Backup controls for plural car elevator system

Claim 2

In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; and means to transfer each of said cars individually between an independent service state in which said car is non-responsive to said first assignment means and a group service state in which said car is responsive to said first assignment means; and means responsive to said transfer means when in a group service state in coincidence with response of said failure sensing means to actuate said second assignment means to develop an assignment between said registered call and only those cars in the group service state.

Claim 3

In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to select calls registered by said call registering means individually for assignment; means responsive to the initiation of said selecting means; third means responsive to a function following operation of said initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said selecting means; and wherein said failure sensing means is responsive to a coincidence of the failure of said selecting means to select a registered call, of the initiation responsive means indicating an initiation of selection, and of a response of said third means, whereby said second means develops an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars to set each to run to the floor of the registered call when a call selection is initiated and not completed in a normal sequence of said selecting means.

Claim 4

In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to select calls registered by said call registering means individually for assignment; means responsive to the initiation of said selecting means; third means responsive to a function following operation of said initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said selecting means; and wherein said failure sensing means is responsive to a coincidence of the failure of said selecting means to select a registered call, of the initiation responsive means indicating an initiation of selection, and of a response of said third means, whereby said second means develops an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars to set each to run to the floor of the registered call when a call selection is initiated and not completed in a normal sequence of said selecting means.

Claim 5

A combination according to claim 2 wherein said second means to develop an assignment assigns each call currently registered for service to prospective passengers by said registering means to a plurality of said cars.

Claim 6

In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said call registering means for each floor are for each direction of travel from said floor and including a demand memory means for each car for each call registering means for each floor and for each direction of travel from said floor; means for individually selecting registered calls for said first assignment means; means responsive to the initiation of said selecting means; third means responsive to a function following operation of said selecting means initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said selecting means; said failure sensing means sensing coincidence of a failure of said selecting means to select a registered call, of the response of the initiation responsive means, and of the response of said third means; and gating means to actuate said demand memory means for each car for each registered call in response to a coincidence of an operated call registering means for the floor and direction of travel of said demand memory means and an operated failure sensing means, whereby all demand memory means for each of said cars for floors and travel direction corresponding to the floors and travel directions of registered calls are gated to set the cars for travel to serve said floors in said service directions.

Claim 7

In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said call registering means for each floor are for each direction of travel from said floor and including a demand memory means for each car for each call registering means for each floor and for each direction of travel from said floor; means for individually selecting registered calls for said first assignment means; means responsive to the initiation of said selecting means; third means responsive to a function following operation of said selecting means initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said selecting means; said failure sensing means sensing coincidence of a failure of said selecting means to select a registered call, of the response of the initiation responsive means, and of the response of said third means; and gating means to actuate said demand memory means for each car for each registered call in response to a coincidence of an operated call registering means for the floor and direction of travel of said demand memory means and an operated failure sensing means, whereby all demand memory means for each of said cars for floors and travel direction corresponding to the floors and travel directions of registered calls are gated to set the cars for travel to serve said floors in said service directions.

Claim 8

In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment betweEn said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop a call assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means responsive to the initiation of said evaluating means; fourth means responsive to a function following operation of said evaluating means initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said evaluating means; and means responsive to a coincidence of a failure of said evaluating means, of the response of the initiation responsive means, and of the response of said fourth means to actuate said failure sensing means, whereby the failure of said first assignment means to evaluate the predicted service capability for said cars with respect to a registered call actuates said second assignment means to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars.

Claim 9

In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment betweEn said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop a call assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means responsive to the initiation of said evaluating means; fourth means responsive to a function following operation of said evaluating means initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said evaluating means; and means responsive to a coincidence of a failure of said evaluating means, of the response of the initiation responsive means, and of the response of said fourth means to actuate said failure sensing means, whereby the failure of said first assignment means to evaluate the predicted service capability for said cars with respect to a registered call actuates said second assignment means to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars.

Claim 10

In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means to choose for said assignment by said first assignment means, a car having a given predicted service capability; and a timer defining an interval initiated in response to the initiation of said evaluating means and exceeding a normal operation interval of said evaluating means and said choosing means; said failure sensing means being responsive to the expiration of said time interval prior to the choice of a car by said choosing means whereby said second assignment means is actuated to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars; and means responsive to said evaluating means prediction of a service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned of at least a given level to inhibit operation of said timer, whereby service capability evaluations indicating poor service capability are prevented from actuating said failure sensing means and said second assigning means.

Claim 11

In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means to choose for said assignment by said first assignment means, a car having a given predicted service capability; and a timer defining an interval initiated in response to the initiation of said evaluating means and exceeding a normal operation interval of said evaluating means and said choosing means; said failure sensing means being responsive to the expiration of said time interval prior to the choice of a car by said choosing means whereby said second assignment means is actuated to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars; and means responsive to said evaluating means prediction of a service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned of at least a given level to inhibit operation of said timer, whereby service capability evaluations indicating poor service capability are prevented from actuating said failure sensing means and said second assigning means.

Claim 12

In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; whereiN said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means to choose for said assignment by said first assignment means, a car having a given predicted service capability; and a timer defining an interval initiated in response to the initiation of said evaluating means and exceeding a normal operation interval of said evaluating means and said choosing means; said failure sensing means being responsive to the expiration of said time interval prior to the choice of a car by said choosing means whereby said second assignment means is actuated to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars; and overload means responsive to said evaluating means predicting a service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned of at least a given level; means to inhibit said timer in response to a response of said overload means whereby said failure sensing means and said second assignment means are prevented from operating when said predicted service capability is below said given level; a second timer defining an interval of a magnitude to permit said cars to improve their service capability and initiated by the response of said overload means; and means to disable said inhibit means in response to expiration of said interval defined by said second timer whereby said failure sensing means and said second assignment means are actuated if said predicted service capability is not improved above said given level by the termination of said second interval.

Claim 13

In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; whereiN said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means to choose for said assignment by said first assignment means, a car having a given predicted service capability; and a timer defining an interval initiated in response to the initiation of said evaluating means and exceeding a normal operation interval of said evaluating means and said choosing means; said failure sensing means being responsive to the expiration of said time interval prior to the choice of a car by said choosing means whereby said second assignment means is actuated to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars; and overload means responsive to said evaluating means predicting a service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned of at least a given level; means to inhibit said timer in response to a response of said overload means whereby said failure sensing means and said second assignment means are prevented from operating when said predicted service capability is below said given level; a second timer defining an interval of a magnitude to permit said cars to improve their service capability and initiated by the response of said overload means; and means to disable said inhibit means in response to expiration of said interval defined by said second timer whereby said failure sensing means and said second assignment means are actuated if said predicted service capability is not improved above said given level by the termination of said second interval.

Claim 14

A combination according to claim 7 including means to reset said second timer upon termination of operation of said overload means whereby the improvement of the predicted service capability above said given level reconditions the control for a subsequent full interval operation of said second timer.

Claim 15

An elevator control for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors including means to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floors; means to select individually calls registered upon said call registering means; first means to develop a call assignment between a call selected by said selecting means and an individual car whereby said car is set to run to the floor of said call; means for each car to establish a travel direction for said car; and means responsive to a failure of said call selecting means for assigning to each car a call for each floor displaced from said car in the direction of travel of said car to and including the terminal floor in said travel direction whereby said system is converted from a condition in which each car is selectively assigned to calls registered on said registering means to a condition in which calls for all floors ahead of each car are assigned to each car in response to a failure of said call selecting means; and a power supply for said selecting means; means responsive to a failure of said power supply for actuating said failure responsive means; means for supplying power to each car individually; said failure responsive means applying said individual car power supply means to said second assigning means to assign to individual cars a call for each floor displaced from said car in the direction of travel of said car.

Claim 16

An elevator control for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors including means to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floors; means to select individually calls registered upon said call registering means; first means to develop a call assignment between a call selected by said selecting means and an individual car whereby said car is set to run to the floor of said call; means for each car to establish a travel direction for said car; and means responsive to a failure of said call selecting means for assigning to each car a call for each floor displaced from said car in the direction of travel of said car to and including the terminal floor in said travel direction whereby said system is converted from a condition in which each car is selectively assigned to calls registered on said registering means to a condition in which calls for all floors ahead of each car are assigned to each car in response to a failure of said call selecting means; and a power supply for said selecting means; means responsive to a failure of said power supply for actuating said failure responsive means; means for supplying power to each car individually; said failure responsive means applying said individual car power supply means to said second assigning means to assign to individual cars a call for each floor displaced from said car in the direction of travel of said car.