Depth sensor for automatic doors

• US 10,221,610 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Hsu, Arthur, Finn, Alan Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Odom, Curtis
• Application Number:
  US15/595,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20180328098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 13/14 Control systems or devices
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/433 using reflection from the obstruction
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/765 using optical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/40 Control units therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/104 for elevators
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/22 for measuring depth
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/207 for motion estimation over a hierarchy of resolutions multi-resolution motion estimation or hierarchical motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/53
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects

Abstract

A door system is provided and includes=a door assembly operable to assume an open position at which an aperture is opened and a closed position at which the aperture is closed, a sensor assembly and a controller. The controller is coupled to the door assembly and configured to instruct the door assembly to normally assume the closed position and to assume the open position in accordance with an open signal being issued by the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly is configured to track the individual, determine whether the individual is likely to be approaching the aperture from the tracking and issue the open signal in accordance with a determination that the individual is likely to be approaching the aperture.

Claims

1. A door system, comprising:

a door assembly operable to assume an open position at which an aperture is opened and a closed position at which the aperture is closed;

a sensor assembly; and

a controller coupled to the door assembly and configured to instruct the door assembly to normally assume the closed position and to assume the open position in accordance with an open signal being issued by the sensor assembly,

the sensor assembly comprising an emitter configured to send out signals toward an individual, a receiver configured to receive reflections of the signals which are reflected off of the individual and a processor configured to generate maps based on the received reflections, the sensor assembly being configured to;

track the individual based on the maps,

determine whether the individual is likely to be approaching the aperture from the tracking, and

issue the open signal in accordance with a determination that the individual is likely to be approaching the aperture.

2. The door system according to claim 1, wherein the door assembly comprises:

at least one or more doors; and

a motor which drives movements of the one or more doors based on instructions generated by the controller.

3. The door sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is operably disposed on opposite sides of a wall defining the aperture.

4. The door system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a depth sensor.

5. The door system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a high dynamic range (HDR) sensor.

6. The door system according to claim 1, wherein the signals comprise infrared (IR) signals.

7. The door system according to claim 1, wherein the signals are modulated.

8. The door system according to claim 1, wherein:

the sensor assembly is further configured to immediately issue a close signal in accordance with a determination that the individual passed through the aperture, and

the controller being configured to instruct the door assembly to immediately assume the closed position in accordance with the close signal being issued by the sensor assembly.

9. An elevator system in which the door system of claim 1 is provided to track individuals boarding and exiting from an elevator car.

10. A method of operating a sensor assembly of a door system, the sensor assembly comprising an emitter configured to send out signals toward an individual, a receiver configured to receive reflections of the signals which are reflected off of the individual and a processor configured to generate maps based on the received reflections the method comprising:

tracking an individual based on the maps proximate to an aperture opened and closed by doors of the door system;

determining whether the individual is likely to be approaching the aperture from the tracking; and

issuing an open signal to lead to an opening of the doors of the door system in accordance with a determination that the individual is likely to be approaching the aperture.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a depth sensor.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a high dynamic range (HDR) sensor.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the signals comprise infrared (IR) signals.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the signals are modulated.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

sending out signals toward the individual;

receiving reflections of the signals which are reflected off of the individual; and

generating maps based on the received reflections.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising modulating the signals.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising immediately issuing a close signal to lead to an immediate closing of the doors of the door system in accordance with a determination that the individual passed through the aperture.

18. A method of operating a sensor assembly of a door system, the method comprising:

generating a series of maps for individuals proximate to an aperture opened and closed by doors of the door system based on modulated signals being sent out from and reflected toward the sensor assembly;

tracking the individuals based on the series of maps;

determining whether the individuals are likely to be approaching the aperture from the tracking; and

issuing an open signal to lead to an opening of the doors of the door system in accordance with a determination that at least one of the individuals is likely to be approaching the aperture.