SERVICE CONTROLLER FOR DETERMINING CROWDING IN AN ELEVATOR CAR
First Claim
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1. A service controller for crowded elevator cars comprising:
- an illuminating apparatus furnished in a top part of a car that is configured to illuminate the car interior;
at least one elongated light sensor unit installed along a corner region formed between a vertical sidewall of the car and a floor of the car; and
a judgment device that is configured to;
(a) determine whether there is passenger boarding space in the car based on an output of the light sensor unit; and
(b) produce a crowded car signal when the judgment device has determined that there is no passenger boarding space in the car.
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Abstract
A service controller for crowded elevator cars includes an illuminating apparatus (4) furnished in a top part of a car (1) that is configured to illuminate the car (1) interior, at least one elongated light sensor unit (8) constituted by multiple light sensors (10) on a base member (9) and installed along corner regions (7a, 7b) formed between a vertical wall surface (5) of the car and the car'"'"'s floor surface (6), and a judgment device (11) that is configured to determine whether there is passenger boarding space in the car (1) based on the output of the light sensors (10).
15 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A service controller for crowded elevator cars comprising:
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an illuminating apparatus furnished in a top part of a car that is configured to illuminate the car interior; at least one elongated light sensor unit installed along a corner region formed between a vertical sidewall of the car and a floor of the car; and a judgment device that is configured to;
(a) determine whether there is passenger boarding space in the car based on an output of the light sensor unit; and(b) produce a crowded car signal when the judgment device has determined that there is no passenger boarding space in the car. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of determining whether there is passenger boarding space in an elevator car, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting light from a top part of the elevator car to a corner region of the floor of the car; sensing an amount of light transmitted from the top part of the elevator car to the corner region of the floor of the car when the car is unloaded; establishing a reference value of light based on the amount of light from the top part of the elevator car to the corner region of the floor sensed when the car is unloaded; sensing an amount of light transmitted from the top part of the elevator car to the corner region of the floor of the car when the car is at least partially loaded; comparing the amount of light sensed when the car is at least partially loaded to the reference value; and producing a crowded car signal when the amount of light sensed when the car is at least partially loaded is at or below the reference value.
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9. A method of controlling elevator car service based on the amount of passenger boarding space in an elevator car, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting light from a top part of the elevator car to a corner region of the floor of the car; sensing an amount of light transmitted from the top part of the elevator car to the corner region of the floor of the car when the car is unloaded; establishing a reference value of light based on the amount of light from the top part of the elevator car to the corner region of the floor sensed when the car is unloaded; sensing an amount of light transmitted from the top part of the elevator car to the corner region of the floor of the car when the car is at least partially loaded; comparing the amount of light sensed when the car is at least partially loaded to the reference value; and controlling the elevator car service based on the comparison between the amount of light sensed and the reference value.
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Specification