Patent Description:
Elevator systems may stop to a nearest designated floor in either direction based on a predetermined configuration when fire emergencies occur. This may lead to elevators stopping on floors in which a hazard such as smoke or fire is present. In addition, if a fire occurs on all designated rescue landings, an elevator may travel to a top landing and evacuate the passengers at that location, which may lead to an increased risk to the passengers, a delay in a rescue operation, an increase in complexity and/or challenge for the rescue mission, a cost increase for the rescue (such as using aerial evacuation).

<CIT> describes a system for the effective evacuation of a building in an emergency where at least one elevator car can be used as an evacuation aid. The group control of the elevators monitors the number of people on different floors and prioritizes the floor on which it is assumed are the most people. A full elevator is directed without stopping to the exit floor. The system monitors by means of detectors the safety of different parts of the building and directs people if necessary to a safe evacuation location.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an elevator system for a multilevel architectural structure in accordance with claim <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the smoke density profile accounts for smoke densities in one or more of stairwells, pathways to stairwells, and within the hoistway at each egress level.

In some embodiments, analyzing the profile includes accounting for data obtained from reference statistics.

In some embodiments, the system dynamically updates the emergency assessment throughout the emergency and redirects the elevator upon updating a safest level for passenger discharge.

In some embodiments, each of the plurality of levels includes one of a respectively plurality of smoke detectors, including a first smoke detector disposed on the first egress level, and wherein at least the first smoke detector is operationally controlled by a first smoke detector controller for transmitting smoke density data to the system.

In some embodiments, the system comprises a smoke monitoring system for receiving the smoke density data from the plurality of smoke detectors, developing the smoke density profile, and forwarding the profile to the system.

In some embodiments, the system comprises a building management system for receiving the smoke density profile from the smoke monitoring system and performing the emergency assessment.

In some embodiments, the building management system transmits an identity of the safe level to the elevator controller.

Further disclosed is an emergency assessment method for an elevator system in a multilevel architectural structure in accordance with claim <NUM>.

The counterweight <NUM> is configured to balance a load of the elevator car <NUM> and is configured to facilitate movement of the elevator car <NUM> concurrently and in an opposite direction with respect to the counterweight <NUM> within an elevator shaft or hoistway <NUM> and along the guide rail <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate additional technical features associated with one or more disclosed embodiments. Features and elements disclosed in FIGS. having nomenclature and/or illustrative appearance that is the same or similar to that in <FIG> may be similarly construed even though nomenclature and/or numerical identifiers may differ.

Turning to <FIG>, disclosed is an elevator system <NUM> for a multilevel architectural structure <NUM>. The structure may be an office or residential building or the like, and the levels may be floors. The system <NUM> comprises a system controller <NUM>. The system controller <NUM> may be mounted in a system hub <NUM>, disclosed below. Reference in this document to operational features of the system <NUM> may also be construed as reference to the system controller <NUM> for implementing controls necessary to support such operational features. Other components and respective controllers disclosed herein shall be similarly construed.

The system <NUM> includes an elevator <NUM> and an elevator controller <NUM>. The system <NUM> and elevator <NUM> communicate over a network <NUM>. A multi-level hoistway <NUM> is illustrated in which the elevator <NUM> travels. The multi-level hoistway <NUM> includes a plurality of egress levels, including a first level <NUM>. The first level <NUM> is a primary egress level.

Turning to <FIG>, during an alarm condition, when the primary level is inaccessible, the system <NUM> performs step S200 of executing an emergency assessment to identify a safe level <NUM> of the plurality of levels at which to discharge passengers. For the assessment, the system <NUM> performs step S205 of obtaining a smoke density profile <NUM> illustrating a distribution of smoke for each of the egress levels within the multileveled structure <NUM>. That is, some floors may have more or less smoke than other floors. The system <NUM> also performs step S210 of analyzing the smoke density profile <NUM>.

In addition the system <NUM> may perform step S220 of identifying a safe level <NUM> having a smoke density that is less than an amount of smoke at which a person can breathe freely without becoming harmed. The system <NUM> performs step S230 of instructing the elevator <NUM> to discharge passengers on the safe level <NUM>. Process steps are sequentially numbered in this document to facilitate discussion but are not intended to identify a specific sequence of performance of such steps or a requirement to perform such steps unless expressly indicated.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the assessment S200 includes the system <NUM> performing step S240 of identifying a first set of levels having a smoke density that is less than an unsafe amount. The system <NUM> also performs step S250 of determining a relative distance between the elevator <NUM> and each of the levels in the first set of levels. The system <NUM> also performs step S260 of instructing the elevator <NUM> to discharge passengers on the nearest safe level <NUM>.

According to an embodiment the smoke density profile <NUM> may account for smoke densities in one or more of stairwells, pathways to stairwells, and within the hoistway <NUM> at each egress level. Such a detailed profile may provide additional data with which the system <NUM> may identify the safe level <NUM> for passenger dispatch.

In addition, turning to <FIG>, in one embodiment when performing the assessment S200, the system <NUM> may perform step S300 of accounting for data obtained from reference statistics. Such statistics may account one or more of hazard intensity, rates of smoke and hazard dispersion, and speed at which passengers travel over distances in hazard conditions, both along floors and within stairwells. The system <NUM> may perform step S310 of dynamically updating the emergency assessment throughout the emergency. During this process the system <NUM> may perform step S320 of redirecting the elevator <NUM> upon updating a safest level for passenger discharge.

As illustrated in <FIG> each of the plurality of levels in the structure <NUM> may include one of a respectively plurality of smoke detectors, including a first smoke detector <NUM> disposed on the first level <NUM>. At least the first smoke detector <NUM> may be operationally controlled by a first smoke detector controller <NUM> for transmitting smoke density data to the system <NUM> through, for example, the network <NUM>.

Turning to <FIG>, the system <NUM> may comprise a smoke monitoring system <NUM>. The smoke monitoring system <NUM> may receive the smoke density data from the plurality of smoke detectors, such as the first smoke detector <NUM>, in the structure <NUM>, develop the smoke density profile <NUM>, and forward the profile to the system <NUM>. The system <NUM> may comprise a building management system <NUM> for receiving the smoke density profile <NUM> from the smoke monitoring system <NUM>.

The building management system <NUM> may identify the safe level <NUM> for an elevator management system <NUM> which may include the elevator controller <NUM>. The building management system <NUM> may also transmit one or more of the profile <NUM> and the identity of the safe level <NUM> to a fire control system <NUM>, which may notify first responders. Many of these communications may occur over the network <NUM>. In addition, one or more of the smoke monitoring system <NUM>, the building management system <NUM> and the fire control system <NUM> may be part of the system hub <NUM>.

The above disclosed embodiments may increase passenger safety as the elevator may stop near a relatively safe floor, that is, a floor having relatively less smoke intensity among all the alternate discharge floors, as detected by smoke meters. When there is a fire, an elevator may stop at a designated main landing to discharge the passengers. If the main landing smoke sensor is active, the elevator control system may choose an alternate discharge floor based on relative smoke density.

As disclosed above, in one embodiment sensors are installed in all the floors, at exit staircases and inside the hoistway. The system accounts for sensed information by providing a real time update for the exit paths. As a result there may be a decreased risk of harm when passengers are evacuated from the car. The system may take inputs from the sensors, process the real time data, predicts hazard paths based on statistical data, and computes a relatively safest floor in at which to land. The elevator controller may then direct the elevator to the determined landing. In doing so, the elevator controller may override a pre-programmed rescue landing with an updated landing. Once the rescue operation is completed the elevator controller may reset to a default data. Benefits of the above embodiments may include providing a relatively safe and accurate rescue landing considering all egress landings, providing relatively quick evacuation of passengers, and a relatively increased passenger safety. In addition the benefits may include a relatively lower rescue complexity, for example, for emergency responders, and a reduced rescue cost, which may avoid areal support in certain situations.

Claim 1:
An elevator system (<NUM>) for a multi-level architectural structure (<NUM>), the system (<NUM>) comprising:
a system controller (<NUM>),
an elevator (<NUM>) and an elevator controller (<NUM>), wherein the system controller (<NUM>) and elevator controller (<NUM>) communicate over a network (<NUM>),
a multi-level hoistway (<NUM>; <NUM>) in which the elevator (<NUM>) travels, the multi-level hoistway (<NUM>; <NUM>) including a plurality of egress levels, including a first egress level (<NUM>), the first level (<NUM>) being a primary egress level,
wherein during an alarm condition the system (<NUM>; <NUM>), when the primary level is inaccessible, is configured to perform an emergency assessment of identifying a safe level (<NUM>) of the plurality of levels at which to discharge passengers, the assessment comprising:
obtaining a smoke density profile (<NUM>) for the egress levels, the profile (<NUM>) illustrating a distribution of smoke within the multilevel structure (<NUM>),
analyzing the smoke density profile (<NUM>),
identifying a safe level (<NUM>) having a smoke density that is safe for passengers, and
instructing the elevator (<NUM>) to discharge passengers on the safe level (<NUM>); and
characterized in that the assessment includes:
identifying a first set of levels having a smoke density that is safe for passengers,
determining a relative distance between the elevator (<NUM>) and each of the levels in the first set of levels, and
instructing the elevator (<NUM>) to discharge passengers on the nearest safe level (<NUM>).