Elevator controls for systems having widely spaced landings

Claim 2

An elevator control for a car having an entry and serving a plurality of landings with said entry including at least one pair of successively servable landings spaced a first distance which is several times a second distance between another pair of successively servable landings comprising means for defining a destination for said car; first means for generating a first signal in response to the requirement that said car traverse said first distance between said one pair of landings in traveling from its current position to said destination; second means for generating a second signal in response to each requirement that said car travel to a landing servable thereby in traveling from its current position to said destination; third generating means for generating a third signal in response to the requirement that said car traverSe said first distance between said one pair of landings upward and downward in traveling from its current position to said destination; signal accumulating means coupled to said first and second means for accumulating a signal characteristic of the travel distance for said car from its current position to said destination; and means to inhibit said first means and couple said third means to said signal accumulating means in response to the requirement that said car traverse said first distance upward and downward in traveling from its current position to said destination.

Claim 3

An elevator control according to claim 1 wherein said first means generates a first signal proportional to said first distance; wherein said second means generates a second signal proportional to said second distance; and wherein said third means generates a third signal proportional to double said first distance.

Claim 4

An elevator control for a car having an entry and serving a plurality of landings with said entry including at least one pair of successively servable landings spaced a first distance which is several times a second distance between another pair of servable landings; means for detecting a service requirement which requires travel of said car between said one pair of landings; means issuing a signal characteristic of the required travel of said car between said one pair of landings in response to said detection means; means for detecting a service requirement which requires travel of said car between said one pair of landings in both directions of travel; and means issuing a signal characteristic of the required travel across said first distance twice in response to said detection means.

Claim 5

An elevator control for a car having an entry and serving a plurality of landings with said entry including at least one pair of successively servable landings spaced a first distance which is several times a second distance between another pair of servable landings; means for detecting a service requirement which requires travel of said car between said one pair of landings; means issuing a signal characteristic of the required travel of said car between said one pair of landings in response to said detection means; means for detecting a service requirement which requires travel of said car between said one pair of landings in both directions of travel; and means issuing a signal characteristic of the required travel across said first distance twice in response to said detection means.

Claim 6

An elevator control according to claim 1 wherein said first means generates a train of pulses of a number proportioned to said first distance; wherein said second means generates a train of pulses of a number proportioned to said second distance; wherein said third means generates a train of pulses of a number proportioned to double said first distance; and wherein said signal accumulating means is a counter.

Claim 7

An elevator control according to claim 1 wherein said means for defining a destination is a call for service at a landing; and service capability evaluating means responsive to the signal accumulated by said signal accumulating means.

Claim 8

An elevator control for each of a plurality of cars serving at least a plurality of common landings including at least one pair of successively servable landings spaced a first distance which is several times a second distance between another pair of successively servable landings comprising means responsive to a call for service at a landing at which each of said plurality of cars can provide service for defining a destination for said plurality of cars; first means for generating a first signal in response to each requirement that one of said plurality of cars traverse said first distance between said one pair of landings in traveling from its current position to said destination; second means for generating a second signal in response to each requirement that one of said plurality of cars traverse said second distance to a landing servable thereby in traveling from its current position to said destination; signal accumulating means coupled to said first and second means for accumulating a signal characteristic of the travel distance for each of said plurality of cars from its current position to said destination; service capability evaluating means for each car to indicate said car''s service capabibity with respect to the call defining said destination responsive to the signal accumulated by said signal accumulating means of said respective car; and means to assign that car to the call for service at said destination which has a predetermined service capability with respect to said call.

Claim 9

An elevator control for each of a plurality of cars serving at least a plurality of common landings including at least one pair of successively servable landings spaced a first distance which is several times a second distance between another pair of successively servable landings comprising means responsive to a call for service at a landing at which each of said plurality of cars can provide service for defining a destination for said plurality of cars; first means for generating a first signal in response to each requirement that one of said plurality of cars traverse said first distance between said one pair of landings in traveling from its current position to said destination; second means for generating a second signal in response to each requirement that one of said plurality of cars traverse said second distance to a landing servable thereby in traveling from its current position to said destination; signal accumulating means coupled to said first and second means for accumulating a signal characteristic of the travel distance for each of said plurality of cars from its current position to said destination; service capability evaluating means for each car to indicate said car''s service capabibity with respect to the call defining said destination responsive to the signal accumulated by said signal accumulating means of said respective car; and means to assign that car to the call for service at said destination which has a predetermined service capability with respect to said call.

Claim 10

An elevator control according to claim 6 including means responsive to the presence of a car on the side of said one pair of landings on which saiD destination is located; means responsive to the commitment of a car to travel to a landing on the side of said one pair of landings opposite said destination; third means for generating a third signal of greater magnitude than said first signal; and means responsive to a coincidence of responses of said car presence responsive means and said service commitment responsive means for inhibiting said first means and enabling said third means to apply said third signal to said signal accumulating means.

Claim 11

An elevator control for a car having an entry and serving a plurality of landings with said entry including at least one pair of successively servable landings spaced a first distance which is several times a second distance between another pair of successively servable landings comprising means for defining a destination for said car; means for scanning servable landings between said destination and said car; means during the scan of each servable landing for generating a signal representative of the travel distance required of said car for said landing; means to accumulate said generated signals; means effective during the scan of said servable landings between said destination and said car to count the number of traverses of said first distance required of said car in traveling between said destination and said car; and means to apply a signal representative of the travel required of said car during said traverse to said signal accumulating means.

Claim 12

An elevator control for a car having an entry and serving a plurality of landings with said entry including at least one pair of successively servable landings spaced a first distance which is several times a second distance between another pair of successively servable landings comprising means for defining a destination for said car; means for scanning servable landings between said destination and said car; means during the scan of each servable landing for generating a signal representative of the travel distance required of said car for said landing; means to accumulate said generated signals; means effective during the scan of said servable landings between said destination and said car to count the number of traverses of said first distance required of said car in traveling between said destination and said car; and means to apply a signal representative of the travel required of said car during said traverse to said signal accumulating means.

Claim 13

An elevator control according to claim 8 including means responsive to completion of the scan of the servable landings between said destination and said car to actuate said signal applying means.

Claim 14

An elevator control according to claim 8 wherein said signal generating means generates signal pulses and wherein said signal accumulating means is a pulse counter.

Claim 15

An elevator control according to claim 10 wherein said signal applying means applies signal pulses to said pulse counter.

Claim 16

An elevator control according to claim 8 wherein said traverse counting means includes means to sense the position of said car relative to a landing of said one pair of landings; means to sense the position of said scanning means at a landing of said one pair of landings; means to sense the commitment of said car to pass landings in travel between said destination and said car; and means to count a coincidence of a signal sensing the car beyond a landing of said one pair of landings on one side thereof, the presence of a scan at said landing of said one pair of landings on said one side thereof, and the sensed commitment for said car to pass said landing of said one pair of landings on said one side thereof.

Claim 17

An elevator control according to claim 8 including means for evaluating the availability of said car to serve said destination in response to the signal accumulated in said accumulating means.

Claim 18

An elevator control for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors wherein at least one of said cars must traverse a region in which there are no landings for a distance significantly greater than the distance between normal adjacent landings including means responsive to a hall call at one of said floors for detecting if each of said cars must traverse said regi on to service said call, means responsive to said detection for generating a service burden signal and means responsive to said service burden signal for evaluating the availability of each of said plurality of cars to serve said hall call.

Claim 19

An elevator control for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors wherein at least one of said cars must traverse a region in which there are no landings for a distance significantly greater than the distance between normal adjacent landings including means responsive to a hall call at one of said floors for detecting if each of said cars must traverse said regi on to service said call, means responsive to said detection for generating a service burden signal and means responsive to said service burden signal for evaluating the availability of each of said plurality of cars to serve said hall call.

Claim 20

An elevator control for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors wherein at least one of said cars must traverse a region in which there are no landings for a first distance significantly greater than a second distance between normal adjacent landings including means responsive to a hall call at one of said floors for detecting if each of said cars must traverse said region to service said call; first means for generating a first signal in response to the requirement that one of said plurality of cars Traverse said first distance in traveling from its current position to service said hall call; second means for generating a second signal in response to each requirement that one of said plurality of cars traverse said second distance in traveling from its current position to service said hall call; third generating means for generating a third signal in response to the requirement that one of said plurality of cars traverse said first distance upward and downward in traveling from its current position to service said hall call; signal accumulating means individual to each one of said cars coupled to said first and second means for accumulating a service burden signal characteristic of the travel distance for said car from its current position to service said hall call; means to inhibit said first means and couple said third means to said signal accumulating means in response to the requirement that said car traverse said first distance upward and downward in traveling from its current position to service said hall call; and means responsive to said service burden signals for evaluating the availability of each of said plurality of cars to service said hall call.

Claim 21

An elevator control for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors wherein at least one of said cars must traverse a region in which there are no landings for a first distance significantly greater than a second distance between normal adjacent landings including means responsive to a hall call at one of said floors for detecting if each of said cars must traverse said region to service said call; first means for generating a first signal in response to the requirement that one of said plurality of cars Traverse said first distance in traveling from its current position to service said hall call; second means for generating a second signal in response to each requirement that one of said plurality of cars traverse said second distance in traveling from its current position to service said hall call; third generating means for generating a third signal in response to the requirement that one of said plurality of cars traverse said first distance upward and downward in traveling from its current position to service said hall call; signal accumulating means individual to each one of said cars coupled to said first and second means for accumulating a service burden signal characteristic of the travel distance for said car from its current position to service said hall call; means to inhibit said first means and couple said third means to said signal accumulating means in response to the requirement that said car traverse said first distance upward and downward in traveling from its current position to service said hall call; and means responsive to said service burden signals for evaluating the availability of each of said plurality of cars to service said hall call.