Lobby crowd control dispatching in mcrl system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017190544-A1
Application number	US-201715397445-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 3, 2017
Priority date	Jan 4, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method for lobby crowd control dispatching in a multi-car ropeless lift (MCRL) system is provided. The method includes receiving, at a controller, a call request for a transport device in the lobby from a user using a destination device, generating, using a processor of the controller, a call assignment based on a crowd parameter, controlling, using the processor of the controller, the transport device based on the crowd parameter, and transmitting, from the controller, the call assignment to the user using the destination device. The system includes a transport device that arrives and departs from the lobby, a destination device that receives a call request from a user for the transport device in the lobby, and a controller that is communicatively connected to the transport device and the destination device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for managing crowd control in a lobby, the method comprising:
receiving, at a controller, a call request for a transport device in the lobby from a user using a destination device; generating, using a processor of the controller, a call assignment based on a crowd parameter; controlling, using the processor of the controller, the transport device based on the crowd parameter; and transmitting, from the controller, the call assignment to the user using the destination device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the call request includes at least one of:
a lobby usage data file that contains a transport device usage request and a lobby location of the user, wherein the transport device is arriving and departing from the lobby; a user profile including one or more of a user identification file, user usage preferences, and user parameters, wherein the user parameters include one or more of: a user volume parameter; a user mass parameter; a user location parameter; a user speed parameter; a user timing parameter; a user scheduling parameter; and a user information parameter.

3 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the transport device is at least one of an elevator and a ropeless elevator.

4 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the transport device is at least one of an aircraft, a watercraft, a spacecraft, a train, a tram, and a motor vehicle.

5 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the destination device is at least one of a mobile electronic device and a stationary electronic device, wherein the mobile electronic device is at least one of a smart phone, a wearable electronic device, and an RFID tag, and wherein the stationary electronic device is at least one of a kiosk, a digital panel, and a computer terminal.

6 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the call assignment includes at least one or more of: a transport bay assignment within the lobby to a transport bay of the transport device for the user; a lobby location for the user to queue from for transport device loading; a travel path for the user to follow to the transport bay or lobby location; a travel path time value that estimates the travel time to the transport bay or lobby location; and a transport device schedule timing value that estimates a time remaining before the transport device arrives at the lobby.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the crowd parameter includes at least one of:
a volume parameter; a mass parameter; a location parameter; a speed parameter; a timing parameter; a scheduling parameter; a crowd information parameter; and data from the call request.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating, using the processor of the controller, the call assignment based on the crowd parameter comprises:
collecting the crowd parameter; processing the crowd parameter; creating the call assignment and populating the call assignment with data from the processed crowd parameter; and storing the call assignment in a storage medium of the controller.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein collecting the crowd parameter includes:
collecting the crowd parameter using a sensor, wherein the sensor is at least one of: an acoustic sensor; an image sensor; a video sensor; a weight sensor; a movement sensor; a location sensor; an infrared sensor; and a depth sensor.

10 . A system for managing crowd control in a lobby, the system comprising,
a transport device that arrives and departs from the lobby; a destination device that receives a call request from a user for the transport device in the lobby; and a controller that is communicatively connected to the transport device and the destination device, wherein the controller receives the call request from the destination device, generates a call assignment based on a crowd parameter, controls the transport device based on the crowd parameter, and transmits the call assignment to the destination device.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the call request includes at least one of:
a lobby usage data file that contains a transport device usage request and a lobby location of the user, wherein the transport device is arriving and departing from the lobby; a user profile including one or more of a user identification file, user usage preferences, and user parameters, wherein the user parameters include one or more of:
a user volume parameter;
a user mass parameter;
a user location parameter;
a user speed parameter;
a user timing parameter;
a user scheduling parameter; and
a user information parameter.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the transport device is at least one of an elevator and a ropeless elevator.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the transport device is at least one of an aircraft, a watercraft, a spacecraft, a train, a tram, and a motor vehicle.

14 . The system of claim 10 ,
wherein the destination device is at least one of a mobile electronic device and a stationary electronic device, wherein the mobile electronic device is at least one of a smart phone, a wearable electronic device, and an RFID tag, and wherein the stationary electronic device is at least one of a kiosk, a digital panel, and a computer terminal.

15 . The system of claim 10 ,
wherein the call assignment includes at least one or more of: a transport bay assignment within the lobby to a transport bay of the transport device for the user; a lobby location for the user to queue from for transport device loading; a travel path for the user to follow to the transport bay or lobby location; a travel path time value that estimates the travel time to the transport bay or lobby location; a transport device schedule timing value that estimates a time remaining before the transport device arrives at the lobby.

16 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the crowd parameter includes at least one of:
a volume parameter; a mass parameter; a location parameter; a speed parameter; a timing parameter; a scheduling parameter; a crowd information parameter; and data from the call request.

17 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller generates the call assignment based on the crowd parameter by being further configured to:
collect the crowd parameter; process the crowd parameter; create the call assignment and populating the call assignment with data from the processed crowd parameter; and store the call assignment in a storage medium of the controller.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the controller collects the crowd parameter by being further configured to:
collect the crowd parameter using a sensor, wherein the sensor is at least one of: an acoustic sensor; an image sensor; a video sensor; a weight sensor; a movement sensor; a location sensor; an infrared sensor; and a depth sensor.

19 . A computer program product for managing crowd control in a lobby, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:
receive, at a controller, a call request for a transport device in the lobby from a user using a destination device; generate, using a processor of the controller, a call assignment based on a crowd parameter inapplicable; control, using the processor of the controller, the transport device based on the crowd parameter; and transmit, from the controller, the call assignment to the u

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Witczak Tadeusz Pawel
• Hsu Arthur
• Ginsberg David
• Pasini Jose Miguel
• D'Onofrio Elia

Classifications

• B66B2201/222

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

• B66B2201/4653

  wherein the call is registered using portable devices · CPC title

• B66B1/468 Primary

  Call registering systems · CPC title

• B66B9/003

  for lateral transfer of car or frame, e.g. between vertical hoistways or to/from a parking position · CPC title

• B66B2201/463

  Wherein the call is registered through physical contact with the elevator system · CPC title