SAFETY APPARATUS FOR CLOSING AND OPENING A DOOR

• US 20130125468A1
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Sas (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Sas (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: El Fassi, Said, Nogueira Alves, Clara
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/26
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/434 with cameras or optical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/00 Details, accessories and auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/404 for railway platform gates
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/51 for railway cars or mass transit vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

An apparatus automatically closes and opens a door in a frame. The door is controlled by a controller providing a safety mode for retaining the door in an open state and, if need be, a door reopening mode if an obstacle blocks the closure of the door. A camera having a vision axis intersecting a plane of the frame, provides an image of a space divided by the plane of the frame. An image analysis unit isolates the regions of interest of an obstacle in the space. A calculator extracts a geometrical characteristic of each region of interest, for classifying the same into a closest category of different safety scenarios of known characteristics, and for outputting, to the controller, a safety signal which activates the safety mode and which is dependent on the evaluation of a safety alarm value calculated by a formula, in accordance with the category.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. An apparatus for automatically closing and opening at least one door in a frame, the apparatus comprising:

a controller controlling the door, said controller providing a safety mode for retaining the door in an open state and, if need be, a door reopening mode in an event of an obstacle blocking a complete closure of the door into the frame;

at least one camera having a line of sight intersecting at least a plane of the frame and providing an image of a space divided by the plane of the frame;

at least one image analysis unit that isolates regions of interest of an obstacle in the space and being connected to said camera; and

a calculator for extracting at least one geometric characteristic of each region of interest, for classifying the geometric characteristic into at least one closest category of different safety scenarios of known characteristics, and for outputting to said controller a safety signal for activating the safety mode and being dependent on an evaluation of a safety alarm value calculated by a formula, in accordance with the category, using at least one weighting of dimensional criteria applied to the geometric characteristics, said calculator connected to said image analysis unit and to said controller.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the regions of interest are geometric shapes.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the dimensional criteria contain at least one of the following elements:

absolute dimensional values of characteristics;

relative dimensional values between the characteristics; and

ratios of dimensional values of the characteristics based on a scenario.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the line of sight of said camera is at least oblique in relation to the plane of the frame until the line of sight is vertical in the plane of the frame or slightly off-center from the vertical.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said camera is one of several cameras disposed with triangulated lines of sight.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a laser rangefinder disposed on the frame of the door, said rangefinder connected to said controller as a second safety mode for retaining the door in the open state and, if need be, the door reopening mode.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for retaining the door in the open state and, if need be, the door reopening mode, said means connected to said controller.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said calculator extracts dynamic characteristics for the regions of interest, classifying the dynamic characteristic into a category of known scenarios and the safety alarm value is calculated in a complementary manner by a safety criteria based on the dynamic characteristics.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said calculator extracts dynamic characteristics for the regions of interest, classifying the dynamic characteristic into a category of known scenarios and the safety alarm value is calculated in a complementary manner by a safety criteria based on the dynamic characteristics, by complementary weighting of a formula based on the dimensional criteria.

20. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the geometric shapes are selected from the group consisting of circles, squares, rectangles, and bars.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said means is selected from the group consisting of at least one door edge which is mechanically sensitive to an obstacle and at least one light barrier traversing the plane of the frame.

22. A method for controlling doors, which comprises the steps of:

providing an apparatus for automatically closing and opening at least one door in a frame, the apparatus containing;

a controller controlling the door, the controller providing a safety mode for retaining the door in an open state and, if need be, a door reopening mode in an event of an obstacle blocking a complete closure of the door into the frame;

at least one camera having a line of sight intersecting at least a plane of the frame and providing an image of a space divided by the plane of the frame;

at least one image analysis unit that isolates regions of interest of the obstacle in the space and connected to the camera;

a calculator for extracting at least one geometric characteristic of each region of interest, for classifying the geometric characteristic into at least one closest category of different safety scenarios of known characteristics, and for outputting to the controller a safety signal for activating the safety mode and being dependent on an evaluation of a safety alarm value calculated by a formula, in accordance with the category, using at least one weighting of dimensional criteria applied to the geometric characteristics, the calculator connected to the image analysis unit and the controller; and

using the apparatus for automatically closing doors of a public transportation vehicle.

23. The method according to claim 22, which further comprises using the apparatus on driverless automatic vehicles.

24. The method according to claim 22, which further comprises sending the image to a central control station which is on board the public transportation vehicle or on ground, including in a case of a safety alarm.

25. The method according to claim 22, which further comprises sending a camera image to a central control station which is on board the public transportation vehicle or on ground when a safety alarm occurs.