Elevator car dispatcher having artificially intelligent supervisor for crowds

• US 5,329,076 A
• Filed: 07/24/1992
• Issued: 07/12/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Kameli, Nader
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAPPI, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US07/919,470
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 187/125, 187/127, 187/131, 187/124
• US Class Current: 187/383
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/2408 where the allocation of a call to an elevator car is of importance, i.e. by means of a supervisory or group controller
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/2458 For elevator systems with multiple shafts and a single car per shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/102 Up or down call input
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/211 Waiting time, i.e. response time
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/214 Total time, i.e. arrival 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 2201/402 by historical, statistical or predicted traffic data, e.g. by learning
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/403 by real-time traffic data

Abstract

An elevator car dispatcher having an artificially intelligent supervisor which generates a crowd prediction signal associated with a particular floor, monitors a condition of a first elevator car which has serviced the predetermined floor and controls the remainder of elevator cars assigned to the predetermined floor dependent upon the condition of the first car.

Claims

1. A method for dispatching elevator cars, comprising:

predicting a crowd size at a predetermined floor for a predetermined time interval;

comparing the predicted crowed size with a first crowd size threshold equal to 1/2 of a full capacity of an elevator car;

comparing the predicted crowd size with a second crowd size threshold if the predicted crowd size exceeds the first crowd size threshold, the second crowd size threshold being greater than the first crowd size threshold;

generating a crowd signal for the predetermined floor if the crowd size exceeds the first crowd size threshold;

receiving a hall call signal for the predetermined floor;

assigning at least three elevator cars to be predetermined floor responsive to the hall call signal only after said crowd signal generating step and only if the predicted crowd size is greater than the first crowd size threshold and the second crowd size threshold;

monitoring a number of passengers collected by one of the at least three elevator cars at the predetermined floor, and then canceling the assignment of the at least second and third elevator cars to the predetermined floor if the number of passengers collected at the predetermined floor by the one of the elevator cars is at least equal to 100% of a full capacity of the one car.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second step of comparing the predicted crowd size includes comparing the predicted crowd size with a second crowd size threshold equal to 125% of a full capacity of the elevator car if the predicted crowd size exceeds the first crowd size threshold.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring a number of passengers collected by another of the at least three elevator cars at the predetermined floor, and then canceling the assignment of the third elevator car to the predetermined floor if a total number of passengers collected at the predetermined floor by the one and the another elevator cars is greater than 100% full of a full car capacity of the another car.