System for providing elevator service to persons with pets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11738969-B2
Application number	US-201916683669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2019
Priority date	Nov 22, 2018
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed is an elevator system including a controller, wherein the controller is configured for: engaging in a first communication with a facial recognition system that identifies a pet and a first person as owner of the pet, and rendering a plurality of determinations from the first communication, including: a first determination that the pet is proximate a first elevator lobby in a building, a second determination to provide instructions to a first elevator car responsive to the first communication, and engaging in a second communication with the first elevator car for effecting the second determination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An elevator system comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured for:
engaging in a first communication with a facial recognition system that identifies a pet and a first person and rendering a plurality of determinations from the first communication, including:
a first determination that the pet is proximate a first elevator lobby in a building,
a second determination to provide instructions to a first elevator car responsive to the first communication, and
engaging in a second communication with the first elevator car for effecting the second determination.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the second determination includes:
determining that elevator service is requested at the first elevator lobby by the first person with the pet,
determining that the first elevator car is empty, and
determining to assign the first elevator car to provide elevator service at the first elevator lobby, and to instruct the first elevator car to bypass other lobbies while traveling to the first elevator lobby.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second determination includes:
determining that elevator service is requested at a first elevator by the first person with the pet,
determining that the first elevator car is currently transporting other passengers to one or more other lobbies,
determining that the first elevator car is traveling to the first elevator lobby to provide elevator service at the first elevator lobby, and
determining to instruct the first elevator car to bypass the first elevator lobby.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the controller renders a third determination to provide alternate elevator service at the first elevator lobby, the third determination including:
determining that a second elevator car is empty,
determining to assign the second elevator car to provide elevator service at the first elevator lobby, and to instruct the second elevator car to bypass other lobbies while traveling to the first elevator lobby, and
wherein the controller engages in a third communication with the second elevator car for effecting the third determination.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the second determination includes:
determining that the first elevator car is at the first elevator lobby with elevator doors in a retracted configuration,
determining that the pet becomes unattended at the first elevator lobby and the pet is entering or is within the first elevator car, and
determining to instruct the first elevator car to remain parked at the first lobby with elevator doors in the opened configuration until the pet exits the first elevator car.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the controller is configured to:
render a fourth determination to communicate a first alert which is a pet attendance alert, including:
determining to instruct a mobile device for the first person to display an alert that the pet has become unattended at the first elevator lobby, and
engaging in a fourth communication with the mobile device to effect the fourth determination.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the fourth determination includes to contact a building management system (BMS) and informing the BMS that the first elevator car is parked at the first elevator lobby with the elevator doors in an opened configuration to accommodate an unattended pet.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller communicates with the first elevator car over a controller area network (CAN).

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller communicates with the mobile device over a personal area network (PAN).

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the controller communicates with the BMS over a local area network (LAN).

11. A method of controlling an elevator system, comprising:
engaging in a first communication with a facial recognition system that identifies a pet and a first person, and
rendering a plurality of determinations from the first communication, including:
a first determination that the pet is proximate a first elevator lobby in a building,
a second determination to provide instructions to a first elevator car responsive to the first communication, and
engaging in a second communication with the first elevator car for effecting the second determination.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the second determination includes:
determining that elevator service is requested at the first elevator lobby by the first person with the pet,
determining that the first elevator car is empty, and
determining to assign the first elevator car to provide elevator service at the first elevator lobby, and to instruct the first elevator car to bypass other lobbies while traveling to the first elevator lobby.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the second determination includes:
determining that elevator service is requested at a first elevator by the first person with the pet,
determining that the first elevator car is currently transporting other passengers to one or more other lobbies,
determining that the first elevator car is traveling to the first elevator lobby to provide elevator service at the first elevator lobby, and
determining to instruct the first elevator car to bypass the first elevator lobby.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising rendering a third determination to provide alternate elevator service at the first elevator lobby, the third determination including:
determining that a second elevator car is empty,
determining to assign the second elevator car to provide elevator service at the first elevator lobby, and to instruct the second elevator car to bypass other lobbies while traveling to the first elevator lobby, and
the method further comprises engaging in a third communication with the second elevator car for effecting the third determination.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the second determination includes:
determining that the first elevator car is at the first elevator lobby with elevator doors in a retracted configuration,
determining that the pet becomes unattended at the first elevator lobby and the pet is entering or is within the first elevator car, and
determining to instruct the first elevator car to remain parked at the first lobby with elevator doors in the opened configuration until the pet exits the first elevator car.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising:
rendering a fourth determination to communicate a first alert which is a pet attendance alert, including:
determining to instruct a mobile device for the first person to display an alert that the pet has become unattended at the first elevator lobby, and
engaging in a fourth communication with the mobile device to effect the fourth determination.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the fourth determination includes to contact a building management system (BMS) and informing the BMS that the first elevator car is parked at the first elevator lobby with the elevator doors in an opened configuration to accommodate an unattended pet.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the system includes an elevator controller that communications with the first elevator car over a controller area network (CAN) to effect the second denervation.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the controller communicates with the mobile device over a personal area network (PAN) to effect the fourth determination.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the controller communicates with the BMS over a local area network (LAN) to informing the BMS that the first elevator car is parked at the first elevat

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Singaraju Ravikiran
• Swami Aditya
• Dhumal Tejas Arunrao
• Vushakola Ranjith

Classifications

• B66B1/468 Primary

  Call registering systems · 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

• B66B5/0012 Primary

  Devices monitoring the users of the elevator system · CPC title

• B66B2201/104

  Call input for a preferential elevator car or indicating a special request · CPC title

• B66B2201/222

  Taking into account the number of passengers present in the elevator car to be allocated · CPC title