Elevator control system having controller in communication with power provider

• US 10,308,476 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Kim, HanJong
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US15/027,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20160244294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,065 Days
• Field of Search: 187247, 187277, 187380-388, 187391, 187393, 187290, 705412
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/2408 where the allocation of a call to an elevator car is of importance, i.e. by means of a supervisory or group controller
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/216 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/241 Standby control

Abstract

An elevator control system includes an elevator group system including one or more elevators and an elevator group controller configured to control operation of the one or more elevators. The system includes at least one of an external elevator management system and an external power provider connected via a data communications link to the elevator group controller. The elevator group controller is configured to transmit to the at least one of the external elevator management system and the external power provider elevator operation information, and the at least one of the external elevator management system and the external power provider is configured to transmit to the elevator group controller elevator operation control information based on the elevator operation information. The elevator group controller is configured to then control operation of the one or more elevators based on the elevator operation control information.

Claims

1. An elevator control system, comprising:

an elevator group system including one or more elevators and an elevator group controller configured to control operation of the one or more elevators; and

a power provider connected via a data communications link to the elevator group controller, the elevator group controller configured to transmit to the power provider elevator operation information, the power provider configured to transmit to the elevator group controller elevator control information based on the elevator operation information, and the elevator group controller configured to control operation of the one or more elevators based on the elevator control information.

2. The elevator control system of claim 1, wherein the power provider includes a power provider that provides power to the one or more elevators, and

the elevator control information includes at least one of information regarding the cost to provide power to the one or more elevators and power information corresponding to a power range in which the one or more elevators is to operate.

3. The elevator control system of claim 1, wherein the elevator group system includes a local power supply controlled by the elevator group controller, and

the elevator group controller is configured to supply power to the one or more elevators from the local power supply based on the elevator operation control information.

4. The elevator control system of claim 1, wherein the power provider includes a first power provider that provides a first power type and a second power provider that provides a second power type, and

the elevator group controller receives first elevator control information from the first power provider and second elevator control information from the second power provider and adjusts a ratio of power supplied to the one or more elevators from the first power provider relative to the second power provider based on the first and second elevator control information.

5. The elevator control system of claim 4, wherein the first power provider is an electrical power provider connected to the one or more elevators via an electrical grid, and

the second power provider is an alternative power provider other than an electrical power provider.

6. The elevator control system of claim 1, wherein the elevator group controller is configured to communicate with the power provider based on receiving the elevator control information to obtain adjusted elevator control information, and the elevator group controller is configured to control the one or more elevators based on the adjusted elevator control information.

7. An elevator group controller, comprising:

memory that stores elevator operation information of one or more elevators in an elevator group; and

a processor that transmits the elevator operation information to an external power provider, receives elevator control information from the external power provider based on the transmitted elevator operation information, and generates elevator control signals to control operation of the one or more elevators based on the elevator control information.

8. The elevator group controller of claim 7, wherein the external power provider is a power provider that provides power to the one or more elevators, the elevator operation control information is at least one of power cost information and power-level-limit information, and

the processor controls operation of the one or more elevators based on at least one of power cost information and power-level-limit information.

9. The elevator group controller of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with the external power provider based on receiving the elevator control information to obtain adjusted elevator control information, and

the processor is configured to generate the elevator control signals to control operation of the one or more elevators based on the adjusted elevator operation control information.

10. The elevator group controller of claim 9, wherein the elevator control information includes at least one of power cost information and elevator-power-limiting information to limit power levels at which the one or more elevators operate, and

the communication includes transmitting to the external power provider at least one of power cost values and power usage levels different than the power cost information and elevator-power-limiting information provided by the external power provider based on an expected usage of the one or more elevators.

11. The elevator group controller of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to control a local power source to supply at least a portion of the power provided to the one or more elevators from the local power source, and at least a portion of the power supplied to the one or more elevators from an electrical grid, a portion of the power provided to the one or more elevators from the local power source and the portion of the power supplied to the one or more elevators from an electrical grid being based on the elevator control information.

12. A method of controlling an elevator group, comprising:

transmitting, by an elevator group controller that controls an operation of one or more elevators, elevator operation information to an external power provider via a data communications link;

receiving, by the elevator group controller, from the external power provider elevator control information based on the elevator operation information; and

controlling, by the elevator group controller, the one or more elevators based on the elevator control information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the external power provider includes a power provider that provides power to the one or more elevators, and

the elevator control information includes at least one of information regarding the cost to provide power to the one or more elevators and power information corresponding to a power range in which the one or more elevators is to operate.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling, by the elevator group controller, power supplied to the one or more elevators from a local power supply controlled by the elevator group controller and from the at least one of the external elevator management system and the external power provider based on the elevator control information.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the external power provider includes a first power provider that provides a first power type and a second power provider that provides a second power type,

receiving the elevator control information includes receiving first elevator control information from the first power provider and second elevator control information from the second power provider, and

the method further comprises:

controlling, by the elevator group controller, a ratio of power supplied to the one or more elevators from the first power provider and the second power provider based on the first elevator control information and the second elevator control information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first power provider is an electrical power provider connected to the one or more elevators via an electrical grid, and

the second power provider is an alternative power provider other than an electrical power provider.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

communicating, by the elevator group controller, with the external power provider based on receiving the elevator control information to obtain adjusted elevator control information,

wherein controlling the one or more elevators includes controlling the one or more elevators based on the adjusted elevator control information.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting, by an elevator group controller, elevator operation information to the external power provider includes transmitting, by a plurality of elevator group controllers, each configured to control a separate group of one or more elevators, elevator operation information to the external power provider.