Group management controller of elevator including limit value setting means for setting a limit value for limiting a count of car calls

• US 8,286,755 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murolet IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Eto, Masaharu, Hikita, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US12/599,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20100300814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187380-389, 187391-393, 187/396
• US Class Current: 187/381
• 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 2201/212 Travel time
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/213 where the number of stops is limited
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/231 Sequential evaluation of plurality of criteria
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/235 Taking into account predicted future events, e.g. predicted future call inputs
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/403 by real-time traffic data
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 3/00 Applications of devices for indicating or signalling operating conditions of elevators

Abstract

In an elevator system floors each include: a hall registration device that places a plurality of car calls for moving a car to destination floors different from one another; and a display device that displays the car that has been assigned the plurality of car calls. A limit value setting mechanism sets, for each of the plurality of floors separately, a limit value for limiting a count of the plurality of car calls that can be assigned to the same car. A count-up mechanism obtains, when a new car call is made, a call count of each car by a given method, based on information about the plurality of car calls that have been assigned to the car. A candidate car selector compares the limit value set to a floor where the new car call is made and the call count of the each car, to thereby select, as a candidate car, the car to which the new car call can be assigned from among the cars.

Claims

1. An elevator group supervisory control system that group supervises a plurality of elevator units each having a car that can stop at a plurality of floors,

the plurality of floors each being provided with:

a hall registration device that places a plurality of car calls for moving the car to destination floors different from one another; and

a display device that displays the car that has been assigned the plurality of car calls,

the elevator group supervisory control system comprising;

limit value setting means for individually setting, for each of the plurality of floors, a limit value for limiting a count of the plurality of car calls that can be assigned to the same car;

count-up means for obtaining, when a new car call is made, a call count of the each car by a given method, based on information about the plurality of car calls that have been assigned to the car; and

candidate car selecting means for comparing the limit value set to a floor where the new car call is made and the call count of the each car, to thereby select, as a candidate car, the car to which the new car call can be assigned from among the cars.

2. An elevator group supervisory control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

traffic flow estimating means for estimating, for each inter-floor travel pattern, an amount of passenger transportation by the car at given time intervals; and

simulation means for performing a simulation about movement of the car based on information from the traffic flow estimating means,

wherein the limit value setting means sets the limit value for the each of the plurality of floors separately based on information from the simulation means.

3. An elevator group supervisory control system according to claim 1, wherein the call count is obtained based on the information about the plurality of car calls that have been assigned to the car, the plurality of car calls being placed from only the floor where the new car call is made.

4. An elevator group supervisory control system according to claim 1, wherein the call count is obtained by predicting how many times the car stops since the car leaves the floor where the new car call is made until the car starts moving in an opposite direction, based on the information about the plurality of car calls that have been assigned to the car, the plurality of car calls being placed from the each of the plurality of floors separately.

5. An elevator group supervisory control system according to claim 2, wherein the call count is obtained based on the information about the plurality of car calls that have been assigned to the car, the plurality of car calls being placed from only the floor where the new car call is made.

6. An elevator group supervisory control system according to claim 2, wherein the call count is obtained by predicting how many times the car stops since the car leaves the floor where the new car call is made until the car starts moving in an opposite direction, based on the information about the plurality of car calls that have been assigned to the car, the plurality of car calls being placed from the each of the plurality of floors separately.

7. An elevator group supervisory control system according to claim 1, wherein traffic flow estimation is performed at given time intervals.

8. An elevator group supervisory control system according to claim 7, wherein the limit value for limiting the plurality of car calls is set based on the estimated traffic flow.

9. An elevator group supervisory control system according to claim 1, wherein the limit value set to a floor is determined separately for each direction in which a car leaving the floor can travel.