Method and apparatus for operating an elevator drive in different performance modes

A method of controlling an elevator system having an elevator car for serving hall calls at floors of a building comprising the steps of:

• a. selectively operating an elevator drive means coupled to an elevator car in a high performance mode to move the elevator car to serve hall calls at floors in a building;
• b. selectively operating the elevator drive means in an energy conservation performance mode to move the elevator car to serve the hall calls;
• c. selectively operating the elevator control system in a time and day performance mode including operating according to said step b. during selected time periods on selected days of the week and operating according to said step a. during all other times;
• d. sensing application of emergency power to the elevator drive means and selectively operating the elevator drive means in said energy conservation performance mode during a start up of the elevator car;
• and
• e. when operation according to all of said steps a., b., c. and d. is not selected, operating the elevator control system in a dynamic mode including operating according to said step a. in response to a generation of at least a predetermined number of the hall calls over a predetermined time period and operating the elevator control system according to said step b. in response to a generation of less than the predetermined number of hall calls over the predetermined time period.

An apparatus for controlling an elevator system having an elevator car mounted for movement in an elevator shaft of a building, a drive coupled to the elevator car for moving the elevator car to serve floors in the building and a plurality of hall call devices located at floors served by the elevator car for generating hall call signals in response to actuation by persons at the floors to be served by the elevator car, the apparatus comprising:

• a control means for generating a velocity pattern signal, said control means storing parameter values representing desired jerk, acceleration and constant speed relative to time for said velocity pattern signal, whereby when said control means is connected to an elevator drive means coupled to an elevator car and to a plurality of hall call devices, said control means generates said velocity pattern signal in response to each hall call signal generated by the hall call devices and the drive means responds to said velocity pattern signal to move the elevator car to the floor associated with each hall call signal, said control means generating a high performance velocity pattern signal from a first set of said parameter values in response to a first predetermined number of the hall call signals in a predetermined time period and generating an energy conservation velocity pattern signal from a second set of said parameter values in response to a second predetermined number of the hall call signals in said predetermined time period;
• an input device connected to said control means for generating input signals representing values of said parameters whereby a user can generate said input signals to change at least one of said stored parameter values in each of said first and second sets of said parameter values thereby altering said high performance velocity pattern signal and said energy conservation velocity pattern signal;
• and
• sensor means connected to said control means for sensing a predetermined condition, said control means responding to said predetermined condition for generating a modified velocity pattern signal to the drive means.