Method and system for increasing the safety in the boarding area and for optimizing usage of the capacity in transport means which comprise at least one locally fixed boarding area

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10550622-B2
Application number	US-201514854291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Oct 14, 2014
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

The boarding area (A, B, C) of a transport means is divided into at least two gates ( 1, 2, 3 ), the maximum person capacity of which corresponds, respectively, to the maximum capacity of the largest transport device ( 9 ) that is accessible via the boarding area (A, B, C). Entrance into the gates ( 1, 2, 3 ) is effected via at least one separating device ( 4 ) connected with a control system ( 5 ) for the purpose of data communication. Entrance into each gate ( 1, 2, 3 ) is not possible once the number of persons in the gate ( 1, 2, 3 ) specified by the control system ( 5 ) for the current boarding operation is reached, or while the persons inside the gate ( 1, 2, 3 ) board the transport car. The number of persons in each gate ( 1, 2, 3 ) for the current boarding operation is determined by the control system ( 5 ) in dependence upon the transport demand in subsequent intermediate stations ahead of an end station, provided such intermediate stations are present, and of the free capacity of the arriving transport car ( 9 ). For the current boarding operation, the persons inside each gate ( 1, 2, 3 ) are assigned to the arriving transport car ( 9 ). When the number of persons inside the gate ( 1, 2, 3 ), as specified for the current boarding operation, has been reached, or when a timer which corresponds to a specified time window has expired and the transport car ( 9 ) arrives to which the persons currently in the gate ( 1, 2, 3 ) are assigned, the persons who are inside the gate ( 1, 2, 3 ) are requested to board and a counter for the number of persons in the gate ( 1, 2, 3 ) is set to zero.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for increasing boarding area safety and optimizing a usage capacity of a cable car system which comprises a plurality of cable cars and at least one station with a fixed boarding area (A, B, C) at a start station, said method comprising:
dividing the boarding area (A, B, C), via rails, into a plurality of separate gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ), with each gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) defining a respective area ( 7 ) which is confined by the rails and at least one respective separating device ( 4 ) but having an opening adjacent an end of the respective gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 ), facing toward the cable cars, located at the boarding area (A, B, C), through which boarding passage to an assigned one of the cable cars is permitted, each respective gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) being able to accommodate a maximum person capacity which corresponds, respectively, to a maximum person capacity of a largest one of the cable cars that is accessible via the boarding area (A, B, C);
locating the at least one respective separating device ( 4 ), before the respective area of each respective gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 ), for controlling access of persons to the respective gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 );
only permitting entrance to each respective gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) via the respective at least one separating device that is coupled with a control system for purpose of data communication;
detecting and sending to the control system, via each respective at least one separating device, a number of persons waiting in each of the respective gates;
determining, by the control system depending upon a transport demand of the cable car system and a free capacity of each one of the cable cars, arriving at the boarding area (A, B, C), the number of persons in each respective gate that is specified for a current boarding operation;
once the number of persons located within the respective gate, specified by the control system, is reached or while the persons located within the respective gate are boarding the assigned one of the cable cars located at the boarding area (A, B, C), blocking entrance to the respective gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) via the respective at least one separating device;
assigning the persons currently located within each respective gate to one of the cable cars located at the boarding area (A, B, C) and requesting the persons waiting within the respective gate to board the respectively assigned one of the cable cars located at the boarding area (A, B, C); and
then setting a counter, for the number of persons located within each respective gate, back to zero.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
evaluating the free capacity and an arrival time of the each one of the cable cars arriving at the boarding area (A, B, C) by the control system, by way of an identification number or other marking clearly visible to the persons within the boarding area (A, B, C) and ascertaining a number of persons located inside each arriving cable car, based on data of the respective at least one separating device of the respective gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) for the current boarding operation into the cable car; and
determining a specified number of persons in each of said gates for the current boarding operation in the boarding area (A, B, C) and assigning the persons in this gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) to one of the cable cars located at the boarding area (A, B, C), in dependence upon the transport demand in any subsequent intermediate station located before an end station of the cable car system.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
indicating in real time a number of free spaces for the current boarding operation relative to the specified number of persons in each respective gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) together with a status of the current boarding operation, on an indicating device, oriented to face the persons seeking admission to the respective gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) and the persons waiting within the respective gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ), and coupling the indicating device for data communication with the control system.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an intermediate station is present in the cable car system together with the start station and an end station, the method further comprising:
ascertaining a number of persons waiting at at least one station's boarding areas prior to the persons reaching each of the respective gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) by devices for ascertaining the number of persons waiting for transport in front of the respective gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) at that the at least one station, which devices are coupled with the control system for data communication, such that a transport demand at each individual station is known to the control system in real time.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the number persons waiting at various stations is ascertained prior to the persons reaching the respective gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ), by the devices for ascertaining the number of persons waiting for transport in front of the respective gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ), the number of persons arriving at the respective gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) and the number of persons detected by the respective at least one separating device of the respective gates ( 1 2 , 3 ), which correspond to the number of persons already transported and about to be transported.

6. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising ascertaining the number of persons waiting at the intermediate station, the start station and the end station prior to reaching the gates by evaluating camera images.

7. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising determining the number of persons specified for the current boarding operation for each one of the respective gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) of the boarding areas (A, B, C) in dependence upon the transport demand in each subsequent intermediate station located before the end station of the cable car system and said free capacity of each arriving cable car, based upon criteria including at least one of (i) shortening a waiting time at at least one intermediate station, (ii) shortening a waiting time in the start station, and (iii) shortening a waiting time in a station with a majority of waiting persons.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising using at least one access control device ( 8 ), for determining valid access authorization of each person attempting to board one of the cable cars, located at the boarding area (A, B, C), prior to such person gaining access to any one of the plurality of gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ).

9. A cable car system for increasing a boarding area safety and optimizing a usage of capacity in cable cars and at least one station with a locally fixed boarding area (A, B, C), said cable car system comprising, in combination:
an electronic control system;
rails for dividing the locally fixed boarding area (A, B, C) into a plurality of separate gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) through which loading to an assigned one of an arriving cable car is permitted, each of the plurality of separate gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) having an area being defined by the rails and at least one respective separating device ( 4 ) so that each one of the respective areas of the respective gates ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) having an opening, adjacent an end of the respective gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) facing the cable cars located at the boarding area (A, B, C), through which boarding passage to the assigned one of the cable cars is permitted, each respective area of each respective gate ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) being size so as to accommodate a maximum person capacity which corresponds, respectively, to a maximum capacity of a largest one of the cable cars that is accessible via the boarding area (A, B, C),
wherein each of said at least one separating devices being coupled with the control

Assignees

• Skidata Ag

Inventors

• Kobler Richard
• Hulan Thomas

Classifications

• B61B11/00

  Ski lift, sleigh lift or like trackless systems with guided towing cables only · CPC title

• G07C2011/04

  related to queuing systems · CPC title

• B61B12/022

  Vehicle receiving and dispatching devices (acceleration or deceleration devices B61B12/105; cable grippers B61B12/12) · CPC title

• E05F15/40

  Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions · CPC title

• E05F2015/763

  using acoustical sensors · CPC title