Configurable communication system for a building

• US 8,151,942 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Rusanen, Niko, Puskala, Aapo, Korhonen, Pekka, Hatakka, Rauno, Järvinen, Tomi, Elomaa, Niko
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US12/216,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20090022131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187/248, 187308-388, 187391-396, 707/609, 715/200, 715/700, 715810-812
• US Class Current: 187/247
• 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 2201/4653 wherein the call is registered using portable devices

Abstract

The present invention deals with a method and system for producing services in the communication system of a building. In the method of the invention, the communication system includes at least one terminal device applicable for local-area communication, at least one communication unit, at least one server controlling the communication system, at least one base station for implementing a local-area network in the communication system, and a local network for implementing mutual data transfer between the communication unit, the server controlling the communication system and the base station. In the method, a number of service folders are generated in the terminal device and a service folder applicable to the purpose in each case is selected. From the selected service folder, a service request is selected which is transmitted from the terminal device to the communication system, where the service request is executed in one or more sub-stages using one or more communication units.

Claims

1. Method for producing services in the communication system of a building, where the communication system includes at least one portable terminal device applicable for local-area communication for the input of service requests to the communication system;

at least one communication unit;

at least one server controlling the communication system;

at least one base station for implementing a local-area network in the communication system; and

a local network for implementing mutual data transfer between said communication unit, said server controlling the communication system and said base station, method comprising the steps of;

generating a number of service folders in the terminal device,

selecting a service folder from the said number and a service request from the selected service folder, and

transmitting to the terminal device real-time status information relating to the service request selected from service folder before activation of the service request, wherein

one or more default service requests are defined for the passenger, and each request is automatically selected as the passenger'"'"'s service request depending on where the passenger is located in the building and/or on the traveling instant of time and on the basis of selection criteria configured in the communication system.

2. Method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

sending the selected service request from the terminal device to the server controlling the communication system, and

executing the service request sent to the server of the communication system in one or more sub-stages using one or more communication units.

3. Method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

verifying the passenger'"'"'s right of execution implied by the service request to accept or reject the service request.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the selection criteria used for the selection of a default service request is either permanent selection or the passenger'"'"'s previous service request selection.

5. Method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

storing on the communication system server one or more service requests applicable to the passenger, and

executing the stored service request upon the passenger'"'"'s arrival within the range of the local-area network of the communication system.

6. Method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the step of updating the data in one or more service folders of the terminal device from a communication system server when the passenger arrives within the range of the local-area network of the communication system.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the number of service folders generated in the terminal device comprises at least one of the following service folders:

tenant folder;

destination folder;

info-folder;

emergency folder.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein a passenger registered in the communication system defines information related to themselves in the information content of the tenant folder.

9. Method according to claim 7, wherein the status information transmitted to the passenger'"'"'s terminal device consists of real-time information regarding accessibility of the person selected from the tenant folder and/or the place where the person is located in the building.

10. Method according to claim 2, wherein the method comprises the step of sending in conjunction with service requests a message indicating the passenger'"'"'s arrival at his/her workplace or the passenger'"'"'s exit from his/her workplace to a working hour monitoring system connected to the communication system.

11. Method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises the step of indicating the beginning and/or end of one or more sub-stages of the service request via vibration alarm and/or sound alarm of the terminal device.

12. Method according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device used is a mobile telephone, a PDA device or a portable computer.

13. Method according to 1, wherein method further comprises one or more steps of personalization of the terminal device, such as

activation of hands-free functions of service requests,

defining of personal traveling needs

activation of sound and/or vibration alarms indicating the beginning and/or end of sub-stages of service requests

selection of language used by the terminal device in connection with service requests

modification of the contents of the service folders of the terminal device.

14. Method according to claim 2, wherein the communication unit is an elevator, and one or more of the following items of advice are indicated on the passenger'"'"'s terminal device during the implementation of the service request:

elevator allocated to the passenger,

passenger'"'"'s destination floor,

number of the current floor of the elevator allocated to the passenger,

next stopping floors for the elevator allocated to the passenger,

change floor in case the service request comprises several passages to be traveled on different elevators.

15. System for producing services in the communication system of a building, said communication system comprising:

at least one portable terminal device applicable for local-area communication for the generation of service requests to the communication system,

at least one communication unit,

at least one server controlling the communication system, and

at least one base station for implementing a local-area network in the communication system,

wherein the terminal device comprises a number of service folders formed in the terminal device

and a selector for selecting service requests from the service folders in the said number of service folders, and

the communication unit transmits, to the terminal device, real-time status information relating to the service request selected from service folder before activation of the service request; and

further

wherein one or more default service requests are defined for the passenger, and each request is automatically selected as the passenger'"'"'s service request depending on where the passenger is located in the building and/or on the traveling instant of time and on the basis of selection criteria configured in the communication system.

16. System according to claim 15, wherein

the terminal device sends the selected service request to the server controlling the communication system, and

said at least one communication unit executes the service request sent to the server of the communication system in one or more sub-stages.

17. System according to claim 15, further comprising a verification portion that verifies the passenger'"'"'s right of execution implied by the service request to accept or reject the service request.

18. System according to claim 15, wherein the criterion of selection of the default service request is of the following:

permanent selection, passenger'"'"'s previous service request.

19. System according to claim 15, the system further comprising a storage medium for storing one or more service requests assigned to the passenger and for executing said service request upon arrival of the passenger within the range of the local-area network of the communication system.

20. System according to claim 15, wherein a server in the communication system updates the data in one or more service folders when the passenger arrives within the range of the local-area network of the communication system.

21. System according to claim 15, wherein the service folders generated in the terminal device include at least one of:

tenant folder

destination folder

info-folder

emergency folder.

22. System according to claim 21, wherein the information content of the tenant folder for a particular registered passenger is defined by that passenger.

23. System according to claim 21, wherein the system transmits, to the passenger'"'"'s terminal device, status data including at least one of real-time information regarding the accessibility of the person selected from the tenant folder and, the place where the person is located in the building.

24. System according to claim 16, wherein the system sends, in conjunction with service requests, a message indicating the passenger'"'"'s arrival at his/her workplace or the passenger'"'"'s exit from his/her workplace to a working hour monitoring server connected to the communication system.

25. System according to claim 16, wherein the system is indicates a beginning or end of one or more sub-stages of the service request via vibration alarm or sound alarm of the terminal device.

26. System according to claim 15, wherein the terminal device is a mobile telephone, a PDA device or a portable computer.

27. System according to claim 15, wherein the terminal device is adapted to personalize one or more of the following functions:

hands-free functions of service requests,

personal traveling needs,

sound and/or vibration alarms indicating the beginning and/or end of sub-stages of service requests,

language used by the terminal device in connection with service requests,

content of service folders.

28. System according to claim 16, wherein, when the communication unit is an elevator, the terminal device indicates one or more of the following items of information during the implementation of the service request:

elevator allocated to the passenger,

passenger'"'"'s destination floor,

number of the current floor of the elevator allocated to the passenger,

next stopping floors for the elevator allocated to the passenger,

change floor in case the service request comprises several passages to be traveled on different elevators.