Effecting elevator service based on indoor proximity of mobile device to elevator lobby

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11577931-B2
Application number	US-202016750448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2020
Priority date	Jan 28, 2019
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

An elevator system having a controller configured for: receiving a communication from the mobile device for a passenger, the communication including first data, wherein the first data is position data obtained by the mobile device executing a multilateration (MLAT) process with one or more proximately located telecommunication devices, rendering a first determination, from the first data, that the mobile device is proximate a first distance from the lobby, rendering a second determination, from the first determination, arrive at the lobby proximate a first time, and transmitting a communication to an elevator instructing the elevator to arrive at the lobby proximate the first time to provide elevator service.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An elevator system comprising a controller configured for:
receiving a communication from the mobile device for a passenger, the communication including first data, wherein the first data is position data obtained by the mobile device executing a multilateration (MLAT) process with one or more proximately located telecommunication devices,
rendering a first determination, from the first data, that the mobile device is proximate a first distance from a first lobby within a building,
rendering a second determination, from the first determination, that the passenger will arrive at the lobby proximate a first time, and
transmitting a communication to an elevator instructing the elevator to arrive at the lobby proximate the first time to provide elevator service to the passenger,
wherein prior to receiving the communication from the mobile device, the controller is configured for: receiving a communication from the mobile device requesting elevator service at the lobby, and transmitting a communication to the mobile device requesting the mobile device to return the first data,
wherein the controller is configured for transmitting a communication to the mobile device, instructing the mobile device to visually and/or audibly inform the passenger that the elevator is arriving at the lobby proximate the first time to provide the first passenger with elevator service.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device executes the MLAT process by executing Wi-Fi RTT (Round-Trip-Time) protocols with the one or more proximately located telecommunication devices.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more proximately located telecommunication devices are one or more Wi-Fi access points.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more Wi-Fi access points are at least three Wi-Fi access points.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least three Wi-Fi access points are located within the building.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least three Wi-Fi access points communicate over a common Wi-Fi network.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller communicates with the mobile device over a personal area network (PAN) and the controller communicates with the elevator over a Controller Area Network (CAN).

8. The system of claim 7 , comprising at least one beacon for communicating with the mobile over the PAN.

9. A method of operating an elevator system with a controller, comprising:
receiving a communication from the mobile device for a passenger, the communication including first data, wherein the first data is position data obtained by the mobile device executing a multilateration (MLAT) process with one or more proximately located telecommunication devices,
rendering a first determination, from the first data, that the mobile device is proximate a first distance from a first lobby within a building,
rendering a second determination, from the first determination, that the passenger will arrive at the lobby proximate a first time, and
transmitting a communication to an elevator, the second communication instructing the elevator to arrive at the lobby proximate the first time to provide elevator service to the passenger,
wherein prior to receiving the communication from the mobile device, the controller is configured for: receiving a communication from the mobile device requesting elevator service at the lobby, and transmitting a communication to the mobile device requesting the mobile device to return the first data,
wherein the controller is configured for transmitting a communication to the mobile device, instructing the mobile device to visually and/or audibly inform the passenger that the elevator is arriving at the lobby proximate the first time to provide the first passenger with elevator service.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the mobile device executes the MLAT process by executing Wi-Fi RTT (Round-Trip-Time) protocols with the one or more proximately located telecommunication devices.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more proximately located telecommunication devices are one or more Wi-Fi access points.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more Wi-Fi access points are at least three Wi-Fi access points.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least three Wi-Fi access points are located within the building.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least three Wi-Fi access points communicate over a common Wi-Fi network.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the controller communicates with the mobile device over a personal area network (PAN) and the controller communicates with the elevator over a Controller Area Network (CAN).

16. The method of claim 14 , comprising at least one beacon for communicating with the mobile over the PAN.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Ladi Srinivasa Rao
• Akula Ramesh

Classifications

• B66B2201/4615

  Wherein the destination is registered before boarding · CPC title

• B66B2201/4638

  Wherein the call is registered without making physical contact with the elevator system · CPC title

• H04L47/283

  in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT] · CPC title

• H04W4/33

  for indoor environments, e.g. buildings · CPC title

• H04W4/023

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title