A visual signal device mounted at each landing above or beside the elevator doors that illuminates to indicate that a car is approaching and displays the direction in which it will travel, allowing passengers time to prepare to board.
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Hall lanterns (directional lanterns or arrival lanterns) provide pre-arrival notification to passengers waiting at landings. When a car is selected to serve a landing call, the appropriate directional arrow (up or down) illuminates and a chime sounds before the doors open, giving passengers advance warning. EN 81-70 requires that audible chimes and visual arrows be provided at all landings in accessible lifts, and specifies minimum dimensions and luminous intensity for the arrow symbols. In destination dispatch systems, the hall lantern is often replaced by a car assignment display (showing which car to board) since passengers no longer use conventional up/down calls. In multi-car groups, hall lanterns reduce door-open time wasted by passengers arriving late because they had no prior indication which car was arriving. Older electromechanical installations used incandescent bulbs; modern lanterns use LED arrays with extended service life.
