METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USER AND ELEVATOR COMMUNICATION WITH BRAILLE CODE

The present invention relates to a portable device with a Braille code keyboard that communicates directly and wirelessly with the elevator. It also relates to the user's method of communication with the elevator system.

Usually, a visually impaired person who wishes to move with the help of an elevator will have to find the appropriate button to call the elevator and then, being inside the cabin, press the button of the desired floor. It is common for these people to be forced to seek the help of even strangers in order to be served. In some cases, where the relevant provision exists, there is a Braille embossed text or embossed number on each button and the person can read by feeling. The main disadvantage of this process is that the person would have to touch many surfaces in order to read the text on all the buttons to choose the desired one. This process presents difficulties since it requires time for the person to find the desired button, to come into contact with many surfaces, which increases the possibility of germ transmission, and finally there is a risk of possible minor injuries, since there are cases where sharp irregularities appear in the edge of metal surfaces, such as burrs.

The invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which it Is illustrated in an exemplary, non-limiting manner.

Figure 1 shows the device of the invention in a preferred embodiment. Figure 2 shows the operation of the device and its communication method with the elevator in detail in a schematic form.

Figure 3 shows a visually impaired person in front of an elevator door. The person carries the invention on his utility stick.

The invention is a specialized communication device (1), Fig.l, which allows the user to type and enter the number of the floor to which he wishes to go, or some other specific command (eg Stop) in the Braille system. It is specially designed to provide easy typing technology for visually impaired people. There are 6 keys (2) used to enter the characters, according to Braille method. Combining the six keys results in numbers (and/or letters of the Greek alphabet). It is also possible for the device to have additional buttons, such as an emergency button that activates the alarm (bell). The main advantage of this device is that visually impaired people do not need training, as most of them already know the Braille language. Also, the device has a vibrator and a vibration function, which is activated when the device is linked with the lift. The vibration function is of particular importance since it provides a solution to the problem of people who, in addition to limited vision, also have hearing difficulties; therefore only voice information does not serve them. The person gives the command to the elevator without having to find the button panel of the floor (4), Fig. 3, and the car and without having to touch all the surfaces to read the number corresponding to the desired floor.

The person carrying the device (1) can hold it in hand, place it on the cane (3), hang it around the neck or even have it in his pocket. The device (1) could also be placed inside the cabin in a position close to the conventional button panel. The device (1) is small in size and light in construction. The device has a built-in wireless communication system that includes a transmitter and a receiver, to be able to communicate with the corresponding system of the elevator.

Below is described in detail the operation mode of the invention and the method of linking the user's device (1) to the lift cabin as well as to the unit on each floor.

Approaching the area outside the elevator, the device signal (1) is detected, as it is emitted from its transmitter, through wireless communication, as for example by a Bluetooth connection (101), Fig. 2. The floor panel recognizes the device and initiates the wireless linking process, which is delayed until completion, for a short period of a few seconds, to determine if there has been an accidental brief passage through the elevator area (102). In case of the person's waiting in front of the elevator door, which exceeds a minimum, determined by the system, the linking to the first wireless network of the floor panel communication system (103) is completed. In this way the elevator car is automatically called to the floor where the person carrying the device is waiting and informs him that linking has been made through device vibration and/or by sound signal. If the person does not use the device, but remains in front of the elevator area, then the elevator memory, in which there is data, which may be stored on a storage medium, locally or in the "cloud"', refers to a possible stored command (104). For example, that the specific communication device (1) gave last time to the specific elevator the command to go from the ground floor to the 3rd floor. If there is stored information, then the elevator receives a command from its control unit, to move the passenger to the specific floor (105). If there is no stored information, then the device (1) is unlinked from the wireless floor panel communication system (106).

If the user directly types in Braille the number of the floor he wishes to go (107), the elevator activates a special function in which it gives priority to the call of the visually impaired person and keeps the doors open a few seconds longer than usual, to allow safe entry and exit of the individual into the cabin (108). As the person enters the car, the device (1) disconnects from the communication system of the floor panel and automatically connects to a second wireless communication network, the one located in the elevator panel, (109) to inform him through the vibration or/and voice notification when he reaches the appropriate floor (110).

The vibration function is also activated in case of emergency. An emergency is a potential power outage or the normal operation of the elevator being interrupted for any reason. In this case, a prolonged vibration lasting a few seconds will be performed, so that the person immediately realizes that a problem has occurred.

The car moves to the floor that the visually impaired person goes, and after the user exits the car and moves away from the range of the car's wireless network, the communication device (1) is unlinked from the elevator panel (111).