ELEVATOR SYSTEM HAVING LOCKDOWN MODE

• US 20180093860A1
• Filed: 09/30/2016
• Published: 04/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Saperstein, Mark D., Saperstein, Benjamin, Hagney, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 10,384,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/28 electrical detecting excessive speed B66B5/04 ; control of electrical motor H02P
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 19/007 method for modernisation of elevators
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0012 Devices monitoring the users of the elevator system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/021 the abnormal operating conditions being independent of the system alarm systems in general G08B
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 9/00 Kinds or types of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures characterised by control systems B66B1/00; apparatus for raising or lowering persons on stages of theatres A63J5/12

Abstract

An elevator system includes an elevator car configured to travel in a hoistway; an elevator car door configured to open and close; a machine configured to impart force to the elevator car; an interface configured to generate a lockdown mode signal; and a controller configured to control operation of at least one of the machine and the elevator car door in response to the lockdown mode signal.

Claims

1. An elevator system comprising:

an elevator car configured to travel in a hoistway;

an elevator car door configured to open and close;

a machine configured to impart force to the elevator car;

an interface configured to generate a lockdown mode signal; and

a controller configured to control operation of at least one of the machine and the elevator car door in response to the lockdown mode signal.

2. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein when the lockdown mode signal is active, the controller controls operation of at least one of the machine and the elevator car door in response to a lockdown mode parameter.

3. The elevator system of claim 2, wherein the lockdown mode parameter comprises an operation activation parameter, the operation activation parameter indicating collective or individual elevator car control.

4. The elevator system of claim 2, wherein the lockdown mode parameter comprises an elevator car identifier parameter, the elevator car identifier parameter indicating at least one of:

all elevator cars, groups of elevator cars or individually selected elevator cars.

5. The elevator system of claim 2, wherein the lockdown mode parameter comprises an elevator car travel parameter to control elevator car travel when lockdown mode is active.

6. The elevator system of claim 5, wherein the elevator car travel parameter indicates at least one of:

stop at next available landing;

stop at next called landing;

recall to a specified landing, recall to lobby, travel between non-lockdown landings.

7. The elevator system of claim 2, wherein the lockdown mode parameter comprises an elevator car door parameter to control the elevator car door when lockdown mode is active.

8. The elevator system of claim 7, wherein the elevator car door parameter indicates at least one of:

elevator car door remains closed;

elevator car door remains opened;

elevator car door closes and remains closed;

elevator car door opens and remains open;

elevator car door open button enable/disable;

elevator car door close button enable/disable;

remote elevator car door open button enable;

remote elevator car door close button enable.

9. The elevator system of claim 2, wherein the lockdown mode parameter comprises an announcement parameter, the announcement parameter indicating that an announcement is to be made.

10. The elevator system of claim 9, wherein the announcement parameter indicates at least one of:

no announcement, an announcement throughout a facility and an announcement in the elevator car.

11. The elevator system of claim 2, wherein the lockdown mode parameter comprises a lockdown mode exit parameter, the lockdown mode exit parameter indicating operation of at least one of the machine and the elevator car door when the lockdown mode signal changes from active to inactive.

12. The elevator system of claim 2, further comprising a user interface configured to input the lockdown mode parameter.

13. The elevator system of claim 2, wherein the controller suspends operation of the machine and the elevator car door in response to the lockdown mode parameter.

14. The elevator system of claim 2, wherein the controller controls the machine to move the elevator car to a predetermined floor in response to the lockdown mode parameter.

15. The elevator system of claim 2, wherein the controller moves the elevator car to stop in between landings in response to the lockdown mode parameter.

16. A method for controlling an elevator system having a machine, an elevator car and an elevator car door, the method comprising:

receiving, at an interface, a lockdown mode parameter;

storing, by a controller, the lockdown mode parameter;

monitoring, by the controller, a lockdown mode signal; and

when the lockdown mode signal is active, the controller controlling operation of at least one of the machine and the elevator car door in response to the lockdown mode parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

when the lockdown mode signal is inactive, exiting lockdown mode operation in response to the lockdown mode parameter.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein in the lockdown mode parameter comprises a lockdown mode exit parameter, the lockdown mode exit parameter indicating operation of at least one of the machine and the elevator car door when the lockdown mode signal changes from active to inactive.