(57) The present invention is directed to controlling the door dwell time of an elevator
car door based on traffic conditions. In the present invention, a door dwell sensor
emits radiation and senses reflected radiation in the presence of a potential passenger.
As an elevator car arrives at a floor, its door is preferably initially held open
a first predetermined time period (300). Thereafter, if boarding traffic is detected,
the door is further held open a second predetermined time period (306). If the total
amount of time that the elevator car door has been open (310) is less than a predetermined
maximum amount of time, the present invention again detects for the presence of boarding
traffic. If boarding traffic is detected, the door is again held open a second predetermined
time period. This process continues until either boarding traffic is not detected,
or the door has remained open for the predetermined maximum amount of time. When boarding
traffic is not detected, or when the door has remained open for the predetermined
maximum amount of time, the elevator car door will begin to close (312). The predetermined
maximum amount of time can be a fixed value, a variable based on the reason the elevator
car stopped at the floor, or a variable based on a predicted door dwell time, which
takes into account predicted number of boarding and deboarding passengers at the floor.
|
|
