Elevator system

• US 7,594,564 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Sarjanen, Jukka-Pekka, Sorsa, Janne, Siikonen, Marja-Liisa, Barlund, Kim
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US12/167,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20080302609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187/248, 187/290, 187/313, 187/316, 187/317, 187380-388, 187391-393
• US Class Current: 187/384
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/021 the abnormal operating conditions being independent of the system alarm systems in general G08B
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/024 where the abnormal operating condition is caused by an accident, e.g. fire

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method, a system and a computer program for the effective evacuation of a building in an emergency, in which at least one elevator can be used as an evacuation aid. In the method the group control of the elevators monitors the numbers of people on the different floors of the building. The floor on which it is assumed are most people is set at each moment of monitoring for a greater priority in an evacuation situation. Taking into account the limited supply power a free elevator car is directed to the floor of the greatest priority, at which the elevator is filled. The full elevator is directed without stopping to the exit floor of the building. The system monitors by means of detectors the safety of the different parts of the building and directs people if necessary to a safe evacuation location to wait for an elevator. A so-called Traffic Forecaster can be used as an aid in defining the priorities.

Claims

1. A method of controlling elevators for evacuating people from a building, in which the power available for the elevator system to use is smaller than in normal operating mode, wherein the method comprises the phases:

the numbers of people to be moved between different floors of the building are monitored;

the floor of the greatest priority is defined;

a free elevator is driven without stopping to the defined floor if the starting of the elevator does not cause exceedance of the power available for use; and

a filled elevator at the defined floor is driven to the exit floor of the building if the starting of the elevator does not cause exceedance of the power available for use.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the phases:

the numbers of people to be moved in the building are calculated by means of car load weighing devices, call data, detectors situated in the door openings of the elevators and/or the stairways; and

the numbers of people on the different floors of the building are estimated on the basis of the flows of people.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises the phase:

the greatest priority is given to the floor on which most people are estimated to be at the moment of examination.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the phase:

the greatest priority is given to the floor on which most calls have been given at the moment of examination.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the elevator driven in the method is a shuttle elevator, which travels between the exit floor of the building and the upper lobby floor without stopping at floors between these.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the elevator driven in the method is a local elevator, which serves all the floors in the desired floor-to-floor zone.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the phases:

the elevator is filled at the floor of the greatest priority; and

the elevator is directed without stopping to the exit floor.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the phases:

the elevator is partially filled at the floor of the greatest priority;

the elevator is directed to at least one intermediate floor, which is situated between the floor of the greatest priority and the exit floor;

the elevator is filled full at the intermediate floor; and

the elevator is directed without stopping to the exit floor.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the phases:

priorities are defined for different floors according to how many people are estimated to be awaiting evacuation at each floor; and

free elevators are allocated to those floors that have the highest priority such that the input power of the system is as much as possible for use by the elevators without exceeding the upper limit of power consumption.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the phases:

the smoke concentration and the temperature of the stairways and the elevator shafts of the building are monitored;

the elevator lobbies, elevators, stairways or other areas of the building in which the smoke concentration or the temperature has exceeded the set threshold value are defined as being dangerous to people;

people are directed to the desired elevator lobby, elevator, other floor, direction or stairway, which has not been defined as dangerous; and

the aforementioned free elevator is directed to the floor to which the people have been directed.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises the phase:

the greatest priority is given to the floor at which the set threshold value is exceeded the most.

12. Method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises the phase:

a filled elevator at a defined floor is driven without stopping to an alternative exit floor, if the main exit floor of the building has been defined as dangerous and the alternative exit floor has been defined as non-dangerous.

13. Method according to claim 10, that wherein the method further comprises the phase:

the evacuation mode of the elevator system is activated when the set threshold value is exceeded.

14. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the phase:

the evacuation mode of the elevator system is activated manually.

15. Method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises the phases:

a traffic profile based on the calculated quantities of traffic is created for each day of the week with the desired time windows, in which the traffic profile contains data about the number of users of the elevators, travelators and stairways; and

the traffic situation and the numbers of people on the different floors of the building are forecast based on the traffic profile.

16. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the phase:

the elevators are directed to the floors to be evacuated in the sequence of priority such that when one elevator stops at a floor another elevator starts moving.

17. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the phase:

a genetic algorithm is used in defining the routing of the elevators.

18. System for evacuating people from a building using the elevators of an elevator system as an aid, in which the power available for the elevator system to use is smaller than in normal operating mode, wherein the system comprises:

a monitoring unit for monitoring the numbers of people to be moved between the different floors of the building;

group control of the elevators for defining the floor of the greatest priority;

group control of the elevators for driving a free elevator to the defined floor without stopping if the starting of the elevator does not cause an exceedance of the power available for use; and

group control of the elevators for driving a filled elevator at the defined floor to the exit floor of the building if the starting of the elevator does not cause exceedance of the power available for use.

19. System according to claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

a monitoring unit for calculating the numbers of people to be moved in the building by means of car load weighing devices, call data, detectors situated in the door openings of the elevators and/or the stairways ; and

a monitoring unit for estimating the numbers of people on the different floors of the building on the basis of the flows of people.

20. System according to claim 19, wherein the system further comprises:

group control of the elevators for giving the greatest priority to the floor on which most people are estimated to be at the moment of examination.

21. System according to claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

group control of the elevators for giving the greatest priority to the floor on which most calls have been given at the moment of examination.

22. System according to claim 18, wherein he driven elevator is a shuttle elevator, which travels between the exit floor and the upper lobby floor without stopping at floors between these.

23. System according to claim 18, wherein the driven elevator is a local elevator, which serves all the floors in the desired floor-to-floor zone.

24. System according to claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

group control of the elevators allowing the filling of an elevator at the floor of the greatest priority; and

group control of the elevators for directing an elevator without stopping to the exit floor.

25. System according to claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

group control of the elevators allowing the partial filling of an elevator at the floor of the greatest priority;

group control of the elevators for directing an elevator to at least one intermediate floor, which is situated between the floor of the greatest priority and the exit floor;

group control of the elevators allowing the filling of an elevator at the intermediate floor; and

group control of the elevators for directing an elevator without stopping to the exit floor.

26. System according to claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

group control of the elevators for defining priorities for different floors according to how many people are estimated to be awaiting evacuation at each floor; and

group control of the elevators for allocating free elevators to those floors that have the highest priority such that the input power of the system is as much as possible for use by the elevators without exceeding the upper limit of power consumption.

27. System according to claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

smoke detectors and temperature detectors for monitoring the smoke concentration and the temperature of the stairways and elevator shafts of the building;

evacuation management system for defining the elevator lobbies, elevators, stairways or other areas of the building that are dangerous to people, in which the smoke concentration or the temperature has exceeded the set threshold value;

evacuation management system for directing people to the desired elevator lobby, elevator, other floor, direction or stairway, which has not been defined as dangerous; and

group control of the elevators for directing the aforementioned free elevator to the floor to which the people have been directed.

28. System according to claim 27, wherein the system further comprises:

group control of the elevators for giving the greatest priority to the floor at which the set threshold value is exceeded the most.

29. System according to claim 27, wherein the system further comprises:

group control of the elevators for driving a filled elevator at a defined floor without stopping to an alternative exit floor, if the main exit floor of the building has been defined as dangerous and if the alternative exit floor has been defined as non-dangerous.

30. System according to claim 27, wherein the system further comprises:

evacuation management system for activating the evacuation mode of the elevator system when the set threshold value is exceeded.

31. System according to claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

evacuation management system for activating the evacuation mode of the elevator system manually.

32. System according to claim 19, wherein the system further comprises:

traffic forecaster unit for creating a traffic profile on the basis of the calculated amounts of traffic, for each day of the week with the desired time windows, which traffic profile contains data about the number of users of the elevators, travelators and stairways; and

traffic forecaster unit for forecasting the traffic situation and the numbers of people on the different floors of the building based on the traffic profile.

33. System according to claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

group control of the elevators for directing the elevators to the floors to be evacuated in the sequence of priority such that when one elevator stops at a floor another elevator starts moving.

34. System according to claim 18, wherein the group control of the elevators further uses a genetic algorithm in defining the routing of the elevators.

35. A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium, for evacuating people from a building using the elevators of an elevator system as an aid, in which the power available for the elevator system to use is smaller than in normal operating mode, wherein the computer program product comprises computer-executable instructions of:

monitoring the numbers of people to be moved between the different floors of a building;

defining the floor of the greatest priority;

driving a free elevator without stopping to the defined floor if the starting of the elevator does not cause exceedance of the power available for use; and

driving a filled elevator without stopping to the exit floor of the building if the starting of the elevator does not cause exceedance of the power available for use.

36. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

calculating the numbers of people to be moved in the building by means of car load weighing devices, call data, detectors situated in the door openings of the elevators and/or the stairways;

and

estimating the numbers of people on the different floors of the building on the basis of the flows of people.

37. The computer program product according to claim 36, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

giving the greatest priority to the floor on which most people are estimated to be at the moment of examination.

38. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

giving the greatest priority to the floor on which most calls have been given at the moment of examination.

39. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the elevator driven according to the computer-executable instructions is a shuttle elevator, which travels between the exit floor of the building and the upper lobby floor without stopping at floors between these.

40. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the elevator driven according to the computer-executable instructions is a local elevator, which serves all the floors in the desired floor-to-floor zone.

41. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

filling the elevator full at the floor of the greatest priority;

and

directing the elevator without stopping to the exit floor.

42. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

partially filling the elevator at the floor of the greatest priority;

directing the elevator to at least one intermediate floor, which is situated between the floor of the greatest priority and the exit floor;

filling the elevator full at the intermediate floor; and

directing the elevator without stopping to the exit floor.

43. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

defining the priorities for different floors according to how many people are estimated to be awaiting evacuation at each floor;

and

allocating free elevators to those floors that have the highest priority such that the input power of the system is as much as possible for the elevators to use without exceeding the upper limit of power consumption.

44. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

monitoring the smoke concentration and the temperature of the stairways and the elevator shafts of the building;

defining the elevator lobbies, elevators, stairways or other areas of the building that are dangerous to people, in which the smoke concentration or the temperature has exceeded the set threshold value;

directing people to the desired elevator lobby, elevator, other floor, direction or stairway, which has not been defined as dangerous; and

directing the aforementioned free elevator to the floor to which the people have been directed.

45. The computer program product according to claim 44, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

giving the greatest priority to the floor at which the set threshold value is exceeded the most.

46. The computer program product according to claim 44, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

giving the greatest priority to the floor at which the set threshold value is exceeded the most.

47. The computer program product according to claim 44, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

driving a filled elevator at a defined floor without stopping to an alternative exit floor, if the main exit floor of the building has been defined as dangerous and the alternative exit floor has been defined as non-dangerous.

48. The computer program product according to claim 44, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

activating the evacuation mode of the elevator system when the set threshold value has been exceeded.

49. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

activating the evacuation mode of the elevator system manually.

50. The computer program product according to claim 36, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

creating a traffic profile based on the calculated quantities of traffic for each day of the week with the desired time windows, in which the traffic profile contains data about the number of users of the elevators, travelators and stairways;

and

forecasting the traffic situation and the numbers of people on the different floors of the building based on the traffic profile.

51. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

directing the elevators to the floors to be evacuated in the sequence of priority such that when one elevator stops at a floor another elevator starts moving.

52. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the computer program product further comprises computer-executable instructions of

using a genetic algorithm in defining the routing of the elevators.