JP3029883B2 - Elevator system, control device therefor, and method of adjusting operation of elevator car - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an elevator system having an improved method for selecting an operating profile of an elevator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Elevator car operation control involves adjusting the movement of an elevator car from a departure floor to a destination floor. Car operation uses a jerk rate, an acceleration rate and a deceleration rate to adjust the rate of change of acceleration and speed to maintain the forces acting on the passengers in the car in a subjective comfort zone. Is controlled by A typical driving profile is also the maximum required speed (known as the contracted speed) reached by the elevator car during long inter-floor runs.
Contains. In particular, a feedback loop is used to regulate car operation when decelerating to a stop until approaching the destination floor.

[0003]

In short running, once,
After leaving the departure floor and being accelerated to the maximum speed, the elevator car moves at the maximum speed. The elevator car then continues to move at full speed until it must decelerate to stop on the destination floor. For both short and long runs, if the elevator car accelerates or decelerates faster, while the elevator car reaches a high speed in a short run or runs for a long time at the highest speed in the run, the total flight time ( The time between the closing of the elevator door on the departure floor and the opening of the door on the destination floor) is reduced. By reducing the floor-to-floor flight time, the waiting time for passengers waiting for the elevator car to arrive is reduced, and the overall capacity of the elevator system for moving people is increased.

During periods of low traffic, jerk rates, acceleration rates, and deceleration rates increase the floor-to-floor flight time without increasing the waiting time of passengers waiting for the elevator car beyond desired levels. The passenger comfort level is reduced while increasing the smoothness of the ride and maintaining sufficient elevator system capacity to serve all passengers.

[0005] The operating profile selected for operating elevator cars in the past has not changed with usage or operating parameters. Therefore, the selected driving profile has a jerk rate and an acceleration rate for a smooth ride even when there are no passengers in the car. And the time it takes for the elevator car to reach the destination floor from the departure floor even if it is empty than if it was driven immediately at the highest available acceleration or jerk rate to accelerate to the contracted speed Takes longer. Therefore, when the elevator car has no passengers, operating the elevator car with a high-speed driving profile that reduces the flight time increases the overall elevator system capacity and reduces the average waiting time of passengers waiting for the elevator car. It is possible.

[0006] Elevator system designers generally pre-select a particular operating profile for each elevator system. This driving profile is a compromise between fast flight times and increased comfort. The profile selected for each elevator will further vary depending on the particular market in which the elevator is installed, the level of comfort required and the expectations of the passengers for the needs of high-speed service. For example, Far Eastern passengers prefer driving profiles with relatively slow jerk and acceleration rates for a smoother and more comfortable ride, and willingness to wait longer for elevator cars to arrive than passengers in other regions. Have. Typical North American passengers are less concerned about comfort, faster flight times and reduced waiting times. Therefore, North American passengers prefer to drive the elevator car with a high speed profile that slightly reduces passenger comfort due to higher acceleration and jerk rates.

The present invention provides a compromise between comfort and capacity in preselecting various specific driving profiles that maximize passenger comfort while maintaining sufficient elevator system capacity for all passengers. It is the one that minimizes the problem of making.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the shortest flight times to serve high traffic, when the speed of the car has become most effective in providing improved building services, the present invention provides a method for increasing the traffic speed. An operation profile having a higher jerk rate, acceleration rate and deceleration rate is used for a car assigned to handle traffic.

[0009] Thereafter, when the average waiting time of such a car dropped to a relatively low level indicated that it was not a high traffic volume, the driving profile and the driving parameters would increase the increased passenger comfort. To return to normal pace. As such, the car will return to a profile with lower jerk, acceleration and deceleration rates.

The selection of the operating profile is made based on factors based on traffic intensity, such as program input, up-peak or down-peak traffic levels or average registration time. During those periods, if there is an additional need for elevator service, high speed driving profiles (driving profiles with high jerk rates, acceleration rates and deceleration rates are used to reduce the flight time between floors. Elevator services When the demand for
Low speed driving profile (lower acceleration rate, jerk rate,
A driving profile having a deceleration rate is selected, and the driving profile is continued to achieve a desired level of elevator service while providing an improved comfortable ride.

The present invention relates to an elevator system having variable speed motive means for dispatching an elevator car between floors in a building in accordance with a driving profile. A choice is made between various driving profiles to provide enhanced passenger comfort while maintaining sufficient elevator capacity to serve the building's elevator needs.
The lowest speed driving profile that maintains sufficient elevator service for the building is usually selected. Detection of pre-emptive events, e.g. operator overrides Overrides scheduled for a pre-selected time period or peaks in a building, e.g., an up-peak or down-peak period during office building work day departures. A different profile is selected when a peak period occurs when there is a traffic pattern.

The signal processing means is connected to provide an input signal to a control system of the elevator system to control the operation of the car. The signal processing means comprises operating profile means for generating at least two elevator car operating profiles. One of the driving profiles acts to cause the motive means to transpose the car so that the transit time between floors decreases, and the other driving profile transposes the car so that the transit time between floors increases. It is provided to select what is used to control the motive means.

The selection of a particular driving profile is such that the elevator car arrives at the departure floor corresponding to the hall call from the average registration time, when the hall button is pressed and the departure floor for the hall call button is indicated. Based on time period up to time. This time is an indicator of the traffic intensity. A continuous range of measurements indicating traffic intensity is stored, and when the level of detected traffic intensity is in that range, the corresponding driving profile selected for each range is used. Alternatively, the selection is made based on a prediction of the expected number of passengers or a prediction of the expected average waiting time of the passengers.

The selection of a particular driving profile is also based on the presence or absence of passengers in the elevator car.

Based on the detection of peak load conditions, such as a morning up-peak of an office building or a down-peak at the end of the day, the elevator car operating profile with the shortest flight time is selected to increase the system capacity of the elevator. Is done. The peak load condition may depart from a lobby having a preselected level of loading passengers within various factors, for example, within a certain time period of each other 2
One car, a load sensor for detecting the passenger load of each elevator car (load), a crowd sensor for indicating a large number of people waiting for one or two elevator cars arriving at the lobby at a certain load level within a certain time period ( crowd
sensor) or other means, including but not limited to timed inputs and manually operated switches.

[0016]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an elevator system with an elevator car mounted in an elevator passage (not shown) for vertical transposition. The elevator car 10 is connected to a counterweight 20 by a rope 12 extending rearward of the car 10 through a sheave 14.
Motor 16 operates to control the rotation of drive shaft 18 to which sheave 14 is attached. Operating the motor 16 causes the sheave 14 to rotate, thereby causing the elevator car and counterweight to be displaced vertically. The motor controller 22 (sometimes referred to as a drive in the elevator industry) includes an acceleration selected to move or displace the elevator car in a desired manner;
It has appropriate power electronics to power the motor to rotate the motor at jerk and speed. The appropriate electrical characteristics of the power provided through the motor are generated by motor controller 22.

The controller 24 has logic signal processing means for regulating the operation of the elevator system. The car operation panel 11 mounted in the elevator car is connected to the controller 24 by a moving cable extending from the elevator car to the controller. The hall call buttons 28, 30 and 32 are arranged on floors 1 to 3 and a serial link to the controller 24 is provided.
k) all connected by 34. The program microprocessor receives data representing various button states of the car operation panel 11 and hall call buttons, and can use this information in various control functions. The software required to operate the elevator is stored in the controller, including the software that generates the various speed profiles.

FIG. 2 shows a typical speed profile.
In the figure, the vertical axis is speed, and the horizontal axis is time. This profile was selected to delineate the elevator car journey from the departure floor to the destination floor, and this journey was sufficient to reach the contract speed at certain times during the elevator car. Assume long. Since this execution speed does not change with the selected driving profile, a finite length indication that the elevator car will move at the execution speed for various lengths of time, determined by the distance traveled between the departure and destination floors, is given. Are shown as broken lines. In FIG. 2, the curve from point A to point B is a constant jerk,
There, the rate of change of acceleration or jerk is kept constant. Thereafter, points B to C indicate the constant acceleration part of the profile, in which the elevator car continues to accelerate at a constant rate. Points C to D show another constant jerk portion, in which the rate of change of acceleration is kept constant up to point D. At point D, the elevator has reached its contracted or maximum speed. The elevator moves at a constant speed during the period described by the line from point D to point E. Point E is where the car begins to decelerate so that it stops at its destination floor. The graphs E to F depict the constant jerk of the profile. In this part, the elevator car decelerates to a point F at a constantly changing rate. Points F to G indicate a constant deceleration zone indicating that the elevator car is decelerated at a constant rate. From point G to point H, the elevator car continues to decelerate until it reaches the destination floor. Many methods are used to adjust the speed of an elevator car to slow down so that when the elevator car approaches the destination floor, the elevator car stops in a very small area adjacent to the floor. Generally, some form of feedback control is used to detect the exact position of the car and to stop the car at a predetermined point.

FIG. 3 shows a graph of a typical intermediate speed profile having the same line segments as FIG. The difference between FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is that the jerk rates of the AB section, the CD section and the EF section are smaller than the jerk rate in FIG.
Both the constant acceleration in the C section and the constant deceleration in the FG area are shown in FIG.
It is a reduced ratio. This means that passengers in an elevator car driven according to the driving profile of FIG. 3 feel a smoother and more characteristic ride than in a car driven according to the profile of FIG. . However, it takes longer to reach the contract speed, the average speed of the elevator car has decreased, and as a result, has elapsed between the elevator doors closing on the starting floor and the elevator doors opening on the destination floor. Time, ie, flight time, will increase.

FIG. 4 shows a graph of a typical lowest speed profile. Lines similar to the other profiles are given, but the jerk rate and the ratio of acceleration to deceleration are further reduced than in FIG. A slower result is a more comfortable ride. The slope control between the curves in the three graphs indicates a decrease in jerk rate and acceleration rate, and the relative position of the constant velocity portion of each curve takes more time to reach low speed, It shows that it takes time to decelerate from a constant speed to the destination floor using a slower speed or driving profile. Furthermore, slower jerk rates, acceleration rates and deceleration rates provide a more comfortable ride with increased smoothness, but also increase the floor time of flight. The slopes of the various curves in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 further indicate differences in jerk rate and acceleration rate.

The velocity profile as shown in FIG. 2 is a profile that is more adapted to the North American market where passengers most want to experience somewhat reduced comfort in boarding to achieve reduced flight times. This is an example.

The profile of FIG. 4 is further adapted to the Far Eastern market where passengers are accustomed to a smooth ride and low acceleration rates and do not object to slightly longer waiting times or reduced elevator performance. .

A profile can be defined by a mathematical formula having a constant. Various profiles can be created by changing the constants used to generate the profile. The constants of the different profiles are stored in a "look-up" table section of the computer program,
Thereafter, it is selected to produce the appropriate profile as depicted in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting a portion of a program for selecting which profile to use. Starting at the top of the flowchart at the start position, the logic moves to step 41. Step 41 asks if there is an external input such as a keyboard, key switch or other manual operation device.
The external input rejects the logic and indicates that a particular pre-programmed profile should be selected based on the rejection. If the answer to logic question 41 is "yes", logic moves to block 47 where a preselected profile is selected. If the answer to logic question 41 is "no", the logic moves to block 42 and asks if there is a program input based on the time of day. If the answer is "yes", the logic flow goes to block 47 and a pre-programmed profile for the time of day is selected. If the answer to logical question 42 is "no",
Logic moves to block 43. At block 43, it is determined whether the elevator system is within an up-peak or down-peak period. If the answer to whether the elevator system is within the up-peak or down-peak period is "yes", then the fastest profile is selected at block 48 and the elevator system operates at peak capacity. Logical question 4
If the answer to 3 is "No", the process proceeds to the logic block 44.

In block 44, the logical question is the average registration time for the last 5 minutes (L5ART)
Is less than or equal to a preselected value A. If the answer to logic question 44 is "yes", the logic flow goes to block 49 and profile #
1 (a relatively low speed profile that provides high ride quality) is selected. If the answer to logic question 44 is "no", the logic flow goes to block 45 and a logic question similar to block 44 is queried with a slightly higher value B representing increased demand for elevator service. Average registration time for last 5 minutes (L5AR
If the answer to the logical question whether T) is less than or equal to the value B is "yes", then the logical flow is to block 5
Go to 0 and a faster speed profile is selected.

If the answer to the logical question at block 45 is "no", the logic flow moves to block 46. In block 46, the last 5
A logical question is asked whether the average registration time per minute (L5ART) is less than or equal to the value X. If the answer is "yes", then the logic flow moves to block 51 where a faster speed profile #N is selected. Block 4
The profile #N and the value X in 6 and 51 are selected to indicate any one of a series of profiles generated. And it is a suitable profile in this series that has been selected to provide the appropriate level and to meet the elevator service demand while providing the most comfortable ride.

If the answer to the logic question at block 46 is "no", the logic flow goes to block 52 where the fastest driving profile is prepared for the selected maximum elevator service.

FIG. 6 shows a logic flow chart for executing a computer program for selecting which profile should be used when the elevator is operated at the highest acceleration and jerk rates when there are no passengers in the car. . Starting at the top of the chart, labeled START, the logic moves to box 1 which asks the logical question "Is driving (commission) commissioned?" This interrogation means is an elevator car dispatch system commissioned to move the elevator car and one floor to another. If the answer is "no", the logic continues in a loop until the answer is "yes". If the answer is "yes", the logic moves to block 2 and asks the logic question "Does the load indicate that there are passengers?" If the answer to the logic question in block 2 is "yes", the logic is in block 5
Then, the comfort profile is selected. Block 2
If the answer to the logical question in is NO, the logical flow then proceeds to block 3 where the logical question "is there a car call?" If the answer to the logical question of whether there is a car call in block 3 is "yes", the logic moves to block 5 and the comfort profile is used again. If the answer to the logic question in block 3 is "no", the logic moves to block 4 and the high performance profile is used. The logic flow from blocks 4 and 5 continues with the rest of the elevator control program.

The logic question "Driving commissioned" in logic block 1 is used merely to confirm that the elevator car is moving from one floor to another. Until operation is commissioned, the number of occupants (passengers) in the elevator car, if any, can change. If the car is stationary, the driving profile need not be selected. In logic block 2, an inquiry is made as to whether the load in the car is indicative of a passenger to determine if the car is occupied. If the car is occupied or has additional weight beyond its own weight, it is desirable not to operate the car in a high performance profile. High performance profiles can be uncomfortable for passengers. Therefore,
If the load measuring device indicates the presence of a passenger, then a comfort profile with low acceleration and jerk rates is used.

[0030] Even if the load measuring device indicates that there are no passengers, the logic flow further asks if there is a car call. When a person presses a button indicating a destination floor in an elevator car, a car call is input. If there is a car call, then assume that the passenger is in the elevator car even when the load measuring device has not detected an additional load. Anyway, if the car call button is pressed, a more comfortable profile is used.

In the present invention described above, the elevator car can be driven more quickly to move the unoccupied car to the destination floor to accommodate waiting passengers. In the present invention, the overall performance of the elevator system is such that when there are no passengers in the elevator car,
It is improved by using a driving method that reduces the degree of comfort for passengers.

[0032]

In accordance with the present invention, comfort and ability to pre-select various specific driving profiles that maximize passenger comfort while maintaining sufficient elevator system capacity for all passengers. An elevator system that solves the problem of making a compromise is obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an elevator system.

FIG. 2 shows a graph of the speed profile of the fastest typical profile.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing a speed profile graph of a typical profile of an intermediate speed.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing a speed profile graph of a typical profile of the lowest speed.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart describing the logic used in selecting between speed profiles.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart describing logic used in selecting between speed profiles based on the presence or absence of a passenger.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 elevator car 11 car operation panel 12 rope 14 sheave 16 motor 18 drive shaft 20 counterweight 22 motor control device 24 controller 26 moving cable 28 hall call button 30 hall call button 32 hall call button 34 serial link

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (31) Priority claim number 583,931 (32) Priority date September 17, 1990 (September 17, 1990) (33) Priority claim country United States (US) (72) Inventor Joseph Bitter Longview Road, Connecticut, Avon, United States of America 31 (72) Inventor Zoohair S. Burjat United States of America, Connecticut, Farmington, Fineneman Road 1118 (72) Inventor Venkataramana Sama Prela United States of America, Connecticut, North Granby, Northwoods Road 79 (72) Inventor Gerald Bee. Fried United States of America, Connecticut, Burlington, Deer Run 121 (56) References JP-A-61-263579 (JP, A) JP-A-50-138557 (JP, A) JP-A-56-149959 (JP, A) JP-A-57-27876 (JP, A) JP-A-57-184078 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B66B 1/00-1/52

Claims (16)

(57) [Claims] A variable speed motive means, at least one elevator car connected to said motive means and arranged to move between floors in a building, receiving an input signal and receiving said input signal; An elevator system having a control system for controlling the operation of the car, wherein the signal processing means is connected to provide an input signal to the control system for controlling the operation of the car, the signal processing means comprising: An operating profile that causes the motive means to transpose the car so that the travel time of the car is reduced;
Operating profile means for generating at least two car operating profiles of the driving profile to actuate the motive means to transpose the car so as to increase the transit time between floors; and Means for selecting whether a driving profile is to be used , further comprising:
Means for calculating a function of time, said selection means comprising:
When the recording time exceeds a predetermined threshold,
To select the car driving profile
Elevator system featuring. 2. The elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein said driving profile means has a group of driving profiles, and said selecting means further calculates whether there is an average registration time within a predetermined range, An elevator system comprising means for selecting a specific driving profile according to a range. 3. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein said selecting means further comprises means for measuring and determining whether said building is in an up-peak or down-peak state , wherein said selecting means detects An elevator system characterized in that a car operation profile having a reduced travel time is selected according to the selected up-peak or down-peak. 4. A elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the selecting means when the elevator car further comprises means for determining by measuring whether the occupied passengers, not a passenger is present is An elevator system characterized in that an operation profile that results in a reduced travel time is selected. 5. The elevator system according to claim 4 , wherein said selecting means further comprises a load sensor for detecting a load in the elevator car. 6. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein said selecting means further comprises means for measuring and determining the demand for elevator service, wherein a minimum passenger discomfort is obtained while there is demand for elevator service. An elevator system characterized in that such an operation profile is selected. 7. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein said selection means further comprises means for measuring and determining an average response time of the elevator service to passenger demand during the increasing period, wherein the average response time is within a predetermined range. An elevator system characterized by selecting a driving profile that results in a minimum passenger discomfort while providing sufficient elevator service to maintain response time. 8. A controller for an elevator system having variable motive means for regulating the operation of an elevator car between floors of a building, wherein the controller receives an input signal indicative of passenger demand for elevator service, the elevator car having a desired operation. In a control device that outputs an output signal to the variable motive means so as to make the flight time of the elevator car shorter, thereby driving the car to move between floors at the end time limit, Driving profile means for increasing the flight time of the elevator car, thereby allowing the car to move between floors for a long period of time and generating at least two driving profiles of driving profiles providing a high quality ride; and Which car driving profile is selected to coordinate the operation of the elevator car A selecting means for selecting vaporization has a selection means adapted to select a car driving profile that satisfies the passenger demand for elevator service while providing a high quality ride, further comprising selection means , Average registration during set interval
Means for calculating a function of time, said selection means comprising:
When the recording time exceeds a predetermined threshold,
To select the car driving profile
Elevator system which is characterized. 9. The control system for an elevator system according to claim 8 , wherein said driving profile means generates a group of driving profiles, and said selecting means responds while providing a possible high quality ride quality. A control device for an elevator system, wherein a car operation profile that satisfies a passenger demand measured by a time indicator is selected. 10. The control device for an elevator system according to claim 8 , further comprising peak detection means for indicating an up-peak or down-peak state, and peak detection for indicating an up-peak or down-peak state in said selection means. A control device for an elevator system, wherein a driving profile having a low flight time is selected according to the means. 11. A method for adjusting the operation of an elevator car that is transposed between floors of a building by variable speed motive means, the method comprising adjusting the operation of an elevator car that moves between floors of a building. At least two elevator car operating profiles are provided, one of which has a high acceleration rate so that it can move between floors at a higher speed than those of the other operating profiles. Measuring the passenger demand, selecting an elevator car operating profile for operating the elevator car at a low acceleration rate while satisfying the passenger demand confirmed in the measuring step, and desirably according to the elevator car operating profile selected in the selecting step. The variable driving means so as to operate the elevator car of Controlling, and in the selecting step, the set interval
Calculate the function of average registration time between
Has a reduced travel time when the interval exceeds a predetermined threshold
The feature is to select the car driving profile
How to adjust the elevator car operation. 12. The elevator car operation adjusting method according to claim 11 , wherein the step of preparing the operation profile prepares various elevator car operation profiles, and the step of measuring the passenger demand includes a predetermined increase range. And measuring a demand level in the elevator car, and in the selecting step , further selecting a car operating profile corresponding to the increase in demand confirmed in the measuring step. 13. The method for adjusting the operation of an elevator car according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of selecting an elevator car operation profile according to an external input so that a car operation profile that moves between floors at a high speed is selected. A method for adjusting operation of an elevator car, comprising a step of overwriting. 14. The method for adjusting the operation of an elevator car according to claim 11 , wherein the measuring step detects whether or not the building is in a peak period, and the selecting step further includes: Elevator car operating profile that moves at high speed between floors according to this
The method for adjusting the operation of an elevator car, characterized in that: 15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein each of the driving profiles has a jerk rate and an acceleration rate, and furthermore, a minimum acceleration while satisfying the passenger demand identified in the measuring step. Selecting a profile for operating the car at a rate and a jerk rate. 16. When there is a car call, said selecting means
When the load is not detected by the load sensor,
Even a profile that drives as if the passenger is in the car
The elevator according to claim 5, wherein:
system.