User selection of an elevator

• US 8,348,021 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2011
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Inventors: Finschi, Lukas
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US13/281,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20120037461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187380-388, 187391-396
• US Class Current: 187/382
• 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 2201/4676 for checking authorization of the passengers

Abstract

A method, an elevator system control unit, computer-readable media and an elevator installation for allocation of a user to the elevator installation, which is provided with a plurality of elevator cars and with a destination call control unit, wherein the user lodges a destination call at the destination control unit using a communications unit. The destination call control unit determines a group of elevator cars for serving the destination call and makes the group known to the user by the communications unit. The user selects an elevator car from the group by the communications unit. In addition, information for guiding the user to the selected elevator car is communicated to the user by the communications unit.

Claims

1. An elevator method, comprising:

receiving a destination call from a mobile communication device over a near-field communication connection;

sending, to the mobile communication device over the near-field communication connection, an indication of two or more elevator cars for serving the destination call; and

receiving, from the mobile communication device over the near-field communication connection, a selection of a specific elevator car out of the indicated two or more elevator cars.

2. The elevator method of claim 1, further comprising sending, to the mobile communication device over the near-field communication connection, guidance information to the selected specific elevator car.

3. The elevator method of claim 2, the guidance information comprising an indication of a shaft for the selected specific elevator car.

4. The elevator method of claim 1, the indication of two or more elevator cars for serving the destination call comprising a recommendation of one of the two or more elevator cars.

5. The elevator method of claim 1, the mobile communication device comprising a mobile telephone.

6. The elevator method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the destination call is received within a predetermined time period.

7. An elevator system control unit, comprising:

a computer, the computer being configured to,

receive a destination call from a mobile communication device over a near-field communication connection,

send, to the mobile communication device over the near-field communication connection, an indication of two or more elevator cars for serving the destination call, and

receive, from the mobile communication device over the near-field communication connection, a selection of a specific elevator car out of the indicated two or more elevator cars.

8. The elevator system control unit of claim 7, the mobile communication device comprising a mobile telephone.

9. The elevator system control unit of claim 7, the computer being further configured to suggest to the mobile communication device an alternate boarding floor for catching the selected specific elevator car.

10. The elevator system control unit of claim 7, the two or more elevator cars for serving the destination call being determined based on an entrance location of an elevator user of the mobile communication device.

11. An elevator method, comprising:

sending an indication of an elevator system destination to an elevator system over a near-field communication connection using a portable communication device;

receiving, from the elevator system and over the near-field communication connection, a description of two or more elevator cars that can be used to travel to the elevator system destination; and

sending, from the portable communication device to the elevator system and over the near-field communication connection, an indication of a selected specific elevator car of the two or more elevator cars.

12. One or more computer-readable media having encoded thereon instructions that, when executed by a portable communication device, cause the portable communication device to perform a method, the method comprising:

sending an indication of an elevator system destination to an elevator system over a radio communication connection;

receiving, from the elevator system over the radio communication connection, a description of two or more elevator cars that can be used to travel to the elevator system destination; and

sending, to the elevator system over the radio communication connection, an indication of a selected specific elevator car of the two or more elevator cars.

13. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, the portable communication device comprising a mobile telephone.

14. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, the two or more elevator cars that can be used to travel to the elevator system destination comprising fewer than all elevator cars that are available for traveling to the elevator system destination.

15. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, the radio communication connection comprising a Bluetooth connection.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, the method further comprising receiving, over the radio communication connection, a call acknowledgement.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, the method further comprising sending a personal identification code to the elevator system over the radio communication connection.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, the method further comprising receiving the personal identification code using a personal identification code input means.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, the method further comprising displaying an indication of an elevator shaft out of a plurality of elevator shafts where the selected specific elevator car can be boarded.

20. An elevator installation, comprising:

a plurality of elevator cars disposed in two or more elevator shafts;

a destination call terminal, the destination call terminal being configured to,

receive a destination call from a mobile communication device over a near-field communication connection,

send, to the mobile communication device over the near-field communication connection, an indication of two or more elevator cars for serving the destination call, and

receive, from the mobile communication device over the near-field communication connection, a selection of a specific elevator car out of the indicated two or more elevator cars.