Elevator system adaptive time-based block operation
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a plurality of elevator cars for protecting against an excessively restricted block operational mode of elevator service from each floor of a building, with each car communicating on a local area network from an electronic circuit located thereat and through a separate traveling cable to a remote controller,each remote controller including a microprocessor based computer circuit individual to each car and with each remote controller normally capable of communicating corridor signal information on a local area network through a riser cable terminating in a set of floor control circuits distributed proximate to each floor,each said microprocessor based computer circuit adaptively implementing successive failure control modes for a floor control strategy to assign the better car or cars into operation, based on communication network integrity, relative car travel positions and timing, to respond to the hall calls registered at the floors along said cable riser, andeach said remote controller repeatedly checking its operational capability and communication signal integrity for the corridor cable riser so as to respectively being implementing an adaptive block operation mode, with the least restrictive affect in the floor control strategy, should there be a communication failure affecting the respective remote controller from communicating on the cable riser, with the capacity for totally servicing the building in moving passengers to the bottom floor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An elevator control system and method for efficient failure control of block operation with a local area network on the traveling cable and distributed electronic control circuits in the car and proximate to the respective floors with a remote microprocessor controller for each car. A local area network also provides communication with the corridor fixtures in a serial signal format of input and output signals. Each remote controller includes a microprocessor based computer circuit which normally communicates over a multicar-link with the other and also over the local area networks for car and hall calls. Each controller implements an adaptive time based block operation with the total building being serviced, despite partial or total failure of communication between the controllers and the corridor fixtures, which would otherwise degrade the bank operation sooner and more restrictively.
14 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a plurality of elevator cars for protecting against an excessively restricted block operational mode of elevator service from each floor of a building, with each car communicating on a local area network from an electronic circuit located thereat and through a separate traveling cable to a remote controller,
each remote controller including a microprocessor based computer circuit individual to each car and with each remote controller normally capable of communicating corridor signal information on a local area network through a riser cable terminating in a set of floor control circuits distributed proximate to each floor, each said microprocessor based computer circuit adaptively implementing successive failure control modes for a floor control strategy to assign the better car or cars into operation, based on communication network integrity, relative car travel positions and timing, to respond to the hall calls registered at the floors along said cable riser, and each said remote controller repeatedly checking its operational capability and communication signal integrity for the corridor cable riser so as to respectively being implementing an adaptive block operation mode, with the least restrictive affect in the floor control strategy, should there be a communication failure affecting the respective remote controller from communicating on the cable riser, with the capacity for totally servicing the building in moving passengers to the bottom floor.
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6. A control system for controlling a plurality of elevator cars protected against an excessively restricted block operational mode of elevator service from each floor of a building, comprising:
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a first local area network for each car having its car call signals communicating thereon and including an electronic circuit located with each car connected to a remote controller on a traveling cable, each remote controller including a microprocessor based computer circuit individual to each car, a second local area network for each remote controller to normally communicate corridor signal information through a riser cable terminating in a set of floor control circuits distributed proximate to each floor, each said microprocessor based computer circuit being adapted to implement successive failure control modes for a floor control strategy to assign the better car or cars into operation, based on communication network signal integrity, relative car travel positions and timing, to respond to the hall calls registered at the floors along said cable riser, and each said remote controller computer circuit including means for repeatedly checking its operational capability and the communication signal integrity for the corridor cable riser within the control system, so as to respectively begin implementing an adaptive block operation mode, with the least restricted affect in the floor control strategy, should there be a communication failure affecting the respective remote controller from communicating on the cable riser, with the capacity for totally servicing the building in moving passengers to the bottom floor. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification