ELEVATOR CALL INPUT DEVICE

Abstract

A call input device of an elevator includes a keyboard for inputting the number of a floor and a keyboard control for the keyboard. The keyboard control is configured to open an input channel from the keyboard for the input of a further digit of a floor number to enter a more than one-digit floor number. The call input device includes a proximity sensor having a sensing area in front of the keyboard. The keyboard control is configured to open/close the input channel from the keyboard for the input of a further digit in response to the signal of the proximity sensor.

Claims

1. A call input device of an elevator comprising: a keyboard for inputting the number of a floor; a keyboard control for the keyboard, wherein the keyboard control is configured to open an input channel from the keyboard for the input of a further digit of a floor number to enter a more than one-digit floor number; and a proximity sensor having a sensing area in front of the keyboard, wherein the keyboard control is configured to open/close the input channel from the keyboard for the input of a further digit in response to the signal of the proximity sensor.

2. The call input device according to claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is configured to sense the direction of a movement in the sensing area and to close the input channel for the input of a further digit when the direction movement is sensed as being away from the keyboard.

3. The call input device according to claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is configured to sense the direction of a movement in the sensing area and wherein the keyboard control comprises a clock circuit configured to be triggered by a push of a keyboard button to keep the input channel for the input of a further digit open when additionally the proximity sensor keeps sensing an object in the sensing area.

4. The call input device according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard comprises digit push buttons or touch fields.

5. An elevator with at least one elevator car driving in an elevator shaft, said elevator having more than ten floors and call input devices according to claim 1.

6. The elevator according to claim 5, said elevator having an elevator control with a destination call control.

7. A method for controlling a keyboard in an elevator call input device, comprising: after the input of a digit is sensed, controlling an input channel of the keyboard to be open for the input of a further digit in response to sensor data of a proximity sensor having a sensing area thereof in front of the keyboard.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the input channel is closed when the proximity sensor senses an object leaving the sensing area.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the input channel is kept open for the input of a further digit when the proximity sensor senses an object remaining in the sensing area for a predefined time period.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the input channel is closed after a second or third digit has been input, whereafter the inputted digits are combined to a floor number which is transferred to the elevator control.

11. The call input device according to claim 2, wherein the proximity sensor is configured to sense the direction of a movement in the sensing area and wherein the keyboard control comprises a clock circuit configured to be triggered by a push of a keyboard button to keep the input channel for the input of a further digit open when additionally the proximity sensor keeps sensing an object in the sensing area.

12. The call input device according to claim 2, wherein the keyboard comprises digit push buttons or touch fields.

13. The call input device according to claim 3, wherein the keyboard comprises digit push buttons or touch fields.

14. An elevator with at least one elevator car driving in an elevator shaft, said elevator having more than ten floors and call input devices according to claim 2.

15. An elevator with at least one elevator car driving in an elevator shaft, said elevator having more than ten floors and call input devices according to claim 3.

16. An elevator with at least one elevator car driving in an elevator shaft, said elevator having more than ten floors and call input devices according to claim 4.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the input channel is kept open for the input of a further digit when the proximity sensor senses an object remaining in the sensing area for a predefined time period.

18. The method according to claim 8, wherein the input channel is closed after a second or third digit has been input, whereafter the inputted digits are combined to a floor number which is transferred to the elevator control.

19. The method according to claim 9, wherein the input channel is closed after a second or third digit has been input, whereafter the inputted digits are combined to a floor number which is transferred to the elevator control.

Description

[0022] The invention is hereinafter described by means of an example in connection with the drawings. In these drawings:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a call input device connected to a keyboard control and an elevator control,

[0024] FIG. 2 a flow diagram for receiving a floor number for an elevator.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a call input device 10, an operating panel 12 which is connected to a call input device control 14 which comprises the keyboard controller of a decade keyboard 16 arranged in the panel 12 of the call input device. Of course, the keyboard controller can be separate from the device controller. The decade keyboard 16 preferably has twelve buttons 17,18 with ten number digits 17 and two special buttons whereby one of these special buttons 18 may be an emergency button. Furthermore, the panel 12 comprises a display 20 for indicating floor data and/or other data, a microphone 22, a loudspeaker 24 whereby these devices can also be provided in a separate panel so that they do not need to be arranged in the panel 12 of the call input device. At the top of the panel 12, a proximity sensor 26 is located which has a sensing area 28 in front of the decade keyboard 16 and its respective push buttons (or touch sensitive buttons of a touch screen panel) 17. When a floor number is inputted into the decade keyboard 16, one number digit push button 17 is pressed and the signal of the proximity sensor 26 decides whether an input channel for inputting a further digit for a floor number is kept open in response to sensing an object, particularly a hand of a passenger in the sensing area 28. After the input is terminated, the floor number is transmitted from the call input device control 14 to an elevator control 29 for call allocation or processing.

[0026] The decade keyboard 16 as well as the display 20 can also be integrated as a combined touch screen panel according to recent developments.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a floor number input to operating panel 12 of the call input device of FIG. 1. The procedure starts at starting step 30. In the first deciding step 32 it is checked whether a digit has been inputted in the decade keyboard 16 or not. If the answer is no, the process is looped back to the beginning of decision step 32. If a push button 17 of the decade keyboard 16 has been pressed, the answer is yes and method proceeds to step 33 wherein a time-out timer is set and further to step 34 where the data of the proximity sensor 26 is read. In the second deciding step 36 it is decided whether an object (the hand of the passenger) moves away from the sensing area 28 of the proximity sensor or isn't present any longer in the sensing area. If this is the case, the input channel for the input of a floor number is closed in step 38 and the floor number is transmitted to the elevator control in step 40, whereafter the process stops in termination step 42.

[0028] If the hand is still present in the sensing area 26 (answer N) the second deciding step 36 branches to third deciding step 44 wherein it is checked whether or not the time-out timer 33 has reached its time-out value. If this is the case the third decision step 44 branches to step 38 to terminate input and transmit destination floor in steps 38 and 40. If the timer 33 hasn't reached the limit time value the third decision step 44 branches to digit input step 34 (reading the proximity sensor) from where it again goes to the second deciding step. In summary, the digit input is closed either when the time-out timer has indicated time-out or if the hand isn't any longer present in the sensing area 26.

[0029] Via this process, the input of multi digit numbers can be terminated faster and more reliable than in current solutions. The procedure has been described above with two digits. Of course, for high skyscrapers even three digit floor numbers can be given.

[0030] It is clear for the skilled person that the invention is not restricted to the explained embodiments but may be varied within the scope of the appended patent claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0031] 10 Call input device [0032] 12 operating panel [0033] 14 call input device control [0034] 16 decade keyboard [0035] 17 digit push buttons [0036] 18 emergency push button [0037] 20 display [0038] 22 microphone [0039] 24 loudspeaker [0040] 26 proximity sensor [0041] 28 sensing area [0042] 29 elevator control [0043] 30 starting step [0044] 32 first deciding stepdigit input ? [0045] 33 setting time-out timer [0046] 34 reading proximity sensor [0047] 36 second deciding stephand moves away? [0048] 38 closing input channel from decade keyboard [0049] 40 transmitting floor number to elevator control [0050] 42 termination step [0051] 44 third deciding steptime-out?