Elevator car arrival indication on a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124989-B2
Application number	US-201615337718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2016
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A method for presenting an estimated elevator car arrival time, the method comprising: receiving an elevator call at a mobile device; obtaining the estimated elevator car arrival time in response to the elevator call; and generating a user interface depicting the estimated elevator car arrival time, the user interface depicting the estimated elevator car arrival time including a dynamic component that changes appearance in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for presenting an estimated elevator car arrival time, the method comprising:
receiving an elevator call at a mobile device;
obtaining the estimated elevator car arrival time in response to the elevator call; and
generating a user interface depicting the estimated elevator car arrival time, the user interface depicting the estimated elevator car arrival time including a dynamic component that changes appearance in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time;
wherein the dynamic component comprises a graphical dynamic component;
wherein the dynamic component at least one of (i) changes size in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time; (ii) changes color in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time; and (iii) changes position in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the elevator call comprises a hall call.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the elevator call comprises a destination call.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating on the user interface an elevator car arrival indicator upon determining the elevator car has arrived at a starting floor.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
determining an elevator car assignment in response to the elevator call.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein determining the elevator car has arrived at the starting floor comprises receiving a message that the elevator car has arrived at the starting floor.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein determining the elevator car has arrived at the starting floor comprises determining that a timeout period has expired since receiving the elevator call.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein:
the elevator car arrival indicator includes the elevator car assignment.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the dynamic component comprises an alphanumeric dynamic component.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the dynamic component comprises a graphical dynamic component.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining if the estimated elevator car arrival time has changed by more than a threshold time;
when the estimated elevator car arrival time has changed by more than a threshold time, updating the user interface depicting the estimated elevator car arrival time in response to an updated estimated elevator car arrival time, the dynamic component changing appearance in response to the updated estimated elevator car arrival time.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:
the threshold time is a predetermined time value.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein:
the threshold time is determined from the estimated elevator car arrival time.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the dynamic component changes appearance at a rate dependent on the estimated elevator car arrival time.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:
the rate decreases in response to an increase in the estimated elevator car arrival time.

16. A method for presenting an estimated elevator car arrival time, the method comprising:
receiving an elevator call at a mobile device;
obtaining the estimated elevator car arrival time in response to the elevator call; and
generating a user interface depicting the estimated elevator car arrival time, the user interface depicting the estimated elevator car arrival time including a dynamic component that changes appearance in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time;
wherein the dynamic component comprises a graphical representation of an elevator car, wherein movement of the graphical representation of an elevator car corresponds to physical motion of an elevator car.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:
the position of the graphical representation of the elevator car is proportional to the current floor of the elevator car in a building.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein:
the graphical representation of the elevator car includes a status of the elevator car doors.

19. A mobile device comprising:
a processor;
a memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving an elevator call at a mobile device;
obtaining an estimated elevator car arrival time in response to the elevator call; and
generating a user interface depicting the estimated elevator car arrival time, the user interface depicting the estimated elevator car arrival time including a dynamic component that changes appearance in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time;
wherein the dynamic component at least one of (i) changes size in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time; (ii) changes color in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time; and (iii) changes position in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time.

20. A computer program product tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving an elevator call at a mobile device;
obtaining an estimated elevator car arrival time in response to the elevator call; and
generating a user interface depicting the estimated elevator car arrival time, the user interface depicting the estimated elevator car arrival time including a dynamic component that changes appearance in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time;
wherein the dynamic component at least one of (i) changes size in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time; (ii) changes color in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time; and (iii) changes position in response to the estimated elevator car arrival time.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co
• Otis Elevator Complany

Inventors

• Simcik Paul A
• Dubois Kelly Martin
• Baldi Emily
• Brothers Sheryl
• Leong Yew H
• Daniels Harrison

Classifications

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• B66B2201/4653

  wherein the call is registered using portable devices · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• B66B1/468 Primary

  Call registering systems · CPC title

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title