PROGRAMMABLE ADAPTABLE TOUCH SCREEN ELEVATOR DEVICES

• US 20090294221A1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Stillion, Daniel, Bahjat, Zuhair, Pulling, Richard, Draudt, Gregg, Schreiber, Kate, Judson, Jared A., Sansevero, Frank, Terry, Harry
• Granted Patent: US 8,136,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/396
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/463 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/468 Call registering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4615 Wherein the destination is registered before boarding
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/463 Wherein the call is registered through physical contact with the elevator system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4653 wherein the call is registered using portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4661 for priority users
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 3/00 Applications of devices for indicating or signalling operating conditions of elevators

Abstract

Elevator call devices (41, 41a, 66, 75) have a programmable touch screen (42, 66, 74) which can be programmed to display (a) ten-key destination call buttons (46), (b) up hall call and down hall call buttons (58), or (c) N-key destination buttons (65), as well as buttons (50-53, 60, 63) which identify utilization of major floors of the building, including functions such as cafeteria, sky lobby, parking, public transport, and lobby, as well as tenants. A controller (78) programs the touch screen in dependence on (d) traffic volume, (e) time of day, (f) floor of the building where the touch screen is disposed or (g) identity of a particular passenger (VIP) in the vicinity of a touch screen.

Claims

1. An elevator hall call system characterized by:

a programmable adaptable interface (41, 41a, 66, 75) between passengers and a group of elevators serving a plurality of floors of a building, comprising at least one programmable touch screen (42, 66, 74) capable of displaying at least two;

patterns and of responding differently to portions of said patterns being touched by persons in dependence on the meaning of said patterns, said patterns having one portion programmable to provide buttons (50-53, 60, 63) which identify utilization of at least two of the floors of the building, said utilization selected from (a) functions (50-53, 60;

63) and (b) tenants (63) located on respective floors, and having one portion programmable to provide buttons selected from (c) ten key destination call buttons (46), (d) up hall call and down hall call buttons (58), and (e) N-key destination buttons (65) including one button per selectable floor; and

a controller (78) for programming said at least one touch screen to have one or another of said at least two patterns in dependence on at least one circumstance related to said elevators, said circumstances including at least the identity of a particular passenger in the vicinity of said at least one touch screen, said controller entering a service call in response to any one of said buttons being touched.

2. An elevator hall call system characterized by:

a programmable adaptable interface (41, 41a, 66, 75) between passengers and a group of elevators (26-29) serving a plurality of floors of a building, comprising at least one programmable touch screen (42, 66, 74) capable of displaying at least two patterns and of responding differently to portions of said patterns being touched by persons in dependence on the meaning of said patterns, each of said patterns having one portion providing buttons selected from (a) numerical destination call buttons (46, 65) and (b) up hall call and down hall call buttons (58), and having one portion providing buttons (50-53, 60, 63) which identify utilization of at least two of the floors of the building, said utilization selected from (a) functions (50-53, 60;

63) and (b) tenants (63) located on respective floors; and

a controller (78) for programming said at least one touch screen to have one or another of i said at least two patterns, said controller entering a service call in response to any one of said;

buttons being touched.

3. An elevator hall call system characterized by:

a programmable adaptable interface (41, 41a, 66, 75) between passengers and a group of elevators (26-29) serving a plurality of floors of a building, characterized by;

at least one programmable touch screen (42, 66, 74) capable of displaying at least two patterns and of responding differently to portions of said patterns being touched by persons in;

dependence on the meaning of the displayed one of said patterns; and

a controller (78) for programming said at least one touch screen to have one or another of said at least two patterns in dependence on at least one circumstance related to said elevators, said circumstances including at least the identity of a particular passenger in the vicinity of said at least one touch screen, said controller entering a service call in response to any one of said buttons being touched.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein said circumstances include elevator traffic volume or time of day.

5. A system according to claim 3 wherein said circumstances include floor of the building where said interface is disposed.

6. An elevator hall call system characterized by:

an interface (41, 41a, 66, 75) between passengers and a group of elevators serving a plurality of floors of a building, comprising an elevator destination call panel (42) including one portion having buttons (50-53, 60, 63) which identify utilization of at least two of the floors of the building, said utilization selected from (a) functions (50-53, 60;

63) and (b) tenants (63) located on respective floors, and also I including one portion selected from (c) numerical destination call buttons (46, 65) and (d) up hall call and down hall call buttons (58); and

a controller (78) for entering a service call in response to any one of said buttons being touched.