US 7,610,995 B2 · Automated transportation system with user-controlled transport selection

Abstract

A method and a system for responding to a service request sent to a transportation service, determining one or more alternatives as a transportation device for the user and selecting a personal transportation device. An automated transportation system according to the invention may contain a plurality of elevators in an elevator group, a passenger terminal device for reserving elevators for use by passengers, and an elevator group control system responsive to the passenger terminal device for controlling the elevators. The method of the invention involves entering a personal service request via the terminal device, determining on the basis of the service request at least one alternative as a transportation device for the user, and selecting via the terminal device one of the alternatives as the transportation device.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method for controlling a transportation system, the method comprising:

entering a personal service request via a portable passenger terminal device to a control system of a transportation device group in a transportation system, wherein said transportation device group comprises a plurality of transportation devices,
determining on the basis of the service request one or more suitable transportation devices to fulfill said request, wherein the determined one or more suitable transportation devices comprise a subset of the transportation devices in the transportation device group,
presenting the determined one or more suitable transportation devices for selection via the portable passenger terminal device;
and
allocating one of the one or more suitable transportation devices as the transportation device to fulfill said personal service request based on the selection made via the portable passenger terminal device.

2 more elements

A transportation system, comprising:

a transportation device group comprising a plurality of transportation devices
a portable passenger terminal device that calls and reserves transportation devices, and
a control system that controls the transportation devices in the transportation group in response to commands from the aforesaid portable passenger terminal device,
wherein
the portable passenger terminal device comprises a terminal transmission portion that transmits a user-initiated service request to the control system,
the control system comprises a determination portion that determines, using the transmitted service request, one or more suitable transportation devices to fulfill said request and a control transmission portion that transmits information regarding the suitable transportation devices to the portable passenger terminal device, wherein the suitable transportation devices comprise a subset of the plurality of transportation devices,
the terminal transmission portion further transmits selection information back to the control system, wherein selection information is generated by a terminal selection portion and comprises information regarding a particular, selected transportation device chosen from among the suitable transportation devices, and
the control system further comprises an allocation portion that allocates the particular selected transportation device to fulfill the service request.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automated transportation system with user-controlled transport selection

Life of this patent

Automated transportation system with user-controlled transport selection

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16