EP0301173B1 - Group control for lifts - Google Patents

Abstract

With this group control, better assignment decisions can be reached during immediate assignments of floor calls to cars and future overloads can be detected more accurately so that incorrect assignments are avoided and the average waiting times for all passengers are reduced. For the purpose of determining the most favourable car, a computer provided for every lift calculates a sum proportional to the time losses of waiting passengers from the distance between a floor and the car position indicated by a selector (R3), the intermediate stations to be expected within this distance, and the car load. By means of call-recording devices arranged at the floors and in the form of ten-key keyboards, calls for target floors can be input. After the calls are stored, load values contained in a load table (13) are changed in such a way that they are increased at the input floor in proportion to the number of input calls and are reduced at the target floors in proportion to the number of calls for the relevant target floor. The load values thus determined are taken into account in the computation of the sum, a monitoring circuit (14) preventing the assignment of a call causing an overload. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a group control for elevators, with call registration devices arranged on the floors in the form of 10-keyboards, by means of which calls for desired target floors can be entered, with the storeys and cabin call memories assigned to the elevators, which are connected to the call registration devices, whereby When entering calls on a floor, a call that characterizes the input floor is stored in the floor call memory and the calls that characterize the target floors are stored in the cabin call memory, and with load measuring devices provided in the cabins of the elevator group, with each elevator assigned to the group, the floor of a possible one Suspending selectors, with each elevator assigned to the group, for each floor having at least one position and first and second scanners and with a device by means of which the entered calls the cabins of the Auf train group can be allocated immediately after registration, according to the preamble of claim 1.

With such a group control, which has become known from EP-A-0 246 395, the assignments of the cars to the entered calls can be optimized in terms of time. The car call memory of an elevator of this group control consists of a first memory, which has already been allocated, and contains further memories assigned to the floors, in which the calls which have been entered on the floors concerned for desired destination floors and have not yet been allocated to a car are stored. A device by means of which the entered calls are allocated to the cabins of the elevator group has a computer in the form of a microprocessor and a comparison device. The calculator calculates during a scanning cycle of a first scanner of a scanning device on each floor from at least the distance between the floor and the cabin position indicated by a selector, the intermediate stops to be expected within this distance and the current cabin load, the time lost by waiting passengers on the floors and in the cabin proportional sum. The cabin load at the time of the calculation is corrected by factors that correspond to the anticipated number of passengers boarding and alighting at future stops and that are derived from the number of passengers boarding and disembarking in the past. If the first scanner encounters an as yet unallocated floor call, then the calls entered on this floor for the desired destination floors and stored in the further memories of the cabin call memory must also be taken into account. An additional sum proportional to the time lost by the passengers in the cabin is therefore determined using the factors mentioned above, and a total sum is formed. This total, also called operating costs, is stored in a cost memory. During a scanning cycle of a second scanner of the scanning device, the operating costs of all elevators are compared with one another by means of the comparison device, an allocation instruction being stored in an allocation memory of the elevator with the lowest operating costs, which indicates the floor to which the relevant car is optimally assigned in terms of time.

Since, in the control described above, the factors on which the calculation of the service costs are based are only likely numbers of boarding and alighting passengers, which also have different values for each elevator in the group, the allocation procedure can lead to inaccurate results. Since, moreover, the sum proportional to the time lost by the passengers in the cabin, also called internal operating costs, is used in this control to determine a future one Overload is used, so that the allocation of a call to the relevant cabin can be prevented in good time, wrong decisions can also be made here due to the factors used in the calculation of the internal service costs.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a group control according to the preamble, in which the data for the call allocation and determination of future overloads are recorded more precisely, and incorrect decisions by the control can thus be avoided.

This object is achieved by the invention characterized in claim 1. In this case, a load table is provided for each elevator, in which load values corresponding to the loads in the cabin are stored and which is connected to the computer and the cabin call memory. When entering calls and storing them in the car call memory, the load values on the input floor are increased in proportion to the number of calls entered and on the destination floors are reduced in proportion to the number of calls for the respective destination floor. The load values stored in the load table are taken into account when calculating the operating costs, a monitoring circuit being provided by means of which the assignment of a call causing the overload to the relevant cabin is prevented in the event of an overload.

The advantages achieved by the invention are that the loads caused by future boarding and alighting are recorded more precisely using the proposed load table, the three-column design of the load table making it possible to record all future loads caused by boarding and alighting in any position and Direction to the cabin. As a result, more precise allocation decisions can be made, particularly in the case of elevators with immediate assignment of calls, and thus the average waiting times of all passengers can be further reduced. Another advantage can be seen in the fact that incorrect allocations and the resulting useless stops can be avoided more reliably by the more accurate detection of future overloads.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung der erfindungsgemässen Gruppensteuerung für zwei Aufzüge einer Aufzugsgruppe,

Fig. 2

eine schematische Darstellung einer einem Aufzug zugeordneten Lasttabelle der Gruppensteuerung gemäss Fig. 1, und

Fig. 3

eine schematische Darstellung einer einem Aufzug zugeordneten Überwachungsschaltung der Gruppensteuerung gemäss Fig. 1.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

1 shows a schematic representation of the group control according to the invention for two elevators of an elevator group,

Fig. 2

FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a load table of the group control according to FIG. 1 assigned to an elevator, and

Fig. 3

1 shows a schematic illustration of a monitoring circuit of the group control assigned to an elevator according to FIG. 1.

In Fig. 1, A and B are two elevators of an elevator group, with each elevator a car 2 guided in an elevator shaft 1 is driven by a conveyor 3 via a conveyor cable 4 and thirteen floors E0 to E12 are served. The carrier 2 is controlled by a drive control known from EP-B-0 026 406, the setpoint generation, the control functions and the start of the stop being implemented by means of a microcomputer system 5 which is connected to measuring and actuating elements 6 of the drive control. The microcomputer system 5 also calculates from elevator-specific parameters a sum corresponding to the average waiting time of all passengers, also referred to as operating costs, which corresponds to the call allocation process is the basis. The cabin 2 has a load measuring device 7, which is also connected to the microcomputer system 5. Call registering devices 8 in the form of 10-keyboards are provided on the floors, by means of which calls can be entered for trips to the desired destination floors. The call registration devices 8 are connected via an address bus AB and a data input conductor CRUIN to the microcomputer system 5 and to an input device 9 which has become known from EP-B-0 062 141. The call registration devices 8 can be assigned to more than one elevator of the group, wherein, for example, those of the elevator A are connected to the microcomputer system 5 and the input device 9 of the elevator B via coupling links in the form of multiplexers 10. The microcomputer systems 5 of the individual elevators in the group are connected to one another via a comparison device 11 known from EP-B-0 050 304 and a party line transmission system 12 known from EP-B-0 050 305 and form together with the call registration and input devices 8, 9 in this way a group control which structurally corresponds to a group control described in EP-A-0 246 395. 13 denotes a load table and 14 denotes a monitoring circuit, which are connected to one another and to the microcomputer system 5 and are explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

2, the load table 13 consists of a read-write memory in the form of a matrix, which has exactly as many rows as floors and three columns S1, S2, S3. The first column S1 of the matrix is assigned to the calls of the same direction lying in front of the cabin 2, the second column S2 to the opposite direction calls and the third column S3 to the calls of the same direction lying behind the cabin 2 in the direction of travel. Load values are stored in the memory locations of the load table 13 in the form of a number of people who turn up when they depart or drive past one floor in cabin 2. For a more detailed explanation, it is assumed in FIG. 2, for example, that the car 2 is in the upward travel in the area of the floor E1 and an upward call ↑ and a downward call ↓ have been entered on each of the floors E0 and E4. As a result, as described in more detail below, the load values of the memory locations of the load table 13 assigned to the input and target floors are changed, only the memory locations assigned to the input floors being marked with "x" in FIG. 2. When calculating the operating costs, the control system therefore oversees the entire load range that is possible with an elevator, so that precise allocation decisions can be made.

3, the monitoring circuit 14 consists of a comparator 15, a first register 16 containing a load limit value L _max , a second register 17 containing a maximum value of the operating costs K _max , first and second tristate buffers 18, 19 and a NOT element 20 The comparator 15 is connected on the input side to the load table 13 and the first register 16. On the output side, the comparator 15 is connected to the activation connections of the first tristate buffers 18 and via the NOT element 20 to the activation connections of the second tristate buffers 19. The second register 17 is connected via the first tristate buffers 18 to the data inputs of the comparison device 11, which are connected to the data bus DB of the microcomputer system 5 via the second tristate buffers 19. The monitoring circuit 14 that can be implemented, for example, by means of the microprocessor of the microcomputer system 5 is activated at every position of a scanner scanning the load table. According to the aforementioned EP-A-0 246 395, the microcomputer system 5 has a floor call memory RAM1, a car call memory RAM2, a cost memory RAM4, an allocation memory RAM5, a first and a second scanner R1 and R2 and a selector R3. The car call memory RAM2 consists of a first memory RAM2 ', which has the number of floors corresponding memory locations, in which already assigned calls are stored. The car call memory RAM2 also has further memories RAM2.0, RAM2.1 ..... RAM2.12 assigned to the floors E0, E1 .... E12, which also have memory locations corresponding to the number of floors into which the calls entered into the relevant floors are transmitted which have not yet been assigned to a specific car. Thus, according to example FIG. 3, calls entered on floors E1 for floors E3, E6, E9 and E11 are transferred to the further memory RAM2.1, a call for floor E1 being simultaneously stored in the floor call memory RAM1.

The group control described above works as follows:
When entering calls, the load tables 13 of all elevators are initially created. This is done in such a way that after the calls have been transferred to the storey call memory RAM1 and other memories RAM2.0, RAM2.1 .... RAM2.12 from the number of calls entered on a floor (entry level) and the number of these Calls (dropouts) that designate the floor as the destination and are stored as a load value in the load tables 13. According to the example of elevator A shown in FIG. 3, upward calls for floors E3 and E6 to E12 may have been entered on floors E1, E3, E4 and E5, the car being located on floor E0 according to the position of selector R3. The first column S1 of the load table 13 will therefore have the load values shown in FIG. 3 due to the selected number of people entering and exiting. For example, the load value "11" results from four beginners on floors E1, E3, E4 and one dropout on floor E3 for floor E4.

After the creation or updating of the load tables 13, the service cost calculation takes place, which, as described in EP-A-0 246 395, is triggered when a call is input and is carried out on each floor designated by the scanner R1 (FIG. 3). The formula used here, which is known from the above-mentioned publication, is modified in such a way that instead of the cabin load based on probable future entrants and exits, the load value stored in the load table 13 and the calls entered on the relevant floor are used instead of the probable future entrants . The operating costs calculated in this way are stored in the cost memory RAM4 (FIG. 3).

As is also known from the aforementioned publication, a cost comparison cycle is carried out after the end of a cost calculation cycle. In this case, the operating costs of the floors designated by the second scanner R2 stored in the cost memories RAM4 of all elevators are compared with one another and the relevant call is allocated to the cabin 2 which has the lowest operating costs, the initial assignment of a call being final. It is now assumed that the cabins 2 are designed for a maximum load of L _max = 12 people and that the scanner R2 encounters a load value L = 13 people when comparing floor E5 with elevator A (FIG. 3). Since the monitoring device 14 is now activated at every position of the scanner R2, the load value L = 13 is fed to the comparator 15 and compared with the load limit value L _max stored in the first register 16. If L> L _max , the comparator 15 generates a signal so that the first tristate buffers 18 are activated, whereas the second tristate buffers 19 are deactivated. As a result, in the case of floor E5, it is not the operating costs stored in the RAM4 of the elevator A that are stored, but the maximum operating costs K _max stored in the second register 17 Transfer comparison device 11. In the comparison, it is therefore determined that elevator A has the greatest operating costs, so that, as is known from EP-B-0 050 304 mentioned at the beginning, an allocation instruction Co = 0 is written into its allocation memory RAM5, with which the call from floor E5 is not assigned applies. If Co = 0, the microprocessor of elevator A will cause the load components resulting from the unallocated call to be deleted from the load table 13. The calls from floors E1, E3 and E4 are allocated to elevator A, for example by writing allocation instructions Co = 1 into allocation memory RAM5, which causes a correction of the load tables 13 of the other elevators in the group because of Co = 0.

As described above, when the load table 13 is created, it is concluded from the entered calls that the future boarding and alighting passengers and the resulting loads in the cabin 2. However, it would now be possible for passengers to enter their call more than once, or for passengers who have not entered a call to board. In these cases, the saved load values must be corrected. For this purpose, the load table 13 is connected via the microcomputer system 5 to the load measuring device 7 of the cabin 2 (FIG. 1). In the first case, as many of the same destination calls are deleted on the relevant floor as the difference between the stored load value and the actual measured cabin load. Then all stored load values between the entry floor and the destination floor of the call entered more than once are corrected. In the second case, the stored load values must be increased, it being assumed that the passenger who has not entered a call wants to drive to a destination which is characterized by a call already entered by another passenger. If several calls have been entered, it is assumed that the conscious passenger wants to drive to the most distant destination.

Claims (5)

1. Group control for lifts, with call-registering equipments (8), which are arranged in the form of decade keyboards on the storeys and by means of which calls for desired target storeys can be stored, with storey and cage call stores (RAM1, RAM2), which are associated with the lifts of the group and connected with the call-registering equipments (8), wherein - on the input of calls on a storey - a call identifying the input storey is stored in the storey call store (RAM1) and the calls identifying the target storeys are stored in the cage call store (RAM2), and with load-measuring equipments (7) provided in the cages (2) of the lift group, with selectors (R3) associated with each lift of the group and respectively indicating the storey of a possible stop, with first and second scanners (R1, R2) associated with each lift of the group and displaying at least one setting for each storey and with an equipment, by means of which the entered calls are allocated to the cages (2) of the lift group immediately after the registration, wherein the equipment displays a computer and a comparison equipment (11) for each lift and the computer at each storey designated by the first scanner (R1) computes the operating costs corresponding to the waiting times of passengers from at least the distance between this storey and a storey indicated by the selector (R3), the intermediate stops to be expected within this distance and the load in the cage (2) and where in the operating costs of all cages are compared one with the other by means of the comparison equipment (11) for each setting of the second scanner (R2) and the call concerned is allocated to that cage (2), which displays the lowest operating costs, characterised thereby,

   - that a load table (13) is provided, in which load values corresponding to the loads in the cage (2) are stored and which stands in connection with the computer and the cage call store (RAM2),

   - wherein on the entry of calls and their storage in the cage call store (RAM2), the load values are increased at the input storey in proportion to the number of entered calls and reduced at the target storeys in proportion to the number of the calls for the target storey concerned,

   - that the load values stored in the load table (13) are taken into account in the computation of the operating costs and

   - that a monitoring circuit (14) is provided, which stands in connection with the load table (13), wherein on the presence of a load value exceeding a load limit value, the allocation of the call, which causes the overload, to the cage concerned is prevented.
2. Group control according to patent claim 1, characterised thereby, that the load table (13) consists of a read-write store in the form of a matrix which displays exactly as many rows as there are storeys and three columns (S1, S2, S3), wherein the first column (S1) is allocated to the calls of the same direction lying ahead of the cage (2) in direction of travel, the second column (S2) is allocated to the calls of the opposite direction and the third column (S3) is allocated to the calls of the same direction lying behind the cage (2) in direction of travel.
3. Group control according to patent claim 1, characterised thereby, that the load values stored in the load table (13) are expressed in number of persons.
4. Group control according to patent claim, wherein the computer is component of a microcomputer system (5), which displays a costs store (RAM4), in which the computed operating costs are stored, characterised thereby,

   - that the monitoring circuit (14) consists of a comparator (15), a first register (16) containing the load limit value (L_max),a second register (17) containing a maximum value of the operating costs (K_max), first and second three-state buffers (18, 19) and a NOT-member (20),

   - that the comparator (15) at the input side stands in connection with the load table (13) and the first register (16) and at the output side is connected with activating connections of the first three-state buffers (18) and by way of the NOT-member (20) with activating connections of the second three-state buffers (19) and

   - that the second register (17) is connected by way of the first three-state buffers (18) with data inputs of the comparison equipment (11), which are connected by way of the second three-state buffers (19) to a data bus (DB) of the microcomputer system (5),

   - wherein the monitoring circuit (14) is activated for each setting of the second scanner (R2) and - in case of overload in a storey - the maximum value of the operating costs (K_max) contained in the second register (17) is fed instead of the operating costs stored in the costs store (RAM4) to the comparison equipment (11).
5. Group control according to patent claim 1, characterised thereby, that the load table (13) stands in connection with the load-measuring equipment (7) of the cage (2), wherein the stored load values are adapted to the measured load values in the case of differences between the stored load values and the measured load values and wherein - in the case of positive differences - a corresponding number of calls to the same target storeys is erased.

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