Prevention of pirate products in an elevator control using ID

• US 9,582,657 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Staengler, Ferenc, Korpela, Jukka, Makkonen, Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US14/192,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20140284143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187/391, 187/393, 187/396
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A 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, the elevator control comprises essential electronic components provided with their own ID device, the elevator control further comprises an authorization section,

wherein the authorization section is configured to read IDs from the corresponding ID device of the essential electronic components into the elevator and comprises:

a reference list with allowed IDs of the essential electronic components;

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

wherein 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, and

wherein the ID device of the essential electronic components is an authorization chip having internal encryption for data transfer.

2. The 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. The system according to claim 1, wherein the updating mechanism is a portable maintenance tool, which is connectable to a central database.

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

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the IDs stored in the ID device of the essential electrical components are identical for identical elevators.

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

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the authorization section is provided in the main CPU of the elevator control.

8. The 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.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein an essential electronic component is a functional module of the elevator control.

16. The system according to claim 2, wherein the updating device is a portable maintenance tool, which is connectable to a central database.

17. The system according to claim 2, wherein the updating device is a central database having a network connection to the elevator control.

10. A 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 device, 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,

wherein the ID device of the essential electronic components is an authorization chip having internal encryption for data transfer.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein steps a) and b) are repeated with each start of the elevator control.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein an updating mechanism is connected to the elevator control initiate an update of an existing grouping or pairing of IDs in the elevator control.

13. The method according to claim 12, 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.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein each data which is transferred to/from the ID device or the authorization device of the elevator control is encrypted.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein steps a) to b) are performed with each booting of the elevator control program.