ELEVATOR CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20110220437A1
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: ASANO, Norimasa
• Granted Patent: US 8,662,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/247
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/2458 For elevator systems with multiple shafts and a single car per shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/103 Destination call input before entering the elevator car
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/211 Waiting time, i.e. response time
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/222 Taking into account the number of passengers present in the elevator car to be allocated
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/232 where the time needed for a passenger to arrive at the allocated elevator car from where the call is made is taken into account

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a response time calculation unit calculates a response time of each of the cars required when the car stop call is assigned to the car. An assignment control unit assigns the car stop call to the optimum car, based on the response time of each of the cars. A car load calculation unit calculates a load value of each car at the time when each car starts from a registration floor of the car stop call after responding to the call. A boarding possibility determination unit determines, for each car, whether the user can get on the car or not, by comparing the load value with a preset capacity value. A registration control unit performs control to assign the car stop call, including a second and later responses to the registration floor of the car stop call, based on a determination result of the boarding possibility.

Claims

1. An elevator control apparatus equipped with car stop destination floor registration devices that are provided at car stops of floors and can register destination floors of users, and configured to assign a car stop call of a user including a destination floor and registered by operation of one of the car stop destination floor registration devices to an optimum car among plurality of cars, the apparatus comprising:

a response time calculation unit that calculates a response time of each of the cars required when the car stop call is assigned to the car;

an assignment control unit that selects the optimum car from the cars and assigns the car stop call to the optimum car, based on the response time of each of the cars calculated by the response time calculation unit;

a car load calculation unit that calculates a load value of each car at the time when each car starts from a registration floor of the car stop call after responding to the call;

a boarding possibility determination unit that determines, for each of the cars, whether the user can get on the car or not, by comparing the load value calculated by the car load calculation unit with a preset capacity value; and

a registration control unit that controls the response time calculation unit and the assignment control unit to assign the car stop call, including a second and later responses to the registration floor of the car stop call, based on a determination result of the boarding possibility determination unit.

2. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the response time calculation unit calculates time required, for a car which is determined by the boarding possibility determination unit that the user cannot get on, until the car responds to the registration floor of the car stop call for second time or later time.

3. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the assignment control unit calculates, for each of the cars, an evaluated value which indicates optimum for the car stop call, by adding a degree of influence on other users until the car responds to the registration floor of the car stop call to the response time calculated by the response time calculation unit.

4. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the assignment control unit outputs a special signal indicating that the car to which the car stop call is assigned responds to the call for the second time or later time, until the car finishes a first response, when the car responds to the call for the second time or later time.

5. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the car stop destination floor registration device displays a car to which the car stop call is assigned by the assignment control unit, and displays that the user can get on the car of a second response or a later response when the special signal is output from the assignment control unit.

6. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

stopping floor display devices that are provided at the car stops of the floors, and display stopping floors of the cars in response to car stop call assignment output by the assignment control unit, wherein

the stopping floor display devices do not display a destination floor which is indicated by the special signal and for which the assigned car starts at the second response or later, when the special signal is output from the assignment control unit.

7. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the response time calculation unit calculates a waiting time required until the car to which the car stop call is assigned responds to the registration floor of the car stop call, when the car responds to the call for the second time or later, and

the car stop destination floor registration devices performs display including the waiting time calculated by the response time calculation unit.

8. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the registration control unit erases registration information of the car stop call including a destination floor, when the registration control unit receives a request of canceling the destination floor from one of the car stop destination floor registration devices, while the special signal is output from the assignment control unit.

9. An elevator control apparatus equipped with car stop destination floor registration devices that are provided at car stops of floors and can register destination floors of users, and configured to assign a car stop call of a user including a destination floor and registered by operation of one of the car stop destination floor registration devices to a car, comprising:

an assignment control unit that assigns the car stop call to the car;

a car load calculation unit that calculates a load value of the car at the time when the car starts from a registration floor of the car stop call after responding to the call;

a boarding possibility determination unit that determines whether the user can get on the car or not, by comparing the load value calculated by the car load calculation unit with a preset capacity value; and

a registration control unit that controls the assignment control unit to assign the car stop call, including a second and later responses to the registration floor of the car stop call, based on a determination result of the boarding possibility determination unit.