Abstract: An exemplary method of assigning calls to elevator cars includes ensuring that a passenger separation requirement is satisfied. The passenger separation requirement is satisfied when a passenger belonging to one service group is not carried in the same elevator car simultaneously with another passenger belonging to a different service group, for example. A call is assigned to an elevator car to carry a passenger belonging to the one service group while the elevator car is assigned to carry or is already carrying another passenger belonging to the different service group.

Abstract: An elevator system includes a controller that uses one of a plurality of fuzzy logic algorithms for assigning an elevator car to service a passenger request. One example uses a passenger's desired destination as indicated by the passenger service request prior to the passenger entering an elevator car. One example includes multiple fuzzy logic algorithms, each corresponding to a particular relationship between an elevator car's current assignments, a passenger's desired destination, a source landing of the passenger's request, or a combination of them.

Abstract: An elevator system (20) includes a plurality of cars (22) and destination entry devices (40) located some distance from the elevator cars (22). A controller (38) dispatches an elevator car to a requested destination entered by a passenger before the passenger enters an elevator car. In a disclosed example, the controller (38) uses an expected arrival time corresponding to the time it is expected to take for a passenger to travel from the location where the destination request is entered to the location of the elevator car to decide how to dispatch a car to service that request. In a disclosed example, the controller dispatches an elevator car to the requested destination on a next trip of that car if the expected arrival time of the passenger near that car occurs at or before the departure time for that next trip. Otherwise, the controller (38) dispatches the car to the requested destination on a subsequent trip after the next trip.

Abstract: A cargo loader operable to load cargo into an opening of an enclosed trailer. The loader has an elongated bed with a front portion and a rear open portion. The opening of the trailer is positioned adjacent to the rear open portion of the bed. A pair of sidewalls flank the rear open portion and define an interior cargo receiving area. A carriage is moveably mounted to the bed and coupled to a drive assembly operable to move the carriage between the front portion and the rear open portion. The carriage is positioned on the front portion to allow cargo to be loaded into the cargo receiving area. The carriage is configured to push a ram longitudinally along the bed to push the cargo inside the cargo receiving area into the opening of the enclosed trailer.

Abstract: A elevator traffic control technique includes destination grouping that is selectively implemented during selective traffic conditions by a system controller (36). If, for example, an up-peak traffic condition exists, passenger-to-car (30,20) assignments are grouped bused on passengers' desired destinations.

Abstract: Automatic gain control is provided for a control means for controlling a magnetic actuator for an elevator horizontal active suspension. The gain is varied depending on the drive current in the coil of the electromagnet of the magnetic actuator, the airgap of the magnetic actuator, or both.

Abstract: A dual magnet controller, as part of an active roller guide (ARG) controller, that requires that each controlled actuator produce at least a minimum idling force, rather than carrying a minimum idling current. The dual magnet controller for a particular control axis determines force commands for its pair of actuators based on the actuators in combination having to produce a net force, and each actuator independently having to produce a force equal in magnitude at least to a pre-determined minimum idling force. The net force may be calculated by other elements of the ARG controller and communicated as input to the dual magnet controller.

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: Methods and apparatus are provided which can reduce life cycle costs associated with wear on active horizontal suspension actuators for elevators and also reduce cost of such actuators. The method includes discriminating lateral movement of elevator due to car loading imbalance from that of movement due to building sway and operating the actuators only in the case of lateral movement due to car loading imbalance. The discriminating may comprise the steps of detecting a car position outside a deadband, and allowing changes in the actuators to counter the forces causing such positional changes only if the car position stays outside the deadband for more than a predetermined time, e.g., more than half the predetermined period of building sway, which is an architectural constant for a particular building.

Abstract: In an elevator dispatching system controlling the assignment of elevator cars in a building, a method of assigning a multi-deck elevator car includes determining if a crowd exists at a floor in the building; if it is determined that the crowd exists at the floor in the building, determining if two decks of a best elevator car are available; if it is determined that multiple decks of the best elevator car are available, assigning the two available decks of the best elevator to the floor where the crowd exists; wherein, the best elevator car makes one stop for each of the two available decks at the floor where the crowd exists.

Abstract: An elevator position apparatus for determining if an elevator car is positioned within a door zone includes an encoded medium disposed vertically in an elevator hoistway, at least two door zone sensors for providing first and second door zone sensor signals in response to the encoded medium, at least two leveling sensors for providing up and down sensor signals in response to the encoded medium and means for determining if the elevator car is positioned within the door zone.