Method of operating an elevator installation and elevator control

• US 20050155821A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Inventors: Marterer, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 7,416,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/247
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/18 with means for storing pulses controlling the movements of several cars or cages B66B1/2458 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/34 Details , e.g. call counting devices, data transmission from car to control system, devices giving information to the control system

Abstract

A method of operating an elevator installation having an elevator control with a plurality of functions (F₁, . . . F_n+m) for controlling the elevator installation, wherein the plurality of functions comprises at least one optional function (F_n+1, . . . F_n+m) which is activatable at the time of configuring of the elevator control and can be made available by an activation for control during the operation of the elevator installation. After the activation, a deactivation of the optional function (F_n+1, . . . F_n+m) takes place automatically in accordance with a predetermined criterion, wherein the optional function after deactivation is no longer available for control of the elevator installation in operation.

Claims

1. A method of operating a elevator installation having an elevator control with a plurality of functions for controlling the elevator installation comprising the steps of:

a) providing at least one optional function which is activatable at a time of configuring the elevator control and can be made available by an activation for control during the operation of the elevator installation;

b) activating the at least one optional function; and

c) deactivating the at least one optional function automatically, wherein the at least one optional function after the deactivation is no longer available for control of the elevator installation in operation.

2. The method according to claim 1 including communicating activation information by way of an interface of the elevator control and performing said step b) if the activation information fulfils a predetermined criterion.

3. The method according to claim 2 including performing said step b) a first time and subsequently modifying said predetermined criterion in such a manner that the activation is not undertaken a further time if the same activation information is communicated by way of the interface of the elevator control.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein the activation information is a code and including a step of checking the code with respect to validity.

5. The method according to claim 2 wherein the activation information includes data stored on a data carrier and including a step of reading and investigating the data with respect to validity.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein an instant in time of performing said step c) by the elevator control is instigated in accordance with a predetermined criterion.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein performing said step c) is instigated in response to at least one of i) expiry of a predetermined time period, ii) a frequency of a predetermined event reaches a predetermined degree, and iii) status information.

8. The method according to claim 1 including generating from the elevator control at least one reference to imminent deactivation.

9. The method according to claim 8 including communicating the at least one reference to a center.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one optional function is one of detection and/or diagnosis of operational data, detection and/or processing of maintenance data, creation of a fault log, freeing of a communications interface for a data communication with the elevator control, automatic switching-on/switching-off lighting of an elevator car of the elevator installation, automatic switching-on/switching-off lighting at a floor of the elevator installation, control of a device for acoustic and/or visual reproduction of information, control of a device for presenting multimedia material, monitoring an interior space of the elevator car, monitoring a lobby at a floor door of the elevator installation, indication of a position of the car at predetermined floors of the elevator installation, automatic return of the car to a predetermined floor of the elevator installation, early opening of the car and/or floor doors ahead of stopping of the car at a floor of the elevator installation, recognition of improper car calls, and a group control for a group of elevators of the elevator installation.

11. An elevator control having a plurality of functions for controlling an elevator installation comprising:

a means for storing at least one optional function which is activatable at a time of configuring the elevator control and can be made available by an activation for control during operation of the elevator installation; and

a means for automatic deactivation of the optional function wherein the deactivation is provided after the activation and the optional function after the deactivation is no longer available for control during operation of the elevator installation.

12. The elevator control according to claim 11 including an interface for receiving communication of activation information for control of the activation and/or the deactivation of the at least one optional function.

13. The elevator control according to claim 12 including means for evaluation of the activation information and the activation and/or deactivation of the at least one optional function is executed in dependence on a result of the evaluation.

14. The elevator control according to claim 12 wherein the activation information is coded and including means for checking the code with respect to validity in accordance with a predetermined criterion.

15. The elevator control according to claim 11 including a memory for storing status information with respect to the activation or deactivation of the at least one optional function.

16. The elevator control according to claim 15 wherein for activation of the at least one optional function a program code is loaded into said memory and for deactivation of the at least one optional function the program code is deleted from said memory.