Elevator control apparatus with car stop destination floor registration device

• US 8,662,256 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Asano, Norimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US13/027,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20110220437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187/248, 187380-388, 187391-393
• US Class Current: 187/380
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/2458 For elevator systems with multiple shafts and a single car per shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/103 Destination call input before entering the elevator car
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/211 Waiting time, i.e. response time
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/222 Taking into account the number of passengers present in the elevator car to be allocated
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/232 where the time needed for a passenger to arrive at the allocated elevator car from where the call is made is taken into account

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a response time calculation unit calculates a response time of each of the cars required when the car stop call is assigned to the car. An assignment control unit assigns the car stop call to the optimum car, based on the response time of each of the cars. A car load calculation unit calculates a load value of each car at the time when each car starts from a registration floor of the car stop call after responding to the call. A boarding possibility determination unit determines, for each car, whether the user can get on the car or not, by comparing the load value with a preset capacity value. A registration control unit performs control to assign the car stop call, including a second and later responses to the registration floor of the car stop call, based on a determination result of the boarding possibility.

Claims

1. An elevator control apparatus equipped with car stop destination floor registration devices that are provided at car stops of floors and are configured to register destination floors of users and to assign a car stop call of a user including a destination floor to be registered by operation of one of the car stop destination floor registration devices to an optimum car among a plurality of cars, the apparatus comprising:

a response time calculation unit configured to calculate a response time of each car of the plurality of cars required when the car stop call is assigned to the car;

an assignment control unit configured to select the optimum car from the plurality of cars and to assign the car stop call to the optimum car, based on the response time of each car of the plurality of cars calculated by the response time calculation unit;

a car load calculation unit configured to calculate a load value of each car of the plurality of cars at a time when each car of the plurality of cars starts from a registration floor of the car stop call after responding to the call;

a boarding possibility determination unit configured to determine for each car of the plurality of cars whether the user can board the car by comparing the load value calculated by the car load calculation unit with a preset capacity value; and

a registration control unit configured to control the response time calculation unit and the assignment control unit to assign the car stop call, including a second response and later responses to the registration floor of the car stop call, based on a determination result of the boarding possibility determination unit.

2. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the response time calculation unit calculates time required, for a car of the plurality of cars that the boarding possibility determination unit determines the user cannot board until the car responds to the registration floor of the car stop call for a second time or a later time.

3. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the assignment control unit is configured to calculate for each car of the plurality of cars, an evaluated value which indicates an optimum for the car stop call by adding a degree of influence on other users until the car responds to the registration floor of the car stop call to the response time calculated by the response time calculation unit.

4. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the assignment control unit is configured to output a special signal indicating that the car of the plurality of cars to which the car stop call is assigned responds to the call for the second time or the later time, until the car finishes a first response, when the car responds to the call for the second time or the later time.

5. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the car stop destination floor registration device displays a car of the plurality of cars to which the car stop call is assigned by the assignment control unit, and displays that the user can board the car of a second response or of a later response when the special signal is output from the assignment control unit.

6. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising stopping floor display devices that are provided at the car stops of the floors and which display stopping floors of the plurality of cars in response to a car stop call assignment output by the assignment control unit,

wherein the stopping floor display devices do not display a destination floor which is indicated by the special signal and for which the assigned car starts at the second response or later, when the special signal is output from the assignment control unit.

7. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the response time calculation unit is configured to calculate a waiting time required until the car to which the car stop call is assigned responds to the registration floor of the car stop call, when the car responds to the call for the second time or later, and

the car stop destination floor registration devices perform display of information including the waiting time calculated by the response time calculation unit.

8. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the registration control unit is configured to erase registration information of the car stop call including a destination floor, when the registration control unit receives a request of canceling the destination floor from one of the car stop destination floor registration devices, while the special signal is output from the assignment control unit.

9. An elevator control apparatus equipped with car stop destination floor registration devices that are provided at car stops of floors and can register destination floors of users, and configured to assign a car stop call of a user including a destination floor to be registered by operation of one of the car stop destination floor registration devices to a car, comprising:

an assignment control unit configured to assign the car stop call to the car;

a car load calculation unit configured to calculate a load value of the car at a time when the car starts from a registration floor of the car stop call after responding to the call;

a boarding possibility determination unit configured to determine whether the user can board the car or not, by comparing the load value calculated by the car load calculation unit with a preset capacity value; and

a registration control unit configured to control the assignment control unit to assign the car stop call, including a second response and later responses to the registration floor of the car stop call, based on a determination result of the boarding possibility determination unit.