Having Security Or Priority Preemption Feature Patents (Class 187/384)
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Patent number: 7882939Abstract: An elevator operation controller can land the elevator cage of an elevator at a predetermined floor by giving a command to the elevator without using a special key or a special portable terminal. An elevator operation controller 10 includes a receiving unit 11 specified by a proper telephone number and capable of receiving a speech from the elevator user through a public communication line, a speech recognition unit 12 for recognizing the speech of the elevator user received by the receiving unit 11, a command processing unit 13 for converting a command given by the elevator user and recognized by speech recognition made by the speech recognition unit 12 into an elevator operating signal, and an operation control unit 14 for controlling the operation of the elevator on the basis of the operating signal provided by the command processing unit 13.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2005Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kuniko Nakamura
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Patent number: 7849973Abstract: An evacuation support system for a double-deck elevator allows people stranded in a building to evacuate to an evacuation floor upon an occurrence of a fire in the building including a plurality of floors. The evacuation support system includes an evacuation support apparatus including a rescue floor setting mechanism, and a double-deck elevator including a connected car including an upper car and a lower car which are vertically connected to each other. The rescue floor setting mechanism determines two adjacent floors among respective floors satisfying a predetermined condition as candidate rescue floors and sets, based on a floor on which the fire occurs, at least any one of the candidate rescue floors as the rescue floor. The double deck elevator performs an evacuation operation for moving the connected car in a reciprocating manner between the rescue floor and the evacuation floor based on a command from the evacuation support apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2007Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Shiro Hikita, Kiyoji Kawai, Masahiko Konishi, Masafumi Iwata
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Patent number: 7823703Abstract: In an image monitoring apparatus for an elevator, an image recording unit records an image in a car photographed by a camera, and monitors based on the image in the car whether or not there is a violent behavior of a passenger in the car. The image recording unit makes a recording density of the image in the car higher than usual when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected. The operation control unit homes the car on a predetermined floor when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected by the image recording unit.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2009Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Masaaki Amano
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Patent number: 7823704Abstract: In an image monitoring apparatus for an elevator, an image recording unit records an image in a car photographed by a camera, and monitors, based on the image in the car, whether or not there is a violent behavior of a passenger in the car. The image recording unit makes a recording density of the image in the car higher than usual when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected. The operation control unit homes the car to a predetermined floor when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected by the image recording unit.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2009Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Masaaki Amano
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Patent number: 7823700Abstract: An elevator control method and system. The system comprises a control unit and a memory unit. The memory unit comprises user data segments associated with users for elevators within the system and transponder identification data segments associated with transponders. The method comprises receiving by the control unit, ID signals from the transponders. The control unit associates the user data segments with the ID signals and determines priority levels for the users.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2007Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Gregory Jensen Boss, Christopher James Dawson, Rick Allen Hamilton, II, Timothy Moffett Waters
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Patent number: 7743889Abstract: An elevator control system is equipped with an evacuation operation control portion. In the event of a fire, the evacuation operation control portion determines, based on information on the fire and an elevator, whether or not the evacuation operation of the elevator can be performed. When it is determined that the evacuation operation can be performed, the evacuation operation control portion outputs a command to perform the evacuation operation to an elevator control device. Further, a condition for determining whether or not the evacuation operation can be performed is set in the evacuation operation control portion.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2006Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Kiyoji Kawai
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Patent number: 7681696Abstract: The earthquake control operation system for an elevator includes: an earthquake information delivering device for calculating a predicted arrival hour of earthquake waves in accordance with a position of a registered building based on an emergency earthquake bulletin including at least a seismic center of an earthquake and an hour of occurrence of the earthquake; an earthquake information receiving device for receiving the predicted arrival hour through an Internet and calculating an earthquake arrival need time as a time required for the earthquake waves to reach the building based on the predicted arrival hour; and an elevator control panel for performing an operation of stopping an elevator car at a safety floor when the elevator car is traveling toward the safety floor, a car call for the safety floor is registered, and a stop time at the safety floor is shorter than the earthquake arrival need time.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2006Date of Patent: March 23, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Koji Yamagishi
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Patent number: 7677363Abstract: A rescue floor crowdedness detecting device detects crowdedness or uncrowdedness of an elevator region at a rescue floor. An evacuation guidance device installed in a building reports to those stranded in the building accessibility information representing accessibility of those stranded in the building to the elevator region at the rescue floor from a stair region when the rescue floor crowdedness detecting device detects that the elevator region of the rescue floor is uncrowded. An emergency control device has an evacuation operation performability determining portion for determining whether or not those stranded in the building can be conveyed from the rescue floor to the evacuation floor. The emergency control device also has an evacuation guidance device control portion for controlling the evacuation guidance device based on information from the evacuation operation performability determining portion and information from the rescue floor crowdedness detecting device.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2006Date of Patent: March 16, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Kiyoji Kawai
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Publication number: 20100006379Abstract: In an elevator system, an operation of a car is controlled by an operation control section. When a specific user in the car is certified by personal authentication of a personal authentication section after a landing call registration operation is performed by a user through a landing call operation section provided on a landing, the operation control section counts registered specific floors present in a traveling direction of the car according to the landing call registration operation in the registered specific floors based on registered floor information received from the personal authentication section, and performs a destination floor registration with the registered specific floor being a destination floor of the car if the number of the counted registered specific floors is one.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2006Publication date: January 14, 2010Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventor: Hiroaki Hamaji
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Patent number: 7637354Abstract: An elevator system and method where an evacuation elevator control portion devises an evacuation plan making use of an elevator based on disaster information in the event of a disaster, and generates a command to perform an evacuation operation based on the evacuation plan. The evacuation elevator control portion further determines a number of people remaining inside a building and transmits the information outside of the building. An elevator operation control portion is provided for operating an elevator according to the command.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2008Date of Patent: December 29, 2009Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kiyoji Kawai
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Publication number: 20090308695Abstract: Elevators (104) in a group elevator system (100) are controlled to facilitate transport of a large item (LI). A destination entry input device receives an input from a passenger (102) indicating that the passenger (102) has a large item (LI) to be transported in the group elevator system (100). The passenger (102) with the large item (LI) is assigned to an elevator (104) having capacity to accommodate the passenger (102) and the large item (LI).Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2006Publication date: December 17, 2009Applicant: Otis Elevator CompanyInventors: Theresa M. Christy, Anne R.L. Davis, Stanley Jonnah A.
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Patent number: 7621378Abstract: A fire emergency control operation system for an elevator includes an evacuation time calculator for acquiring a positional relationship between the elevator and the fire sensor which performs the fire detecting operation based upon information from the fire sensor to calculate an evacuation operation time based upon the obtained positional relationship; a fire occurrence floor specifier for specifying a fire occurrence floor based upon the information from the fire sensor; and a remaining person count input device for inputting a number of the remaining persons in correspondence with each of the floors.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2005Date of Patent: November 24, 2009Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Kiyoji Kawai
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Patent number: 7594564Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, a system and a computer program for the effective evacuation of a building in an emergency, in which at least one elevator can be used as an evacuation aid. In the method the group control of the elevators monitors the numbers of people on the different floors of the building. The floor on which it is assumed are most people is set at each moment of monitoring for a greater priority in an evacuation situation. Taking into account the limited supply power a free elevator car is directed to the floor of the greatest priority, at which the elevator is filled. The full elevator is directed without stopping to the exit floor of the building. The system monitors by means of detectors the safety of the different parts of the building and directs people if necessary to a safe evacuation location to wait for an elevator. A so-called Traffic Forecaster can be used as an aid in defining the priorities.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2008Date of Patent: September 29, 2009Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Marja-Liisa Siikonen, Janne Sorsa, Jukka-Pekka Sarjanen, Kim Bärlund
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Patent number: 7588126Abstract: In the method of the present invention an evacuation mode is presented in an elevator system, which receives destination calls i.e. operates in accordance with so-called destination control. In the method the destination floor calls given on the evacuation floors of the building are changed in the event of an exceptional incident such that the destination floor becomes an exit floor of the building. In the method the elevator car is filled as flail as possible on one floor and the travel time to the exit floor is minimized by directing the elevator car to the escape floor without intermediate stops. The passengers to be evacuated are shown information relating to the evacuation on a display located on the destination call panel and/or inside the car of the evacuation elevator.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2008Date of Patent: September 15, 2009Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Marja-Liisa Siikonen, Kim Bärlund
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Patent number: 7581622Abstract: An elevator control system high in security and capable of enhancing operation efficiency is realized.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2004Date of Patent: September 1, 2009Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Masaaki Amano
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Patent number: 7552800Abstract: A method and call system for an elevator car located within a building that may react to a passenger's approach and arrival in front of the actual elevator door. The system makes use of a sensor located near to an exterior door of the building containing the elevator, and a second different sensor located near to the actual elevator bank in which the arriving passenger would intend to enter. The system may also make use of identifying a passenger based upon a predetermined identification or authorization to include automatic communication through to the elevator for initial entrance floor location as well as an exit floor location based upon the predetermined passenger's identification and/or authorization.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2008Date of Patent: June 30, 2009Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Aapo Puskala, Pekka Korhonen, Niko Rusanen, Rauno Hatakka
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Patent number: 7487860Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a control apparatus for a one-shaft multi-car system elevator in which a plurality of cars operate in one shaft, the control device being capable of efficient group control while avoiding collisions and minimizing the occurrence of confinement of passengers. The control apparatus includes approaching direction traveling prohibiting means 1D for prohibiting the cars from traveling in a direction in which the cars approach each other in the same shaft, and door open standing-by means 1E for causing the car to stand by with its doors open if the car is prohibited by the approaching direction traveling prohibiting means from traveling and if any passenger is present in the car.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2004Date of Patent: February 10, 2009Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shiro Hikita, Sakurako Tokura
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Publication number: 20090020372Abstract: An elevator control system high in security and capable of enhancing operation efficiency is realized.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2004Publication date: January 22, 2009Applicant: MITSUBISH DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masaaki Amano
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Patent number: 7464793Abstract: An emergency power operation apparatus of an elevator that operate machines in a firefighter operation according to the situation in a case where a power failure occurs during firefighter operations during a fire and a switchover to an emergency power source occurs. A group-management controller causes machines not in firefighter operation to preferentially return to an evacuation floor or a rescue floor when a power failure occurs during firefighter operations during a fire and then makes machines in firefighter operation operational. In a case where there are multiple machines in firefighter operation after all machines not in firefighter operation have finished returning to an evacuation floor or a rescue floor, if there is a machine at a standstill outside a door zone among the machines in firefighter operation, the group-management controller causes that machine at a standstill outside the door zone to preferentially become operational.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2004Date of Patent: December 16, 2008Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Masashi Komatsu
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Patent number: 7461723Abstract: Provided is a fire control system of an elevator which rescues remainders in a building to a rescue floor by causing an elevator car to perform evacuating operations when a fire detector installed in the building works, characterized in that the fire control system of an elevator includes: individual identification sending means which each individual who utilizes the elevator carries and in which a resident room number, a resident floor, information on characteristics of each individual, etc. are registered; individual identification receiving means provided in each elevator hall; and a controller which calls an elevator car and performs car-call registration of a destination floor on the basis of information sent from the individual identification sending means to the individual identification receiving means.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2004Date of Patent: December 9, 2008Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kiyoji Kawai
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Patent number: 7448473Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for executing elevator control actions from a remote terminal in a remote control system. The remote control system comprises a remote terminal, one or more monitoring cameras as well as interface and data transfer means for the transmission of camera information, elevator status data and/or control commands between the elevator and the remote control system. The monitoring cameras are so directed that their combined image area substantially covers the operating area of the elevator. The remote terminal comprises a display device for the display of image information and elevator status data and means for starting elevator control functions. In the method, the operating area of the elevator is imaged by a monitoring camera or cameras, whose image information as well as the elevator status information is displayed on the display device of the remote terminal.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2007Date of Patent: November 11, 2008Assignee: KONE CorporationInventors: Jukka Lindberg, Ari-Pekka Hietala, Pekka Perälä, Gabriella Still
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Publication number: 20080202861Abstract: In a fire control system for an elevator, the time for the fire and smoke to reach the elevator hall of each floor of a building during fire is pre-calculated as the evacuation time of the floor. When the evacuation time of a floor is longer than the time for making a car respond to a rescue call from the evacuation floor, the floor is judged as a rescue floor, and when shorter, the floor is judged as a non-rescue floor. Furthermore, the order in which the rescue is carried out among the rescue floors is determined. Accordingly, it is possible to rescue remainders on a rescue floor using an elevator as an evacuation means. Moreover, since rescue operation by the elevator is performed with the order of rescue determined, rescue operation suitable for the conditions of the fire can be realized.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2008Publication date: August 28, 2008Applicant: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kiyoji Kawai
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Publication number: 20080196978Abstract: In the method of the present invention an evacuation mode is presented in an elevator system, which receives destination calls i.e. operates in accordance with so-called destination control. In the method the destination floor calls given on the evacuation floors of the building are changed in the event of an exceptional incident such that the destination floor becomes an exit floor of the building. In the method the elevator car is filled as full as possible on one floor and the travel time to the exit floor is minimized by directing the elevator car to the escape floor without intermediate stops. The passengers to be evacuated are shown information relating to the evacuation on a display located on the destination call panel and/or inside the car of the evacuation elevator.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2008Publication date: August 21, 2008Applicant: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Marja-Liisa Siikonen, Kim Bärlund
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Patent number: 7413059Abstract: In a fire control system for an elevator, the time for the fire and smoke to reach the elevator hall of each floor of a building during fire is pre-calculated as the evacuation time of the floor. When the evacuation time of a floor is longer than the time for making a car respond to a rescue call from the evacuation floor, the floor is judged as a rescue floor, and when shorter, the floor is judged as a non-rescue floor. Furthermore, the order in which the rescue is carried out among the rescue floors is determined. Accordingly, it is possible to rescue remainders on a rescue floor using an elevator as an evacuation means. Moreover, since rescue operation by the elevator is performed with the order of rescue determined, rescue operation suitable for the conditions of the fire can be realized.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2007Date of Patent: August 19, 2008Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kiyoji Kawai
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Publication number: 20080128219Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for transporting people in a building by means of a lift installation (10) comprising at least one lift cage (11). Said lift cage (11) is entered by people on at least one first or one second access floor (S1, S2). In order to increase the transport efficiency, at least one target floor (S3, S4, 55, S6, S7) is associated with each access floor (S1, S2) in a fixed manner, in such a way that the lift cage (11) travels from the first access floor (S1) to the associated first target floor (S4, S5), and from the second access floor (S2) to the associated second target floor (S5, (56, S7).Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2005Publication date: June 5, 2008Inventors: Lukas Finschi, Paul Friedli
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Patent number: 7347303Abstract: A method and a system for generating a request for elevator service in which the elevator user receives with his/her terminal a general transmission of information about the elevator system from base stations placed in the elevator lobby of the building. By way of the terminal, a service request is generated on the basis of the goal and the information provided by the general transmission. The service request is transmitted further to an elevator group controller via an edge server and a local server. The edge server checks the request for correctness, and the local server functions as a point of connection between the elevator group and the external world.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2006Date of Patent: March 25, 2008Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Risto Kontturi, Jari Ylinen
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Patent number: 7210564Abstract: In a fire control system for an elevator, the time for the fire and smoke to reach the elevator hall of each floor of a building during fire is pre-calculated as the evacuation time of the floor. When the evacuation time of a floor is longer than the time for making a car respond to a rescue call from the evacuation floor, the floor is judged as a rescue floor, and when shorter, the floor is judged as a non-rescue floor. Furthermore, the order in which the rescue is carried out among the rescue floors is determined. Accordingly, it is possible to rescue remainders on a rescue floor using an elevator as an evacuation means. Moreover, since rescue operation by the elevator is performed with the order of rescue determined, rescue operation suitable for the conditions of the fire can be realized.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2003Date of Patent: May 1, 2007Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Dabushiki KaishaInventor: Kiyoji Kawai
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Patent number: 7145433Abstract: A system for transportation or access control of persons and/or goods in a building comprises at least one story terminal for recognition of at least one identification code of a person or an item, at least one data memory for storing at least one user profile with details with respect to a predefined destination story of the person or item or with details with respect to the access authorization of the person or item to a zone of the building, and at least one processor for associating a recognized identification code with a user profile. The processor and the data memory are arranged in at least one bus module. The bus module communicates, through a signal bus, details with respect to the predefined destination story of the person or item or details with respect to the access authorization of the person or item to the zone. A methodology for maintaining the system can be implemented through a computer program. The system can also be retrofitted into existing installations.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2002Date of Patent: December 5, 2006Assignee: Inventio AGInventor: Bernhard Gerstenkorn
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Patent number: 7093693Abstract: An information and access control system and associated methods for personnel transport devices. In one embodiment, the system comprises a signal emitter capable of emitting electromagnetic energy of a first frequency, the electromagnetic energy including first data identifying at least one person; a sensor disposed in proximity to the transport device capable of receiving the electromagnetic energy and the first data included therewith, and recognizing the first data; a database containing second data relating to a limited number of persons; and a processor, operatively connected to the sensor and database; the processor being capable of processing the first data, and the second data retrieved from the database. The processor compares the first data to the second data to determine if the at least one person is authorized to access the second location.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2004Date of Patent: August 22, 2006Inventor: Robert F. Gazdzinski
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Patent number: 6948592Abstract: The invention provides an elevator cab equipped with an emergency medical device, such as an automated external defibrillator (AED). The elevator cab equipped with the emergency medical device may be controlled in order to deliver the emergency medical device to a floor of a building on which an emergency medical situation occurred. In response to emergency medical input identifying the emergency medical situation, an elevator control unit overrides regular operation of the elevator cab in response to receiving emergency medical input, and directs the elevator cab to a floor on which an emergency medical situation occurs. For example, the elevator control unit may cancel active floor calls made by passengers within the elevator cab or individuals on one or more floors of the building and direct the elevator cab to the floor of the emergency situation.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2003Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Medtronic Emergency Response Systems, Inc.Inventor: Gregory T. Kavounas
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Patent number: 6868945Abstract: The invention relates to the equipping of an elevator (1, 2) with hardware in order to control the same. This hardware is provided in the form of a customary radio telephone (3) which serves as a unit for controlling the elevator. The radio telephone (3), also designated as mobile, comprises a keypad (4) provided as a data entry unit, and comprises a display element (5), also named display, which is provided as a data output unit. The mobile (3) can wirelessly communicate with a mobile radio telephone network (6), whereby speech and/or data can be transmitted. The mobile radio telephone network (6) can contact other mobiles or a terminal (7) in order to transmit speech and/or data. The terminal (7) is comprised of a computer system, designated as server (8), which has access to a memory (9) containing elevator-specific and/or general information. The server (8) is also connected to the elevator system (1, 2) via an interface (10).Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2001Date of Patent: March 22, 2005Assignee: Inventio AGInventors: Kilian Schuster, Paul Friedli
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Patent number: 6481536Abstract: According to the invention, an elevator installation of the type which has a group of cars controlled by controllers (A, B, C) which communicate with each other through at least one communications loop (10, 12) and a specific protocol, includes a supervisor (14) inserted in the communications loop, and which is controlled by said protocol, and a communications system (20, 22) that allows a priority user to give commands to said supervisor, wherein a car is isolated from the set of cars, the selected car is sent to the desired level, doors closed, the user is informed that the car has arrived at the level, and the doors are opened when the user reaches the car.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2001Date of Patent: November 19, 2002Assignee: Otis Elevator CompanyInventor: Claude Pfeffer
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Patent number: 6397976Abstract: A potential elevator passenger or occupant (bearer) carries a portable transmitting device with which he must overtly indicate his intent to take an elevator trip before interrogation by a beacon will cause an elevator call to be automatically registered for him, or indicate his intent before gaining access to a space. The intent to take a trip is cancelled when the bearer enters an elevator car, requiring an additional overt act prior to entering an automatic elevator call the next time that the bearer approaches an elevator. Default destinations (floors or spaces) may be signified for the bearer, depending on the floor where the device is located, or the bearer may establish an alternative destination, the alternative destination being cancelled from the device when the bearer enters an elevator or gains access to a space. The intent may be managed and a default destination may be provided either by the portable device or by a system in the building.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 1999Date of Patent: June 4, 2002Assignee: Otis Elevator CompanyInventors: Charles F. Hale, Daniel R. Drop
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Patent number: 6382363Abstract: This device allows an implicit or explicit input of destination calls on elevator installations. After a corresponding inquiry by a detector, an information transmitter transmits data. This data can contain direct information about the desired destination floor and/or serve as identification of the elevator user and thereby enable access to information about the destination floor which is stored in a memory. The memory is contained in a processing unit of an elevator control. Communication between the detector and the information transmitter takes place, for example, without contact. Using the received data the destination floor is evaluated in the processing unit and communicated to the elevator control. The assignment is communicated to the passenger on a display. The process of inputting a call takes place automatically and independent of the orientation of the information transmitter.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2000Date of Patent: May 7, 2002Assignee: Inventio AGInventor: Paul Friedli
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Patent number: 6354405Abstract: An elevator installation having a system of making payments so that the installation can be operated as a means of transport for providing chargeable transportation services for persons and/or goods. Also provided is an identification device for recognition of types of cashless payment, a calculation device for cashless calculation of transportation services to, for example, trip destinations input within a time window, and a charging device for cashless debiting of the costs of transportation services. The identification device can recognize different types of cashless payment such as tokens, tokens with electronic chips, prepayment cards, cards or keys with data carriers, or transmitter/receiver systems or biometric systems with individual data of the user. The charging for transportation services can, for example, take place in relation to operations-specific and/or user-specific criteria.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2000Date of Patent: March 12, 2002Assignee: Inventio AGInventors: Lennart Svensson-Hilford, René Matthe
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Publication number: 20020023804Abstract: According to the invention, an elevator installation of the type which has a group of cars controlled by controllers (A, B, C) which communicate with each other through at least one communications loop (10, 12) and a specific protocol, includes a supervisor (14) inserted in the communications loop, and which is controlled by said protocol, and a communications system (20, 22) that allows a priority user to give commands to said supervisor, wherein a car is isolated from the set of cars, the selected car is sent to the desired level, doors closed, the user is informed that the car has arrived at the level, and the doors are opened when the user reaches the car.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2001Publication date: February 28, 2002Inventor: Claude Pfeffer
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Patent number: 6325178Abstract: A rule base storing control rule sets predicts elevator group management performance, such as waiting time distribution, obtained when applying each rule set stored in the rule base to the current traffic situation, and selects a rule set in accordance with a performance prediction. In addition, a weight database stores weighting parameters of a neural network corresponding to the rule sets and performance learning measures for correcting the weighting parameters in accordance with learning by the neural network. As a result, the optimal rule set is applied at all times for group management control of the elevators to provide passengers with excellent service and to enhance prediction accuracy in correspondence with the actual operational situation of the elevators.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2000Date of Patent: December 4, 2001Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shiro Hikita, Shinobu Tajima
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Patent number: 6202799Abstract: The next destination for an automatically registered elevator call is displayed to a passenger on a portable card that he carries, when he passes a beacon adjacent to the elevator, only if the destination is designated as “fixed”; if the destination is designated as “unfixed”, a new next destination is determined from a record of the passenger's destinations (which may include a history of the passenger's travel habits) and the floor upon which the beacon is situated. A transponder remote from the elevator entrance responds to a transmission from the card to register a hall call for that floor; a transponder in the car can sense a transmission from the card to enter a car call for the destination floor; if there is no car transponder, the destination is stored and a car call entered automatically upon the arrival of a car in response to the hall call. If the passenger enters a new destination, it is designated as “fixed”.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 1999Date of Patent: March 20, 2001Assignee: Otis Elevator CompanyInventor: Daniel R. Drop
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Patent number: 6152265Abstract: In an elevator system utilizing up-peak channeling which displays the floors of the sectors to be served by each elevator during its next trip, visually handicapped persons alert the system by means of a signal transmission from a portable device, and are then enabled to enter a car call for any floor in the building. An embodiment with a lobby receiver enables calls to any floor in the next several elevators which may leave the lobby floor. An embodiment with receivers in every car enables calls to any floor in a car which receives the signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 1999Date of Patent: November 28, 2000Assignee: Otis ElevatorInventors: Joseph Bittar, Joseph V. Bledsoe, Jr., Bruce A. Powell, Steven M. Skolnick, Michael H. Wilson
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Patent number: 6011839Abstract: A control device for access and lift operation to a predetermined story in multi-family dwellings or other buildings is provided. Call input devices which may comprise a first input button and a second input button are provided in the upper stories of the building, such as in individual apartments or offices. Upon the processing of a call which has been input by the first input button located at an identified story initially a predetermined destination story and thereafter the identified story are served by the lift. On processing of a call which has been input by the second input button initially the identified story and thereafter the predetermined destination story are served. The call input device may further comprise an identification device to allow automatic lift from an entry story to the story associated with the identified user.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1997Date of Patent: January 4, 2000Assignee: Inventio AGInventors: Paul Friedli, Kilian Schuster
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Patent number: 5984051Abstract: Remote control devices borne by potential passengers are alerted to initiate a request for elevator service by beacons in the building. The beacon alert message includes a tag identifying the floor on which the beacon is located and a position on the floor at which the beacon is located. The floor description tags prevent transmissions of the remote device from being recognized on floors other than the floor on which the device was alerted by a beacon, whereby transmission power of the remote devices may be quite high to assure reception anywhere on the floor, while being ignored on adjacent floors.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 1998Date of Patent: November 16, 1999Assignee: Otis Elevator CompanyInventors: Robert G. Morgan, David Crenella, Bruce E. Zepke, Harold Terry, Eric K. Jamieson
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Patent number: 5979607Abstract: A building having a plurality of floors, a plurality of detectors, such as smoke detectors, located on the floors, and an elevator system usable for moving building occupants between floors during an emergency condition, such as a building fire. The elevator system includes a control unit that controls movement of an elevator car between selected floors within an emergency evacuation zone for evacuation of building occupants to a designated evacuation assistance floor. The vertical movement of the elevator car is controlled relative to the detection of smoke within the building to increase the efficiency of emergency evacuation. The elevator and smoke detection systems are equipped with an emergency power source for operation in the event of a power outage.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1998Date of Patent: November 9, 1999Inventor: Thomas H. Allen
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Patent number: 5949037Abstract: There is described an elevator call registration system which enables automatic registration of a destination floor and correction of the thus-registered destination floor. A destination floor CC is anticipated for each passenger, and the thus-expected floor is stored in expected destination floor storage means. The passenger is identified by means of passenger identification means, and the expected destination floor MCC is read from the expected destination floor storage means on the basis of the result of such identification. For convenience of checking, the expected destination floor MCC is temporarily indicated in a car and is automatically registered in a control panel of the elevator as the final destination floor. If the destination floor CC intended by the passenger is different from the expected destination floor MCC, the destination floor CC based on the expected destination floor MCC can be corrected by new designation of the destination floor CC through use of a car destination button.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 1998Date of Patent: September 7, 1999Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kyozo Oya
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Patent number: 5932853Abstract: An identification system for a lift installation in which a lift user carries with him an information transmitter. The information transmitter communicates individual data, for example the weight of the lift user, to a recognition device, which files the data in a data bank. Lift users without information transmitters, so-called unauthorized travellers, are detected with the aid of a load-measuring device. A comparator compares the weight in a lift cage with the weight identified by means of the information transmitter to verify the identity of the lift user as the user to whom the information transmitter was assigned. In the case of agreement, a release signal issued to a lift control, which dispatches or otherwise permits operation of the lift cage.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 1997Date of Patent: August 3, 1999Assignee: Inventio AGInventors: Paul Friedli, Kilian Schuster, Karl F. Schneeberger
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Patent number: 5749443Abstract: A security system for an elevator is disclosed that secures access to a landing by having the resident use a transmitter identifying the secured landing. In a building having a plurality of secured landings, the transmitter provides access to only one of the secured landings by emitting a signal that identifies only that secured landing. The emitted signal is received by a receiver and sent to a controller of the elevator system. In a particular embodiment, the elevator system includes a plurality of common landings and a plurality of private landings. Each transmitter provides access to all the common landings and only the particular private landing that corresponds to that transmitter.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 1995Date of Patent: May 12, 1998Assignee: Otis Elevator CompanyInventor: Ulisses G. Romao
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Patent number: 5689094Abstract: Elevator installation. This device enables an implicit input of destination calls in elevator installations, with an information transmitter, after a corresponding enquiry, sending data to a recognition device, wherein the data can contain direct information about the desired destination floor or serve for the identification of the elevator user and thus enable access to the information, filed in a storage device, about the destination floor, with the storage device being accommodated in a processing unit of an elevator control. The communication between the recognition device and the information transmitter takes place via radio frequencies and with the aid of the obtained data, the destination floor is determined in the processing unit and conveyed to the lift control, with the allocation being communicated to the passenger on a display device, with the process of the call entry taking place automatically, contactless and independent of the orientation of the information transmitter, i.e.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 1995Date of Patent: November 18, 1997Assignee: Inventio AGInventors: Paul Friedli, Karl Schneeberger, Hans Peter Bornhauser
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Patent number: 5679934Abstract: An operating panel (5) for an elevator car, containing car call buttons (7), signalling devices and other signs representing information. The control panel of the elevator car is replaced with a touchscreen display (1) incorporating a passage control feature. The touchscreen display (1) is also used as a maintenance tool for the checking of elevator equipment.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1995Date of Patent: October 21, 1997Assignee: Kone OYInventors: Asko Juntunen, Matti Kahkipuro
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Patent number: 5616896Abstract: The invention relates to a procedure for controlling an elevator group. According to the invention, the landing calls issued from different floors are weighted by a floor-specific weight factor. The weighted call time is utilized in the calculation of the serving time of the calls and for the selection of the best elevator to serve a landing call.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 1994Date of Patent: April 1, 1997Assignee: Kone OyInventors: Risto Kontturi, Marja-Liisa Siikonen
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Patent number: 5454448Abstract: Elevator car call buttons and hall call buttons are illuminated in a first fashion (such as a first color or intermittent flashing) to indicate that the service corresponding to that call button is available to passengers (while buttons corresponding to unavailable service would have either no illumination or different illumination); the buttons then become illuminated in a distinctly different way when a service call corresponding to that button has been registered. The illumination may be thin rings surrounding the call button switch or the call button switch itself; many variations of color, position, and flashing vs. steady are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 1992Date of Patent: October 3, 1995Assignee: Otis Elevator CompanyInventors: Joseph Bittar, Thomas R. Bean, Charles J. Proctor