Patent Description:
Elevator requests made by a user/passenger may require the passenger to determine a source and destination floor, which may not be apparent in a building with more than one floor and more than one elevator lobby on each floor.

<CIT> describes a system comprising a user device and a computing device configured to receive registration information including the identity of a tenant within a building. The system is configured to cause an identity of the tenant to be provided by the user device based on a determination that the at user device is within the threshold distance of the building, and to cause, by the computing device, an elevator car to be dispatched to a floor of the building on which the tenant is located.

<CIT> describes a method for requesting elevator service using a portable terminal device, in which service request options are stored in a memory of the portable terminal device, and may be selected by a user of the device, causing a service request to be sent to a server of a communication system, which subsequently executes the service request.

<CIT> describes an online communication device mobile application and tablet computer mobile application based system to directly connect visitors with tenants in commercial and residential buildings.

Disclosed is an elevator system according to claim <NUM>.

Also disclosed is a method for operating an elevator system according to claim <NUM>.

In some embodiments the first determination includes the controller transmitting to the passenger a list of tenants within the building and the controller receiving from the passenger a selection of the tenant.

In some embodiments the controller is configured to effect the second transmission upon the passenger entering the building.

In some embodiments when the controller determines that the passenger is outside the building, the second determination includes providing landmark information to the passenger while directing the passenger to the first lobby.

In some embodiments when rendering the second determination the controller is configured to communicate with a second mobile device with the tenant to determine a location of the tenant within the building.

In some embodiments the system comprises a plurality of elevators including the first elevator and a second elevator, wherein when rendering the second determination the controller is configured to determine the first elevator is distance-wise closer to the tenant than the second elevator.

In some embodiments the controller is configured to communicate with the first mobile device over one or more of a first personal area network and a wide area network.

In some embodiments the controller is configured to communicate with the first mobile device over the first personal area network when the first mobile device is within the building and over the wide area network when the first mobile device is outside the building.

In some embodiments the controller communicates with the second mobile device over a second personal area network to determine the tenant is located on the second level.

In some embodiments the system comprises a plurality of telecommunication beacons respectively disposed on the plurality of levels through which the controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of mobile devices including the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

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>.

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 disclosure.

Turning to <FIG>, disclosed is an elevator system <NUM> in a building <NUM> having a plurality of levels <NUM> with a respective plurality of lobbies <NUM>, including a first level <NUM> having a first lobby <NUM> and a second level <NUM> having a second lobby <NUM>. The system <NUM> includes a first elevator car <NUM> for transporting a passenger <NUM> with a first mobile device <NUM> between the plurality of lobbies <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the system <NUM> may comprise a controller <NUM> that communicates with the first mobile device <NUM> and responsively controls the first elevator car <NUM>.

Turning to <FIG>, the controller <NUM> performs a process S200 of providing elevator service to the passenger <NUM>. Step S200 includes the controller <NUM> being configured to render a plurality of determinations. At step S210 the controller <NUM> renders a first determination that the passenger <NUM> is seeking to engage a tenant <NUM>, whom is a building tenant. At step S220 the controller <NUM> renders a second determination to provide directional information between a current location of the passenger <NUM> and the first lobby <NUM>.

At step S230 the controller <NUM> renders a third determination to assign the first elevator car <NUM> to transport the passenger <NUM> from the first lobby <NUM> to the second lobby <NUM> to engage the tenant <NUM>. Step S230 may include the controller <NUM> effecting a plurality of transmissions. At step S240 the controller <NUM> effects a first transmission to the first mobile device <NUM> to effect the second determination. At step S250 the controller <NUM> effects a second transmission to the first elevator car <NUM> to effect the third determination.

According to an embodiment the first determination may include the controller <NUM> transmitting to the passenger a list of tenants <NUM> within the building <NUM> and the controller <NUM> receiving from the passenger <NUM> a selection of the tenant <NUM>. According to an embodiment the controller <NUM> may affect the second transmission upon the passenger <NUM> entering the building <NUM>. This way, if the tenant <NUM> moves around the building <NUM> while the passenger <NUM> is traveling to the building <NUM>, elevator service will not need to be reassigned.

According to an embodiment when the controller <NUM> determines that the passenger <NUM> is outside the building <NUM>, the second determination may include providing the passenger <NUM> with landmark information <NUM> along with the directions to the first lobby <NUM>. For example, the controller <NUM> may instruct the first mobile device <NUM> to graphically illustrate street identifiers <NUM>, restaurants <NUM>, pharmacies (Rx) <NUM> and other landmarks on a walking and/or driving path <NUM> between a current location of the passenger and the building. For example, the first mobile device <NUM> may be a mobile phone, tablet or the like with a graphical user interface on which such illustration may be provided.

According to an embodiment when rendering the second determination the controller <NUM> communicates with a second mobile device <NUM> with the tenant <NUM> to determine a location in the building <NUM> for the tenant <NUM>. For example, the building <NUM> has a plurality of elevators <NUM> including the first elevator <NUM> and a second elevator car <NUM>. Wherein when rendering the second determination, the controller <NUM> determines the first elevator <NUM> is distance-wise closer to the tenant <NUM> than the second elevator <NUM>.

According to an embodiment the controller <NUM> communicates with the first mobile device <NUM> over one or more of a first personal area network <NUM> and a wide area network <NUM>. More specifically the controller <NUM> may communicate with the first mobile device <NUM> over the first personal area network <NUM> when the first mobile device <NUM> is within the building <NUM> and over the wide area network <NUM> when the first mobile device <NUM> is outside the building <NUM>. Access to the wide area network may be form a cellular network.

According to an embodiment, the controller <NUM> communicates with the second mobile device <NUM> over a second personal area network <NUM> to determine the tenant <NUM> is located on the second level <NUM>. According to an embodiment the system <NUM> includes a plurality of telecommunication beacons <NUM> respectively disposed on the plurality of levels <NUM> through which the controller <NUM> communicates with a plurality of mobile devices including the first mobile device <NUM> and the second mobile device <NUM>. According to an embodiment the personal area network is a Bluetooth network.

As described above, a mobile application may help direct a user outside a building to a tenant inside a building as well as to an appropriate elevator lobby within the building. The system may place an elevator call once the user is inside the building.

Claim 1:
An elevator system (<NUM>) in a building (<NUM>) having a plurality of levels (<NUM>) with a respective plurality of lobbies (<NUM>), including a first level (<NUM>) having a first lobby (<NUM>) and a second level (<NUM>) having a second lobby (<NUM>), the system (<NUM>) including a plurality of elevators including a first elevator (<NUM>) and a second elevator (<NUM>) for transporting a passenger (<NUM>) with a first mobile device (<NUM>) between the plurality of lobbies (<NUM>),
the system (<NUM>) comprising a controller (<NUM>) that is configured to communicate with the first mobile device (<NUM>) and to responsively control the first elevator (<NUM>) to provide elevator service to the passenger (<NUM>),
the controller (<NUM>) being configured to render a plurality of determinations including:
a first determination that the passenger (<NUM>) is seeking to engage a tenant (<NUM>), whom is a building tenant,
a second determination to provide directional information between a current location of the passenger (<NUM>) and the first lobby (<NUM>),
a third determination to assign the first elevator (<NUM>) to transport the passenger (<NUM>) from the first lobby (<NUM>) to the second lobby (<NUM>) to engage the tenant (<NUM>),
the controller (<NUM>) being configured to effect a plurality of transmissions including:
a first transmission to the first mobile device (<NUM>) to effect the second determination, and
a second transmission to the first elevator (<NUM>) to effect the third determination;
characterized in that:
when rendering the second determination the controller (<NUM>) is configured to determine that the first elevator (<NUM>) is distance-wise closer to the tenant (<NUM>) than the second elevator (<NUM>).