Elevator notifications on mobile device associated with user identification device

• US 10,647,544 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2017
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Scoville, Bradley Armand, Simcik, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T
• Application Number:
  US15/613,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20180346283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/2458 For elevator systems with multiple shafts and a single car per shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3461 between the elevator control system and remote or mobile stations
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/468 Call registering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4653 wherein the call is registered using portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4676 for checking authorization of the passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0012 Devices monitoring the users of the elevator system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

An elevator dispatch control system includes an electronic UserID detection device that detects a UserID device and extracts a device identifier associated with the UserID device. An electronic ride request unit detects a ride request of a user. An electronic elevator controller is in communication with the UserID device and the ride request unit. The elevator controller determines contact information of the user based on a comparison between the extracted device identifier and a plurality of stored device identifiers stored in a database. The elevator controller transmits elevator car assignment information to the user device associated with the UserID device based on the determined contact information.

Claims

1. An elevator dispatch control system configured to control an elevator system, the elevator dispatch control system comprising:

an elevator system database configured to store a device identifier of an electronic user identification (UserID) device assigned to an authorized user of the elevator system, and contact information of a user device assigned to a given UserID device assigned to the authorized user;

an electronic UserID detection device configured to detect a UserID device and extract the device identifier;

an electronic ride request unit configured to detect a ride request of a user; and

an electronic elevator controller in communication with the UserID device and the ride request unit, the elevator controller configured to determine contact information of the user based on a comparison between the extracted device identifier and the plurality of stored device identifiers, and to transmit elevator car assignment information to the user device associated with the UserID device based on the determined contact information.

2. The elevator dispatch control system of claim 1, wherein the elevator car assignment information includes an electronic message notification identifying an initial elevator car assigned to perform the ride request, the electronic message notification including at least one of a short-message-service (SMS) text message, a local area network (LAN) instant message, a web-based text message, an Internet-based instant chat message, and an email.

3. The elevator dispatch control system of claim 2, wherein the elevator controller transmits a second SMS text message that contains reassignment information in response to determining a modification of the ride request, and wherein the UserID device displays the second SMS text message without interacting with a software application.

4. The elevator dispatch control system of claim 3, wherein the reassignment information identifies a different elevator car from the initial elevator car.

5. The elevator dispatch control system of claim 4, wherein the user device is a cellular telephone.

6. The elevator dispatch control system of claim 5, wherein the cellular telephone receives the assignment information without launching a software application.

7. The elevator dispatch control system of claim 1, wherein the elevator controller determines the user is an authorized user when the extracted device identifier matches a stored device identifier in the elevator system database, and determines the user is an unauthorized user when the extracted device identifier is excluded from the elevator system database.

8. The elevator dispatch control system of claim 1, wherein the elevator control system refrains from assigning an initial elevator car to the unauthorized user.

9. A method of controlling an elevator system, comprising:

storing, in an elevator system database, a device identifier of an electronic user identification (UserID) device assigned to an authorized user of the elevator system, and contact information of a user device assigned to a given UserID device assigned to the authorized user;

detecting, via an electronic UserID detection device, a UserID device and extracting the device identifier in response to detecting the UserID device;

detecting a ride request of a user;

determining, via an electronic elevator controller, contact information of the user based on a comparison between the extracted device identifier and the plurality of stored device identifiers; and

transmitting elevator car assignment information to the user device associated with the UserID device based the determined contact information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the elevator car assignment information includes:

transmitting a short-message-service (SMS) text message identifying an initial elevator car assigned to perform the ride request, and

displaying the SMS text message without interacting with a software application.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a second SMS text message that contains reassignment information in response to determining a modification of the ride request.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reassignment information identifies a different elevator car from the initial elevator car.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying the SMS text message using a display screen installed on a cellular telephone.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying the SMS text message without launching a software application.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the elevator controller determines the user is an unauthorized user when the extracted device identifier is excluded from the elevator system database, and refrains from assigning an initial elevator car to the unauthorized user.