EP0301173A1 - 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 to the cars of the elevator group pe are 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 car position indicated by a selector, the intermediate stops to be expected within this distance and the current car load, the time lost by waiting passengers on the floors and in the car 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 designates the floor to which the cabin in question 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 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 the 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:

• 1 is a schematic representation of the group control according to the invention for two elevators of an elevator group,
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a load table of the group control according to FIG. 1 and assigned to an elevator
• 3 shows a schematic illustration of a monitoring circuit of the group control according to FIG. 1 assigned to an elevator.

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 assigned 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 calls entered 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 to the load measuring device 7 of the cabin 2 via the microcomputer system 5 (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 elevators, with call registration devices (8) arranged on the floors in the form of 10 keyboards, by means of which calls for desired target floors can be entered, with the floors and cabin call memories (RAM1, RAM2) assigned to the group, which with are connected to the call registration devices (8), when a call characterizing the input floor is stored in the floor call memory (RAM1) when calls are entered on a floor and the calls characterizing the destination floors are stored in the car call memory (RAM2), and are also stored in the cars (2 ) load measuring devices (7) provided with the elevator group, with each elevator of the group assigned selectors (R3) each indicating the floor of a possible stopping, with each elevator of the group assigned first and second scanners (R1, R2 ) and with a device by means of which the entered Calls are assigned to the cabins (2) of the elevator group immediately after registration, the device for each elevator having a computer and a comparison device (11) and the computer for each floor designated by the first scanner (R1) from at least the distance between this floor and a floor indicated by the selector (R3), the intermediate stops to be expected within this distance and the load in the cabin (2) are calculated according to the waiting times of passengers, and the operating costs of all cabins at each position of the second scanner (R2) using the Comparison device (11) are compared with one another and the relevant call is allocated to that cabin (2) which has the lowest operating costs,
characterized by
- That a load table (13) is provided in which the loads in the cabin (2) corresponding load values are stored and which is connected to the computer and the car call memory (RAM2),
- When entering calls and storing them in the car call memory (RAM2), the load values on the input storey are increased in proportion to the number of calls entered and are reduced in the destination storeys in proportion to the number of calls for the relevant destination storey,
- That the load values stored in the load table (13) are taken into account when calculating the operating costs, and
- That a monitoring circuit (14) is provided, which is connected to the load table (13), wherein the presence of a load value exceeding a load limit prevents the assignment of the call causing the overload to the cabin in question. 2. Group control according to claim 1,
characterized by
that 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) being the one in front of the cabin in the direction of travel ( 2) lying calls of the same direction, the second column (S2) is assigned to the opposite direction calls and the third column (S3) to the calls lying behind the cabin (2) in the same direction of travel. 3. group control according to claim 1,
characterized by
that the load values stored in the load table (13) are expressed in number of people. 4. Group control according to claim 1, wherein the computer is part of a microcomputer system (5) which has a cost memory (RAM4) in which the calculated operating costs are stored,
characterized by
- That the monitoring circuit (14) from a comparator (15), the first limit (L _max ) containing the load limit (L _max ), a second register (17) containing a maximum value of the operating costs (K _max ), first and second tri-state buffers (18, 19) and a non-link 20,
- That the comparator (15) is connected on the input side to the load table (13) and the first register (16) and on the output side with activation connections of the first tristate buffer (18) and via the NOT gate (20) with activation connections of the second tristate -Buffer (19) is connected, and
- That the second register (17) via the first tristate buffer (18) is connected to data inputs of the comparison device (11), which are connected via the second tristate buffer (19) to a data bus (DB) of the microcomputer system (5) ,
- With each position of the second scanner (R2), the monitoring circuit (14) is activated and, in the event of an overload in one floor of the comparison device (11), instead of the operating costs stored in the cost memory (RAM4), the maximum value of the operating costs contained in the second register (17) ( K _max ) is supplied. 5. group control according to claim 1,
characterized,
that the load table (13) is connected to the load measuring device (7) of the cabin (2), the stored load values being adapted to the measured loads in the event of differences between stored load values and measured loads, and a corresponding number of calls being equal in the event of positive differences Target floors are deleted.

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