the user on the waiting floor and transport the user to the destination floor. Because the service elevator is calculated and assigned only after the delay time period has expired, and because further destination calls received during the delay time period are also taken into consideration, the assignment of service elevators can be made more efficient and more appropriate to the situation and waiting times for users can be reduced on average.

To provide an elevator group management device that can accurately present information about learning of operational efficiency of an elevator. The elevator group management device includes a traffic-flow estimating unit configured to estimate a traffic flow based on boarding and alighting floors of users and a number of boarding and alighting people of an elevator, a learning unit configured to determine a policy of running of a car based on the traffic flow estimated by the traffic-flow estimating unit, a simulation unit configured to evaluate operational efficiency at the time when the car is virtually run based on the policy determined by the learning unit, and a display control unit configured to cause an information display device to display information indicating a status of learning by the learning unit and the simulation unit.

A method of operating a shuttle elevator group including: detecting an arrival of an elevator car at a landing; determining a time since a previous elevator car departed the landing; determining a fullness percentage of the elevator car; determining an estimated time until a next elevator car arrives at the landing; and determining when the elevator car departs the landing based upon at least one of the fullness percentage of the elevator car, the time since the previous elevator car departed the landing, and the estimated time until the next elevator car arrives at the landing.

Disclosed is a method of operating an elevator system having a plurality of elevator cars that are simultaneously and individually moveable in an elevator shaft between a plurality of floors. A predetermined travel route is assigned to an elevator car or a plurality of elevator cars. This travel route is defined by a sequence of stopping points that is fixed in advance for the respective elevator car and at which stopping points the respective elevator car is intended to make a planned stop. The elevator cars to which a travel route is assigned are then moved in accordance with the travel route assigned to the respective elevator car. Further disclosed is an elevator controller and to an elevator system for carrying out such a method.

A method of operating a building elevator system within a building having a plurality of floors including: controlling a building elevator system comprising a first elevator system having a first elevator car and a second elevator system having a second elevator car; determining one or more sectors for the plurality of floors in response to at least one of a time of day, manual input, a density of the down peak traffic, and whether there is simultaneous up peak or inter-floor traffic, the one or more sectors comprising a first sector having a first plurality of floors and a second sector having a second plurality of floors; assigning the first elevator car to the first sector; and assigning the second elevator car to the second sector.

A shuttle elevator loading system includes a plurality of shuttle elevators configured to service a building lobby. At least one sensor is configured to detect at least one passenger and at least one display unit is located at a display zone of the lobby. An elevator system controller is in signal communication with the at least one sensor and the at least one display unit. The elevator system controller determines a number of allocated passengers corresponding to each shuttle elevator and generates assignment information that directs a non-allocated passenger to an available shuttle elevator.