Patent Publication Number: US-10766737-B2

Title: Destination control system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2013/074032, filed on Nov. 18, 2013, which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application. 
    
    
     The present invention relates to a destination control system of an elevator group wherein a destination call is input via at least one destination call input device to the destination control system to be allocated to at least one of the elevators of at least one elevator group of an elevator system to service the destination call. The advantage of destination control systems in the allocation of landing calls to the elevators of an elevator group is that the elevator control knows the departure floor as well as the destination floor and is accordingly aware of the complete traffic routes in the elevator system which facilitates the allocation of elevators to landing calls. Recently, destination control systems also offer the option of pre-booked destination calls which do not only include the departure floor and the destination floor but also a correlated operation time for the destination call. Via this means, the destination control system knows already at a very early stage about the presence of landing calls and is accordingly able to coordinate the traffic in an elevator system as to better meet the criteria of a cost function which is generally used in for an optimal allocation of landing calls to the elevators. This cost function usually comprises parameters as passenger waiting time, passenger ride time, total journey time, energy consumption, etc. The allocation of landing calls with an allocation algorithm using cost functions is per se known and shall not be explained in greater detail. The cost function ensures a call allocation which selects the elevator which is best adapted to serve a call under the considerations of the optimization criteria of the cost function. 
     A problem with destination control systems comprising pre-booking function arise in that on one hand a pre-booking function is only adopted by few users and on the other hand the pre-booked calls are sometimes by used by persons which have not booked the call and are thus not entitled to use the pre-booked ride in the elevator car. 
     The US 2006/065490, the WO 2006/070051 as well as the US 2012/0018257 disclose a destination control system according to the preamble of claim  1 . 
     It is therefore object of the present invention to provide an improved destination control system which leads to a better acceptance of the use of a pre-booking function than in currently known destination control systems. 
     This object is solved with a destination control system according to claim  1  as well as with elevator group control according to claim  14 , an elevator system according to claim  15  as well as a method according to claim  17 . Preferred embodiments of the invention are subject-matter of the corresponding dependent claims. 
     Some inventive embodiments are also discussed in the descriptive section of the present application. The inventive content may also consist of separate inventions, especially if the invention is considered in the light of expressions or implicit subtasks or from the point of view of advantages or categories of advantages achieved. In this case, some of the attributes contained in the claims below may be superfluous from the point of view of separate inventive concepts. 
     According to the invention, each pre-booked destination call does not only comprise the departure floor and the destination floor as well as a correlated time for the pre-booked destination call but also a correlated identifier of the user which has booked the pre-booked destination call. This identifier is input by the user e.g. manually via the keyboard of a destination input panel. The identifier may further be input by using an identifier card or identifier tag or by using individual destination call input devices as e.g. mobile devices, e.g. mobile phones, in which case the identification of the mobile device allows the transmission or detection of the identifier of the user via the identity of the individual destination call input device. According to the invention, a pre-booked call is always linked to an individual person. 
     Because by linking the pre-booked call to a defined identifier it can be checked later on whether the pre-booked call is indeed used by the person who has issued the pre-booked call. 
     The priority handling can in the simplest embodiment only differentiate between pre-booked calls and non pre-booked (instantaneous) calls. A higher priority in call allocation of a pre-booked call can be obtained by different measures. On one hand the priority of a pre-booked call may be increased by reserving at least one particular elevator in the elevator system or a certain space in a least one elevator of the elevator system exclusively to pre-booked calls. On the other hand, i.e. additionally or alternatively to this measure the destination control system can adjust the weighting coefficients of the parameters of a cost function used in the call allocation for a pre-booked call differently than for an instantaneous call, which leads to the change of parameters as passenger waiting time, riding time etc. In this case the passenger waiting time or riding time or total journey time of a pre-booked call can be reduced. This correlates to a kind of VIP-status for pre-booked calls. 
     To enable the destination control system to verify the use of a pre-booked call by the correct user, at least one identification reader is provided at least in the vicinity of the elevators of the at least one elevator group of the elevator system. The identification reader can for example be located in the elevator lobby or in front of the single elevators or inside the elevators. Preferably, if particular elevators are used for pre-booked calls, the identification reader can be provided in connection with an access gate (e.g. rotating access hub) to the reserved elevator so that only persons having issued a pre-booked call within a certain period, e.g. within the next 5 minutes, are admitted to the reserved particular elevator or to a certain reserved space in an elevator. 
     The provision of the identification reader also has the advantage that pre-booked calls can be confirmed when being used by the correct user, i.e. the user who has issued the call. This can be important in connection with a reward system of the inventive destination call control system, particularly if the reward system is made user-individual, which is explained hereinafter. 
     A further optional differentiation of the priority is possible if the priority is user-individually: In this case it can be differentiated between users with non pre-booked calls, unreliable users (=users which sometimes do not use their pre-booked call) and users using reliably pre-booked calls. The borders between these groups may be fluent. Thus the priority can be made dependent on the number of confirmed pre-booked call in the past and or on the number of the unused pre-booked call in the past. The priority of each user can be adjusted individually to the above mentioned call history of a user. 
     In this case the destination control system comprises a memory for the travel/call history of individual users to allow an evaluation of the behaviour of the user in connection with the elevator system. This allows a correlated grouping of the user into priority categories of the destination call control or even the assigning of an individual priority to each user. The travel history may comprise in a simple embodiment only the number of rides in the elevator system based on pre-booked calls. But the travel history can also comprise additional data, e.g. the total number of rides in the elevator system, the relation of pre-booked calls to non pre-booked calls in the number of rides, the number or portion of confirmed and unused pre-booked calls, the riding time of the pre-booked calls etc. In this case, the priority of the allocation of a pre-booked destination call can be made dependent on the number of confirmed and/or unused pre-booked calls issued by the individual users. The individual priority may for example be the admittance to particular reserved elevators (also here several reserved elevators for different priorities can be provided) or the allocation of individual weighting coefficients for the parameters of a cost function which is used in the call allocation algorithm. With the individual weighting coefficients the individual users can be assigned a shorter waiting time, riding time and/or total journey time. Each confirmation of a pre-booked destination call by the user may lead to the increase of his priority of whereas each non-use of a pre-booked call may lead to a decrease of his priority. Thus, the allocation handling of the individual persons using the elevator group can be monitored so that repeated booking of pre-booked destination calls can be rewarded with a higher priority in the call allocation. 
     By the above measures the user of an elevator system gets an immediate response of the elevator system in service quality to his pre-booking behaviour. This is important particularly in high-rise elevators having a lot of landing floors, e.g. more than 50, and may be different zones to obtain their destination. The elevator systems of such buildings usually have several elevator groups which serve different zones in the building. Of course, when for a travel in the elevator system a change of the elevator group is necessary for a pre-booked call, elevators in the other elevator groups are also reserved for the pre-booked call, whereby the allocation time considers the travel of the previous elevator to a transfer floor of the elevator system, which is served by two adjacent elevator groups. Accordingly, the elevator group control may comprise a multi-group control which coordinates the travel via several elevator groups. The arrangement of a control for the elevator system, e.g. the separation of an elevator group control in a coordinating multi-group control and/or several combined or separated elevator group controls is performed by the skilled person in course of his routine skills. 
     Preferably, each user of the elevator system may be allocated an individual priority and the destination call input device may include a display for indicating an allocated elevator as well as for indicating the allocated priority to the user in which case he gets immediate information about his priority status in the elevator system. 
     The assigning of a certain priority to a user may not only have an effect on the individual weighting coefficients for the parameters of the cost function or the reservation of complete elevators but also to the reservation of certain elevator space in at least one of the elevators of the elevator system so that always sufficient place in the elevators is reserved for pre-booking users. 
     The invention is preferably advantageous in nowadays elevators wherein the size of the building and the number of landings increases as well as the number of pre-booked calls. As also the time frame of the pre-bookings gets longer, it becomes increasingly important and useful to use the advanced allocation system of the invention. 
     Pre-booked calls can be grouped and scheduled also according to several other factors for example for security or energy-saving purposes: The inventive pre-booking system is able to handle access rights of the persons in a desired way so that for example pre-booked calls made by persons whose access rights are in conflict with each other are not scheduled and allocated to the same elevator. 
     The invention also allows a high consideration of energy optimization in the pre-ordered or pre-booked calls which are allocated in such a manner that the overall energy consumption of the elevator system is minimized. 
     The priority may also be handled by first allocating the pre-booked calls because of their known time frame in the most energy-efficient way and afterwards the in-coming instantaneous calls (=not pre-booked calls) are allocated separately to the most optimal available gaps left over from the pre-bookings. Further the priority can be handled by first allocating the places in the elevators to the users of pre-booked calls and only the remaining space is allocated to the remaining instantaneous calls. This ensures the serving of pre-booked calls with a higher priority than non pre-booked calls. 
     Preferably, the allocation of destination calls is carried out under use of a cost function wherein different allocation parameters are provided with different weighting coefficients which are to be considered in the allocation decision, whereby the weighting coefficient of the passenger waiting time and/or riding time of a pre-booked call is increased with respect to the corresponding weight coefficient of a non pre-booked destination call. Via this measure it is obtained that the general allocation efficiency for pre-booked calls is with respect to passenger waiting and/or riding better than for non-pre-booked destination calls. This is a clear reward system for users which are reliably using the pre-booking function of the elevator system. 
     As it has been mentioned above, preferably at least one particular elevator of the elevator group is reserved for pre-booked calls and preferably also a part of the capacity of the elevators in the elevator group(s) of the elevator system is reserved for pre-booked calls. In this case preferably the number of reserved elevators can be set dynamically in accordance with the dynamics of the portion of pre-booked calls to non-pre-booked calls. 
     Preferably, the at least one particular reserved elevator is located in an access-controlled area where only users get access having an identifier related to a pre-booked destination call in the near future. Via this means, the un-allowed use of pre-booked calls by not authorized users can be efficiently prevented which improves the advantage of pre-booked calls with respect to instantaneous calls. The identification reader is in this case preferably located in connection with an access control, i.e. in connection with a fence or hub of the access controlled area. 
     The destination call input devices may comprise mobile devices as for example smartphones, terminals or computers which are individually used by the users of the elevator system or by destination input panels located in connection with the elevator group. As far as the destination call input devices are individual, they may be adapted to automatically issue the identifier in connection with a pre-booked call to the destination control system. As far as the destination call input device is publically available as e.g. destination input panels, an identifier has to be input with the issue of a pre-booked call. In any way, the destination control system includes a wired or wireless input node for the different destination call input devices. This arrangement ensures a reliable and safe input of pre-booked calls as well as of non-pre-booked calls into the destination control system. 
     The destination control system is usually implemented as an algorithm on a microprocessor system. 
     The destination control system is usually part of an elevator group control or multi-group control for controlling at least one elevator group or an elevator system comprising several elevator groups, e.g. in high-rise buildings having different elevator groups in different zones of the building. 
     Preferably, the destination control system comprises a cancellation option of a pre-booked call up to a preset time period before the operating time of the pre-booked call. Via this measure, it is possible for the elevator user to cancel a pre-booked call without deteriorating his priority in the pre-booking call system. With the cancellation, the pre-booked call is eliminated from the call allocation system before the call is operated in the allocation system. Thus, the preset time period before the operating time of the pre-booked call is at least the waiting time for the pre-booked call or a time window of the allocation algorithm within which pre-booked calls are entered into the allocation system before the indicated operation time of the allocation (desired allocation time). 
     The invention further relates to a method for allocating elevator calls to elevators in an elevator system having at least one elevator group with several elevators, wherein a destination call is input via at least one destination call input device into a destination control system to be allocated to at least one of the elevators of the elevator group to service the destination call. In the inventive method, a desired operating time of a so-called pre-booked destination call can be issued so that destination call data comprises the departure floor, the destination floor, a correlated operating time for the pre-booked destination call as well as a correlated identifier of the user issuing the pre-booked destination call. According to the invention, the pre-booked destination calls are allocated with a higher priority to the elevators of the elevator group than the non-pre-booked destination calls, and with the serving of a pre-booked destination call, the identifier of the elevator user having issued the pre-booked destination call is prompted to confirm the correct use of the pre-booked destination call. 
     The method provides the same advantages as already mentioned with the inventive destination control system, i.e. to ensure the serving of pre-booked destination calls with a high priority compared to destination calls which are not pre-booked (instantaneous destination calls). In the inventive method, the use of the pre-booked call is confirmed by reading an identifier of the elevator user. Via this measure, it can be ensured that the pre-booked call is indeed used by the correct person and it can be ensured that the use of pre-booked calls leads to a better service in the elevator system than instantaneous destination calls. 
     Particularly, in connection with particular elevators reserved for pre-booked calls or certain areas in at least one particular elevator reserved for pre-booked calls, an access control can be carried out which allows only the users of active pre-booked calls to enter the reserved elevator or area. Via this method, the misuse of pre-booked calls by unauthorized persons can be efficiently eliminated. 
     Preferably, each user is assigned an individual priority which in the use of the elevator system whereby the priority is dependent on the number of confirmed pre-booked calls stored in a memory of the user&#39;s service history of the elevator system. With this system, an efficient use of the pre-booking function is awarded with a higher efficiency of the elevator system for the individual person. For example, the individual priority may directly affect individual weighting coefficients of the parameters of a cost function of an allocation algorithm as e.g. passenger waiting time and/or passenger riding time so that for users with a high priority, the allocation function leads to a better result with respect to these parameters. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the destination control system issues upon the registration of a pre-booked call given by an individual destination call input device a confirmation message to said individual destination call input device, which allows the user to get a confirmation of his call mad by an individual destination call input device, e.g. a mobile device, mobile phone, tablet or a computer. This enhances the user comfort of the system for the users of individual destination call input devices. 
     Furthermore, according to a further preferred embodiment of the invention the destination control system issues—after having made the allocation for the pre-booked call—a message to said individual destination call input device comprising the allocated elevator. Also this measure enhances the service quality of the elevator system for passengers using individual destination call input devices. Of course, this message may advantageously be issued close to the pre-booked service time. 
    
    
     
       The invention is hereinafter described via an example in connection with the accompanied drawings. In these drawings 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic diagram of an elevator system having an elevator group with one elevator being reserved for pre-booked calls, 
         FIG. 2  a flow diagram for the allocation of pre-booked and non-pre-booked destination calls. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows an elevator system  10  having a first elevator group  12  consisting of four elevators  14 ,  16 ,  18 ,  20  which are connected to an elevator group control  22  comprising a destination control system  24 . A further elevator group  26  may be connected to the elevator group control  22  which other elevator group  26  may be arranged in a different zone of the building. The connection of a further elevator group  26  to the elevator group control  22  is optional. The elevator group control  22  comprises an input node  28  to which destination input panels  30  in the different elevator lobbies and several individual computers or terminals  32  are connected via bus/LAN. Furthermore, a wireless access point  34  is connected to the input node  28  which wireless access point  34  is able to communicate via individual mobile devices  36 , e.g. smartphones. 
     The fourth elevator  20  of the first elevator group  12  is a particular elevator reserved for pre-booked calls. This particular reserved elevator  20  is located in an access controlled area which is separated via a fence structure  38  whereby an access hub of said fence structure is provided in the vicinity of an identification reader  40  to allow access to the particular reserved elevator  20  only for the users of active pre-booked calls. Active pre-booked calls are pre-booked calls which are to be served within a certain time frame of e.g. 5 minutes. 
     The elevator system of  FIG. 1  works as follows: 
     Via the destination call input devices, i.e. the terminal or computer  32 , the destination input panel  30  or the mobile device  36 , a destination call is input to the destination control system  24  of the elevator group control  22 . In case of the computers or terminals  32  and the mobile devices  36 , an identifier of the user of the elevator system may automatically be issued with the issuing of the destination call. The computer or terminal  32  and the mobile device  36  also enables the user to input a desired time for the destination call which is the time when the destination call is really operated in the allocation system. On this behalf, a user of the elevator system may issue at twelve o&#39;clock a pre-booked call from the 85th floor to the ground floor at 16:30. This is a pre-booked call which comprises the departure floor, the destination floor as well as the time when the allocation has to be operated. In case of the terminals  32  or mobile devices  36 , the identifier can be given automatically. In case of a common destination input panel  30  comprising a display and a decade keyboard, the identifier has to be input manually. In this case, the destination control system  24  in the elevator group control  22  reserves a ride in the particular reserved elevator  20  from the departure floor to the destination floor of the pre-booked call at 16:30. The user is able to gain access into the fenced access area of the particular elevator  20  via a rotation hub which is released after presenting his identifier tag to an identification reader  40  provided in the vicinity of the rotation hub. The access into the access area is possible only within a certain time frame before the operating time of the pre-booked call, i.e. at 16:20 or 16:25 at the earliest. As the destination control system  24  knows the departure floor and destination floor of the pre-booked call long before, it can arrange an energy-saving allocation of the particular elevator  20  to serve the pre-booked call in time in a most economical manner. 
       FIG. 2  shows an optional flow diagram for pre-booked calls and non-pre-booked calls. Box  50  is the start box for a pre-booked call wherein the elevator system, i.e. the elevator group control  22  of the elevator system, obtains the departure floor, the destination floor, the operating time of the call allocation as well as an identifier of the user having issued the pre-booked call. Box  52  is the start box for a non-pre-booked call, i.e. an instantaneous destination call which only comprises the departure floor, the destination floor and optionally identification data of the user. In decision field  54 , it is prompted whether the pre-booked destination call has meanwhile been cancelled. If yes, the procedure stops at end marker  56 . If the pre-booked call is not cancelled, the flow diagram proceeds to decision field  58  wherein the operating time of the pre-booked call is compared with the actual time and it is decided whether the pre-booked call is to be allocated. If no, the process goes back to field  54 . If yes, the flow diagram proceeds to decision field  60 . Non-pre-booked calls process directly from Box  52  to decision field  60 . In decision field  60 , it is prompted whether the active call is a pre-booked call. If yes, the flow diagram proceeds to decision field  62  wherein it is checked whether a particular reserved elevator  20  comprises enough space to serve the call. If yes, an allocation procedure for this particular reserved elevator  20  is performed in field  64 . If no room in the particular elevator  20  is available, the flow diagram proceeds from decision field  62  to operation field  66  where the identifier of the elevator user is retrieved and the corresponding user-individual priority is obtained to retrieve the priority of the destination call. The individual priority assigned to the destination call in operation field  66  leads in operation field  68  to a call allocation of all other elevators except the particular elevator  20  with a set of individual weighting coefficients leading to a better performance of the call allocation for this pre-booked destination call of the individual user. 
     Coming back to the third decision field  60  where it is prompted, if the present destination call is a pre-booked call, a negative result leads to the operation field  70  in which a normal call allocation within all elevators of the elevator system except the particular elevator  20  is performed with normal weighting coefficients of the parameters of the cost function corresponding to a low priority of the instantaneous destination call. 
     The operation fields  70  and  68  connect ahead of operation field  72  in which the allocated elevator is indicated in a display of the destination input panel  30  or in a display of a mobile device  36 . In decision field  74 , it is again prompted, if the pending destination call is a pre-booked call. If not, the allocation ends at end field  76 . yes, the allocation process advances to decision field  78  in which it is prompted if the pre-booked call has been confirmed. If yes, the priority of the individual user is increased in operation field  80 . If not, the priority of the individual user is decreased in operation field  82 . Afterwards, the allocation procedure ends in the end field  76 . 
     With the above-mentioned allocation method, it is on one hand ensured that the pre-booking user gets a place in the particular reserved elevator  20 , if available. However, if no room is available, the allocation procedure still leads to an individual allocation with better weighting coefficients for the passenger sensitive parameters of the cost function of the allocation algorithm as passenger waiting time and passenger riding time which will lead to a better service than any instantaneous destination call. 
     If no particular elevator(s)  20  is(are) reserved for pre-booked calls, the decision field  62  and the operation field  64  can be omitted. 
     The invention is not limited by the above embodiments but may be varied within the scope of the appended patent claims.