Elevator car space allocation based on detecting voices of potential passengers

1 . 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.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the each passenger interface receives the call through the at least one sound detector.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the number of passengers based on the indication from the at least one sound detector indicating:

a number of unique voice signatures detected by the at least one sound detector; or

a number of directions from which voices were detected by the at least one sound detector; or

both of the number of unique voice signatures and the number of directions.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the number of passengers by interpreting words spoken by at least one of the number of passengers after the call is placed.

5 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the words spoken indicate a desire to be included as one of the number of passengers associated with the call.

6 . The device of claim 1 , comprising a dispatch controller configured to assign at least one elevator car to the call, wherein the processor communicates the number of passengers associated with the call to the dispatch controller, and the dispatch controller performs at least one function in response to the number of passengers communicated by the processor.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one function comprises at least:

determining a number of elevator cars needed to carry the number of passengers in the intended direction or to the intended destination,

adjusting a number of elevator cars assigned to arrive at a landing where the number of passengers are expected to board an elevator car,

including the number of passengers within an expected number of passengers on an elevator car assigned to the call, or

communicating with the processor to cause each elevator passenger interface to provide a notification to the number of passengers that less than all of the number of passengers can be associated with the call.

8 . The device of claim 7 , wherein the notification includes instructions to separately enter a call for each of the number of passengers.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to determine the number of detected voices between a time that the call is received and occurrence of a preselected event; and

the preselected event is one of

expiration of specified time period that began when the call was received,

another call being received by the elevator passenger interface,

an assigned elevator car arriving in response to the call, or

the elevator passenger interface providing a response regarding the call.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein

at least one elevator passenger interface of the plurality of elevator passenger interfaces is inside an elevator car, and

the processor determines a number of passengers on the elevator car based at least in part on the number of voices detected by the sound detector.

11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of elevator passenger interfaces receive additional calls;

sound detectors associated with the plurality of elevator passenger interfaces detect voices of additional passengers associated with the additional calls;

voice signatures from the additional passengers are at least temporarily stored in the memory; and

the processors associated with the plurality of elevator passenger interfaces determine whether voices of the additional passengers were associated with any other prior calls based on a comparison with voice signatures in the memory.

12 . 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.

13 . The method of claim 12 , comprising receiving the call through at least one sound detector.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the number of passengers comprises determining from the indication regarding voice detection:

a detected number of unique voice signatures; or

a number of directions from which voices were detected by at least one sound detector; or

both of the number of unique voice signatures and the number of directions.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the number of passengers comprises interpreting words spoken by at least one of the number of passengers after receiving the call.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the words spoken indicate a desire to be included as one of the number of passengers associated with the call.

17 . The method of claim 12 , comprising:

assigning at least one elevator car to the call; and

performing at least one function in response to the determined number of passengers.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one function comprises at least:

determining a number of elevator cars needed to carry the number of passengers in the intended direction or to the intended destination,

adjusting a number of elevator cars assigned to arrive at a landing where the number of passengers are expected to board an elevator car,

including the number of passengers within an expected number of passengers on the at least one elevator car assigned to the call, or

providing a notification to the number of passengers that less than all of the number of passengers can be associated with the call.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the notification includes instructions to separately enter a call for each of the number of passengers.

20 . The method of claim 12 , comprising determining the number of detected voices between a time that the call is received and occurrence of a preselected event, and wherein the preselected event is one of

expiration of a specified time period that began when the call was received, another call being received by the passenger interface,

an assigned elevator car arriving in response to the call, or

the passenger interface providing a response regarding the call.

21 . The method of claim 12 , wherein

receiving the call occurs inside an elevator car, and

the method includes determining a number of passengers on the elevator car based at least in part on the number of voices detected by at least one sound detector.

22 . The method of claim 12 , wherein each elevator passenger interface includes at least one sound detector that detects voices in the vicinity of an associated elevator passenger interface, and a processor configured to determine the 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 including:

receiving additional calls via the plurality of elevator passenger interfaces;

detecting voices of additional passengers via sound detectors associated with the plurality of elevator passenger interfaces;

at least temporarily storing in memory information regarding voice signatures of voices of the additional passengers; and

using the processors associated with the plurality of elevator passenger interfaces to determine whether voices of the additional passengers were associated with any other calls based on a comparison with voice signatures stored in the memory.