SMART ELEVATOR MOVEMENT

• US 20180111787A1
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Published: 04/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Patel, Bhavesh
• Granted Patent: US 10,308,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/2458 For elevator systems with multiple shafts and a single car per shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3476 Load weighing or car passenger counting devices B66B5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/215 Transportation capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/222 Taking into account the number of passengers present in the elevator car to be allocated

Abstract

One or more elevators can be more efficiently controlled by considering the then-current spatial capacity of the elevator. Camera images or other sensor data indicative of the occupied space in the elevator are received and processed by a control device to determine whether or not the elevator should stop at a requested floor. If the elevator is determined to lack space for additional passengers, then the elevator can bypass the requested stop and proceed without delay. If space remains, however, the elevator can stop to accommodate additional passengers. Measured spatial capacity can also be used to coordinate the actions of multiple elevators operating within a building.

Claims

1. A process executable by a controller device that controls an elevator, the process comprising:

receiving a request at the controller device to stop the elevator at a requested floor;

receiving, by the controller device, sensor data from a sensor that is associated with elevator;

processing the sensor data by the controller device to determine a current spatial occupancy of the elevator; and

directing the elevator to bypass the requested floor if the current spatial occupancy exceeds a threshold amount, and otherwise directing the elevator to stop at the requested floor.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a camera, wherein the sensor data comprises a digital image of the elevator, and wherein the processing of the sensor data comprises processing the digital image of the elevator to determine the current spatial occupancy as an amount of elevator area that is occupied.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the processing of the digital image of the elevator comprises counting a number of pixel values that differ from a predetermined value.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the processing of the digital image of the elevator comprises determining if a sum of the pixel values varies from a predetermined value.

5. The process of claim 3 wherein the processing of the digital image of the elevator comprises determining if an average of the pixel values varies from a predetermined value.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the directing comprises the controller device generating control signals to thereby control the movement of the elevator.

7. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving additional data by the controller device from a second sensor located outside of the elevator on the requested floor;

processing the additional data by the controller device to determine a spatial demand for the elevator; and

directing the elevator to bypass the requested floor if the current spatial occupancy indicates that space remaining in the elevator is less than the spatial demand for the elevator, and otherwise directing the elevator to stop at the requested floor.

8. The process of claim 1 further comprising directing the actions of another elevator based the spatial occupancy of the elevator.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the elevator is directed to bypass the requested floor to prevent delays in arriving at a destination floor.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the elevator is directed to bypass the requested floor to allow passengers of the elevator to arrive at a destination floor in time to reach another elevator that is departing from the destination floor.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the elevator is directed to bypass the requested floor to allow passengers of the elevator to arrive at a destination floor in time to reach another elevator that is departing from the destination floor if the spatial occupancy of the elevator is less than a current spatial capacity of the other elevator.

12. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving other sensor data from another sensor located in another elevator that is departing from a destination floor; and

processing the other sensor data by the controller device to determine the current spatial capacity of the other elevator; and

wherein the directing comprises directing the elevator to bypass the requested floor to allow passengers of the elevator to arrive at the destination floor in time to reach the other elevator if the current spatial occupancy of the elevator is less than a current spatial capacity of the other elevator.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein the sensor and the other sensor are cameras, wherein the sensor data and the other sensor data comprise digital images of the elevator and the other elevator, respectively, and wherein the digital images are processed by the controller device to determine the current spatial occupancy of the elevator and the current spatial capacity of the other elevator.

14. A controller device for an elevator, the controller device comprising:

a data interface configured to receive sensor data associated with the elevator;

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a controller configured to execute the instructions stored by the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the controller device to perform a process comprising;

receiving a request at the controller device to stop the elevator at a requested floor;

receiving, by the controller device, the sensor data from a sensor that is associated with elevator;

processing the sensor data by the controller device to determine a current spatial occupancy of the elevator; and

directing the elevator to bypass the requested floor if the current spatial occupancy exceeds a threshold amount, and otherwise directing the elevator to stop at the requested floor.

15. The controller device of claim 14 wherein the sensor is a camera, wherein the sensor data comprises a digital image of the elevator, and wherein the processing of the sensor data comprises processing the digital image of the elevator to determine the current spatial occupancy as an amount of elevator area that is occupied.

16. The controller device of claim 14 wherein the processing of the digital image of the elevator comprises counting a number of pixel values that differ from a predetermined value.

17. The controller device of claim 14 wherein the process further comprises:

receiving additional data by the controller device from a second sensor located outside of the elevator on the requested floor;

processing the additional data by the controller device to determine a spatial demand for the elevator; and

directing the elevator to bypass the requested floor if the current spatial occupancy indicates that space remaining in the elevator is less than the spatial demand for the elevator, and otherwise directing the elevator to stop at the requested floor.

18. The controller device of claim 14 wherein the elevator is directed to bypass the requested floor to allow passengers of the elevator to arrive at a destination floor in time to reach another elevator that is departing from the destination floor if the spatial occupancy of the elevator is less than a current spatial capacity of the other elevator.

19. The controller device of claim 14 wherein the process comprises:

receiving other sensor data from another sensor located in another elevator that is departing from a destination floor; and

processing the other sensor data by the controller device to determine the current spatial capacity of the other elevator; and

wherein the directing comprises directing the elevator to bypass the requested floor to allow passengers of the elevator to arrive at the destination floor in time to reach the other elevator if the current spatial occupancy of the elevator is less than a current spatial capacity of the other elevator.

20. The controller device of claim 19 wherein the sensor and the other sensor are cameras, wherein the sensor data and the other sensor data comprise digital images of the elevator and the other elevator, respectively, and wherein the digital images are processed by the controller device to determine the current spatial occupancy of the elevator and the current spatial capacity of the other elevator.