Method of dispatching an elevator car including an expected arrival time of a passenger near an elevator car

• US 8,028,806 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Christy, Theresa, Williams, Daniel S., Stanley, Jannah A., Saxe, Thomas W., Honma, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US12/944,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20110056772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187380-388, 187391-393, 187/396
• US Class Current: 187/387
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/18 with means for storing pulses controlling the movements of several cars or cages B66B1/2458 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of dispatching an elevator car to a destination requested by a passenger before the passenger enters the car includes determining which trip of the elevator car begins at a time having a desired relationship to an expected arrival time when a passenger is expected to arrive near the elevator car. An actual arrival time of the passenger near the elevator car is determined. The elevator car is dispatched to the requested destination during a trip that begins at a time that corresponds to or is after the actual arrival time.

Claims

1. A method of dispatching an elevator car to a destination requested by a passenger before the passenger enters the car, comprising:

determining which trip of the elevator car begins at a time having a desired relationship to an expected arrival time when the passenger is expected to arrive near the elevator car; and

determining an actual arrival time of the passenger near the elevator car and dispatching the elevator car to the requested destination during a trip that begins at a time that corresponds to or is after the actual arrival time.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising

using one of a plurality of algorithms for determining the expected arrival time based upon at least one condition, wherein the at least one condition comprises at least one of a time of day, a current elevator system traffic load, or an elevator system operation condition.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein there are a plurality of candidate elevator cars capable of traveling to the requested destination and comprising selecting one of the candidate elevator cars to dispatch to the requested destination based upon determining respective relationships between times that each of the candidate cars will begin a next trip and the expected arrival time.

4. An elevator dispatching system, comprising:

a controller that determines a destination requested by a passenger before the passenger enters the elevator car, the controller determining which trip of the elevator car begins at a time having a desired relationship to an expected arrival time when the passenger is expected to arrive at the elevator car; and

a device for indicating an actual arrival of the passenger at the elevator car and wherein the controller updates the trip based upon the actual arrival.

5. The elevator dispatching system of claim 4, wherein the controller uses one of a plurality of algorithms for determining the expected arrival time based upon at least one condition, wherein the at least one condition comprises at least one of a time of day, a current elevator system traffic load, or an elevator system operation condition.

6. The elevator dispatching system of claim 4, wherein there are a plurality of candidate elevator cars capable of traveling to the requested destination and wherein the controller selects one of the candidate elevator cars to dispatch to the requested destination based upon the controller determining respective relationships between times that each of the candidate cars will begin a next trip and the expected arrival time.