An elevator call device includes: a processing unit for controlling a generation of an elevator call; an energy storage for storing electrical energy; a coupler for obtaining electrical energy from an external source for charging the energy storage, and a switch controllable with a call indicator device for activating the processing unit to generate the elevator call signal with the electrical energy from the energy storage. Further, a method for generating an elevator call is disclosed.

A Bluetooth module in an elevator system in the field of elevator intelligent control technologies. The Bluetooth module according to the present invention is arranged substantially corresponding to a mounting hole of a first physical button/second physical button of the elevator system, such that a Bluetooth signal broadcast by the Bluetooth module can be propagated from at least part of the mounting hole to a landing zone/the interior of an elevator car. The first physical button is a physical button arranged on an elevator call panel assembly in the landing zone of the elevator system. The second physical button is a physical button arranged on an elevator call panel assembly of the elevator car of the elevator system. Embodiments can be easily implemented by transforming the existing elevator system and can achieve good coverage of Bluetooth signals in the landing zone and/or the interior of the elevator car.

An input device includes a display unit that displays an aerial image, and a detection unit that detects a user operation related to the aerial image. The display unit includes a light guide plate disposed between a half mirror and a retroreflective plate and a light source irradiating the light guide plate. The display unit displays the aerial image of a light diffusion surface formed on the light guide plate in response to incident light. When the user operation related to the aerial image is detected, the display unit turns off the light source to notify a user of input confirmation.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for spoken command interface are provided. Aspects include receiving a statement command from a user, wherein the receiving the statement command from the user includes capturing, by a sensor, a series of frames of the user, wherein the series of frames includes lip movements of the user, and determining at least one statement command from the user based on the lip movements of the user. One or more keywords are extracted from the statement command. The one or more keywords are used to determine an elevator command.

Elevator systems and operating methods including an elevator operating panel having at least one button and an audio orientation system. The audio orientation system includes at least one speaker positioned proximate the elevator operating panel and a proximity sensor associated with an associated button and positioned proximate thereto, the proximity sensor arranged to generate a button detection zone around the associated button and detect a presence within the button detection zone. When a detection is made by the proximity sensor regarding a presence with the button detection zone, the audio system controls the at least one speaker to generate an audio orientation signal comprising button information that is related to the associated button within the button detection zone.

An operating panel for an elevator includes a panel plate having an opening, a key switch arrangement and, optionally, a human machine interface attached to the panel plate. The switch arrangement includes a cover arrangement, a hinge and a key switch. The key switch is attached to the cover arrangement and is activated or deactivated by a key for transmitting activation signals to the elevator control upon activation. The cover arrangement is attached to the panel plate via the hinge and is displaced between a first configuration in which the key switch is arranged behind the cover arrangement and a second pivoted configuration in which the key switch is accessible from the front side of the panel plate. Thus, the key switch is protectively stored in the first configuration, providing splash water protection and an attractive visual appearance, and is pivoted to the second configuration when needed.

A method for generating control data for controlling an elevator system includes the steps: Projecting or depicting an image of an operating panel on an operating surface to be visually perceived by a user; Detecting a region of the surface, touched by the user, within the image by optically monitoring the surface, then detecting whether a small-area region arises within the image with a temperature deviating from the surrounding large-area regions and with a temperature equalizing with the temperature of the surrounding regions over time; Generating the control data as a function of a position of the region touched by the user relative to the image; Transmitting the generated control data to a control device of the elevator system. The method may be implemented using a portable device carried by the user and equipped with a projector and an infrared camera thereby eliminating conventional operating panels in the elevator system.

A retrofit interface apparatus interfaces with a target device to provide the target device with touchless user input. The apparatus comprises: a touchless sensing system comprising one or more sensors responsive to touchless input made by a human user and for generating one or more corresponding sensor input signals; a controller connected to receive the one or more sensor input signals from the touchless sensing system and configured to generate, based on the one or more sensor input signals, a corresponding control signal; and the controller connectable to the target device to bypass a touch-based input of the target device and to provide the control signal as an input to an existing control system of the target device to thereby cause the control system of the target device to operate the target device based on the control signal.

A destination call-giving device for giving destination calls in an elevator system includes a device available to a user for selecting a destination floor from a plurality of floors that are in a certain sequence, and an output for communicating the selected destination floor to the control system of the elevator system. The device for selecting a destination floor includes a touch-sensitive display forming a user interface for presenting to the user information related to the selection of a destination floor and for receiving the input of the user. The destination floor is arranged to be selectable by the user from the aforementioned plurality of floors by moving a touch-sensitive point on a touch-sensitive display.

Embodiments as disclosed herein provide a car operation panel for commanding travel of an elevator car from a boarding landing to a destination landing during normal operation of an elevator system. The car operation panel has a plurality of car operation switches to be operated by a passenger from inside of the elevator car during normal operation of the elevator system. The car operation panel is mechanically convertible such as to switch the car operation panel from a first configuration corresponding to the normal operation mode to a second configuration corresponding to an inspection and maintenance operation mode. The car operation panel, when switched to the second configuration, allows manual control of the elevator car to travel in up direction and/or in down direction by operating at least a part of the car operation switches of the car operation panel.