Abstract:
An elevator system is shown that includes an elevator shaft (12) in building (10) and a plurality of elevator cars (C.sub.1, C.sub.2 and C.sub.3) that are movable up and down within the shaft along vertical axis (20). The elevator cars are independently movable by drive motors (D.sub.1, D.sub.2 and D.sub.3) attached to the cars through hoisting cables (24, 28 and 34). The motors are controlled by motor controllers (MC.sub.1, MC.sub.2 and MC.sub.3) which, in turn are controlled by a computer (62) having as inputs service and destination requests, load weight and car location. Different operating modes are shown (FIGS. 5-8) including one in which serviced floors (F.sub.1 through F.sub.16) are serviced by no more than one elevator car at a time, and the cars travel sequentially from one end floor to the other end floor (FIGS. 5 and 6). Simultaneous servicing of a plurality of different floors is shown (FIGS. 7 and 8) and travel of empty elevator cars to a designated floor without responding to floor calls also is shown (FIGS. 6 and 8). Counterweights (CW.sub.1, CW.sub.2 and CW.sub.3) are attached by cables to the respective elevator cars (C.sub.1, C.sub.2 and C.sub.3), which counterweights travel along a vertical axis (38) laterally displaced from the elevator car axis (20). Shock absorbers (54) are provided for absorbing impact of accidental collision between adjacent counterweights (FIG. 3 ) which shock absorbers include coil springs (58) and dashpots (60).
Abstract:
Elevator group supervisory control method and system for group supervisory control of a plurality of elevators serving a plurality of floors. The method and apparatus of the invention permits the inputting of qualitative requests (guidance), from the user, concerning elevator operation into the group supervisory control system. Qualitative requests concerning elevator operation are set in the form of guidance (or request) targets. The thus set request, targets are converted into control targets for the elevators. Actual group supervisory control is executed using the control targets.
Abstract:
In a group-management control apparatus for an elevator system with plural elevators capable of serving plural floors, hall calls are allotted to adaptive elevators in accordance with a predetermined hall call allotment algorithm, for the purpose of achieving desired control targets. Plural kinds of the hall call allotment algorithm with different schemes are provided in advance, and the predetermined hall call allotment algorithm is selected therefrom by a reasoning operation, which is executed in accordance with a reasoning rule selected from among a plurality of reasoning rules empirically provided in advance on the basis of the desired control targets and an operating state of the elevators.
Abstract:
A demand estimation apparatus for controlling machines according to revised estimated demand values wherein estimated demand values are calculated by dividing demand cycles which are fluctuating similarly cyclically into a plurality of sections (time zones), an adjusting section is interposed between each two sections adjoining each other, and an estimate of the fluctuation of the demand is determined based on measurements of both the demand value of the adjusting section and the demand values of the two adjoining sections, and wherein the estimated demand value of each adjusting section is compared with the estimated demand values of the respective two adjoining sections and, based on the comparison, each adjusting section is moved as a whole toward one of the adjoining sections by a predetermined time width when the estimated demand value of the adjusting section more closely approximates the estimated demand value of that one of the adjoining section than the other adjoining section, thus modifying the time widths of both adjoining sections, and the estimated demand value is revised to account to for fluctuations in the demand within the shifted adjusting section and modified adjoining sections.
Abstract:
The present invention discloses a solution for allocating hall calls in an elevator system (X, Y), which comprises call input devices (110, 210) for registering hall calls at the floors (F0 - F10), a group control system (101, 201, 301, 304) responsive to said hall calls, and a number of elevators (A, B, C, D) controlled by elevator-specific elevator controllers (120, 303) on the basis of commands issued by the group control system (101, 201, 301, 304). A number of route alternatives (302) are generated on the basis of the calls active, and allocation calculation is decentralized by calculating elevator-specific cost terms associated with the route alternatives (302) in the elevator controllers (120, 303). The cost terms are returned to the group control system (101, 201, 301, 304), which allocates the hall calls to the elevators (A, B, C, D) according to the route alternative (302) giving the lowest allocation cost.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for the fuzzy control of an elevator group, for optimising the energy consumption, of the type used by systems for controlling vertical transport elevators, characterised in that it comprises steps of evaluating the energy aptitude of each car and assigning the floor calls in a certain order according to (i) a first absolute energy assessment (1); (ii) a second relative energy assessment (5); and (iii) a third assessment according to the contiguity (8) of the calls.
Abstract:
The invention relates to an arrangement and a method for limiting the electricity consumption of an elevator system. In the method, the operation of the elevator system (10) is measured; the electricity consumption of the elevator system is adjusted according to the operating mode; in a certain operating mode, one or more elevators (HA, HB, HC) are selected to be temporarily removed from use,- and also the electricity supply to the elevators (HA, HB, HC) that are selected to be temporarily removed from use is disconnected.
Abstract:
The present invention discloses a method for optimal routing of the elevators in an elevator system in a situation where the supply power received by the system is limited e.g. due to emergency power operation. In the invention, routes are optimized by using a cost function to which has been added a term containing the summed instantaneous power consumed. Power consumption is monitored in real time, and the elevators need a start permission from the control system. A route alternative that exceeds the power limit is penalized in the cost function by a so-called penal term. With the elevator routing obtained as a result, the instantaneous power consumed by the system remains continuously below the set power limit. Some call can thus be postponed to be served later. By the method of the invention, the number of elevators serving passengers in an emergency power situation can be varied dynamically .