Portable elevator traffic pattern monitoring system

• US 4,874,063 A
• Filed: 10/27/1988
• Issued: 10/17/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Kenneth D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duncanson, Jr., W. E.
• Application Number:
  US07/263,676
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: 187/101, 187/124, 187/130, 187/131, 187/132, 187/134, 187/135, 187/136
• US Class Current: 187/391
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 13/143 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0006 Monitoring devices or performance analysers B66B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0037 Performance analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/943 using a plurality of optical emitters or detectors, e.g. keyboard

Abstract

A plurality of components are mounted within a portable housing which may be mounted inside an elevator car on top of the door frame. The components comprise a people sensing means for detecting individual persons entering and leaving the elevator car and providing signals indicative of each such person and the direction of movement, and further comprise height sensing means for providing a signal indicative of the altitude of the portable housing, a clock for providing a time signal indicative of the time of day and a signal processor responsive to the person signal, the floor signal and the time signal for storing the time of day of a particular stop, the number of people entering and leaving and the floor.

Claims

1. Apparatus for an elevator, comprising:

a portable housing for mounting therein a plurality of components, said plurality comprising;

person sensing means, responsive to the presence of a person, for providing a person signal indicative of a direction of movement of said person;

height sensing means, responsive to the altitude of said portable housing for providing a floor signal;

clock means for providing a time signal indicative of the time of day; and

signal processing means, responsive to said person signal, said floor signal and said time signal for storing said person, floor and time signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality further comprises a battery for providing power for said signal processing means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality further comprises a door open sensor, responsive to the position of the elevator car door, for providing a door signal indicative of said position and wherein said signal processing means is responsive to said door signal for carrying out said storing in response to said door signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality further comprises a ground floor sensor, responsive to a selected position of the elevator car, for providing a ground floor signal and wherein said signal processing means is responsive to said ground floor signal for providing a zeroing signal and wherein said height sensing means is responsive to said zeroing signal for providing said floor signal having a magnitude indicative of said selected position.