CALL PANEL

• US 20120024638A1
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: RUSANEN, Niko, POUTIAINEN, Vesa
• Granted Patent: US 8,336,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/395
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/463 Touch sensitive input devices

Abstract

The present invention presents a call panel of an elevator or of an elevator system, which call panel comprises one or more display elements, a front plate covering the call panel, in connection with which front plate a touch sensor is fitted, and also a control unit to which the display elements and also the touch sensor are connected. The detection area of the touch sensor comprises active areas covered by the display elements as well as a passive area that remains outside at least some of the aforementioned active area, for which passive area one or more touch-sensitive pushbuttons are specified. The control unit is arranged to react to a touch of the touch-sensitive pushbuttons specified for the aforementioned detection area.

Claims

1. Call panel of an elevator or of an elevator system, which call panel comprises one or more display elements, a front plate covering the call panel, in connection with which front plate a touch sensor is fitted, and also a control unit, to which display elements and also a touch sensor are connected, wherein that the detection area of the touch sensor comprises active areas covered by the display elements as well as a passive area that remains outside at least some of the aforementioned active areas, for which one or more touch-sensitive pushbuttons are specified, and in that the control unit is arranged to react to a touch of the touch-sensitive pushbuttons specified for the aforementioned detection area.

2. Call panel according to claim 1, wherein that the call panel comprises two or more display elements, which are installed in a vertical attitude into the call panel so that the shorter sides of the display elements are in an essentially horizontal direction and are essentially face to face with respect to each other.

3. Call panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein that the control unit comprises an interface for conveying control commands and/or status data and/or other information between the control unit and devices or systems external to the control unit.

4. Call panel according to claim 1, wherein that the construction of the call panel is essentially universal such that at least the amount of display elements can be varied without changing the construction of the call panel.

5. Call panel according to claim 1, wherein that the front panel is partly translucent so that it allows light produced by the display elements through but covers from view the features of the display elements and other components and structures that are behind the front panel.

6. Call panel according to claim 1, wherein that at least one touch-sensitive pushbutton in the passive area is a standard pushbutton of the elevator or of the elevator system.

7. Call panel according to claim 1, wherein that the touch sensor is a film-type touch sensor fitted to the rear surface of the front panel.

8. Call panel according to claim 1, wherein that at least one embossed pushbutton is arranged for visually impaired elevator passengers on the front surface of the front panel in connection with a touch-sensitive pushbutton.

9. Call panel according to claim 1, wherein that a group comprising two or more embossed pushbuttons is made by cutting off a part of a tape-type standard preform on the basis of the installation site of the elevator or elevator system.

10. Call panel according to claim 1, wherein that the control unit is arranged to change its operating mode on the basis of fault data connected to the control unit.

11. Call panel according claim 2, wherein that the construction of the call panel is essentially universal such that at least the amount of display elements can be varied without changing the construction of the call panel.

12. Call panel according claim 3, wherein that the construction of the call panel is essentially universal such that at least the amount of display elements can be varied without changing the construction of the call panel.

13. Call panel according to claim 2, wherein that the front panel is partly translucent so that it allows light produced by the display elements through but covers from view the features of the display elements and other components and structures that are behind the front panel.

14. Call panel according claim 3, wherein that the front panel is partly translucent so that it allows light produced by the display elements through but covers from view the features of the display elements and other components and structures that are behind the front panel.

15. Call panel according claim 4, wherein that the front panel is partly translucent so that it allows light produced by the display elements through but covers from view the features of the display elements and other components and structures that are behind the front panel.

16. Call panel according to claim 2, wherein that at least one touch-sensitive pushbutton in the passive area is a standard pushbutton of the elevator or of the elevator system.

17. Call panel according to claim 4, wherein that at least one touch-sensitive pushbutton in the passive area is a standard pushbutton of the elevator or of the elevator system.