Patents by Inventor Marja-Liisa Siikonen
Marja-Liisa Siikonen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10160618Abstract: A method for evacuating people with an elevator system. The method including identifying an evacuation mode in the elevator system; determining the amount of people in each building floor to be evacuated by a normal evacuation service of the elevator system and whether there exists at least one person to be evacuated who is entitled to a prioritized evacuation service; calculating an estimated evacuation waiting time for each floor to be evacuated by the normal evacuation service, wherein the calculation takes into account that the at least one person allowed to the prioritized evacuation service is evacuated first; and causing display of the estimated evacuation waiting time iii each building floor to be evacuated by the normal evacuation service.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2015Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Janne Sorsa, Marja-Liisa Siikonen
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Patent number: 10118800Abstract: The invention relates to a method and arrangement for closing doors of an elevator that comprises at least an elevator shaft, a car running along guide rails, in the shaft and equipped with a car door, landing doors at each landing floor, a hoisting machinery, a necessary roping system and shaft equipment, and a control system for controlling the activities of the elevator. According to traffic situations controlled by the control system of the elevator the door open time of the car doors and landing doors is reduced by speeding up the closure of the doors, and at the same time the passengers are informed about the speed-up.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2015Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Marja-Liisa Siikonen, Janne Sorsa, Pentti Alasentie
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Patent number: 10099892Abstract: The invention improves control of wear and tear of the elevators in an elevator group having a plurality of elevators and at least one group control unit. The actual usage of each elevator is recorded, and the group control unit executes at least one allocation algorithm for selecting which elevator of the elevator group is used to serve a call. The allocation algorithm compares the actual usage of at least two elevators against respective target usages and selects the elevator having its actual usage most deviating from the target usage to serve an outstanding call. With the invention, the wear and tear of elevators may be balanced, or certain elevators may be set to reach the end of the maintenance period sooner.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2015Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Kari Suihkonen, Marja-Liisa Siikonen, Harri Hakala
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Publication number: 20180257906Abstract: An elevator control method for an elevator system including cars movable in an elevator shaft of a building the building being dividable into serving sectors each serving sector including at least one floor to be served by a car, and a recording device for recording car usage data, the recording device being dedicated to the cars, wherein the recording device forwards the car usage data to an elevator controller receiving the car usage data for creating car-logbook-data. The method of division of the serving sectors is decided on evaluation-analysis of the car-logbook-data by gathering and storing the car usage data over a period of time into a memory of the elevator controller and allocating a serving sector in dependency of the evaluation-analysis of the car usage data respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2018Publication date: September 13, 2018Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Marja-Liisa SIIKONEN, Janne SORSA, Juha-Matti KUUSINEN
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Patent number: 9994424Abstract: The invention relates to an elevator system comprising a first elevator car, a second elevator car, a rotatable rope wheel mounted on a fixed location, and a roping suspending the first and second elevator car on opposite sides of the rope wheel, the roping comprising at least one rope passing over the rope wheel, and connected on the first side of the rope wheel to the first elevator car and on the second side to the second elevator car. Said rope comprises at least one load bearing member oriented parallel with the longitudinal direction of the rope made of composite material comprising reinforcing fibers embedded in polymer matrix, which reinforcing fibers are carbon fibers oriented parallel with the longitudinal direction of the rope.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2015Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Petri Kere, Marja-Liisa Siikonen, Mirko Ruokokoski, Petteri Valjus, Raimo Pelto-Huikko
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Patent number: 9963322Abstract: Radio signals are communicated on spatially separate radio paths across a doorway of an elevator. Signal strengths of the radio signals are measured and used to determine traffic served by the elevator. In this way traffic boarding and leaving the elevator may be measured when more than one unit of traffic, for example people, pass through the doorway simultaneously.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2015Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Henri Hakonen, Janne Sorsa, Juha-Matti Kuusinen, Marja-Liisa Siikonen
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Publication number: 20180093853Abstract: A method for the call allocation in an elevator group uses a call allocation unit of an elevator group control. In the call allocation unit, passenger flow data of the elevator group is used to adapt call allocation parameters to improve the performance of the elevator group. The public traffic data is retrieved from at least one public transportation system, and is used to supplement expected passenger flow data for the adaption of call allocation parameters.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2017Publication date: April 5, 2018Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Juha-Matti Kuusinen, Marja-Liisa Siikonen
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Patent number: 9890015Abstract: A method for controlling an elevator group including at least a first elevator and a second elevator, wherein a counterweight balance of the first elevator differs from a counterweight balance of the second elevator, the method including: controlling the elevator group; determining threshold loads for the first and second elevator separately for up and down direction, a threshold load being dependent of the counterweight balance of the corresponding elevator, wherein the threshold load being a load for which consumed energy per up-down run is approximately zero; and controlling, when allocating an elevator in response to a destination call, route determination for the first and second elevator involves minimizing a load difference from the threshold loads.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2017Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Henri Hakonen, Janne Sorsa, Marja-Liisa Siikonen
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Patent number: 9856107Abstract: Method for handling erroneous calls in an elevator system, which includes at least one elevator, call-giving devices for registering calls on the floor levels and/or in the elevator car, and also a control system that responds to the aforementioned calls. One or more calls given by a passenger are registered, it is assessed on the basis of at least one criterion whether some call is erroneous, and at least one corrective action is performed for removing a call, or for rectifying the call data of a call, if the call is ascertained to be erroneous on the basis of the aforementioned criterion.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2014Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Ilpo Haipus, Juha-Matti Kuusinen, Marja-Liisa Siikonen, Janne Sorsa
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Publication number: 20170261959Abstract: Modern large buildings and public places are equipped with a plurality of elevators, exits and points of interest for fluent movement. The passenger flows in a building or public place can be traced and modelled by using statistics and information regarding current state of the modelled building or public place. The information derived from this model can be used for controlling elevators, escalators and similar in the building more efficiently. The same information may be used also for guiding passengers in the building or public place to use other transportation means so that the duration high traffic situation can be reduced or sometimes completely avoided.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2017Publication date: September 14, 2017Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Juha-Matti KUUSINEN, Marja-Liisa SIIKONEN, Janne SORSA, Sergey KITOV, Mirko RUOKOKOSKI
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Publication number: 20170158460Abstract: According to one aspect, there is provided a method for controlling an elevator group including at least a first elevator and a second elevator, wherein a counterweight balance of the first elevator differs from a counterweight balance of the second elevator, the method including: controlling the elevator group comprising at least the first elevator and the second elevator; determining threshold loads for the first and second elevator separately for up and down direction, a threshold load being dependent of the counterweight balance of the corresponding elevator, wherein the threshold load being a load for which consumed energy per up-down run is approximately zero; and controlling, when allocating an elevator in response to a destination call, route determination for the first and second elevator comprises minimizing a load difference from the threshold loads.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2017Publication date: June 8, 2017Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Henri Hakonen, Janne Sorsa, Marja-Liisa Siikonen
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Publication number: 20170158459Abstract: According to an example embodiment there is provided a method for allocating an elevator in an elevator system. The method comprises constructing passenger batch size distributions for each pair of floors in a building based on passenger batch journeys, each passenger batch journey defining at least the origin and destination floor of the journey, the number of passengers relating to the journey and the time of the journey; receiving a call for an elevator; estimating the number of passengers waiting behind the call based on the passenger batch size distributions; and allocating the call to an elevator being able to serve the estimated number of passengers.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2017Publication date: June 8, 2017Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Juha-Matti KUUSINEN, Marja-Liisa SIIKONEN, Antti KALLIONIEMI
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Patent number: 9580271Abstract: A method for allocating elevators in an elevator system, the elevator system including a group control system responsive to hall calls received from call input devices, and elevator-specific elevator controllers configured to control elevators based on commands issued by the group control system, wherein the method including generating a number of route alternatives based on calls active; calculating, by the elevator controllers, elevator-specific cost terms associated with the route alternatives; transmitting, by the elevator controllers, the cost terms to the group control system; and allocating, by the group control system, the hall calls to the elevators according to the route alternative giving the lowest allocation cost.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2014Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Janne Sorsa, Marja-Liisa Siikonen
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Publication number: 20160152438Abstract: The invention relates to a method for handling destination calls in an elevator group comprising several elevators using destination call control, which method comprises an allocation procedure for situations where the calls can't be served by all elevators of the elevator group in one round trip, in which situation “n” open calls and “m” fixed calls are present, which fixed calls are already allocated but not served, in which allocation procedure a genetic algorithm (GA) is used in which the following succession of steps is performed: a) chromosomes comprising genes are formed, in which chromosomes: n first genes comprise a correlation of each open call and a corresponding elevator, n second genes comprise a correlation of each open call and the corresponding number of the round trip in which the open call will be served, and m third genes comprise a correlation of each fixed call and the corresponding number of the round trip in which the fixed call will be served, b) for each chromosome round tripsType: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2015Publication date: June 2, 2016Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Marja-Liisa SIIKONEN, Mirko Ruokokoski
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Publication number: 20160145073Abstract: The invention concerns a method for a passenger-allocation in a multi-deck elevator group, the decks of which defining elevator cars, respectively, being stacked above each other and being mounted in a car frame to be moved synchronously in an elevator shaft. The method being performed by a control unit to dispatch the elevator cars for serving any passenger call which can be entered as a landing call or a car call, wherein a call can create a number of allocation proposals calculated by means of an optimization algorithm carried out by the control unit for dispatching an elevator to a passenger call. The invention is characterized in that said allocation proposals are then processed in a routing algorithm defining one serving deck to be taken for the allocation of a specific call, which routing algorithm is restarted either for any further incoming call independent of whether said further incoming call is creating new elevator allocation proposal(s) or when a reallocation timeout has passed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2016Publication date: May 26, 2016Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Janne SORSA, Marja-Liisa SIIKONEN
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Publication number: 20160090269Abstract: The invention is aimed to improve control of wear and tear of the elevators in an elevator group comprising a plurality of elevators and at least one group control unit. The actual usage of each elevator is recorded, and the group control unit executes at least one allocation algorithm for selecting which elevator of the elevator group is used to serve a call. The allocation algorithm is configured to compare the actual usage of at least two elevators against respective target usages and to select the elevator having its actual usage most deviating from the target usage to serve an outstanding call. With the invention, the wear and tear of elevators may be balanced, or certain elevators may be set to reach the end of the maintenance period sooner.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2015Publication date: March 31, 2016Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Kari SUIHKONEN, Marja-Liisa SIIKONEN, Harri HAKALA
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Publication number: 20160083219Abstract: According to the invention, there is provided a method for evacuating people with an elevator system. The method comprises for identifying an evacuation mode in the elevator system; determining the amount of people in each building floor to be evacuated by a normal evacuation service of the elevator system and whether there exists at least one person to be evacuated who is entitled to a prioritized evacuation service; calculating an estimated evacuation waiting time for each floor to be evacuated by the normal evacuation service, wherein the calculation takes into account that the at least one person allowed to the prioritized evacuation service is evacuated first; and causing display of the estimated evacuation waiting time in each building floor to be evacuated by the normal evacuation service.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2015Publication date: March 24, 2016Inventors: Janne SORSA, Marja-Liisa SIIKONEN
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Publication number: 20160083224Abstract: The invention relates to an elevator system comprising a first elevator car, a second elevator car, a rotatable rope wheel mounted on a fixed location, and a roping suspending the first and second elevator car on opposite sides of the rope wheel, the roping comprising at least one rope passing over the rope wheel, and connected on the first side of the rope wheel to the first elevator car and on the second side to the second elevator car. Said rope comprises at least one load bearing member oriented parallel with the longitudinal direction of the rope made of composite material comprising reinforcing fibers embedded in polymer matrix, which reinforcing fibers are carbon fibers oriented parallel with the longitudinal direction of the rope.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2015Publication date: March 24, 2016Applicant: Kone CorporationInventors: Petri KERE, Marja-Liisa SIIKONEN, Mirko RUOKOKOSKI, Petteri VALJUS, Raimo PELTO-HUIKKO
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Publication number: 20160052748Abstract: The invention relates to a method and arrangement for closing doors of an elevator that comprises at least an elevator shaft, a car running along guide rails, in the shaft and equipped with a car door, landing doors at each landing floor, a hoisting machinery, a necessary roping system and shaft equipment, and a control system for controlling the activities of the elevator. According to traffic situations controlled by the control system of the elevator the door open time of the car doors and landing doors is reduced by speeding up the closure of the doors, and at the same time the passengers are informed about the speed-up.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2015Publication date: February 25, 2016Applicant: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Marja-Liisa SIIKONEN, Janne SORSA, Pentti ALASENTIE
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Publication number: 20150344265Abstract: Radio signals are communicated on spatially separate radio paths across a doorway of an elevator. Signal strengths of the radio signals are measured and used to determine traffic served by the elevator. In this way traffic boarding and leaving the elevator may be measured when more than one unit of traffic, for example people, pass through the doorway simultaneously.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2015Publication date: December 3, 2015Applicant: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Henri HAKONEN, Janne SORSA, Juha-Matti KUUSINEN, Marja-Liisa SIIKONEN