Elevator control system with priority dispatching capability

Claim 2

A control system for a plurality of elevator cars operating in two directions of travel to serve a plurality of landings, said system comprising means at each of said landings for registering up and down direction calls requiring bidirectional elevator service from said landings, means for initially selecting the first registration of said up and down calls and for subsequently selecting said up and down landing call which has been waiting the longest time for service, and means responsive to said selecting means for assigning one of said elevator cars to selectively respond bidirectionally in accordance with the location of said car with respect to said selected call for servicing said call.

Claim 3

A control system for a plurality of elevator cars operating in two directions of travel to serve a plurality of landings, said system comprising means at each of said landings for registering calls fro elevator service, means for determining which of said landing calls has been waiting the longest time for service, means responsive to said determining means for sensing which of said cars is located nearest the landing at which said longest-waiting call is made, and means for dispatching said nearest car to respond to said longest-waiting landing call.

Claim 4

A control system for a plurality of elevator cars operating in two directions of travel to serve a plurality of landings, said system comprising means at each of said landings for registering calls fro elevator service, means for determining which of said landing calls has been waiting the longest time for service, means responsive to said determining means for sensing which of said cars is located nearest the landing at which said longest-waiting call is made, and means for dispatching said nearest car to respond to said longest-waiting landing call.

Claim 5

The control system of claim 2, in which said car-assigning means includes means for permitting said assigned car to respond to a call made subsequent to said longest-waiting call at a landing adjacent the landing at which said longest-waiting call is registered.

Claim 6

The control system of claim 3, in which said registering means comprises switch means, and trigger means operatively connected to said switch means, actuated when a predetermined signal is applied thereto, and effective when so actuated to operate said switch means.

Claim 7

The control system of claim 4, in which there are one of said switch means and one of said trigger means for each of said landings, and further comprising charging means operatively connected to said trigger means for establishing a signal level thereat, and second switch means operated upon the operation of one of said first-mentioned switch means and effective when operated to limit the voltage developed at said charging means to below said predetermined level, thereby to prevent the operation of predetermined others of said first switch means.

Claim 8

The control system of claim 5, and including a limiting means having a plurality of series-connected resistors operatively connected to said first switch means and said charging means and effective to establish progressively decreasing voltages at said charging means associated with landings progressively more distant from the landing at which said longest-waiting call is made.

Claim 9

The control system of claim 5, further comprising third switch means actuated after a predetermined number of said first switch means are operated, and effective when so actuated to prevent the subsequent actuation of all unactuated ones of said first switch means.

Claim 10

The control system of claim 3, in which said nearest car sensing means comprises a second plurality of series connected resistors, a junction point being defined between each adjacent pair of said second plurality of resistors, and means responsive to the operation of said first switch means for applying a supply voltage at a selected one of said junction points, thereby to establish a maximum potential at said one of said junction points and progressively decreasing potentials at junction points progressively removed therefrom.

Claim 11

The control system of claim 8, in which said nearest car sensing means further comprises a plurality of fourth switch means, there being one of said fourth switch means for each of said cars, means respectively operatively connecting said fourth switch means to certain ones of said junction points depending on the respective landing locations of said cars, and means for operating one of said fourth switch means operatively connected to a junction point having a higher potential thereat as compared to the junction points operatively connected to the other of said fourth switch means.

Claim 12

The control system of claim 9, further comprising means operatively connected to said fourth switch means for preventing the operation of the others of said fourth switch means after the operation of said one of said fourth switch means.

Claim 13

The control system of claim 1, further comprising means for preventing cars other than said one of said cars from being assigned to said longest-waiting call.

Claim 14

The control system of claim 2, further comprising means for preventing cars other than said one of said cars from being assigned to said longest-waiting call.

Claim 15

The control system of claim 1, in which said registering means comprises switch means, and trigger means operatively connected to said switch means, actuated when a predetermined signal is applied thereto, and effective when so actuated to operate said switch means.

Claim 16

A control system for a plurality of elevator cars operating in two directions of travel to serve a plurality of landings, said system comprising registering means having a switch means actuated by a predetermined signal through a trigger means for each of said landings for registering calls for elevator service and further including charging means operatively connected to said trigger means for establishing a signal level thereat, a second switch means operated upon the operation of one of said first-mentioned switch means to limit the voltage developed at said charging means to below said predetermined level for preventing the operation of predetermined others of said first switch means, means for determining which of said landing calls has been waiting the longest time for service, and means responsive to said determining means for assigning one of said elevator cars to respond to said longest-waiting call.

Claim 17

A control system for a plurality of elevator cars operating in two directions of travel to serve a plurality of landings, said system comprising registering means having a switch means actuated by a predetermined signal through a trigger means for each of said landings for registering calls for elevator service and further including charging means operatively connected to said trigger means for establishing a signal level thereat, a second switch means operated upon the operation of one of said first-mentioned switch means to limit the voltage developed at said charging means to below said predetermined level for preventing the operation of predetermined others of said first switch means, means for determining which of said landing calls has been waiting the longest time for service, and means responsive to said determining means for assigning one of said elevator cars to respond to said longest-waiting call.

Claim 18

The control system of claim 14, and including a limiting means having a plurality of series-connected resistors operatively connected to said first switch means and said charging means and effective to establish progressively decreasing voltages at said charging means associated with landings progressively more distant from the landing at which said longest waiting call is made.

Claim 19

The control system of claim 14, further comprising third switch means actuated after a predetermined number of said first switch means are operated, and effective when so actuated to prevent the subsequent actuation of all unactuated ones of said first switch means.

Claim 20

The control system of claim 1, further comprising means for preventing the assigning of a car to respond to a landing call made subsequent to the registration of said longest-waiting landing call, until said one of said cars is assigned to said longest-waiting landing call.

Claim 21

The control system of claim 2, further comprising means for preventing the assigning of a car to respond to a landing call made subsequent to the registration of said longest-waiting landing call, until said one of said cars is assigned to said longest-waiting landing call.

Claim 22

The control system of claim 3, further comprising means for preventing the assigning of a car to respond to a landing call made subsequent to the registration of said longest-waiting landing call, until said one of said cars is assigned to said longest-waiting landing call.

Claim 23

The system of claim 1, further comprising means for preventing said assigned car from stopping at call registrations other than said longest-waiting landing call, and means for preventing assignment of more than one car to said longest-waiting landing call.

Claim 24

The system of claim 2, further comprising means for preventing said assigned car from stopping at call registrations other than said longest-waiting landing call, and means for preventing assignment of more than one car to said longest-waiting landing call.

Claim 25

An elevator control system having an elevator car serving a plurality of landings in a building, said system comprising means for making up and down direction calls requiring bidirectional elevator service at each of said landings, means for timing said service calls to select a first unanswered of said calls which has been waiting for service for the longest time and to continue timing of subsequently registered calls to continually select the longest-waiting call for service, and means for assigning said car to respond bidirectionally in accordance with the location of said car with respect to said longest-waiting landing call and for bypassing any subsequently made landing service call.

Claim 26

An elevator control system having an elevator car serving a plurality of landings in a building, said system comprising means for making up and down direction calls requiring bidirectional elevator service at each of said landings, means for timing said service calls to select a first unanswered of said calls which has been waiting for service for the longest time and to continue timing of subsequently registered calls to continually select the longest-waiting call for service, and means for assigning said car to respond bidirectionally in accordance with the location of said car with respect to said longest-waiting landing call and for bypassing any subsequently made landing service call.

Claim 31

A control system for a plurality of elevator cars operating in two directions of travel to serve a plurality of landings, said system comprising means at each of said landings for registering up and down direction calls requiring bidirectional elevator service from said landings, means for selecting the first registration of said up and down landing calls remaining unanswered, and means responsive to said selecting means for assigning one of said elevator cars to selectively respond bidirectionally in accordance with the location of said car with respect to said first registration and service said selected call.

Claim 32

A control system for a plurality of elevator cars operating in two directions of travel to serve a plurality of landings, said system comprising means at each of said landings for registering up and down direction calls requiring bidirectional elevator service from said landings, means for selecting the first registration of said up and down landing calls remaining unanswered, and means responsive to said selecting means for assigning one of said elevator cars to selectively respond bidirectionally in accordance with the location of said car with respect to said first registration and service said selected call.

Claim 33

An elevator control system having an elevator car serving a plurality of landings in a building, said system comprising means for making a call for service at each of said landings, means for timing said service calls to select a first unanswered of said calls which has been waiting for service for the longest time and to continue timing of subsequently registered calls to continually select the longest-waiting call for service, and means for assigning said car to respond to said longest-waiting landing call.

Claim 34

An elevator control system having an elevator car serving a plurality of landings in a building, said system comprising means for making a call for service at each of said landings, means for timing said service calls to select a first unanswered of said calls which has been waiting for service for the longest time and to continue timing of subsequently registered calls to continually select the longest-waiting call for service, and means for assigning said car to respond to said longest-waiting landing call.