Smartwatch and elevator and guide system

Abstract

A smartwatch includes a destination handling unit configured to issue a destination call in an elevator system of an environment. The smartwatch has an input for entering destination data as well as an output for indicating an allocated elevator of the elevator system. The smartwatch includes a navigation system including a memory with map data of the environment. The navigation system includes a position detector for detecting the location of the smartwatch within the environment, and a navigation output connected with the output. The navigation system is coupled with the destination handling unit to issue a destination call based on data of the position detector and/or for providing navigation guide data based on an issued destination call.

Claims

1. A smartwatch comprising: a destination handling unit configured to issue a destination call in an elevator system of an environment; an input for entering destination data; an output for indicating an allocated elevator of said elevator system, wherein the output is a display device; a wireless communication device for communication within the elevator system; and a navigation system including a memory with map data of the environment, which navigation system comprises: a position detector for detecting the location of the smartwatch within the environment; and a navigation output connected with the output, wherein the navigation system is coupled with the destination handling unit to issue a destination call based on data of the position detector and/or for providing navigation guide data based on an issued destination call, wherein the wireless communication device is a short range transmitter configured to communicate with a plurality of beacons located in the environment for determining a current position of the smartwatch relative to the environment, the plurality of beacons being separate from the elevator.

2. The smartwatch according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system comprises a memory to input a current or predetermined position as a selectable destination of said environment.

3. The smartwatch according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system comprises a memory with map data of the environment with several pre-selected destinations, said output is configured to output a plurality of destinations, and said input is configured to enable the selection of one of said plurality of destinations.

4. The smartwatch according to claim 2, which is configured to transfer said destination to the destination handling unit as to issue a destination call.

5. The smartwatch according to claim 1, wherein the position detector comprises a receiver for signals from geostationary satellites.

6. The smartwatch according to claim 1, wherein the position detector of the navigation system comprises an accelerometer.

7. The smartwatch according to claim 1, wherein the position detector of the navigation system comprises a gyrometer.

8. The smartwatch according to claim 1, wherein the position detector of the navigation system comprises a barometer.

9. The smartwatch according to claim 1, comprising a transmitter for a telephone communication network and the position detector is configured to detect the position from the position of the smartwatch within the antennas of the telephone communication network.

10. The smartwatch according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system comprises a calculating unit connected with the output to indicate distances and/or directions to the destination for the user.

11. An elevator and guide system of an environment comprising an elevator and guide system with at least one elevator, an elevator control comprising a destination call control for said elevator and at least one smartwatch according to claim 1 serving as a destination operating panel and as a guide of said elevator and guide system in said environment.

12. The elevator and guide system according to claim 11, wherein the elevator and guide system comprises a memory for user-individual destination data or route data, based on an individual ID of the smartwatch, to be displayed via the output of the smartwatch.

13. The elevator and guide system according to claim 12, wherein the memory is located within the smartwatch.

14. The elevator and guide system according to claim 11, wherein the beacons are arranged in equidistant positions within floors of the environment.

15. The elevator and guide system according to claim 14, wherein at least some of the beacons are connected with the elevator and guide system and are configured to transmit destination call data.

16. The elevator and guide system according to claim 1, wherein the beacons are arranged in equidistant positions within floors of the environment.

17. The elevator and guide system according to claim 11, wherein the smartwatch communicates with the elevator and guide system via an internet server.

18. The elevator and guide system according to claim 17, wherein the smartwatch comprises a WLAN-transmitter and/or a telephone communication module for the communication with the internet server and the elevator control is connected with the internet server via LAN or WLAN.

19. The elevator and guide system according to claim 11, wherein the smartwatch is configured to communicate wirelessly with a smartphone, whereby functionality of the smartwatch is shared between the smartwatch and the smartphone.

20. The elevator and guide system according to claim 19, wherein the smartwatch comprises the input/output, whereas the smartphone comprises the destination handling unit and/or the navigation system.

21. A method for guiding passengers in an environment comprising at least one elevator and guide system, the method comprising: inputting destination data from a destination handling unit of a smartwatch serving as a destination operating panel of said elevator system into a navigation system of a smartwatch; guiding a passenger to the destination floor of a destination call using the destination data of the destination call issued via the smartwatch and a position detector; and/or automatically issuing a destination call based on current position data of the smartwatch in the environment as detected by the position detector, wherein the position detector communicates with a plurality of beacons, via a short range transmitter of the smartwatch, to determine the current position of the smartwatch relative to the environment, the plurality of beacons located in the environment and being separate from the elevator.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the destination data of a pending call is transferred from the destination handling unit into the navigation system to output navigation guide data for the smartwatch user via the output of the smartwatch.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the smartwatch displays via the output a table of selectable destinations in said environment, which selection is made via the input of the smartwatch.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the smartwatch is used only together with a smartphone, whereby the smartwatch is configured to communicate wirelessly with the smartphone and the functionality of the smartwatch is shared between the smartwatch and the smartphone.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is hereinafter described with the aid of the enclosed drawings. In these drawings

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an inventive smartwatch,

(3) FIG. 2 a map of an environment with beacons provided for transmitting position data and destination data between a smartwatch and the elevator control of an elevator group,

(4) FIG. 3 an enlarged view of the touch screen of the smartwatch of FIG. 1 showing the route for the user from a current position to an allocated elevator of an elevator group,

(5) FIG. 4 a schematic illustration of the elevator and guide system of an environment comprising at least one smartwatch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) The inventive smartwatch 10 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a wristband 12 securing a smartwatch body 14 to the wrist of a user. Not shown in the figure is the lock of the wristband 12. The smartwatch body 14 comprises a large touch screen 16 which serves as display 18 as well as input means 20 for example by indicating virtual push buttons to be pressed by the user. The display is further configured (see FIG. 3) to indicate in field 17 the allocated elevator of a destination call and in field 19 the destination floor of the destination call. The smartwatch further comprises a loudspeaker 13 and a microphone 15.

(7) In connection with FIG. 4, the smartwatch 10 belongs to an elevator and guide system 40 in an environment 50 (FIG. 2). The smartwatch 10 further comprises a smartwatch control 22 connected to the touch screen 16 and a short range transmitter 24. The smartwatch 10 further comprises a gyrometer 26 as well as an accelerometer 28, whereby the gyrometer 26 and accelerometer 28 are optional features of the smartwatch 10. The smartwatch control 22 may further be connected to a telephone network communication module 30. The smartwatch control 22 is connected with a destination handling unit 32 and with a navigation system 34 which are connected optionally directly via line 36 to exchange data. The destination handling unit 32 and the navigation system 34 may also be integrated within the smartwatch control 22. The exchange may alternatively also happen via the elevator control 22 so that a direct connection 36 between the destination handling unit 32 and the navigation system 34 is not absolutely necessary.

(8) The short range transmitter 24 of the smartwatch is able to communicate with beacons 38a-38d located in the environment 50 (FIG. 2) which environment may be a building, an arrangement of buildings, a mall, a train station, an airport, etc. The beacons 38a-38d are wireless transmitters working on a short range, e.g. using the Bluetooth® system. These beacons 38a-38d are connected to the central elevator and guide control 42 which comprises an elevator control 44 as well as a navigation control 46. These components 44, 46 may be integrated in the elevator and guide control 42 of the environment or being arranged as separate modules or units within the elevator and guide system 40, preferably within the environment. The elevator and guide control 42 is further connected with an elevator group 46 having six elevators 48a-48f. Parts of the elevator and guide system may also be located outside the environment, e.g. as an internet server.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a part of a typical environment 50, i.e. a building with floors 52 to 56 and an elevator lobby 58. The beacons 38a-38d are located at certain positions, e.g. in equidistant positions within the floors 52 to 56 and in the elevator lobby 58.

(10) The system works as follows:

(11) When a user carrying the smartwatch 10 enters a building 50, the short range transmitter 24 of the smartwatch 10 communicates with a beacon 38a . . . i of the elevator and guide control 42 in the building 50. In this case, a program (App) is launched or started in the smartwatch 10 which makes the smartwatch part of the elevator and guide system 40 within the building 50. The App which is launched on the smartwatch control 22 prompts the user to input a destination on a list of destinations displayed via the touch screen 16 or to confirm a pre-selected destination. Upon choosing the pre-selected destination or a certain destination from the list of displayed destinations, a corresponding destination call is issued via the destination handling unit 32 communicated via the short range transmitter 24 of the smartwatch 10 to one of the beacons 38a-38d of the elevator and guide control 42 in the elevator and guide system 40. The elevator and guide control 42 transmits this destination call to the elevator control 44 which allocates one of the elevators 48a-48f. Further the elevator control 44 transmits the allocated elevator via one of the beacons 38a-38d to the short range transmitter 24 of the smartwatch 10, so that the allocated elevator may be indicated to the user on the display 18, e.g. as elevator B in the display filed 17 on the left side of the touch screen 16 and with the destination floor on the display field 19 on the right side of the display 18. Furthermore, this destination data is input to the navigation system 34. The navigation system 34 comprises a position detection means which receives from the beacons 38a-38d via the short range transmitter 24 of the smartwatch the actual position 60 of the user in the environment 50. Furthermore, the navigation system 34 may have map data of said environment either in a storage or obtained via short range transmission between a beacon 38a-38d and the short range transmitter 24 or via a telephone communication module 30. Via this map data and destination data of the destination call, the smartwatch is able to display the actual position 60 of the smartwatch—see FIGS. 2 and 3—on the smartwatch display 18 as well as the position 62 of the allocated elevator B. Further the navigation system 34 also outputs a navigation map 21 of the environment on the display 18 with the actual position, the route how to get through the environment 50 to the allocated elevator and the position 62 of the allocated elevator 48b.

(12) For this navigation the navigation system 34 uses his position detection means, e.g. internal components as e.g. the gyrometer 26 and the accelerometer 28, barometer and/or the short range transmitter 24 of the smartwatch control 10 which communicates with the different beacons 38a-38d positioned at different locations in the building 50. The beacons 38a-38i are configured to provide position data for the smartwatch 10 via the short range transmitter 24 or to update the position data which has been calculated by the position detection means of the navigation system 34 via internal components 26, 28. Therefore, position data communicated via the beacons can be used to generate the position data of the navigation system 34 or only to update the position data.

(13) In course of getting from the initial position 60 to the position 62 of the allocated elevator 48b, the user passes beacons 38a, 38b, 38c until he gets to beacon 38d which is located in the lobby 58 of the elevator group 48a-f. This route is indicated in navigation field 21 on the touch screen 16 of the smartwatch 10 together with the allocated elevator B on the left side field 17 as well as the destination floor (fourth floor) on the right side field 19 of the touch screen. Therefore, the touch screen 16 of the smartwatch 10 indicates the allocated elevator, the destination floor as well as the route from the current position of the user to the allocated elevator and possibly also the way at the destination floor from the elevator to his final destination.

(14) Accordingly, the passenger of an environment can be guided in a smooth way from the entrance of the environment to his selected or pre-selected destination.

(15) The invention is not restricted to the disclosed embodiment but may be varied within the scope of the appended patent claims.

List Of Reference Numbers

(16) 10 smartwatch

(17) 12 wristband

(18) 13 loudspeaker

(19) 14 smartwatch body

(20) 15 microphone

(21) 16 touchscreen

(22) 17 display field for allocated elevator

(23) 18 display part of touchscreen

(24) 19 display field for destination floor

(25) 20 push button part of touchscreen

(26) 21 navigation output field of touchscreen

(27) 22 smartwatch control

(28) 24 short range transmitter

(29) 26 gyrometer

(30) 28 accelerometer

(31) 30 telephone communication module

(32) 32 destination handling unit

(33) 34 navigation system

(34) 36 connection between destination handling unit and navigation system

(35) 38a . . i beacons located in the environment

(36) 40 elevator and guide system

(37) 42 elevator and guide control

(38) 44 elevator control

(39) 46 navigation control

(40) 48a-f elevators of elevator group

(41) 50 environment (building)

(42) 52 first floor

(43) 54 second floor

(44) 56 third floor

(45) 58 elevator lobby

(46) 60 actual position of the smartwatch

(47) 62 position of allocated elevator