Elevator self-diagnostic control system
First Claim
1. In an elevator control system operable to control movement of an elevator car in a hoistway, a diagnostic system comprising:
- means for sensing the operative status of a plurality of preselected elevator operational characteristics, each said operational characteristics having a preselected error level;
means coupled to said sensing means for monitoring the operative status of such characteristics to determine if any of said operational characteristics are in a preselected error status; and
means responsive to said monitoring means for operating said control system to implement a desired action according to the error level of any operational characteristic which is in an error status as determined by said monitoring means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An elevator self-diagnostic system monitors the operative status of various elevator components and upon sensing an error initiates action to bring the elevator car to a safe operating state. The system then logs the error. The diagnostic system then analyzes the error and the conditions prevailing at the time the error occurred and, if necessary, a corrective action is then taken to resolve the error. This allows the elevator system to be brought back into service more quickly than would otherwise be possible. Specifically, a number of tests are serially performed on various elevator components, such as the motor drive, the position sensors, etc. When an error, or fault, arises in a system component, a selt-diagnostic system logs a preselected error level which has been assigned to the particular fault. A preselected action is then taken according to the particular error. For example, if the output of the position encoder is lost while the elevator car is running, then the elevator car'"'"'s velocity is decreased at a constant rate until the car is brought to a stop. A short time later, the car is restarted and proceeds toward its target floor.
67 Citations
13 Claims
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1. In an elevator control system operable to control movement of an elevator car in a hoistway, a diagnostic system comprising:
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means for sensing the operative status of a plurality of preselected elevator operational characteristics, each said operational characteristics having a preselected error level; means coupled to said sensing means for monitoring the operative status of such characteristics to determine if any of said operational characteristics are in a preselected error status; and means responsive to said monitoring means for operating said control system to implement a desired action according to the error level of any operational characteristic which is in an error status as determined by said monitoring means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of diagnosing errors which occur in the operation of an elevator control system operable to control movement of an elevator car in a hoistway, comprising the steps of:
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assigning a preselected error level to each of a plurality of preselected elevator operational characteristics; sensing the operative status of said plurality of preselected elevator operational characteristics, said status comprising either a normal status or an error status; determining if any of said operational characteristics are in the error status as sensed at said sensing step; implementing operation of said elevator control system to take a preselected action responsive to any elevator operational characteristic being in an error status as determined at said determining step to bring said car to a safe operating state; and continually repeating the last three mentioned steps to provide a self-diagnosing elevator control system. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A self-diagnosing elevator control system operable to command movement of an elevator car in a hoistway, comprising:
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drive means for controlling movement of said elevator car in said hoistway; means for sensing the status of a plurality of preselected elevator operational characteristics, each said characteristic having a preselected error level; means responsive to said sensing means for controlling operation of said drive means to control movement of said elevator car in said hoistway, said controlling means including; means coupled to said sensing means for monitoring the operative status of said operational characteristics to determine if any of such operational characteristics are in an error status; means responsive to said monitoring means for commanding said control means to effect preselected movement of said elevator car responsive to the error level of any operational characteristic which is in an error status; and means for logging each occurrence of any operational characteristic being in the error status.
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Specification