Patent ID: 12240733

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

An elevator-calling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIGS.1to3. As shown inFIG.1, an elevator-calling device1includes a front panel11and a back casing12. The front panel11may include a display screen14and a rotatable button13. A circuit board and a processor16and an assistant sound generating unit15and other components arranged on the circuit board may be disposed in a cavity between the front panel11and the back casing12. Specifically, as shown inFIG.3, the elevator-calling device1further includes the processor16and the assistant sound generating unit15. The processor16is configured to receive an input instruction and send an elevator-calling signal and a preset target floor signal to a main controller2of the elevator system. The assistant sound generating unit15is used for voice broadcasting. The processor16is connected to the display device14, the rotatable button13, and the assistant sound generating unit15, respectively, e.g., through an interface, a wire, or a circuit board. In some embodiments, the display device14may be, for example, a touchable display device for inputting a preset target floor instruction in a conventional elevator-calling mode. For example, an ordinary person may set a preset target floor through the touchable display device14. After receiving the input information of the preset target floor, the processor16sends an elevator-calling signal and a preset target floor signal to the main controller2, which then dispatches the elevator to perform this task and transport ordinary passengers to a desired floor.

The rotatable button13may be used dedicatedly for the disabled, such as blind or deaf or dumb person. The rotatable button13is connected to the processor16and is pressable and rotatable in a first direction (such as clockwise) and a second direction (such as counterclockwise) opposite to the first direction. The rotatable button13has an initial zero scale, that is, the rotatable button13is located at the zero scale when not operated. The processor16is configured to have an assistant elevator-calling mode to serve the disabled. In some embodiments, the assistant elevator-calling mode may be entered by pressing the rotatable button at the zero scale and/or by rotating the rotatable button; in other words, in different systems, the processor16may be configured to enter the assistant elevator-calling mode when the rotatable button is pressed, or enter the assistant elevator-calling mode when the rotatable button is rotated, or enter the assistant elevator-calling mode by using any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the assistant elevator-calling mode may also be entered by means of sound acquisition and the like. In the assistant elevator-calling mode, the preset target floor is increased when the rotatable button rotates in the first direction, the preset target floor is decreased when the rotatable button rotates in the second direction, and the preset target floor is confirmed when the rotatable button is pressed again at a non-zero scale. Since the embodiment of the present disclosure uses a pressable and rotatable button in place of the design of a single button, it is friendly to the disabled such as the blind person, and the elevator-calling and the setting of the preset floor can be realized by for example merely pressing the button for two times and rotating the button for one time during the entire elevator-calling process. In addition, even in case of misoperation in which the button is rotated to a wrong floor, it is only required to continue to rotate the button for example in the opposite direction so that the correct floor can be selected again, and there is no need to reselect.

With continued reference toFIG.2, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the rotatable button3may include a cover portion and a button body. The cover portion may have a Braille132and/or a symbol131of the disabled and a symbol133of the zero scale. When the rotatable button3is not rotating, the symbol133of the zero scale may face upward, and the Braille132and/or the symbol131of the disabled may be well oriented. In some embodiments, the rotatable button13may be provided with a reset mechanism such as a reset spring, which is configured to automatically reset the rotatable button13to a position of the zero scale after the operation of the rotatable button13is completed.

In some embodiments, the body134of the rotatable button13may be a rotary encoder having a connection port135for connecting to, for example, a circuit board. The rotary encoder may send a specific combination of different signals when rotating by each scale in a forward or reverse direction. For example, when the rotatable button13rotates by one scale clockwise, the encoder outputs signals “01”, “00”, “10” and “11” in sequence; when the rotatable button13rotates by one scale counterclockwise, the encoder outputs signals “10”, “00”, “01” and “11” in sequence; and the processor16increases or decreases the preset target floor based on the combination of signals. In some embodiments, the rotatable button13is configured with a scale tactile sensation when rotating, that is, a tactile sensation is fed back to the user each time the rotatable button13rotates by a scale, so that a blind person can sense the number of adjusted scales by touching and the corresponding adjustment amount of the preset target floor. In some embodiments, the processor16is configured to take the floor of the elevator-calling device as the initial preset target floor when entering the assistant elevator-calling mode, wherein each time the rotatable button rotates by a tactile scale in the first direction, the preset target floor is increased by one, and each time the rotatable button rotates by a tactile scale in the second direction, the preset target floor is decreased by one. Alternatively, the 1stfloor may also be used as the initial preset target floor. In some embodiments, the assistant sound generating unit15sends a prompt of operation mode when entering the assistant elevator-calling mode, for example, it broadcasts an operation guidance to inform the operator how to operate. For example, it may broadcast “Please set a preset floor by rotating the button, the floor will be increased by clockwise rotation, and will be decreased by counterclockwise rotation”. In some embodiments, the assistant sound generating unit broadcasts the preset target floor and prompts the user to confirm, when the rotatable button3stays at a non-zero scale for more than a preset time t. For example, in the assistant elevator-calling mode, if the user rotates the rotatable button3and holds it for t seconds, such as 1 second, 1.5 seconds, etc., then the assistant sound generating unit may ask, for example, “Do you want to go to the Lthfloor, please press the button to confirm”, etc. At this point, if the user deems that the floor is not the floor he/she wants to go to, he/she may continue to rotate the rotatable button13until the floor he/she wants to go to is found. In some embodiments, the display device14displays the preset target floor in the assistant elevator-calling mode, so that a non-blind person or other person may confirm the preset target floor.

An application scenario of the elevator-calling device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be assumed as follows. If a disabled person, such as a blind person, wants to go from the A floor such as the 5thfloor to the B floor such as the 2ndfloor, then he/she presses the rotatable button13to enter the assistant elevator-calling mode. At this point, the display device14displays that the initial preset target floor is the 5thfloor, and the assistant sound generating unit15broadcasts the operation guidance. Subsequently, the blind person may rotate the rotatable button13counterclockwise so that it passes by three scales. Since the scale provides a tactile sensation, the blind person can sense the number of scales rotated by. When the rotatable button13rotates to the scale and pauses for 1 second, the assistant sound generating unit15broadcasts “Do you want to go to the 2ndfloor, please press the button to confirm”, and then the blind person presses the button. The processor16receives the input instruction, and sends the elevator-calling signal and the preset target floor signal to the main controller2. The main controller2dispatches the elevator to perform the current task and transport the blind person to the 2ndfloor. Even if one excessive scale is rotated by when the blind person rotates the rotatable button13, the assistant sound generating unit15still broadcasts “Do you want to go to the 1stfloor, please confirm”. In this case, the blind person may further rotate the rotatable button13clockwise by one scale, and then press the button without reselecting. It can be seen that the elevator-calling device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is simple to operate and is friendly to the disabled.

In another aspect, an elevator system is further provided, which includes: one or more elevators; a main controller configured to control the one or more elevators; and the elevator-calling device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure disposed at one or more floors.

The specific embodiments described above are merely for describing the principle of the present disclosure more clearly, and various components are clearly illustrated or depicted to make it easier to understand the principle of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art can readily make various modifications or changes to the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood that these modifications or changes should be included within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.