Otis Elevator Company

Michael P Flynn

Jannah A Stanley

Dennis Hanvey

Allen Patenaude

Vlad Zaharia

Wade A Montague

Harold Terry

Alberto Vecchiotti

Daniel S Williams

Paul A Stranieri

Richard J Mangini

Matthew Joyce

Vijay Jayachandran

John Eschenbrenner

Randall Lee Greenberg

Tarique Faruki

Christopher S Pietrzykowski

Gary Pisarsky

Jerrold C Bloom

Greg Barnes

Slawomir Drabot

Simon Shang

Paul H Ouellette

Ken Woronoff

Leslie Earl Grey

Max P Prinsen

Vincent M Maurino

Lee A Hornfischer

Stanley P Urban

A method of operating an elevator system includes presenting a credential at a security panel disposed at an elevator system landing of a public area of a building. If the presented credential is correct a contact between the security panel and an elevator control system is opened. Opening of the contact allows for placement of a call via the elevator control system for an elevator car to the landing. An elevator system includes one or more elevator cars located in one or more hoistways. An elevator control system controls movement of the elevator cars. A security panel is operably connected to the elevator control system and located at an elevator system landing. Presenting a correct credential at the security panel opens a contact between the security panel and the elevator control system thus initiating a call of an elevator car of the one or more elevator cars to the landing.

Security system for elevator

An exemplary elevator destination entry system includes a passenger interface device that presents a visual representation of at least one item that will accompany a passenger on an elevator car. The passenger interface allows the passenger to select the visual representation. A controller is configured to receive indications of passenger requests for elevator service and an indication from the passenger interface device regarding a selected visual representation. The controller determines an amount of space within an elevator car required to accommodate the item based on predetermined space information corresponding to the selected visual representation. The controller assigns a car to a passenger request based on a determination that the assigned car will have adequate space to accommodate the passenger and the item.

Elevator passenger interface including images for requesting additional space allocation

An exemplary elevator passenger interface device includes a touch screen configured to allow a passenger to indicate a request for elevator service by touching the screen. An assistance button is positioned near the touch screen. A controller is configured to determine a destination requested by a passenger touching the screen. The controller is also configured to determine whether the assistance button has been manipulated and then to determine a destination requested by a passenger from a subsequent manipulation of the assistance button.

Elevator passenger interface including special assistance features

An exemplary method of controlling an elevator system includes determining that a temporary heavy traffic condition exists that includes a plurality of passengers requiring elevator service from an originating floor in the building that is distinct from a lobby floor. At least one elevator car out of a plurality of elevator cars within the building is temporarily dedicated to carry the passengers from the originating floor. A peak travel scheduling strategy is temporarily used for controlling the dedicated elevator car or cars for a selected period of time.

Elevator system with dynamic traffic profile solutions

The present invention relates to a method of controlling access to floor within a building via elevator. The method includes receiving a passenger input indicating a desired destination floor a passenger seeks to travel to in an elevator, accessing a stored database containing data about which floors passengers are allowed to access via elevator when coming from the floor of the passenger input, determining if access is allowed based upon the desired destination floor and the data, and controlling operation of the elevator to deliver the passenger to the desired destination floor if access is allowed.

Controlling access to floors within a building via elevators

An exemplary method for handling passenger requests during elevator system modernization includes modernizing elevator cars over time. The modernized elevator cars are capable of servicing destination requests placed outside of an elevator car and include an indication of a desired destination. The exemplary method includes assigning an elevator car to respond to a new pending destination request according to a selected criterion for selecting between a modernized elevator car and an elevator car that has not yet been modernized. The method includes automatically updating the selected criterion responsive to a change in a number of modernized elevator cars. A percentage of the elevator cars that are not yet modernized are reserved and new pending requests are assigned to a modernized elevator car if a percentage of modernized cars plus the reserved percentage is greater than a current percentage of pending requests assigned to modernized elevator cars.

Method and system for handling passenger requests during an elevator system modernization

An exemplary elevator system includes a first controller configured to recognize a hall call signal that indicates a passenger's desire to board an elevator car at a particular landing. The first controller is associated with at least one elevator car for assigning a hall call request to that elevator car. A second controller is configured to recognize a destination request that indicates a passenger's desire to be carried to a particular level. The destination request originates outside of an elevator car. The second controller is associated with at least one elevator car for assigning a destination request to that elevator car. The second controller is configured to determine whether a selected condition will be satisfied if a received destination request is serviced by an elevator car associated with the second controller. The second controller handles the received destination request in that manner if the condition will be satisfied. A cross dispatcher is configured to communicate with the second controller and to handle the destination request. If the condition will not be satisfied, the cross dispatcher provides an indication of a hall call signal corresponding to the received destination request to the first controller.

Method of handling passenger requests during elevator modernization

An exemplary method of controlling a plurality of elevator cars includes determining that there is a security violation condition involving at least one of the elevator cars at a landing. That elevator car is prevented from moving from the landing until the condition is resolved. The other elevator cars are controlled such that they do not provide elevator service to or from the landing until the condition is resolved.

Security-based elevator control to address a security violation involving at least one elevator car at a landing

A destination entry input device () is commissioned in a group elevator system (). The destination entry input device () is connected to a dispatch controller (). A network address is input into the destination entry input device () corresponding to an installation location of the destination entry input device (). When the network address is input, installation location information related to the installation location of the destination entry input device is downloaded to the destination entry input device () and verified.

Commissioning of elevator hallway fixtures in a destination entry group elevator system

An elevator door assembly () includes a positioner () for controlling an orientation of an elevator door panel () during movement between open and closed positions. The positioner () biases the door in a direction generally perpendicular to the desired direction of door movement. The disclosed example includes a first positioner member () that remains in a fixed position. A second positioner member () is supported for movement with the elevator door (). In disclosed examples, at least one of the positioner members () provides a magnetic field that results in the biasing force. In a disclosed example, opposing polarities on permanent magnets are arranged to provide a repulsive force between the positioner members (), which provides the biasing force on the elevator door.

Controlling elevator door orientation during door movement

An elevator system () uses destination entry dispatching techniques. A passenger interface device () operates in a first mode to allow passengers () to enter destination requests for elevator service. The passenger interface () operates in a second mode to provide at least one additional feature to an authorized individual. The additional feature may be at least one of a service-related function, a security-related function, a monitoring-related function or a communication-related function.

Destination entry passenger interface with multiple functions

A floor selection station () has at least one switch button (-) which visually handicapped people use in selecting floors, and a speaker () to emit a sound uniquely ndicative of which elevator to board. Stations () have a plurality of buttons with Braille indications of groups of floors (-) or individual floors (). A station () has only one button (). Near or at each elevator lobby related to a group of floors serving a building, a floor identifier () identifies with color, and optionally a symbol such as letter, each floor which is served by the group of elevators related to that lobby. At each elevator (-) there is an elevator indicator (-) which displays the same color, and optionally the same symbol, as displayed for any floor which the respective elevator is currently assigned to serve, and a speaker () which emits the same sound as at the floor selection station until the assigned elevator is dispatched.

Correlating sounds to elevators serving destination floors

An elevator car and counterweight system is provided with a variable drag element. The variable drag element is controlled such that the lower of the counterweight and the car has a higher drag against further movement. In an embodiment which is particularly useful in a 2:1 roping system, the sheaves () associated with the counterweight () and the car () receive a braking/drive motor () to provide the variable drag. While the present invention provides the variable drag to compensate for vertical differences between the counterweight and car, the invention can also be utilized to hold the car at a particular floor. Further, this invention can be utilized to address a counterweight or car jump situation. Another disclosed drag element may be a magnetizable member () guided along a guide rail () for each of the car () and the counterweight (). A control controls the magnetic force associated with the guide elements to hold the car or prevent counterweight jump.

Elevator with variable drag for car and counterweight

A traction arrangement for propelling an elevator cab within an elevator system includes a traction device. The traction device applies a load normal to a driving sheave that biases the elevator rope or belt against the sheave. The tension device preferably includes a plurality of rolling members that move about their axes responsive to relative movement between the driving sheave and the rope or belt. A traction belt rides upon the rolling members and the traction belt engages the rope or belt to bias it against the driving sheave with a preferably distributed force.

Elevator pressure traction arrangement

An elevator speed measurement system includes a reflective sensing device that is supported within the hoistway. In one example, the reflective sensing device is a radar-type device that is supported for movement with the cab through the hoistway. Reflected signals off of a structural component within the hoistway provides information regarding speed of movement of the cab in the hoistway. The speed signals are then transmitted to a remotely located receiver that provides an indication to a technician of the speed of the elevator movement.

Growing community of inventors

Avon, CT, United States of America

Michael P Flynn