Abstract: An elevator system in which an elevator car serves the floors of a building under the direction of a car controller. A hall lantern controller and associated hall lamps are located at each floor served by the elevator car. A serial hall lantern riser extends from the car controller past each floor served by the elevator car, with each hall lantern controller being connected to the serial riser. The car controller prepares serial messages for the riser, with each including a command for an identified hall lantern controller. Each hall lantern controller recognizes its own messages, it responds to the associated command, and it sends a serial acknowledgment signal back to the car controller.

Abstract: An elevator system including an elevator car, a controller for directing the elevator car to serve the floors of a building, lamps at each floor served by the elevator car, and a processor at each floor, including a microcomputer, for energizing and deenergizing the associated lamps. The controller issues illumination commands which indicate the desired illumination status for predetermined lamps, which commands are implemented by the processor associated with the lamp. Each processor includes a detector which determines the actual illumination status of the lamp in question, and a comparator for comparing the actual status and the commanded status, to detect lamp malfunctions. A malfunction detection is stored and used to prevent the associated lamp from subsequently being energized, until service personnel have corrected the problem.

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 in which a count is maintained to enable a car to be leveled in the correct travel direction in the event the car stops outside the landing zone of a target floor. The count is incremented each time the advanced car position changes floors, and it is decremented each time the car is level with a floor during the run. If the car lands outside the landing zone, a zero count indicates the car overshot the floor, while a non-zero count indicates undershoot. The count, along with the travel direction of the run, which is stored in memory, thus determines the leveling direction to level the car with the target floor.

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.