An automatic braking system for escalators and an automatic braking escalator

Abstract

This invention relates to an automatic braking system for escalators and an automatic braking escalator, comprising: a tactile unit including a touch pad and a capacitor sensor; the touch pad is disposed on the inner skirt panel of the escalator; a recognition unit including an ambient sound acquisition device and a voice recognition chip; and a control unit connected to the capacitor sensor and the voice recognition chip, and also connected to the braking unit of the escalator. This invention combines the tactile unit and the recognition unit, increasing the number of ways to trigger the braking system. This allows the escalator to brake immediately when a person falls or experiences a hand-pinching accident requiring assistance. By incorporating a capacitance threshold to detect the touch of adults and children, the invention reduces the possibility of children accidentally triggering emergency braking. It also considers the possibility of intermittent touches during falls, taking into account multiple scenarios to reduce secondary injuries to people in escalator accidents.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of escalator safety protection technology, and in particular to an automatic braking system for escalators and an automatic braking escalator. Background Technology

[0002] Escalators are now ubiquitous in society, found in major shopping malls and subway stations, bringing great convenience to people. However, escalators also pose significant safety hazards. When passengers accidentally fall or encounter dangerous situations, an operator needs to manually press the stop button for the escalator to stop. The drawback is that relying on manual response results in a slow response time and cannot stop the escalator immediately when a dangerous situation occurs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects in the prior art and provide an automatic braking system for escalators. The system uses sensors to identify dangerous situations that occur on the escalator. When a dangerous situation occurs, the system immediately controls the escalator to stop, thereby minimizing the problem of increased casualties due to the failure of the escalator to brake in time.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides an automatic braking system for escalators, which is installed in escalators, the escalator including a braking unit comprising:

[0005] The touch-sensing unit includes a touch pad made of conductive material and a capacitor sensor connected to the touch pad; the touch pad is disposed on the inner skirt panel of the escalator and arranged along the length direction of the inner skirt panel;

[0006] The recognition unit includes an ambient sound acquisition device and a speech recognition chip connected to the ambient sound acquisition device.

[0007] The control unit is connected to the capacitive sensor, the voice recognition chip, and the braking unit of the escalator.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a connecting rod is provided on the inner apron of the escalator, and the touch piece is arranged on the surface of the connecting rod.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod is made of an insulating material.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the contact piece is arranged along the length direction of the connecting rod.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the width of the touch pad is smaller than the width of the connecting rod.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the touch pad is arranged along the central axis of the connecting rod.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the connecting rod is connected to the inner apron panel via a connector.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an alarm unit is also included, which is disposed in the escalator and connected to the control unit.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the touch pad is strip-shaped.

[0016] An automatic braking escalator includes an escalator automatic braking system as described in any of the above claims.

[0017] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0018] 1. By recognizing touches at designated locations through tactile units, potential hazards on escalators can be identified;

[0019] 2. By acquiring voice distress information from ambient sounds through the recognition unit, it can identify potential dangers on escalators for children.

[0020] 3. By combining the tactile sensing unit with the recognition unit, multiple ways to trigger the braking system are added. By adding a capacitance threshold, the touch situation of adults and children is detected, thereby reducing the possibility of children accidentally triggering emergency braking. At the same time, the possibility of intermittent touch during a fall is also taken into account, considering multiple situations. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To make the content of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of an escalator automatic braking system and an automatic braking escalator according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic braking system for escalators and a finger contact linkage for an automatic braking escalator according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic braking system for escalators and a hand contact linkage for an automatic braking escalator according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic braking system for escalators and a microphone transmitter for an automatic braking escalator according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic braking system for escalators and a loudspeaker for an automatic braking escalator according to the present invention.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic braking system for escalators and a control unit for an automatic braking escalator according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the touch capacitor board of the multi-scheme braking system for dealing with emergency situations in escalators, as presented in this invention.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a capacitance change signal diagram of the multi-scheme braking system for dealing with emergency situations in escalators according to the present invention.

[0030] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the microcontroller program for the multi-scheme braking system for emergency situations in escalators, as described in this invention.

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals in the instruction manual: 1. Escalator; 1-1. Inner skirt panel; 1-2. Outer skirt panel; 2. Linkage rod; 2-1. Touch panel; 2-2. Finger; 2-3. Palm; 3. Microphone; 4. Alarm speaker; 5. Voice recognition chip; 6. Capacitive sensor; 7. Control unit power supply; 8. First switch; 9. Drive power supply; 10. Second switch; 11. Drive motor; 12. Microcontroller; 13. Relay. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] Reference Figures 1-9 As shown, this embodiment provides an automatic braking system for an escalator. The escalator braking system is installed on an escalator 1, and the escalator 1 includes a braking unit. The automatic braking system includes: a tactile unit for recognizing user touch, a voice information recognition unit for recognizing ambient sound, and a control unit for determining and driving the braking unit to operate.

[0035] The tactile unit includes a touch pad 2-1 made of conductive material and a capacitor sensor connected to the touch pad 2-1. The touch pad 2-1 is disposed on the inner skirt panel 1-1 of the escalator 1 and is arranged along the length of the inner skirt panel 1-1.

[0036] Specifically, the touch pad 2-1 is made of electroplated metal with good electrical properties. There is an inductive capacitance between any two conductive objects, and the touch pad has its own capacitance c0. For example... Figure 6As shown, when a person's finger 2-2 or palm 2-3 touches the touch pad 2-1, the capacitance of the capacitor formed between the finger and the metal touch pad 2-1 is proportional to the contact area. For example... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the contact area between different limbs and touch pad 2-1 has a significant impact on capacitance changes, with the increase in capacitance Δc after limb contact ranging from approximately 0.1 to 5 pF. The larger the contact area between the limb and touch pad 2-1, the greater the capacitance formed by the touch pad and the limb. Therefore, if a user touches touch pad 2-1 with an area close to that of a finger or palm, a higher capacitance change will be felt when using the palm compared to using the fingers. Figure 7 The parallel connection between the human finger 2-2 and the ground forms an inductive capacitance, and the pad and ground form an inductive capacitance, which increases the total inductive capacitance value to c0 + Δc. This allows for rapid transmission of electrical signals to the capacitive sensor 6.

[0037] Since accidents often occur when people fall on escalator 1, placing them in a low position, the touch panel 2-1 is positioned on the inner skirt panel 1-1 of escalator 1 to facilitate timely access for those needing assistance. The inner skirt panel 1-1 is typically located on the inside of escalator 1, near the footrest or floor, allowing easy contact when someone falls or is in a low position. Preferably, the touch panel 2-1 can be positioned on the inner skirt panels 1-1 on both sides of escalator 1.

[0038] In one embodiment, a connecting rod 2 is provided on the inner skirt panel 1-1 of the escalator 1, and a touch piece 2-1 is arranged on the surface of the connecting rod 2. The connecting rod 2 is made of insulating material. The touch piece is arranged along the length direction of the connecting rod 2. The width of the touch piece 2-1 is smaller than the width of the connecting rod 2. The touch piece 2-1 is arranged along the central axis of the connecting rod 2 and is strip-shaped. The connecting rod 2 is connected to the inner skirt panel 1-1 through a connector. The connecting rod 2 can be used as a handrail. When a person falls, they can grab the connecting rod 2 to maintain their balance or prevent themselves from rolling down. The touch piece 2-1 is provided on the connecting rod 2, and when a person grabs the connecting rod 2, the touch piece 2-1 can detect the touch.

[0039] The capacitance sensor 6 uses various types of capacitors as sensing elements. Because a precisely measured change will cause a change in the capacitor's capacitance, the change in capacitance can be converted into an electrical signal output according to the precise measurement circuit. For example... Figure 6As shown, when human skin touches or approaches the touch pad 2-1, the capacitance sensor 6 can measure different capacitances on the touch pad 2-1. Based on the principle that the contact area of ​​the limb affects the capacitance, a threshold can be added to the capacitance sensor 6. Its advantage lies in excluding touches from other objects, such as shoes or clothing, thus improving detection accuracy. Furthermore, considering the difference in hand size between adults and children, and the difference in contact area of ​​the touch pad 2-1, an appropriate threshold can be selected to avoid accidental touches due to children's curiosity in emergency situations. In case of an emergency by a child, emergency braking can also be triggered via the voice recognition unit.

[0040] The recognition unit includes an ambient sound acquisition device and a speech recognition chip 5 connected to the ambient sound acquisition device.

[0041] Specifically, the ambient sound acquisition device is a microphone 3, used to receive ambient sounds near the escalator 1. The ambient sound acquisition device is installed on the inner skirt panel 1-1 of the escalator 1. Multiple ambient sound acquisition devices can be installed, evenly distributed on the inner skirt panel 1-1 of the escalator 1, specifically monitoring the ambient sounds on the escalator 1. The voice recognition chip 5 can be an LD3320 voice recognition chip 5, used to recognize the voice information in the voice stream acquired by the ambient sound acquisition device, and to identify specific voice signals, such as: "Help!", "Quick help!", etc.

[0042] As one embodiment, the escalator automatic braking system also includes an alarm unit, which is installed on the escalator 1 and connected to the control unit.

[0043] Specifically, the alarm unit is an alarm speaker 4, which is installed on the outside of the escalator 1, and multiple units may be installed. The alarm unit is used to issue warnings to the outside, alerting others to the occurrence of danger, so as to achieve the purpose of seeking help or warning.

[0044] The control unit is connected to the capacitive sensor 6, the voice recognition chip 5, and also to the braking unit of the escalator 1.

[0045] Specifically, referring to the accompanying drawings, the control unit may include an STM32 microcontroller 12, a first switch 8, a second switch 10, a relay 13, etc., and form a circuit through wires. The braking unit includes a drive motor 11, etc.

[0046] The capacitive sensor 6 and the voice recognition chip 5 are used to detect whether an accident has occurred on the escalator 1. The two sensors feed back the detected information to the microcontroller 12, which controls the relay 13 to open and close, thereby controlling the connection and disconnection of the braking system circuit composed of the drive motor 11 and the alarm speaker 4. Considering the need for immediate emergency braking in case of an accident to avoid secondary injury, and to address the dangers of fingers being pinched and falls occurring on the escalator 1, the system uses a pre-positioned microphone 3 to receive the voice stream and input it into the LD3320 voice recognition chip 5. The LD3320 voice recognition chip 5 can easily perform voice conversion, multi-environment voice control, and convert real-time voice into text for processing and analysis. It can pre-set 50 keywords, and the speaker-independent speech recognition (ASR) technology is based on keyword list recognition. The emergency braking system list consists of 50 concise phrases categorized as expressions of distress, such as "Help!", "Help!", and "Stop!"—words triggered only in crisis situations. When a victim's voice commands contain specific keywords, the captured signal is transmitted to the microcontroller 12, which then determines and initiates emergency braking. Additionally, the capacitive sensor 6 and contact plates, connected via linkage 2, further enhance the system's functionality. Figure 8 The microcontroller determines the duration of capacitance change when a limb makes contact by judging the time change t1-t2 of the signal from the capacitance sensor 6. When the capacitance exceeds the threshold, the microcontroller starts to detect the duration of capacitance change for 1 second. When the capacitance increase duration exceeds the specified detection duration of 1 second, the microcontroller will send a signal to complete the emergency braking. By considering the difference in hand size between children and adults, an appropriate threshold can be selected to avoid accidental touches. Choosing a suitable threshold prevents accidental touches caused by children's curiosity. When the contact area between the victim's limb and the touch pad 2-1 is too small, the corresponding increase in capacitance Δc decreases. If c0+Δc does not exceed the specified capacitance threshold, the microcontroller will not make a judgment based on the signal detected by the capacitance sensor 6. Furthermore, to account for intermittent contact between the limb and touch pad 2-1 after a fall, the calculation starts at time t1 when the capacitance sensor 6 detects that the total capacitance exceeds the threshold. During the 1-second interval t1-t2, the microcontroller will detect the number of intermittent contacts. If the number of times the total capacitance exceeds the threshold is more than twice during this interval, the microcontroller will issue a signal to complete emergency braking. The specific process is as follows: Figure 9 As shown. Link 2 also helps stabilize the person's body and avoid injuries caused by continuous rolling.

[0047] The first switch 8 utilizes the existing emergency brake switch of the escalator 1 to manually control the conduction and closure of the microcontroller 12 circuit, thereby controlling the reset of the relay 13.

[0048] The working principle of the emergency braking system of the escalator 1 of the present invention is as follows:

[0049] When escalator 1 is operating normally and no injuries or fatalities occur, neither the capacitive sensor 6 nor the voice recognition chip 5 collects trigger signals. At this time, relay 13 does not receive a signal from the microcontroller 12 and remains normally open, connecting the drive motor 11 and the power supply 9. Escalator 1 operates normally, and the alarm speaker 4 is not activated. When an accident occurs on escalator 1, the LD3320 voice recognition chip 5 and the capacitive sensor 6 receive external information and transmit it to the microcontroller 12 to control relay 13. Relay 13 is energized, attracting the second switch 10 to disconnect the drive motor 11, causing it to stop and escalator 1 to stop. The second switch 10 then activates the alarm speaker 4, which emits an alarm to alert others of the accident on escalator 1, attracting people to the scene. After the danger has passed, personnel can manually press the first switch 8. This disconnects the voice recognition chip 5, the capacitive sensor 6, the control unit power supply 7, and the first switch 8, creating an open circuit. When relay 13 is de-energized, the second switch 10 returns to the normally open position, connecting the drive power supply 9 and the drive motor 11, and the escalator 1 resumes normal operation.

[0050] The present invention provides a multi-solution braking system for emergency situations in escalator 1, with the escalator structure as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the existing escalator is supplemented with a connecting rod 2, a touch-sensing unit, a recognition unit, an alarm unit, and a control unit. Figure 1 The connecting rod 2 shown is located diagonally above the inner side skirt panel of the escalator 1, as indicated. Figure 2 The touch piece 2-1 is mounted on the inner side of the connecting rod 2, as shown. Figure 3 The ambient sound acquisition devices shown are installed on the inner side skirt panel of escalator 1, near the gap between the skirt panel and the steps. Two devices are arranged along one side of the skirt panel, and four devices are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the skirt panel. Figure 4 The alarm units shown are respectively installed on the outer side of the outer skirt panels 1-2 of the escalator 1, and are respectively arranged at the entrance and exit of the escalator 1.

[0051] In summary, when no accident occurs, the escalator operates normally. When an accident does occur, the touch sensor and recognition unit detect the victim's condition and, via a microcontroller, control a relay to initiate an emergency stop and issue an alarm to alert those nearby. This invention increases the victim's chances of self-protection. The victim can trigger the escalator's brakes themselves immediately upon the accident. Furthermore, by combining the touch sensor and recognition unit, multiple triggering methods for the braking system are added. By incorporating a capacitance threshold to detect touches from adults and children, the possibility of children accidentally triggering the emergency stop is reduced. It also considers the possibility of intermittent touches during a fall, taking into account various scenarios. This significantly reduces secondary injuries to people caused by escalator accidents.

[0052] Example 2

[0053] Reference Appendix Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides an automatic braking escalator, including the automatic braking system for escalators described in Embodiment 1. Therefore, this embodiment also possesses all the advantages of Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0054] This invention provides a multi-solution braking system for escalator emergencies. It adds a dual-safety braking system—voice recognition and a built-in capacitive sensor on the existing emergency brake button. Elevator accidents often occur due to excessive gaps between the skirt board and steps, children's curiosity leading to hand entrapment, excessive elevator speed, gaps between steps, and falls caused by elderly people or passengers carrying heavy luggage due to haste or instability. In these situations, victims are often unable to trigger the original emergency brake switch themselves, or there are few people around the elevator, and the victim is left without assistance, increasing the risk of injury. To address these situations, two emergency braking methods are specifically designed. If a victim's limbs are caught in the elevator, they will likely cry or call for help. At this time, the victim's body will inevitably be close to the microphones installed on both sides of the elevator's apron panel. The microphones can collect the voice signals of crying or calling for help. The signals are input into the chip. If the chip successfully recognizes the signals, it will control the microcontroller to trigger the elevator's original emergency braking system. Alternatively, when a victim is caught in the elevator or falls on it, they will subconsciously grab the lever installed on the apron panel to stabilize their position. The capacitive sensor installed on the lever will generate a signal due to the contact with the hand. The generated signal is transmitted to the microcontroller for processing and will activate the elevator's original emergency braking button and sound an alarm to alert people around that someone has been injured, thus reducing the risk of injury to the victim.

[0055] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. An escalator automatic braking system provided in an escalator including a braking unit, characterized by, The application relates to a handrail automatic braking system of an escalator, which comprises a touch unit, an identification unit and a control unit. The touch unit comprises a touch sheet made of conductive material and a capacitance sensor connected with the touch sheet; the touch sheet is arranged on an inner side skirt plate of the escalator and arranged along the length direction of the inner side skirt plate. The identification unit comprises an ambient sound acquirer and a voice recognition chip connected with the ambient sound acquirer. The control unit is connected with the capacitance sensor and the voice recognition chip and also connected with a braking unit of the escalator. Wherein by judging the time change t1-t2 of the signal of the capacitive sensor, the length of time when the body contacts is judged, when the capacitance exceeds the threshold, the single-chip microcomputer detects the length of time of the change of the capacitance, the detection time is 1s, when the length of time of the increase of the capacitance exceeds the specified detection time 1s, the single-chip microcomputer sends a signal to complete the emergency brake; at the same time, by referring to the size difference of the palm area of children and adults, a suitable threshold is selected to avoid the palm false touch situation caused by the curiosity of children, when the contact area of the victim's limbs and the touch piece is too small, the corresponding increase of the variable capacitance Correspondingly If it does not exceed the specified capacitance threshold, the signal detected by the capacitive sensor will not cause the single-chip microcomputer to make a judgment; in addition, in order to consider the case that the body may be intermittently in contact with the touch piece after falling, when the capacitive sensor detects that the total capacitance exceeds the threshold, the starting time is t1, the single-chip microcomputer will detect the number of intermittent contacts within the 1s time of t1-t2, when the number of times that the total capacitance exceeds the threshold within this time is higher than twice, the single-chip microcomputer will send a signal to complete the emergency brake.

2. An automatic braking system for an escalator according to claim 1, characterized in that A connecting rod is arranged on the inner side skirt plate of the escalator, and the touch sheet is arranged on the surface of the connecting rod.

3. An automatic braking system for an escalator according to claim 2, wherein The connecting rod is made of insulating material.

4. An automatic braking system for an escalator according to claim 2, wherein The touch sheet is arranged along the length direction of the connecting rod.

5. An automatic braking system for an escalator according to claim 2, wherein The width of the touch sheet is smaller than the width of the connecting rod.

6. An automatic braking system for an escalator according to claim 2, wherein The touch sheet is arranged along the central axis direction of the connecting rod.

7. An automatic braking system for an escalator as defined in claim 2, wherein The connecting rod is connected with the inner side skirt plate through a connecting piece.

8. An automatic braking system for an escalator according to claim 1, wherein The application further comprises an alarm unit arranged on the escalator and connected with the control unit.

9. An automatic braking system for an escalator as defined in claim 1, wherein The touch sheet is in the shape of a strip.

10. An automatic braking escalator characterized by, The application further relates to an escalator automatic braking system comprising any one of the touch units in claims 1-9.

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