Elevator car space allocation based on detecting voices of potential passengers
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorsHarrison Daniels, Arthur Hsu, Stephen Richard Nichols
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An illustrative example embodiment of a device includes an elevator passenger interface configured to allow a passenger to place a call for elevator service by indicating at least one of an intended destination and an intended direction. The elevator passenger interface includes at least one sound detector. A processor is configured to determine a number of passengers intending to travel to the intended destination or in the intended direction based on at least an indication from the sound detector regarding voice detection and to associate the determined number of passengers with the call.
Claims22
A device, comprising:
- a plurality of elevator passenger interfaces configured to allow a passenger to place a call for elevator service by indicating at least an intended destination or an intended direction, each elevator passenger interface including at least one sound detector configured to detect different or distinct voices and to provide an indication of a number of distinct, detected voices;
- and
- a processor configured to
- determine a number of passengers intending to travel to the intended destination or in the intended direction based on at least an indication from the at least one sound detector regarding voice detection, and
- associate a determined number of passengers with the call, and wherein all processors of the plurality of elevator passenger interfaces have access to memory that at least temporarily stores information regarding voice signatures of the number of distinct, detected voices that have been detected and associated with the call to determine which passenger voices already have a car assigned.
A method of processing a call for elevator service, the method comprising:
- receiving a call for elevator service by one of a plurality of elevator passenger interfaces, the call indicating at least an intended destination or an intended direction;
- detecting voices in a vicinity of the elevator passenger interface;
- determining a number of passengers intending to travel to the intended destination or in the intended direction based on at least an indication regarding voice detection;
- at least temporarily storing in memory information regarding voice signatures of voices that have been detected and associated with the call from the plurality of elevator passenger interfaces to determine which passenger voices already have a car assigned;
- accessing the memory to compare stored voice signatures with voice signatures associated with any additional incoming calls;
- and
- associating the determined number of passengers with the call.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.