Power-on-reset of elevator controllers

• US 20060081421A1
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Lence, Juan A., Talbot, Samuel R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,350,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/391
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3415 Control system configuration and the data transmission or communication within the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0006 Monitoring devices or performance analysers B66B5/02 takes precedence

Abstract

An elevator (9) includes remote elevator monitoring equipment (10) connected by a communication linkage (12) to a central elevator monitoring and control station (11). Main, drive, and door controllers (16-18) are interconnected (19-21) with the monitor lines. Power-on-reset (POR) of controllers may be caused internally or by remotely-operable power relays (23-25) which interrupt power to the controllers. Maintenance personnel at the remote station (11) may order a POR through the communication linkage. In another embodiment, the remote elevator monitor (10) determines presence of a malfunction which a POR may cure and causes a POR internally or by a power relay. In another embodiment, the controller (16a) includes, in its program routines, elevator diagnostics (50) which can recognize an elevator malfunction which a POR may cure, and either cause the relay to interrupt power for an interval or cause an internal POR.

Claims

1. A method of providing potentially corrective action to an elevator system in response to elevator operation diagnostics sensing a malfunction, said elevator system having at least one controller, said method comprising:

causing a power-on-reset (POR) of one or more controllers in said elevator system by a process, independent of human intervention at the site of the elevator system, of operating, said process comprising one or more of (a) a maintenance person informed of said malfunction through communication linkage causing said POR from a site remote from the elevator by means of communication linkage or (b) having on-site elevator monitoring equipment cause said POR when said monitoring equipment senses an elevator malfunction for which a POR may cure the elevator malfunction or provide information which may aid in determining the cause of the malfunction, or (c) providing, in program routines of said at least one controller, elevator diagnostics which cause said POR in response to recognition of an elevator malfunction for which a POR may cure the elevator malfunction or provide information which may aid in determining the cause of he malfunction.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

providing electric power to said at least one controller through a remotely operable power relay;

causing said POR by operating at least one said power relay to remove power from at least one aid controller for an interval and to then restore power to said at least one controller.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

said POR is performed internally of said controller.

4. An elevator system, comprising:

an elevator having at least one controller and at least one car moving in a hoistway;

an elevator diagnostic function disposed in either or both of (i) said controller and/or (ii) a remote elevator monitor; and

means operable in response to said diagnostic function sensing an elevator malfunction for which a power-on-reset (POR) of at least one said controller may cure the elevator malfunction or provide information which may aid in determining the cause of the malfunction for causing a POR in at least one said controller, said means comprising one or more of (a) a tool remote from said elevator, controlled by maintenance personnel informed of said malfunction through communication linkage and operable over communication linkage, or (b) on-site elevator monitoring equipment, or (c) elevator diagnostics performed by program routines of said at least one controller.

5. An elevator system according to claim 4 further comprising:

one or more remotely-operable power relays providing electric power to one or more said controllers; and

wherein

said means causes said POR by operating at least one said power relay to remove power from said at least one controller for an interval and then restoring power to said at least one controller.

6. A system according to claim 4 wherein:

said means causes at least one said controller to perform an internal POR.