Background [0002] When a large number of people enter a building lobby to go to work, etc., rather than carry them from the bottom floor to a floor with each elevator, it is more efficient to carry people going toward the top, people going toward middle floors, and people going toward lower floors with separate elevators. Therefore, a sector assignment method has been proposed wherein all floors of the building are divided into groups (one group is called a sector), and each elevator carries people only to floors in a sector..

[0003] The aforementioned sector assignment method is explained using Figure 6.

[0004] It is permissible for car (1) to be unassigned to a sector, and car (2) is assigned to the first sector (SN = 1). Car (3) services the second sector (SN = 2) and car (4) services the third sector (SN = 3).

[0005] Car (1) is not assigned to a sector, so when there is a boarding hall call from a halfway floor, or a call from the lobby floor for a lower floor, it services those floors on a priority basis. The floor service indicator (SI) for car (2) indicates multiple estimated floors assigned to the first sector, floors 2-5, for example. Said car will provide service from the lobby floor to these floors exclusively.

[0006] Car (3), in the same way, provides service to the second sector, composed of the floors 6-9, for example, assigned to that sector.

[0007] The floor service indicator (SI) for car (4) also indicates floors assigned to the third sector, floors 10-13. For purposes of round robin assignment of cars to sectors, car (1) will be assigned the next available sector in sequence (although at the time shown, this has not happened).

[0008] Each car will only respond to car calls generated from the lobby for travel to a floor that agrees with the floors in the sector to which that car is assigned. For example, car (4) will only respond to car calls from the lobby for floors 10-13. The car will transport passengers to these floors from the lobby (if car calls occur for these floors), and as long as it is not next assigned to a hall call, will return to the lobby empty.

[0010] This system collects data based on requests per day, according to car call and hall call operations, for example, to obtain a historical record of traffic demands for each day of that week. This is compared with actual demand, and the overall departure schedule is adjusted.

[0011] When sectors have been assigned, the range of floors in a sector is indicated by a screen installed near the door of each elevator on the lobby floor.

[0012] Based on the aforementioned elevator travel method, the elevators will provide service only within a specific range. Thus, waiting time and service time can be shortened, particularly during peak times such as the end of the workday.

Disclosure of the Invention [0013] However, with the aforementioned elevator travel method, elevators are automatically assigned to sectors, so sectors for which it is expected that users are waiting in the lobby are not necessarily assigned to an elevator. For example, when all the elevators have left the lobby and are in service on upper floors, the situation can arise where a passenger comes to the lobby and will have to wait. Then, if the elevator first returning to the lobby does not have the floor that passenger wants to reach in its assigned sector, the passenger cannot board and must wait some more.

[00141 Also, the passenger does not know which sector is assigned to which elevator or which floors that sector includes until the elevator is assigned the sector and it is indicated on a screen in the lobby. Furthermore, screens are specific to an elevator, so passengers must check them one by one. During that time, he may even miss boarding the elevator he wants.

[0015] This invention was devised in consideration of the aforementioned problems.

Its purpose is to provide a boarding hall call registration method and device with which it is easy for a passenger to recognize the elevator that he should board by pressing a button on which the sector that includes the floor he wants is indicated.

[0016] According to the present invention, a sector input control is connected to an elevator group controller and a sector indication control connected to the sector input control. A sector input indicator that has sector buttons for all sectors that indicate the range of floors that are serviced by the sector is connected to the sector indication control is installed at the elevator boarding hall on the lobby floor. When a sector button is pressed, the sector indication control recognizes the sector input and communicates with the sector input control. The sector input control registers the sector and also outputs a lighting command to the sector indication control to light the sector button.

[0017] Also in the aforementioned system, an elevator assignment indicator, controlled by the elevator group controller, that indicates the elevator number is installed on the lobby floor near the boarding hall door of each elevator. A sector assignment indicator that indicates the elevator number in the same format as the elevator assignment indication lamp is furnished beside each sector button of the sector input indicator. When a sector button is pressed to communicate with the sector input control, the sector input control outputs a sector assignment indicator lighting command to the sector indication control and also outputs an elevator assignment indicator lighting command to the elevator control device. The sector assignment indicator and the elevator assignment indicator that correspond to the number of the elevator assigned to the registered sector are lighted.

[0018] Elevator number indication by the elevator assignment indicator and sector assignment indicator could be made distinguishable by color or shape.

[0019] The sector input indicator could also be combined with a computer screen of the sector indication control.

Brief description of the figures [0020] Figure 1 is a block diagram for a boarding hall call registration system.

[0021] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of a sector input indicator.

[0022] Figure 3 is a front view of a sector input indicator.

[0023] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a sector input control device.

[0024] Figure 5 is diagram of a sector input indicator arrangement associated with another example.

[0025] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of sector travel in a conventional elevator system.

Best Mode [0026] An example of this invention will be explained using the figures. As shown in Figure 1, each elevator group controllers I la-1 la communicates with communication lines 31 and 32. Sector input control 21 for controlling sector input and output is connected to these communication lines 31 and 32, and will be able to communicate with the group controllers 1 la-1 ld. Sector indication control 22 has a pointing device, e. g., a touch screen or mouse, is set up and has a screen (sector input indicator) 23 is installed at the elevator boarding hall to face passengers that use the elevators.

[0027] Sector indication control 22 is connected to sector input control 21 via serial lines 33 and 34, for obtaining sector information from sector input control 21 (sector number, sector floor range, which elevator is assigned to or released from which sector, etc.), and it also provides boarding hall call information input from screen 23 to sector input control device 21.

[0028] In this example, for a group of four elevators, red elevator assignment indication lamp 12a is installed near the boarding hall door of elevator No. 1, yellow indication lamp 12b near No. 2, green indication lamp 12c near No. 3, and blue indication lamp 12 near No. 4, as shown in Figure 2.

[0029] Then, when the service floors of building 1 are the first floor lobby to the 24 in floor, for example, with sector 1 for floors 2 to 7, sector 2 for floors 8 to 12, sector 3 for floors 13 to 19, or sector 4 for floors 20 to 24 are assigned by group controllers 11 a-I 1 d, sector input control device 21 receives this information and sends it to sector indication control 22 via serial line 33.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, when control 22 receives this message and it commands the sector input indicator 23 to display sector buttons 25a-25d, which correspond to sectors 1-4, with the respective service floor ranges. Sector assignment indication lamps 24a-24d are also displayed in respective frames to correspond to their respective sector buttons on 23.

[0031] When a touch screen is used as the sector input indicator 23, by touching, for example, sector button 25a, which indicates a floor in sector 1 to which one wants to go, on the screen, sector indication control 22 recognizes the input of sector 1. Then control 22 communicates the input of sector 1 to sector input control 21 and sector input control 21 accepts it.

[0032] The sector communication part of sector input control 21 sends the sector input to group communication lines 31 and 32 and simultaneously outputs a lighting command to light sector button 25a, that indicates sector 1, to control 22. By lighting sector button 25a, the person who pressed that sector button is notified that a sector 1 call has been registered.

[0033] At the same time, the sector 1 input output via group communication lines 31 and 32 is accepted by the group controllers 1 la-1 ld. It is determined which elevator number is assigned to sector 1, and that information is sent to group communication lines 31 and 32.

In this case, assume that sector 1 is assigned to elevator No. 1. When the information that elevator No. 1 is assigned to sector 1 is received by sector input control device 21, it is transmitted to sector indicator control 22. Control 22 determines that sector 1 is assigned to No. 1, and commands the sector input indicator to light sector assignment indication lamp 24a, corresponding to sector 1 on screen 23 red. Simultaneously, elevator assignment indication lamp 12a of elevator No. 1 lights red. The passenger sees this light, understands that sector 1 is assigned to elevator No. 1 and that he may board the elevator or if necessary wait in front of No. 1 for the elevator to arrive. If it is assigned to No. 2 rather than No. 1 24a lights as a yellow indication lamp, and 12b also lights yellow.

[0034] When an elevator is automatically assigned a sector before a passenger presses sector button 25, lighting of the sector button, lighting of the sector assignment indication lamp, lighting of the elevator assignment indication lamp are performed automatically in the same way as described above.

[00351 When any of the elevators completes servicing its assigned sector, this information is sent via lines 31 and 32 to sector input control 21. Control 21 transmits it to sector indication control 22, and the sector button and sector assignment indication lamp (for the serviced sector) are turned off, and the elevator assignment indication lamp for the released sector is also simultaneously turned off.

[0036] Processing by the aforementioned sector input control 21 will be explained using the flow chart shown in Figure 4. Whether sector information has been received is judged from the information from the elevator group controllers. When sector information has been received, sector information is displayed on indicator 23 via control 22. Next it is judged whether an elevator has been assigned to the sector from information from the elevator control device (S1-S3).

[0037] When the result of the judgment at S3 is no, judgment S4, whether there is sector button input, is performed based on the information of control 22. When the result is no, operation returns to S3. When a sector button on indicator 23 is pressed and the result of judgment at S4 is yes, a sector hall call is transmitted to the group controllers 11 la-1 Id and sector assignment information is generated (S4-S6). l0038] When the result of judgment at S3 is yes or when sector assignment information is received at S6, the appropriate sector assignment indication lamp on screen 23 is lighted with a color that has been determined via control 22, and the assigned elevator assignment indication lamp is simultaneously lighted via the group controller (S7).

Following completion of a sector service assignment for an elevators, the corresponding sector assignment indication is turned off and the elevator assignment indication is also turned off (S8, S9).

[0039] With the aforementioned embodiment, when a sector button 25 displayed on indicator 23 is pressed, the sector assignment indication on the screen lights, and the elevator assignment indication also lights, and one can see the elevator one should board by the color of the indication.

[0040] The aforementioned sector assignment indication and the elevator assignment indication represent the number of the elevator by the colors red, yellow, green, blue, etc., but they could also represent them by different shapes, e. g., a triangle, square, circle, etc.

[0041] The example above had four groups and the service floors were floors 1-24, but the invention is not restricted to this. The sector input indicator 23 could also be furnished near the boarding hall doors, as shown in Figure 5.

100421 This invention constituted as discussed above demonstrates the effects described below.

[0043] When a sector button of the sector input indicator is pressed, an input signal is sent to the group control which then responds by assigning an elevator to the requested sector. Thus, the disadvantage that the assigned elevators would not include the destination floor of the passenger is eliminated.

[0044] When a sector button is pressed and input is sent to the group controller, the sector button is lighted. Thus, passenger uncertainty as to whether it has been entered will be eliminated.

[0045] The elevator assignment indication provides a different display for each elevator. The sector assignment indication of the sector input indicator provides the same display as the elevator assignment indication. Thus, by looking at the sector assignment indication of the sector input indicator and by looking at the elevator assignment indication, a passenger will easily find the elevator that he should board.