EP1849737B1 - Illumination device for a lift cage and method for transporting people in a lift - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a lift and a method for guiding people in an elevator. This invention is defined in the preambles of the independent claims.

An elevator consists of at least one elevator car, which transports passengers on their request to different floors of a building. A passenger can reach the elevator car through at least one car door and leave again. A basic component of the elevator car is the lighting device. The original function of the lighting device is the lighting of the elevator car in the presence of a passenger. The patent WO 2004/022470 A1 shows, for example, a lighting device for an elevator car that can produce different colors.

According to the European Lift Regulations (EN 81-1: 1998, 17.1.1), the elevator car must have a fixed electrical lighting device which ensures a minimum illuminance of 50 lux on the floor and on the commanders. In addition, it is required (EN81-1: 1998, 15.9) that visual cues or floor displays enable the passenger in the elevator car to recognize on which floor the elevator car has stopped.

Because for the passenger, the display of the current floor position is important. During the journey, the attention of the passenger is directed towards reaching his destination floor, where he wants to leave the elevator car again in order to be able to follow his intended activity. Meet conventional floor display solutions this function by means of illuminated signs, acoustic signals, key displays, on-screen displays and other systems which can convey visual or acoustic floor-level information.

Disadvantage of the above solutions is the requirement that the passenger must concentrate on the floor display during the entire journey or that he can make an unambiguous assignment of the destination floor only with an acoustic signal. Especially in buildings with numerous floors, e.g. with 50 and more floors, the disadvantages are particularly negative because the passenger is in the elevator car for a long time and has to concentrate on the floor display during this time.

The object of the present invention is to provide a floor display for the passenger and a method of guidance that simply and clearly communicates to the passenger the achievement of his destination floor, even in tall buildings with numerous floors.

The above-mentioned object is achieved by the invention according to the definition of the independent patent claims.

The inventive elevator has a pull-out cabin with a light source and a controller controlling the light source. The elevator car passes passengers on floors of a building. Here, a floor is assigned a predetermined color effect, so that the building has a predetermined color profile. The controller uses the color profile to control the light source so that the light source produces a color effect corresponding to the color profile to the floor display. This elevator is also part of a method for guiding people in an elevator with an elevator car.

The advantage of this elevator lies in the communication of the destination floor by means of the color effect of the light source. Accordingly, the passenger is given a color profile by the light source, which facilitates orientation in the building. The color profile comprises a sequence of several color effects and is characterized in that a floor according to this sequence is advantageously characterized by a clear, floor-specific color effect. This color effect can be created by lighting up a color, a color combination or dynamic color settings such as flashing or pulsing.

The color profile can be set according to various criteria such as real floor colors, theme- or ambient-mediating associations, social or cultural color codes or simply individual or collective preferences. Other examples of color coding are conceivable. However, all these color profiles have in common that a passenger intuitively and easily recognizes when he has reached the desired destination floor and thus knows at what time he has to leave the elevator car.

Further advantages of the inventive lighting device are obvious. Since a light source is an integral part of each elevator car, the floor display via the light source eliminates the need for additional floor displays and thus reduces the cost of an elevator system. Likewise, thanks to the individually adjustable color effects, the passenger enjoys using his lift.

Preferably, the elevator further has a terminal, wherein the control of the light source comprises at least one processor and at least one memory unit. Through the terminal, the control of the Program light source. The terminal can optionally be realized by a keyboard, a touch screen or any man-machine interface that allows programming of the controller.

The latter terminal is also part of a method which comprises the following sub-steps: (a) the controller is programmed by means of the terminal according to a color profile, (b) the color profile is stored in the memory unit of the controller.

If the elevator has a programmable controller, there are several advantages. The color profile can easily be changed, which can be advantageous in the case of conference floors with changing usage (see examples under "Color profiles"). In addition, it is also often necessary or helpful for personnel without lift-specific training to be able to create or modify such a color profile. In this case, a simple programming of the control of the light source is of great use. It is also conceivable that via such an interface, as it offers a terminal with a computer, updates with current color effects on the control load. In a modular construction of the elevator, individual components such as e.g. The terminal can accommodate the latest technical advancements and can be easily upgraded.

In an alternative embodiment, the elevator has a color sensor which adjusts the color profile in the controller instead of the terminal. The color sensor detects a floor color that is physically present on the floor and sets the light source via the light source Color effect to the floor display. This color sensor is also part of a method comprising the following sub-step: (a) a color profile is transmitted to the controller by means of the color sensor.

Preferably, the control of the light source, which has at least one processor or at least one memory unit, can be programmed by the color sensor. One or more color sensors can be positioned on the elevator car itself or on the floors. Preferably, the color sensor is positioned in the door region of the elevator car so that it looks directly or indirectly into the elevator lobby.

The main advantage of an elevator with color sensor is that the color profile is automatically adjusted by the color sensor. This eliminates the manual programming of the control of the light source. Optionally, the advantage of a minimum number of color sensors to be installed can be achieved by positioning the color sensor on the elevator car, or the advantage of integrating the sensors into an existing building information system in positioning sensors on the floors to facilitate connection between color sensors and control of the light source produce, perceive.

An important aspect of the invention is the conveyance of the floor-specific color effect by a color effect display before the passenger uses the elevator to reliably recognize when he has reached his destination floor.

Fig.1

ein Beispiel eines Farbprofils, das sich nach der farblichen Charakteristik der Stockwerke in einem Gebäude mit mindestens n+3 Stockwerken richtet und der Beleuchtungseinrichtung als Personenführung;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Grundkonfiguration eines Teils einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsmässigen Beleuchtungseinrichtung für eine Aufzugskabine;

Fig. 3

eine schematische Grundkonfiguration eines Teils einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsmässigen Beleuchtungseinrichtung für eine Aufzugskabine mit einem Terminal für die Eingabe der Programmierung des Farbprofils;

Fig. 4

eine schematische Grundkonfiguration eines Teils einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsmässigen Beleuchtungseinrichtung für eine Aufzugskabine mit einem Sensor für die Festlegung des Farbprofils;

Fig. 5

eine schematische Grundkonfiguration eines Teils einer Ausführungsform einer erfindungsmässigen Beleuchtungseinrichtung für eine Aufzugskabine mit einer Farbeffektanzeige für die Mitteilung des Zielstockwerkfarbeffekts vor der Aufzugsfahrt; und

Fig. 6

ein Beispiel eines Farbprofils in einem Gebäude mit mindestens einem Umsteigestockwerk, mindestens zwei Stockwerkszonen und die Beleuchtungseinrichtung als Personenführung in einem dieser Umsteigestockwerke.

In the following the invention will be clarified by exemplary embodiments and drawings and further described. Show it:

Fig.1

an example of a color profile, which depends on the color characteristic of the floors in a building with at least n + 3 floors and the lighting device as a person guide;

Fig. 2

a schematic basic configuration of a part of an embodiment of an inventive lighting device for an elevator car;

Fig. 3

a schematic basic configuration of a part of an embodiment of an inventive lighting device for an elevator car with a terminal for entering the programming of the color profile;

Fig. 4

a schematic basic configuration of a part of an embodiment of an inventive lighting device for an elevator car with a sensor for determining the color profile;

Fig. 5

a schematic basic configuration of a part of an embodiment of an inventive lighting device for an elevator car with a color effect display for the notification of destination floor color effect before the elevator ride; and

Fig. 6

an example of a color profile in a building with at least one transfer floor, at least two floor zones and the lighting device as a guide in one of these transfer floors.

In many public buildings, the floors are characterized by different colors. For example, in garage buildings it is customary to color-store the floors. Fig. 1 shows a building with n + 3 floors and two elevator shafts 2a, 2b, each with an elevator car 1a, 1b. Each of these floors is characterized by a specific color: floor n through blue, floor n + 1 by green, floor n + 2 by yellow and floor n + 3 by red. In the case shown, the passenger who has parked his car in the green floor (floor n + 1) and wants to go back to the car, the lighting device 9 of the elevator car 1b would signal his destination floor by a green illumination color. Similar examples can be realized in hospital buildings or in other buildings with physically pronounced color profiles of the building floors.

The basic configuration of the illumination device 9 according to the invention is described in FIG Fig. 2 shown. It is composed of a light source 4 of an elevator car 1, a controller 5 of the light source 4 and a power supply 6 of the light source 4 together. The generation of the color effects of the light source 4 is controlled by the controller 5 and the power supply 6 supplies the light source with electric power.

In Fig. 3 comes to the basic configuration nor a terminal 7 added. The terminal 7 serves as an input device of input codes, which are transmitted to the controller as command signals and serve to program the color profile. In another embodiment, according to Fig. 4 the color profile can also be adjusted by a color sensor 8, which is preferably located in the door area, building floors colors recognizes and communicates as sensor information to the controller 5a, 5b.

In Fig. 5 comes to the lighting configuration Fig. 3 added a color effect indicator. When selecting his destination floor, the color effect display shows the passenger which color effect is assigned to this destination floor according to the color profile. Thus, the passenger has before the start of the elevator ride on the necessary information to recognize his destination floor on the basis of the color effect of the lighting device 9.

Fig. 6 shows a lighting device 9 as a guide in a transfer U of a building with numerous floors. In such buildings, it is common that transfer floors U are defined, which ensure the connection between building access floors E and floors that are located in floor zones Z1, Z2. When leaving the elevator car 1c of a feeder elevator, the lighting device 9 of a waiting elevator car 1d, 1e offers the passenger an orientation aid for locating the elevator car 1d intended for the onward journey. The lighting device 9 of the waiting elevator car 1d signals the passenger the color effect of his destination floor and helps him to find the elevator car 1d for the onward journey.

color profile

The color profile is defined by a sequence of story-specific color effects. Thus, each building usually has its own color profile. The color profile can be made according to different aspects. Obviously, the color profile through the given the physical training of floor colors, as in the example of Fig. 1 already shown.

In addition to the floor colors as a personal control system determining variable, it is also conceivable to make a theme-based assignment of colors; e.g. the floor of the reception is signaled in a communicative yellow-orange, the seminar room in intellectual blue, the floor in which the sales event takes place, in aggressive red, the floor on which the pub is located, which broadcasts live football matches, in green or that Floor in which the meeting of the visiting group is held, in the corporate colors. The latter example shows that it also makes sense to use color combinations.

A further aspect of the invention relates to the adjustment of the floor color by ambientierendemittelnde colors. Thus, the color scheme of the cabin lighting can be adjusted due to an association of ambiance and floor characteristics, as it is determined by a restaurant, sports training center, wellness oasis or discotheque. For example, the lighting device (9) could announce the arrival of the floor with a disco through rhythmically pulsating, harsh shades, the spa oasis would be announced with soothing reddish brown hues, the restaurant greets its guests in a dignified claret and the training center is animate with an animating yellow Invite visitors to the next training lesson.

Different cultures and societies have developed color codes that can be used to design the color profile. In Western culture, gender-specific floors could, for example could be in a sauna with gender-separated areas, be marked blue or red. Accordingly, female sauna visitors would recognize the floor of their sauna area by the red illumination color, and the male sauna users would recognize their floor by the blue illumination color. Numerous other coloring examples from different cultural and social circles are conceivable here.

Of course, the color profile of a lighting device (9) can also be adjusted according to purely subjective, individually or jointly met color preferences. This is illustrated by the following color profile in a residential building: Mr. Müller in the attic apartment prefers the color green, the family Schneider agrees on orange and Mrs. Schmitt likes to display her floor content in pink.

light source

Many technologies are known for producing different light colors: LEDs, halogen lamps, fluorescent tubes or color filters. The invention is not bound to a specific type of light generation or coloring of the light. LEDs are particularly well suited. LEDs have a number of advantages that are particularly useful in elevator cab construction in connection with the invention.

An important advantage of the LEDs in connection with the present invention is the possibility of reproducing the entire color spectrum by means of RGB control in the visible wavelength range of 380-740 nm. This functionality allows a high degree of freedom in the design of the color profile. Any colors, such as red (625 Orange (590-625 nm), yellow (565-590 nm), green (520-565 nm), cyan (500-520 nm), blue (450-500 nm), indigo (430-450 nm) nm) or violet (380 - 430 nm) can be easily adjusted.

Low energy costs and a long service life have an advantageous effect on the operating costs of such a lighting device 9 and thus contribute to lower operating costs of the elevator installation. The compact design of the LEDs also takes into account the increasing significance of the cabin design and allows great design freedom. Furthermore, LEDs are characterized by low temperature development and insensitivity to vibrations and shocks.

The positioning of the light source 4 in the elevator car 1 is not bound to specific specifications and can be freely selected. This allows the light source to be positioned on the cabin ceiling, sidewall, floor, in the corners or edges, in the door or tableau area. In particular, a combination of the keyboard illumination with the cabin lighting is conceivable, in which the keyboard illumination is included for generating the lighting effect.

The light source 4 may be composed of many individual partial light sources and consist of partial light sources of different lighting technologies. Individual partial light sources can thus form a partial region of the light source. Therefore, it is also conceivable that only a portion of the light source 4 generates the color effect to the floor display. Thus, a portion of the light source 4 may be designed as an indirect illumination of the elevator car 1 and, for example, illuminate the control panel by means of spot light. In such a constellation, it only makes sense, the color effect only to generate by the spotlight and to leave the rest of the light source 4 in white light when the color effect is generated. Analogously to the example mentioned, many different embodiments can be designed in which only a partial region of the light source 4 generates the color effect.

Control of the light source

The controller 5 of the light source 4 has a processor and a memory unit and is thus programmable. For example, the storage unit stores the color profile as a bit pattern. The processor reads this bit pattern and generates a control signal for the light source 4 on the basis of the current elevator car position. The light source 4 in turn sets a color effect according to the control signal. In this case, the control 5 can also drive only a partial area of the light source 4 to produce the color effect.

The control 5 of the light source 9 is typically done by the elevator control, but it can also be provided a separate control. The elevator control calculates the current position of the elevator car 1 by means of position detection means which detect, for example, shaft information, angular revolutions of an elevator drive or distance information. Accordingly, the lighting device 9 can set the color effect according to the preset color profile when reaching a certain floor and signal the passenger to reach his destination floor.

Especially in combination with a color sensor 8, it is also conceivable that the controller 5b of the light source 4 is positioned locally on the elevator car 1 and makes the setting of the color profile dependent or independent of the elevator control 5b. The control commands for generation the color effects are generated in this case based on the transmitted color sensor information.

Terminal for programming the controller

An important function of the lighting device 9 is the programming of the color profile. This is done via a man-machine interface, here called Terminal 7. The terminal 7 transmits digital or analog command signals to the controller 5 of the light source 5 on the basis of input codes. This terminal can be implemented in various embodiments.

In a first embodiment, the terminal may take the form of a keyboard. The term keyboard is to be used in the broadest sense and to understand that all forms of key systems that are suitable for the input of input codes. This keyboard may be part of a computer, the keyboard of a lift panel, a mobile phone or a handheld and also include other embodiments.

If the control of the light source is easily achievable, for example, if the controller is located in a separate machine room, the keyboard may also be integrated in the control unit. But there are also conceivable embodiments of terminals that do not require a keyboard, such as a touch screen or a microphone in conjunction with voice recognition. Other embodiments of keyboardless terminals are also conceivable.

Color sensor for setting the control

As an alternative to a terminal 7 for inputting input codes, a physically formed color profile, such as it is predetermined, for example, by floor colors of the building, be recognized by a color sensor 8 and communicate corresponding sensor signals to the controller 5a, 5b of the lighting device. The sensor generates sensor signals of different voltage. Based on the sensor signals, the controller 5a, 5b generates control signals which determine the setting of a corresponding color effect, in this case, of course, the color of the identified floor color.

An advantageous positioning of the sensors 8 takes place in the door area. If the sensor 8 is positioned behind the elevator door 3, the color determination of the building floor takes place only when the door is opened. Modern color sensors 8 with response times in the microsecond range ensure that the floor display by means of the color effect of the illumination device takes place sufficiently early.

The color sensor 8 can also be positioned so that it sees regardless of the status of the doors 3 in the vestibule of the floor and the floor color before opening the doors 3 of the controller 5a, 5b can communicate. In this case, a positioning of the color sensor outside the door area is conceivable.

The sensor 8 can basically be part of the elevator car and positioned on the same. In another arrangement, each color sensor 8 may be mounted on a floor at an arbitrary position and communicate with the controller 5 of the light source 4 through, for example, a building information system.

Networking the basic elements of the lighting device

The transmission of data between terminal 7 or color sensors 8, control 5a, 5b and light source 4 via a communication network. This network is formed by connecting cables or wireless transmission technologies such as infrared, Bluetooth, wireless LAN, cellular technologies, electromagnetic waves, NFC or light waves. Solutions are also conceivable in which any combination of the above-mentioned transmission technologies are used.

Color effect indicator

In principle, it is possible for the passenger to notice a color effect of his destination floor or a partial area of the color profile or even the entire color profile when using a lift repeatedly or regularly. An added benefit of the invention is achieved, however, if the passenger is displayed the color effect of his destination floor before using the elevator even with the first or less frequent use of the elevator or a destination floor or simply as a thought support.

The choice of the destination floor is usually via input means such as a keyboard 11 or a touch screen. The passenger announces his destination floor via this input device of the elevator control. This is a good time to tell the passenger the color effect of their destination floor. The elevator control 5 thus generates by means of a color effect display 12 the color effect of the destination floor. Typically, the color effect display 12 is in the field of vision of the passenger when he makes the destination floor choice. The color effect display 12 acts here at the same time as a notification of the color effect and as a confirmation message of the car call. There are different embodiments and positions of the color effect display 12 conceivable.

The color effect display 12 may be an integral part of the keyboard 11 of the input means. Now, when the passenger presses a key 10 with his destination floor, a key illumination, which is below the key 10 or surrounds the key 10, is activated by the controller 5 and so informed the color effect of the destination floor. Similarly, the touch screen functions as input means and color effect display 12. When selecting the destination floor at least a portion of the touch screen shares the color effect of the destination floor.

Another embodiment of the color effect display has a screen located near the input means. Upon actuation of the input means, the screen generates the color effect of the destination floor. Instead of the screen, a lamp can be provided as a color effect display.

In all the examples listed, two cases can basically be distinguished: an elevator with destination call control, in which the passenger already communicates his destination floor when the elevator car 1 is called, or an elevator with a classic car call control, in which the passenger makes the destination selection only in the elevator car 1. Depending on the case, the color effect display 12 is installed outside or inside the elevator car 1.

lift configuration

The lighting device 9 according to the invention can basically be used in any passenger elevator, regardless of its configuration. In particular, the invention is suitable for displaying the floors in high-rise buildings, as can be programmed or set by different colors, color combinations, temporal dynamics of the color effects, such as flashing, pulsing, changing the luminosity or flowing color transitions, arbitrarily long color profiles. It is also conceivable that partial areas of a color profile repeat completely or partially.

In multi-storey buildings, transfer floors U are often defined. These transfer floors U are served directly by high performance elevators from the building access floors E. After reaching the transfer floors U, the change to locally operating elevator cars 1d, 1e operate the predefined floor zones Z1, Z2 and thus make the fine distribution of the passengers to the destination floors. Accordingly, passengers who wish to change from one floor zone Z1 to another floor zone Z2 or to leave the building also get to the transfer floor U.

The lighting devices 9 of waiting elevator cars 1c, 1d, 1e advantageously display the color effect of the destination floor of the passenger arriving in the transfer floor U. Thus, a passenger who enters the transfer deck U with the elevator car 1c of the high-performance elevator recognizes the waiting locally operating elevator car 1d at the color effect of the illumination device of its destination floor. The destination floor display in the transfer floor U can alternatively also by a color effect display or another for the production of a color effect suitable device which is positioned outside the elevator car done.

In the specific case of Fig. 5 the passenger wants to get into the floor U + 2 of the floor zone Z1, which is characterized by the color red according to the color profile. The passenger reaches the transfer floor U via the elevator car 1c. The waiting elevator car 1d operates the destination floor U + 2 of the passenger. In order to facilitate the passenger's orientation when changing trains, the illumination device 9 of the elevator car 1d generates a red color effect during the transfer process and thus provides the passenger with an orientation aid.

Claims (12)

1. Lift comprising a lift cage (1) with a light source (4) and a control (5) controlling the light source (4), wherein the lift cage (1) moves passengers to storeys of a building, characterised in that a colour effect is allocated to a storey so that the building has a predetermined colour profile, which is defined by a sequence of storey-specific colour effects, and that the control (5) controls the light source (4) according to the colour profile so that the light source (4) produces a colour effect, which corresponds with the colour profile, for the storey indication.
2. Lift according to claim 1 with a terminal (7), wherein the control comprises at least one processor and at least one memory unit, characterised in that the control (5) is programmable by the terminal (7).
3. Lift according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one colour sensor (8) communicates with the control (5a, 5b) and the colour profile is set by this colour sensor (8).
4. Lift according to claim 3, wherein the control (5a, 5b) comprises at least one processor and at least one memory unit, characterised in that the control (5a, 5b) is programmable by the colour sensor (8).
5. Lift according to claim 3, characterised in that the colour sensor (8) is positioned in the door region.
6. Lift according to claim 3, characterised in that the colour sensor (8) is positioned on the storey or on the lift cage.
7. Lift according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the colour effect is set by one or more colours.
8. Lift according to claim 7, characterised in that the colour effect is set by a time-dynamic effect.
9. Lift according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a colour effect display (12), characterised in that the colour effect display (12) on selection of the destination storey displays the colour effect of a destination storey.
10. Method for guidance of persons in a lift with a lift comprising a lift cage (1) with a light source (4) and a control (5) controlling the light source (4), wherein the lift cage (1) moves passengers to storeys of a building, characterised in that reaching the destination storey is indicated by a colour effect of the light source (4), wherein

    (a) a colour effect is allocated to a storey so that the building has a predetermined colour profile, which is defined by a sequence of storey-specific colour effects; and

    (b) the control (5) controls the light source (4) in accordance with the colour profile so that a colour effect, which corresponds with the colour profile, for the storey indication is produced by the light source (4).
11. Method according to claim 10, with a terminal (7) for programming the control (5), wherein the control (5) has a memory unit and a processor, characterised in that

    (a) the control (5) is programmed by means of the terminal (7) in accordance with the colour profile, and

    (b) the colour profile is stored in the memory unit of the control (5).
12. Method according to claim 10, with a colour sensor (8) for setting the control (5), characterised in that

    (a) a colour profile is communicated to the control (5) by means of the colour sensor (8).

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