Abstract: An elevator dispatching method which estimates the time of arrival (ETA) of each car at the floor of a hall call to be assigned. A building profile of average door cycle times per floor, over predetermined periods of the day, is tabulated and used in the ETA calculations, to provide more accurate ETA values and thus a lower average call waiting time.

Abstract: An elevator system in which hall calls from an independent inconspicuous riser (IR) are handled by the same dispatcher as hall calls from the normal hall call riser. Each floor of the building is assigned its own unique timing scan slot position for detecting normal hall calls, with the number of scan slots being at least twice the number of floors in the building. IR calls appear in scan slot positions for floors which are not in the actual building, and the dispatching function treats the building as though it had twice its actual number of floors. A car on IR duty translates its advanced car position into the imaginary portion of the building, before sending its advanced position signal to the dispatching function. When a car on IR duty receives an assignment from the dispatching function, its associated car controller translates an assignment for a fictitious floor to an actual floor of the building, and it utilizes its actual advanced car position in the process of serving the IR call.

Abstract: An elevator system, and method of monitoring same, which includes a plurality of elevator cars under the group supervisory control of at least first and second processors, which all share a common memory over a system bus. The first processor periodically monitors its own status, and it sets a predetermined location of the shared memory each time it finds its status to be normal. The second processor periodically checks the predetermined location, and upon finding it set, it resets it. The second processor also monitors its own status. The second processor triggers a retriggerable hardware timer each time it determines that the first processor and itself are both operating normally, with the trigger rate preventing the timer from reaching the end of a predetermined timing period. When the second processor finds the status of either processor to be abnormal, it terminates its triggering of the timer. The timer then provides a signal at the end of its timing period, which reinitializes both processors.

Abstract: A plurality of elevator cars under the supervisory control of a dispatcher processor. A communication processor having a plurality of buffers, a memory shared by both the dispatcher processor and communication processor, and an interface between the communication processor and the elevator cars, cooperatively control the flow of information. Car status information, prepared by the elevator cars, is sent to the dispatcher processor via the interface, buffers and shared memory. Car mode information prepared by the dispatcher is sent to the elevator cars via the shared memory, buffers and interface. A semaphore access arrangement speeds up access to the shared memory, and interrupts control transfer of information between the buffers and interface. In the communication process, the dispatcher processor only loads and unloads the shared memory, and the communication processor loads and unloads both the shared memory and the buffers.

Abstract: An elevator system in which indicia in the hatchway to signal elevator car slowdown points for the floors of a building are also used to maintain and update the advanced car position. The advanced car position is changed to the next floor in the car's travel direction at the start of a run, and then each slowdown indicia encountered by the car associated with the car travel direction changes the advanced car position until the slowdown indicia is detected which is associated with the floor at which the elevator car is to stop.

Abstract: An elevator system having a plurality of elevator cars and supervisory control for directing their movement in a building to efficiently serve the floors therein. The supervisory control divides the floors and service directions therefrom, called scan slots, into sets, with a set being those scan slots served by the same combination of cars. The scan slots are assigned to the elevator cars using a predetermined strategy, with the sets being taken in a predetermined order determined by the number of cars enabled to serve the sets. The strategy breaks out of the rigid set concept when assigning scan slots to cars based upon car calls, to effect a significant improvement in elevator service.

Abstract: A method of reinitializing an elevator system upon the return to service of an elevator car following the occurrence of an event which could result in the car stopping in the hatch without regard to floor level. The method includes the steps of determining if the elevator car is within a predetermined small distance from any floor, and if it is, the advanced car position is set to that floor. If the elevator car is not within this predetermined distance from a floor, the advanced car position is set to the closest floor in a predetermined travel direction, such as the travel direction of the car at the time of the event which terminated normal operation. The car is then moved to a predetermined floor, which is the floor of the advanced car position when there are no registered hall calls, and the floor of a predetermined car call, or hall call, where there is a registered call.