Communication solution for an elevator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12479697-B2
Application number	US-202017022326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2020
Priority date	Apr 30, 2018
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

An elevator system includes a plurality of elevator cars, an elevator controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of elevator cars. The elevator controller is configured to generate a signal to a first elevator car for indicating an elevator call to the first elevator car. The first elevator car is configured to, in response to a receipt of the signal, initiate a communication with at least one second elevator car for receiving information relating to a status of the at least one second elevator car, and in response to a receipt of the information, generate a control signal with respect to serving the elevator call received by the first elevator car. A method for controlling an elevator car in the elevator system is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An elevator system comprising:
a plurality of elevator cars each equipped with a wireless communication device, the plurality of elevator cars including a first elevator car and at least one second elevator car; an elevator controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of elevator cars each equipped with the wireless communication device, the elevator controller being configured to generate a signal to the first elevator car for indicating an elevator call to the first elevator car,
wherein the first elevator car is configured to, in response to a receipt of the signal:
initiate a direct communication with the at least one second elevator car equipped with the wireless communication device for receiving information relating to a status of the at least one second elevator car; and
in response to a receipt of the information relating to the status of the second elevator car, autonomously generate a control signal in accordance with the direct communication between the first elevator car and the at least one second elevator car with respect to serving the elevator call received by the first elevator car.

2 . The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the information relating to the status of the second elevator car comprises at least one of the following: current position, destination address, route, speed, acceleration, estimated travel time, estimated start time, door position, load, battery status, fault mode.

3 . The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the control signal generated in response to the receipt of the information relating to the status of the second elevator car comprises an instruction for controlling an operation of a motion generator of the first elevator car.

4 . The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the first elevator car is configured to, for a generation of the control signal with respect to serving the elevator call received by the first elevator car, determine a point of time for initiating a travel in accordance with the information received in the communication by analyzing the received information on the status of the at least one second elevator car.

5 . The elevator system of claim 4 , wherein the first elevator car is configured to, for determining the point of time for initiating the travel, determine, by analyzing the received information, if at least one position assigned to the at least one second elevator car is in conflict with a route of the first elevator car for serving the elevator call.

6 . The elevator system of claim 5 , wherein the first elevator car-is configured to determine a conflict between the route of the first elevator car for serving the elevator call and the at least one position assigned to the at least one second elevator car in response to a detection that the at least one position assigned to the at least one second elevator car prevents a travel of the first elevator car for serving the elevator call.

7 . The elevator system of claim 6 , wherein the first elevator car-is configured to, in response to the detection of the conflict, generate a signal instructing the at least one second elevator car to move for solving the conflict.

8 . The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second elevator car is configured to provide an estimation on a time of departure from its position in the communication with the first elevator car.

9 . The elevator system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one second elevator car is configured to determine the estimation on the time of departure at least partly based on a determination of time required for loading and unloading the at least one second elevator car.

10 . The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the communication devices of the elevator cars are configured to implement wireless communication having a maximum latency less than 20 ms.

11 . The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication is implemented by a mobile communication network.

12 . The elevator system of claim 11 , wherein the mobile communication network is a network implementing a 5th generation mobile communication technology.

13 . A method for controlling an elevator car in an elevator system, the elevator system comprising:
a plurality of elevator cars each equipped with a wireless communication device, the plurality of elevator cars including a first elevator car and at least one second elevator car; and an elevator controller communicatively coupled, in a wireless manner, to the plurality of elevator cars each equipped with the wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a signal by the first elevator car from the elevator controller for indicating an elevator call to the first elevator car; initiating a direct communication by the first elevator car with the at least one second elevator car-equipped with the wireless communication device for receiving information relating to a status of the at least one second elevator car; and autonomously generating, in response to a receipt of the information relating to the status of the second elevator car, a control signal in accordance with the direct communication between the first elevator car and the at least one second elevator car with respect to serving the elevator call received by the first elevator car.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the information relating to the status of the second elevator car comprises at least one of the following: current position, destination address, route, speed, acceleration, estimated travel time, estimated start time, door position, load, battery status, fault mode.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the control signal generated in response to the receipt of the information relating to the status of the second elevator car comprises an instruction for controlling an operation of a motion generator of the first elevator car.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising, for a generation of the control signal with respect to serving the elevator call received by the first elevator car, the step of determining a point of time for initiating a travel in accordance with the information received in the communication by analyzing the received information on the status of the at least one second elevator car.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein an analysis of the received information comprises a step of determining if at least one position assigned to the at least one second elevator car is in conflict with a route of the first elevator car for serving the elevator call.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the conflict between the route of the first elevator car for serving the elevator call and the at least one position assigned to the at least one second elevator car is determined in response to a detection that the at least one position assigned to the at least one second elevator car prevents a travel of the first elevator car for serving the elevator call.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises, in response to the detection of the conflict, a step of generating a signal instructing the at least one second elevator car to move for solving the conflict.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises a step of providing an estimation on a time of departure, by the at least one second elevator car, from its position in the communication with the first elevator car.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the method further comprises a step of determining, by the at l

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Hänninen Ari
• Tyni Tapio
• Koivisto Ari

Classifications

• B66B2201/4653

  wherein the call is registered using portable devices · CPC title

• B66B2201/4638

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

• B66B2201/212

  Travel time · CPC title

• B66B1/468

  Call registering systems · CPC title

• B66B1/3461

  between the elevator control system and remote or mobile stations · CPC title