Elevator system adaptive time-based block operation

An elevator control system and method for efficient failure control of block operation with a local area network on the traveling cable and distributed electronic control circuits in the car and proximate to the respective floors with a remote microprocessor controller for each car. A local area network also provides communication with the corridor fixtures in a serial signal format of input and output signals. Each remote controller includes a microprocessor based computer circuit which normally communicates over a multicar-link with the other and also over the local area networks for car and hall calls. Each controller implements an adaptive time based block operation with the total building being serviced, despite partial or total failure of communication between the controllers and the corridor fixtures, which would otherwise degrade the bank operation sooner and more restrictively.

CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS 
The present application is related to the following concurrently filed U.S. 
patent applications Ser. No. 109,638, by J. W. Blain, et al. and entitled 
"Elevator System Master Car Switching", Ser. No. 109,639, by J. W. Blain 
et al. and entitled "Elevator System Graceful Degradation of Bank 
Service"; and to concurrently filed on June 19, 1987, Ser. No. 064,915, by 
D. D. Shah et al. and entitled "Elevator System Monitoring Cold Oil"; and 
Ser. No. 064,913, by J. W. Blain et al. and entitled "Elevator System 
Leveling Safeguard Control and Method", all of which are assigned to the 
same as the present assignee and the disclosures of which are incorporated 
herein by reference. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates in general to traction and hydraulic elevator 
systems with distributed control circuits, and more particularly, to a 
method and control system for protecting against an excessively 
restrictive block operation elevator service because of the loss of 
communication control in the system. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The failure of communication with the hallway fixtures by a controller used 
with present day elevator control apparatus normally has a back-up mode of 
through trip or block operation with some form of service being retained, 
but it is of significantly inferior quality to the normal service since 
the building is not totally served if all car controllers are implementing 
a fixed block operational service to the bottom floor. 
Computers have heretofore been pre-programmed to perform various functions 
in the operational control or management of car and hall call response 
strategies in an elevator system such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,017 which 
provides emergency back-up elevator service, or a variation in block 
operation, when normal service is degraded, by preassigning and revising 
blocks of car assignments to floors in a rotational manner. 
Various arrangements for elevator bank configurations have been known to 
benefit from the state-of-the-art solid-state controllers, but assuming 
that dynamically defined tasks involve progressively activated block 
operational failure mode arrangements; these have yet to emerge to be the 
least restrictive, while providing total service to the building. 
With the introduction of microprocessor based elevator controllers and the 
distribution of electronic circuits located with each car and proximate to 
the respective floors, communication with the remote controllers is of 
fundamental concern since the integrity of hall call signals, and the 
control strategy in assigning cars to answer these calls, is critical to 
operational efficiency and to the satisfied customer. Not less important 
to this goal is that passengers should continue to be provided with total 
service in the building, with the controllers providing their most 
efficient service even when relegated to operate in the mode of block 
operation. 
One of the principal problems is in providing a shared service to a floor 
by all of the controllers on block operation so that each associated car 
will service all of the floors accessible to it. All cars going on a mode 
of block operation which is non-adaptive does not provide the best car 
efficiency for the bank of cars which still has the potential for 
providing more efficient service to minimize waiting time. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a new and improved elevator system and method for 
protecting against an excessively restrictive block operation elevator car 
service, and is essentially of the type which uses a distributed control 
system implemented with electronic circuits. These circuits are located 
with each car of a two-car-pair and at each floor for corridor call 
information and have input and output signals which are communicated 
serially for each car over a traveling cable connected to an associated 
per car remote controller. 
Each remote controller includes a microprocessor based computer circuit, 
which is also serially connected over a communication link to the 
distributed electronic circuits proximate to each floor and normally 
serves to implement a two-car-pair floor control (FC) master strategy for 
responding to hall calls. The remote controllers normally function 
individually to respond to car associated calls. Each non-FC controller 
normally remains on standby to assume implementing the floor control 
master strategy in an expanded control strategy for answering hall calls, 
without excessive degradation of service. 
If the selected floor controller for this responsibility fails or there is 
a communication failure with it, and the failure eliminates the capacity 
for another controller to communicate with the distributed electronic 
circuits proximate to each floor. For corridor call information, the cars 
are adaptively put on a block operation mode. 
The microprocessor for each car repeatedly implements a program with an 
adaptive time-based block operation failure mode within an expanded 
failure mode program, and another program selects which remote controller 
should assume or retain the role of directing the floor control master 
strategy for the two-car-pair as it signals this status to the other 
remote controller. This controller then controls a set of floor control 
circuits over a serial communication riser for processing the hall calls, 
and it sends back corridor signals of an audible and visual type which it 
continues to implement as long as serial riser communication is possible 
in order to provide service information to a waiting passenger. 
If the selected controller cannot communicate with the associated 
controller in the two-car-pair, and is unable to gain control of the 
serial riser, it activates itself for block operation and provides the 
opportunity for its associated controller to gain control of the serial 
riser to operate as a single car system, only if it can satisfy the stated 
communication requirements; otherwise, it too goes on block operation. 
Further in accordance with the invention, the adaptive block operation 
program provides that each car controller put on block operation begins 
counting down a "wait-timer" or software counter starting from a time when 
a hall call is answered at a particular floor, with the wait timer being 
loaded thereat with a wait time for that floor. The respective wait-time 
is directly proportional to the number of cars that it is being serviced 
by, and service to the floor is shared by all car controllers and hence 
all cars that are on block operation.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The invention is a new and improved elevator system and a method for 
protecting against an excessively restrictive block operation elevator car 
service and is essentially of the type which uses a distributed control 
system disposed partly in a plurality of elevator cars and partly in an 
associated plurality of remote controllers disposed therefrom while 
communicating over a travelling cable serving as a local area network 
(LAN) using token passing strategies for bi-directional communication. 
Each car associated remote controller is grouped into a two-car-pair which 
is serially connected over a communication link to a plurality of 
distributed electronic circuits proximate to each floor in order to 
implement a two-car-pair strategy for responding to hall calls, while the 
remote controllers function individually to respond to their car 
associated car calls. 
The remote controllers communicate with each other over a third serial 
network link so that each remains on standby with respect to the other to 
assume implementing a single car system floor control strategy with the 
other car controller put on adaptive block operation program in an 
expanded control strategy, without excessive degradation, of service, 
should there be a communication failure or failure in the previously 
established remote controller priority of operation, and ultimately the 
bank of cars will operate with each car controller activating the program 
for time-based adaptive block operation if the serial link capacity for 
communication with the distributed electronic circuits proximate to each 
floor has completely failed. 
The new and improved system and method are described by illustrating only 
those parts of an elevator system pertinent to the understanding of the 
invention, and supplemental portions of the elevator system have been 
incorporated by reference to an allowed U.S. patent assigned to the same 
assignee as the present application. Accordingly, allowed U.S. patent 
application Ser. No. 829,744 filed Feb. 14, 1986, entitled "Elevator 
Communication Controller", describes an addressable elevator communication 
controller for controlling full duplex serial communication between 
various remotely located corridor fixtures and car functions in a 
controller which controls a central bank of elevator cars. Each 
communication controller may be placed on a single IC custom chip which 
may be used redundantly in the elevator system in order to control the 
various corridor fixtures including hall call pushbuttons and associated 
indicator lamps, up and down hall call lanterns located at each floor, 
digital or horizontal car position indicators and status panels located at 
selected floors. It is used as well for elevator car located functions 
such as the door controller, car position indicator, direction arrows, and 
the car call pushbuttons and associated indicator lamps. 
More specifically, FIG. 1 now shows an elevator system 10 which may 
incorporate this controller which may be utilized according to the 
teachings of the present invention. The elevator system 10 includes one or 
more elevator cars, or cabs, such as elevator car 12a, the movement of 
which is alternatively driven either as shown above the car from a 
penthouse 19 in a building structure (not shown), as in a traction 
elevator system, or as shown from below the car in a machine room 26, as 
when the implementation is in a hydraulic elevator system. When the 
invention is used in a traction elevator system, the car 12a is mounted in 
a hatchway of the building structure, such as shown for car "B", which 
forms with car "A" a two-car-pair which occupies the space to the left of 
center in the drawing of FIG. 1. The building structure has a plurality of 
landings such as the ZERO, 1ST, 6TH, 7TH floors or landings which are 
shown in order to simplify the drawing. 
The car 12a is supported by a plurality of wire ropes 18a which are reeved 
over a traction sheave 20a mounted on the shaft of a drive machine 22a 
regarded as the #0 drive machine and a counterweight (CTWT now shown) is 
connected to the other ends of the ropes 18a. A similar arrangement is 
shown for car "B" which is supported by the wire ropes 18b over the sheave 
20b and driven by the #1 drive machine 22b. The drive machine 22a, 22b may 
be AC systems having an AC drive motor, or a DC system having a DC drive 
motor such as used in the Ward-Leonard drive system or it may use a 
solid-state drive system. 
A traction elevator system incorporates a car movement detection scheme to 
provide a signal for each standard increment of travel of the car such as 
0.25 inch of car travel. This may be developed in several ways with one 
such way using a sensor located on car 12a cooperating with indicia 
disposed in the hatchway. Distance pulses are then developed for a car 
controller 24a which includes a floor selector and speed pattern generator 
for the elevator system. A further discussion of a car controller and a 
traction elevator system of the type in which a pulse count is maintained 
to enable a car to be leveled in the correct travel direction is described 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,833 which is assigned to the assignee of the present 
application, and the present invention may be used to enhance the 
functioning thereof. 
Normally the car controller 24a through its floor selector keeps track of 
the position and the calls for service for the car 12a, and it also 
provides the starting and stopping signals for the car to serve calls, 
while providing signals for controlling auxiliary devices such as the door 
control for the elevator car doors 13a. Likewise, the car controller 24b 
for car "B" provides the same functions as the car controller 24a does for 
its respective car "A". In the two-car-pair traction elevator system of 
the present invention, each of the respective car controllers 22a and 22b 
controls hall lanterns such as hall lantern pair of up-floor lanterns 112L 
associated with the pushbutton 116L at FLOOR 0, and each of the 
controllers also controls the resetting of the car call and hall call 
controls when a car or hall call has been serviced. Car 12b is shown 
located at the landing 15b with its doors 13b shown in a closed position. 
The simplification and abbreviation of the elevator system 10 thus far 
described in FIG. 1 presumes that a traveling cable 84a for car "A" and a 
traveling cable 84b for car "B" provide, respectively, bi-directional 
communication paths to the respective control electronics for each car. 
Microprocessing control electronics may be located in the penthouse 19 
proximate to the car controllers 24a and 24b or as shown remote therefrom 
as in FIG. 1 with correspondingly numbered micro-computers #0 and #1 which 
are located in a machine room 26. In this instance, the #0 micro-computer 
80a is connected on a car control communication link 28a to the car 
controller 24a, and likewise #1 micro-computer 80b is connected on a car 
control communication link 28b to the car controller 24b in order to 
provide a complete bi-directional communication path for the cars over the 
respective traveling cables and car control links. 
The traveling cable 84a is a composite cable in the sense that a control 
cable is present therein in order to control certain relay logic functions 
for the car door operator of car 12a, and there is also present a CAR 
DATALINK 86a which is shown emerging from the bottom of car "A" or from a 
car position terminal 83a shown functionally located on the side of the 
car 12a. A similar arrangement for car "B" is intended for the traveling 
cable 84b which is shown for purposes of this description in the same 
respective alignment with respect to car "B". This provides the proper 
complement of relay control functions as well as the bi-directional 
communication paths for the #1 micro-computer 80b connected thereto. The 
conductors in the CAR DATALINK 86a are constituted in an arrangement of 
three pairs of two conductor wires that are twisted and shielded from 
extraneous noise which might be otherwise inductively coupled to the 
traveling cable. This cabling is used in order to preserve data quality of 
the transmission signals and to ensure the credibility of the information 
received at the circuits in the car as it relates to the control of the 
car operation through various control circuit boards (not shown herein). 
Floor circuit boards of the type which may be used in the present 
invention are disclosed in FIG. 1 of the aforementioned U.S. allowed 
application Ser. No. 829,744, filed Feb. 14, 1986, which is incorporated 
by reference in the teachings of the present invention. 
The description has thus far proceeded on the basis for FIG. 1 that cars 
"A" and "B" are in a two-car-pair for a traction elevator system with the 
respective micro-computers 80a and 80b located remote from the car 
controllers 24a and 24b which are shown in the location of the penthouse 
19. Also shown in FIG. 1 is the provision for bi-directional communication 
paths from the micro-computers 80a and 80b to the various corridor 
fixtures via a HOISTWAY DATALINK 82a and 82b which are collectively 
designated 82L (Left side designation). These may be constituted by three 
pair of two conductor wires 106a/b which are twisted and shielded from 
extraneous noise and ensure the highest quality of data transmission. 
Located in the hatchway 16b at some appropriate position with respect to 
the floor 0 and 1ST is shown FC01, a hall fixture circuit board 108a/b 
which interfaces between a pair of upward-pointing floor lanterns 112L for 
Floor 0 which are associated with an UP pushbutton 116L located 
therebetween at the same floor location. The hall fixture circuit board 
108a/b is further connected to communicate with a pair of upward- and 
downward-pointing floor lanterns 114L for the 1ST floor and also the UP 
and DOWN pushbutton set 118L positioned therebetween. The corridor 
location of the leftmost floor lanterns 112L and 114L may be associated 
with the hoistway location served by car "A", and the floor lanterns to 
the immediate right side of pushbuttons 116L and 118L are then associated 
with the corridor location proximate to the hoistway 16b served by car 
"B". The pushbuttons 116L and 118L are displaced on a vertical center line 
from floor to floor which may be used to serve this two-car-pair of 
adjoining or spaced hoistways which are not so far physically removed from 
one another. It is intended that when the invention is used for a 
two-car-pair the hall fixture circuit board 108a/b bi-directionally 
communicates with all of the associated hallway fixtures in the 
two-car-pair. With the special arrangement of the present invention, there 
is a measure of redundancy in the fact that micro-computer 80a can provide 
the complete control over the HOISTWAY DATALINK 82a as can microcomputer 
80b on the hoistway riser 82L. 
Another hall fixture circuit board 110a/b is also located between the same 
pair of floors as hall fixture circuit board 108a/b, but it is intended 
for the purpose of serving one or both of these floors, 0 and 1ST, at a 
rear entrance door or doors of elevator cars 12a and 12b. Elevator systems 
with this arrangement are in frequent demand for passenger and rear door 
freight movement between the floors of many building structures. The rear 
hall fixture circuit 110a/b provides for the same complement of hall 
fixture signalling and lighted directional indications of pushbuttons and 
of upward and downward directional arrows as does the hall fixture circuit 
board 108a/b. 
Near the top of the hoistway 16b is another identical hall fixture circuit 
board 120a/b located at an appropriate position to serve the 6TH and 7TH 
floors by interfacing the shielded pair conductors 106a/b of the hoistway 
riser 82L, with an upward- and downward-pointing directional pair of floor 
lanterns 130L and UP and DOWN pushbuttons 132L for the 6TH floor in 
communication with the hall fixture circuit board 120a/b. This is on the 
same communication circuit as the downward-pointing pair of hall lanterns 
126L associated with the DOWN pushbutton 128L of the 7TH floor. The manner 
of serving the hoistway location of car "A" is with the leftmost 
directional pair of floor lanterns 130L and 126L and likewise the floor 
lanterns to the immediate right of pushbuttons 132L and 128L is for car 
"B" similar to that as for the lower floors previously described. And the 
same is true for the horizontal position indicator 122L for car "A" on the 
left and horizontal position indicator 124L on the right for car "B" in 
order to provide a reading of the location of the respective elevator cars 
12a and 12b during the movement of same so that potential passengers who 
are waiting at the terminal landings of the building structure are given a 
fair amount of notice of when to prepare to enter the car when it reaches 
their respective floor. 
Another information display part of the elevator system 10 which is present 
in a two-car-pair resides in the status panel 134 which is typically 
provided in a central location of the building structure which may be in 
the building manager's office or at the concierge's desk in the lobby of 
the building. The status panel 134 communicates with the micro-computer 
80a or 80b via the conductors 106a/b assembled in the hoistway riser 
DATALINK 82L. This provides a display of position indicators such as LEDs 
for each elevator car in the two-car-pair 12a and 12b, along with some 
status indicators for indicating car position on the floor being served by 
each elevator car and the direction in which it is proceeding. 
The status panel 134 is shown at floor 0, and it is also central to its 
position for a bank of elevator cars which are formed by a dual 
two-car-pair with cars "C" and "D" constituting the second two-car-pair. 
With certain exceptions it should be noted that the two-car-pair to the 
right of center in FIG. 1 is essentially a mirror image of the various 
corridor fixtures such as floor lanterns 112R and UP pushbutton 116R (R 
designating right side) which are controlled by a hall fixture circuit 
board 108c/d which interfaces therebetween. This is at about the same 
vertical height in the building structure in hoistway 16c rather than 
hoistway 16b which provides the location for the hall fixture circuit 
board 108a/b. It is essential to the invention when used in a dual 
two-car-pair that a second HOISTWAY DATALINK 82c and 82d, consolidated 
into the hoistway riser 82R, be used to provide the bi-directional 
communication over a set of three conductor twisted shielded pair 106c/d 
for the second two-car-pair of cars "C" and "D". This serves the various 
hall fixtures in the mirror image portion and supplies the status panel 
134 with information concerning this two-car-pair. An alternative would be 
to use a status panel of similar construction but separately located or 
used, despite the provision of related service with a four car bank of 
cars being involved. 
The present invention described thus far with respect to the showing in 
FIG. 1 has not made specific reference to the alternative showing of a 
hydraulic elevator system 10 with the #0 micro-computer 80a teamed with a 
#0 pump unit of a hydraulic power supply 32a. The communications described 
is portable to this type of system with minor changes accordingly. With 
the hydraulic elevator system 10, equipment in the penthouse 19 such as 
the drive machine 22a and car controller 24a, along with the wire ropes 
18a, sheave 20a and CTWT, are likewise absent or removed. Likewise, the 
car communication link 28a between the micro-computer 80a and the car 
controller 24a is no longer necessary since the elevator car 12a is driven 
by the hydraulic system from the pump unit 32a through supply pipe 
sections 60a to drive a hydraulic jack 40a (shown in phantom since 
considered in the alternative). As shown in phantom for the car "A" the 
hydraulic system can use multistages 42a with 43a being the intermediate 
section thereof. A single acting piston or plunger 42a fixed to the 
underside of the car 12a is also sufficient in order to move the car 
according to the movement of the plunger 42a. The base of the jack 40a is 
to be firmly anchored to the base of the building structure or ground. 
Similarly, hydraulic power supplies 32c and 32d are respectively 
designated #2 and #3 pump units all located in the machine room 26 and 
each is controlled by correspondingly designated micro-computers 80c and 
80d. The hydraulic jacks 40c and 40d complete the hydraulic drive systems 
through the supply pipe sections which are appropriately routed and 
designated 60c and 60d, respectively. 
Although the description does not show that the #1 micro-computer 80b in 
any but a traction elevator configuration, it is not to be regarded as 
unassailable for the mode of movement by hydraulic means in order to 
provide a uniform bank of hydraulically driven elevator cars consisting of 
a dual two-car-pair bank in the preferred embodiment. The versatility of 
the present invention, however, makes it readily applicable to any two-car 
or plural two-car-pair which may include matched or unmatched car pairs be 
they traction elevator or hydraulic elevator car-pairs or otherwise. It is 
fundamental to the invention, however, that the two-car-pair of cars "A" 
and "B" are provided with a third bi-directional communication link 133a/b 
connected between their respective micro-computers 80a and 80b so that 
they may communicate with each other. One of these two micro-computers can 
then tell the other that it is the floor control (FC) master of the 
hallway serial link, meaning bi-directional communication via the hoistway 
riser 82L, and that the other micro-computer such as 80b should remain on 
standby for the job of FC master of the hallway serial link in case there 
should be a failure of communication of the micro-computer 80a. This is 
done in order to implement the floor control master strategy for answering 
hall calls should 80a fail or if there is a communication failure such 
that micro-computer 80a cannot communicate with micro-computer 80b over 
the third communication link 33a/b. 
The invention also provides that if there are two FC masters currently 
operating redundantly, as micro-computer 80a and 80b, then the 
micro-computer having the lower car station address (#0 smaller than #1) 
micro-computer 80a will continue to be the FC master with the 
micro-computer 80b being cleared of this responsibility. A similar third 
bi-directional communication link is present between the #2 and #3 
micro-computers 80c and 80d with a similar purpose for the operation of 
the two-car-pair including cars "C" and "D". Still another third 
bi-directional communication link 33b/c connects the #1 and #2 
micro-computers 80b and 80c in order to provide that each of the 
micro-computers can talk over this third bi-directional communication 
link, especially those that are the floor control masters for the 
respective hallway serial links 82L and 82R in a dual two-car-pair 
elevator bank. One of the FC master controllers or micro-computers 80a and 
80b will further assume the additional role as dispatcher or bank control 
(BC) master which serves as a dispatcher for all of the car associated 
micro-computer controllers in the elevator bank. This BC master functions 
to supervise all of the cars and process all of the hall calls in order to 
select for each hall call the best car to assign to it based on the 
relative car travel position and in order to minimize waiting times for 
service and provide passenger convenience tht is enhanced. 
FIG. 2 shows the micro-computer circuit 80a located within block 246 on the 
left side of the page and micro-computer 80b within block 246' which is 
substantially the mirror image of block 246 in order to represent that 
there is a substantially identical special purpose micro-processor based 
controller designed to control the overall operation of each car "A" and 
"B". A substantially similar showing of the micro-computer 80a within 
block 246 has been shown in FIG. 7 of the related U.S. patent application 
Ser. No. 064,913 filed June 19, 1987 and entitled "Elevator System 
Leveling Safeguard Control And Method" which has been incorporated by 
reference into the present application. The last mentioned U.S. patent 
application describes a car controller which implements program control 
functions which incorporate elevator safety codes to insure safe 
operations. 
Another slightly modified showing of the micro-computer circuit 80a within 
block 246 was presented in a hydraulic elevator system incorporated by 
reference into the present application by the showing of FIG. 3 in U.S. 
patent application Ser. No. 064,915 also filed on June 19, 1987 and 
entitled "Elevator System Monitoring Cold Oil". Both of these applications 
are assigned to the same assignee as the present application. This latter 
referenced U.S. application utilizes the microprocessor within block 246 
to implement a program to inactivate an in-service elevator car during 
which time a hydraulic drive pump is activated to pass oil through a route 
which bypasses the hydraulic jack in order to bring the hydraulic oil up 
to an operating temperature to provide smooth starts and prevent damage to 
the motor and associated equipment. 
The present FIG. 2 is substantially similar to the figures mentioned for 
the incorporated U.S. applications, and the reference to features and the 
numerals used within blocks 246 and 246' are identical for the most part, 
with the exception of modified portions which concern the present 
invention, as will become apparent from the following description. The 
micro-computer 80a controls the overall operation of a car 12a such as in 
the alternative hydraulic elevator system 10 shown in FIG. 1 via the 
bi-directional communication path in the traveling cable 84a and similarly 
for traveling cable 84b and the microcomputer 80b. A similar 
bi-directional communication path for the corridor fixture signalling 
functions is seen for the HOISTWAY DATALINK 82a joined in common with 82b 
which may communicate with either of the identically numbered CPUs 286. 
These are the respective central processing units either or both of which 
can receive information through a respectively numbered serial 
input/output controller 296 through an ADDRESS bus 300, DATA bus 302, and 
CONTROL 304. 
The CPUs 286 are both highly-integrated 8-bit units that are designed to 
operate at 6-MHz operating speed and are of the type available from INTEL 
with a Model No. 80188. Also in the circuit 246 is the random access 
memory RAM 294 which can provide 8K bytes of data storage, a portion of 
which can retain approximately 2K bytes of data in extended long-term 
storage in the absence of any operating supply voltage except for a 
long-term shelf life storage battery. An EPROM memory 292a is present in 
circuit block 246 and a similar EPROM 292b is present in circuit block 
246' with each of these memory devices being split into two sections which 
can both either be 32K or 16K bytes of the same type of programmable "read 
only" memory which is available for storage of the main processing 
functions. The EPROM programs are sequentially stepped through by the 
respective CPUs 286 as a chain of continuous subroutines for operating the 
hydraulic elevator system under consideration and its various car 
signalling, control, and strategy functions as well as for corridor 
signalling processing functions. 
A visual diagnostic module 295 is provided to indicate the status of the 
micro-computer circuit 246, and along with the respective EPROMs 292a and 
292b and RAM 294, communicate with the respective CPUs 286 over the buses 
300 and 302 with control from 304 which is likewise used for an input and 
output of information to devices which communicate with the external 
portions of the system. Communications networking and higher voltage 
interfacing is available on relay buffer I/O 298 for the respective input 
and output channels of cars "A" and "B". A more detailed explanation for 
these channels is presented in the incorporated U.S. application Ser. No. 
064,913, filed on June 19, 1987, as previously referenced above. 
A serial input/output I/O communication controller 296 in each 
micro-computer circuit block 246 also communicates on the address bus 300, 
data bus 302 and control line 304 with its serial interfacing functions 
being present on the outputs for the respective CAR DATALINKS 86a and 86b 
being present in the respective travelling cables 84a and 84b. Two 
interdependent floor controller links utilize the respective serial 
controllers 296 for the HOISTWAY DATALINK with the merger of 82a and 82b 
for the HOISTWAY riser 82L. This serves the bidirectional communication 
path with the appropriately selected floor control (FC) master of the 
hallway serial link which provides all of the corridor fixture signalling 
functions such as pushbutton hall calls, visual lanterns, and audible car 
position signalling. The selection process for the FC master controller 
will be seen more clearly with respect to the description of the program 
module FCMHSL with its associated sequencing routine, as shown in FIG. 4 
of incorporated U.S. Ser. No. 109,638, which is programmed into the 
respective EPROMs 292a and 292b. This is shown herein for a two-car-pair 
elevator system, whether it be driven by a traction drive or implemented 
with hydraulic power drives. A further description of this pairing of 
elevator controllers of the same micro-computer construction is not 
further shown for the car "C" and "D" since it would merely be redundant, 
with the understanding that the same program modules including FCMHSL are 
to be resident in the respective EPROMs therein. These programs depend for 
effectiveness on their taking communication control for the purpose of FC 
master switching or dominance by one of the micro-computer circuits of 
each two-car-pair. This is based on the FC master controller with the 
lower car station address taking priority, unless there is some 
communication failure on the corridor serial link in which event the 
associated car may put on block operation as will be further seen with 
respect to FIG. 4. 
The communication between micro-computers 80a and 80b also includes a third 
bi-directional communication link 133a which connects between a remaining 
capacity for handling multiple communication links by the respective 
serial I/O controllers 296. Each microprocessor circuit 246 is able to 
handle multiple communication links of, for example, up to five (5), with 
certain links being capable of enabling and disabling the drivers so that 
loading of a single line is avoided. As described with respect to FIG. 1, 
a similar bi-directional communication link 133c/d was said to exist in 
the manner of communicating between the micro-computers 80c and 80d. This 
was also described for the communication linkage 133b/c which exists in 
the dual two-car-pair so that communication between selected remote FC 
master controllers, such as the 0 and 2 micro-computers 80a and 80c, can 
take place during conditions of the normal selection process with 
unimpaired communications. These are the remote controllers with the 
respective lower car station addresses relative to the other car station 
addresses of the two-car-pair sets of remote controllers as previously 
defined. The provision of the third bi-directional communication links 
133a/b, 133b/c, and 133c/d also provides the proper communication serial 
path so that the FC master controller can transmit information to its 
associated remote controller as well as to the FC master of any other 
two-car-pair of remote controllers, such as over the third bi-directional 
communication link 133b/c. 
This communications link also make possible the sharing of one of the 
selected remote controllers to act as a dispatcher or bank control (BC) 
master for the switching strategy. This provides that all of the remote 
controllers can token pass so that each remote controller is given an 
opportunity to transmit while all the other controllers receive, in a 
sequential or orderly manner, until the token is given to the next remote 
controller. This is done in order to communicate such information as the 
car travel position, the direction of travel up and down, when the car is 
stopped, and whether the doors of the car are open or in the closed 
position. This is an RS-485 type of communication protocol which allows 
the remote controllers to communicate with the corridor fixtures through 
the respective clocking of serial input data .+-.SID in order to provide 
the serial output data .+-.SOD so that the remote controllers can 
recognize that there is a hall call entered at any of the pushbutton 
locations such as 118R at FLOOR 1. This will be entered into a Table of 
Calls, and this information will be communicated to the FC master or #2 
micro-computer 80c which will communicate this information on the third 
bi-directional communication links 133b/c and 133a/b. 
The other normally chosen FC master #0 micro-computer 80a will also 
recognize that there is a hall call, and car "A" or "B" controllers will 
then output a serial message on the HOISTWAY DATALINK 82L so that there 
will be synchronization between the corridor fixtures 118L and 118R such 
as lighting and extinguishing the pushbuttons. The same is true with 
respect to the floor lanterns 114L and 114R during the servicing of the 
floor 1 since all calls signalled by the dispatcher or BC master direction 
is a function inherently directable to any one of the micro-computer 
remote floor controllers. Since each of these remote controllers operate 
under the same program control, with the exception of priority. The 
assumption in the floor control strategy is based on the setting of timers 
for each remote controller in proportion to the car station address so 
that priority proceeds from the lowest car number to the highest if there 
is failure in elevator service. 
Referring now to the flow chart of FIG. 3 which is an abbreviated program 
module of the type which may be programmed into the EPROM within each 
micro-computer circuit of FIG. 2, the CPU 286 begins the serial sequencing 
at the label 310 and proceeds to make a pass through various decision 
steps which are contained within a hexagon-like containers such as at 312 
and 316 and rectangular-type containers for the action blocks such as 314 
and 318 in a traverse of the flow diagram in order to reach a label 321 
designated as EXIT. The CPU 286 will proceed to serially step through any 
relevant program routines which are designated to be sequenced during the 
time that this module is being run, and the discussion of other modules of 
this type would present a chain of continuous subroutines for operating 
the elevator system and its various car signalling, control, and corridor 
signal processing functions. This extension would unreasonably inflate the 
description of the present invention beyond the necessity to do so. 
The first decision step 312 shown in FIG. 3 checks to see if the power to 
the elevator system has just been turned on, and since the power has just 
been turned on at 310, the answer is yes "Y" so the action block 314 sets 
the DISP timer in RAM 294. This is done in order to provide a program type 
counter or software counter which may be set at a different value for each 
remote controller corresponding to the length of time that the timer is to 
be active before timing out. For example, the minimum timer F0 may be set 
to 00000111 binary which corresponds to 7 hexadecimal (HEX), also 
corresponding to DECIMAL 7. A counter may be set to count at 0.5 second 
intervals, so for counting down from 7, the time it would take would be 
3.5 seconds. The #1 remote controller timer F1 may be set for 00001001 
binary, corresponding to 9 hexadecimal, also corresponding to DECIMAL 9 
and therefore 4.5 seconds for counting down from 9. Likewise in order of 
increasing magnitude timer F2 represents a count of 5.5 seconds and timer 
F3 may be set for 6.5 seconds in order to provide a staggered relationship 
of the type described or otherwise. The DISP timer will each count down 
from a different value in order to allow the time out of counting from the 
lowest numbered car to the highest unless there is the disablement of 
timers which should occur immediately after a dispatchers signal is 
detected on the #3 link. This corresponds to the multi-car communication 
link which corresponds to the third bi-directional communication link 
133a/b in FIG. 2. 
After the respective timers have been set, the next decision step 316 
checks to see if there is a dispatcher signal on the #3 link. If the 
answer is affirmative the action block 318 disables the dispatcher timer 
of this car which has been presumed to be enabled and in the process of 
counting out since the power was just turned on. This will indicate that a 
DISP timer which has become disabled is not the minimum timer F0 which 
would have counted out after 3.5 seconds according to the example. It 
would be still counting after 3.5 seconds corresponding to the DISP 
timer's F1, F2, or F3 which correspond to 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5 seconds 
respectively. Considering that the minimum timer F0 would not be disabled, 
because of the decision step 316 finding that a negative would be the 
answer to checking if there is a dispatcher signal on #3 link, the DISP 
timer for the #0 micro-computer 80a would proceed to count out through the 
decision step 322 checking if the respective timer is timed out. The 
answer is no "N" so proceed to loop back through decision step 316 until 
the timer F0 is actually found to be timed out by decision step 322 after 
3.5 seconds. 
The affirmative answer to decision step 322 then proceeds through action 
block 324 to provide a signal on the #3 link as car dispatcher, and the 
exit from block 324 is through label 325. This would provide a signal to 
all of the remote controllers to stop counting out the respective DISP 
timers at decision step 316 which is being sequenced by each of the 
remaining micro-computers 80b, 80c and 80d which receive the signal on the 
multi-car communication #3 link and thus proceed with a yes "Y" to the 
right action block 318 to disable the respective car dispatcher timer 
before the exit at label 321. 
In this manner the remote controller with the #0 micro-computer 80a has 
priority to become the dispatcher or bank control (BC) master of the bank 
of cars and assigns the car to answer the corridor calls after it 
calculates which of the cars can get there in the most expedient manner. 
The dispatcher knows where every one of the elevator cars is located 
because it communicates with every other microprocessor for the bank of 
cars in the system, and the invention proceeds in a manner to 
automatically transfer dispatcher control in a plural two-car-pair 
elevator system. This occurs upon a continuous communications failure 
between the remote controller selected to be the dispatcher, originally, 
and the other cars in the bank. Likewise there is a switching of the 
dispatcher function upon shutdown of the remote controller that was 
selected to be the dispatcher. This occurs in an orderly sequence which 
will be described further. 
The description for implementing the floor control (FC) master strategy for 
servicing hall calls proceeds, according to a similar priority. This 
priority is based on similar but separate timers utilizing RAM 294 in 
order to provide a second set of program type counters or software 
counters which may be set at different values or four different time 
intervals FC0, FC1, FC2, and FC3, simply by the program insertion of a 
number of counts corresponding to the length of time that the timer is to 
be active. The same relative magnitude for the minimum timer FC0 of 3 
seconds is chosen as it may be represented in various numbering systems 
with the counter rate at 0.5 second intervals thereby counting down from 
DECIMAL 6. The proportional scale in seconds for FC1, FC2, FC3 is likewise 
chosen to differ from each other by one second respectively and from 
timers used for the DISP timers thereby 4, 5 and 6 seconds, respectively. 
The flow chart for FIG. 4 is for a program module ATBBO with its associated 
sequencing routine which is programmed into the respective EPROMs 292a and 
292b of the micro-computer circuits of FIG. 2. It is run in a repeating 
sequence in order to implement the adaptive block operation mode which is 
triggered on a per car activation by its associated controller 
micro-computer circuit 80a, 80b, in either two-car-pair shown in FIG. 1. 
It is possible for any car and its associated remote controller, such as 
car "A" and 80a, to activate the program ATBBO, 410 which is an acronym 
designation for "Adaptive Time Based Block Operation". If in a 
two-car-pair, as with car "B" and micro-computer 80b, it may likewise 
activate the ATBBO program module which is respectively run by a CPU 286 
with the associated RAM 294 of FIG. 2. 
When each of these controllers is unable to communicate on the serial 
hoistway riser 82L or if each has failed to gain control of this interface 
with the distributed corridor fixtures such as through hall fixture 
circuit board 108a/b then each is unable to communicate therewith. In the 
event that micro-computer 80a could continue to communicate on the 
hoistway riser 82L in order to respond to hall calls for service from 
passengers on the multiple floors thereof, car "A" should continue as or 
resume operation as a single car system in order to respond to these hall 
calls in a manner which would not affect the adaptive block operation for 
car "B". Likewise, if the communication with the hoistway riser 82L was 
not possible for "car A", its controller could thereupon activate the 
program for adaptive block operation while the micro-computer 80b would 
gain control of the hallway serial link and become active as a single car 
system to respond to the hall calls for service thereon. This operational 
mode of service for either car to be operated as a single car system with 
the other car put on block operation corresponds to MODE 2 and is given a 
further discussion with respect to FIG. 4 of same in the incorporated U.S. 
application Ser. No. 109,639 entitled "Elevator System Graceful 
Degradation of Bank Service". 
Another communication contingency which is described more fully in the last 
mentioned incorporated reference is the situation where a plural 
two-car-pair of controllers is operating, for example, on respective 
hoistway riser 82L for cars "A" and "B" and hoistway riser 82R for cars 
"C" and "D" and each of the controllers associated with the respective 
cars will initiate block operation in MODE 3 if there is a lack of 
communication with at least one corridor riser. The same holds true if 
there is a lack of communication between respective two-car-pair 
controllers and there is no interface for communication signals with any 
of the corridor fixtures by any selected car which also initiates block 
operation for all of the cars as in MODE 3 of this reference. 
The present description for the operational sequencing of the ATBBO program 
module of the present description is especially suited to operate in 
conjunction with the elevator system disclosed in the last-mentioned U.S. 
application Ser. No. 109,639 since it further enhances the minimal 
restrictions imposed on individual controller operational strategies, as 
well as for those in a plural bank operation of cars. Even the situation 
where all of the cars go on adaptive time-base block operation provides 
total service to the building with the least amount of restriction in 
order to take full advantage of the distributed control system implemented 
with micro-computer circuits. The one restriction for adaptive block 
operation according to the present invention is that necessitated by the 
lack of hall calls for service because of the serial link communication 
failure. This limitation is overcome at the outset by the creation of call 
patterns so that the car continues to service the building efficiently and 
not exhaust the system in doing so when it goes on adaptive block 
operation. 
After entering the program module ATBBO at label 410 in FIG. 4, the first 
step at action block 412 enters an up-call for the bottom floor of the 
building for the respective car "C" or "D". Either car or both cars may be 
used for purposes of this example, assuming that both of these cars are 
designated for block operation by their associated controller repeatedly 
checking to find a lack of communication signal control on the serial 
riser 82R. The entering of an up call for the bottom floor constitutes a 
"dummy call" for the car or cars that are beginning to go on the adaptive 
block operation. The CPU 286 responds to the dummy call entry at block 412 
through the sequential operation of a call routine and running routine 
modules in order to send the elevator car "C" to the bottom floor or 
landing 15c. 
The door opening routine is set so that with the entry of a dummy call for 
the bottom floor, the front car doors 13c and 13b, as well as the rear car 
doors (not shown) are signaled to be opened when the cars reach the bottom 
floor so that any passengers therein may exit from the car. 
It may be assumed that communication previous to the failure of the serial 
hoistway riser 82R provided information to all of the controllers of the 
bank, branching over the multi-car communication links 133c/d, 133b/c and 
133a/b so that information about each car is present in the bank of 
controllers. This provides an indication of which floors each of the other 
controllers can service and how many of the cars in the bank are operating 
in the adaptive block operation mode. Whenever two cars such as "C" and 
"D" are both on adaptive block operation, one car cannot go above a 
certain floor such as FLOOR 3 and the other car on block operation cannot 
go below FLOOR 4. This assumes for the purpose of this example that the 
building has FLOORS 0 to 7 which are equally divided between these two 
cars when run on adaptive block operation. 
The first decision step 414 checks to see if there is a first call pattern 
which may be stored in a scratch pad memory in RAM 294 providing a status 
report for car "C" at the time just prior to the car reaching the landing 
or bottom floor 15c. If there is a first call pattern in the status 
report, it contains the quantitative information of how many cars are in 
the bank, how many floors they can serve, and which car numbers as 
involved, i.e. #2 for car "C" and #3 for car "D". After car "C" comes down 
to the bottom floor, the first call pattern is then set or decided based 
on the remaining floors which are not common to the bank. So if there is a 
first call pattern at decision step 414 in the affirmative "Y", an action 
block 416 calculates the # of common floors, which means the floors which 
more than one car can serve, and it also calculates # of cars in the bank 
servicing a floor within the building set of FLOORs 0 to 7. 
Let us consider, for example, there are six (6) common floors that more 
than one car can serve and that there are three (3) cars in a bank that 
may service these common floors. This calculation precedes as information 
for the next action block 420 which enters the calls at floors derived 
from a division equal to the # of common floors divided by the # of cars 
that can serve these common floors, or in the above example equals two (2) 
with the calls being entered therefore or given out accordingly. This is 
an equal division among all of the cars that can serve the common floors, 
so that there is no overlapping on the servicing of the floors through 
repeated sequencing. There is no reduction in the efficiency such as there 
would be if service were overlapping. 
The next action block 422 enters the calls at the remaining floors of the 
building which are not common to the bank of cars servicing the common 
floors. This is done in order to put in of calls for a car that can only 
serve one floor which, for example, we designate car "A" to be used 
exclusively for moving passengers between floors 0 and 7 which is the top 
floor the building in FIG. 1. Car "A" will then get the call to serve 
passengers on FLOOR 7 automatically, since this floor is not common to the 
bank and since cars "B", "C", and "D" are cars serving the six common 
floors which may be for this example FLOORS 0 to 5. 
The next action block 424 provides for the loading of software timers 
designated by the terminology "wait timer" which provides a countdown in 
time for each of the cars which has a wait timer for all of the floors. 
The action block 424 thus for each car loads a timer equal to the # of 
cars serving a common floor multiplied by a value of unit wait time which 
corresponds to two (2) minutes if only one car could service a particular 
floor. If two cars could serve a common floor, the wait timer setting for 
this floor in each of the respective car controllers would be four 
minutes. The counter may be set to count at 0.5 second intervals, so for 
counting down from 240, the time it would take would be 120 seconds or 2 
minutes which is the case for a unit wait time. This also corresponds to 
F0 hexidecimal (HEX) and 11110000 binary in order to count down from 
DECIMAL 240 in the required unit wait time. 
Each car brought down to the bottom floor has its respective controller 
micro-computer 80b, 80c, and 80d loaded with a separate timer for each 
floor that the respective car can service at the start of a run from the 
bottom floor. Then the initial set of hall calls in the initial pattern is 
entered so that the respective cars may answer these hall calls in the 
first pattern with the individual wait timer for each floor having been 
set in each car associated micro-computer. Therefore each car will have a 
different time in its timer for each floor because each car serves the 
respective floor at different times. This changes the timer since a 
particular car cannot go and serve all of the floors at the same time. 
This fulfills the requirement that there be some gap in the time that 
would skew the time by an amount that it takes to run to a particular 
floor. 
The next decision step 426 checks to see if the car is at the bottom floor, 
which if answered in the affirmative the exit is to the right at label 
433. If the answer is negative, the action block 430 enters an up-call for 
the bottom floor which is similar to the action block 412 at the start of 
the ATBBO program module which has been previously described as entering a 
dummy call. If the decision step 414 checks if there is a first call 
pattern and the response is negative, the next decision step 442 checks if 
a wait timer for a floor has expired on any of the floors which are not 
common to the bank but can be serviced by car "C". If the answer is yes 
"Y", action block 444 enters a call for that floor which is a floor that 
only one car can service. If, however, the checking step 442 discovers 
that the wait timer for a particular floor has not expired, the next 
decision step 446 checks if the car answered a call. When a car answers a 
hall call its timer is loaded again to the wait time multiple of two 
minutes which will be four minutes in the example where it is one of two 
common cars that can service that particular floor. 
Each time a floor is serviced action block 448 re-loads the timer for that 
particular car set for that particular floor, so as to ensure that you do 
not wait too long a period of time for service again to that floor. The 
time you can set the respective timer for that floor is when car "C" has 
answered a call at that floor. Another time when the timer for a 
particular floor served by car "C" is loaded is when a car call is 
answered for the designated floor, as registered by passengers in the car 
who have decided to go to that floor. The resetting of the timer when the 
car is at that floor eliminates the possibility of having to go back to 
that particular floor again with car "C" until the timer times out for 
that floor in which event a call is put in for that floor in order to 
generate the pattern. 
With the wait time for a particular floor and common car being associated 
directly proportional to the number of cars it is serviced by, service to 
the particular floor is shared by all of the cars on block operation. Wait 
times are proportional to the number of common cars servicing a particular 
floor and the timing is enhanced for this adaptive time based block 
operation to thereby service the building more efficiently. The adaptive 
block operation program module ATBBO is especially suited to the task of 
operation with two-car-pair elevator systems which may be extended to a 
plurality of two-car-pair elevator systems, although it has been described 
with respect to one or more controllers in a distributed processing 
network. No special software is required for different or extended 
building configurations which is to be regarded as an extension of this 
concept.