An elevator consists of at least one elevator car, which transports passengers as desired to different floors of a building. A passenger can reach and also leave again the elevator car by at least one car door. A basic component of the elevator car is the lighting equipment. The original function of the lighting equipment is lighting the elevator car in the presence of a passenger.
According to European elevator specifications (EN 81-1:1998, 17.1.1) the elevator car must have permanently installed electric lighting equipment ensuring a lighting intensity of at least 50 lux at the floor and at the command transmitters. In addition, it is required (EN 81-1:1998, 15.9) that visible references or floor indications make it possible for the passenger in the elevator car to recognize the floor at which the elevator car has stopped.
Indication of the instantaneous floor position is, then, important for the passenger. During the journey the attention of the passenger is oriented towards reaching his or her destination floor at which he or she wishes to leave the elevator car again so as to be able to pursue his or her intended activity. Conventional solutions of the floor indication fulfil this function by means of illuminated text displays, acoustic signals, button displays, image screen displays and further systems which can communicate visual or acoustic data with respect to the floor position.
A disadvantage of the above-mentioned solutions is the requirement that the passenger must, during the entire journey, concentrate on the floor indication or that he or she, with only an acoustic signal, cannot make a clear association with the destination floor. The disadvantages have an especially negative effect particularly in buildings with numerous floors, for example with 50 and more floors, since the passenger is located in the elevator car for a longer period of time and has to concentrate on the floor indication during this time.