Elevator wireless communication and power transfer system

• US 10,531,256 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Dang V., Dwari, Suman
• Primary Examiner(s): Uhlir, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US15/254,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20170057780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 187250
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3461 between the elevator control system and remote or mobile stations
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 11/0407 actuated by an electrical linear motor in the counterweight B66B17/12
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 7/00 Other common features of elevators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

An elevator system includes an elevator car disposed in and arranged to move along a hoistway. A linear propulsion system of the elevator system is constructed and arranged to propel the elevator car, and includes a plurality of primary coils engaged to and distributed along the hoistway generally defined by a stationary structure. A wireless power transfer system of the elevator system is configured to inductively transfer power to the elevator car. The wireless power transfer system includes a secondary coil mounted to the elevator car and is configured to be induced with electromotive forces by the primary coils and output power for use by the elevator car. A communication system of the elevator system is configured to utilize the secondary coil and the plurality of primary coils to exchange a communication data signal.

Claims

1. An elevator system, comprising:

an elevator car disposed in and constructed and arranged to move along a hoistway;

a linear propulsion system constructed and arranged to propel the elevator car, the linear propulsion system including a plurality of primary coils engaged to and distributed along the hoistway generally defined by a stationary structure;

a wireless power transfer system configured to inductively transfer power to the elevator car, the wireless power transfer system including a secondary coil and a resonant component, the secondary coil being mounted to the elevator car and configured to be sequentially induced with electromotive forces by each one of the plurality of primary coils and output power for use by the elevator car, and the resonant component being mounted to the elevator car, operably coupled to the secondary coil, and configured to mitigate effects of a variable coupling factor as the secondary coil passes between adjacent primary coils of the plurality of primary coils; and

a communication system configured to utilize the secondary coil and the plurality of primary coils to exchange a communication data signal, wherein the plurality of primary coils are configured to transmit power to the secondary coil when a primary coil of the plurality of primary coils is adjacent to the secondary coil and is selectively energized as the elevator car is propelled via the linear propulsion system.

2. The elevator system set forth in claim 1, wherein the communication system includes a first communication device carried by the elevator car and configured to receive communication data and output a communication data signal to the secondary coil.

3. The elevator system set forth in claim 2, wherein the first communication device is an intelligent signal modulator.

4. The elevator system set forth in claim 3, wherein the communication system includes a second communication device supported by the stationary structure and in communication with a controller of the linear propulsion system configured to selectively control energization of the plurality of primary coils.

5. The elevator system set forth in claim 4, wherein the second communication device is a demodulator.

6. The elevator system set forth in claim 2, wherein the communication system includes a position sensor supported by the elevator car and configured to output a position signal to the first communication device.

7. The elevator system set forth in claim 6, wherein the position sensor is an accelerometer.

8. The elevator system set forth in claim 2, wherein the communication system includes a sensor supported by the elevator car and configured to output a signal to the first communication device, and wherein the sensor is at least one of a moisture sensor, a pressure sensor, a sound sensor, a light sensor and an occupancy sensor.

9. The elevator system set forth in claim 1, wherein the linear propulsion system includes a control system configured to select and energize the plurality of primary coils, the control system including a plurality of switches with each one of the plurality of switches being associated with a respective one of the plurality of primary coils, and wherein the plurality of switches selectively close to energize a selected one of the plurality of primary coils for simultaneous propulsion and inductive energy transfer, and associated with a location of the elevator car.

10. The elevator system set forth in claim 9, wherein the communication system is configured to send the communication signal through a selected one of the plurality of switches when closed.

11. The elevator system set forth in claim 10, wherein the control system includes a controller configured to control the plurality of switches for selective energization of the plurality of primary coils based on a location of the elevator car.

12. The elevator system set forth in claim 11, wherein the communication system includes an intelligent signal modulator carried by the elevator car and configured to receive communication data and output the communication data signal to the secondary coil, and a demodulator supported by the stationary structure and in communication with the controller of the linear propulsion system.

13. The elevator system set forth in claim 12, wherein the communication system includes a position sensor supported by the elevator car and configured to output a position signal to the first communication device.

14. The elevator system set forth in claim 1, wherein the communication data includes at least one of elevator car position, safety-related information, fault detection, health monitoring, and information exchange.

15. The elevator system set forth in claim 2, wherein the power transfer system include a power converter carried by the elevator car and configured to receive the communication data signal from the first communication device.

16. The elevator system set forth in claim 15, wherein the power converter provides AC power to AC loads of the elevator car.