Hardware system for touch free elevator operation

An elevator system retrofitted to enable voice control, the elevator system comprising:

• an elevator button panel in an elevator;
• a plurality of elevator call panels on respective floors accessible by the elevator;
• a controller operable to control the elevator in response to signals received from the elevator button panel and the plurality of elevator call panels;
• a first main board installed within the elevator adjacent to the elevator button panel, the first main board having a microphone circuit, a plurality of onboard output relays connected to the elevator button panel, and a processor operable to select an output relay from among the plurality of onboard output relays in response to a voice command received by the microphone circuit and to output a signal to the selected output relay;
• two or more additional main boards installed adjacent to respective elevator call panels from among the plurality of elevator call panels, each of the two or more additional main boards having a microphone circuit, a plurality of onboard output relays connected to the respective elevator call panel, and a processor operable to select an output relay from among the plurality of onboard output relays in response to a voice command received by the microphone circuit and to output a signal to the selected output relay;
• one or more auxiliary output relay boards installed within the elevator adjacent to the elevator button panel, each of the one or more auxiliary output relay boards having a plurality of additional output relays connected to the elevator button panel, wherein the processor of the first main board is further operable to select the output relay from among the plurality of additional output relays;
• and
• a controller area network (CAN) bus connecting the first main board to the one or more auxiliary output relay boards.

A voice-controlled elevator system comprising:

• a first main board installed in an elevator, the first main board having a microphone circuit and a processor operable to output a floor select signal in response to a voice command received by the microphone circuit;
• two or more additional main boards installed on respective floors accessible by the elevator, each of the two or more additional main boards having a microphone circuit and a processor operable to output an elevator call signal in response to a voice command received by the microphone circuit;
• a controller operable to control the elevator in response to the floor select signal received from the first main board and the elevator call signals received from the two or more additional main boards;
• and
• a controller area network (CAN) bus connecting the first main board, the two or more additional main boards, and the controller, wherein the voice command signal and the elevator call signals are received by the controller over the CAN bus.