SYSTEM AND METHOD TO PREVENT THE USE OF PIRATE PRODUCTS IN AN ELEVATOR CONTROL

• US 20140284143A1
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: STAENGLER, Ferenc, KORPELA, Jukka, MAKKONEN, Timo
• Granted Patent: US 9,582,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/247
• 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: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication

Abstract

A system and a method to prevent the use of pirate products in an elevator control are provided. The system includes at least one elevator control, an updating mechanism and a connection between the elevator control and said updating mechanism. The elevator control includes essential electronic components provided with their own ID. An authorization section, which is configured to read the IDs of the essential electronic components, includes a reference list with allowed IDs, a comparator and a switching logic configured to issue an authorization signal for the elevator control to start or prevent operation of the elevator control depending on the comparison result of the comparator. The connection between the elevator control and the updating mechanism is configured to initiate the elevator control to update the IDs of the essential electronic components in the elevator control.

Claims

1. System to prevent the use of pirate products in an elevator control, comprising at least one elevator control, an updating mechanism and a connection between the elevator control and said updating mechanism, which elevator control comprises essential electronic components provided with their own ID device, which elevator control further comprises an authorization section, which authorization section:

is configured to read the IDs from the corresponding ID device of the essential electronic components into the elevator control,

comprise(s) a reference list with allowed IDs of the essential electronic components,

comprises a comparator for comparing the IDs of the essential electronic components with the reference list, and

comprises a switching logic configured to issue an authorization signal for the elevator control to start or prevent operation of the elevator control depending on the comparison result of the comparator,

whereby the connection between the elevator control and said updating mechanism is configured to initiate the elevator control to update the IDs of the essential electronic components in the elevator control.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the updating mechanism is configured to issue a command for the elevator control to input IDs of replacement parts of essential electronic components to the reference list and/or to assign IDs to the ID device of replacement parts of the essential electronic components.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein the updating mechanism is a portable maintenance tool, which may preferably be connectable to a central database.

4. System according to claim 1, wherein the updating mechanism is a central database having a network connection to the elevator control.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein the IDs stored in the ID device of the essential electrical components of same elevator are identical.

6. System according to claim 5, wherein the ID device is associated with the essential electronic components in connection with their manufacturing.

7. System according to claim 1, wherein the ID device is an authorization chip having internal encryption for data transfer.

8. System according to claim 1, wherein the ID is stored in a microcontroller flash memory of the essential electronic component.

9. System according to claim 1, wherein the ID is provided in an RFID tag of the essential electronic component.

10. System according to claim 1, wherein the authorization section is provided in the main CPU of the elevator control.

11. System according to claim 1, wherein the auto-start routine of the operating program of the elevator control comprises the starting of the operation of the authorization section.

12. System according to claim 1, wherein an essential electronic component is a functional module of the elevator control.

19. System according to claim 2, wherein the updating device is a portable maintenance tool, which may preferably be connectable to a central database.

20. System according to claim 2, wherein the updating device is a central database having a network connection to the elevator control.

13. Method for preventing the use of pirate products in an elevator control, wherein the essential electronic components of the elevator control are provided with an ID, comprising the succession of following steps:

a) before start of operation of the elevator control the IDs of the components are read by an authorization section of the elevator control and are compared to a reference list of allowed IDs stored in the authorization section, and

b) an authorization signal to start or prevent operation of the elevator control is issued depending on the comparison result.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein steps a) and b) are repeated with each start of the elevator control.

15. Method according to claim 13, wherein an updating means mechanism is connected to the elevator control initiate an update of an existing grouping or pairing of IDs in the elevator control.

16. Method according to claim 15, wherein the updating mechanism initiates the elevator control to add the ID from a new replacement part of an essential electronic component to the reference list and/or to assign an ID from the reference list to the ID device of the new replacement part.

17. Method according to claim 13, wherein each data which is transferred to/from the ID device or the authorization device of the elevator control is encrypted.

18. Method according to claim 13, wherein steps a) to b) are performed with each booting of the elevator control program.