Elevator car call buttons indicating car floor position

Registered car calls are indicated in the car call buttons of an elevator car operating panel by illuminating one of the car call buttons with a first illumination characteristic, and the floor position of the elevator car within the building is indicated by illuminating any of the same car call buttons with a second illumination characteristic, different from the first illumination characteristic. One part of the car call button (such as the center) may be used to indicate registered car calls and another part of the car call button (such as the ring) may be used to indicate car position (or vice versa). Registered car calls may be indicated by steady or invariant illumination from the car call button while car position is indicated by illuminating the appropriate car call button with flashing illumination. Colors may also be used.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to utilizing elevator car call buttons to indicate 
the position of the elevator car as well as to register car calls. 
BACKGROUND ART 
As seen in FIG. 1, a plurality of car call buttons 1-10 on a car operating 
panel 13 are used to register car calls for floors that passengers wish to 
reach. The car operating panel 13 may have door open buttons, door close 
buttons, firemen service and other switches and indicators, all of which 
are omitted herein for clarity. To inform passengers of the position of 
the elevator in the building, a car floor position indicator 15 includes a 
display 16 which may typically comprise a liquid crystal display. As is 
known, operation of one of the buttons 1-10 will typically illuminate the 
button temporarily, send a signal through circuits 18 and over wire 
connections 19 to a controller 20, which registers the corresponding call 
and sends signals back over the wires 19 and through the circuits 18 so as 
to permanently illuminate the related button, thus indicating to the 
passengers that the car call has been recognized by the elevator system. 
The car position indicator 15 will typically cost several hundred US 
dollars. In addition, it represents parts that must be maintained and 
replaced from time to time, thus adding to the cost of each elevator. In 
some elevator systems, such as in low cost, public housing, costs can be 
paramount, and simplicity can be a great advantage. 
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
Objects of the invention include elimination of the car floor position 
indicator in an elevator, and reducing the cost of elevators. 
According to the present invention, the position of the elevator car is 
indicated by the car operating panel car call registration buttons, 
utilizing a particular illumination appearance characteristic which is 
visually distinct from the illumination appearance characteristic 
indicating the registration of car calls. The invention includes flashing 
illumination of car call buttons to indicate car floor position in 
combination with steady illumination of the car call buttons to indicate a 
registered call, and includes illuminating one portion of car call buttons 
(such as the center portion) to indicate a registered car call, while 
illuminating a second portion of car call buttons (such as a ring 
surrounding the center portion) to designate car floor position. 
Combinations of illumination of different colors, flashing vs. steady, and 
different portions of the car call buttons are within the invention. 
The invention provides considerable saving in the car operating panel of an 
elevator by providing a dual function to the car operating panel car call 
buttons. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become 
more apparent in the light of the following detailed description of 
exemplary embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring to FIG. 2, the elevator car call buttons 1-10 are shown not lined 
for color, indicating that it is illuminated with any color light. The 
call button 1 is shown with dotted lines designating flashing light, 
thereby to indicate that the elevator car is at the first floor. The car 
call button 3 is shown with solid lines, designating steady or invariant 
light, indicating a registered car call at the third floor. The car call 
buttons 2 and 4-10 are unilluminated in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3, the elevator 
car has advanced to the second floor, so that the car call button 2 is 
illuminated in flashing light while the car call button 3 remains 
illuminated with steady light, and the remaining car call buttons 1 and 
4-10 remain unilluminated. In FIG. 4, the car has reached the third floor 
so as to allow a passenger to exit thereon, and the car call button 3 has 
changed to being illuminated in flashing light, while the remaining car 
call buttons 1, 2 and 4-10 are unilluminated. In this fashion, the car 
floor position is indicated by illuminating the car call buttons with 
flashing light, as distinguished from the steady light used to indicate a 
registered car call. Thus, the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4 have eliminated the 
need for the car position indicator 15 of FIG. 1. 
The manner of arranging the circuits 18 to provide selected steady or 
flashing light to call buttons may take the form of that illustrated in 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,448. Typically, illumination to indicate car floor 
position is advanced from one car call button to the next at the stop 
control point of the next floor (the point at which the next floor is the 
committable floor of the elevator). However, this may be adjusted to suit 
any implementation of the present invention. 
Referring to FIG. 5, the car call buttons 1 and 3 are lined for the color 
gold, and a dashed line is used to indicate flashing light whereas a solid 
line is used to indicate steady or invariant light. In FIG. 5, the ring of 
the car call button 1 is being flashed in gold light, while the ring of 
car call button 3 is illuminating steady gold light. This indicates that 
the car floor position is the first floor and that a car call has been 
registered for the third floor. In FIG. 5, the remaining car call buttons 
2 and 4-10 are not illuminated. In FIG. 6, the car call button 2 is 
emanating flashing gold light, indicating that the elevator has moved to 
the second floor of the building. The car call button 3 is emanating 
steady or invariant gold light, indicating that the car call registered 
for the third floor is still outstanding. The remaining car call buttons 1 
and 4-10 are unilluminated. In FIG. 7, flashing gold illumination is 
emanating from the car call button 3, indicating that the car has reached 
the third floor and since the steady indication is no longer present, that 
the car call at the third floor has been answered. The remaining car call 
buttons 1, 2 and 4-10 are not illuminated. Thus, the embodiment of FIGS. 
5-7 eliminates the need for the car position indicator 15 of FIG. 1 by 
utilizing flashing light emanating from the car call buttons to indicate 
the car floor position and steady light emanating from the car call 
buttons to indicate registered car calls. 
In FIG. 8, the center of the car call button 3 is lined for red indicating 
red illumination emanating therefrom, which signifies a registered car 
call. The ring around the center portion of the car call button 1 is lined 
for green, illustrating green light emanating therefrom, as an indication 
of car floor position. Both the centers and the rings around the centers 
of the remaining car call buttons 2 and 4-10 are unilluminated. In FIG. 9, 
the car call button 1 becomes unilluminated, and the ring around the 
center portion of the car call button 2 is lined for green, indicating 
that green light is emanating therefrom, which is an indication that the 
car floor position is now the second floor. Red light continues to emanate 
from the center of the car call button 3. Both the centers and the rings 
of the remaining car call buttons 1 and 4-10 are unilluminated. In FIG. 
10, the ring of the car call button 3 is lined for green, indicating that 
green light is emanating therefrom; the center of the car call button 3 is 
indicated as having red light emanating therefrom. Thus the car call 
button 3, in this embodiment, can indicate the car position and a 
registered car call by means of the same car call button. However, in the 
typical car operating panel, the indication of a registered car call is 
erased when the car gets to the stop control point for the floor of the 
call. Therefore, it is more likely that the situation will be as in FIG. 
11: that is, as soon as the car reaches the stop control point for the 
floor, the center portion of the car call button 3 will cease to be 
illuminated, leaving green light emanating from the ring surrounding the 
center of the car call button 3 to indicate that the car floor position is 
the third floor. In both FIGS. 10 and 11, the remaining car call buttons 
1, 2 and 4-10 are unilluminated. 
It is presently contemplated that the least expensive car operating panel 
employing the present invention will either be that of FIGS. 2-4 wherein 
simple car call buttons are illuminated with flashing light to indicate 
car position and steady light to indicate registered car calls. Of course, 
color, position and flashing may be combined in various ways; but that 
will add to the cost. 
The examples herein show the floor numbers advancing in the lefthand column 
of buttons from 1 to 5 and then advancing in the righthand column of 
buttons from 6 to 10. Of course, the invention may be used in a car 
operating panel where the floor numbers advance from left to right on each 
row, that is, with floors 1 and 2 on the bottom row and floors 9 and 10 on 
the top row, etc. Or the invention may be used with buttons arranged in 
any other fashion on the car operating panel. The manner of arranging the 
circuits 18 for lighting the center of the car call button separately from 
the ring surrounding the center of the car call button, or for using 
various colors, is set forth in the aforementioned patent. The manner of 
lighting any portion of a car call button to the exclusion of another 
portion is illustrated in the aforementioned patent. The manner of 
arranging the circuits 18 for lighting a single car call button with 
either flashing or invariant light is illustrated in the aforementioned 
patent. In the embodiments herein, the illumination for car position is 
indicated as being flashing, while the illumination to indicate a 
registered car call is indicated as being invariant; of course, these may 
be reversed so that solid illumination may be used to indicate car 
position while flashing illumination may be used to indicate registered 
car calls. 
The aforementioned patent is incorporated herein by reference. 
Thus, although the invention has been shown and described with respect to 
exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in 
the art that the foregoing and various other changes, omissions and 
additions may be made therein and thereto, without departing from the 
spirit and scope of the invention.