FI121422B - Procedure and systems for submitting a service request for a transport system - Google Patents

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SUBMITTING SERVICE REQUESTS TO THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to transport systems. In particular, the invention relates to a method and system for issuing service requests to transport systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

10 Elevator systems are known as call systems in which a passenger can place a destination call to a desired floor by means of an identifier or terminal in his possession. In order to read identifiers, such as RFID (Radio Frequence Identifier) or access card pathways, the elevator system call equipment must be provided with reader devices to read the information contained in the tags when the passenger brings his / her identifier into the operating range of the reader device. Based on the information read from the identifier, the elevator system 20 may determine the passenger's target floor and allocate the elevator car for use by the passenger to travel to that destination. In known solutions in which the passenger makes target calls to a terminal device in his possession, for example a mobile phone, the elevator lounges 25 are provided with transmitting / receiving units (beacons) based on, for example, Bluetooth technology for implementing data transmission between the passenger terminal and the elevator system. In this case, when the passenger enters the elevator lobby, the lighthouse ha-30 in the elevator lobby retrieves the passenger terminal and receives information from the terminal, on the basis of which the elevator system allocates the elevator car to the passenger. Access control is also often associated with the above-mentioned known solutions by assigning each passenger 35 a personal passenger profile in the elevator system which stores information about the floors to which the passenger has access.

However, the above-described calling solutions have several problems. The readers and beacons required by the solutions need to be permanently installed in the building, making minor adjustments to the layout of the reader devices and beacons a difficult and costly operation. The lighthouses must be installed particularly carefully so that the passenger terminal does not "crosstalk" to another lighthouse located in another elevator lobby and cause an incorrect elevator call or other similar malfunction. All in all, the prior art solutions described above are inflexible, especially when the services provided to the passenger in an elevator and other transportation system are of a temporary or otherwise dynamic nature.

PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

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The object of the present invention is to eliminate or at least alleviate the above disadvantages of the prior art solutions. It is a further object of the invention to achieve one or more of the following objectives: to facilitate and expedite service requests in elevator and other transportation systems, a system that is easily modifiable and expandable to service needs, 30 - a system that can be easily retrofitted, e.g. travel by special groups in buildings, reducing the number of false or otherwise inadvertent 35 elevator calls, 3 a simple and cost-effective system that can advantageously utilize known LAN and cellular phone technology, improve access control in buildings.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The method according to the invention is characterized in what is stated in the features section of claim 1). The system of the invention is characterized by what is set forth in the characterizing part of claim 9. Other embodiments of the invention are characterized by what is stated in the other claims. Inventive embodiments 15 are also disclosed in the specification and drawings of this application. The inventive content contained in the application may also be defined otherwise than as set forth in the claims below. The inventive content may also consist of several separate inventions, particularly if the invention is considered in the light of the express or implied subtasks, or in terms of the benefits or groups of benefits achieved. Thus, some of the attributes contained in the claims below may be superfluous to the discrete inventive ideas. Aspects of various embodiments of the invention may be applied in conjunction with other embodiments within the scope of the inventive concept. 1 2 3 4 5 6

The present invention discloses a method for providing service requests to a building transport system 3. According to the invention, at least one identifier is placed in the building 4, the data of the identifier 5 contained therein being read by a terminal 6 in the passenger's possession. Based on the identification information, a service request is transmitted from the terminal to the transport system! - 4, which receives the service request and activates the function according to the service request. A service request is, for example, an elevator call, an access request, a guidance request, or some other similar service request related to the transportation system. Preferably, the tag may be located in a building's elevator lobby, elevator car, information desk, door in the building, access gate, apartment, parking garage or other space in the building where passengers using the transport system 10 move. As used herein, a transport system is defined as a system comprising at least one of an elevator, escalator, a walkway, an automatic door, or a gate.

The present invention also provides a system for issuing service requests to a building transportation system. According to the invention, the system comprises at least one identifier located in the building, a server 20 associated with the transport system, a passenger terminal equipped with a reader for reading the identification information contained in said identifier and a wireless communication network for transmitting a service request from the terminal to the server.

In one embodiment of the invention, the credentials are read by moving the terminal device within the proximity of the identifier. Throughout 30, this means the maximum distance a passenger can touch the identifier. Preferably, the proximity distance is up to a few centimeters so that the passenger can reliably read the identifier of the desired identifier 35 from a set of proximity tags on his terminal.

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In one embodiment of the invention, graphic information and / or blind writing is associated with the identifier to indicate a service request defined by the identifier.

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In one embodiment of the invention, a service request list of alternative service requests is formed based on the identification information, from which the passenger can select the desired service request on his terminal device, which the terminal 10 forwards to the transport system. The service request list can be either static or dynamic. In this context, a dynamic service request list means that the content of the service request list changes based on a given criterion, for example, 15 hours.

In one embodiment of the invention, the service request is transmitted from the terminal to the transport system over a public cellular network.

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In one embodiment of the invention, a service request is transmitted from the terminal to the transport system over a wireless local area network.

In one embodiment of the invention, one or more identifiers are temporarily placed in a building.

In one embodiment of the invention, the system of the invention is retrofitted to an existing transportation system.

In one embodiment of the invention, the system of the invention is installed in connection with a modernization of the transportation system.

In one embodiment of the invention, in connection with a service request, the identity of the passenger 356 is transmitted to the transport system for the purpose of verifying the passenger's performance on the requested service and / or personalizing the requested service.

The solution according to the invention achieves several advantages over the solutions according to the prior art. The system of the invention is simple and easy to install and modify for a variety of applications, since the system does not require a fixed installation of the aforementioned reader devices or lighthouses in the building. The system according to the invention is also easily implemented as retrofitting, for example, in connection with modernization of elevator systems or other similar improvements. In the solution according to the invention, simple tags, e.g. based on RFID technology, are placed in a building where they can be easily found by passengers. The tags can easily be placed in the building even temporarily for a specific purpose. Preferably, the tag identity is read from a close range, thereby avoiding the aforementioned crosstalk problem, thereby reducing the number of erroneous service requests, while the exact location of the tags can be taken into account in the passenger service. Providing elevator calls and other service requests is an easy and quick procedure, as the passenger only needs to "wobble" his terminal near the tag. The system 30 according to the invention can utilize a public cellular network or a wireless local area network already installed in the building, thereby making the system simple and cost effective. In the solution according to the invention, the tags can be accompanied by graphical information which facilitates and expedites the finding of the correct tag. By adding blind writing to the tags, the visually impaired can also use the system of the invention to provide service requests, thus facilitating the travel of visually impaired people in buildings. The service of other special groups such as the physically disabled, the hearing impaired, etc. can also be improved by recognizing travel-5 and any special group and considering the needs of that special group. Access control can also be connected to the system according to the invention, which eliminates the need to install a separate access control system in the building.

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LIST OF FIGURES

In the following, the invention will be described in detail with the aid of exemplary embodiments, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a transport system in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 illustrates another transport system in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates, by way of example, a system according to the invention 25 comprising two elevators 10b, 10c, an elevator system 10, a server 15 connected to an elevator system 10 via a data link 10d, a passenger communications terminal 11 and a wireless communication network 14 The terminal 11 is preferably a cellular telephone, but it may be another personal terminal capable of wireless communication suitable for other purposes. The terminal comprises means 35 for displaying guidance and other information to the passenger, either visually or auditively. The terminal also comprises means 11b for manually executing control commands 8 and selections and / or voice control. Said guidance and control functions can be carried out, if necessary, in a so-called. handsfree functions. Tags 12 (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d), which are passive tags based on RDIF technology and do not require power supply or other cabling, are placed in the building's entrance hall and elevator baskets. The tags are affixed to a suitable mounting surface by means of an adhesive label without special attachment arrangements 10 for easy attachment and removal without breaking the mounting surface.

The terminal is provided with a reader 11c for detecting the identifiers 12 and for reading the identification information 15 contained therein from a close range. The terminal is provided with software and communication means for processing and transmitting information read from the identifiers as service requests to the server 15 via the communication network 14. The wireless data transmission 20 between the terminal 11 and the server 15 according to the communication network 14 may be implemented, for example, through a public mobile telephone network or via a wireless local area network installed in the building. The local area network comprises one or more beacons (not shown in Fig. 1) installed in the building and connected to the server 15 25 for accustoming wireless communication between the terminals and the server. Lighthouses can be installed in each elevator lounge and / or other appropriate location within the building, as needed. The local area network may be based, for example, on Bluetooth technology or other similar local area network technology.

The server 15 comprises a processing unit, the necessary software and a storage medium for storing 35 personal passenger profiles of the passengers and information about the identifiers placed in the building. The traveler profile defines the layers of the passenger to which he / she has access and the default value of the target layer, for example the layer where the person's workstation is located. In addition, the ID of the terminal 5 in the passenger's possession is stored in the passenger profile, for example the terminal telephone number to identify the passenger who has sent a service request. Further, information is stored in the passenger profile as to whether the passenger belongs to a specific group, such as whether he is visually impaired. Of the identifiers placed in the building, the identifier ID number of each identifier, the location information of the identifier and information on the service associated with the identifier are stored on the server 15. Service requests can be divided into two categories, general service requests and personal service requests. Universal service requests in this context refer to service requests that do not require passenger identification, such as a general destination call to the Arrivals Hall. In this context, personal service requests 20 are service requests in which a passenger is identified and a service request is identified based on said identification, for example, a destination call to the default passenger layer. If the passenger is identified by a special group based on his / her identification, the service can be personalized to him / her, for example, prolonging the elevator door for disabled people, etc.

When a passenger enters the building, he detects the tags 12a, 12b affixed to the front wall and takes his terminal 11, for example, to the proximity of the tag 12a. The terminal automatically detects the identifier 12a and reads the identifier information contained in the identifier comprising the unique identifier code (ID number) of the identifier. The terminal transmits, as a request for service, the identifier ID number via the communication network 14 to the server 15, which activates the service corresponding to the ID number, for example, by transmitting a destination call identified by the ID number to group control 10a of the elevator system. The group control allocates the elevator car from the elevator group to the passenger, and transmits the information from the allocated elevator car to the server, which forwards the information to the passenger terminal. Information about the allocated elevator is communicated to the passenger by means of the terminal device 11a, for example a display, whereby the passenger can move to the elevator serving him in good time.

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Fig. 2 shows another system according to the invention, which differs from the system according to Fig. 1 in that an identifier 12e is installed in connection with the building's exterior door 21. Exterior door 21 is an automated door 15 provided with locking means 23. The locking means 23 is connected to the server 15 by means of a communication link 24 and thus can be controlled from the server by control commands sent from the server. When a passenger, for example a person working in the building 20, approaches the building, he or she takes the identifier 12e of the terminal 11 in his possession at a close range. The terminal reads the credentials contained in the identifier 12e, appends to the identifiers its own ID number (e.g., mobile phone number) 25 and forwards this information to the server 15. In the first step, the server receives the information and verifies the passenger access to the requested service. The passenger profile is defined in mm. the passenger's access rights to the building and the floor where his workstation is located. If a passenger's access permit (access permit) to the building is valid, the server 15 sends an opening command to the locking means of the automatic door 21 to allow the passenger to enter the building. At the same time, the server 15 sends a destination call to the elevator system 10 to retrieve the passenger from the Arrivals Hall and take it to the default layer according to the passenger profile 11. Thus, the passenger enters the building and the elevator allocated to him automatically arrives at the Arrivals Hall to take the passenger to the floor where his workstation is located.

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Since the tags required by the invention may be, for example, stickers affixed to a suitable mounting surface and thus easily mounted and removed, the tags may also be placed in the building temporarily for a particular application. For example, if a building holds a seminar or similar event at a specific time, tags may be placed in the building's lobby to guide participants and facilitate access to 15 seminars. The tags can be accompanied by text, logos and / or other graphic information about the seminar, so that a seminar participant entering the building can easily identify the tag. When the participant moves the identifier of the terminal 20 in its possession to a close range, the terminal reads the identifier information of the identifier and transmits the information as a service request to the server. In response to the service request, the server sends, for example, guidance information related to the seminar to the participant's terminal, which is visually and / or audibly expressed in the terminal. At the same time, a server room was provided for the use of the elevator participant to travel to the seminar floor. Based on the guidance information, the participant will easily find a lift to serve him / her as well as a space to hold the seminar. Once the semi-30 session has ended, the seminar-related tags can be deleted as unnecessary.

The tags may also be accompanied by blind writing or other embossing, which by sensing the visually impaired passenger may find and identify the desired tag. When the visually impaired has found the correct identifier, he or she takes the identifier of the terminal 12 in its possession to a close range, on the basis of which the terminal transmits to the server 15, for example, a destination call request and a terminal ID number. Based on the terminal ID number, the server 15 identifies the passenger 5 as visually impaired (information determined in the passenger profile). The server 15 sends a destination request according to the service request to the elevator system which allocates the visually impaired elevator car. Information about the allocated elevator is transmitted to the visually impaired terminal and is expressed, for example, as an audible signaling in the terminal.

Identifiers may also be installed in the occupant's apartment or other similar private space, for example, for ordering 15 car transports from the living floor to the building's entrance hall or the parking floor where the occupant's parking space is located. In this case, two identifiers are placed in the apartment, the first identifier activating the target call from the living floor to the Arrivals Hall 20 and the second identifier activating the target call from the living floor to the parking garage. Since the identifiers are in this case in a private state, the terminal ID number or other corresponding passenger identifications need not be sent to the server 15 to determine the passenger-25 profile, but the server can determine the passenger profile identifier based on the ID number.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the service request list is generated for the user ge-30 based on the information contained in the identifier. The service request list may be stored per identifier in the terminal, or the service request list may be sent from the server 15 to the terminal in response to the 35 service requests transmitted by the terminal. The service request list (menu) is presented to the user by means 11a of the terminal 11, from which the user selects the desired service request 13, for example, from the terminal keypad 11b and sends the selected service request to the server 15. The service request list may be for example a list of target layers. The service request list may also be dynamic so that, for example, Traveling to specific floors at certain times of the day is not possible.

Although the invention has been described above using elevator systems as exemplary examples, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various embodiments of the invention are not limited to the examples above, but may vary within the scope of the following claims.

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Claims (9)

A method for providing service requests to a building transportation system, the method comprising at least a plurality of identifiers including graphical information and / or blind typing to identify service requests related to the identifiers, characterized in the method comprising the steps of: selecting an identifier associated with the identifier information and / or blind typing from said set of identifiers; reading the identification information of the selected identifier by moving the terminal to a close proximity of the selected identifier; generating, based on said identification information, a service request list for the terminal; selecting a service request from said service request list; and forwarding the selected service request to the transport system. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the following is transmitted as a service request: elevator call, access permit request, guidance request. Method according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 25, characterized in that a service request is transmitted from the terminal to the transport system via the public mobile telephone network or the wireless local area network. Method according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 30, characterized in that at least one identifier is temporarily placed in the building. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: transmitting, at the request of a service, the identity of the passenger to the transportation system; and verifying the passenger's access to the requested service based on the passenger's identity. A system for providing service requests to a building transportation system (10), comprising: a plurality of passive RFID tags (12) located at least in the building's entrance hall, associated with graphical information and / or blinds indicating service requests associated with the tags (12). joitusta; a server (15) connected to the transport system; a passenger terminal (11) provided with a reader (11c) for reading the identification information contained in the identifiers (12) from a close range; and a wireless communication network (14) for transmitting information related to service requests between the terminal (11) and the server (15), characterized in that the system comprises: 20 means (11, 15) for generating a service request list based on the identification information contained in the proximity identifier (12); means (11a) for detecting a service request list; and 25 means (11b) for selecting a service request from said service request list. System according to Claim 6, characterized in that the communication network (14) is a cellular network or a wireless local area network. A system according to any one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that the tags (12) can be temporarily installed in the building. System according to one of the preceding claims 6 to 35 - 8, characterized in that the terminal (11) is arranged to transmit the passenger identification to the server (15) in connection with the transmission of the service request and the server is arranged to check the passenger access to the requested service based on said identification. 5