TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

• US 20110290593A1
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: LAAKSONHEIMO, Jyrki, HYTTI, Pekka, KAUPPINEN, Tuukka
• Granted Patent: US 8,177,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/290
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/30 effective on driving gear , e.g. acting on power electronics, on inverter or rectifier controlled motor
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/302 for energy saving
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3492 Position or motion detectors or driving means for the detector B66B1/40, B66B1/50 take precedence; length measuring G01B; speed measuring G01P

Abstract

A transportation system and a method are provided for backing up the operational state of a transportation system. The transportation system includes a control apparatus for controlling the operation of the transportation system. The control apparatus further includes capacitive energy storage and a power supply backup circuit adapted to maintain power supply from the said energy storage to a storage circuit for a given length of time in connection with an operational anomaly in power supply to the control apparatus.

Claims

1. A transportation system having a control apparatus for controlling the operation of the transportation system;

said control apparatus comprising a storage circuit provided with a non-volatile memory for storing the operational state of the transportation system;

wherein the control apparatus is provided with a power supply backup circuit which comprises a capacitive energy storage; and

which power supply backup circuit is adapted to maintain, power supply from the said energy storage to the storage circuit for a given length of time in connection with an operational anomaly in power supply to the control apparatus.

2. A transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the storage circuit is adapted to store the operational state of the transportation system when the power supply backup circuit is supplying power to the storage circuit.

3. A transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the said power supply backup circuit comprises a supercapacitor.

4. A transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply backup circuit comprises at least two mutually series-connected supercapacitors, at least one of which has a voltage equalizing circuit fitted in parallel with it.

5. A transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply backup circuit comprises a charging circuit and a discharging circuit for charging and discharging the aforesaid supercapacitor, and the charging circuit is fitted between the power supply circuit of the control apparatus and the power supply backup circuit.

6. A transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the backup circuit comprises determination of the operational state of power supply to the control apparatus and, on detecting an operational anomaly in power supply, the storage circuit is adapted to store into the non-volatile memory at least one parameter describing the operational state of the transportation system.

7. A transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the storage circuit is adapted to read transportation system movement data and to store the movement data read by it into the non-volatile memory.

8. A transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the storage circuit is adapted to read a message generated by a control device of the transportation system and determining the operational state of the control device and to store this message into the non-volatile memory.

9. A transportation system according to claim 1, wherein that, after the operational anomaly in power supply to the control apparatus has disappeared, the storage circuit is adapted to read from the non-volatile memory a parameter stored there in connection with the operational anomaly and describing the operational state of the transportation system.

10. A transportation system according to claim 1, wherein that power supply from the power supply circuit of the control apparatus to the storage circuit is interrupted by means of a switch in connection with an operational anomaly in power supply to the control apparatus.

11. A transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory is an on EEPROM and/or flash memory.

12. A method for backing up the operational state of a transportation system, in which method:

a storage circuit having a non-volatile memory is fitted in the control apparatus of the transportation system

wherein

a power supply backup circuit is fitted in the control apparatus;

a capacitive energy storage is fitted in the power supply backup circuit;

power is supplied from the said energy storage to the storage circuit for a given length of time in connection with an operational anomaly in power supply to the control apparatus of the transportation system.