Method and system for operating electrical consumers in a building

• US 9,607,456 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies (Allegion PLC), Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Inventors: Gerstenkorn, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Karim, Ziaul
• Application Number:
  US14/173,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20140152819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 700/295, 700/297
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24168 Identify connected programmer to allow control, program entry
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof

Abstract

A method and a system are provided for switching at least one electrical consumer in a building comprising an elevator system. The switched electrical consumer is, for example, a camera. The camera is activated if when using the elevator system the user does not actuate a building door within an ascertained route time, i.e. the user does not arrive at his/her destination. It is possible using an image recorded by the camera to establish whether the user is possibly in a dangerous situation.

Claims

1. A method performed by a control device comprising:

using an identification sensor, generating an identification sensor signal identifying a user and a destination signal;

determining a starting point for a route for the user through a building;

determining from the destination signal the route and an end point for the route at a building door of the building;

determining a route time for travelling from the starting point for the route to the end point for the route;

determining that a sensor signal for the building door was not received before an expiration of the route time;

as a result of determining that the sensor signal for the building door was not received before the expiration of the route time, activating by the control device an electrical consumer positioned along the route, the electrical consumer comprising a camera;

recording an image of a portion of the route using the camera;

analyzing the recorded image; and

determining whether the user is in a dangerous situation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the recorded image to a control center.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an alarm signal and position information for the camera to a control center or to a building security system.

4. The method of claim 1, the sensor signal for the building door comprising an indication that the building door has been opened.

5. The method of claim 4, the sensor signal for the building door indicating a direction in which the building door has been opened.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the destination signal a destination floor in the building for the identified user; and

sending the destination signal to an elevator control unit.

7. The method of claim 1, the sensor signal for the building door being provided by a door sensor for the building door.

8. The method of claim 1, the electrical consumer being positioned on a portion of the route between an elevator and the building door.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

using an identification sensor, generating an identification sensor signal identifying a user and a destination signal;

determining a starting point for a route for the user through a building;

determining from the destination signal the route and an end point for the route at a building door of the building;

determining a route time for travelling from the starting point for the route to the end point for the route;

determining that a sensor signal for the building door was not received before an expiration of the route time;

as a result of determining that the sensor signal for the building door was not received before the expiration of the route time, activating an electrical consumer positioned along the route, the electrical consumer comprising a camera;

recording an image of a portion of the route using the camera;

analyzing the recorded image; and

determining whether the user is in a dangerous situation.

10. A

system, comprising:

an identification sensor;

a building door sensor for a building door in a building;

an

electrical consumer; and

a control device, the control device being programmed for,

using the identification sensor, generating an identification sensor signal identifying a user and a destination signal,

determining a starting point for a route for the user through the building,

determining from the destination signal the route and an end point for the route at the building door,

determining a route time for travelling from the starting point for the route to the end point for the route,

determining that a sensor signal from the building door sensor was not received before an expiration of the route time,

as a result of determining that the sensor signal from the building door was not received before the expiration of the route time, activating the electrical consumer, the electrical consumer being positioned along the route, the electrical consumer comprising a camera,

recording an image of a portion of the route using the camera,

analyzing the recorded image, and

determining whether the user is in a dangerous situation.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a control center coupled to the control device.

12. A

control device, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform by, using an identification sensor, generating an identification sensor signal identifying a user and a destination signal,

determining a starting point for a route for the user through a building,

determining from the destination signal the route and an end point for the route at a building door of the building,

determining a route time for travelling from the starting point for the route to the end point for the route,

determining that a sensor signal for the building door was not received before an expiration of the route time,

as a result of determining that the sensor signal for the building door was not received before the expiration of the route time, activating an electrical consumer positioned along the route, the electrical consumer comprising a camera,

recording an image of a portion of the route using the camera,

analyzing the recorded image, and

determining whether the user is in a dangerous situation.

13. A

building, comprising:

an identification sensor;

a building door;

a building door sensor for the building door;

an

electrical device; and

a control device, the control device being programmed to perform by,

using the identification sensor, generating an identification sensor signal identifying a user and a destination signal, determining a starting point for a route for the user through the building,

determining from the destination signal the route and an end point for the route at the building door,

determining a route time for travelling from the starting point for the route to the end point for the route,

determining that a sensor signal from the building door sensor was not received before an expiration of the route time,

as a result of determining that the sensor signal from the building door was not received before the expiration of the route time, activating the electrical consumer, the electrical consumer being positioned along the route, the electrical consumer comprising a camera,

recording an image of a portion of the route using the camera,

analyzing the recorded image, and

determining whether the user is in a dangerous situation.

14. The building of claim 13, further comprising an elevator installation.

15. The building of claim 14, the building comprising a first floor and a second floor, the control device:

determining from the destination signal a destination floor in the building for the identified user; and

sending the destination signal to the elevator installation.

16. The building of claim 14, the building comprising a first floor and a second floor, the identification sensor being located on the first floor and the building door being located on the second floor.