MONITORING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AN ELEVATOR SYSTEM

• US 20070246305A1
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Inventors: Roussel, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,823,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/317
• 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 5/0018 Devices monitoring the operating condition of the elevator system
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/10 Detecting, e.g. by using light barriers by reflection from the object G01S17/00

Abstract

The present invention relates to a monitoring device for a elevator system, comprising an optical sensor unit, which receives light emitted by a external light source existing in the vicinity of the elevator system and which transforms the light into contrast information and an evaluation unit, which evaluates the contrast information in order to monitor the elevator system by means of the contrast information. The present invention relates further to a method for monitoring a elevator system, comprising the steps of receiving light emitted by a external light source existing in the vicinity of the elevator system, transforming the light into contrast information, evaluation of the contrast information in order to monitor the elevator system by means of the contrast information, recognizing a situation of the elevator system and triggering of a reaction adapted to the situation.

Claims

1. A monitoring device for an elevator system, comprising:

an optical sensor unit, which receives light emitted by an external light source existing in a vicinity of the elevator system and which transforms the light into contrast information; and

an evaluation unit, which evaluates the contrast information for monitoring the elevator system by means of the contrast information.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said evaluation unit is at least partly integrated in said sensor unit.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein said sensor unit includes an integrated circuit chip and said evaluation unit is programmed in said chip.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein said sensor unit is positioned and aligned to monitor an elevator floor lobby.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein said sensor unit is disposed on or adjacent to a door frame of a car door or a shaft door.

6. The device according to claim 1 wherein said sensor unit is positioned and aligned to monitor an interior space of a car of the elevator system.

7. The device according to claim 6 wherein said sensor unit is disposed at ceiling of the car.

8. The device according to claim 6 wherein said sensor unit is positioned and aligned to monitor a presence of a person or an object in the car.

9. The device according to claim 6 wherein the car includes a destination call unit and said sensor unit is positioned and aligned to monitor an actuation of the destination call unit.

10. The device according to claim 1 wherein said sensor unit monitors a position of a car door or a shaft door of the elevator system.

11. The device according to claim 1 wherein the external light source is one of a car light, a landing light and a car emergency light.

12. A method for monitoring an elevator system, comprising the steps of:

a. receiving light emitted by an external light source existing in a vicinity of the elevator system;

b. transforming the light into contrast information;

c. filtering and evaluating the contrast information;

d. recognizing a situation of the elevator system from the filtered contrast information; and

e. triggering of a reaction adapted to the situation.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein said step d. is performed by recognizing at least one of:

position of an elevator door or a shaft door;

actuation of a destination call unit;

presence of a person or object in a vicinity of the elevator;

presence of a person or object in the vicinity of the elevator doors;

presence of a person or object in the car; and

number of persons or objects in the car.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein said steps c. and d. are performed completely on a chip of a sensor unit for receiving the light in said step a.

15. The method according to claim 12 including using a car light, a landing light or a car emergency light as the external light source.