A method for operating an elevator system can be used with elevator systems that include at least two cars and at least two vertically extending elevator shafts where the at least two cars can be moved between the at least two elevator shafts. In a first operating mode transportation operations are performed by the at least two cars in the at least two elevator shafts. In a second operating mode a location of at least one of the at least two cars is restricted to at least one region of at least one of the at least two elevator shafts. In the second operating mode, the at least one of the at least two cars is not available for transportation operations in remaining regions of the at least two elevator shafts.

A method of operating an elevator system is provided. The method comprising: detecting an occupancy status of the elevator car, the occupancy status comprising at least one of occupied and unoccupied; selecting a motion profile of the elevator car in response to the occupancy status, the motion profile comprising at least one of an unoccupied motion profile, an occupied motion profile, an occupied lateral movement motion profile, a power-save motion profile, and an occupied descent motion profile; and moving the elevator car in accordance with the motion profile selected.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a passenger transport system, which transport system comprises at least two passenger conveyors, as e.g. escalators or elevators, which transport system comprises a control for the passenger conveyors and for controlling passenger flow in the transport system. The control is connected to a passenger flow determination device for establishing a passenger flow reference value of the actual passenger flow to be expected in the passenger transport system, and which control further comprises a passenger guide system for controlling passenger flow in the transport system, which passenger guide system uses a cost function considering a set of system control parameters as passenger riding time, energy consumption, passenger waiting time, passenger transport capacity, maintenance demand, etc. The control uses a transport model simulating the function of the hardware components of the transport system under consideration of correlated system operating parameters as e.g. number of active passenger conveyors, passenger conveyor speed, still-stand times, door opening times etc. in connection with passenger flow,

whereby the passenger flow reference value is input to the transport model and in an optimization process the system operating parameters are optimized under use of the transport model to meet the passenger flow reference value under consideration of at least one significant system control parameter from said set of system control parameters to achieve a best set of system operating parameters. The best set of system operating parameters is applied to the control of the passenger transport system.

An elevator system is configured to be capable of accepting an internal call made by a user operating an elevator operating panel and an external call made from an external apparatus using a communication network. The elevator system is provided with a processor that assigns a car to be an arranged-car candidate to an internal call or an external call from among one or more cars. The processor is configured to, when an external call is accepted, execute an operation condition judgment process for judging whether each of the one or more cars is in an operating state or in a non-operating state and an external call assignment process for preferentially assigning a car in the non-operating state as the arranged-car candidate over a car in the operating state.

A method for operating an elevator including operating the elevator in a pre-programmed sequence to stop at pre-designated floors in a predetermined order, upon receipt of an indication that a user at a given floor wishes to ride the elevator, temporarily not performing part of the pre-programmed sequence in order to arrive at the given floor with minimum delay and thereafter, in the absence of another indication that a user wishes to ride the elevator, continuing to temporarily not perform part of the pre-programmed sequence in order to arrive at a pre-designated egress floor with minimum delay and thereafter operating the elevator in the pre-programmed sequence including performing the part of the pre-programmed sequence to stop at pre-designated floors at pre-programmed times until receipt of an indication that a user at a given floor wishes to ride the elevator.

A method for testing an elevator hoisting machine brake with a preselected test load TL includes confirming empty elevator car positioned at a test location s.sub.test; obtaining information of elevator balancing B; obtaining information of friction F.sub.r of the elevator at the test location s.sub.test; determining required assisting test torque T.sub.M of a hoisting machine motor based on said test load TL, balancing B and friction F.sub.r; opening one of the brakes while keeping rest of the brakes engaged in braking position, applying torque with the motor at most up to the required test torque T.sub.M, measuring movement of the elevator car, and if movement of the elevator car was detected, generating a signal indicating degraded condition of one or more hoisting machine brakes.