Abstract:
A method for the selection of the most favorable elevator of a elevator installation having at least two elevator groups, wherein a route with changeovers is available for reaching a destination floor from a start floor, the route being broken down into several stretches. An elevator of one of the elevator groups is allocated to each of the stretches solving the multi-route problem in a destination call multi-group control with journeys involving changeovers.
Abstract:
The present invention improves the performance of the group control of elevators by shortening the waiting time for connections to the top floor in a system composed of a plurality double deck elevators having upper decks (1aU)null(1eU) and lower decks (1aL)null(1eL), respectively.
Abstract:
A rule base storing control rule sets simulates the behavior of each car of an elevator system in real time by assigning scanning to each car which is caused to run until the direction of running is reversed, while applying a specified rule set in the rule base to the current traffic condition, and predicts group supervisory control performance upon application of the specified rule set. In response to the results of performance prediction, an optimal rule set is selected and a real time simulation can be carried out during a group supervisory control operation, so that group supervisory control can be performed on multiple elevator cars while applying the optimal rule set at all times, thus providing excellent service.
Abstract:
The present invention prepares a rule base storing a plurality of control rule sets, simulates the behavior of each car in real time by assigning scanning to each car which is caused to run until the direction of running thereof is reversed while applying a specified rule set in the rule base to the current traffic condition, and predicts group supervisory control performance which is obtained upon application of the specified rule set. In response to the results of performance prediction, an optimal rule set is selected and a real time simulation can be carried out during a group supervisory control operation, so that group supervisory control can be performed on a plurality of elevators while applying thereto the optimal rule set at all times, thus providing excellent service.
Abstract:
A method and an apparatus for elevator group control, capable of performing the elevator car allocation control with the evaluation characteristics and the control parameters which are most appropriate for a unique situation of each building. In the apparatus, a hall call allocation control to determine a most appropriate one of the elevator cars to respond to a hall call produced at one of the destination floor, is performed by carrying out evaluations in accordance with a given traffic demand of the elevator system; and the control parameters to be utilized in carrying out the evaluations, are determined in accordance with a response resulting from the hall call allocation control and the given traffic demand.
Abstract:
A method of controlling a group of elevators allocates target calls definitively and immediately to the individual elevators for serving the call according to higher rank and lower rank function requirements and these allocations are indicated immediately at the call input floors. A weighted sum corresponding to higher rank function requirements is formed from partial operating costs, this sum is modified into operating costs in the sense of lower rank function requirements by means of variable bonus and penalty point factors and a target call is allocated to the elevator with the lowest operating costs. A target call allocation algorithm with subordinate algorithms for the bonus and penalty point tracking and the costs computation implements this method in a computer. The bonus and penalty point factors are continuously made to follow the traffic volume or the car load group by group or elevator by elevator with the tracking algorithm. The computation of the operating costs takes place in the costs computation algorithm according to a special costs formula, wherein the readjusted bonus and penalty point factors act multiplicatively on a six term partial costs sum.
Abstract:
The utility of assigning each car of an elevator system to service a hall call is determined by estimating the performance of each elevator car using a plurality of performance criteria. The performance criteria are then scaled by values indicative of the customer preferences for elevator system performance in order to form a plurality of scaled performance fuzzy sets. An assignment utility fuzzy set is formed from terms of the scaled performance fuzzy sets. The utility of assigning each car to service a particular hall call is then set equal to the maximum value of the degrees of membership of all of the terms of the scaled performance fuzzy sets. Alternatively, the utility of assigning each car to service a particular hall call can be set equal to the minimum value of the degrees of membership of all of the terms of the scaled performance fuzzy sets.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to the grouping of contiguous floors in a building into sectors. According to the present invention, historical information regarding the number of passengers arriving at each floor is obtained and used to predict the number of passengers to be arriving at each of the floors. By summing the predicted traffic per floor and dividing by the number of sectors to be formed, average traffic per sector can be determined. In the preferred embodiment, sectors are formed, starting from the first floor above the lobby and continuing through to the top floor in the building, by selecting a set of contiguous floors for each sector such that the predicted traffic for each sector is less than a predetermined threshold. Specifically, if the predicted traffic for a selectable next contiguous floor, added to the predicted traffic for all contiguous floors already selected for the sector, is less than the predetermined threshold, the selectable floor is included in the sector. Otherwise, another sector is begun with the selectable floor as the bottom floor in the other sector. In the preferred embodiment, the predetermined threshold is based on the determined average traffic per sector. In another aspect of the present invention, the frequency of service of elevator cars to each sector is variable. The traffic volume for each formed sector is determined and compared with the determined average traffic per sector. The frequency of service of elevator cars to each sector is variable, based on this comparison. Thus, sectors having a larger traffic volume are serviced more often, relative to sectors having a smaller traffic volume.
Abstract:
An elevator system employing a micro-processor-based group controller (FIG. 2) communicating with the cars (3, 4) to assign cars to hall calls based on a Relative System Response (RSR) approach. However, rather than using unvarying bonuses and penalties, the assigned bonuses and penalties are varied using "artificial intellience" techniques based on combined historic and real time traffic predictions to predict the number of people behind a hall call, and, calculating and using the average boarding and de-boarding rates at "en route" stops, and the expected car load at the hall call floor. Prediction of the number of people waiting behind hall calls for a few minute intervals are made using traffic levels measured during the past few time intervals on that day as real time predictors, using a linear exponential smoothing model, and traffic levels measured during similar time intervals on previous similar days as historic traffic predictors, using a single exponential smoothing model. The remaining capacity in the car at the hall call floor is matched to the waiting queue using a hall call mismatch penalty. The car stop and hall stop penalties are varied based on the number of people behind the hall call and the variable dwell times at "en route" stops. The stopping of a heavily loaded car to pick up a few people is penalized using a car load penalty. These enhancements to RSR result in equitable distribution of car stops and car loads, thus improving handling capacity and reducing waiting and service times.
Abstract:
An elevator control system employing a micro-processor-based group controller (FIG. 2), which communicates with the cars (3, 4) of the system to determine the conditions of the cars, and responds to hall calls registered at a plurality of landings in the building serviced by the cars under control of the group controller, assigning hall calls to cars based on the summation for each car, relative to each call, a weighted summation of a plurality of system response factors, some indicative, and some not, of conditions of the car irrespective of the call being assigned, assigning varying "bonuses" and "penalties" to them in the weighted summation. "Artificial intelligence" techniques are used to predict traffic levels and any crowd build up at various floors to better assign one or more cars to the "crowd" predicted floors, either parking them there, if they were empty, or more appropriately assigning car(s) to the hall calls. Traffic levels at various floors are predicted by collecting passengers and car stop counts in real time and using real time and historic prediction for the traffic levels, with single exponential smoothing and/or linear exponential smoothing. Predicted passenger arrival counts are used to predict any crowd at fifteen second intervals at floors where significant traffic is predicted. Crowd prediction is then adjusted for any hall call stops made and the number of passengers picked up by the cars. The crowd dynamics are matched to car assignment, with one or more cars being sent to crowded floor(s).