Capacity shifting between partially-overlapping elevator groups

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11292690-B2
Application number	US-201816044792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2018
Priority date	Jul 25, 2018
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

A method of operating a building elevator system within a building having a plurality of landings including: controlling a first elevator group; controlling a second elevator group; adjusting a range of landings served by one or more elevator systems of the second elevator group in response to at least one of the predicted passenger response time, the time of day, the amount of traffic received by the first elevator group, the amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, the amount of traffic within the first range of landings, the amount of traffic within the second range of landings, the amount of traffic received by the first elevator group relative to the amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, and the amount of traffic within the first range of landings relative to an amount of traffic within the second range of landings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a building elevator system within a building having a plurality of landings, the method comprising:
controlling a first elevator group comprising one or more elevator systems, wherein each of the one or more elevator systems of the first elevator group comprises an elevator car configured to serve a first range of landings;
controlling a second elevator group comprising one or more elevator systems, wherein each of the one or more elevator systems of the second elevator group comprise an elevator car configured to serve a second range of landings;
detecting at least one of a predicted passenger response time, a time of day, an amount of traffic received by the first elevator group, an amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, an amount of traffic within the first range of landings, an amount of traffic within the second range of landings, the amount of traffic received by the first elevator group relative to the amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, and the amount of traffic within the first range of landings relative to the amount of traffic within the second range of landings; and
adjusting a range of landings served by one or more elevator systems of the second elevator group in response to at least one of the predicted passenger response time, the time of day, the amount of traffic received by the first elevator group, the amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, the amount of traffic within the first range of landings, the amount of traffic within the second range of landings, the amount of traffic received by the first elevator group relative to the amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, and the amount of traffic within the first range of landings relative to an amount of traffic within the second range of landings,
wherein the first range of landings is a lower range of landings and the second range of landings is a higher range of landings that extends to a higher elevation than the lower range of landings, or
wherein the second range of landings is a lower range of landings and the first range of landings is a higher range of landings that extends to a higher elevation than the lower range of landings.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the range of landings served by one or more elevator systems of the second elevator group is adjusted to serve one or more landings gravitationally above the second range of landings.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the range of landings served by one or more elevator systems of the second elevator group is adjusted to serve one or more landings gravitationally below the second range of landings.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the range of landings served by one or more elevator systems of the second elevator group is adjusted to serve one or more landings of the first range of landings.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to adjusting a range of landings the first range of landings does not include landings within the second range of landings with the exception of an egress landing.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an elevator call for a landing within the first range of landings; and
moving an elevator car of the one or more elevator systems of the second elevator group to the landing within the first range of landings.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an elevator call for a landing within the first range of landings;
determining an elevator car of the one or more elevator systems of the first elevator group or an elevator car of the one or more elevator systems of the second elevator group to best serve the elevator call in response to a relative amount of traffic with the first range of landings and the second range of landings; and
moving the elevator car determined to the landing within the first range of landings.

8. A method of operating a building elevator system within a building having a plurality of landings, the method comprising:
controlling a first elevator group comprising one or more elevator systems, wherein each of the one or more elevator systems of the first elevator group comprises an elevator car configured to serve a first range of landings;
controlling a second elevator group comprising one or more elevator systems, wherein each of the one or more elevator systems of the second elevator group comprise an elevator car configured to serve a second range of landings;
detecting at least one of a predicted passenger response time, a time of day, an amount of traffic received by the first elevator group, an amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, an amount of traffic within the first range of landings, an amount of traffic within the second range of landings, the amount of traffic received by the first elevator group relative to the amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, and the amount of traffic within the first range of landings relative to the amount of traffic within the second range of landings; and
adjusting a range of landings served by one or more elevator systems of the first elevator group in response to at least one of the predicted passenger response time, the time of day, the amount of traffic received by the first elevator group, the amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, the amount of traffic within the first range of landings, the amount of traffic within the second range of landings, the amount of traffic received by the first elevator group relative to the amount of traffic received by the second elevator group, and the amount of traffic within the first range of landings relative to an amount of traffic within the second range of landings,
wherein the first range of landings is a lower range of landings and the second range of landings is a higher range of landings that extends to a higher elevation than the lower range landings, or
wherein the second range of landings is a lower range of landings and the first range of landings is a higher range of landings that extends to a higher elevation that the lower range of landings.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the range of landings served by one or more elevator systems of the first elevator group is adjusted to serve one or more landings gravitationally above the first range of landings.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the range of landings served by one or more elevator systems of the first elevator group is adjusted to serve one or more landings gravitationally below the first range of landings.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the range of landings served by one or more elevator systems of the first elevator group is adjusted to serve one or more landings of the second range of landings.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein prior to adjusting a range of landings the first range of landings does not include landings within the second range of landings with the exception of an egress landing.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving an elevator call for a landing within the second range of landings; and
moving an elevator car of the one or more elevator systems of the first elevator group to the landing within the second range of landings.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving an elevator call for a landing within the second range of landings;
determining an elevator car of the one or more elevator systems of the first elevator group or an elevator car of the one or more elevator systems of the second elevator group to best serve the elevator call in response to a relative amount of traffic with the first range of landings and t

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Hsu Arthur

Classifications

• B66B1/2458 Primary

  For elevator systems with multiple shafts and a single car per shaft · CPC title

• B66B2201/403

  by real-time traffic data · CPC title

• B66B1/3407

  Setting or modification of parameters of the control system · CPC title

• B66B1/24

  Control systems with regulation, i.e. with retroactive action, for influencing travelling speed, acceleration, or deceleration · CPC title

• B66B1/38 Primary

  and for returning the controlling handle or lever to its neutral position · CPC title