Elevator system with sequence for selecting an available car and expedited service for main floor

Claim 1

IN AN ELEVATOR SYSTEM FOR A STRUCTURE HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY-SPACED FLOORS INCLUDING A MAIN FLOOR, A PLURALITY OF ELEVATOR CARS FOR TRANSPORTING LOAD, MEANS MOUNTING THE ELEVATOR CARS FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE STRUCTURE TO SERVE THE FLOORS, DOWN FLOOR CALL REGISTERING MEANS OPERABLE FOR REGISTERING A CALL FOR ELEVATOR SERVICE IN THE DOWN DIRECTION FROM EACH OF A PLURALITY OF SAID FLOORS, UP FLOOR CALL REGISTERING MEANS OPERABLE FOR REGISTERING A CALL FOR THE ELEVATOR SERVICE IN THE UP DIRECTION FROM EACH OF A PLURALITY OF SAID FLOORS, CAR CALL REGISTERING MEANS FOR EACH OF THE ELEVATOR CARS OPERABLE FOR REGISTERING A CALL FOR EACH OF A PLURALITY OF SAID FLOORS WHICH MAY BE DESIRED BY LOAD IN THE ASSOCIATED ELEVATOR CAR, SELECTING MEANS FOR SELECTING AN ELEVATOR CAR LOCATED AT THE MAIN FLOOR AS THE NEXT CAR TO LEAVE THE MAIN FLOOR IN A PREDETERMINED ONE OF SAID DIRECTIONS AND FOR NORMALLY HOLDING THE SELECTED CAR AT THE MAIN FLOOR FOR A SUBSTANTIAL TIME, AND SCANNING MEANS FOR SCANNING THE ELEVATOR CARS TO SELECT THE FIRST AVAILABLE ELEVATOR CAR HAVING NO REGISTERED CAR CALL FOR RESPONDING TO A CALL REGISTERED BY THE FLOOR CALL REGISTERING MEANS IN THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE: (A) AN ELEVATOR CAR LOCATED AT A FLOOR OTHER THAN SAID MAIN FLOOR SET FOR TRAVEL IN SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION, PROVIDED THAT NO FLOOR CALL FOR SERVICE IN SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION IS REGISTERED FOR ANY FLOOR DISPLACED FROM THE LAST-NAMED CAR IN SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION; (B) AN ELEVATOR CAR LOCATED AT SAID MAIN FLOOR AND WHICH IS NOT SELECTED BY SAID SELECTING MEANS; (C) AN ELEVATOR CAR LOCATED AT SAID MAIN FLOOR AND WHICH IS SELECTED BY SAID SELECTING MEANS, PROVIDED THAT NO LOAD HAS ENTERED OR LEFT SUCH CAR WITHIN A PREDETERMINED INTERVAL OF TIME WHICH IS LESS THAN SAID SUBSTANTIAL TIME.