Building access zone specification for mobile applications

• US 10,231,167 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2017
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Simcik, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US15/638,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20190007890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3461 between the elevator control system and remote or mobile stations
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/468 Call registering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/00 Aspects of control systems of elevators
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/10 Details with respect to the type of call input
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/30 Details of the elevator system configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4653 wherein the call is registered using portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A method of establishing a range restriction for calling an elevator car through a mobile device is provided. The method comprising: displaying a map of a desired building on a manager device; adjusting the range restriction using the manager device, wherein the range restriction limits elevator calls to mobile devices located within a selected range of the desired building; receiving an elevator call from a mobile device, the elevator call including a geographical location of the mobile device; and moving the elevator car in response to the elevator call when the geographical location of the mobile device is within the range restriction limits.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a range restriction for calling an elevator car through a mobile device, the method comprising:

displaying a map of a desired building on a manager device;

adjusting the range restriction using the manager device, wherein the range restriction limits elevator calls to mobile devices located within a selected range of the desired building;

receiving an elevator call from a mobile device, the elevator call including a geographical location of the mobile device; and

moving the elevator car in response to the elevator call when the geographical location of the mobile device is within the range restriction limits.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to displaying a map, the method further comprises:

receiving an identification of a desired building for a range restriction from a manager device, wherein the desired building includes at least one elevator car.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting further comprises:

displaying a standard range restriction on the map; and

receiving a range restriction adjustment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving a range restriction adjustment further comprises:

receiving at least one of a click input located on the range restriction on the map from a computer mouse and a touch input located on the range restriction on the map from a touchscreen; and

receiving a drag and drop input on the range restriction from at least one of the computer mouse and the touchscreen.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving a range restriction adjustment further comprises:

receiving at least one of a type input of the range restriction from a computer keyboard and a click input located on a range restriction adjustment button on the map.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the desired building includes a center point that is displayed on the map and the range restriction limits elevator calls to mobile devices located within a selected range of the center point; and

the center point is at least one of a geographical center point of the desired building, a front door of the desired building, and a lobby of the desired building.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

adjusting the center point.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the adjusting the center point further comprises:

receiving at least one of a click input located on the center point on the map from a computer mouse and a touch input located on the center point on the map from a touch screen; and

receiving a drag and drop input on the center point from at least one of the computer mouse and the touch screen.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting further comprises:

drawing a free-form range restriction on the map.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting further comprises:

receiving a type input of the range restriction from a computer keyboard;

displaying a range restriction on the map; and

receiving a range restriction adjustment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving a range restriction adjustment further comprises:

receiving at least one of a click input located on the range restriction on the map from a computer mouse and a touch input located on the range restriction on the map from a touchscreen; and

receiving a drag and drop input on the range restriction from at least one of the computer mouse and the touchscreen.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving a range restriction adjustment further comprises:

receiving at least one of a type input of the range restriction from a computer keyboard and a click input located on a range restriction adjustment button.

13. A computer program product tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

displaying a map of a desired building on a manager device;

adjusting the range restriction using the manager device, the range restriction limits elevator calls to mobile devices located within a selected range of the desired building;

receiving an elevator call from a mobile device, the elevator call including a geographical location of the mobile device; and

moving the elevator car in response to the elevator call when the geographical location of the mobile device is within the range restriction.

14. The computer program of claim 13, wherein prior to displaying a map, the operations further comprise:

receiving an identification of a desired building for a range restriction from a manager device, wherein the desired building includes at least one elevator car.

15. The computer program of claim 13, wherein the adjusting further comprises:

displaying a standard range restriction on the map; and

receiving a range restriction adjustment.

16. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the receiving a range restriction adjustment further comprises:

receiving at least one of a click input located on the range restriction on the map from a computer mouse and a touch input located on the range restriction on the map from a touchscreen; and

receiving a drag and drop input on the range restriction from at least one of the computer mouse and the touchscreen.

17. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the receiving a range restriction adjustment further comprises:

receiving at least one of a type input of the range restriction from a computer keyboard and a click input located on a range restriction adjustment button.

18. The computer program of claim 13, wherein:

the desired building includes a center point that is displayed on the map and the range restriction limits elevator calls to mobile devices located within a selected range of the center point; and

the center point is at least one of a geographical center point of the desired building, a front door of the desired building, and a lobby of the desired building.

19. The computer program of claim 13, wherein the adjusting further comprises:

drawing a free-form range restriction on the map.

20. The computer program of claim 13, wherein the adjusting further comprises:

receiving a type input of the range restriction from a computer keyboard;

displaying a range restriction on the map; and

receiving a range restriction adjustment.