Elevator having passenger flow management system

• US 8,960,373 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: De Vincentis, Vittorio
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US13/746,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20130133986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187380-388, 187391-393, 187/396
• US Class Current: 187/381
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/20 and for varying the manner of operation to suit particular traffic conditions, e.g. "one-way rush-hour traffic" B66B1/2466 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/2408 where the allocation of a call to an elevator car is of importance, i.e. by means of a supervisory or group controller
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/82 wherein continuous-type signals are transmitted

Abstract

A passenger flow management system can manage passenger flow such that elevator waiting times may be limited. The management system includes a detector configured to detect elevator passengers within a detection area located outside the building.

Claims

1. An elevator management system, comprising:

a building having a plurality of floors;

an elevator within the building;

a detector having a detection area;

a tag identifying a user and a preferred floor, the tag detected by the detector; and

a controller configured to call an elevator and enter a destination floor for the elevator upon detection of a user,

wherein the detector determines whether the tag has entered and exited the elevator, and

wherein the call for the destination floor of the user is canceled when the user exits the elevator before the elevator car reaches the destination floor.

2. The elevator management system of claim 1, wherein the detector establishes the position and direction of movement of the tag.

3. The elevator management system of claim 1, wherein the tag is a RFID tag.

4. The elevator management system of claim 1, wherein the tag is a mobile communication device.

5. The elevator management system of claim 1, wherein the destination floor is the preferred floor.

6. The elevator management system of claim 1, wherein the detection area extends outside the building.

7. The elevator management system of claim 1, wherein a size of the detection area is proportional to the number of floors in the building and the number of tags.

8. The elevator management system of claim 1, wherein the detector is a plurality of RFID reader nodes.

9. The elevator management system of claim 1, wherein the detector is a GPS or GSM device.

10. The elevator management system of claim 1, wherein the destination floor can be overridden by a user input.

11. An elevator management method, comprising:

detecting a tag within a detection area with a detector, the tag identifying a user and a preferred floor;

obtaining a position of the tag from the tag;

entering an elevator call to a destination floor;

detecting whether the tag has entered and exited the elevator; and

canceling the elevator call when the user exits the elevator before the elevator car reaches the destination floor.

12. The elevator management method of claim 11, wherein the destination floor is a preferred floor.

13. The elevator management method of claim 11, wherein the tag is a RFID tag.

14. The elevator management method of claim 11, wherein the tag is a mobile communication device.

15. The elevator management method of claim 11, wherein the detection area extends outside a building having an elevator.

16. The elevator management method of claim 11, further comprising canceling detection of the tag upon a user input.