Method for Automatic Elevator Dispatching

Abstract

A method for assigning elevators to specific routes based on zones consisting of contiguous floors, where the destination zone is provided prior to boarding by the first passenger for that zone and by means of one of multiple call buttons or their functional equivalent, and a “next floor” button within the elevator car for requesting a stop at the next available floor.

Claims

1. A methodology for assigning elevators to service calls based on zones having one or more contiguous floors.

2. A methodology for assigning elevators to service calls as said in claim 1 comprising two or more buttons (or the functional equivalent of buttons) in the lobby for registering a passenger's intended destination zone.

3. A methodology for assigning elevators to service calls as said in claim 2 comprising one or more direction indicators per zone per elevator to indicate the zone assignment of each elevator.

4. A button or its functional equivalent on the call panel within the elevator car for signaling to the dispatch system to stop the elevator car at the next floor at which the elevator can arrive without exceeding its usual speed of de-acceleration.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Please note:

[0012] 1. The present invention applies regardless of the number or relative position of the lobby floor(s), which is understood to be the floor at which a majority of the passengers start their elevator trip for subsequent dispersement throughout the building or end their trip at after boarding from other floors. Likewise, when the predominate direction of travel from the lobby is downward (such as when servicing a subterranean structure), the following descriptions are reversed; and when the direction of travel is horizontal, an analogous transformation of the description applies.

[0013] 2. The present invention is described as implemented for “up” traffic from the lobby, but it could be applied to other scenarios. When activated only for “up” traffic, “down” traffic continues to be controlled using other elevator dispatch methods.

[0014] 3. The term “button” is used as a shorthand for any method of registering a request for a trip or a stop at a particular floor and is not limited to mechanical buttons. “Hallway buttons” refers to call buttons located on floors other than the lobby.

[0015] 4. For ease of understanding, the description assumes a building with a single ground floor lobby and a plurality of upper floors.

[0016] The invention comprises the following parts and/or methods, none of which is individually novel unless noted. Each part and/or method may be partially or in whole employed as a part of a complete method for existing as well as for novel purposes:

[0017] 1. An automatic elevator dispatch system that responds to calls for service from the lobby or hallway call buttons and floor buttons within the elevator car.

[0018] 2. A novel call panel in the lobby that has at least two “up” buttons (one per zone), and novel elevator car direction indicators in the lobby that either have one “up” indicator for each zone or other ability to indicate the assigned zone, with one set of indicators per elevator. These are in place of the single “up” button panels and direction indicators in common use today.

[0019] 3. A novel button labelled “Next”, “Next Floor”, a symbol implying the same, or other nomenclature on the panel within one or more of the elevator cars.

[0020] The present invention can be activated manually, or by any combination of time of day, day of week, season, levels of requests for service, current performance statistics, or other criteria.

[0021] When the present invention is not activated, presses on one of the multiple “up” buttons causes all of the “up” buttons on that panel (and any panel providing duplicate function) to light and the elevator system to respond as if there was a single “up” button and it was pressed. When the “up” direction indicator light illuminates, all of the “up” lights would illuminate. Thus, other than the number of buttons and indicators lit, the visual signals would act as they would without the present invention. Likewise, audio indications would also act as they would without the present invention.

[0022] When the present invention is activated, the multiple “up” buttons act independently to indicate calls for service from the lobby to some floor in the indicated zone. Similarly, the multiple lobby indicator lights act independently to indicate the assignment of a particular elevator car to travel from the lobby to floors in the indicated zone(s). Audio indications within the elevator car would announce the destination zones by zone name or range of floors as required by the client, law, or regulation.

[0023] Zones are contiguous floors designated within the elevator dispatch system and indicated (by zone name and/or the range of floors) on the signage. All floors must be assigned to a zone, and some floors may be assigned to two zones. With the appropriate call panel and indicator lights—such as using electronic display screens, the composition of zones can be altered as frequently as each trip; however, too frequent change of zone definitions may be confusing for the repeat passenger, such as an employee or resident of the building, and end up being counter-productive. Alternatively and unlike the elevator bank methodology, zones could be evolved (along with any signage) to tune the system for better performance based on experience.

[0024] Individual elevators are assigned to a zone only for the duration of the trip; once the trip is completed, the elevator awaits assignment to the same or a new zone.

[0025] When one of multiple “up” buttons in the lobby is pressed, an available elevator will be assigned to the selected zone. If there are other passengers in the lobby destined for that zone, they may choose to board the same elevator or wait until that elevator has departed and press the appropriate call button again. Once an elevator is assigned to one or more zones and unless it services an “up” call from a floor along the way, the panel within the elevator only accepts calls for stops in the assigned zones; if the elevator does respond to a hallway call during its trip, the elevator will accept calls for floor from within the elevator car for stops ahead in the direction the elevator is traveling.

[0026] If there are multiple “up” buttons pressed in the lobby, the second responding elevator will be assigned to the second zone requested, and so forth based on the order in which the buttons were pressed. If an elevator is assigned to multiple zones, it will be assigned to the next button pressed and the buttons for any other of its zones subsequently pressed. Through the use of the direction indicators (which illuminate as soon as an elevator destined for the lobby is assigned to a zone), passengers in the lobby can begin queuing for an appropriate elevator.

[0027] If an elevator is in the lobby with its doors open and it has not yet received a zone assignment via a press on a lobby or hallway call panel, pressing a floor button within the elevator will assigned the elevator to a zone containing that floor.