Patent Description:
Hotel rooms may be equipped with key card locks which are integrated with lock management systems (LMS). A door lock state may be continuously monitored by the LMS. If a guest intends on leaving their room he/she may have to lock the room door by removing a key card from a key card holder inside the room. Then he/she may have to walk to an elevator lobby and call the elevator a by manually actuating a button on a control counsel and wait for the elevator to arrive.

<CIT> describes a method for operation of an elevator system where a functional designator is operated on at least one input apparatus of a building door. A designator signal is produced and used to carry out a start call for an elevator cab to a starting floor.

<CIT> describes a method for automatically prompting a car call in an elevator system. The system includes a door sensing device and a surveillance device for monitoring passenger actions, thereby defining the starting point and the final point of a passenger's traveling path.

<CIT> describes a method for an elevator system wherein an opening and/or closing of a building door causes at least one starting door signal to be generated and at least one elevator car is ascertained for the starting door signal.

<CIT> describes a service system of a building where a hall registration means reads identification information recorded in a room card, and if it identifies the user as a registered individual, it automatically calls an elevator car and automatically registers a destination floor. A door unlocking unit mounted to a room door of the designation floor reads the identification information in the room car and if it identifies the user as a registered individual, it unlocks the room door.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a building comprising an elevator system and a first device; the an elevator system comprising: a system controller that communicates with a first device and responsively controls an elevator car for transporting a passenger, the system controller is configured to render a plurality of determinations for transporting the passenger, including: a first determination that the first device is transmitting first data that is indicative of the passenger seeking elevator service, a second determination to assign the elevator car to provide elevator service to the passenger, and the system controller is configured to transmit a first instruction to the elevator car to effect the second determination, wherein the first device receives a communication indicating that the power to one or more devices in a room is in an off state.

In some embodiments the first data indicates that a door lock has been engaged by the passenger.

In some embodiments the first data indicates that the first device is disposed on a first level, whereby the system controller determines the passenger requires elevator service at a first lobby.

In some embodiments the first data provides a room identifier indicating that the one or more devices are located in a specific room.

In some embodiments the first data is received from a card controller, and the card controller determines the power in the specific room is in the off state.

In some embodiments the one or more devices includes an air conditioning system.

In some embodiments the system controller renders the second determination, if the elevator car is at a second lobby, and the first instructions include the elevator car traveling to the first lobby and idling at the first lobby until engaged by the passenger.

In some embodiments the communication is received by the system controller over a wireless network.

In some embodiments the wireless network is a personal area network (PAN).

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method comprising: rendering, with a controller for an elevator system, a first determination that a first device is transmitting first data that is indicative of a passenger seeking elevator service, rendering, with the controller, a second determination to assign an elevator car to provide elevator service to the passenger, and transmitting, with the controller, a first instruction to the elevator car to effect the second determination, wherein the first device receives a communication indicating that the power to one or more devices in a room is in an off state.

The first data may indicate that a door lock has been engaged by the passenger.

The first data may indicate that the first device is disposed on a first level. The system controller nay determine that the passenger requires elevator service at the first lobby.

The first data may provide a room identifier indicating that the one or more devices are located in a specific room. The first data may be received from a card controller. The card controller may determine the power in the specific room is in the off state.

The one or more devices may include an air conditioning system.

The system controller may render the second determination, if the elevator car is at the second lobby, the first instructions include the elevator car traveling to the first lobby and idling at the first lobby until engages by the passenger.

The plurality of devices nay communicate with the system controller over a wireless network. The wireless network may be a personal area network (PAN).

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 hoistway <NUM> and along the guide rail <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> is located, as shown, in a controller room <NUM> of the elevator hoistway <NUM> and is configured to control the operation of the elevator system <NUM>, and particularly the elevator car <NUM>. When moving up or down within the elevator hoistway <NUM> along guide rail <NUM>, the elevator car <NUM> may stop at one or more landings <NUM> as controlled by the controller <NUM>.

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the machine <NUM> is configured to include an electrically driven motor.

Although shown and described with a roping system including tension member <NUM>, elevator systems that employ other methods and mechanisms of moving an elevator car within an elevator hoistway may employ embodiments of the present invention.

Turning to <FIG>, disclosed is an elevator system <NUM> in a building <NUM> that includes a plurality of levels <NUM> and a respective plurality of lobbies <NUM>. For example the first level <NUM> has a first lobby <NUM>. The building <NUM> includes an elevator car <NUM> for transporting a passenger <NUM> between the plurality of lobbies <NUM>. The first level <NUM> may be subdivided to include the first lobby <NUM> and a room <NUM>.

The room <NUM> may fixedly include a first device <NUM> (e.g., a processor-based device or smart device) that is engageable by the passenger <NUM> when leaving the room <NUM>. The system <NUM> comprises a system controller <NUM> that communicates with the first device <NUM> and responsively controls the elevator car <NUM> to transport the passenger <NUM>.

Turning to <FIG>, the system controller <NUM> is configured to render a plurality of determinations when executing a process S200 for transporting the passenger <NUM>. At step S210 the system controller <NUM> renders a first determination that the first device <NUM> is transmitting first data that is indicative of the passenger <NUM> seeking elevator service. At step S220 the system controller <NUM> makes a second determination to assign the elevator car <NUM> to provide elevator service to the passenger <NUM>. At step S230 the system controller <NUM> is configured to transmit a first instruction to the elevator car <NUM> to effect the second determination.

According to an embodiment the room <NUM> has a door <NUM> that is an egress door and the first device <NUM> is a door lock. The first data may indicate that the door <NUM> has been engaged by the passenger <NUM>. According to an embodiment the system includes a plurality of devices including the first device <NUM> and a second device <NUM> (e.g., a processor-based devices or smart devices). The second device <NUM> may be a first power controller for the room <NUM>. According to an embodiment the first determination may include the system controller <NUM> communicating with the first power controller <NUM> to confirm that power to one or more utilities in the room <NUM> is in an off state.

According to an embodiment the first data may indicate that the first device <NUM> is disposed on the first level <NUM>. From this the system controller <NUM> may determine the passenger <NUM> requires elevator service at the first lobby <NUM>.

According to an embodiment the building <NUM> may comprise a distribution of plurality of the power controllers including the first power controller <NUM>. The first data may provide a room identifier whereby the system controller <NUM> determines that the first power controller <NUM> controls power for the room <NUM>.

According to an embodiment a third device <NUM> may be in the room <NUM>. The third device <NUM> may be a card controller in operational communication with the first power controller <NUM>. When the card controller <NUM> determines a card <NUM> is removed from the card controller <NUM>, the first power controller <NUM> may set power to the one or more utilities in the room <NUM> to the off state. According to an embodiment the one or more utilities includes an air conditioning unit.

According to an embodiment when the system controller <NUM> renders the second determination, if the elevator car <NUM> is at the second lobby, the first instructions include the elevator car <NUM> traveling to the first lobby <NUM> and idling at the first lobby <NUM> until engages by the passenger.

According to an embodiment the plurality of devices communicate with the system controller <NUM> over a wireless network. The wireless network <NUM> may be a personal area network (PAN), for example, Bluetooth, accessible through one or more PAN beacons <NUM>.

According to the above embodiments a system is disclosed which may continuously monitor door states available in a building/hotel from a controller which may be a lock management system (LMS). Whenever a door lock state is active/locked and the guest (passenger) is not in the room (which may be confirmed by checking a state of an air conditioner power supply inside the room), the system may obtain corresponding level information of the room from the LMS. The system may then instruct an elevator to provide service on the same level as the room so as to provide service to the passenger. For example a guest is allocated a room on a level in a hotel. Within the room, when the guest (passenger) removes the key card from the key card holder, the power supply controller turns power off in the room. When the door is locked as the person leaves the room, the system may read both the data from the lock management system and the energy management system to determine that guest (passenger) has left the room. Then the system may send an elevator to the level of the guest. Before the guest (passenger) arrives near the elevator, the assigned elevator may arrive to provide elevator service.

As used herein, "smart devices" may contain one or more processors capable of communication using with other such devices by applying wired and/or wireless telecommunication protocols. Non-limiting examples of a smart device include a mobile phone, personal data assistant (PDA), tablet, watch, wearable or other processor-based devices. Protocols applied by smart devices may include local area network (LAN) protocols and/or a private area network (PAN) protocols. LAN protocols may apply Wi-Fi technology, which is a technology based on the Section <NUM> standards from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE. PAN protocols include, for example, Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE), which is a wireless technology standard designed and marketed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) for exchanging data over short distances using short-wavelength radio waves. PAN protocols may also include Zigbee, a technology based on Section <NUM>. <NUM> protocols from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). More specifically, Zigbee represents a suite of high-level communication protocols used to create personal area networks with small, low-power digital radios for low-power low-bandwidth needs, and is best suited for small scale projects using wireless connections. Wireless protocols may further include short range communication (SRC) protocols, which may be utilized with radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. RFID may be used for communicating with an integrated chip (IC) on an RFID smartcard. Wireless protocols may further include long range, low powered wide area network (LoRa and LPWAN) protocols that enable low data rate communications to be made over long distances by sensors and actuators for machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

As described above, embodiments can be in the form of processorimplemented processes and devices for practicing those processes, such as a processor.

Claim 1:
A building comprising an elevator system and a first device (<NUM>);
the elevator system (<NUM>) comprising:
a system controller (<NUM>) that communicates with the first device (<NUM>) and responsively controls an elevator car (<NUM>) for transporting a passenger (<NUM>),
the system controller (<NUM>) is configured to render a plurality of determinations for transporting the passenger (<NUM>), including:
a first determination that the first device (<NUM>) is transmitting first data that is indicative of the passenger (<NUM>) seeking elevator service,
a second determination to assign the elevator car (<NUM>) to provide elevator service to the passenger (<NUM>), and
the system controller (<NUM>) is configured to transmit a first instruction to the elevator car (<NUM>) to effect the second determination; and
characterized in that:
the first device (<NUM>) receives a communication indicating that the power to one or more devices in a room (<NUM>) is in an off state.