Controller configured to control allocation of elevator calls based on a group allocation request, a system and a method of performing same

Abstract

A controller includes a processor configured to, receive, via an input/output (I/O) device, a first destination call having a first departure floor and a first destination floor of a first passenger associated therewith, allocate the first destination call to one of the plurality of elevators, receive, via the I/O device, at least a second destination call having one or more of a second destination floor and a second departure floor of a second passenger associated therewith, and allocate the second destination call to one of the plurality of elevators such that the controller assigns the second destination call to a same one of the plurality of elevators as the first destination call, if a group allocation request associated with the first destination call and the second destination call is received from the link.

Claims

1. A controller configured to control allocation of elevator calls among a plurality of elevators, the controller comprising: an input/output (I/O) device configured to communicate with least one destination call panel having a link actuator associated therewith; and a processor configured to, receive, via the I/O device, a first destination call having a first departure floor and a first destination floor of a first passenger associated therewith, allocate the first destination call to one of the plurality of elevators, receive, via the I/O device, at least a second destination call having one or more of a second destination floor and a second departure floor of a second passenger associated therewith, and allocate the second destination call to one of the plurality of elevators such that the controller assigns the second destination call to a same one of the plurality of elevators as the first destination call without cancelling the first destination call, if a group allocation request associated with the first destination call and the second destination call is received from the link actuator.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the link actuator includes at least one push button associated with a respective one of the least one destination call panels.

3. The controller of claim 2, wherein the at least one push button includes an AND-button configured to initiate the group allocation request and receive an input of the second destination call including the second destination floor associated therewith.

4. The controller of claim 2, wherein the at least one push button includes a JOIN button configured to initiate the group allocation request and receive input of the second destination call including the second departure floor associated therewith, the second departure floor being a different floor from the first departure floor.

5. The controller of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to receive the second destination floor with the second destination call, if the user initiates the group allocation request via the JOIN button.

6. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the at least one destination call panel comprises: a mobile device configured to bi-directional wirelessly communicate with the I/O device of the controller.

7. The controller of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to, determine if a prior destination call associated with the second passenger is pending, re-allocate the prior destination call to the same one of the plurality of elevators, if the controller determines that the prior destination call is pending, and transmit, via the I/O device, a reallocation-message to the mobile device, the reallocation-message informing the second passenger of the group allocation request.

8. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, receive from the destination call panel first identification data (ID) of the first passenger associated with the first destination call, and request input of at least one second ID of the second passenger associated with the second destination call and one or more of the second destination floor and second departure floor.

9. The controller according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to receive the first ID and the second ID from one or more wireless ID-tag readers.

10. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, count an elapsed time from input of the first destination call; terminate the group allocation request if the second destination call is not received from the destination call panel before the elapsed time reaches a threshold.

11. An elevator system comprising: the controller according to claim 1; and the plurality of elevators configured to transport the passenger and the second passenger.

12. A method for allocating elevator calls among a plurality of elevators, the method comprising: receiving a first destination call having a first departure floor and a first destination floor of a first passenger associated therewith; first, allocating the first destination call to one of the plurality of elevators; receiving at least a second destination call having one or more of a second destination floor and a second departure floor of a second passenger associated therewith; and second allocating the second destination call to one of the plurality of elevators such that the second allocating allocates the second destination call to a same one of the plurality of elevators as the first destination call without cancelling the first destination call, if a group allocation request associated with the first destination call and the second destination call is received from a link actuator.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second allocating comprises: determining if a prior destination call associated with the second passenger is pending; re-allocating the prior destination call to the same one of the plurality of elevators, if the determining determines that the prior destination call is pending.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: transmitting a re-allocation message to the second passenger, the reallocation-message informing the second passenger of the group allocation request, if the determining determines that the prior destination call is pending.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: receiving first identification data (ID) of the first passenger associated with the first destination call; and requesting input of at least one second ID of a second passenger associated with the second destination call and one or more of the second destination floor and second departure floor.

16. An elevator system comprising: one or more destination call devices including a link actuator configured to receive a group allocation request to assign a first destination call and a second destination call to a same one of a plurality of elevators, the first destination call and the second destination call each having one or more of a departure floor and destination floor associated therewith; and a controller configured to, receive the first destination call associated with a first passenger, allocate the first destination call to one of the plurality of elevators, receive the second destination call associated with a second passenger, and assign the second destination call to one of the plurality of elevators such that the second destination call is assigned to a same one of the plurality of elevators as the first destination call without cancelling the first destination call, if the first destination call and the second destination call are associated with the group allocation request.

17. The elevator system of claim 16, wherein the one or more destination call devices includes an input device configured to receive the group allocation request and an input of the second destination call including one or more of the second destination floor and the second departure floor associated therewith, the second departure floor associated with the second passenger being a different floor from the first departure floor associated with the first passenger.

18. The elevator system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to, determine if a prior destination call associated with the second passenger is pending, and re-allocate the prior destination call to the same one of the plurality of elevators, if the controller determines that the prior destination call is pending.

19. The elevator system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to transmit a re-allocation message to the second passenger informing the second passenger of the group allocation request, if the controller determines that the prior destination call is pending.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will hereinafter be described by the aid of an exemplary embodiment in connection with the drawing.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic drawing of an elevator group with destination control system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) FIG. 1 shows an elevator group 10 having an elevator group control 12 to which three elevators 14, 16, 18 are connected. The elevator group control 12 comprises a destination control system 20 which is connected to several destination call panels 22 located at different floors in the lobby of the elevators. Each destination call panel comprises an input window 24, a display 26 for the allocated elevator, a decade keyboard 28 for inputting the destination call and an RFID reader 30 to read RFID tags. The destination call panel further comprises an AND-button 32 and a JOIN-button 34.

(4) The destination control system can also communicate wirelessly with a mobile device 40, e.g. a smartphone, which comprises the same functional elements as the destination call panel 22 in a software based application, whereby identical elements or elements with the same function have the same reference number.

(5) The elevator group 10 in FIG. 1 works as follows:

(6) The passenger enters a destination call into the destination call panel 22 by inputting a first destination floor via the decade keyboard 28 or via an ID tag presented to the RFID tag reader 30. After having given his destination call, he presses the AND-button 32 to input a second destination floor via the decade keyboard 28. Alternatively another passenger may present his ID tag to the ID tag reader 30 of the destination call panel. When within a certain time frame the AND- or JOIN button 32, 34 is not pressed a further time, the destination control issues an elevator 14 to both destination calls which elevator is indicated on the display 26 of the destination call panel. The elevator is of course allocated in line with the usual optimization criteria of elevator call allocation, e.g. passenger riding time or waiting time.

(7) If the passenger wants another passenger with a different departure floor to join his travel in the elevator group, he presses the JOIN-button 34 after having issued his own destination call, in which case he is able to input a different departure floor into the destination call panel. In this connection it could also be possible to input for the second destination call a different second destination floor so that it is possible that passengers with different departure floors as well as with different destination floors travel together. In access controlled systems the passenger would have to input the ID of the further passenger manually.

(8) The issuing of corresponding destination calls can also be performed on a mobile device 40. If the destination control system is an access-controlled destination control system, the identity of the passengers could already be communicated to the destination control system via the serial number of the mobile device. In this case, he can enter the identity of the second passenger other by input the second identity data via the decade keyboard 28 or via an ID tag reader 30 in the mobile device.

(9) The invention provides the possibility of social contacts of passengers during a travel in an elevator system although they have different departure and/or destination floors.

(10) Of course, the above-mentioned embodiment is not limited to elevator groups with three elevators. Also the elevator group 10 may be a multi-group system comprising several groups of elevators controlled by a multi-group control system. In this case, the destination control system is preferably provided in the multi-group control.

(11) Furthermore, it is apparent to the skilled person that the destination call panels may be designed differently, i.e. having different input means than a decade keyboard or having the input window 24 and the display 26 provided in one and the same display element. In a very simplified form the destination call panel only may comprise an TD tag reader and the link actuator.

(12) It is furthermore clear that the ID tag reader 30 is optional and that the destination call panel also may have other ID readers as e.g. card readers etc.

(13) The invention can be modified within the scope of the appended patent claims.