WO2021240043A1

WO2021240043A1 - Elevator call activator

Info

Publication number: WO2021240043A1
Application number: PCT/FI2020/050348
Authority: WO
Inventors: Obulesu T; Goutham Saravana PANDIAN; Amudhan SIVAPRAKASAM
Original assignee: Kone Corporation
Priority date: 2020-05-25
Filing date: 2020-05-25
Publication date: 2021-12-02

Abstract

The invention relates to an elevator call activating device (210) installable over a car operating panel (250) comprising at least one interactive area (260), the elevator call activating device (210) comprising: a number of actuator devices (230) for interacting with at least one interactive area (260); and a processing unit (610) arranged to receive a signal indicating a destination for an elevator car and in response to a receipt of the signal the processing unit (610) is arranged to: determine an actuator device (230) arranged to interoperate with the interactive area (260) of the car operating panel (250) corresponding to the destination indicated in the signal, and generate a control signal to the determined actuator device (230) to cause an interaction with the interactive area (260). Some aspects of the invention also relate to an elevator system and a method.

Description

ELEVATOR CALL ACTIVATOR

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention concerns in general the technical field of elevator systems. More particularly, the invention concerns a call giving for an elevator.

BACKGROUND

Elevator call, in general, refers to a solution in which a passenger indicates to an elevator system that a service is requested from the elevator system. One specific type of elevator call may be so-called destination call in which the passenger indicates to the elevator system the destination, such as a floor, in to he/she intends to travel. Typically, the destination call is given in an elevator car through so-called car operating panel (COP), but there are also implementations in which the destination may be provided through an interface re-siding in a hall. The elevator systems of buildings are typically long-term investments, which from time to time must be modernized in situations in which they no longer meet the requirements set for the traffic arrangements of the building. Modernization projects are by nature demanding projects, which can last months, in certain cases even years, if the entire installed base of elevators of the building must be modernized. Owing to this an essential objective attached to the modernization of elevator systems is maintaining the transport capacity of the elevator systems during the modernization phase. So that the transport capacity is disturbed as little as possible during the modernization, it is at-tempted to implement the modernization in stages, e.g. by modernizing one elevator of the elevator group at a time in each stage. During modernization it is therefore typical that some of the elevators of an elevator group are modernized and some are unmodernized, with the shared use of which the elevator passengers must be served. For the coordination and shared use of the modernized and unmodernized elevators to be efficient, advantageously the modernized elevators should be controlled from the group controller of the un-modernized elevators even if the signal paths, such as wiring, are not completely in place due to unaccomplished modernization project. Similarly, if the group controller of the unmodernized elevators is taken out from use since a new group controller is activated, it should be possible to keep the unmodernized part of the elevator system still in use to maintain the transport capacity.

Hence, there is need to develop solution addressing the above-mentioned goals to optimize a transport capacity of an elevator systems in every situation.

SUMMARY The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying embodiments of the invention.

An object of the invention is to present an elevator call activating device, a method and an elevator system for controlling an operation of an elevator system. The objects of the invention are reached by an elevator call activating device, a method and an elevator system as defined by the respective independent claims.

According to a first aspect, an elevator call activating device is provided, the elevator call activating device being installable at least in part over a car operating panel comprising at least one interactive area, the elevator call activating device comprising: a number of actuator devices for interacting with at least one interactive area of the car operating panel, and a processing unit arranged to receive a signal indicating a destination for an elevator car controllable at least in part with the elevator call activating device and in response to a receipt of the signal the processing unit is arranged to: determine an actuator device arranged to interoperate with the interactive area of the car operating panel corresponding to the destination indicated in the signal; and generate a control signal to the determined actuator device to cause an interaction with the interactive area of the car operating panel corresponding to the destination.

The processing unit may be arranged to receive the signal indicating the destination for the elevator car from at least one of: a user interface of the elevator call activating device; a group controller of an elevator system. Moreover, the elevator call activating device may be arranged to cause the interaction with the interactive area of the car operating panel by generating a control signal causing an extension of a stem part of the actuator device to contact the interactive area.

The elevator call activating device may further comprise at least one sensor for monitoring the interaction between the interactive area of the car operating panel and the stem part of the actuator device. For example, the sensor may be configured to monitor emitted light of the interactive area of the car operating panel.

The elevator call activating device may be implemented by arranging a dedicated actuator device for each of the interactive areas of the car operating panel.

Furthermore, the elevator call activating device may be implemented by arranging an actuator device movably to serve a plurality of the interactive areas of the car operating panel. For example, the actuator device may be arranged movably to serve the plurality of the interactive areas of the car operating panel by mounting the actuator device operably to a conveyor means, the conveyor means configured to move the actuator device between the interactive areas of the car operating panel. According to a second aspect, a method is provided, the method is performed for interacting with a car operating panel with an elevator call activating device installable at least in part over the car operating panel comprising at least one interactive area, the method, performed by the elevator call activating device, comprising: receiving a signal indicating a destination for an elevator car controllable at least in part with the elevator call activating device; determining an actuator device arranged to interoperate with the interactive area of the car operating panel corresponding to the destination indicated in the signal; and generating a control signal to the determined actuator device to cause an interaction with the interactive area of the car operating panel corresponding to the destination.

According to a third aspect, an elevator system is provided, the system comprising: a car operating panel, and an elevator call activating device according to the first aspect described in the foregoing portions of the summary section.

The expression "a number of” refers herein to any positive integer starting from one, e.g. to one, two, or three.

The expression "a plurality of” refers herein to any positive integer starting from two, e.g. to two, three, or four.

Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of unrecited features. The features recited in dependent claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an”, i.e. a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates schematically as a non-limiting example an elevator system into which the present invention may be applied to.

Figures 2A and 2B illustrate schematically an example of an elevator call activating device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 illustrates schematically another example of an elevator call activating device according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure 4 illustrates schematically a still further example of an elevator call activating device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 illustrates schematically an example of an actuator device suitable to use in an elevator call activating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 illustrates schematically an integration of an elevator call activating device according to an example embodiment of the invention to the elevator system.

Figure 7 illustrates schematically an example of a method according to an embodiment of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLIFYING EMBODIMENTS

The specific examples provided in the description given below should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or the applicability of the appended claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given below are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated. Figure 1 illustrates as a non-limiting example an elevator system into which the present invention may be applied to. The elevator system comprises a group controller 110 configured to generate control signals in the elevator system. For example, the group controller 110 may generate control signals to elevators (i.e. elevator sub-systems) 120A, 120B, 120C belonging to an elevator group. The term elevator 120A, 120B, 120C may be understood as an entity operating in a shaft, or similar, for transporting passengers with elevator cars arranged to travel in the shaft in question. Specifically speaking, the present invention relates to a situation in which a number of elevators 120A, 120B, 120C are controlled by the group controller 110, but another elevator 120A, 120B, 120C may be connected to the elevator system as a new entity. For example, the elevators 120A, 120B in Figure 1 may be considered as sub-systems belonging originally to the elevator system. Now, the elevator 120C shall be brought into the elevator system at least temporarily even if it is not communicatively connected e.g. by wiring to the elevator system so that it may be fully integrated into the elevator system. This may e.g. not even be optimal due to a modernization project because also the original elevators 120A, 120B may be replaced with new elevators at some point of the project. Flowever, from a service point of view it is advantageous to utilize all available elevators 120A, 120B, 120C for serving passengers whenever it is possible and to develop solutions by means of which elevator cars of the new elevator 120C may be allocated with other elevator cars of the other elevators 120A, 120B in accordance with elevator calls received in the group controller 110.

Figures 2A and 2B illustrate schematically at least a part of an example device enabling an integration of an elevator 120A, 120B, 120C under control of an elevator group controller 110. The device called as an elevator call activating device 210 may be installable in an elevator car and it is arranged to operate over a car operating panel 250. Figure 2A is schematically illustrated so that the elevator call activating device 210 and the car operating panel 250 are at a distance to each other whereas in Figure 2B the mentioned entities are coupled together for illustrating a structure when installed in elevator car. The car operating panel 250 interoperable with the elevator call activating device 210 comprises a number of interactive areas 260, such as buttons, which may be activated with an interaction of an actuator device 230 of the elevator call activating device 210. As said, the interactive areas 260 may be implemented with a number of keys, a keyboard or with a touch screen if applicable. Hence, any input/output device may be used with the elevator call activating device 210 as long as the elevator call activating device 210 may be caused to activate the respective interactive area 260 in the car operating panel 250. An activation of the interactive area 260 may at least refer to a situation that a signal corresponding to the activated interactive area 260 is generated and delivered to the group controller 110, for example. As said, the elevator call activating device 210 may comprise a number of actuator devices 230 suitable to be positioned in accordance with the number of interactive areas 260 of the car operating panel 250. According to a first example embodiment the elevator call activating device 210 may comprise a dedicated actuator device 230 for each of the interactive area 260 in the car operating panel 250. Alternatively, the elevator call activating device 210 may be implemented so that a number of actuator devices 230 are movably mounted in the elevator call activating device 210 so that at least one of the actuator devices 230 may interact with a plurality of interactive areas 260 of the car operating panel 250. The described embodiments may e.g. be implemented with an applicable frame structure 220 into which the actuator devices 230 may be positioned in accordance with the type of the car operating panel 250, and wherein necessary conveyor means may be implemented for moving at least one actuator device between a plurality of positions corresponding to the interactive areas 260 of the car operating panel 250. For example, the frame structure 220 may be implemented as a matrix type of structure wherein cells of the matrix are defined with planes, and walls if applicable, so as to mount the actuator devices 230 in the cells facing the interactive areas 260 of the car operating panel 250.

Figure 2B illustrates schematically an implementation in which the elevator call activating device 210 is positioned on top of the car operating panel 250 so that the actuator devices 230 are facing the interactive areas 260 of the car operating panel 250. In other works, the car operating panel 250, or a wall around the car operating panel 250, may be used as a mounting surface for the elevator call activating device 210. The mounting may be implemented with any applicable fixing means, such as screws, nails or applying glue thereto. Alternatively or in addition, the mentioned entities may comprise a fixing part and a counterpart, respectively, which, when adjusted together establish the fixing between the entities. A non-limiting example of this kind of fixing solution may be a clamp and its counterpart into which the clamp fits in for connecting the parts together.

Figure 3 illustrates schematically an embodiment wherein a plurality of actuator devices 230 are movably mounted in the elevator call activating device 210 so that at least one of the actuator devices 230 may interact with a plurality of interactive areas 260 of the car operating panel 250. In the embodiment as schematically illustrated in Figure 3 the frame structure 220 may comprise planes into which conveyor means may be implemented for moving the actuator devices 230 along the planes. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the conveyor means may comprise rails 310 mounted on the planes along which rails 310 the actuator devices 230 may be arranged to move. For example, the actuator devices 230 may be positioned on a trolley configured to travel along the rail with a force generated by an electric motor arranged in the trolley. The electric motor is controllable from an external entity so that a control signal causes the trolley to move the actuator device 230 in question to position for interacting with an interactive area 260 of the car operating panel 250 in accordance with an indication received from the external entity. For sake of clarity, the trolley and the actuator device 230 are advantageously equipped with applicable communication means, such as a wireless modem or modem receiving signal through wires arranged in the frame structure 220, which wires may travel along with the trolley when it is moving along the rail 310. Alternatively, the conveyor means may be implemented so that a moving force for moving the trolley is generated with power generation means arranged external to the trolley. For example, a controllable conveyor belt may be arranged on the plane into which the trolley is mounted wherein the conveyor belt is moved with the power generation means causing the movement of the trolley along the conveyor belt, and, hence, the actuator device 230 may be moved to a desired position in accordance with an indication received from an external entity. The arrangement for enabling the movement of the actuator devices 230 may differ from the ones described in the foregoing description.

In addition to the described components and elements the elevator call activating device 210 may comprise further components and elements. Figure 4 schematically illustrates further aspects with an elevator call activating device 210 according to a further embodiment of the invention. Especially, the elevator call activating device 210 may comprise a user interface 510 for users of the elevator. The user interface 510 may comprise a plurality of interactive areas 420 through which the users may provide indications with the elevator call activating device 210 in order to control an operation of the elevator system, and, as a result, to get service from the elevator system. The interactive areas 420 may refer to buttons, which may, upon a receipt of input signal, be arranged to interact with a respective actuator device 230 lying under the respective interactive area 420 of the user interface 410 and in that manner to cause the actuator device 230 to generate an interaction with a respective interactive area 260 of the car operating panel 250. Alternatively or in addition to the mechanical interaction with the actuator device 230 the interaction may be arranged through transferring the input signal into electrical signal conveyed to the respective actuator device 230 for activating the actuator device 230 to operate in the described manner. In practice, the user interface 410 of the elevator call activating device 210 may correspond to the car operating panel 250 described in the foregoing description, but the user interface 410 is arranged in the elevator call activating device 210 for the purpose as described.

Figure 5 illustrates schematically an example of an actuator device 230 suitable to use in an elevator call activating device 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As described in the foregoing description a number of actuator devices 230 may be arranged in the frame structure 220 of the elevator call activating device 210. The actuator device 230 may comprise a body part 510 and a stem part 520 wherein the body part 510 may house necessary hardware, and possibly software, for moving the stem part 520 to interact with the car operating panel 210 in the manner as described. For example, the actuator device 230 may be implemented with a solenoid, and in such an implementation the body part 510 may house e.g. a spring, a coil and an armature for causing force to move the stem part 520 in response to a control of a provision of a current to the coil. The stem part 520, or at least a surface interacting with the interactive area 260 of the car operating panel 210, is advantageously shaped and its material is selected so that it cooperates with the car operating panel 250 for providing the indication through the interactive areas 260.

Alternatively or in addition to the actuator device 230 implemented with a solenoid other types of actuators may be used in a context of the present invention. For example, different types of actuators applicable in the context of the present invention may be: a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, an electric actuator, twisted and coiled polymer (TCP) or supercoiled polymer (SCP), thermal or magnetic actuator or a mechanical actuator. Some non limiting examples of actuator technologies for the above listed actuator types may be: comb drive, digital micromirror device, electric motor, electroactive polymer, hydraulic cylinder, piezoelectric actuator, pneumatic actuator, screw jack, servomechanism, solenoid, stepper motor, shape-memory alloy, thermal bimorph, hydraulic actuator etc. In general, any actuator technology suitable for transform electric input signal, i.e. the control signal, into an applicable form of motion may be applied to the elevator call activating device 210 of the present invention.

Due to the fact that the elevator call activating device 210 according to at least some embodiments of the invention is an overlay solution hiding the car operating panel 250 of the elevator 120A, 120B, 120C in question the user nor the group controller 110 cannot confirm if the elevator call given through the elevator call activating device 210 reaches the elevator 120A, 120B, 120C in question. In order to confirm that the actuator device 230 has operated so that the elevator call given through the elevator call activating device 210 has reached the car operating panel 250 an activation of a respective interactive area 260 may be monitored. This kind of arrangement is advantageous with interactive areas 260 emitting light in response to an activation. Hence, an applicable sensor, such as light detecting sensor, may be positioned in an applicable position within the elevator call activating device 210 in order to detect if the interactive area 260 in question emits light or not indicating if it is activated through the interaction with the actuator device 230 or not. In accordance to an example embodiment the light detecting sensor may be arranged in the actuator device 230 as schematically illustrated in Figure 5 (the sensor is referred with 530). The sensor is selected and positioned in the actuator device 230 so that its operational area enables monitoring of the interactive area 260 as described. In some embodiments the light detecting sensor 530 may be arranged in the stem part 520 so that a monitoring head of the light detecting sensor 530 faces the interactive area 260 and, thus, travels along with the stem part 520 towards the interactive area 260 and immediately detects if the activation is successful or not. Alternatively, or in addition, a number of light detecting sensors 530 may be arranged in the frame structure 220, such as in the cells of the frame structure 220, for the monitoring. Applicable light detecting sensors 530 may e.g. be a photoconductive cell, a light dependent resistor, or any similar.

Figure 6 illustrates schematically an integration of an elevator call activating device 210 according to an example embodiment of the invention to the elevator system. In the non-limiting example as schematically illustrated in Figure 6 the actuator device 230, the light detecting sensor 530, the interactive area 420 of the user interface 510 in the elevator call activating device 210, a processing unit 610 and a memory storing e.g. computer program code 625 and any other data may be considered to belong to the elevator call activating device 210. For sake of understanding the following description it is hereby assumed a modernization of the elevator system is in such a phase that a new group controller 110 is in use for controlling an overall operation of the elevator system and, hence, the elevator call activating device 210 belongs to the new part of the elevator system in order couple portions of an old elevator system to the new elevator system. The old elevator system in in Figure 6 is represented with the user interactive area 260 of the car operating panel 250 i.e. it may be assumed that at least an old elevator car may still be operated in the elevator system. In other words, the elevator call activating device 210 is placed over the car operating panel 250 of the elevator car of an elevator 120A, 120B, 120C. Now, a passenger may enter the elevator car equipped with the elevator call activating device 210 and provides an indication of the destination, such as a floor, where he/she is willing to travel by interacting with the user interface 510 of the elevator call activating device 210 i.e. activating the interactive area 420. The activation may be detected by the processing unit 610 either directly or indirectly e.g. through the actuator device 230 e.g. in an implementation in which the interactive area 420 and the actuator device 230 are directly coupled to each other e.g. mechanically. The processing unit 610 comprising one or more processors may be configured to generate a signal to the group controller 110 to indicate the destination of the elevator car e.g. in order to allow the group controller 110 to take the piece of information into account in allocation of elevator cars to serve service calls. Further, the processing unit 610 may be configured to generate a control signal to the actuator device 230 to activate the actuator device 230 to interact with the interaction area 260 of the car operating panel 250. In other words, the control signal may cause an extension of the stem part of the actuator device 230 to contact the interactive area 260. In case the elevator call activating device 210 is implemented so that the actuator device 230 is movable the control signal may also comprise information to move the actuator device 230 to a correct position corresponding to the information received through the interaction of the interactive area 420 of the elevator call activating device 210. Still further, if a sensor 530 is included in the elevator call activating device 210 an output signal of the sensor 530 may be monitored by the processing unit 610 in order to receive a confirmation that an activation of the interactive area 260 of the car operating panel 250 was successful in response to the operation of the actuator device 230. In some embodiments the processing unit 610 may be configured to wait a predetermined period of time for receiving a confirmation signal representing the successful operation from the sensor 530 and if this does not occur, it may be arranged to regenerate the control signal to the respective actuator device 230. For sake of clarity, the processing unit 610 may be arranged to control, and monitor, an overall operation of the elevator call activating device 210, and its components, such as each actuator device 230 and the interactive areas 420 of the user interface 510.

In some further example embodiments, the processing unit 610 may receive control signal from the group controller 110 e.g. to instruct the elevator car to a certain destination. As a result of such a signal, the processing unit 610 may be configured to generate a control signal to the actuator device 230 in the same manner as discussed above, but also activate an interactive area 420 of the user interface 510 corresponding to the destination for indicating passengers that the elevator car is traveling to that destination e.g. in addition to other destinations indicated e.g. by the passengers.

Figure 7 illustrates schematically, by way of example, a method according to an embodiment of the invention. The method relates to interaction of an elevator call activating device 210 with a car operating panel 250 wherein the elevator call activating device 210 is installable at least in part over the car operating panel 250 comprising at least one interactive area 260. In the method, the elevator call activating device 260 may perform: receive 710 a signal indicating a destination for an elevator car controllable at least in part with the elevator call activating device 210, determine 720 an actuator device 230 arranged to interoperate with the interactive area 260 of the car operating panel 250 corresponding to the destination indicated in the signal, and generate 730 a control signal to the determined actuator device 230 to cause an interaction with the interactive area 260 of the car operating panel 250 corresponding to the destination. The method may comprise further steps as described in the foregoing description. Still further, some aspects of the present invention may relate to an elevator system comprising a car operating panel 250 and an elevator call activating device 230 as described in the foregoing description.

The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the applicability and/or the interpretation of the appended claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1 . An elevator call activating device (210) installable at least in part over a car operating panel (250) comprising at least one interactive area (260), the elevator call activating device (260) comprising: a number of actuator devices (230) for interacting with at least one interactive area (260) of the car operating panel (250), and a processing unit (610) arranged to receive a signal indicating a destination for an elevator car controllable at least in part with the elevator call activating device (210) and in response to a receipt of the signal the processing unit (610) is arranged to: determine an actuator device (230) arranged to interoperate with the interactive area (260) of the car operating panel (210) corresponding to the destination indicated in the signal, and generate a control signal to the determined actuator device (230) to cause an interaction with the interactive area (260) of the car operating panel

(250) corresponding to the destination.

2. The elevator call activating device (210) of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit (610) is arranged to receive the signal indicating the destination for the elevator car from at least one of: a user interface (510) of the elevator call activating device (210); a group controller (110) of an elevator system.

3. The elevator call activating device (210) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the elevator call activating device (210) is arranged to cause the interaction with the interactive area (260) of the car operating panel (210) by generating a control signal causing an extension of a stem part (520) of the actuator device (230) to contact the interactive area (260).

4. The elevator call activating device (210) of any of the preceding claims, the elevator call activating device (210) further comprising at least one sensor (530) for monitoring the interaction between the interactive area (260) of the car operating panel (210) and the stem part (520) of the actuator device (230).

5. The elevator call activating device (210) of claim 4, wherein the at least one sensor (530) is configured to monitor emitted light of the interactive area (260) of the car operating panel (250).

6. The elevator call activating device (210) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the elevator call activating device (210) is implemented by arranging a dedicated actuator device (230) for each of the interactive areas (260) of the car operating panel (250). 7. The elevator call activating device (210) of any of the preceding claims 1 -

5, wherein the elevator call activating device (210) is implemented by arranging an actuator device (230) movably to serve a plurality of the interactive areas (260) of the car operating panel (250).

8. The elevator call activating device (210) of claim 7, wherein the actuator device (230) is arranged movably to serve the plurality of the interactive areas (260) of the car operating panel (250) by mounting the actuator device (230) operably to a conveyor means, the conveyor means configured to move the actuator device (230) between the interactive areas (260) of the car operating panel (250). 9. A method for interacting with a car operating panel (250) with an elevator call activating device (210) installable at least in part over the car operating panel (250) comprising at least one interactive area (260), the method, performed by the elevator call activating device (260), comprising: receiving (710) a signal indicating a destination for an elevator car controllable at least in part with the elevator call activating device (210), determining (720) an actuator device (230) arranged to interoperate with the interactive area (260) of the car operating panel (250) corresponding to the destination indicated in the signal, and generating (730) a control signal to the determined actuator device (230) to cause an interaction with the interactive area (260) of the car operating panel (250) corresponding to the destination.

10. An elevator system, comprising: a car operating panel (250), and an elevator call activating device (210) of any one of claims 1 - 8.