METHOD FOR OPERATING A LIFT SYSTEM

Abstract

A method for operating an elevator system, which may include at least two cars that can move independently of one another within a common elevator shaft, may involve determining with an elevator controller to cause a first car of the at least two cars to perform a transportation process from a start stopping point to a destination stopping point. The elevator controller may determine a starting time and travel parameters according to which the first car carries out the transportation process from the start stopping point to the destination stopping point. The starting time and the travel parameters may be determined by taking into account state parameters of a second car of the at least two cars.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A method for operating an elevator system that includes a first car and a second car that move independently in an elevator shaft, the method comprising: determining with an elevator controller to cause the first car to perform a transportation process from a start stopping point to a destination stopping point; and determining with the elevator controller a starting time at which the first car begins the transportation process from the start stopping point and travel parameters according to which the first car performs the transportation process, wherein as part of determining the starting time and the travel parameters the elevator controller takes into account state parameters of the second car if the second car is located in a region between the start stopping point and the destination stopping point.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein as part of determining the starting time and the travel parameters the elevator controller also takes into account the state parameters of the second car if the second car will be located in the region between the start stopping point and the destination stopping point while the first car performs the transportation process.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the starting time and the travel parameters are determined taking into account the state parameters of the second car such that at least one of a minimum distance or a speed-dependent safety distance between the first car and the second car are not undershot.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the travel parameters include at least one of an acceleration, a braking, a speed, a maximum speed, or a jolt of the first car.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the state parameters include at least one of a current position of the second car, a direction of travel of the second car, a travel time of the second car, travel parameters of the second car, or a transportation process to be performed by the second car.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the state parameters include stopping times at which the second car stops at stopping points.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the stopping times are determined by at least one of stochastic evaluation or by evaluation of a destination call controller.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising determining whether the travel parameters are to be changed while the first car performs the transportation process based on the state parameters of the second car.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the state parameters include whether the second car leaves the region between the start stopping point and the destination stopping point in a course of a transportation process to be performed by the second car within a determined time interval.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the elevator controller moves the second car into an avoidance stopping point outside the region between the start stopping point and the destination stopping point if the second car does not leave the region in the course of the transportation process to be performed by the second car within the determined time interval.

25. The method of claim 15 comprising determining the travel parameters of the first car by taking into account at least one of an energy management system of the elevator system, energy consumption, or wear of components of the elevator system.

26. The method of claim 15 further comprising displaying inside the first car at least one of the travel parameters of the first car, a waiting time until the starting time of the first car, or an arrival time of the first car.

27. An elevator system comprising: a first car disposed in a shaft; a second car disposed in the shaft, the first and second cars being independently movable; and an elevator controller that is configured to command the first car to perform a transportation process from a start stopping point to a destination stopping point, and determine a starting time at which the first car begins the transportation process from the start stopping point and travel parameters according to which the first car performs the transportation process, wherein as part of determining the starting time and the travel parameters the elevator controller takes into account state parameters of the second car if the second car is located in a region between the start stopping point and the destination stopping point or if the second car will be located in the region between the start stopping point and the destination stopping point while the first car performs the transportation process.

28. The elevator system of claim 27 wherein as part of determining the starting time and the travel parameters the elevator controller also takes into account the state parameters of the second car if the second car will be located in the region between the start stopping point and the destination stopping point while the first car performs the transportation process.

29. A computer program that causes the elevator controller of claim 27 to perform the command and determination steps if executed in the elevator controller.

30. A machine-readable storage medium that includes a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program is configured to perform the command and determination steps of the elevator controller of claim 27.

Description

[0049] In the drawings:

[0050] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a preferred refinement of an elevator system according to the invention which is configured to be operated according to a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention,

[0051] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of travel curves of cars of a preferred refinement of an elevator system according to the invention, which travel curves can be determined in the course of a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention, and

[0052] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of travel curves which can be determined in the course of a further preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention.

EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

[0053] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a preferred refinement of an elevator system according to the invention, said elevator system being denoted by 100. Two cars 110 and 120 can move independently of one another in a common elevator shaft 101 in the elevator system 100. The elevator system 100 extends in this specific example over nine stories which are denoted by the reference symbols H1 to H9.

[0054] Each of the cars 110 and 120 has an individual car controller 111 or 121. The elevator system 100 also has an elevator controller 130. The elevator controller 130 and the car controllers 111 and 121 are connected to one another, in particular via a suitable communication bus, for example a field bus.

[0055] The elevator controller 130 is also configured to carry out a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention. For this purpose, in particular a preferred refinement of a computer program according to the invention is executed in the elevator controller 130.

[0056] For example, a passenger wishes to be transported from the third storey H3 to the seventh storey H7. For this purpose, the passenger activates a corresponding destination selection controller at this start stopping point H3. The passenger in this way informs the elevator controller 130 of the destination storey H7. The elevator controller 130 determines car 110 as the first car, in order to carry out this transportation process. The elevator controller 130 outputs a command to the car controller 111 of the first car 110. The car controller 111 correspondingly actuates the first car 110, and the first car 110 is moved to the start stopping point H3. At an entry time, the passenger enters the first car 110 at the start stopping point H3.

[0057] The elevator controller 130 then determines a starting time and travel parameters for the transportation process from the start stopping point H3 to the destination stopping point H7. This determination is carried out taking into account state parameters of the second car 120.

[0058] The second car 120 is on the fifth storey H5 at the entry time. The second car 120 is to carry out a transportation process from the fifth storey H5 to the sixth storey H6, and subsequently a further transportation process from the sixth storey H6 to the ninth storey H9. These two transportation processes, corresponding travel parameters of the second car 120 and stopping times of the second car 120 at the fifth storey H5 and at the sixth storey H6 are taken into account as state parameters by the elevator controller 130 for the determination of the transportation process of the first car 110.

[0059] The elevator controller 130 determines an average stopping time of the second car 120 by means of a statistical evaluation of travel profiles. This statistically determined stopping time is used as a predetermined stopping time for the fifth and sixth stories H5 and H6.

[0060] The car controller 121 of the second car 120 transfers the acceleration, speed and braking as travel parameters to the elevator controller 130. The second car 120 carries out the two transportation processes according to these travel parameters.

[0061] The elevator controller 130 determines a travel curve of the second car 120 as a function of these travel parameters and of these stopping times of the second car 120. This travel curve corresponds to an extrapolation of the position of the second car 120 in the elevator shaft 101.

[0062] By taking into account this travel curve of the second car 120, the elevator controller 130 determines a travel curve of the first car 110. For this travel curve, the starting time and the travel parameters of the first car 110 are determined in such a way that the first car 110 can begin its transportation process as quickly as possible (that is to say that the smallest possible time interval is present between the entry time and the starting time) and that the first car 110 and the second car 120 do not undershoot a predefined minimum distance or a speed-dependent safety distance with respect to one another.

[0063] The elevator controller 130 determines the acceleration, speed and braking of the first car 110 as travel parameters. The elevator controller 130 transfers these travel parameters and the starting time to the car controller 111. The car controller 111 actuates the first car 110 correspondingly so that the transportation process from the start stopping point H3 to the destination stopping point H7 is carried out at the starting time with the corresponding travel parameters.

[0064] FIG. 2 illustrates schematically these travel curves, determined by the elevator controller 130, in a diagram of the car position x in the elevator shaft 101 plotted against the time t.

[0065] t.sub.0 characterizes the entry time at which the passenger enters the first car 110 at the start stopping point H3. The travel curve for the second car 120 is characterized by 220 and is extrapolated by the elevator controller 130. The time t.sub.1 at which the second car leaves the fifth storey is extrapolated by statistical evaluation. The times t.sub.3 and t.sub.4 characterize the statistically determined stopping time for the stopping of the second car 120 at the sixth storey H6. The elevator controller 130 also extrapolates so that the second car reaches the ninth storey H9 at the time t.sub.6.

[0066] The elevator controller 130 determines the travel curve 210 of the first car 110 by taking into account this travel curve 220 of the second car 120. The starting time which is determined by the elevator controller and at which the first car 110 begins the transportation process is denoted by t.sub.2. The extrapolated arrival time at which the first car 110 reaches the destination stopping point H7 is denoted by t.sub.5.

[0067] Further travel curves are illustrated in FIG. 3 in a way analogous to FIG. 2. FIG. 3 illustrates by way of example that the actual stopping time of the second car 120 at the sixth storey is longer than the stopping time extrapolated by the elevator controller.

[0068] The actual travel curve of the second car 120 is represented by 221. The extrapolated travel curve 220 according to FIG. 2 is represented by dashed lines in FIG. 3 in the area in which the extrapolated travel curve 220 differs from the actual travel curve 221.

[0069] For example, a passenger enters the second car 120 at the sixth storey while the doors are already closing. The doors therefore have to be opened once more and the stop is prolonged. The stop therefore does not end at the time t.sub.4, as has been extrapolated by the elevator controller, but rather at the time t.sub.7.

[0070] If the first car 110 were to continue the transportation process according to the extrapolated travel curve 210, the safety distance between the first car 110 and the second car 120 would be undershot owing to the long stop of the second car 120. So that this safety distance is not undershot, at the time t.sub.7 the travel parameters of the first car 110 are adapted by the elevator controller 130. In this example, the speed of the first car 110 is reduced.

[0071] In FIG. 3, the actual travel curve of the first car 110 is denoted by 211. The extrapolated travel curve 210 according to FIG. 2 is represented by dashed lines in FIG. 3 in the area in which the extrapolated travel curve 210 differs from the actual travel curve 211.

[0072] As a result of the decrease in the speed of the first car 110, the arrival time of the first car 110 at the destination storey H7 is shifted from the time t.sub.5 to the time t.sub.8.