Artificially intelligent traffic modelling and prediction system

Abstract: This system represents an application of neural networks (NN1...NNm) to building traffic in elevator groups. Three neural network based traffic models (TM1,TM2,TM3) are provided to model, learn and predict passenger arrival rates (PAR) and passenger destination probabilities (PDP). Placed in a building, the models learn the traffic occurring by presenting their neural networks (NN1,NN2,NN3) with traffic data previously stored which is time at their inputs and arrival rates or car call distributions at their outputs. The neural networks (NN1,NN2,NN3) then adjust their internal structure to make historic predictions on data of the last day and realtime predictions on data of the last 10 minutes which are both combined in the combination circuit (11) to give optimum predictions. From every set of historic car calls and optimum arrival rates a matrix (7) is constructed, whose entries (8) represent the number of passengers behind a hall call with the same intended destination. The traffic predictions are used separately or in combination, by group control to improve cost computation and car allocation, thereby reducing the travelling and waiting times of current and future passengers.

Description: The invention relates to an artificially intelligent traffic modelling and prediction system using neural networks, especially for elevator groups, in which the function of an elevator group is optimised by a suitable allocation of hall calls to cars in the serving of calls with regard to a function profile defined by a desired combination and weighting of elements from a predetermined set of function requirements and in which this suitable hall call allocation is microprocessor supported and based on operating costs, which correspond to the waiting times and other lost times of passengers and are computed on the basis of the traffic deterministically prevailing at the time of computation and the traffic probabilistically predicted for the time of service, and wherein the operating costs of all lifts and all hall calls are then compared and the allocation chosen which optimizes the operating costs. The need for more "intelligent" lift group control systems has been recognised. Consequently, the Artificially Intelligent Traffic Processor (AITP) has been designed as a number of modules or objects which interact, resulting in a more flexible and intelligent system. Techniques from the field of Artificial Intelligence have been used to implement a number of the objects within this system. These techniques enhance the system's ability to adapt to variations in traffic patterns, use uncertain data and produce more efficient allocations. Modelling and prediction of traffic patterns has already been identified as a possible means of improving passenger service. Traffic modelling schemes to date have made wide use of queuing theory, based primarily on the Poisson distribution, to model the arrival of passengers at halls. Schemes have been proposed which use a single arrival rate for the whole building or an arrival rate which is unique to each individual floor. These schemes are based on the fundamental assumption that these chosen arrival rates remain unchanged throughout the daily and longer term life of the building. However, this assumption is invalidated in modern buildings with their smaller floor populations, where the movement of floor occupants can significantly affect that floor's arrival rate as well as the destinations. Secondly, building usage can change significantly throughout its life-time, and accordingly so might the arrival rate behaviour of its residents. Finally, the Poisson distribution is only regarded as an approximation to queuing behaviour in an elevator context. Recent schemes have attempted to solve some of these shortcomings by using techniques which build tables of statistics representing important traffic events. New events are predicted and added to these tables using parameterized exponential smoothing functions. These systems only cater for discrete events, and the exponential smoothing techniques may lose valuable information. As such, statistical techniques which extrapolate their predictions from current and historical traffic events have been apparent for many years and can also be considered as "Artificial Intelligence". However, two general comments on these statistical techniques are appropriate: a prior interpretation of the data is often required, and subtle effects of variables on observed traffic behaviour are often difficult if not impossible to represent. Thus, an "Artificial Intelligence" based crowd sensing system for elevator car assignment has become known from European patent application number 0 385 811. In the method proposed by this patent application observations are classified as "interesting" before they are stored or any other action taken. Interesting could be classified as two cars stopping at a floor within 3 minutes. Such an approach relies on the classification of "interesting" being appropriate for most events. The criteria which specify an "interesting" event are "hard-coded", and therefore may not be appropriate for all lift installations. Future events are extrapolated from recent events, which are combined using an exponential smoothing technique. Long-term events are predicted from a long-term data base. Only events which are deemed to be interesting are considered for addition to the long term data base. Events are again combined using exponential smoothing techniques. Such an approach appears to be inflexible and capable of representing only large scale events. The present invention seeks to provide a remedy for such problems and deficiencies. Accordingly, it is the purpose of the present invention to present a new approach to traffic modelling by modelling the behaviour of the building population using Neural Network techniques. In particular, these Neural Network techniques shall provide a system for traffic modelling which automatically adapts to changes in traffic behaviour without predefinition of events, produces results which represent relative levels of traffic as well as traffic patterns and provides predictive information for the objects within the AITP which are responsible for allocating cars. This problem is solved, according to the invention, by the means characterised in claim 1. Advantageous developments are indicated in the dependent claims. The problems and deficiencies of the prior art traffic modelling and prediction are solved, according to the present invention, by neural networks which provide the following advantages. A first advantage can be seen in that neural networks provide distributed models, which are particularly suitable for pattern recognition and classification. It has also been found that benefits include automatic learning, scope for use of parallel processing and fault tolerance. Furthermore, neural networks can provide partial or complete solutions, when only partial or incomplete information is available. Obviously many of these characteristics are highly useful when modelling patterns of traffic where the data is noisy and often incomplete. The invention is described in relation to the modelling and prediction of traffic in an elevator group. It is to be understood, however that the invention may be used to process traffic in other types of systems for transporting persons or handling material and that the terms "elevator", "car" and "passenger" as used in the description and claims accordingly embrace the equivalents in such other types of transport systems. The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein: Figure 1 is a simplified control structure illustrating the general operation of the AITP, Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the concept to model the traffic characteristic "Passenger Arrival Rates", showing the outputs from the arrival rate models, Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the concept to model the traffic characteristic "Car Call Distribution", showing the outputs from the car call distribution model, Figure 4 is a simplified logic flow diagram of the traffic data storage schedule, which details the operations carried out to format and store the traffic data, Figure 5 is a simplified logic flow diagram of the traffic prediction update schedule, which illustrates the operations carried out to update the current traffic predictions, Figure 6 is a simplified logic flow diagram of the model training schedule, which illustrates the operations carried out to update the models with new traffic data, and Figure 7 is a schematic diagramm of the artificially intelligent system to perform the operations according to Figures 4, 5 and 6. Figure 1 shows the general operation of the AITP. In order to fulfil the predicted data requirements of the allocation and cost calculation objects, the population behaviour is represented by modelling two major characteristics of their journeys: the distribution of passenger arrival rates for each floor and direction throughout the day and the passenger destination probability (i.e. the car call distribution) for each floor throughout the day. Of particular interest are the operations which involve traffic modelling and prediction. Three major operations are performed in this respect: Short-term storage, formating and long-term storage 1 of traffic data (see Fig. 4). Updating 2 of the current traffic predictions, according to the time of day and recent traffic behaviour (see Fig. 5). Training 3 of the neural network models, using the traffic data stored in the long-term data storage (see Fig. 6). On the basis of the aforementioned two traffic characteristics one can predict the number of passengers requiring to travel from a given floor and produce a measure of their likely destinations. Figure 2 concerns modelling the traffic characteristic "Passenger Arrival Rates". Two models have been developed which model passenger arrival rates and produce a vector of passenger arrival rates, one element per floor and direction, for a given time in the future. This can then be used to predict the number of passengers behind current and future calls. The first traffic model TM1 called Historical Arrival Rates Model continuously learns passenger arrival rate patterns throughout the working day of the lift system. As this model has been implemented with neural network techniques this process is referred to as neural network training. The model can, when given the current time of day, predict the passenger arrival rates for each floor and direction in the building at a specified time in the future. The model represents the correspondence between different input patterns and their resulting output patterns. Input patterns are coded binary versions of time of day, and day of the week. Output patterns represent the arrival rates for each floor and direction in the building. Therefore, the training data set is comprised of input/output pattern pairs for a day's traffic behaviour. Each pair represents the arrival rate behaviour at each floor for a 5 minute period. The second traffic model TM2, called Real Arrival Rates Model, is again based on neural network techniques and produces predictions of future passenger arrival rates. However, unlike the first model, these predictions are extrapolated from recent passenger arrival rate behaviour at each floor. This approach is similar to current systems; however, by using neural network techniques a more robust extrapolation function is obtained which represents the actual arrival rate behaviour, not a predefined statistical distribution. Figure 3 concerns modelling the traffic characteristic "Car Call Distribution". To this end a third traffic model TM3, called Car Call Distribution Model, models the distribution of car calls which is observed for each floor throughout the day. This allows destinations for current and future hall calls to be estimated. Destinations of passengers for registered calls can be used in calculations such as the highest reversal floor and number of intermediate stops. The Car Calls Distribution Model TM3 continuously learns the patterns of car calls which occur at each floor throughout the working day of a lift system. The model can then produce predictions of car calls which may occur according to the current time of day. The model trains itself in an identical manner to the Historical Arrival Rates model TM1. However, the output pattern is replaced by the car call probability distribution for each floor in the building. Therefore the pattern pairs are time and car call distribution for each floor during each 5 minute period of the day. The following Figures 4, 5 and 6 concern the production of predictions, when required, for the objects responsible for car cost calculations and allocation. Allocation of cars may take two forms: firstly to answer current hall calls, and secondly to park cars at areas where future high traffic demands are expected. In Figure 4 the data required for traffic prediction is collected, formated and stored. Traffic data is transmitted from the car objects to the traffic data storage object. This data can take two forms, either arrival rate or car call data. These are received separately together with a time-stamp which indicates which minute period of the day the data describes. This time-stamp is checked against the current data time-stamp. In each minute period there will be a set of arrival rate and car call data for each car. If the data time-stamp is different it is saved for the relevant time slot 4. If the data belongs to the current time slot it is added to data present for that time slot 5. For example, in an N car group there will be N sets of arrival data and N sets of car call data for each minute. The arrival rates are added together for each floor/direction to give a total arrival rate value for that minute period. The same process is carried out for car calls. Lastly, if a new five minute's worth of data has been gathered 6, i.e 5 x N-cars, then the accumulated values for arrival rates and car calls are formated together with a time-stamp which represents the 5 minute period in the day and stored in the long-term store. Description and format of this data can be detailed as follows: throughout the day passenger behaviour data is stored for each five minute period. Two types of data are stored: the rate at which passengers arrive over a specific five minute period and the probability distribution of car calls for each floor during a five minute period. In both cases there are 288 five minute periods in a day. Common to both models is the input training (learning) data, which is time. The output data is model-dependent, i.e arrival rates or car call distributions. Time is represented as the time of day (in 5 min periods), day of the week, and month of the year. Each of these sub-fields is coded as a binary integer, for use with the neural network. The arrival rate and car call data is represented as a real number. The data formats are as follows: Arrival rate vector:- For each five minute period one vector is stored in the training file in the following format: The arrival rates are for each floor and direction, i.e ground up, 1st up, 1st down,etc. Car call probabilities:- As there is a destination model for each floor in the building, then there is a car call probability vector for each floor. For a 10 floor building there will be 10 vectors for a five minute period. The car call probabilities are for each possible destination floor. Concurrently with this 5 minute period operation, the last ten 1 minute periods of arrival rates are kept up to date for use by the real-time prediction module. Having stored the required traffic data by the procedure of Figure 4, the following Figure 5 illustrates the production of timely predictions to be used by the cost calculation and car allocation objects. When called, the current time is compared to the last time historical predictions were made. If the difference is greater than or equal to 5 minutes then new predictions of arrival rates and car call distributions are made for each floor and direction. Arrival rate predictions are also made based on the previous ten-minute's arrival rates for each floor and direction. These real-time predictions are combined with the historically based predictions to produce an optimum set of arrival rate predictions. Finally, a matrix 7 is constructed from the predicted car calls and arrival rates. Each entry 8 in the matrix 7 represents the number of passengers behind a hall call with the same intended destination. If 5 minutes have not elapsed since the last historical predictions, the current time is checked against the last time a real-time prediction was made. If this is greater than or equal to 1 minute, then a new set of real-time arrival rates is produced based on the previous 10 minutes arrival rate behaviour. These predictions are then combined with the current set of historical arrival rate predictions to give a new set of optimum arrival rate predictions. These optimum values are then combined with the current car call predictions to produce a new prediction matrix 7. If both of the above tests fail then the current prediction matrix 7 is used. The next Figure 6 illustrates how the behaviour of the building population is learnt, because neural networks predict future events from what they have observed in the past. When started, the training object makes copies of the historical arrival rate and car call models because the originals must be available for current predictions. These copies will be used for training with the data which is present in the long term data store. If there are examples available for training purposes a training request flag is set. If the AITP scheduler detects that no hall calls have been registered for 5 minutes the arrival rate and car call models are trained with a specified number of traffic examples. The number of traffic examples is limited to allow the scheduler to interrupt training if a hall call is registered. Such an approach has given rise to the concept of the "dreaming lift" which processes data when the building is quiet. This process continues until the entire example set for the previous working day has been used. At that point the networks for prediction purposes are those networks which have just undergone training. Finally, the artificially intelligent system, used to perform the operations according to Figures 4, 5 and 6 is represented in Figure 7. As outlined in Figures 2 and 3 before, three traffic models TM1, TM2, TM3 have been designed for characterizing traffic in the approach adopted for the AITP. In order to improve the modelling and predictive behaviour of this approach, all three models TM1, TM2, TM3 have been implemented with "Neural Networks" NN (a set of techniques from the field of Artificial Intelligence). Neural networks NN provide distributed associative models applying concepts analogous to the structure of the brain. Current neural networks are highly simplified versions of their biological counterparts, but significant results have been achieved in a diversity of application areas. Particular successes have been recorded in the area of pattern matching, classification and forecasting. Neural networks used for pattern matching learn or train themselves by being presented with examples, i.e. input and the desired output pairs. They then adjust their internal structure to represent the transformations between the input and output patterns. Thus when presented with an input pattern they can reproduce the desired output. Applied in elevator installations, neural network technology provides the mechanism for dynamically learning the behaviour of a building population and accordingly predicting future events based on what has been learnt. Unlike previous schemes, which use classical statistics, neural networks require no prior assumption of the underlying mathematical models, automatically learning and adapting a model according to the building behaviour which occurs. Models are built from the observed behaviour, and no pre-set values for arrival rates are required. Indeed, these values are seen as a major failing of previous systems. Using neural networks techniques these models can be placed in a variety of buildings and left to learn the actual traffic patterns automatically. There is no need to predefine traffic events; output from these models simply predicts the level of traffic expected based on previous observations. This is especially important where behaviour which previously was defined as heavy is now average when compared to other floors. Current approaches cannot provide such flexible and autonomous behaviour. As a preferred embodiment of this invention, population behaviour is modelled using a "Backpropagation" neural network approach as described in "Parallel Distributed Processing", Rumelhart D.E., McClelland J.L., Chap. 8. This approach has been found to be the most flexible. Thus , in Figure 7 traffic data is transmitted from the car objects 9 to the traffic data storage object 10. This data can take two forms, either car call data or arrival rates. To each of the three traffic models TM1, TM2, TM3 there corresponds a module M1, M2, M3 being implemented as neural networks NN1, NN2, NN3. As the traffic models TM1 and TM3 predict future events on what they have observed in the past, their copies TM1c, TM3c are being trained with input/output pattern pairs for a day's traffic behaviour. Input patterns are coded binary versions of time of day; output patterns are the arrival rates or the car call probability distributions for each floor. The real arrival rate model TM2 does not explicitly use time as a input. Also time is already combined with the training data, so it is not required as an input for training the copies TM1c, TM3c of models 1 and 3. Finally, the arrival rates from the two above modules M1, M2 will be combined in the combination circuit 11 to generate Optimum Arrival Rates, producing an optimum result which can allow for exceptional traffic behaviour. For instance, the Historical Arrival Rates model will predict future events based on what commonly occurs. If a particular floor is empty one day for an exceptional reason, the model will predict traffic for that floor based on previous behaviour. However, the Real Arrival Rates model will adjust these predictions, on the basis of recent events over the last 10 minutes. In this case zero arrival rates for the last 10 minutes would lead to an extrapolated value of zero arrivals for the next minute. Finally a matrix 7 is constructed from the predicted car calls and arrival rates. Each entry 8 in the matrix 7 represents the number of passengers behind a hall call with the same intended destination. The matrix 7 is renewed for 1 and 5 minute periods.

Claims: An artificially intelligent traffic modelling and prediction system for elevator groups in which the function of an elevator group is optimised by appropriate allocation of hall calls to cars, which serve the calls, with regard to a function profile defined by a desired combination and weighting of elements from a predetermined set of function requirements and in which this call allocation is microprocessor-supported and based on operating costs which correspond to waiting times and other lost times of passengers and are computed on the basis of the traffic deterministically prevailing at the time of computation and the traffic probabilistically predicted for the time of service, and wherein the operating costs of all cars and all hall calls are then compared and the allocation chosen which optimizes these operating costs, characterised in that traffic data storage means are provided for long-term and short-term storage of traffic data from car units, neural network modules are provided to model, learn and predict traffic by way of neural network techniques, wherein the neural network modules model and predict traffic by representing at least one characteristic thereof for long time periods and for short time periods and provide historic predictions of traffic on the basis of historic data and real-time predictions on the basis of recent data, a combination circuit is provided to combine historic traffic predictions and real-time traffic predictions to give optimum traffic predictions, and matrix means are provided in which predicted traffic characteristics are connected, the entries in the matrix representing predictions for another characteristic of the same traffic. A system according to claim 1, characterised in that the neural network modules are of "Backpropagation" type. A system according to claim 1, characterised in that the system utilises a special algorithm to derive passenger destination probabilities from the car call distributions measured by the car units. A system according to claim 1, characterised in that the historic predictions are based on most commonly occurring patterns and are adjusted for exceptional recent events by real-time predictions. A system according to claim 1, characterised in that the traffic is modelled and predicted on the basis of two traffic characteristics respectively in the form of passenger destination probabilities and passenger arrival rates which are both represented for 5 minute periods throughout the day and for 1 minute periods over the last 10 minutes. A system according to claim 5, characterised in that to predict passenger destination probabilities and passenger arrival rates three neural network modules are provided, wherein the first neural network module represents a historical car call model predicting passenger destination probabilities for 5 minute periods throughout the day, the second neural network module represents a historical arrival rate model predicting passenger arrival rates for 5 minute periods throughout the day, and the third neural network module represents a real-time arrival rate model predicting passenger arrival rates for 1 minute periods throughout the next 10 minutes. A system according to claim 5, characterised in that the predicted historic passenger destination probabilities and the predicted optimum passenger arrival rates are combined in the matrix, the entries of which represent the number of passengers behind a hall call with the same intended destination.

Inventors: ROBERTSON EUAN, ROBERTSON, EUAN
Applicants: INVENTIO AG
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B66B1
IPC codes: G05B13, B66B3, G06F15, B66B1, G06N99