MOBILE APPLICATION BASED DISPATCHING

• US 20160122157A1
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Keser, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 10,118,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/468 Call registering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/243 Distribution of elevator cars, e.g. based on expected future need
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4653 wherein the call is registered using portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to receiving, by a computing device comprising a processor, registration information associated with a tenant of a building and at least one user device, determining, by the computing device, that the at least one user device is within a threshold distance of the building, causing, by the computing device, an identity of the tenant to be provided by the at least one user device based on the determination that the at least one user device is within the threshold distance of the building, and causing, by the computing device, an elevator car to be dispatched to a floor of the building on which the tenant is located.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device comprising a processor, registration information associated with a tenant of a building and at least one user device;

determining, by the computing device, that the at least one user device is within a threshold distance of the building;

causing, by the computing device, an identity of the tenant to be provided by the at least one user device based on the determination that the at least one user device is within the threshold distance of the building; and

causing, by the computing device, an elevator car to be dispatched to a floor of the building on which the tenant is located.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing an indication of the elevator car to be provided by the at least one user device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, that the at least one user device has entered the elevator car.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

causing, by the computing device, doors of the elevator car to close based on determining that the at least one user device has entered the elevator car.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a user of the at least one user device was directed to a second elevator car, and wherein the method further comprises:

reassigning, by the computing device, the user to the elevator car based on determining that the at least one user device has entered the elevator car.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the at least one tenant.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the selection of the at least one tenant is received by the at least one user device when the at least one user device is located in the elevator car.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

initiating, by the computing device, a phone call to the at least one user device based on the determination that the at least one user device is within a threshold distance of the building,

wherein the selection of the at least one tenant is received as a voice command in response to the phone call.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

causing, by the computing device, at least one of targeted information and a targeted advertisement to be provided by the at least one user device based on the selection of the at least one tenant.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

causing, by the computing device, a notification that identifies that at least one user device to be transmitted to the at least one tenant based on the selection of the at least one tenant.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the tenant is provided by the at least one user device based on the registration information associated with the at least one user device.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

communicate with a mobile device based on the mobile device being located within a threshold distance of a building; and

transmit to the mobile device an indication of an elevator car to be dispatched to a tenant within the building based on the communication with the mobile device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

transmit to the mobile device identities of a plurality of tenants within the building, the identities comprising an identity of the tenant; and

receive from the mobile device a selection of the tenant,

wherein the elevator car is dispatched to a floor of the building on which the tenant is located based on the received selection.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is associated with at least one of the building and a service provider, and wherein the apparatus is configured to communicate with the mobile device based on the mobile device being registered with the service provider, and wherein the mobile device is determined to be within the threshold distance of the building based on GPS coordinates associated with the mobile device.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

transmit to the mobile device an indication that the elevator car has arrived at the tenant when the elevator car arrives at a floor of the building on which the tenant is located.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indication comprises directions from the elevator car to a location of the tenant on the floor of the building.

17. A system comprising:

at least one computing device configured to;

determine when a user device included in a plurality of user devices is within a threshold distance of at least one building included in a plurality of buildings;

cause identities of one or more tenants registered with a service provider within the at least one building to be provided to the user device based on determining that the user device is within the threshold distance; and

cause an elevator car to be dispatched to a floor of the at least one building on which at least one tenant of the registered one or more tenants is located.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to:

receive a selection of the at least one tenant from the user device,

wherein the elevator car is dispatched based on the received selection.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to:

receive a request for elevator service from a second user device included in the plurality of user devices;

determine that a timeout expires before the second user device enters the elevator car; and

cancel the request for elevator service based on the determination that the timeout expires.

20. An elevator dispatching system comprising:

an elevator dispatching unit configured to dispatch a plurality of elevator cars in at least one building,

a memory configured to store information regarding,

a plurality of users, and

a plurality of tenants in the at least one building, wherein the dispatching unit is configured to, by way of a mobile device,

determine that a one of the plurality of users is proximate to the at least one building,

determine a one of the plurality of tenants that is a destination of the one of the plurality of users,

dispatch a one of the plurality of elevator cars to transport the one of the plurality of users to the destination, and

inform the one of the plurality of users, by way of the mobile device, that the dispatched one of the plurality of elevator cars should be used.

21. The elevator dispatching system of claim 20, wherein the elevator dispatching unit is configured to determine a one of the plurality of tenants that is a destination of the one of the plurality of users using a scheduler resident on the mobile device.

22. The elevator dispatching system of claim 20, wherein the dispatching unit is configured to determine that the one of the plurality of tenant is the destination based on stored information in the memory identifying the destination as a last destination that the one of the plurality of users visited.