Abstract: A group controller for controlling elevator cars in a building having a plurality of floors includes a traffic and traffic rate estimator for providing fuzzy estimates of traffic and traffic rate; an open loop fuzzy logic controller for providing a control parameter in response to the fuzzy estimates of traffic and traffic rate, the open loop fuzzy logic controller having membership functions for fuzzy sets of the control parameter; an adaptive controller for modifying the membership functions of the fuzzy sets of the control parameter in response to an elevator control system output variable; and an elevator dispatcher for controlling the operation of the elevator cars during single source traffic conditions in response to the control parameter.

Abstract: A method for detecting if an elevator door is blocked comprises the steps of: initiating a movement of the elevator door; starting a timer count upon the initiation of the movement of the door; determining if the timer count has expired before a door position reference switch is actuated; and determining that the elevator door is blocked if the timer count has expired before the door position reference switch is actuated.

Abstract: A power regeneration system for a portable electronic device employs a mechanical energy converter for converting mechanical energy generated by activating keys in the keyboard and other manual operators employed in the portable computer into electrical energy. The mechanically generated electrical energy is used to power a transmitter or to recharge a rechargeable battery in the portable computer through a charging circuit. Time between charges of the rechargeable battery from external AC sources is extended due to the recapture of the mechanical energy generated through normal operation of the portable computer.

Abstract: The elevator machinery (26) comprises a motor (6) and its traction sheave (18). The rotor (17) is disc-shaped and air gap (ag) between it and the stator (14) can turn a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the shaft (13). The stator (14) forms a ringlike sector (28) and is placed in an outer part and the traction sheave (18) is fixed to the rotor, between the stator (14) and the shaft (13). The diameter of the traction sheave is smaller than that of the rotor. The structure of the motor allows the use of traction sheaves (18) of different diameters (2*Rv) with rotors (17) of the same diameter. The motor is very flat. In other words, its length in the axial direction is small.

Abstract: An air supply system may supply air into an elevator building and into the elevator. The system includes a number of frames each having a number of openings communicating with an air passage formed in the elevator building. One or more tubes are disposed in the elevator building for communicating with the air passage. An air generator is coupled to the tube for supplying air into the tube and for supplying air into the air passage and the elevator. A heat resistive panel assembly is secured to the wall and spaced from the elevator for forming an air chamber and for protecting the elevator from being burned by the fire.

Abstract: Multiple elevators are installed as a group in a building and are equipped with destination floor boarding location buttons (7), (8), (9) and (10) that are provided on the lobby floor. Multiple car controllers (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) are input car data for each elevator so that the controllers control the operations of each elevator. A higher level controller (6) is provided with input data from the multiple car controllers and call data and that efficiently operates multiple cars while accommodating changes in traffic demand. When it is determined that higher level controller (6) is in service, all the floors are divided up into sectors and cars are quickly dispatched to the aforementioned sectors in response to the aforementioned destination floor boarding calls, and the sequencing of service in each sector will be in the order in which each destination floor boarding call has occurred.

Abstract: A first slidable auxiliary pinion (58a) on the bottom of a horizontally moveable elevator cab A (FIGS. 2-6) disposed on a car frame (14) or a landing is moved out from under the cab toward another car frame (13) or landing by means of a motorized pinion (56) until it engages a motorized pinion (57) on the adjacent car frame (13) or landing, which then pulls the auxiliary pinion and the entire cab toward the other car frame or landing until a main rack (45) fixed to the bottom of the cab engages a motorized pinion (34) on the other car frame (13) or landing, which pinion then pulls the entire cab onto the other car frame or landing. The auxiliary racks (58a, 58b) may be mounted on a common auxiliary rack member (58), or may be separate. The auxiliary motorized pinions (55, 56, 57) may be bidirectional, or may be; and auxiliary pinions (32C, 33C, 34C) may be; mounted on the same shaft with main pinions (32b, 33b, 34b).

Abstract: In an elevator speed control circuit that has a proportional and integral speed amp 3 responsive to the deviation between a speed command .omega.* and actual motor speed .omega..sub.M, there is provided a car motion feedback circuit that amplifies the difference between a speed command .omega.* and actual car speed .omega..sub.car (or acceleration command and actual acceleration) with amp 12, extracts car vibration characteristics through band-pass filter 14, and changes these vibration components to the optimal phase in a phase correction filter 16 for feeding back. A load torque predictor 21 estimates load torque from signals from circuits 2-19 and from actual motor speed .omega..sub.M to improve speed feedback characteristics and the effectiveness of external disturbance suppression in elevator speed control. A variety of variable circuit elements are disclosed.

Abstract: A speed control apparatus for operating a cage of an elevator at a speed suitable for a required operation condition is capable of reducing a mechanical vibration generated from the cage by obtaining a torque of the winding machine from a speed-controlled current command and an acceleration of the winding machine from the torque and the present acceleration of the winding machine to compensate for and output the value of the current command when a high speed elevator having a low mechanical resonant frequency is operated.

Abstract: A plurality of express shuttle elevators S1-S4 exchange elevator cabs at a transfer floor 26 with local elevators L1-L10 by means of a carriage 107, the casters of which 93 are guided by tracks 70-83. The transfer floor has linear induction motor (LIM) primary segments 60-67 disposed on the transfer floor; the carriage has a LIM secondary 128 thereon for propulsion. The carriages can be locked 91, 92 to the transfer floor for loading, and cabs can be locked 131 onto the carriages for stability when being moved. A controller (FIGS. 10-13) keeps track of the progress of the cabs from one elevator to another.

Abstract: A fault sensor to be used with a controller as part of an active roller guide (ARG), the fault sensor disabling the ARG if it determines that any pair of current-force magnitudes for any of the ARG actuators is outside of a predetermined acceptable operating envelope, indicating an anomalous, or fault, condition. The ARG fault sensor receives, periodically, magnitudes of current and flux density for each actuator. From these, it calculates an actuator force and then checks that the current-force pair for each actuator is within the operating envelope. This envelope is curvilinear in its boundary. To check the curved segments of the envelope boundary, the fault sensor calculates the gap for each actuator. If each gap magnitude is within range, all that is left is to check the straight segments of the envelope boundary. This is done by simply checking that each actuator current and force magnitude is less than a predetermined limit.

Abstract: A push-button device for an elevator is equipped with the function of both a hall button and a hall position indicator, and furthermore, the function of a destination floor button.

Abstract: Device (100) for rotating an elevator motor during an emergency situation, such as a power failure, comprising a d.c. supply (4) and a rotary switch (8) used as a switching device for supplying a d.c. voltage into the windings (R-S, R-T, S-T) of the elevator motor (1). The d.c. voltage (DCC+, DCC-) controlled by the rotary switch is fed by turns into each winding (R-S, R-T, S-T). In addition, the device comprises a switch (6) used to supply a voltage to the brake (3) and to short-circuit the windings.

Abstract: A reflector mounted in an elevator shaft and having coded symbols in two tracks in the region of a stopping floor is read by detectors on the car for bridging door contacts when the car is in the arrival region and the resetting region of the stopping floor. The symbols are detected and evaluated by a two-channel evaluating circuit having optical transmitters for illuminating the tracks and charge-coupled device sensors for detecting the reflected images. A pattern recognition logic system and computers for each channel recognize patterns in the images for generating car position and speed information and for actuating relays to bridge the door contacts.

Abstract: An acoustic signal in an elevator door system is provided if a door close signal is present and a door has not closed within a determined time. A switching frequency of a pulse width modulation signal is reduced such that a motor is caused to provide the acoustic signal.

Abstract: Each of a pair of vertically and horizontally adjacent hoistways has an elevator car coupler roped through a traction machine to a counterweight so as to be able to raise and lower the elevator car within the related hoistway. A transition section joins the upper end of the lower hoistway with the lower end of the upper hoistway. A pair of guide rails are disposed on each side of the elevator system, including the upper hoistway, the transition section and the lower hoistway. Elevator cars are guided from the top of the upper hoistway to the bottom of the lower hoistway and/or vice versa by one of the pairs of rails. Power in the transition section is provided by a pair of LEMs, one on each side of the hoistways.

Abstract: An elevator door reversal monitoring apparatus for monitoring an elevator door system comprises: a plurality of sensors for providing sensor signals; a door reversal state machine for providing door reversal data in response to the sensor signals; an output module for capturing the door reversal data; and an output processing module for determining a current state of the elevator door system in response to the captured door reversal data.

Abstract: A remote control arrangement (and method) for generating a car command remotely, includes a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver which is coupled to an elevator controller. The receiver is detachably connected to wiring which leads to the controller. After finishing use of the transmitter/receiver arrangement, elevator service personnel detaches the receiver from the elevator wiring leading to the controller.

Abstract: The present invention provides a roller guide assembly for controlling the position of an elevator car in relation to guide rails of an elevator hoistway in an elevator system. The roller guide assembly includes at least one electromagnet means and at least one solenoid means. The at least one electromagnet means responds to an elevator car control signal from an elevator car controller, for providing at least one electromagnet force to adjust the position of the elevator car in relation to the guide rails of the elevator hoistway. The at least one solenoid means responds to the elevator car control signal, for providing at least one solenoid force that counterbalances said at least one electromagnet force for adjusting the position of the elevator car in relation to the guide rails of the elevator hoistway.

Abstract: A passenger car of an elevator is transversely vibrated when it is hoisted up or down due to curves in guide rails and level differences at joints of the guide rails. An elevator vibration control apparatus of this invention employs a vibration or displacement sensor attached to a passenger car chamber to detect such transverse vibration of the passenger car. A controller calculates an operation quantity of an actuator to cancel the detected vibration of the passenger car. According to the calculated operation quantity, a servomotor is driven to displace the passenger car in a direction to cancel the transverse vibration and suppress force applied to the passenger car. As a result, the transverse vibration of the passenger car is reduced, and comfortableness of riding in the passenger car is improved.