METHOD AND ELEVATOR CONTROLLER FOR CONTROLLING AN ELEVATOR GROUP HAVING A PLURALITY OF ELEVATORS ON THE BASIS OF DESTINATION CALLS

Abstract

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.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for controlling an elevator group having a plurality of elevators on the basis of destination calls sent by users to the elevator group, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a destination call that contains at least information regarding a waiting floor on which a user sending the destination call is waiting and regarding a destination floor to which the user should be transported; waiting for a delay time period; assigning one of the elevators of the elevator group as a service elevator after the delay time period has expired and controlling the service elevator to pick up the user on the waiting floor and transport the user to the destination floor; and wherein the service elevator is assigned with consideration of information contained in destination calls that are received during the delay time period.

17. The method according to claim 16 including assigning as the service elevator a one of the elevators of the elevator group that optimizes at least one of a capacity utilization of the elevator group and an average waiting time for users of the elevator group.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein a duration of the delay time period is longer than a calculation time required for calculating the assignment of the service elevator.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein a duration of the delay time period is longer than two seconds.

20. The method according to claim 16 including: calculating a minimum traveling time required to reach the waiting floor in the destination call information for a one of the elevators of the elevator group that either is located closest to the waiting floor when the destination call is received or requires a least modification of a previously planned travel schedule in comparison with other elevators of the elevator group in order to travel to the waiting floor; and choosing a duration of the delay time period in dependence on the calculated minimum traveling time.

21. The method according to claim 20 including choosing the duration of the delay time period to provide a sufficient residual duration of the minimum traveling time to enable the user to reach an elevator door of the assigned service elevator after an expiration of the delay time period.

22. The method according to claim 16 including informing the user of an identity of the assigned service elevator after an expiration of the delay time period.

23. The method according to claim 22 including transmitting the identity of the assigned service elevator to a personal mobile data processing device of the user and wherein the data processing device is adapted to inform the user of the identity of the assigned service elevator.

24. The method according to claim 16 including generating and sending the destination call with a personal mobile data processing device of the user.

25. The method according to claim 16 including configuring a personal mobile data processing device of the user for carrying out at least one of the following actions: confirming a receipt of the destination call by outputting a signal via the data processing device; informing the user of a remaining waiting time until the service elevator arrives on the waiting floor by outputting a signal via the data processing device; and informing the user of an assigned waiting area for waiting until the service elevator arrives on the waiting floor by outputting a signal via the data processing device.

26. An elevator controller controlling an elevator group having a plurality of elevators and wherein the elevator controller is adapted to perform the method for controlling according to claim 16.

27. An elevator group comprising: a plurality of elevators: and an elevator controller according to claim 26 controlling the elevators.

28. A computer program product containing machine-readable instructions, wherein upon execution on a programmable elevator controller the instructions prompt the programmable elevator controller to perform the method according to claim 16.

29. The computer program product according to claim 28 wherein the computer program product is stored in a storage unit and is retrieved from the storage unit by the programmable elevator controller via a network.

30. A non-transitory machine-readable medium on which the computer program product according to claim 28 is stored.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] FIG. 1 shows an elevator group, in which an embodiment of the inventive method can be implemented, and

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a method for controlling an elevator of an elevator group.

[0055] The figures are merely schematic and not true-to-scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] FIG. 1 shows an elevator group 1 with five elevators 3. Each of the elevators 3 comprises an elevator shaft 17, within which one respective elevator car 15 that can move vertically. Each of the elevator cars 15 is moved by a (not-shown) drive. The drives of the different elevators 3 are controlled by a common elevator controller 5. In this case, the elevator controller 5 also coordinates schedules of the multiple elevators 3 in order to transport users 11 as efficiently as possible with the aid of the elevator group 1 and to minimize waiting times. It is proposed that the users 11 also indicate the destination floor 21, to which they would like to be transported, when they call an elevator 3 of the elevator group 1 while waiting on a waiting floor 19. The elevator controller 5 can efficiently plan the schedules of the elevators 3 of the elevator group 1 based on this information in a destination call.

[0057] In a conventional destination call system, it was until now attempted to carry out the calculation of a service elevator 3′ to be assigned to a user 11, i.e. the selection of an elevator 3′ from the plurality of elevators 3 for transporting the user 11 sending the destination call, as quickly as possible in order to inform the user 11 of the identity of the assigned service elevator 3′ as soon as possible. Since the calculation should be carried out quickly, it is in this case not possible to take into account any future events such as future elevator calls by other users 11, which take place after the input of the present destination call.

[0058] It is therefore proposed to modify the mode of operation of the elevator controller 5 to the effect that a service elevator 3′ is not assigned immediately after the reception of the destination call in the destination call method carried out by the elevator controller. Instead, the elevator controller should initially wait for a delay time period that may amount, for example, to a few seconds. A suitable service elevator 3′ is not calculated and assigned to the waiting user 11 based on the previously transmitted destination call until this delay time period has expired. Information transmitted to the elevator controller 5 by other users 11 after the reception of the destination call of the first user 11, but still during the subsequent delay time period, is also taken account in this case. In this way, service elevators can be assigned to individual users 11 more appropriate to the situation.

[0059] An embodiment of the method for controlling the elevator group 1 proposed herein is described below with reference to an example.

[0060] The elevator controller 5 monitors if a user 11 sends a destination call to the elevator controller continuously or within short time intervals. For example, a user 11 can approach a destination call terminal 7 in order to send such a destination call. At least one destination call terminal 7 is located on each floor of a building serviced by the elevator group 1. At the destination call terminal, the user 11 can input his destination call, for example, into his personal mobile data processing device 9 in the form of a smartphone. A special app is installed on the smartphone and configured for receiving the information on the destination call desired by the user 11 on the one hand and for forwarding this information to the elevator controller 5 on the other hand. To this end, the app can request information on the current waiting floor 19 and on the desired destination floor 21 from the user 11. Alternatively, one or both of these types of information can also be generated automatically, for example, in that the app requests additional information from the elevator controller 5 and/or analyzes elevator utilization habits of the user 11. The destination call information is then preferably transmitted to the elevator controller 5 in a wireless manner. For example, near-field communication (NFC) may be established between the smartphone 9 and the destination call terminal 7 in order to thereby transmit the information on the current waiting floor 19, as well as the information on the desired destination floor 21, to the elevator controller 5. The utilization of near-field communication, in which data and signals can only be transmitted over short distances, i.e. for example less than 1 m, makes it possible to ensure that destination calls can only be sent by users 11 who are actually located near the elevator group 1.

[0061] The elevator controller 5 subsequently registers the received destination call. The elevator controller 5 optionally sends a signal to the smartphone 9 of the user 11 in order to confirm the reception of the destination call. The smartphone 9 can subsequently display or output corresponding information for the user 11.

[0062] A delay time period is started when the destination call is received. A duration of the delay time period may either be permanently predefined, i.e. for example amount to 20 s, or calculated specific to the situation, i.e. for example chosen longer or shorter depending on how far the next elevator 3, which could serve as the service elevator 3′, is located from the waiting floor 19.

[0063] Although the elevator controller 5 can already carry out initial calculations during the delay time period in order to select potential candidates for the service elevator 3′ to be assigned, a final assignment of the service elevator is not yet carried out during the delay time period.

[0064] Instead, the elevator controller 5 potentially can initially transmit a signal to the smartphone 9 of the user 11, based on which the smartphone displays or outputs a request for the user to move to a waiting area 23 and to wait for further information in this waiting area.

[0065] During the delay time period, the elevator controller 5 can analyze options for the selection of an elevator 3 that is suitable as the service elevator 3′ and then actually select one of the elevators 3 as the service elevator 3′, as well as assign this service elevator to the waiting user 11 at the end of the delay time period. In this case, not only the destination call of this user 11 is taken into account, but also destination calls that are sent by other users 11 at a later point in time within the delay time period. The assignment of the service elevator 3′ is completed after the expiration of the delay time period. The delay time period may either be a permanently predefined duration or adapted to the respective situation. For example, the elevator controller 5 can stop calculating an optimal assignment of the service elevator 3′ as soon as it assumes that an optimal compromise between the elevator assignment and the waiting times of users 11 was found.

[0066] The user 11 can subsequently be informed of the assigned service elevator 3′. For example, the elevator controller 5 can send corresponding information to the personal mobile data processing device 9 of the user 11, whereupon this data processing device displays or outputs the corresponding information for the user 11.

[0067] As a supplement, the elevator controller 5 can calculate a waiting time that remains until the service elevator 3′ presumably reaches the waiting floor 19. In this case, the instantaneous position of the elevator car 15 of the service elevator 3′, as well as potentially planned intermediate stops, can be taken into account. If applicable, the elevator controller 5 can prompt the user 11 to move to an entrance area near the elevator door 13 of the service elevator 3′ in a timely manner by transmitting suitable signals.

[0068] The corresponding information can be transmitted, for example, from the elevator controller 5 to the smartphone 9 of the user 11 via a wireless data link. Data transmission technologies such as WLAN (Wi-Fi), which allow a data transmission over greater distances, e.g. over more than 10 m or even more than 20 m or 50 m, preferably are used in this case such that users 11 can move within a sufficiently large radius while waiting.

[0069] As soon as the elevator car 15 of the service elevator 3′ has reached the waiting floor 19 and the elevator door 13 has been opened, the user 11 can enter and the elevator car 15 can then travel to the desired destination floor 21.

[0070] In a special embodiment, the elevator controller 5 can register if the user 11 actually has entered the assigned service elevator 3′. An unnecessary movement of the elevator car 15 can be prevented if this is not the case.

[0071] In another special embodiment, the calculation process for assigning the service elevator 3′ may be carried out in two stages. For example, a group of elevators 3, which already appear eligible as potential service elevators at the beginning of the delay time period, may be identified in a first stage. The service elevator 3′ to be actually assigned may then be selected from this group in a second stage after the expiration of the delay time period, wherein the additional information on subsequently received destination calls obtained during the delay time period can also be taken into account.

[0072] FIG. 2 schematically shows an exemplary system for carrying out the inventive method for controlling an elevator group 1. In this case, an elevator 3 of the schematically indicated elevator group 1 is controlled by an elevator controller 5, wherein an elevator car 15 of the elevator 3 can move up and down in an elevator shaft 17 in order to transport passengers to different destination floors. A gateway 24 enables the elevator controller 5 to communicate with the outside world, for example with a mobile device 9 of a passenger that may likewise represent a destination call terminal and is connected to the gateway directly via a wireless link (e.g. Bluetooth or WLAN) or indirectly via the Internet and/or cloud technology. Alternatively, the gateway may be respectively connected to other storage units or control devices (e.g. a server) 26 via the Internet and particularly via cloud technology 25. The different data communications 27 are illustrated with broken lines in FIG. 2. Such data communications may be wire-bound or wireless communications.

[0073] In order to send a destination call, a passenger can use a destination call terminal 7, e.g. a COP (car operation panel) within the elevator car 15 or a LOP (lobby operation panel) on a floor, or a mobile device 9 such as a smartphone. An application (app) is typically installed on the mobile device 9 for this purpose, wherein the app is downloaded to the mobile device 9 by means of a web browser or directly retrieved from a storage unit or server 26 via cloud technology prior to its use.

[0074] According to the invention, the elevator controller 5 does not have to immediately carry out a received destination call, but may rather wait for a certain delay time period in order to optimize the entire method. The delay time period for a calculated minimum traveling time of an elevator car 15 to a waiting floor is typically predefined in the form of a constant value. In addition, the delay time period can be respectively adapted or updated at any time by utilizing cloud technology (e.g. calculation of the delay time period on a remote computer system/server) in order to respectively optimize the overall waiting time or traveling time for passengers. To this end, the elevator group 1 is remotely monitored and dynamically controlled in accordance with current passenger traffic situations or in accordance with an elevator operating state. In the inventive method, the delay time period should be significantly shorter than the calculated minimum traveling time of the elevator car.

[0075] Other than that, it should be possible to define the delay time period in terms of a usage priority of passengers. No delay time period or a shorter delay time period is defined for a passenger who has a higher priority to travel with the elevator 3 as soon as this passenger was identified by the elevator controller 5. The so-called usage priority may be assigned, e.g., in dependence on a work function, work position, work task or an appointment calendar of passengers, etc.

[0076] In conclusion, it should be noted that terms such as “having,” “comprising,” etc. do not preclude any other elements or steps and that terms such as “a” or “an” do not preclude a plurality. It should furthermore be noted that characteristics or steps, which were described above with reference to one of the exemplary embodiments, can also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps of other above-described exemplary embodiments.

[0077] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.

REFERENCE LIST

[0078] 1 Elevator group [0079] 3 Elevator [0080] 3′ Service elevator [0081] 5 Elevator controller [0082] 7 Destination call terminal [0083] 9 Personal mobile data processing device [0084] 11 User [0085] 13 Elevator door [0086] 15 Elevator car [0087] 19 Elevator shaft [0088] 19 Waiting floor [0089] 21 Destination floor [0090] 23 Waiting area [0091] 24 Gateway [0092] 25 Network/cloud [0093] 26 Storage unit/server [0094] 27 Data communication