Abstract: Apparatus and methods for determining the load in an elevator car, including the preparation of a video image of the car which has a predetermined number of picture elements (pixels). The gray scale level of each pixel is determined and compared with a reference value related to the gray scale level of the same pixels when the elevator car is unloaded. Those pixels whose gray levels have a predetermined relationship with the predetermined reference value are considered "loaded" pixels and the number of such loaded pixels is compared with the total number of pixels to obtain an indication of car load.

Abstract: An emergency control system for use in an elevator system. When an emergency situation arises in an elevator car, an elevator passenger recites a code word. A microphone in the elevator car transforms the vocal signal to an electrical signal, and using a voice-recognition system, the spoken code word is compared with a code word stored in memory. If the spoken code word matches the stored code word, control of the elevator system is switched to an emergency mode. In this mode the elevator car is brought to a predetermined landing and an intercom system providing communication between the elevator car and the guard station is activated. At the predetermined landing, security personnel are available to render assistance to the elevator passenger when the elevator doors open.

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.