WO2023231040A1

WO2023231040A1 - A method and an elevator for determining elevator entrapment detection system malfunction

Info

Publication number: WO2023231040A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/097019
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tommi Huotari; Xin Qu
Original assignee: Kone Corporation; Kone Elevators Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2022-06-03
Filing date: 2022-06-03
Publication date: 2023-12-07

Abstract

The invention relates to an elevator control system (20) and a method for detecting elevator entrapment detection system (30) malfunction in an elevator control system (20). The method comprises determining presence of a person in an elevator car (10) by at least one detection means, such as a sensor, and/or control means of the elevator system and/or based on information derived from at least one detection means and/or control means from the elevator system, receiving at the elevator control system (20) occupancy status information from an entrapment detection system (30), comparing the received occupancy status information of the entrapment detection system (30) with the determined presence of the person by the elevator control system (20), and determining malfunction of the entrapment detection system (30) based on the determined presence of the person in the elevator car (10) determined by the elevator control system (20) being different than the determined presence of the person in the elevator car determined by the entrapment detection system (30).

Description

A METHOD AND AN ELEVATOR CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING ELEVATOR ENTRAPMENT DETECTION SYSTEM MALFUNCTION

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a method and an elevator control system for determining elevator entrapment detection system malfunction.

BACKGROUND

Elevators are provided with different safety systems to ensure safe operation of the elevator in various operational situations. Entrapment of passengers in an elevator car is one of key concerns in elevator failure cases since it will bring poor experience to passengers and in some cases can leave the passengers in danger. Thus, entrapment of passengers has to be monitored reliably. In addition, monitoring entrapment of passengers in an elevator car is also one of key expectations of customers and also governments in some areas for elevator remote monitoring systems.

Existing entrapment monitoring methods include installing cameras or using infrared-based detection sensors to carry out entrapment detection. Some prior art solutions may utilize Lidar-based sensors, radar-based sensors, time-of-flight (ToF) cameras, microphones, accelerometers or a combination of different types of sensors. Also, an additional positioning sensor may be needed to detect position of an elevator car to identify whether a passenger is entrapped in the car or the elevator is in a normal passenger-carrying state. These sensors of the entrapment monitoring systems cannot identify a fault state of the entrapment monitoring system or a fault state of the elevator.

In some countries there may be local government requirements requiring that passenger entrapment must be reported to a government platform and that the entrapment situation needs to be solved in a short time. This brings challenges for reliably and quickly identifying and solving entrapment situations.

For these reasons there is a need for a reliable and safe solution for detecting entrapment of passengers and for determining elevator entrapment detection system malfunction.

SUMMARY

An objective of the invention is to provide a reliable and safe solution for detecting entrapment of passengers and for determining elevator entrapment detection system malfunction.

The objectives of the invention are reached as defined by the respective independent claims.

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for detecting elevator entrapment detection system malfunction in an elevator control system. The method comprises determining presence of a person in an elevator car by at least one detection means, such as a sensor, and/or control means of the elevator system and/or based on information derived from at least one detection means and/or control means from the elevator system, receiving at the elevator control system occupancy status information from an entrapment detection system relating to presence of the person in the elevator car, comparing the received occupancy status information of the entrapment detection system with the determined presence of the person by the elevator control system, and determining malfunction of the entrapment detection system based on the determined presence of the person in the elevator car determined by the elevator control system being different than the determined presence of the person in the elevator car determined by the entrapment detection system.

In one embodiment of the invention the elevator control system and/or an elevator control unit of the elevator control system comprises an input for receiving occupancy status information from the entrapment detection system.

In one embodiment of the invention presence of the person in the elevator car is at least in part determined by status of the elevator and/or by determined events that can only occur as a result of a person residing inside the elevator car, e.g. elevator doors being closed and an elevator call made within the car, or elevator running or elevator having calls registered and calls not being cancelled due to elevator malfunction or power outage.

In one embodiment of the invention presence of the person in the elevator car is at least in part determined by an elevator car load value, such as elevator car load value not indicating an empty elevator car and/or by events of doors being open, light curtain showing traffic, load increasing, doors closing while load at increased level.

In one embodiment of the invention the detection means is arranged to the elevator car and comprises elevator door safety devices which indicate traffic on the elevator doors, such as curtain of light indicating persons having entered the car.

In one embodiment of the invention the elevator entrapment detection system is a separate system from the elevator control system.

In one embodiment of the invention the method further comprises sending an alarm and/or notification and/or entering to a fault state of the elevator based on the detected malfunction of the elevator entrapment detection system.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to an elevator control system, wherein the elevator control system is configured to determine presence of a person in an elevator car by at least one detection means, such as a sensor, and/or control means of the elevator system and/or based on information derived from at least one detection means and/or control means from the elevator system, to receive at the elevator control system occupancy status information from an entrapment detection system relating to presence of the person in the elevator car, to compare the received occupancy status information of the entrapment detection system with the determined presence of the person by the elevator system, and to determine malfunction of the entrapment detection system based on the determined presence of the person in the elevator car determined by the elevator control system being different than the determined presence of the person in the elevator car determined by the entrapment detection system.

In one embodiment of the invention the elevator control system is configured to determine presence of the person in the elevator car at least in part by status of the elevator and/or by a determined event that can only occur as a result of a person residing in-side the elevator car, e.g. doors closed and an elevator call made within the car, or elevator running or elevator having calls registered and calls not being cancelled due to elevator malfunction or power outage.

In one embodiment of the invention the elevator control system is configured to determine presence of the person in the elevator car at least in part by an elevator car load value, such as elevator car load value not indicating an empty elevator car and/or by events of doors being open, light curtain showing traffic, load increasing, doors closing while load at increased level.

In one embodiment of the invention the detection means is arranged to the elevator car and comprises elevator door safety devices which are configured to indicate traffic on the elevator doors, such as curtain of light configured to indicate persons having entered the car.

In one embodiment of the invention the elevator control system is configured to send an alarm and/or notification and/or to enter to a fault state of the elevator based on the detected malfunction of the elevator entrapment detection system.

According to a third aspect, the invention relates to an elevator system comprising at least one elevator car, a motor configured to move the elevator car, and an elevator control system configured to control the elevator and/or the motor. The elevator control system is the elevator control system according to any embodiment of the invention.

With the solution of the invention elevator entrapment detection system malfunction can be reliably detected and it can for example be reported to the back-end system as a failure message.

The solution of the invention is also cost efficient to implement because it does not need additional sensors or units or self-check functionality in the entrapment detection system for detecting malfunction of the entrapment detection system as the solution uses elevator system related data relating to the elevator status, such as position of the elevator car, elevator mode and ability for the elevator car to move and presence of passenger (s) in the car, to evaluate the operation of an elevator entrapment system.

Various other advantages will become clear to a skilled person based on the following detailed description.

The terms “first” , “second” and “third” are herein used to distinguish one element from other element, and not to specially prioritize or order them, if not otherwise explicitly stated.

The exemplary embodiments of the invention presented herein are not to be interpreted to pose limitations to the applicability of the appended claims. The verb "to comprise" is used herein as an open limitation that does not exclude the existence of also unrecited features. The features recited in depending claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objectives and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some 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 an elevator according to an embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 2 illustrates an example method according to one example embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 illustrates schematically an example elevator in which entrapment malfunction detection solution of the invention can be used. The elevator 100 according to an example embodiment may comprise an elevator car 10 arranged to be moved in an elevator shaft 12. The moving of the elevator car 10 may be implemented, by a hoisting rope or belt 13 in connection with a traction sheave 14 or the like. Furthermore, the elevator 100 comprises an elevator motor arranged to operate, such as rotate by the rotor thereof, the traction sheave 14 for moving the elevator car 10, if not essentially directly coupled to the hoisting rope 13. The traction sheave 14 may be connected, via a mechanical connection, directly or indirectly via a gear to a shaft of the motor. The elevator 100 may comprise a machine room or be machine roomless, such as have the motor in the elevator shaft 12.

The elevator 100 may preferably comprise at least one, or at least two, hoisting machinery brake (s) 16 configured for resisting or, preferably, preventing the movement of the motor, that is the rotor thereof, directly or via the traction sheave 14 or components thereof and/or therebetween. Furthermore, the elevator 100 may comprise a brake controller 25 configured to operate at least one of the at least one hoisting machinery brake 16. The brake controller 25 may further be in connection with other elements of the elevator 100, such as an elevator control unit and/or a safety system 1000. The brake controller 25 may comprise an actuator (not shown) for operating the brake 16 or at least be in connection with such an actuating device.

There may additionally be, at least in some embodiments, a counterweight 18 arranged in connection with the elevator car 10 such as is known to a person skilled in the art of elevators. Still further, the elevator 100 may additionally comprise a guide rail 17 or rails 17 arranged into the elevator shaft 12 for guiding the movement of the elevator car 10.

The elevator 100 of Fig. 1 can further comprise a converter unit. The converter unit may comprise, or substantially be, an inverter or a frequency converter, for connecting to, and controlling the operation of, the motor, and a controller in connection with the converter unit, wherein the controller is configured to operate the converter unit to provide electrical power (signals) , such as having variable voltage and variable frequency, to the windings of the motor. The controller may be a separate controller device or be comprised in the converter unit, for instance.

Still further, the converter unit may be arranged to be fed by an electrical power source, such as of the elevator 100, for example from an external electrical power grid or mains power supply, or another power source, for example, a battery system. Additionally, the electrical power source may intake electrical power from the converter unit.

There may be one or several devices arranged between the electrical power source and the converter unit, such as input filter (s) , circuit breaker (s) , and/or contactor (s) or relay (s) , and/or a device for charging the energy storage element (s) of the converter unit.

The elevator 100 preferably comprises landings 19 or landing floors 19 and, for example, landing floor doors and/or openings, between which the elevator car 10 is arranged to be moved during the normal operation of the elevator 100, such as to move persons and/or items between said floors 19.

The elevator may comprise a control unit 20 unit for controlling the operation of the elevator and/or the safety system of the elevator. The control unit 20 may be a separate device or may be comprised in the other components of the elevator such as in or as a part of the electrical drive. The control unit may also be implemented in a distributed manner so that, e.g., one portion of the conveyor control unit may be comprised in the electrical drive and another portion in the elevator car. The control unit may also be arranged in distributed manner at more than two locations or in more than two devices. In one embodiment of the invention the control unit is configured to control the power units supplying power to the conveyor system. The elevator control unit can also be configured to collect status information of an elevator car and fault information when an elevator fails.

The control unit or controller of the system may comprise one or more processors, one or more memories being volatile or non-volatile for storing portions of computer program code and any data values and possibly one or more user interface units. The mentioned elements may be communicatively coupled to each other with e.g. an internal bus.

The elevator comprises at least one detection means for determining presence of a person in an elevator. The detection means can comprise e.g. a detector, a sensor and/or it can utilize information derived from the elevator control system for being able to determine presence of a person in an elevator car and/or a person entering the elevator car.

In one embodiment of the invention presence of the person in the elevator car can be at least in part determined by status of the elevator. In one embodiment of the invention the status information of the elevator can comprise information about a floor level where the elevator car is stopped, information about door zone status of the floor level where the elevator car is stopped, information about the speed of the elevator car, and information about opening and closing of the door of the elevator car. The status information can also comprise information about current service mode, which includes a fire protection mode, and a maintenance mode in which a warning alarm will not be issued. In one embodiment of the invention the status information of the elevator can comprise the status of the elevator being elevator running or elevator having calls registered and calls not being cancelled due to elevator malfunction or power outage. In one embodiment of the invention presence of the person in the elevator car can be at least in part determined by an elevator car load value, such as elevator car load value not indicating an empty elevator car.

The detection means can be also a detector, a sensor or other detecting means which is arranged to the elevator car. These detection means can comprise elevator door safety devices, which can indicate traffic on the elevator doors, such as curtain of light being able to indicate persons having entered the car and/or cameras or sensors configured to detect presence of a person in an elevator car.

The elevator also comprises a means or system to detect entrapment of a person in the elevator car. The elevator entrapment detection system 30 can be a separate system from the elevator control system. Once the entrapment detection system 30 determines that a passenger is entrapped in the elevator car when the elevator fails, the entrapment system will send the warning alarm to the remote server and notify maintenance personnel. In one embodiment of the invention, when entrapment of passengers is detected, a speaker in the elevator car can be used to speak out some comforting message for the passengers. In one embodiment of the invention, when entrapment of passengers is detected, the elevator system can and/or enter to a fault state of the elevator.

The entrapment detection system can for example comprise an input and/or output based means with which it can report its status to the elevator system. The status can be for example active or not, passengers in the elevator car or not, and/or or entrapment detected or not detected. The elevator control system and/or an elevator control unit of the elevator control system can comprise an input for receiving occupancy status information from the entrapment detection system. The input can receive wireless and/or wired signals, e.g. the input can be configured to receive a physical electrical signal via wired bus and/or to receive a wire-less data communication signal. The input/output of the entrapment detection system can be connected for example to elevator controller via input/output board.

The elevator control unit can receive information of the status of the entrapment detection system, e.g. occupancy status information of the entrapment detection system, such as entrapped people in an elevator car or no entrapped people on an elevator car. In one embodiment of the invention the elevator can also be controlled to a fault state and e.g. to reside at a landing with doors open in order to let people out. Calls in the elevator call queue can either be completed or the elevator can be controlled to nearest or a predefined landing e.g. in one embodiment a landing of a lobby level or ground floor.

By utilizing information of the passenger detection means of the elevator system, the operation of the entrapment system, e.g. malfunction of the entrapment system, can be determined. The malfunction of the entrapment detection system can be based on comparing the passenger occupancy information of the elevator control system and the elevator entrapment detection system and if the passenger occupancy status of the systems is different, the entrapment system malfunction can be detected. In one embodiment of the invention the malfunction of the entrapment detection system can be based on information on someone being in the elevator car sensed by the detection means of the elevator system and still the entrapment detection system being not able to detect this person. Thus, the elevator system can compare the received occupancy status information of the entrapment detection system with the determined presence of the person by the elevator control system and determine in this example case malfunction of the entrapment detection system if the determined presence of the person by the elevator control system indicates presence of the person, but occupancy status of the entrapment detection system indicates that no persons are in the elevator car, or in one embodiment of the invention, if the determined presence of the person by the elevator control system indicates that no person is present in the elevator car, but occupancy status of the entrapment detection system indicates that at least one person is present in the elevator car. The elevator system of the invention may be further configured to send an alarm and/or notification based on the detected malfunction of the elevator entrapment detection system. In one embodiment of the invention the elevator system can and/or enter to a fault state of the elevator.

In one example embodiment, if the elevator sensors are indicating in the above-described ways that there is someone in the car but the entrapment system, e.g. with its sensor camera, is telling there is nobody in the car, it can be considered that the entrapment detection system has a fault. In one embodiment, the elevator sensors are indicating in the above-described ways that there is nobody in the car but the entrapment system, e.g. with its sensor camera, is telling there is someone in the car, it can be considered that the entrapment detection system has a fault.

Figure 2 illustrates an example method according to one example embodiment of the invention. In the example method presence of a person in an elevator car is determined by at least one detection means, such as a sensor, and/or control means of the elevator system and/or based on information derived from at least one detection means and/or control means from the elevator system. In the example method occupancy status information relating to presence of the person in the elevator car s then received at the elevator control system from an entrapment detection system. In the example method the received occupancy status information of the entrapment detection system is compared with the determined presence of the person by the elevator control system. In the example method the entrapment detection system is determined to be malfunctioning based on the determined presence of the person in the elevator car determined by the elevator control system being different than the determined presence of the person in the elevator car determined by the entrapment detection system.

In one embodiment of the invention the devices or units comprise wireless data communication means utilizing wireless communication technologies, such as 3G, 4G and 5G for communicating information used by the system, e.g. system related status information, information about presence of passengers, entrapment related info gathered by the elevator system and/or entrapment detection system. In one embodiment of the invention information may be gathered and sent to a remote cloud system where it may be analyzed.

The processor of the control unit or controller is at least configured to implement some functionality of the invention. The implementation of a solution of the invention may be achieved by arranging the processor to execute at least some portion of computer program code stored in the memory causing the processor, and thus the elevator control unit, to implement one or more method steps as described. The processor is thus arranged to access the memory and retrieve and store any information therefrom and thereto. For sake of clarity, the processor herein refers to any unit suitable for processing information and control the operation of the elevator control unit, among other tasks. The operations may also be implemented with a microcontroller solution with embedded software. Similarly, the memory is not limited to a certain type of memory only, but any memory type suitable for storing the described pieces of information may be applied in the context of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention described herein before in association with the figures presented and the summary of the invention may be used in any combination with each other. At least two of the embodiments may be combined together to form a further embodiment of the invention.

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

A method for detecting elevator entrapment detection system malfunction in an elevator control system, the method comprising:

- determining presence of a person in an elevator car (10) by at least one detection means, such as a sensor, and/or control means of the elevator system and/or based on information derived from at least one detection means and/or control means from the elevator system,

- receiving at the elevator control system (20) occupancy status information from an entrapment detection system (30) relating to presence of the person in the elevator car (10) ,

- comparing the received occupancy status information of the entrapment detection system (30) with the determined presence of the person by the elevator control system (20) , and

- determining malfunction of the entrapment detection system (30) based on the determined presence of the person in the elevator car (10) determined by the elevator control system (20) being different than the determined presence of the person in the elevator car determined by the entrapment detection system (30) .
A method according to claim 1, wherein the elevator control system (20) and/or an elevator control unit of the elevator control system comprises an input for receiving occupancy status information from the entrapment detection system (30) .
A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein presence of the person in the elevator car (10) is at least in part determined by status of the elevator, and/or by determined events that can only occur as a result of a person residing inside the elevator car, e.g. doors closed and an elevator call made within the car or elevator running or elevator having calls registered and calls not being cancelled due to elevator malfunction or power outage.
A method according to any previous claims, wherein presence of the person in the elevator car (10) is at least in part determined by an elevator car load value, such as elevator car load value not indicating an empty elevator car.
A method according to any previous claims, wherein the detection means is arranged to the elevator car (10) and comprises elevator door safety devices which indicate traffic on the elevator doors, such as curtain of light indicating persons having entered the elevator car.
A method according to any previous claims, wherein the elevator entrapment detection system (30) is a separate system from the elevator control system (20) .
A method according to any previous claims, wherein the method further comprises sending an alarm and/or notification, and/or entering to a fault state of the elevator based on the detected malfunction of the elevator entrapment detection system (30) .
An elevator control system, wherein the elevator control system (20) is configured to:

- determine presence of a person in an elevator car (10) by at least one detection means, such as a sensor, and/or control means of the elevator system and/or based on information derived from at least one detection means and/or control means from the elevator system,

- receive at the elevator control system (20) occupancy status information from an entrapment detection system (30) relating to presence of the person in the elevator car (10) ,

- compare the received occupancy status information of the entrapment detection system (30) with the determined presence of the person by the elevator system (20) , and

- determine malfunction of the entrapment detection system (30) based on the determined presence of the person in the elevator car (10) determined by the elevator control system (20) being different than the determined presence of the person in the elevator car determined by the entrapment detection system (30) .
An elevator control system according to claim 8, wherein the elevator control system (20) and/or an elevator control unit of the elevator control system (20) comprises an input for receiving occupancy status information from the entrapment detection system (30) .
An elevator control system according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the elevator control system (20) is configured to determine presence of the person in the elevator car at least in part by status of the elevator and/or by determined events that can only occur as a result of a person residing inside the elevator car, e.g. doors closed and an elevator call made within the car, or elevator running or elevator having calls registered and calls not being cancelled due to elevator malfunction or power outage.
An elevator control system according to any claim 8 -10, wherein the elevator control system (20) is configured to determine presence of the person in the elevator car (10) at least in part by an elevator car load value, such as elevator car load value not indicating an empty elevator car.
An elevator control system according to any claim 8 -11, wherein the detection means is arranged to the elevator car (10) and comprises elevator door safety devices which are configured to indicate traffic on the elevator doors, such as curtain of light configured to indicate persons having entered the elevator car (10) .
An elevator control system according to any claim 8 -12, wherein the elevator entrapment detection system (30) is a separate system from the elevator control system (20) .
An elevator control system according to any claim 8 -13, wherein the elevator control system (20) is configured to send an alarm and/or notification and/or to enter to a fault state of the elevator based on the detected malfunction of the elevator entrapment detection system (30) .
An elevator system (100) comprising:

at least one elevator car (10) ,

a motor configured to move the elevator car, and

an elevator control system (20) configured to control the elevator (100) and/or the motor, wherein the elevator control system is the elevator control system (20) according to any claim 8 -14.
A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to any of claims 1 –7.
A computer-readable medium comprising the computer program according to claim 16.