Group-controller for elevator

• US 6,145,631 A
• Filed: 11/09/1998
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokoe, Shigeyuki, Hikita, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US09/180,375
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 187/380-389, 187/247
• US Class Current: 187/383
• 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 2201/243 Distribution of elevator cars, e.g. based on expected future need
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/402 by historical, statistical or predicted traffic data, e.g. by learning

Abstract

A group-supervising control system for an elevator includes a cage position prediction unit for predicting cage positions after a predetermined time period based on the present positions, a service available time period distribution calculation unit for calculating the time periods until the service is available (predicted arrival times of a cage capable of responding to a hall call earliest) based on the predicted cage positions, and an assignment correction value calculation unit for calculating assignment correction values for correcting assignment estimation values based on the distributions of the time periods until the service is available. Unevenness in the time periods until the service is available with regard to the respective floors is decreased.

Claims

1. A group-supervising control system for an elevator comprising:

hall call registration means for registering a hall call based on operation of a hall button provided at a hall on each floor;

assignment estimation value calculation means for calculating assignment estimation values for selecting and assigning a cage-to-serve among a plurality of cages;

cage assignment means for assigning a most appropriate cage among said plurality of cages based on said assignment estimation values to a hall call registered in said hall call registration means to transmit to a corresponding cage control system an assignment output for making said cage serve the hall where said hall call is generated;

control means comprising;

cage position prediction means for predicting, based on present cage positions, cage positions after a predetermined time period elapses;

service available time period distribution calculation means for, based on the cage positions predicted by said cage position prediction means, calculating distributions of time periods until service is available, that is, expected arrival times at the respective floors of a cage capable of responding to a hall call earliest; and

assignment correction value calculation means for calculating assignment correction values for correcting said assignment estimation values, based on said distributions of the time periods until the service is available,

said cage assignment means correcting said assignment estimation values based on said assignment correction values to select the most appropriate cage and to transmit an assignment output.

2. The group-supervising control system for an elevator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means further comprises:

generated occupant number prediction means for predicting number of occupants for the respective floors; and

generated occupant distribution calculation means for calculating a distribution of the occupants based on the numbers of occupants predicted,

said assignment correction value calculation means calculating said assignment correction values based on said distributions of the time periods until the service is available and on said distribution of the occupants.

3. A group-supervising control system for an elevator comprising:

hall call registration means for registering a hall call based on operation of a hall button provided at a hall on each floor;

assignment estimation value calculation means for calculating assignment estimation values for selecting and assigning a cage-to-serve among a plurality of cages;

cage assignment means for assigning a most appropriate cage among said plurality of cages based on said assignment estimation values to a hall call registered in said hall call registration means to transmit to a corresponding cage control system an assignment output for making said cage serve the hall where said hall call is generated;

control means comprising;

cage position prediction means for predicting, based on present cage positions, cage positions after a predetermined time period elapses;

service available time period distribution calculation means for, based on said cage positions predicted by said cage position prediction means, calculating distributions of time periods until service is available, that is, expected arrival times at the respective floors of a cage capable of responding to a hall call earliest;

unoccupied cage detection means for detecting as an unoccupied cage a cage which has responded to hall calls and has neither a cage call nor an assigned hall call;

standby floor set means for setting, based on said distributions of the time periods until the service is available, a standby floor where an unoccupied cage is made to stand by; and

standby cage set means for setting a standby cage to stand by on said standby floor among said unoccupied cages, said cage assignment means transmitting to a corresponding cage control system a standby output for making said standby cage stand by on said standby floor.

4. The group-supervising control system for an elevator as claimed in claim 3, wherein said control means further comprises:

generated occupant number prediction means for predicting the number of occupants for the respective floors; and

generated occupant distribution calculation means for calculating a distribution of the occupants based on the numbers of occupants to be generated,

said standby floor set means setting said standby floor where said unoccupied cage is made to stand by, based on said distributions of the time periods until the service is available and on said distribution of the occupants.

5. A group-supervising control system for an elevator comprising:

hall call registration means for registering a hall call based on operation of a hall button provided at a hall on each floor;

assignment estimation value calculation means for calculating assignment estimation values for selecting and assigning a cage-to-serve among a plurality of cages;

cage assignment means for assigning a most appropriate cage among said plurality of cages based on said assignment estimation values to a hall call registered in said hall call registration means to transmit to a corresponding cage control system an assignment output for making said cage serve the hall where said hall call is generated;

control means comprising;

cage position prediction means for predicting, based on present cage positions, cage positions after a predetermined time period elapses; and

service available time period distribution calculation means for, based on the cage positions predicted by said cage position prediction means, calculating distributions of time periods until service is available, that is, expected arrival times at the respective floors of a cage capable of responding to a hall call earliest,

said cage assignment means setting a deadhead cage and a deadhead floor based on said distributions of the time periods until the service is available to transmit to a corresponding cage control system a deadhead output for deadheading said deadhead cage to said deadhead floor.

6. The group-supervising control system for an elevator as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control means further comprises:

generated occupant number prediction means for predicting number of occupants for the respective floors; and

generated occupant distribution calculation means for calculating a distribution of the occupants based on the numbers of occupants,

said cage assignment means setting said deadhead cage and said deadhead floor based on said distributions of the time periods until the service is available and on said distribution of the occupants.

7. A group-supervising control system for an elevator comprising:

hall call registration means for registering a hall call based on operation of a hall button provided at a hall on each floor;

assignment estimation value calculation means for calculating assignment estimation values for selecting and assigning a cage-to-serve among a plurality of cages;

cage assignment means for assigning a most appropriate cage among said plurality of cages based on said assignment estimation values to a hall call registered in said hall call registration means to transmit to a corresponding cage control system an assignment output for making said cage serve the hall where said hall call is generated;

control means comprising;

generated occupant number prediction means for predicting number of occupants to be generated for the respective floors;

generated occupant distribution calculation means for calculating a distribution of the occupants to be generated based on said predicted numbers of occupants;

cage stay time calculation means for calculating cage stay times of the respective cages with regard to the respective floors; and

assignment correction value calculation means for calculating assignment correction values for correcting said assignment estimation values based on said distribution of the occupants and on said cage stay times of the respective cages with regard to the respective floors, said cage assignment means correcting said assignment estimation values based on said assignment correction values to select the most appropriate cage and to transmit an assignment output.

8. A group-supervising control system for an elevator comprising:

hall call registration means for registering a hall call based on operation of a hall button provided at a hall on each floor;

assignment estimation value calculation means for calculating assignment estimation values for selecting and assigning a cage-to-serve among a plurality of cages;

cage assignment means for assigning a most appropriate cage among said plurality of cages based on said assignment estimation values to a hall call registered in said hall call registration means to transmit to a corresponding cage control system an assignment output for making said cage serve the hall where said hall call is generated;

control means comprising;

unoccupied cage detection means for detecting as an unoccupied cage a cage which has responded to hall calls and has neither a cage call nor an assigned hall call;

generated occupant number prediction means for predicting number of occupants for the respective floors;

generated occupant distribution calculation means for calculating a distribution of the occupants based on said predicted numbers of occupants;

cage stay time calculation means for calculating cage stay times of the respective cages with regard to the respective floors;

standby floor set means for setting a standby floor where an unoccupied cage is made to stand by based on said distribution of the occupants and on said cage stay times of the respective cages with regard to the respective floors; and

standby cage set means for setting a standby cage to stand by on said standby floor among said unoccupied cages,

said cage assignment means transmitting to a corresponding cage control system a standby output for making said standby cage stand by on said standby floor.

9. A group-supervising control system for an elevator comprising:

hall call registration means for registering a hall call based on operation of a hall button provided at a hall on each floor;

assignment estimation value calculation means for calculating assignment estimation values for selecting and assigning a cage-to-serve among a plurality of cages;

cage assignment means for assigning a most appropriate cage among said plurality of cages based on said assignment estimation values to a hall call registered in said hall call registration means to transmit to a corresponding cage control system an assignment output for making said cage serve the hall where said hall call is generated;

control means comprising;

generated occupant number prediction means for predicting number of occupants for the respective floors;

generated occupant distribution calculation means for calculating a distribution of the occupants based on said predicted numbers of occupants; and

cage stay time calculation means for calculating cage stay times of the respective cages with regard to the respective floors,

said cage assignment means setting a deadhead cage and a deadhead floor based on said distribution of the occupants and on said cage stay times of the respective cages with regard to the respective floors to transmit to a corresponding cage control system a deadhead output for deadheading said deadhead cage to said deadhead floor.