!blog - corey menscher

How Users use an Elevator

- User approaches elevator and presses one of two call buttons…one for vertical ascent, and one for vertical descent. The buttons are usually positioned on a panel relative to their respective direction, but they may also be labelled with icons (arrows). The button typically illuminates to let the user know that a car is being routed.

- The user waits until a car is available to be routed to their current floor. An algorithm in determines the resting position of the cars (ground floor, midway, top floor) unless all cars are in use.

- When the car arrives, the user enters and selects the desired floor by pressing a numerically labelled button. The button then illuminates to indicate the selection. The doors contain proximity sensors to determine whether the user’s position will block the doors from closing. Once the doors are clear, and sufficient time has elapsed to wait for additional users to enter the car, the doors begin to close. If another user attempts to catch the elevator from from afar, the user presses the “close doors” button repeatedly.

- The car travels in the desired direction while constantly “listening” for other users on floors whose intended destination intersects with the current travel direction. If one is found, the car stops and lets the additional user on board. The new user presses the desired floor button, whether or not the button has been previously selected…which is indicated by the button being illuminated.

- When the car arrives on a user’s desired floor, the car stops and the doors open. The doors remain open until the proximity sensor determines they are not being blocked and continues along the current path, has reached the minimum or maximum floor, or is re-routed to a floor with another waiting user if all users for this session have been dropped off on their floors.