Re-dispatching unoccupied elevator car for occupant evacuation operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10294075-B2
Application number	US-201615281163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

A method of operating an elevator system including: receiving an evacuation call from a first evacuation floor; moving an elevator car to the first evacuation floor; opening doors of the elevator car when the elevator car arrives at the first evacuation floor; monitoring, using a sensor system, a remaining capacity of the elevator car; and closing the doors of the elevator car when at least one of a first selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is equal to a selected remaining capacity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an elevator system, the method comprising:
receiving an evacuation call from a first evacuation floor;
moving an elevator car to the first evacuation floor;
opening doors of the elevator car when the elevator car arrives at the first evacuation floor;
monitoring, using a sensor system, a remaining capacity of the elevator car; and
closing the doors of the elevator car when at least one of a first selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is equal to a selected remaining capacity, wherein the first selected period of time is determined at least in part in response to the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
receiving an elevator call from at least one of a second evacuation floor and a padding floor within a selected number of floors away from the first evacuation floor; and
moving the elevator car to at least one of the second evacuation floor and the padding floor when the first selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is greater than zero.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
moving the elevator car to a discharge floor when a remaining capacity monitored after arrival at the at least one of the second evacuation floor and the padding floor is equal to about zero.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the elevator car is moved to the padding floor when a call has not been received from the second evacuation floor, the first selected period of time has passed, and the remaining capacity is greater than zero.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
opening doors of the elevator car when the elevator car arrives at the padding floor;
monitoring, using a sensor system, the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
closing the doors of the elevator car when at least one of a second selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is greater than zero, wherein the second selected period of time is determined in response to the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
receiving an evacuation call from a second evacuation floor after the elevator car arrives at the padding floor; and
moving the elevator car to the second evacuation floor when the second selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is greater than zero.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
opening doors of the elevator car when the elevator car arrives at the second evacuation floor;
monitoring, using a sensor system, the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
closing the doors of the elevator car when at least one of an additional selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is greater than zero, wherein the additional selected period of time is determined in response to the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
receiving an elevator call from a padding floor; and
moving the elevator car to a padding floor when the additional selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is greater than zero.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
opening doors of the elevator car when the elevator car arrives at the padding floor;
monitoring, using a sensor system, the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
closing the doors of the elevator car when the remaining capacity is equal to the selected remaining capacity or about zero; and
moving the elevator car to a discharge floor when the remaining capacity is equal to the selected remaining capacity or about zero.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
opening doors of the elevator car when the elevator car arrives at the second evacuation floor;
monitoring, using a sensor system, the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
closing the doors of the elevator car when the remaining capacity is equal to the selected remaining capacity or about zero; and
moving the elevator car to a discharge floor when the remaining capacity is equal to the selected remaining capacity or about zero.

8. A controller of an elevator system 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 evacuation call from a first evacuation floor;
moving an elevator car to the first evacuation floor;
opening doors of the elevator car when the elevator car arrives at the first evacuation floor;
monitoring a remaining capacity of the elevator car;
closing the doors of the elevator car when at least one of a first selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is equal to a selected remaining capacity, wherein the first selected period of time is determined at least in part in response to the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
receiving an elevator call from at least one of a second evacuation floor and a padding floor within a selected number of floors away from the first evacuation floor; and
moving the elevator car to at least one of the second evacuation floor and the padding floor when the first selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is greater than zero.

9. The controller of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
moving the elevator car to a discharge floor when a remaining capacity monition after arrival at the at least one of the second evacuation floor and the padding floor is equal to about zero.

10. The controller of claim 8 , wherein:
the elevator car is moved to the padding floor when a call has not been received from the second evacuation floor, the first selected period of time has passed, and the remaining capacity is greater than zero.

11. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
opening doors of the elevator car when the elevator car arrives at the padding floor;
monitoring, using a sensor system, the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
closing the doors of the elevator car when at least one of a second selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is greater than zero, wherein the second selected period of time is determined in response to the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
receiving an evacuation call from a second evacuation floor after the elevator car arrives at the padding floor; and
moving the elevator car to the second evacuation floor when the second selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is greater than zero.

12. The controller of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
opening doors of the elevator car when the elevator car arrives at the second evacuation floor;
monitoring, using a sensor system, the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
closing the doors of the elevator car when at least one of an additional selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is greater than zero, wherein the additional selected period of time is determined in response to the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
receiving an elevator call from a padding floor; and
moving the elevator car to a padding floor when the additional selected period of time has passed and the remaining capacity is greater than zero.

13. The controller of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:
opening doors of the elevator car when the elevator car arrives at the padding floor;
monitoring, using a sensor system, the remaining capacity of the elevator car;
closing the doors of the elevator car when the remaining capacity is equal to the selected remaining capacity or about zero; and
moving the elevator car to a discharge floor when the remaining capacity is equal to the selected remaining capacity or about zero.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Hughes David M
• Collins James M
• Stanley Jannah A
• Stranieri Paul A
• Thebeau Ronnie E

Classifications

• B66B5/024 Primary

  where the abnormal operating condition is caused by an accident, e.g. fire · CPC title

• B66B1/28

  electrical (detecting excessive speed B66B5/04 {; control of electrical motor H02P}) · CPC title

• B66B1/2408

  where the allocation of a call to an elevator car is of importance, i.e. by means of a supervisory or group controller · CPC title

• B66B5/021 Primary

  the abnormal operating conditions being independent of the system (alarm systems in general G08B) · CPC title