Intelligent escalator emergency stop system (IE2S2)

• US 10,155,642 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2015
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amir Hussein Ghadamossoltani
• Original Assignee: Amir Hussein Ghadamossoltani
• Inventors: Ghadamossoltani, Amir Hussein
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, KEITH
• Application Number:
  US15/033,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20160272467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 198323
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 25/003 Methods or algorithms therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 25/006 Monitoring for maintenance or repair for security reasons B66B29/005
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 29/00 Safety devices of escalators or moving walkways walkways of variable speed type B66B21/12; handrails of variable speed type B66B23/26
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 29/005 Applications of security monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy

Abstract

The present invention constantly observes the balancing condition of users; at the first few signs of an occurrence of an accident such as falling, slipping, sitting on the escalator the system immediately initiates an emergency stop command.

Claims

1. An Intelligent escalator emergency stop system, comprising:

multiple sensing devices located on predesignated places on said escalator, wherein said multiple sensing devices are installed along straight lines parallel to a path of said escalators, wherein each line has a fixed height from said path;

wherein an object is seen by one of said multiple sensing devices at a time;

a central processing unit (CPU);

multiple imaging devices located along a length of said escalator, wherein an output of said multiple imaging devices is merged into one single image;

wherein said single image is analyzed by an artificial intelligent method carried out on said CPU, in order to detect whether an accident has occurred and when needed to set on an alarm system and shutdown said escalator;

wherein said system further comprises a controller device capable of stopping said escalator during emergency situations and later on restarting said system, via receiving appropriate commands from said CPU;

a communication media connects said multiple sensing devices, said CPU, said alarm system and said multiple imaging devices with each other;

said system further comprising a control panel adjusting at least one of said escalator'"'"'s speed, said multiple sensing devices operation and their on/off function, and said alarm system, said controller device and protocols for said communication media of said system;

an on/off switch for said alarm system;

wherein at an entrance of said escalator a first set of sensing devices from said multiple sensing devices via a preprogrammed algorithm firstly detects a distance between said first set of sensing devices that are located at said entrance and storing said distance as width of said escalator that is a fixed value, and later on detects a first change in said distance via other sets of sensing devices when one or more people enter said escalator and constantly monitors said first change in distance and records it as normal situation;

wherein at least a second set of sensing devices from said multiple sensing devices, adjacent to or at a neighboring location from said first set of sensing devices, installed on either side of said escalator detect a second change in said distance and records it as said emergence situation when one or more of said people lose their balance and fall;

when a comparison between said first change and said second change in said distance exceeds a predefined value said CPU confirms an emergency and turns on said alarm system and said escalator is stopped.

2. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 1, wherein said multiple sensing devices are installed and located at two different heights with respect to steps of said escalator;

wherein a first group of sensing devices are installed at a first height with respect to said steps creating low IR-Lines and a second group of sensing devices that are installed in a second height with respect to said steps, creating high IR-Lines;

wherein said second height is higher than said first height.

3. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 2, wherein when a crowd of people enter said escalator said first and second changes in said distance between each one of said low IR-lines and said high IR-lines are monitored via said CPU and when a comparison in said first and second changes in said distance amongst said low IR-Lines and high IR-Lines separately exceeds a predefined range an emergency situation will be determined and said CPU will send an alarm signal to an alarm system and stops said escalator.

4. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 3, wherein said multiple sensing devices comprise infrared sensors;

comprising a transmitter and multiple receivers;

wherein said receivers are installed on an opposite side of said escalator in comparison to their respective said transmitters.

5. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 3, wherein said multiple sensing devices, comprises infrared sensors;

comprising a transmitter and receivers;

wherein said receivers are installed on a same side as said transmitter where a mirror must be installed in an opposite side and in front of said receivers, creating said low and/or high IR-Lines.

6. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 4;

wherein said IR sensors are narrow beam sensors.

7. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 5, wherein said IR sensors are narrow beam sensors.

8. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 3, wherein said multiple sensing devices comprising Laser or optical sensors, with a digital output of detecting an object in their view or having a zero digital output when nothing is in their view.

9. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 3, wherein said multiple sensing devices are ultrasonic sensors or any type of electromagnetic transceiver.

10. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 3, wherein said multiple imaging devices comprise a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR);

wherein an antenna of said SAR is fixed in a middle location of said escalator;

creating a wide view of any movements on said escalator and working in any lighting condition.

11. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 4, wherein said multiple imaging devices comprises cameras.

12. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 11, wherein said communication media is wired or wireless.

13. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 12, wherein said alarm system sends out different alarm sound signals, wherein one of said signals is sent out during an emergency notifying anyone in an area around said escalator and another one of said signals is only sent out when said sensing devices needs calibration or is not working properly, notifying only an escalator maintenance personal;

wherein said alarm signals are sent out via cell network (GSM), and/or internet.

14. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 13, wherein said alarm is sent to guards and/or emergency agencies using SMS over said GSM cellular network.

15. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 14, wherein different communication protocols having bandwidth frequencies and coding is used, that doesn'"'"'t create interference with other commonly used communication channels used for cellphones and walk-talkies for transmitting said alarm signal in order to isolate said emitters and transmitters from other emitters, and also to provide a level of security of data.

16. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 15, wherein said alarm signals including TTL data is made possible by using an RS485 protocol for remote distances.

17. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 16, further comprising a Light Emitting Diode (LED) aligning each pair of said transmitter and said receivers, wherein when aligned said LED is turned on otherwise said LED is turned off.

18. The Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 7, further comprising a Light Emitting Diode (LED) aligning each pair of said transmitter and said receivers, wherein when aligned said LED is turned on otherwise said LED is turned off.

19. An algorithm for an Intelligent escalator emergency stop system, comprising steps of:

calculating and detecting a width of an escalator via a first set of sensing devices located at an entrance and on either side of said escalator'"'"'s interior wall;

storing and monitoring a first distance measured by said first set of said sensing devices; and

detecting and storing a first change in distance detected during a continuous measurement of said first distance between said first set of sensing devices in a central processing unit, indicating a time where a person or a group of people enter said escalator;

detecting and storing a second change in distance measured during a continuous measurement of at least a second distance between at least one other set of sensing devices in a central processing unit, wherein said at least one other set of sensing devices differs from said first set of sensing devices and also located on either side of said interior walls of said escalator;

comparing said first change in distance with said second change in distance;

wherein when said comparison in said first and second change in distance exceeds a predefined range an emergency situation will be determined and said central processing unit will send an alarm signal to an alarm system and stops said escalator, wherein said first and at least one other set of sensing devices are installed and located at a first height and/or a second height with respect to steps of said escalator;

wherein said first and at least one other set sensing devices comprise, transmitters and receivers;

wherein a first set of said transmitters and said receivers are installed at said first height with respect to said steps creating low IR-Lines and/or a second set of said transmitters and said receivers are installed in said second height with respect to said steps, creating high IR-Lines.

20. The algorithm for an Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 19, wherein when a crowd of people enter said escalator said first and second changes in said distance amongst each one of said low IR-lines and/or said high IR-lines is monitored via said CPU and when a comparison in said first and second changes amongst said low IR-Lines and/or high IR-Lines separately exceeds a predefined range an emergency situation will be determined and said CPU will send an alarm signal to an alarm system and stops said escalator.

21. The algorithm for an Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 20, wherein said low IR-Lines and/or high IR-Lines are used in order to calculate said escalator'"'"'s speed, wherein a time laps between an object passing a first low IR-Line and a neighboring low IR-line is depicted as T, and a distance between said first and neighboring low IR-Lines is denoted as X, therefore said escalator speed is computed as V=X*T⁻

1.

22. The algorithm for an intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 21, wherein said algorithm recognizes an accident independent of a location of a falling person on said escalator.

23. The algorithm for an Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 22, wherein said algorithm detects said accident independent of a situation of a body of said fallen person whether said person has fallen and/or sitting and/or lying on said escalator.

24. The algorithm for an Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 23, wherein environmental sounds are used as another input to said algorithm, therefore presence of shouting is an indication and a positive sign of said accident.

25. The algorithm for an Intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 24, wherein said algorithm provides adjustable restart of said escalator after said accident in two ways of manual and automatic modes;

wherein said automatic restart time is programmed for 40, 70, 110 sec.

26. The algorithm for an intelligent escalator emergency stop system of claim 25, wherein said emergency stop system uses said escalator'"'"'s existing voltage.