Abstract
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.
Claims
1.-15. (canceled)
16. 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, the method comprising: assigning at least one of the plurality of elevator cars to a predetermined travel route, wherein the travel route is defined by a sequence of stopping points that are fixed in advance for the at least one elevator car and at which stopping points the at least one elevator car is to make a planned stop; and moving the at least one elevator car along the travel route to which it has been assigned.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the travel route assigned to the at least one elevator car includes a start stopping point, from which the travel route of the at least one elevator car begins, and an end stopping point, at which the travel route of the at least one elevator car ends, the method further comprising: defining a predetermined time interval over which the at least one elevator car is to move from the start stopping point to the end stopping point during said moving step; and moving the at least one elevator car from the start stopping point to the end stopping point within the predetermined time interval.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined travel route includes a sequence of stopping points, wherein the method further comprises: recurrently stopping the at least one elevator car at a planned stop at a first stopping point in the sequence of stopping points, at each of a number of predetermined times.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein said assigning step comprises assigning at least two elevator cars to the predetermined travel route, the method further comprising stopping the at least two elevator cars at respectively different times at planned stops located at each of the stopping points in the sequence of stopping points.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: predetermining a minimum interval of time between which a first elevator car makes a planned stop at a first stopping point in the sequence of stopping points, and a second elevator car following the first elevator car makes a planned stop at the first stopping point.
21. The method of claim 19, further comprising: predetermining respective times at which each of the at least two elevator cars will make a planned stop at each of the respective stopping points in the sequence of stopping points.
22. The method of claim 16, further comprising: detecting travel requests of elevator users; evaluating the detected travel requests; and determining how many of the plurality of elevator cars are assigned to the predetermined travel route based on the evaluation of the travel requests.
23. The method of claim 16, further comprising: detecting travel requests of elevator users; evaluating the detected travel requests; and adapting the travel route assigned to the at least one elevator car based on the result of the evaluation.
24. The method of claim 16, wherein the travel route to be assigned to the at least one elevator car is determined based on at least one of an event occurring in the building in which the elevator is located, the day of the week on which the assigning occurs, behavior of people in the building, weather, time of year, local public transport departure or arrival times, and time of the day.
25. The method of claim 16, further comprising: displaying the travel route assigned to the at least one elevator car on at least one display device.
26. The method of claim 16, wherein said assigning step comprises assigning a first travel route to a first elevator car, and assigning a second travel route to a second elevator car, the first travel route having a different sequence of stopping points than the second travel route.
27. The method of claim 26, further comprising, after assigning the second travel route to the second elevator car, temporarily assigning the first travel route to the second elevator car.
28. The method of claim 26, further comprising, continuously determining and updating a travel path for a third elevator car from the plurality of the elevator cars, based on call requests received by the elevator system.
29. An elevator controller for 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, the controller comprising: computer readable and executable instructions configured to: assign at least one of the plurality of elevator cars to a predetermined travel route, wherein the travel route is defined by a sequence of stopping points that are fixed in advance for the at least one elevator car and at which stopping points the at least one elevator car is to make a planned stop, and move the at least one elevator car along the travel route to which it has been assigned.
30. An elevator system, comprising: a shaft system; a plurality of elevator cars that are movable in the shaft system; and an elevator controller configured to control movement of the plurality of elevator cars that are simultaneously and individually moveable in the shaft system between a plurality of stopping points in a building, the controller comprising computer readable and executable instructions configured to, assign at least one of the plurality of elevator cars to a predetermined travel route, wherein the travel route is defined by a sequence of the stopping points that are fixed in advance for the at least one elevator car and at which stopping points the at least one elevator car is to make a planned stop, and move the at least one elevator car along the travel route to which it has been assigned.
Description
[0035] Further advantageous details, features and embodiment details of the invention will be explained in more detail in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures, in which:
[0036] FIG. 1a is a simplified schematic illustration showing one exemplary embodiment of an elevator system according to the invention;
[0037] FIG. 1b is a simplified schematic illustration showing one exemplary embodiment of an operation according to the invention of an elevator system;
[0038] FIG. 1c is a simplified schematic illustration showing a further exemplary embodiment of an operation according to the invention of an elevator system;
[0039] FIG. 1d is a simplified schematic illustration showing a further exemplary embodiment of an operation according to the invention of an elevator system;
[0040] FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic illustration showing one exemplary embodiment of a display device of an elevator system according to the invention; and
[0041] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration showing a further exemplary embodiment of an elevator system according to the invention.
[0042] The elevator system 1 shown as exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1a comprises a shaft system having a plurality of vertical elevator shafts 3 and horizontal elevator shafts 4. Furthermore, the elevator system 1 comprises a plurality of elevator cars 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. Here, the elevator cars 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the elevator system 1 can be moved individually in the elevator shafts 3, 4. In particular, there is provision that the elevator cars 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 are moved in the elevator shafts 3, 4 by means of a linear motor drive system. Here, there is in particular provision that the elevator cars 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 can change from one elevator shaft 3, 4 into another elevator shaft 3, 4. For this purpose, there are provided in particular so-called shaft change units, which are not explicitly illustrated in FIG. 1a. Furthermore, the elevator system 1 comprises an elevator controller 6, which is symbolically illustrated in FIG. 1a. In particular, there is provision that the elevator controller 6 is designed as a decentral control system. It is the case here that in particular the movement of the elevator cars in the elevator shafts 3, 4 is controlled by means of the elevator controller 6. Furthermore, there can in particular be provision that the elevator controller 6 comprises at least one safety system (not explicitly illustrated in FIG. 1a), with this safety system in particular being configured to detect possible collision risks between elevator cars 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and thus prevent situations in which a collision between elevator cars 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 could occur.
[0043] The elevator system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1a is operated in such a way that a predetermined travel route is assigned to at least one elevator car 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the elevator system 1, in particular to a first group of elevator cars 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. This predetermined travel route is here defined by a sequence of stopping points that is fixed in advance and at which stopping points the at least one elevator car 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 makes a planned stop. Here, the at least one elevator car 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 is moved in accordance with the travel route assigned to this elevator car 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. In particular, the assignment of a travel route to an elevator car 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 is explained in more detail below here with reference to FIG. 1b, FIG. 1c and FIG. 1d.
[0044] Thus, for example, FIG. 1b illustrates the case in which a travel route 30 is assigned exclusively to the elevator cars 20 of the elevator system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1a. This travel route 30 is here defined by a sequence of stopping points 40 that is fixed in advance and at which stopping points the elevator cars 20 each make a planned stop. Here, the stopping points 40 are each situated on a floor level at which it is possible for elevator users to enter and/or exit the respective elevator car 20. In this exemplary embodiment, the stopping points 40 are moreover fixed in such a way that the elevator cars 20 are moved in a circulating operation. The direction of travel of the elevator cars 20 is symbolically illustrated here by means of arrows.
[0045] In this exemplary embodiment, there is moreover provision that the further elevator cars 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 illustrated in FIG. 1a are moved in a conventional manner, that is to say no travel routes are assigned to these elevator cars 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 in this exemplary embodiment. Instead, these elevator cars 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 react to calls which are received by the elevator system 1 or the elevator controller 6 and which are made in particular by elevator users via corresponding input terminals. For the elevator cars 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, it is thus the case that—unlike for the elevator cars 20—a travel path is continuously determined and updated on the basis of call requests received by the elevator system.
[0046] This stipulation that, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1b, a travel route 30 is assigned only to the elevator cars 20 is particularly advantageous when a less high traffic volume is expected in the other parts of the building, with the result that the movement of elevator cars along a fixedly predetermined travel route is less advantageous in these other parts of the building. In the specific exemplary embodiment, it is moreover advantageous that all floors which are traveled to by the elevator cars 20 can also be traveled to by the elevator cars 21 via the parallel elevator shafts, wherein, in the present exemplary embodiment, the movement of the elevator cars 21 is controlled by corresponding call making, in particular the making of destination calls.
[0047] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1b, the stopping points 40 of the travel route 30 are moreover advantageously fixed in such a way that it is possible from these stopping points 40 to carry out a simple change to other shafts in which the further elevator cars 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 are moved, in particular to allow an elevator user to reach the final destination floor with one of these elevator cars 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1b, there is in particular provision that the elevator cars 20 make a stop exclusively at the predetermined stopping points 40 and make no additional stops between these predetermined stopping points 40. However, it is possible in particular to provide an embodiment variant according to which the elevator users can specify a stop request, advantageously within a respective elevator car 20. Advantageously, the elevator car 20 will then move directly to a destination floor desired by an elevator user and make an intermediate stop between the predetermined stopping points 40. This intermediate stop advantageously occurs in dependence on the transport density to be conveyed and/or the distance from the preceding elevator car and/or the distance from the following elevator car. If, for example, the transport density at the predetermined stopping points 40 is greater than a predetermined limit value, there can be provision that no intermediate stops are allowed, likewise if it would not be possible to observe a predetermined time interval for running through the travel route 30 from the predetermined start stopping point to the predetermined end stopping point when making an intermediate stop or a further intermediate stop. Even when tailgating by the following elevator car is to be expected in the case of an intermediate stop or exceeding a predetermined distance from the preceding elevator car is to be expected, there can be provision that an intermediate stop is not allowed. An elevator user will advantageously be correspondingly informed within the elevator car.
[0048] However, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated with reference to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, this making of intermediate stops is not provided. This is because, in this exemplary embodiment, all floors which can be traveled to by the elevator cars 20 can also be served by the elevator cars 21. An elevator user thus has the choice of whether he wishes to travel with the elevator cars 21 or with the elevator cars 20. However, this decision can in particular also be determined by the elevator controller 6, in particular in dependence on the traffic volume.
[0049] In the exemplary embodiment explained with reference to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, there is in particular provision that the travel route 30 assigned to the elevator cars 20 comprises a start stopping point, for example the stopping point 40 illustrated at the bottom left in FIG. 1b, from which the travel route 30 of the elevator cars 20 begins. Furthermore, the travel route 30 comprises an end stopping point, at which the travel route 30 of the elevator cars 20 ends. The start stopping point and end stopping point can be the same in this exemplary embodiment, in particular since the elevator cars 20 are moved in circulating operation. Here, a defined time interval is predetermined, preferably by the elevator controller 6, for the movement of the elevator cars 20 from the start stopping point to the end stopping point. Here, the elevator cars 20 must be moved from the start stopping point to the end stopping point within this predetermined time interval. For example, a time interval of eight minutes could be predetermined, that is to say that an elevator car 20 is moved from the start stopping point to the end stopping point of the travel route 30 within these predetermined eight minutes. In particular, there is provision that the same time interval, that is to say for example in each case a time interval of eight minutes, is predetermined for each of the elevator cars 20.
[0050] In this exemplary embodiment, there is further provision that specific time points are predetermined at which a respective elevator car 20 makes a planned stop at a respective stopping point 40. These specific time points are chosen to be different for each of the elevator cars 20. Thus, for example, there can be provision that a first elevator car 20 starts at the stopping point 40 illustrated on the bottom left in FIG. 1b at a time point x, then is moved in the arrow direction toward the next stopping point 40 and makes a stop there at a time x+a. The next stopping point 40 is then advantageously entered at a predetermined time point x+a+b. The next stopping point 40 is then entered at a predetermined time point x+a+b+c, etc., until, after a time x+y, the elevator car makes a stop again at the stopping point 40 illustrated on the bottom left of FIG. 1b. The next stop at the next stopping point 40 is then made at the predetermined time point x+y+a. In this way, for each elevator car 20 and for each of the stopping points 40 of the travel route 30, a number of time points are fixed at which a respective elevator car 20 makes a planned stop recurrently at the respective stopping point 40. Here, the time points can be individually fixed for each day of the week. Advantageously, the time offset with which elevator cars 20 travel to a stopping point 40 of the elevator route 30 is fixedly predetermined. This advantageously affords as it were a travel plan of when an elevator car 20 will stop at one of the stopping points 40 or when it will reach a stopping point 40.
[0051] Other than when using the elevator cars 21, it is possible in this exemplary embodiment for an elevator user when using an elevator car 20 to advantageously recognize when, for example at the stopping point 40 illustrated at the bottom right in FIG. 1b, he can enter an elevator car 20, that is to say how long he must wait until an elevator car 20 travels to this stopping point 40. Moreover, the elevator user can further recognize when, upon entry into the elevator car 20, he will for example reach the stopping point 40 illustrated at the top right in FIG. 1b using this elevator car.
[0052] This information, that is to say in particular when an elevator car 20 stops at which stopping point, is advantageously displayed on a display device 8, which is symbolically illustrated in FIG. 1a, inside and/or outside an elevator car 20. Such a display device 8 is advantageously arranged at least on those floors at which a stopping point 40 of the travel route 30 is fixed.
[0053] With reference to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1c, a further exemplary embodiment for operating an elevator system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1a is explained in more detail. In this exemplary embodiment, there is provision that a respective travel route 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 is assigned to all elevator cars 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. Here, the travel route 30 is assigned to a first number of elevator cars 20, the travel route 31 is assigned to a second number of elevator cars 21, the travel route 32 is assigned to a third number of elevator cars 22, the travel route 33 is assigned to a fourth number of elevator cars 23, the travel route 34 is assigned to a fifth number of elevator cars 24, the travel route 35 is assigned to a sixth number of elevator cars 25 and, as travel route, the travel route 36 is assigned to a seventh number of elevator cars 27. Here, the travel routes 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 are each defined by a sequence of stopping points at which the respective elevator cars 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 make a planned stop. For reasons of better clarity, FIG. 1c illustrates by way of example only the fixed stopping points 42 of the travel route 32.
[0054] In this exemplary embodiment, fixed times are predetermined in each case for an elevator car 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 at which the latter makes a planned stop at a stopping point. Advantageously, it is thus always unambiguously defined when which elevator car 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 will make a stop at which stopping point of its respective travel route 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. Here, the stopping points can have different distances from one another in dependence on the respective travel route 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. For example, there can be provision that, for the travel route 36, a stopping point is situated on each floor. This is particularly expedient when these floors are highly frequented, for example if businesses are arranged on these floors and a large number of elevator users enter and/or exit an elevator car on each floor level. Moreover, there can in particular be provision that, for example along the travel section which corresponds to the travel route 34, further travel routes are provided (not illustrated in FIG. 1c) that are assigned for example to a subset of the elevator cars 24. Here, the travel route 34 and the further travel route each serve the same travel section, but the travel routes have other stopping points. That is to say that the travel routes are defined by other stopping points and can moreover be defined by other stopping times at the stopping points. Thus, for example, there can be provision that, along the travel section which corresponds to the travel route 34, some of the elevator cars 24 have the odd floors as stopping points and the other elevator cars 24 are allocated the even floors as stopping points.
[0055] In the exemplary embodiment explained in relation to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1c, an elevator user is advantageously also provided with a new way of operating the elevator system 1. For this purpose, there is provision that at least one display device 8 is arranged on the respective floors. This is advantageously designed here as a touchscreen. An example of such a display device is illustrated here in FIG. 2. On the display device 8 there is here schematically displayed the elevator system 1 with the correspondingly present travel routes 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. Moreover, there is provision that the position 50 of an elevator user is displayed. If it is directly evident here to the elevator user that his desired destination position 51 is served by elevator cars 22 to which the travel route 32 is allocated, the elevator user can for example select the travel route 32 by touching the latter. As a result, a corresponding travel request of an elevator user is advantageously registered by the elevator controller 6. This results advantageously in an elevator car 22 stopping at the starting position 50, in particular even when the starting position 50 is not a defined stopping point of the travel route 32. It is advantageously indicated here to the elevator user, in an additional display field 60 of the display devices 8 in a departure display 61, when an elevator car 22 will depart at the starting position 50. Moreover, it is advantageously indicated in the arrival display field 62 when the elevator car 22 will reach the destination position 51.
[0056] Alternatively or additionally, there can in particular be provision that an elevator user can also directly specify his destination position 52. For this purpose, the elevator user advantageously specifies the destination position 52 by means of the touchscreen on the schematically displayed elevator system 1′. The elevator controller 6 then calculates how the elevator user will best reach the destination position 52 starting from the starting position 50. In the display field 60, it is advantageously indicated to the elevator user that he must first use the travel route 32, with preferably a corresponding arrival time being indicated. Displayed to him in a field 63 is the necessary elevator car change from an elevator car 23 to an elevator car 22 to which the travel route 32 is assigned, in particular together with a preferred change point at which the change from the elevator car 23 to the elevator car 22 occurs. This change point could for example be the stopping point 42 illustrated in FIG. 2 below the starting position 50. This change point is advantageously also displayed in the display field 60. Moreover, the arrival time at the destination position 52 is preferably indicated. In particular, moreover, it can be indicated when an elevator car 23 to which the travel route 33 is assigned will arrive at the stopping point 42 determined as change point, and when an elevator car 22 will arrive at this stopping point 42 for further travel to the destination position 52.
[0057] With reference to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1d, a further advantageous aspect for the operation of an elevator system 1, as illustrated in FIG. 1a, will be explained. In FIG. 1d here, the travel route 32 assigned to the elevator cars 22 is illustrated by way of example. In this embodiment, there is now provision for travel requests of elevator users to be detected and for the detected travel requests to be evaluated, preferably using the elevator controller 6. Here, travel requests can be detected for example by means of cameras installed on the floors. Alternatively or in addition, there can be provision that the calls made by elevator users are detected on the floors. If the evaluation reveals that the number of the travel requests has changed, there is in particular provision that the travel route 32 assigned to the elevator cars 22 is adapted to these changed travel requests. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1d, there can be provision for example that, for the stopping points 42′ or for further stopping locations situated between these stopping points 42′, no volume of persons is detected, for example because no persons are recognized in this building region by means of corresponding cameras installed on the floors, or because this building region is blocked to person traffic. The reason for such blocking can be, for example, the end of the business opening times of businesses situated in this building region. The elevator system 1 or the elevator controller 6 of the elevator system 1 can advantageously react to this by, for example, removing the stopping points 42′ from the travel route 32 and replacing the stopping points 42′ by new stopping points 42″. In particular, there is provision here that, on account of the shortening of the travel route 32 resulting from the replacement of the stopping points 42′, time points at which an elevator car 22 makes a stop at one of the stopping points 42 can also be correspondingly adapted. If the number of persons to be conveyed along the travel route 32 has also reduced with respect to the newly adapted travel route 32, there can moreover in particular be provision that the number of the elevator cars 22 to which the travel route 32 is assigned is reduced. Here, elevator cars 22 to which the travel route 32 is no longer assigned can be moved into a depot region, which is not explicitly illustrated in FIG. 1d. Alternatively, there can be provision for the elevator car to which no travel route is assigned to be temporarily parked in an unused or barely used elevator shaft of the elevator system 1. If the number of persons wishing to be conveyed along the travel route 32 increases again, there is provision that the travel route 32 is again assigned to the parked elevator car. If, by contrast, on account of a locally changed volume of persons along another travel route, there is an increased requirement for transport capacity, for example along the travel route 36, there can in particular also be provision that the travel route 36 is now assigned to the parked elevator car or an elevator car 22. In particular, there can also be provision that a travel route not illustrated in FIG. 1c is assigned as further travel route to this elevator car. Here, travel routes can advantageously be adapted to an existing transport volume while taking the already existing travel routes into consideration, and new stopping points can be defined.
[0058] FIG. 3 illustrates a further exemplary embodiment of an elevator system 1. This elevator system 1 comprises two vertical elevator shafts 3 and two horizontal elevator shafts 4, with the result that the elevator cars 20, 21, 22 of the elevator system 1 can be moved counterclockwise in particular in a circulating operation. Moreover, the elevator system 1 comprises a depot region 70 in which elevator cars 22 to which no travel route is assigned are parked. In this exemplary embodiment, a first travel route is assigned to each of the elevator cars 20. A second travel route is assigned to each of the elevator cars 21. Here, the travel route of the elevator cars 20 is defined by the sequence of the stopping points 40. Here, the second travel route to which the elevator cars 21 is assigned is defined by the sequence of the stopping points 41. The two uppermost floors and the two lowermost floors of the elevator system 1 are here stopping points 40, 41 both of the first travel route and of the second travel route. In this exemplary embodiment, there is provision that, for example depending on the time of day, there is a higher conveying requirement from the lower floors to the higher-up floors. As a result of this, a plurality of stopping points 41 in the right vertical elevator shaft 3 are assigned to the elevator cars 21. By contrast, the elevator cars 20 serve uniformly distributed stopping points 40. In particular, there is provision that the stopping points 40, 41 can be defined differently depending on the time of day. In particular, there can be provision that the first travel route with the stopping points 40 or the second travel route with the stopping points 41 can also be assigned to elevator cars 22 situated in the depot 70, depending on the conveying requirement. Moreover, there can be provision that, in the case of a small conveying requirement, elevator cars 20 or elevator cars 21 can be moved into the depot region 70.
[0059] The exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures and explained in relation thereto serve to explain the invention and are not intended to limit it.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
[0060] 1 Elevator system [0061] 1′ Display of the elevator system (1) on the display device (8) [0062] 3 Vertical elevator shaft [0063] 4 Horizontal elevator shaft [0064] 6 Elevator controller [0065] 8 Display device [0066] 20 Elevator car [0067] 21 Elevator car [0068] 22 Elevator car [0069] 23 Elevator car [0070] 24 Elevator car [0071] 25 Elevator car [0072] 26 Elevator car [0073] 30 Travel route [0074] 31 Travel route [0075] 32 Travel route [0076] 33 Travel route [0077] 34 Travel route [0078] 35 Travel route [0079] 36 Travel route [0080] 40 Stopping point [0081] 42 Stopping point [0082] 42′ Stopping point (old) [0083] 42″ Stopping point (new) [0084] 50 Starting position [0085] 51 Destination position [0086] 52 Destination position [0087] 60 Display field [0088] 61 Departure display [0089] 62 Arrival display [0090] 63 Elevator car change display [0091] 70 Depot
