3 ms·

But that's wouldn't solve the problem that elevator buttons are designed to solve. You have to tell it "I'm going up" so that it doesn't stop downward-bound el

But that's wouldn't solve the problem that elevator buttons are designed to solve. You have to tell it "I'm going up" so that it doesn't stop downward-bound elevators on your floor and slow the system. Your single-button interface would make things considerably worse.

derefr 16y ago
That assumes, though, that there is more than one elevator. There is already well-known and battle-tested solution for that case: put a destination-floor-number panel outside the elevator bank (not connected to any single elevator, but rather offset), with the current floor's button removed. To remove the possibility of thinking that the panel of buttons has anything to do with the numbers the elevators display, remove the external displays from all the elevators. When you press the button, the first elevator available (and going in the right direction) opens at your floor, already set to go to your destination floor. (If you really insist, you can pulse the backlight of the activated destination floor button as the elevator nears, in a sort of marco-polo way; I've seen a very upscale hotel do just this.) Now, what I was referring to in my previous post was a single-elevator scenario (which is most elevators outside of hotels and apartment buildings.) In the case of a single elevator, there's really no difference between the elevator either: 1. passing you, turning around, arriving at your floor, picking you up, and heading to your destination floor; or 2. opening at your floor, taking you along with whomever else is inside to their destination floors, then turning around and heading for your destination floor. Either way, you spend the same amount of time waiting (arbitrarily either inside or outside of the elevator), and the elevator opens the same number of times. When there is one elevator, all that really matters is getting inside it.
- bluesnowmonkey 16y ago
  Capacity is often a bottleneck in large buildings. The elevator might be full as it passes going the wrong way, so getting in isn't even an option. Also, more people might show up on your floor by the time the elevator passes going the right way, necessitating another stop.
  - derefr 16y ago
    Firstly, if capacity is a problem, there really shouldn't just be a single elevator serving this supposedly "large" building. But since a lot of places can't afford all the elevators they need... you know how a full bus will just ignore everyone at a bus stop, and only stop when someone wants off? Elevators know when they're full.

derefr 16y ago

That assumes, though, that there is more than one elevator. There is already well-known and battle-tested solution for that case: put a destination-floor-number panel outside the elevator bank (not connected to any single elevator, but rather offset), with the current floor's button removed. To remove the possibility of thinking that the panel of buttons has anything to do with the numbers the elevators display, remove the external displays from all the elevators. When you press the button, the first elevator available (and going in the right direction) opens at your floor, already set to go to your destination floor. (If you really insist, you can pulse the backlight of the activated destination floor button as the elevator nears, in a sort of marco-polo way; I've seen a very upscale hotel do just this.) Now, what I was referring to in my previous post was a single-elevator scenario (which is most elevators outside of hotels and apartment buildings.) In the case of a single elevator, there's really no difference between the elevator either: 1. passing you, turning around, arriving at your floor, picking you up, and heading to your destination floor; or 2. opening at your floor, taking you along with whomever else is inside to their destination floors, then turning around and heading for your destination floor. Either way, you spend the same amount of time waiting (arbitrarily either inside or outside of the elevator), and the elevator opens the same number of times. When there is one elevator, all that really matters is getting inside it.

bluesnowmonkey 16y ago
Capacity is often a bottleneck in large buildings. The elevator might be full as it passes going the wrong way, so getting in isn't even an option. Also, more people might show up on your floor by the time the elevator passes going the right way, necessitating another stop.
- derefr 16y ago
  Firstly, if capacity is a problem, there really shouldn't just be a single elevator serving this supposedly "large" building. But since a lot of places can't afford all the elevators they need... you know how a full bus will just ignore everyone at a bus stop, and only stop when someone wants off? Elevators know when they're full.