MANAGING REMOTE CONTROL OF AN ELEVATOR SYSTEM

• US 20140069745A1
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Dellarippa, Henry, Pedersen, Karl D., Bogli, Craig Drew, Dedgaonkar, Medha Ramakant, Sanches, Jean Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,403,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/381
• 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 1/3461 between the elevator control system and remote or mobile stations
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/005 Safety of maintenance personnel
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0087 Devices facilitating maintenance, repair or inspection tasks devices incorporated in the buffer B66B5/288; railings on top of the car B66B11/0226

Abstract

An exemplary method of managing remote control of an elevator system includes preventing any source located remotely from a site of the elevator system from controlling an operation of the elevator system when there is an indication that the elevator system is being serviced by a mechanic.

Claims

1. A method of managing remote control of an elevator system, comprising:

preventing any source located remotely from a site of the elevator system from controlling an operation of the elevator system when there is an indication that the elevator system is being serviced by a mechanic;

determining whether a preselected time period has expired since the indication was provided;

performing the preventing when the indication exists and the time period has not yet expired; and

overriding the preventing when the time period has expired even if the indication still exists.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising determining whether a switch has been manually actuated by a mechanic, the switch providing the indication that the elevator system is being serviced by the mechanic.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising determining whether a mechanic servicing tool has been connected with a portion of the elevator system, the servicing tool having been connected providing the indication that the elevator system is being serviced by the mechanic.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the portion of the elevator system comprises a port adapted to be connected with the servicing tool.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the portion of the elevator system comprises a remote elevator monitoring device that includes the port.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising determining whether a mechanic has used a communication device to wirelessly communicate with a portion of the elevator system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the portion of the elevator system comprises a transceiver adapted to communicate with the communication device configured to allow a mechanic to service the elevator system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the portion of the elevator system comprises a remote elevator monitoring device that includes the transceiver.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising

initiating the time period responsive to at least one of

(i) a mechanic manually actuating a switch that provides the indication,

(ii) a mechanic connecting a servicing tool with a portion of the elevator system, or

(iii) a mechanic using a communication device to wireless communicate with a portion of the elevator system.

9. (canceled)

11. An elevator system, comprising:

a remote elevator monitoring device that is configured to

prevent any source located remotely from a site of the elevator system from controlling an operation of the elevator system when there is an indication that the elevator system is being serviced by a mechanic,

initiate a preselected time period responsive to a beginning of the indication,

prevent a source located remotely from the site of the elevator system from controlling an operation of the elevator system when the indication exists and the time period has not yet expired, and

override the indication to allow a source located remotely from the elevator system to control an operation of the elevator system when the time period has expired even if the indication still exists.

12. The system of claim 11, comprising a switch configured to be manually actuated by a mechanic, the switch providing the indication that the elevator system is being serviced by the mechanic.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the switch is associated with the remote elevator monitoring device.

14. The system of claim 11, comprising a port on a portion of the elevator system that is configured to be connected with a servicing tool, and wherein a mechanic connecting the servicing with the port provides the indication that the elevator system is being serviced by the mechanic.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the elevator monitoring device includes the port.

16. The system of claim 11, comprising a transceiver adapted to communicate with a communication device configured to allow a mechanic to service the elevator system, and wherein the transceiver provides the indication responsive to receiving a wirelessly transmitted communication from the communication device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the remote elevator monitoring device includes the transceiver.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote elevator monitoring device is configured to automatically begin the time period responsive to at least one of

(i) a mechanic manually actuating a switch that provides the indication,

(ii) a mechanic connecting a servicing tool with a portion of the elevator system, or

(iii) a mechanic using a communication device to wireless communicate with a portion of the elevator system.

18. (canceled)