Elevator arrangement

• US 7,377,364 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Tyni, Tapio, Ylinen, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US11/603,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20070151809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 187391-396, 187/247
• US Class Current: 187/380
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/468 Call registering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4615 Wherein the destination is registered before boarding
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/463 Wherein the call is registered through physical contact with the elevator system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4653 wherein the call is registered using portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4661 for priority users
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 3/00 Applications of devices for indicating or signalling operating conditions of elevators
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 3/006 for guiding passengers to their assigned elevator car
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock

Abstract

The present invention deals with a method and an apparatus for the input call needed in an elevator system by means of a wireless call input device. The call input device may be a device provided with a display and a keypad, designed especially for this use. In a preferred embodiment, the call input device is the user'"'"'s mobile telephone and the system utilizes technology consistent with the Bluetooth standard. RFID technology or the use of bar codes is also possible. For the user a profile is created which contains the user'"'"'s name, statistical information regarding the destination floors most frequently selected by the user, and possible additional services. The user can input a call from an elevator lobby before arriving to the elevator. After the system has allocated the most suitable elevator to the user, corresponding information is presented on the display of the call input device. This information can be accompanied by guidance information and information about an estimated waiting time. The destination floor alternatives can also be programmed to the call input device by the user him/herself. Additional services can be provided to the user of the call system and to other parties working in the building by connecting the control system to the Internet e.g. via an embedded mobile telephone.

Claims

1. A method for wireless input of a call in an elevator system, said method comprising:

establishing a connection between a wireless terminal of the person inputting the call and the control system of the elevators;

identifying the person inputting the call and the departure floor of the person inputting the call and selecting the user profile of the person inputting the call from the control system;

sending from the control system to the terminal those parts of the user profile that contain building and departure floor specific destination floor alternatives;

programming one or more user-specific and building-specific destination floor alternatives into the wireless terminal for use by user selection subsequent to the programming, said programming allowing for user-initiated addition and deletion of building-specific destination floor alternatives to and from the terminal;

inputting a destination floor call by means of the wireless terminal from among the aforesaid destination floor alternatives; and

transmitting the destination floor call to the control system of the elevators for elevator allocation.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said user profile contains information regarding earlier destination floor selections made by the person inputting the call, the number of floors in the building, floor designations and services activated for the person inputting the call.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said information regarding the floor designation is the name of a company or community working on that floor.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said wireless terminal is a mobile telephone.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said wireless terminal is a RFID transponder.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein data transfer between the elevator system and the wireless terminal takes place in accordance with the Bluetooth standard.

7. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

gathering user and building specific statistical information regarding the user'"'"'s destination floor selections from different departure floors; and

sending to the terminal as quick selection alternatives the user'"'"'s most frequent destination floor selections from the floor being considered.

8. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

receiving identifier data related to the building when the terminal is located in a desired building; and

programming one or more building-specific destination floor alternatives into the terminal on the basis of the aforesaid identifier data independently of the location of the terminal at the time of programming.

9. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

transmitting the aforesaid call information between the wireless terminal and the elevator system via a base station; and

placing at least one base station on each floor in the building.

10. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

transmitting after allocation of an elevator information regarding the elevator to serve the call to the aforesaid terminal.

11. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

transmitting information relating to elevator service to the aforesaid terminal after allocation of an elevator.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said information relating to elevator service is an estimated passenger waiting time.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein said information relating to elevator service is guidance information guiding the passenger to the elevator allocated to the person inputting the call.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the user profile includes a possibility to activate and deactivate personal services related to traveling by elevator.

15. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

placing RFID resonant circuits in the terminal; and

giving a destination call selection by closing a desired resonant circuit by means of a switch.

16. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising:

connecting the control system, the aforesaid terminal and at least one company or community located in the service area of the elevator system to a network providing services.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said network is the Internet.

18. A method according to claim 16, said method further comprising

transmitting to the aforesaid company or community connected to the network advance information about an arriving passenger after a destination floor call to the floor where the aforesaid company or community is located has been input.

19. A method for wireless input of a call in an elevator system, said method comprising:

establishing a connection between a wireless terminal of the person inputting the call and the control system of the elevators;

identifying the person inputting the call and the departure floor of the person inputting the call and selecting the user profile of the person inputting the call from the control system;

sending from the control system to the terminal those parts of the user profile that contain building and departure floor specific destination floor alternatives;

inputting a destination floor call by means of the wireless terminal from among the aforesaid destination floor alternatives;

programming a building-specific destination floor alternative into the system by a substantially longer depression of a call input button than in the case of a destination floor selection; and

transmitting the destination floor call to the control system of the elevators for elevator allocation.

20. A method for wireless input of a call in an elevator system, said method comprising:

establishing a connection between a wireless terminal of the person inputting the call and the control system of the elevators;

identifying the person inputting the call and the departure floor of the person inputting the call and selecting the user profile of the person inputting the call from the control system;

sending from the control system to the terminal those parts of the user profile that contain building and departure floor specific destination floor alternatives;

inputting a destination floor call by means of the wireless terminal from among the aforesaid destination floor alternatives by placing bar codes on the terminal;

giving a destination call selection by showing a desired bar code to an optical bar code reader; and

transmitting the destination floor call to the control system of the elevators for elevator allocation.

21. A system for wireless input of a call in an elevator system, said system having at least one elevator, and a control system controlling the elevators;

said system further comprising;

a wireless terminal for the input of a call;

a base station for establishing a connection and transmitting information between the wireless terminal and the elevator control system;

identification data for identification of the person inputting the call and the departure floor and a user profile in the control system, said user profile containing building and departure floor specific destination floor alternatives;

a first programming means for programming one or more user-specific and building-specific destination floor alternatives into the wireless terminal for use by user selection subsequent to the programming, said programming allowing for user-initiated addition and deletion of building-specific destination floor alternatives to and from the wireless terminal;

call input means in the wireless terminal for inputting a destination floor call from among the aforesaid destination floor alternatives; and

call transmission means for transmitting the destination floor call to the control system of the elevators for elevator allocation.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein said user profile contains information regarding earlier destination floor selections made by the person inputting the call, the number of floors in the building, floor designations and services activated for the person inputting the call.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein the information regarding the floor designation is the name of a company or community working on that floor.

24. A system according to claim 21, wherein said wireless terminal is a mobile telephone.

25. A system according to claim 21, wherein said wireless terminal is a RFID transponder.

26. A system according to claim 21, wherein data transfer between the elevator system and the wireless terminal takes place in accordance with the Bluetooth standard.

27. A system according to claim 21, said system further comprising:

statistics for gathering user and building specific statistical information regarding the user'"'"'s destination floor selections from different departure floors; and

the aforesaid base station for sending to the terminal as quick selection alternatives the user'"'"'s most frequent destination floor selections on the departure floor being considered.

28. A system according to claim 21, said system further comprising:

an identifier associated with the building and the aforesaid terminal for receiving the identifier when the terminal is located in a desired building; and

second programming means for programming one or more building-specific destination floor alternatives to the terminal on the basis of the aforesaid identifier independently of the location of the terminal at the time of programming.

29. A system according to claim 21, said system further comprising:

at least one base station placed on each floor in the building for transmitting the aforesaid call data between the wireless terminal and the elevator system.

30. A system according to claim 21, said system further comprising:

data transfer means for transmitting to the aforesaid terminal after allocation of an elevator information regarding the elevator to serve the call.

31. A system according to claim 21, said system further comprising:

the aforesaid data transfer means for transmitting to the aforesaid terminal information relating to elevator service after allocation of an elevator.

32. A system according to claim 31, wherein said information relating to elevator service is an estimated passenger waiting time.

33. A system according to claim 31, wherein said information relating to elevator service is guidance information guiding the passenger to the elevator allocated to the person inputting the call.

34. A system according to claim 21, wherein the user profile includes a possibility to activate and deactivate personal services related to traveling by elevator.

35. A system according to claim 21, said system further comprising:

RFID resonant circuits placed in the terminal; and

switches for giving a destination floor call by closing the switch for a desired resonant circuit.

36. A system according to claim 21, said system further comprising:

a network providing services for connecting the control system, the aforesaid terminal and at least one company or community located in the service area of the elevator system to each other.

37. A system according to claim 36, wherein said network is the Internet.

38. A system according to claim 36, said system further comprising:

means for transmitting to the aforesaid company or community connected to the network advance information about an arriving passenger after a destination floor call to the floor where the aforesaid company or community is located has been input.

39. A system according to claim 21, said system further comprising:

a server for registration into the system, use of the service, loading of additional services and storage of the user profile.

40. A system according to claim 21, said system further comprising:

an embedded mobile telephone for connecting the control system to the network providing services.

41. A system for wireless input of a call in an elevator system, said system having at least one elevator and a control system controlling said at least one elevator;

said system further comprising;

a wireless terminal for the input of a call;

a base station for establishing a connection and transmitting information between the wireless terminal and the elevator control system;

identification data for identification of the person inputting the call and the departure floor and a user profile in the control system, said user profile containing building and departure floor specific destination floor alternatives;

call input means in the wireless terminal for inputting a destination floor call from among the aforesaid destination floor alternatives by bar codes placed in the terminal;

an optical reader for giving a destination call selection by showing a desired bar code; and

call transmission means for transmitting the destination floor call to the control system of the elevators for elevator allocation.