METHOD FOR TESTING ELEVATOR EMERGENCY PHONES AND ELEVATOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20130272506A1
• Filed: 06/13/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: RYTIL, Hannu, HIENONEN, Juha-Pekka, HUOTARI, Tommi
• Granted Patent: US 8,948,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/27.02
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3461 between the elevator control system and remote or mobile stations
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 19/007 method for modernisation of elevators
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0093 Testing of safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/30 for subscriber's lines , for the local loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method is provided for testing an elevator emergency phone, which emergency phone is either VoIP compliant and connected to a WAN or is connected with a mobile connection module for operation in a mobile network. In the method, the phone is periodically initiated to be registered in the corresponding communication network. The registration attempt is monitored by a reporting device. The status data of the registration attempt is communicated by the reporting device to a monitoring center, which itself is connected to the communication network, which monitoring center takes necessary action when either a registration attempt is not being executed within a set time period or if the result of at least one registration attempt has been communicated as failed.

Claims

1. A method for testing an elevator emergency phone, which emergency phone is either VoIP compliant and connected to a WAN or is connected with a mobile connection module for operation in a mobile network, said method comprising the steps of:

periodically initiating the phone to be registered in the corresponding communication network

monitoring the registration attempt by a reporting device; and

,

communicating status data of the registration attempt by the reporting device to a monitoring center, which itself is connected to the communication network, which monitoring center takes necessary action when either a registration attempt is not being executed within a set time period or if the result of at least one registration attempt has been communicated as failed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the status data comprise the time and/or the success of a registration attempt.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein only failed registration attempts and successful registration attempts following a failed registration attempt are communicated to the monitoring center.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reporting device further communicates an ID of the corresponding emergency phone to the monitoring center.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a test call function is initiated by the monitoring center if no emergency calls have been issued from the phone over a predetermined time period.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein only failed registration attempts and successful registration attempts following a failed registration attempt are communicated to the monitoring center.

15. The method according to claim 2, wherein the reporting device further communicates an ID of the corresponding emergency phone to the monitoring center.

16. The method according to claim 3, wherein the reporting device further communicates an ID of the corresponding emergency phone to the monitoring center.

17. The method according to claim 2, wherein a test call function is initiated by the monitoring center if no emergency calls have been issued from the phone over a predetermined time period.

18. The method according to claim 3, wherein a test call function is initiated by the monitoring center if no emergency calls have been issued from the phone over a predetermined time period.

19. The method according to one of the preceding claims claim 4, wherein a test call function is initiated by the monitoring center if no emergency calls have been issued from the phone over a predetermined time period.

6. An elevator emergency communication system, comprising:

at least one elevator, which elevator has at least one elevator car, which car has an emergency phone which can be used by passengers for connecting with an emergency call center in case of accidents, the emergency phone being VoIP compliant or a mobile phone, and which system further comprises a testing device to initiate the registration of the phone in a corresponding communication network at predetermined time, intervals; and

a reporting device which monitors the registration attempt and sends status data of the registration attempt to a monitoring center, connected with the communication network.

7. The elevator emergency communication system according to claim 6, wherein the emergency phone is a mobile phone and the registration attempt is a location update procedure.

8. The elevator emergency communication system according to claim 6, wherein the reporting device is configured to communicate further an ID of the emergency phone for which registration status data is communicated to the monitoring center.

9. The elevator emergency communication system according to claim 6, wherein the status data comprises the time of the execution of a registration attempt and/or the result of a registration attempt.

10. The elevator emergency communication system according to claim 6, wherein the reporting device is comprised in the emergency phone or comprised in/connected to a device between the emergency phone and the communication network.

11. The elevator emergency communication system according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of emergency phones which are located in a building having several elevators, which phones are connected to a building LAN and that one reporting device is provided for the plurality of emergency phones-, which reporting device is connected to the building LAN.

12. The elevator emergency communication system according to claim 6, wherein at least a part of the testing device and the reporting device are integrated.

13. The elevator emergency communication system according to claim 6, wherein the testing device is located in the emergency phone.

20. The elevator emergency communication system according to claim 7, wherein the reporting device is configured to communicate further an ID of the emergency phone for which registration status data is communicated to the monitoring center.