An elevator controlling apparatus of the present invention comprises a plurality of cage call devices for generating information with respect to cage calls from each of a plurality of cages in; a plurality of cage controlling devices which are provided in correspondence with a plurality of elevator cages, which generate information with respect to hall calls and cage traffic information and which control the operation of the elevator cages; a learning device which calculates the total traffic value in each unit time zone on the basis of the cage traffic information so that when the total traffic in a unit time zone is similar to that of an adjacent unit time zone, these time zones are set as the a divided time zone, and when a divided time zone is over a predetermined time, the next divided time zone is set; and an operation controlling device for controlling the plurality of cage controlling devices on the basis of the total traffic for the each unit time zone, the divided time zones, the information with respect to cage calls and the information with respect to hall calls.

An apparatus for estimating the traffic demand value of elevators wherein the period of time of elevator operation is divided into a plurality of sections, the traffic demand value for each section is measured, and an estimated traffic demand value of a corresponding section is estimated on the basis of the measured value. A weight coefficient is provided in accordance with a result of the comparison between the estimated and measured demand values to prevent the estimated value from greatly differing from the actual traffic demand whereby the elevators can be accurately group-supervised as intended.

Method and apparatus is disclosed for operating an elevator system that includes a group of elevator cars servicing a plurality of floor landings divided into Sectors. The method includes the steps of, with a controller associated with each elevator car of the group, (a) determining when the elevator car has reached a Turn Around Point for returning the elevator car to a lobby; (b) initiating travel to the lobby; and (c) determining when the elevator car has reached a predetermined Sector Assignment Fixation Point. After reaching the predetermined Sector Assignment Fixation Point, the method further includes the steps of (d) communicating Sector-related information with other controller of other elevator cars of the group; and (e) based upon the communication, assigning to the elevator car a next Sector to be serviced after arrival at the lobby. A round-robin arbitration technique is disclosed for assigning Sectors among the elevator cars.

A method for controlling the dispatching of elevator cars, and apparatus for accomplishing the method. The method includes the steps of (a) receiving a hall call from a floor landing; (b) determining a current passenger load of an elevator car; (c) determining if a crowd signal is generated for the floor landing; and, if it is determined that a crowd signal is generated for the floor landing, (d) determining, from the current passenger load, if the elevator car is EMPTY. If it is determined that the elevator car is EMPTY, the method further includes the steps of (e) assigning an Empty Car Bonus to the elevator car; and (f) employing the Empty Car Bonus value in determining a Relative System Response for the elevator car. The Relative System Response is a function of a plurality of bonuses and penalties. The use of the invention increases the efficiency of the elevator system and serves to decrease the waiting time for persons waiting behind the hall call by increasing the probability of an empty car being assigned to a hall call having a crowd waiting behind the hall call.

Disclosed are me and apparatus for establishing a Door Dwell Time for an elevator car. The method includes the steps of (a) accumulating, over a first interval of time, a total amount of time that expires between a time when a hall call is received to when an elevator door of the elevator car opens in response to the hall call; and, at the end of the interval of time, (b) determining an Average Waiting Time (AWT) by dividing the total amount of time by a number of hall calls that occurred during the first interval of time. The method further includes the steps of (c) comparing the AWT to a first AWT threshold value; and, if the AWT exceeds the first AWT threshold value, (d) decreasing the elevator car Door Dwell Time (DDT) by a time increment so as to obtain a revised DDT for use during a second time interval. If the AWT does not exceed the first AWT threshold value, the method further includes the steps of (e) comparing the AWT to a second AWT threshold value; and if the AWT is less than the second AWT threshold value, (f) increasing the elevator car DDT by the time increment so as to obtain a revised DDT for use during the second time interval.