Elevator access security

• US 6,707,374 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1999
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Zaharia, Vlad
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US09/359,331
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/3.1, 340/3.7, 340/3.9, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.21, 340/5.27, 340/5.31, 340/5.33, 340/5.8, 340/5.81, 340/5.85, 340/5.86, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/825.5, 348/143, 187/391, 187/392, 282/11
• US Class Current: 340/5.31
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/468 Call registering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4676 for checking authorization of the passengers

Abstract

Directionally sensitive motion detectors at the entrances to elevator cars provide a running count of passenger population aboard the cars. Passengers wear portable devices that transmit personal IDs, and a check of IDs of passengers on the elevator along with the total passenger count will determine if each of the passengers exiting the elevator corresponds to an ID authorized to enter a particular floor of the building, or determine if each of the passengers aboard the car corresponds to an ID authorized to make a particular trip (the particular elevator at a particular time). Unauthorized exit may cause an alarm or other events. If any passenger does not have an ID authorized for a secure trip, an announcement urges the unauthorized passenger to leave for some period of time, following which an alarm is sounded and the elevator is prevented from moving. Pairs of motion detectors may provide directional sensitivity, or doppler motion detectors may be used.

Claims

1. An elevator security system comprising:

directional motion detection apparatus disposed, with an elevator car parked at a landing with its door open, at the access between said landing and said car, said detection apparatus providing a continuous count of passenger population aboard said elevator car;

a plurality of portable identification number (ID) transmitting devices, each borne by a corresponding passenger, each for transmitting an ID signal in said elevator car to thereby identify the corresponding passenger; and

signal processing means responsive, with said car at a secure floor, to said count indicating a decrement of said passenger population and to said ID signals for determining whether passengers who have left said car have IDs designated as authorized to enter the floor at which said car is stopped, and for performing one or more of locking doors on said floor, notifying security personnel, and setting an alarm condition unless all of said one or more passengers are so authorized.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein:

said signal processing means comprises means for counting the number of said IDs among the passengers of said population prior to reaching said secure floor and for concurrently comparing it with said passenger count to determine the original number, if any, of unknown passengers aboard said car, and subsequently, with said car at said secure floor, determining if the present total passenger count, minus the present number of IDs, minus said original number of unknown passengers is less than zero, and if so, performing one or more of locking doors on said floor, notifying security personnel, and setting an alarm condition.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said signal processing means comprises means for sounding an alarm in the event that an unauthorized passenger exits said car at a secure floor.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein said directional motion detection apparatus comprises at least one motion detector disposed on said car and at least one motion detector disposed on said landing.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein said directional motion detection apparatus comprises a doppler motion detector.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein said doppler motion detector is disposed on said car.

7. An elevator security system comprising:

directional motion detection apparatus disposed, with an elevator car parked at a landing with its door open, at the access between said landing and said car, said detection apparatus providing a continuous count of passenger population aboard said elevator car;

a plurality of portable identification number (ID) transmitting devices, each borne by a corresponding passenger, each for transmitting an ID signal in said elevator car to thereby identify the corresponding passenger; and

signal processing means responsive to said count and to said ID signals for determining, when said car is at a landing with its doors not fully closed, if each waiting passenger in said car is authorized to make a trip in said car, for comparing the number of said ID signals to said count to thereby determine if unknown passengers are aboard said car, and for interrupting the safety chain of said elevator car, thereby to prevent it from running unless all of said waiting passengers are authorized to make said trip.

8. An elevator security system comprising:

directional motion detection apparatus disposed, with an elevator car parked at a landing with its door open, at the access between said landing and said car, said detection apparatus providing a continuous count of passenger population aboard said elevator car;

a plurality of portable identification number (ID) transmitting devices, each borne by a corresponding passenger, each for transmitting an ID signal in said elevator car to thereby identify the corresponding passenger; and

signal processing means responsive, with said car at a secure floor, to said count indicating a decrement of said passenger population and to said ID signals for determining whether passengers who have left said car have IDs designated as authorized to enter the floor at which said car is stopped, and for performing one or more of locking doors on said floor, notifying security personnel, and setting an alarm condition unless all of said one or more passengers are so authorized, said signal processing means responsive to said count and to said ID signals for determining, when said car is at a landing with its doors not fully closed, if each waiting passenger in said car is authorized to make a trip in said car, for comparing the number of said ID signals to said count to thereby determine if unknown passengers are aboard said car, and for interrupting the safety chain of said elevator car, thereby to prevent it from running unless all of said waiting passengers are authorized to make said trip.

9. A method of securing an elevator landing, comprising:

(a) providing each regular passenger with a portable device which transmits an ID assigned to the corresponding passenger;

(b) determining the ID of each regular traveling passenger in an elevator car prior to reaching said landing;

(c) determining the ID of each remaining passenger in said car after a passenger has left said car at said landing;

(d) comparing said remaining passenger IDs with said IDs of said regular traveling passengers, thereby to determine the ID of any regular traveling passenger that left said car at said landing;

(e) sensing the motion of passengers entering and exiting from said car and providing a continuous count of the passenger population aboard said car;

(f) comparing the count of population aboard said car prior to reaching said landing with the count of population aboard said car when said car is at said landing to determine the number of passengers that have left said car at said landing; and

(g) determining whether any said passenger that left said car at said landing is unauthorized to enter upon said landing, and if so, performing one or more of locking doors on said floor, notifying security personnel, and setting an alarm condition.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said step (9) includes sounding an alarm.

11. A system according to claim 9 wherein said step (e) is performed by apparatus comprising at least one motion detector disposed on said car and at least one motion detector disposed on said landing.

12. A system according to claim 9 wherein said directional motion detection apparatus comprises a doppler motion detector.

13. A method of providing elevator security, comprising:

(a) providing each regular passenger with a portable device which transmits an ID assigned to the corresponding passenger;

(b) determining the ID of each regular traveling passenger in an elevator car prior to reaching said landing;

(c) determining the ID of each remaining passenger in said car after a passenger has left said car at said landing;

(d) comparing said remaining passenger IDs with said IDs of said regular traveling passengers, thereby to determine the ID of any regular traveling passenger that left said car at said landing;

(e) sensing the motion of passengers entering and exiting from said car and providing a continuous count of the passenger population aboard said car;

(f) comparing the count of population aboard said car prior to reaching said landing with the count of population aboard said car when said car is at said landing to determine the number of passengers that have left said car at said landing;

(g) determining whether any said passenger that left said car at said landing is unauthorized to enter upon said landing, and if so, performing one or more of locking doors on said floor, notifying security personnel, and setting an alarm condition;

(h) comparing the count of population aboard said car prior to leaving a landing on a trip with the number of passengers aboard said car having IDs to determine if any unknown passengers are aboard said car;

(i) determining the ID of each passenger in an elevator car prior to leaving a landing on a trip; and

(j) determining from said count and from said IDs if any passenger aboard said car is unauthorized to make said trip, and if so, preventing said car from running on said trip.

14. A method of elevator security, comprising:

(a) providing each regular passenger with a portable device which transmits an ID assigned to the corresponding passenger;

(b) determining the ID of each passenger in an elevator car prior to leaving a landing on a trip;

(c) comparing the count of population aboard said car prior to leaving a landing on a trip with the number of passengers aboard said car having IDs to determine if any unknown passengers are aboard said car; and

(d) determining from said count and from said IDs if any passenger aboard said car is unauthorized to make said trip, and if so, preventing said car from running on said trip.