Abstract: A system for detecting a person relative to a passenger conveyor includes a driving circuit for supplying an oscillating drive signal to a first electrode of a capacitive sensor configured to produce an electric field toward a second electrode in response to the oscillating drive signal. A detection circuit is connected to the capacitive sensor, and produces an output as a function of the capacitance of the capacitive sensor, such that the detection circuit senses a change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor, such as when a person enters the electric field between the first and second electrodes. A controller is responsive to the change in capacitance sensed by the detection circuit to selectively adjust an operation mode of the passenger conveyor.

Abstract: A near-optimal scheduling method for a group of elevators uses advance traffic information. More particularly, advance traffic information is used to define a snapshot problem (24) in which the objective is to improve performance for customers. To solve the snapshot problem (24), the objective function is transformed into a form to facilitate the decomposition of the problem into individual car subproblems (26). The subproblems (26) are independently solved using a two-level formulation, with passenger to car assignment (28) at the higher level, and the dispatching of individual cars (30) at the lower level. Near-optimal passenger selection and individual car routing (38) are obtained. The individual cars are then coordinated through an iterative process (40, 42) to arrive at a group control solution that achieves a near-optimal result for passengers.

Abstract: An elevator system includes two or more hoistways. One or more elevator cars are located in a first of the two or more hoistways and movable to a second hoistway of the two or more hoistways. The system further includes one or more elevator car transfer mechanisms including a transfer cage receptive of an elevator car of the one or more elevator cars and one or more transfer rails extending from the first hoistway to the second hoistway. The transfer cage is connected to the one or more transfer rails and is configured to transfer the elevator car received in the transfer cage by movement of the transfer cage along the one or more transfer rails from the first hoistway to the second hoistway.

Abstract: A separation distance is maintained between a leading elevator car (14) and a trailing elevator car (12) traveling in the same direction in an elevator hoistway (16). A shortest stopping distance (dssl) of the leading elevator car (14) and a normal stopping distance (dnst) of the trailing elevator car (12) are determined. The separation distance (dsep) is controlled such that a difference between the normal stopping distance (dnst) of the trailing elevator car (12) and the shortest stopping distance (dssl) of the leading elevator car (14) is greater than or equal to a threshold distance (dthresh).

Abstract: The movement of a plurality of elevator cars (12, 14) in an elevator hoistway (16) is coordinated for situations in which the regions of the hoistway that are serviceable by the cars (12, 14) at any given time are configured to overlap. A car stop plan for each elevator car (12, 14) is generated that includes a sequence of stops for servicing demand assigned to the elevator car (12, 14). Operation of the elevator cars (12, 14) is then coordinated based on the car stop plans such that each elevator car (12, 14) services its assigned demand without interfering with the car stop plans of any other of the plurality of elevator cars (12, 14).

Abstract: A near-optimal scheduling method for a group of elevators uses advance traffic information. More particularly, advance traffic information is used to define a snapshot problem (24) in which the objective is to improve performance for customers. To solve the snapshot problem (24), the objective function is transformed into a form to facilitate the decomposition of the problem into individual car subproblems (26). The subproblems (26) are independently solved using a two-level formulation, with passenger to car assignment (28) at the higher level, and the dispatching of individual cars (30) at the lower level. Near-optimal passenger selection and individual car routing (38) are obtained. The individual cars are then coordinated through an iterative process (40, 42) to arrive at a group control solution that achieves a near-optimal result for passengers.

Abstract: A system for detecting a person relative to a passenger conveyor includes a driving circuit for supplying an oscillating drive signal to a first electrode of a capacitive sensor configured to produce an electric field toward a second electrode in response to the oscillating drive signal. A detection circuit is connected to the capacitive sensor, and produces an output as a function of the capacitance of the capacitive sensor, such that the detection circuit senses a change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor, such as when a person enters the electric field between the first and second electrodes. A controller is responsive to the change in capacitance sensed by the detection circuit to selectively adjust an operation mode of the passenger conveyor.

Abstract: A near-optimal scheduling method for a group of elevators uses advance traffic information. More particularly, advance traffic information is used to define a snapshot problem (24) in which the objective is to improve performance for customers. To solve the snapshot problem (24), the objective function is transformed into a form to facilitate the decomposition of the problem into individual car subproblems (26). The subproblems (26) are independently solved using a two-level formulation, with passenger to car assignment (28) at the higher level, and the dispatching of individual cars (30) at the lower level. Near-optimal passenger selection and individual car routing (38) are obtained. The individual cars are then coordinated through an iterative process (40, 42) to arrive at a group control solution that achieves a near-optimal result for passengers.

Abstract: Controlling the movement of elevator cars (22, 24) within a single hoistway (26) prevents the cars from becoming too close while servicing assigned stops. Example control techniques include controlling door operation of at least one of the elevator cars (22, 24) to effectively slow down a follower car or speed up a leader car for increasing a distance between the cars in an area within the hoistway (26) where the cars would otherwise be too close to each other.

Abstract: A plurality of cars (A-C) traveling in the same hoistway (10) send communication check codes (27, 35, 70, 77) to each other over a first communication channel, and if a response is not received (30, 37, 73, 80) within a predetermined time (32, 38, 74, 81) the car not getting a response will send a failure mode command to the other two cars (53, 82). Either the car (A) which senses the failure, or a predesignated car (B) will assume a wild car mode (60, 88) after the other two cars are safely parked (56, 57; 85, 86) out of the way, under control of special sensors and signals sent over a second communications channel. Two out of three cars may operate if only one has communication failure with one or two of the others.

Abstract: The movement of a plurality of elevator cars (12, 14) in an elevator hoistway (16) is coordinated for situations in which the regions of the hoistway that are serviceable by the cars (12, 14) at any given time are configured to overlap. A car stop plan for each elevator car (12, 14) is generated that includes a sequence of stops for servicing demand assigned to the elevator car (12, 14). Operation of the elevator cars (12, 14) is then coordinated based on the car stop plans such that each elevator car (12, 14) services its assigned demand without interfering with the car stop plans of any other of the plurality of elevator cars (12, 14).

Abstract: A separation distance is maintained between a leading elevator car (14) and a trailing elevator car (12) traveling in the same direction in an elevator hoistway (16). A shortest stopping distance (dssl) of the leading elevator car (14) and a normal stopping distance (dnst) of the trailing elevator car (12) are determined. The separation distance (dsep) is controlled such that a difference between the normal stopping distance (dnst) of the trailing elevator car (12) and the shortest stopping distance (dssl) of the leading elevator car (14) is greater than or equal to a threshold distance (dthresh).

Abstract: A method for determining a suitable configuration for an elevator system for a building that includes acquiring building related information and passenger use information. Elevator system performance requirements based on elevator system passenger numbers are selected based on this information followed by selecting a set of elevator system characteristic variables that are desired to be at optimal values which are processed along with the information and performance requirements to provide an optimal solution.

Abstract: Controlling the movement of elevator cars (22, 24) within a single hoistway (26) prevents the cars from becoming too close while servicing assigned stops. Example control techniques include controlling door operation of at least one of the elevator cars (22, 24) to effectively slow down a follower car or speed up a leader car for increasing a distance between the cars in an area within the hoistway (26) where the cars would otherwise be too close to each other. Disclosed example techniques also include dynamically altering the motion profile of at least one of the cars and adding an additional stop for one of the cars.

Abstract: A plurality of cars (A-C) traveling in the same hoistway (10) send communication check codes (27, 35, 70, 77) to each other over a first communication channel, and if a response is not received (30, 37, 73, 80) within a predetermined time (32, 38, 74, 81) the car not getting a response will send a failure mode command to the other two cars (53, 82). Either the car (A) which senses the failure, or a predesignated car (B) will assume a wild car mode (60, 88) after the other two cars are safely parked (56, 57; 85, 86) out of the way, under control of special sensors and signals sent over a second communications channel. Two out of three cars may operate if only one has communication failure with one or two of the others.

Abstract: A near-optimal scheduling method for a group of elevators uses advanced traffic information. More particularly, advanced traffic information is used to define a snapshot problem in which the objective is to improve performance for customers. To solve the snapshot problem, the objective function is transformed into a form to facilitate the decomposition of the problem into individual car subproblems. The subproblems are independently solved using a two-level formulation, with passenger to car assignment at the higher level, and the dispatching of individual cars at the lower level. Near-optimal passenger selection and individual car routing are obtained. The individual cars are then coordinated through an iterative process to arrive at a group control solution that achieves a near-optimal result for passengers.