Patent Description:
Elevator systems may include multiple elevator gates serving multiple floors of a building. Each gate may be associated with a hoistway that may contain at least one elevator car traveling between floors. Control systems of the elevator system strive to achieve optimal performance in getting passengers swiftly and efficiently to their destinations. However, current displays and call buttons may be confusing to some passengers and/or do not always provide a passenger with all the information one may like to have. It is desirable to provide programmable displays near landing doors and/or inside an elevator car that offer passengers an enhanced and/or unique elevator experience.

<CIT> discloses a control system for a plurality of groups of lifts, in which the passenger can enter his destination at any desired call input device without having to know which group of lifts serves the desired storey. If the passenger has to change lifts, the connecting lift is shown on a display.

<CIT> discloses an elevator system having multiple elevator cars efficiently assigning cars and communicating the car assignments to the potential passengers. A hallway intuitive user interface is readily adapted to installations having varying numbers of elevator cars with varying floor access by incorporating a graphical display that is rendered accordingly. Moreover, a combination of visual, textual and aural indications are given to the passenger that the destination entered is valid and assigned to a car. For those instances where a potential passenger fails to enter a destination correctly, the elevator system retains a traditional elevator control interface in the elevator car.

According to an aspect of the invention, an elevator system as claimed in claim <NUM> is provided.

Further, optional features are recited in each of claims <NUM> to <NUM>.

However, it should be understood that the following description and drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting.

<FIG> depicts an elevator system <NUM>. In the exemplary embodiment of <FIG>, elevator cars 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D (i.e., four illustrated as an example) may be self-propelled or ropeless (e.g., magnetic linear propulsion). In one embodiment, the elevator cars 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D may be propelled by a rope, hydraulics, or any other known propulsion system. The elevator system <NUM> is used in a structure or building <NUM> having multiple areas <NUM> (e.g., levels, floors, and others). Elevator system <NUM> includes at least one hoistway <NUM> (i.e., two illustrated and identified as 26A and 26B) having boundaries defined by the structure <NUM> and a plurality of cars <NUM> (i.e., two illustrated in each hoistway <NUM>) adapted to travel in the hoistway <NUM>. A controller <NUM> of the elevator system <NUM> may generally control operation of the elevator cars 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D. For example, the controller <NUM> may designate specific car 28A for carrying and unloading passengers in an upward or downward direction only with the same car being in an express travel mode in the other direction (i.e., does not pick up or drop off passengers). In addition and upon a passenger request for travel to a specified floor, the controller <NUM> may be configured to choose which car 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D and in which hoistway (i.e., gate) the passenger will embark, thereby optimizing overall efficiency of the entire elevator system <NUM>. Any variety of other operating parameters may also exist and may be monitored and/or controlled by the controller <NUM>. It is contemplated and understood that the controller <NUM> may be configured to change a car identification type with regards to a specific car in certain elevator operation scenarios. It is further contemplated and understood that the hoistway(s) <NUM> may extend, and thus the cars <NUM> may travel, in a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and/or a combination of both.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, each floor <NUM> of the building <NUM> may support at least one gate or door <NUM>. Each gate <NUM> may be associated with a specific hoistway <NUM>. For example, a gate 32A may be located on each floor <NUM>, which when open, grants access to one of cars 28A, 28B operating in hoistway 26A. Similarly, a gate 32B may be located at each floor <NUM> and when open may grant access to one of cars 28C, 28D operating in hoistway 26B. It is further contemplated and understood that an elevator car <NUM> may include two doors (i.e., front and back). In such an example, the two-doored elevator car may include two gates <NUM> at each level <NUM>. Alternatively, there may be more than one gate <NUM> located at a particular floor <NUM> for a given hoistway <NUM>. In such an example, there may be a separate gate identification for each gate at the same floor. For example, a front gate may be gate "B", while a rear gate may be gate "C". Both doors/gates may be configured to open at the same time, or the doors may open at different times to, for example, segregate traffic between two cars in the same hoistway. In this way, passengers waiting for two different cars in the same hoistway may not be crowded in front of the same gate for a particular hoistway.

The elevator system <NUM> further includes an elevator notice system <NUM> that includes the controller <NUM> and a plurality of displays <NUM> that are programmable. The display <NUM> may be generally supported by the structure <NUM> and located at each gate <NUM> on each floor <NUM>, in each car 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D, and/or any location that a perspective passenger may pass on the way to the elevator system <NUM>. Alternatively, one display <NUM> may be located at each floor <NUM> and may be associated with any plurality of gates <NUM> at the specific level. Each display <NUM> may be controlled remotely by the controller <NUM>, locally by a control unit integral with the display <NUM>, or some combination thereof. The controller <NUM> may be a computer-based controller that may include a computer processor (e.g., microprocessor) and a computer readable and writeable storage medium. The display <NUM> may be an electronic display such as a flat screen (e.g., LCD screen) and/or an interactive touch screen, or any other display that may be programmable and electrically controlled by the controller <NUM>. It is contemplated and understood that the display <NUM> may also be mounted to an elevator door or supported by a bay.

The elevator system <NUM> may further include a call button <NUM> located at each floor <NUM>. The call button <NUM> may be operated by a waiting passenger on a specific floor <NUM> desiring to reach an upper or lower floor. Upon actuation of the call button <NUM>, the controller <NUM> selects the optimal elevator car 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D for the passenger and provides an array of information on the display <NUM> that is relevant to the selection made by the passenger. The call button <NUM> may provide a waiting passenger the ability to select a desired floor <NUM> before boarding an elevator car or may simply provide the ability to select upward or downward travel. Such a call button arrangement may also assign a gate and car to the requesting passenger in order to direct the passenger to the assigned car to board. Additionally or in another embodiment, once a passenger is inside the selected elevator car 28B (for example), the passenger may select a desired floor from a panel (not shown) in the elevator car 28B. A display <NUM> inside the elevator car 28B may then display an array of information relevant to the associated gate, elevator car, and/or destination floor. It is contemplated and understood that the call button <NUM> may be an integral part of the display <NUM> which may be, or include, an interactive screen.

Referring to <FIG>, the display <NUM> may include a gate identification portion <NUM>, a present car identification portion <NUM>, a present car destination portion <NUM>, a present car travel direction portion <NUM>, a gate dedication portion <NUM> (see <FIG>), a previous car information portion <NUM>, and a general informative portion <NUM>. The general informative portion <NUM> may be divided into segments with each segment providing additional information relative to the elevator car <NUM> identified in the present car identification portion <NUM>. Such information that may be provided in portion <NUM> is in-part dependent upon the location of the display <NUM> (i.e., mounted at a floor or carried by an elevator car), and may include: passengers will be de-boarding from this car at your floor; pet on board; almost full; or, no planned stops to your destination. It is further contemplated and understood that any designated area upon an electronic screen of the display <NUM> may intermittently display different portions <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and/or may change screen configurations of the portions dependent upon where the display is being used and any interaction with a passenger.

The gate identification portion <NUM> displays the gate identification that may be directly associated with a specific hoistway (i.e., hoistway 26A or 26B). The present car identification portion <NUM> displays the specific car identification type that a passenger may be in or, otherwise, desires to travel in. In one embodiment where the display <NUM> is in an elevator car 28D, the gate and present car identification portions <NUM>, <NUM> may remain constant. That is, unless the elevator car 28D is constructed and arranged to switch from hoistway 26B to hoistway 26A, the hoistway 26B (i.e. gate 32B) and the elevator car 28D that the passenger may be in will remain consistent. It is contemplated and understood that in embodiments where the gate identification and/or the elevator car identification type remain consistent, the gate identification portion <NUM> and the present car identification portion <NUM> may not be electronically displayed on an electronic screen segment of the display, and instead, may simply be static signage proximate to the screen.

In another embodiment, the display <NUM> may be mounted to a wall adjacent to each gate 32A, 32B. In this embodiment, and where there exist more than one elevator car 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D in a given hoistway 26A, 26B, the gate identification portion <NUM> may remain constant as previously described and the present car identification portion <NUM> may display the identification of the car that will be traveled in by the waiting passenger and/or the car that the present car destination portion <NUM>, the present car travel direction portion <NUM>, and/or the general informative portion <NUM> is providing information about. In addition, the present car identification portion <NUM> may notify waiting passengers that their assigned car may be the next to arrive. This information may be provided before the actual car arrives. It is further contemplated and understood that the display may be configured to display a plurality of cars assigned to arrive in an area and in a successive order. Similarly, if the display <NUM> is located in the car, the display may provide a plurality of areas (i.e., displayed all at the same time) that the car is scheduled to stop at and in a successive order.

Referring to <FIG>, where the display <NUM> is located adjacent to each gate 32A, 32B on any given floor <NUM>, the gate identification portion <NUM> may identify the gate, and the gate dedication portion <NUM> may provide information such as: this gate is used only for arrivals (i.e., exit only), this gate is not in service, this gate is a VIP gate, or other similar messages notifying a waiting passenger to generally disregard the gate for elevator travel. If gate 32A and/or gate 32B is so designated then the present car identification portion <NUM> may remain blank since no car can be chosen for a waiting passenger relative to the dedicated gate.

Referring to <FIG>, the display <NUM> may generally be divided (or redundant) and located at different physical locations on the same floor <NUM>. For example, in a main lobby of the building <NUM>, the call button <NUM> may be located at a substantial distance away from the gates 32A, 32B. Once a waiting passenger proximate to or in the lobby selects a desired floor <NUM>, a part or separate subpanel <NUM> of the display <NUM> located proximate to the call button <NUM> may direct the waiting passenger to the appropriate gate, thus the gate identification portion <NUM> of the display <NUM> is proximate to the remote call button <NUM>. In one example, when the waiting passenger is in front of the appropriate gate 32A, another part or subpanel <NUM> of the display <NUM>, positioned adjacent to the gate, may direct the waiting passenger via the present car identification portion <NUM> to the appropriate car (i.e., car 28A or car 28B). From subpanel <NUM>, the waiting passenger may also be provided information on where the controller selected car is presently located within the hoistway 26A, which direction the selected car is traveling, and other information relative to the selected car while the passenger waits to board. The subpanel <NUM> of the display <NUM> adjacent to the designated gate <NUM> may also provide the waiting passenger with information on whether the selected car has already departed (i.e., via the present car destination portion <NUM>), thus providing the waiting passenger on whether re-entering a call is necessary. That is, the display <NUM> is able to provide negative confirmation to provide indication that someone is not waiting in the right area, such as the "exit door only" indication, a showing that a car just departed, and other such indications.

The subpanel <NUM> of the display <NUM> may be mounted or hung from a ceiling or mounted to other structures supported by the building <NUM>. The subpanel <NUM> may be viewed as a master panel that directs waiting passengers to the correct gate <NUM> as a passenger convenience. That is, the passenger is not required to search for the correct gate and it minimizes any chance of a passenger boarding the wrong car through the wrong gate. The same subpanel <NUM> may also include the car identification portion <NUM>, thus directing the waiting passenger on which car to board and at which gate. It is further contemplated and understood that either subpanel <NUM>, <NUM> may include other portions of the display previously described. Yet further, graphical indicators (e.g., arrow pointing to the gate or a layout map) may be displayed to assist in directing passengers that view the display to their assigned gate.

It is further contemplated and understood that the car identification type may be a visual type, an audio type and/or a haptic type. The car identification type may be associated with a color, shape, and/or sound. In one embodiment, the car identification type may be an animation, and/or an experiential icon that may have alternative themes. For example, car identification type may be a plurality of types emitted, heard, or otherwise visualized at the same time or a particular order in time. In one embodiment, the car identification type may be audible tones, patterns of notes, timbre of sound and/or a verbalization (i.e., voice). The car identification type may be graphic themes (e.g., cartoon characters, animals, cities, and others).

In one example, a Bugs Bunny© icon may be shown at a kiosk and door display, and then a short Bugs Bunny clip may be shown in the elevator during the elevator ride. In this example, passengers may begin to anticipate the experience and, perhaps, look forward to it. Other themes might be city names (e.g., A for Athens, B for Berlin, C for Chicago, etc.) where once they are in the elevator car, the passengers may see cityscapes of the city projected, for example, on the elevator cab walls.

Benefits and advantages of the present disclosure include an improved user interface that minimizes passenger confusion, customizable features, and improved dispatching information. Improved dispatching efficiency is also provided since passengers are assigned to cars in hoistways which may have one or more cars in front of the assigned car stopping at the same floor.

Claim 1:
An elevator system (<NUM>) including at least one hoistway (26A, 26B) defined by a structure including a plurality of areas with each served area having at least one gate (32A, 32B) with at least one of the at least one gate (32A, 32B) associated with a respective hoistway (26A, 26B), and a plurality of cars (28A, 28B; 28C, 28D) in each of the at least one hoistways (26A, 26B), the elevator system (<NUM>) comprising an elevator notice system (<NUM>) comprising:
a controller (<NUM>) configured to track the current location and scheduled destination of each of the plurality of cars (28A, 28B; 28C, 28D) in each of the at least one hoistway (26A, 26B); and
a programmable display (<NUM>) including a car identification portion configured to display a car identification type associated with a specific car of the plurality of cars (28A, 28B; 28C, 28D),
wherein the controller (<NUM>) controls the display (<NUM>);
wherein the programmable display (<NUM>) is configured to display at least a next area destination associated with the specific car and wherein the next area destination is the first of a plurality of successive area destinations displayed; and
wherein the display (<NUM>) is one of a plurality of displays with each display (<NUM>) located adjacent to a gate of the at least one gate (32A, 32B) at each one of the plurality of areas.