Elevator system with a mobile robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020180903-A1
Application number	US-202016790200-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 13, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2017
Publication date	Jun 11, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling an elevator. In the method at least one control signal is generated for instructing the at least one mobile robot to a predetermined position. The at least one mobile robot generates at least one control signal to the elevator controller for controlling an elevator in response to an interaction with at least one user in the predetermined position. The invention also relates to an elevator system and a mobile robot implementing at least portions of the method.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An elevator system, comprising:
an elevator controller, and at least one mobile robot, wherein the at least one mobile robot is configured to generate at least one control signal for instructing the at least one mobile robot to a predetermined position, and wherein the at least one mobile robot is configured to generate at least one control signal to the elevator controller for controlling an elevator in response to an interaction with at least one user in the predetermined position.

2 . The elevator system of claim 1 , the mobile robot comprises a user interface for interacting with the at least one user.

3 . The elevator system of claim 1 , the system further comprising a data center wherein the data center is configured to generate a signal to the at least one mobile robot for generating the at least one control signal for instructing the at least one mobile robot to the predetermined position based on at least one of the following: real-time data obtained in a vicinity of the elevator, statistical data generated from data gathered in a vicinity of the elevator, data defining a predetermined rule for determining the predetermined position based on time.

4 . The elevator system of claim 3 , wherein the obtained real-time data represents user traffic within the vicinity of the elevator.

5 . The elevator system of claim 4 , the elevator system further comprises a sensor system for obtaining the real-time data representing the user traffic.

6 . The elevator system of claim 3 , wherein the data center is configured to generate the statistical data from data gathered in the vicinity of the elevator.

7 . The elevator system of claim 6 , wherein the statistical data represents user traffic over a period of time in the vicinity of the elevator.

8 . The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one control signal generated by the data center is transmitted to the at least one mobile robot by one of the following: the data center, through the elevator controller.

9 . The elevator system of claim 1 , the data center is further configured to initiate a timer, in response to a generation of the at least one control signal to the at least one mobile robot for instructing the at least one mobile robot to a predetermined position, for reserving the at least one mobile robot to serve for the duration of the timer.

10 . The elevator system of claim 9 , wherein the data center is configured to, in response to detection that no interaction is performed between the mobile robot and the user during the duration of the timer, generate a release signal to the mobile robot for releasing the mobile robot.

11 . The elevator system of claim 1 , the system further comprising a computing device wherein the computing device is configured to generate a signal to the at least one mobile robot for generating the at least one control signal for instructing the at least one mobile robot to the predetermined position based on at least one of the following: real-time data obtained in a vicinity of the elevator, statistical data generated from data gathered in a vicinity of the elevator, data defining a predetermined rule for determining the predetermined position based on time.

12 . The elevator system of claim 11 , wherein the computing device is at least one of the following: an elevator controller, a dedicated device, at least one mobile robot.

13 . The elevator system of claim 1 wherein the control signal generated by the at least one mobile robot to the elevator controller is at least one of the following: an elevator call, an elevator door control signal, a control signal for setting the elevator to a predetermined operational state.

14 . A mobile robot for generating an elevator control signal, the mobile robot comprising:
at least one processor; at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the mobile robot to perform: generate at least one control signal for instructing to move to a predetermined position, and generate at least one control signal to the elevator controller for controlling an elevator in response to an interaction with at least one user in the predetermined position.

15 . A method for generating an elevator control signal, the method comprises:
generating, by at least one the mobile robot, at least one control signal for instructing the at least one mobile robot to a predetermined position, and generating, by the at least one mobile robot, at least one control signal to the elevator controller for controlling an elevator in response to an interaction with at least one user in the predetermined position.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a generation of the at least one control signal is performed in response to a receipt of signal from one of the following: a data center, a computing device.

17 . The method of claim 15 , the method further comprises:
initiating a timer in the data center, in response to a generation of the at least one control signal to the at least one mobile robot for instructing the at least one mobile robot to a predetermined position, for reserving the at least one mobile robot to serve for the duration of the timer.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
generating, by the data center, in response to detection that no interaction is performed between the mobile robot and the user during the duration of the timer, a release signal to the mobile robot for releasing the mobile robot.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the generation of the at least one control signal for instructing the at least one mobile robot to the predetermined position is based on at least one of the following: real-time data obtained in a vicinity of the elevator, statistical data generated from data gathered in a vicinity of the elevator, data defining a predetermined rule for determining the predetermined position based on time.

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Aberg Janne
• Elomaa Niko
• Salmikuukka Jukka

Classifications

• G05D1/43

  Control of position or course in two dimensions [2D] · CPC title

• B66B1/468 Primary

  Call registering systems · CPC title

• B66B1/3461 Primary

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

• B66B2201/403

  by real-time traffic data · CPC title

• B66B2201/402

  by historical, statistical or predicted traffic data, e.g. by learning · CPC title