Estimating the number of passengers in an elevator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11155437-B2
Application number	US-201916359644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2019
Priority date	Oct 12, 2016
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

A solution for estimating the number of persons entering or leaving an elevator car, wherein a stepwise change in passenger load is detected based on a passenger load signal relating to the elevator car, and the change in a passenger count is estimated based on passenger load change ranges depending on traffic intensity and the stepwise change in the passenger load.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for estimating the number of persons entering or leaving an elevator car, the method comprising:
storing passenger load change ranges relating to different traffic intensities, each passenger load change range further being associated with a particular passenger count;
detecting a stepwise change in passenger load based on a passenger load signal relating to the elevator car; determining which of the traffic intensities is to be applied;
determining, among the stored passenger load change ranges, a passenger load change range comprising the changed passenger load and corresponding to the determined traffic intensity; and
determining a change in the passenger count based on the passenger count associated with the determined passenger load change range.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
storing a first set of passenger load change ranges for low traffic intensity; and
storing a second set of passenger load change ranges for high traffic intensity.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the traffic intensity based on measured and/or forecasted traffic intensity.

4. A computer program comprising program code, which when executed by at least one processing unit, causes the at least one processing unit to perform the method of claim 1 .

5. A computer program according to claim 4 , wherein the computer program is embodied on computer readable medium.

6. A method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
determining the traffic intensity based on measured and/or forecasted traffic intensity.

7. A computer program comprising program code, which when executed by at least one processing unit, causes the at least one processing unit to perform the method of claim 2 .

8. A computer program comprising program code, which when executed by at least one processing unit, causes the at least one processing unit to perform the method of claim 3 .

9. An apparatus for estimating the number of persons entering or leaving an elevator car, the apparatus comprising:
means for storing passenger load change ranges relating to different traffic intensities, each passenger load change range further being associated with a particular passenger count;
means for detecting a stepwise change in passenger load based on a passenger load signal relating to the elevator car;
means for determining which of the traffic intensities is to be applied;
means for determining, among the stored passenger load change ranges, a passenger load change range comprising the changed passenger load and corresponding to the determined traffic intensity; and
means for determining the change in the passenger count based on the passenger count associated with the determined passenger load change range.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
means for storing a first set of passenger load change ranges for low traffic intensity; and
means for storing a second set of passenger load change ranges for high traffic intensity.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
means for determining the traffic intensity based on measured and/or forecasted traffic intensity.

12. An elevator system comprising:
at least one elevator car;
means for providing a passenger load signal relating to an elevator car; and
the apparatus according to claim 9 .

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:
means for determining the traffic intensity based on measured and/or forecasted traffic intensity.

14. An elevator system comprising:
at least one elevator car;
means for providing a passenger load signal relating to an elevator car; and
an apparatus according to claim 10 .

15. An elevator system comprising:
at least one elevator car;
means for providing a passenger load signal relating to an elevator car; and
an apparatus according to claim 11 .

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Backlund Johan

Classifications

• B66B1/3476 Primary

  Load weighing or car passenger counting devices (B66B5/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B66B2201/402

  by historical, statistical or predicted traffic data, e.g. by learning · CPC title