Lift door control

Abstract

According to an exemplary embodiment, there is provided an apparatus (220) for controlling at least one aspect of the operation of an elevator car door (111) by operating a door drive system (230), the door drive system being arranged to drive the car door (111) to move between a first end position and a second end position of its range of movement, wherein the door drive system (230) comprises a motor coupled to the car door (111) via a transmission system, and wherein the elevator car (110) comprises a door coupler (112) connected to the car door (111) for temporarily coupling the car door (111) to the landing door (131) when the elevator car (110) resides in a landing area of ​​a landing so that the landing door (131) moves together with the car door (111) between a closed position and an open position, the apparatus (220) comprising: 20) is configured to: control the movement of a car door (111), monitor one or more parameters describing the power consumption of the motor when the car door (111) moves, and perform a configuration process, the configuration process comprising: when the car door (111) moves from a first end position to a second end position, recording a first power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor as a function of the position of the car door (111); when the car door (111) moves from the second end position to the first end position, recording a second power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor as a function of the position of the car door (111); and based on one or more characteristics of the first and second power consumption curves, designating one of the first end position and the second end position as a closed door position and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as an open door position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Exemplary and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention relate to controlling and / or monitoring the operation of elevator doors. Background Art

[0002] Proper operation of elevator doors is an important aspect in the safety and convenience of elevator passengers. In particular, while keeping the doors open only when the elevator car is in a position to ensure safe entry and exit is critical in terms of passenger safety, timely opening of the doors to enable passengers to enter and exit the elevator car plays an important role in avoiding undue delays in passenger transportation.

[0003] In many elevator systems, elevator doors are automatically operated so that opening and closing of the elevator doors is achieved by using a drive system, which includes an electric motor configured to drive the elevator door to move under the control of an elevator door controller. Because elevator cars and elevator doors are manufactured in a variety of different sizes according to the requirements of their specific use environments, the drive system and / or elevator door controller need to be configured for each elevator car separately to ensure reliable, efficient and safe operation. However, the configuration of the elevator door controller usually requires manual work and / or the use of hardware dedicated to the configuration process, which may introduce additional costs when manufacturing and installing the elevator system, while also making the configuration process prone to errors. Summary of the invention

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique which facilitates configuring and / or monitoring the operation of elevator car doors in a flexible yet reliable and cost-effective manner.

[0005] According to an exemplary embodiment, there is provided an apparatus for controlling at least one aspect of the operation of an elevator car door by operating a door drive system, the door drive system being arranged to drive the car door to move between a first end position and a second end position in a range of movement of the car door, wherein the door drive system comprises an electric motor coupled to the car door via a transmission system, and wherein the elevator car comprises a door coupler connected to the car door, the door coupler being used to temporarily couple the car door to the landing door when the elevator car resides in a landing area of ​​a landing, so that the landing door moves together with the car door between a closed position and an open position, wherein the apparatus is arranged to control the movement of the car door, monitor the power of the electric motor when the car door moves, and One or more parameters of rate consumption and performing a configuration process, the configuration process comprising: recording a first power consumption curve, the first power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor according to the position of the car door when the car door moves from the first end position to the second end position, recording a second power consumption curve, the second power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor according to the position of the car door when the car door moves from the second end position to the first end position, and based on one or more characteristics of the first power consumption curve and the second power consumption curve, designating one of the first end position and the second end position as a door closing position, and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as a door opening position.

[0006] According to another exemplary embodiment, an elevator car is provided, the elevator car comprising: a car door arranged in the elevator car; a door drive system for driving the car door to move between a first end position and a second end position of a moving range of the car door, wherein the door drive system comprises an electric motor coupled to the car door via a transmission system; a door coupler connected to the car door for temporarily coupling the car door to the landing door when the elevator car resides in a landing area of ​​a landing, so that the landing door moves between a closed position and an open position together with the car door; and an apparatus for controlling at least one aspect of the operation of the elevator car door by operating the door drive system according to the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0007] According to another exemplary embodiment, a method is provided for controlling at least one aspect of the operation of an elevator car door arranged in an elevator car by operating a door drive system, the door drive system being arranged to drive the car door to move between a first end position and a second end position of a range of movement of the car door, wherein the door drive system comprises an electric motor coupled to the car door via a transmission system, and wherein the elevator car comprises a door coupler connected to the car door, the door coupler being used to temporarily couple the car door to the landing door when the elevator car resides in a landing area of ​​a landing, so that the landing door moves together with the car door between a closed position and an open position, the method comprising: monitoring a motor describing movement of the motor during the movement of the car One or more parameters of power consumption when the car door moves; recording a first power consumption curve, the first power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor according to the position of the car door when the car door moves from a first end position to a second end position, recording a second power consumption curve, the second power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor according to the position of the car door when the car door moves from the second end position to the first end position, and based on one or more characteristics of the first power consumption curve and the second power consumption curve, designating one of the first end position and the second end position as a closed door position, and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as an open door position.

[0008] According to another exemplary embodiment, a computer program for controlling at least one aspect of the operation of an elevator car door is provided, the computer program comprising a computer readable program code configured to cause at least the method according to the exemplary embodiments described above to be performed when the program code is executed on one or more computing devices.

[0009] The computer program according to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments may be embodied on a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable recording medium, for example as a computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable non-volatile medium having program code stored thereon, and when executed by one or more computing devices, the program code causes the computing devices to at least perform the method according to the foregoing exemplary embodiments.

[0010] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention proposed in this patent application should not be interpreted as limiting the applicability of the attached claims. The verb "comprise" and its derivatives are used as open-ended limitations in this patent application, which do not exclude the presence of unlisted features. The features below can be freely combined with each other unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0011] Certain features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. However, the invention both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of certain exemplary embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which

[0013] Figure 1 schematically illustrates some aspects of an elevator system according to an example;

[0014] Figure 2 A block diagram showing some logical elements of an elevator control system according to one example;

[0015] Figure 3A schematically illustrates a reference power consumption curve according to an example;

[0016] Figure 3B schematically illustrates a reference power consumption curve according to an example;

[0017] Figure 4 A method according to an example is shown;

[0018] Figure 5 An apparatus according to an example is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Figure 1 Some aspects of an elevator system 100 equipped with an automatic door according to an example are schematically shown, including an elevator car 110 that can move in a vertical direction within an elevator shaft 120. The elevator car 110 can be provided with a car door 111, wherein the car door 111 includes a sliding door that can move between a closed position and an open position. The car door 111 can remain locked when the elevator car 110 moves, unlock when the elevator car 110 enters a landing area located at and near a landing 130, and open when the elevator car 110 stops at the landing 130. Conversely, the elevator car door 111 can be closed before the elevator car 110 leaves the landing 130, and locked when the elevator car 110 leaves the landing area. In addition, the elevator car 110 is provided with a door coupler 112 connected to the car door 111, which is used for temporarily coupling the car door 111 to the landing door 131 of the landing 130 when the elevator car 110 is located in the landing area of ​​the landing 130, so that the landing door moves between a closed position and an open position together with the car door 111, thereby allowing passengers to move between the landing 130 and the elevator car 110 when the elevator car 110 is at the landing 130, and preventing passengers from entering the elevator shaft 120 when the elevator car 110 is not at the landing 130.

[0020] The door coupler 112 may include a coupling element that engages a corresponding counter element in the landing door 131 when the elevator car 110 is located within the landing area of ​​the landing 130. In this regard, the coupling element in the door coupler 112 and the counter element in the landing door 131 are positioned relative to each other so that the coupling element passes between the coupling elements when the elevator car 110 moves past the landing door 131. When the elevator car 110 is at the landing 130 and the car door 111 moves so as to open the car door 111, the door coupler 112 in the elevator car 110 engages the counter element in the landing door 131, and thus, when the car door 111 is moved by a door drive system arranged in the elevator car 110, the landing door 131 moves with the car door 111.

[0021] As an example, the coupling element may comprise sheet metal blades protruding from the door coupler 112 towards the landing door 131, wherein the blades are arranged so that they form a vertical "slot" with their open ends facing the landing door 131, while the counter element may comprise one or more rollers mounted on the landing door 131 at a position protruding from the landing door 131 towards the elevator shaft 120, the axis of the one or more rollers being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the landing door 131. The door coupler 112 and / or the car door 111 may also be provided with a locking device, which closes or locks the car door 111 in such a way that the car door 111 cannot be opened without special measures when the elevator car 111 is outside the landing area. In other words, the locking device is able to open the car door 111 (without special measures) only when the elevator car 110 is in the landing area and therefore the car door 111 is aligned substantially vertically with the landing door 131. The locking device may comprise a mechanical or electromechanical locking device.

[0022] Figure 2 A block diagram of some logical elements of an elevator control system 200 according to one example is shown. The elevator control system 200 can be used to control various aspects related to the movement and operation of the elevator car 110. In the example, the elevator control system 200 is shown as having an elevator controller 210 for controlling at least some aspects of the movement of the elevator car 110 in the elevator shaft 120, a door drive system 230 for driving the car door 111 of the elevator car 110 to move between a closed position and an open position; and a door controller 220 for operating the door drive system 230 and for monitoring at least one aspect of the operation of the door drive system 230.

[0023] Similarly, the elevator controller 210 may be arranged to control at least some aspects of the movement of the elevator car 110 in the elevator shaft 120. The elevator controller therein may include, for example, controlling the speed of the elevator car 110 by controlling one or more motors arranged to drive the elevator car 110 and a braking system arranged to adjust the speed of the elevator car 110. In the context of the present disclosure, the aspect of interest is the operation of the door controller 220, and therefore, any aspects related to the general operation of the elevator controller 210 in controlling the movement of the elevator car 110 may be provided using techniques known in the art. Therefore, any further details related to the operation of the elevator controller 210 and / or the movement of the elevator car 110 along the elevator shaft 120 are described herein only to the extent that they are necessary to describe examples related to the operation of the door controller 220.

[0024] The elevator controller 210 is typically mounted external to the elevator car 110, such as in or near an appropriate location in the elevator shaft 120, and it may include or may be provided using one or more computing devices, the one or more computing devices including corresponding one or more processors arranged to execute one or more computer programs to provide at least some aspects of the operation of the elevator controller 210. Thus, the elevator controller 210 may be provided as an elevator control device (e.g., using a single computer device) or an elevator control system (e.g., using one or more computer devices). The elevator controller 210 is communicatively coupled to the door controller 220, wherein the communicative coupling between the elevator controller 210 and the door controller 220 may be provided using a wired communication network or communication link, using a wireless communication network or communication link, or using a combination of a wireless communication network or communication link and a wireless communication network or communication link.

[0025] The elevator controller 210 may also be communicatively coupled to one or more additional elevator controllers and / or elevator group controllers, wherein one or more additional elevator controllers are arranged to control at least some aspects of the movement of corresponding elevator cars in other elevator shafts, and the elevator group controller is arranged to control at least some aspects related to the movement of multiple elevator cars in multiple elevator shafts.

[0026] Similarly, the door drive system 230 can be arranged to drive the car door 111 to move between the closed position and the open position. In this regard, the door drive system 230 can operate under the control of the door controller 220, for example according to one or more door control signals received from the door controller 220. The door drive system 230 may include a motor and a motor controller, the motor controller being arranged to control the operation of the motor, the motor being coupled to the car door 111 via a transmission system so that the operation of the motor causes the linear movement of the elevator car door 111 in a direction substantially parallel to the opening in the wall of the elevator shaft 120 at the landing 130, thereby enabling the car door 111 to move between the closed and open positions. The transmission system can be arranged to convert the rotational movement provided by the motor into the linear movement of the car door 111. The characteristics of the transmission system can be selected according to the requirements of the specific implementation of the elevator car 110, the car door 111 and / or the door drive system 230, and the transmission system can include, for example, one or more of the following: a belt drive, a chain drive, a gear train, etc.

[0027] Similarly, the door controller 220 may be configured to control the operation of the door drive system 230, thereby enabling control of movement of the car door 111 between the closed and open positions. The door controller 220 may also be configured to monitor at least one aspect of the operation of the door drive system 230. The door controller 220 is typically mounted in the elevator car 110, such as at a suitable location inside the elevator car 110 (e.g., in a ceiling structure of the elevator car 110) or outside the elevator car 110 (e.g., on top of the elevator car 110).

[0028] The door controller 220 may include or may be provided using a computing device including one or more processors arranged to execute one or more computer programs to provide at least some aspects of the operation of the door controller 220. Thus, the door controller 220 may be provided as a door controller device. Along the aforementioned lines, the door controller 220 is communicatively coupled to the elevator controller 210, and the door controller 220 is further communicatively coupled to the door drive system 230, wherein the communicative coupling between the door controller 220 and the door drive system 230 may be provided using a wired or wireless communication network and / or a communication link.

[0029] Aspects of the door controller 220 that control movement of the car door 111 between the closed position and the open position may include at least the following operations with respect to moving the elevator car door 111:

[0030] Moving the car door 111 in a first direction,

[0031] The car door 111 is moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0032] Each of these operations can be achieved by the door controller 220 sending a corresponding control signal to the door drive system 230. The door controller 220 can also set and / or adjust the moving speed of the car door 111, for example, by applying a corresponding control signal.

[0033] Aspects of the door controller 220 that monitor at least one aspect of the operation of the door drive system 230 may include monitoring one or more parameters describing the power consumption of the motor of the door drive system 230. As an example of this, the door controller 220 can directly monitor or measure the power consumption of the motor of the door drive system 230, while in another example, the door controller 220 can monitor one or more parameters that indirectly describe the power consumption of the motor of the door drive system 230. As an example of the latter, the door controller 220 can be arranged to monitor one or more characteristics of the current and / or voltage provided to the motor of the door drive system 230, such as the amplitude and / or phase of the current provided to the motor. The monitoring of the current and / or voltage may include obtaining a corresponding indication of the characteristics of the current and / or voltage provided to the motor from the motor controller, or using a corresponding measurement device for obtaining a corresponding indication of the characteristics of the current and / or voltage provided to the motor.

[0034] The door controller 220 is also capable of monitoring the position of components of the drive system of the door drive system 230, the position being at least indirectly indicative of the (relative) position of the car door 111. As an example in this regard, where the drive system of the door drive system 230 includes a belt drive assembly, the metrics of interest may include the position of (a predetermined reference point in) a drive belt of the belt drive assembly and / or the distance traveled by the drive belt between the closed and open positions of the car door 111.

[0035] Aspects of the door controller 220 that can monitor at least one aspect of the operation of the door drive system 230 can include the door controller 220 reading or receiving one or more parameters describing the power consumption of the motor of the door drive system 230, possibly along with the position of components of the drive system of the door drive system 230, according to a predetermined schedule, such as at predetermined time intervals. As an example in this regard, the predetermined time interval can be selected from a range of 10 to 100 milliseconds, such as 50 milliseconds.

[0036] When manufactured and installed to the elevator car 110, the door controller 220 may lack knowledge about the type of car door 111, the size (e.g., width) of the car door 111, and / or any position reference about the car door 111, and therefore, the door controller 220 may initially lack the knowledge required to detect the current position of the car door 111. In particular, the door controller 220 may initially lack knowledge about which of the end positions of the range of movement of the car door 111 represents a closed position and which represents an open position. An advantage resulting from this manner of providing the door controller 220 is that the same or similar door controller 220 is applicable to any car door 111 regardless of the design of the car door 111 and its arrangement relative to the elevator car 110, while on the other hand, this approach requires configuration of the door controller 220 when the elevator car 110 is configured or reconfigured for use in order for the door controller 220 to operate correctly.

[0037] In this regard, the elevator door controller 220 may be arranged to perform a configuration process to derive position reference data, which may subsequently be applied to control door movement during operation of the elevator system 100. The position reference obtained via the configuration process may include an indication of which of the end positions of the range of movement of the car door 111 represents a closed position and which represents an open position. The position reference data may also include a first reference position for a component of the transmission system of the elevator door drive system 230 and a second reference position for a component of the transmission system of the elevator door drive system 230, wherein one of the first and second reference positions may represent a closed position of the car door 111 (e.g., a closed end), and the other of the first and second reference positions may represent an open position of the car door 111 (e.g., an open end). Alternatively or additionally, the position reference data may include a reference position and a reference distance of a component of the transmission system of the elevator door drive system 230, wherein the reference position may represent one of the closed and open positions of the car door 111, and the reference distance may represent a position deviation of the component of the transmission system of the elevator door drive system 230 between the closed and open positions of the car door 111.

[0038] The derivation of position reference data according to the techniques described in this disclosure provides a reliable and repeatable way to configure, reconfigure, and monitor the operation of the car doors 111 without requiring the application of any physical components dedicated to the configuration process.

[0039] Due to the change in the load of the motor in the process of moving the car door from the first end position of its movement range to the second end position, the power consumption of the motor of the door drive system 230 varies with the position of the car door 111, wherein one of the first end position and the second end position represents the closed position of the car door 111, and the other of the first end position and the second end position represents the open position of the car door 111. In particular, the load of the motor is temporarily increased due to the additional load caused by the operation of the door coupler 112 (for example, due to the coupling element of the door coupler 112 in the car door 111 engaging the counter element of the landing door 131), and when the car door 111 moves to the end position of the movement range where it cannot move further, the load of the motor increases significantly. Hereinafter, the curve describing the power consumption of the motor of the door drive system 230 according to the position of the car door when the car door 111 moves from one of the first end position and the second end position to the other is referred to as a power consumption curve.

[0040] The configuration process may be based on recording a corresponding power consumption curve when the car door 111 moves between the end positions of its movement in both directions. In particular, the configuration process may rely on comparing one or more characteristics of the recorded power consumption curve with corresponding characteristics of one or more reference power consumption curves. The reference power consumption curve may reflect one or more characteristics of the arrangement between the door drive system 230, the car door 111, the landing door 131 and the door coupler 112. As a non-limiting example in this regard, Figure 3A A first reference power consumption curve is schematically shown, which represents the power consumption of the motor as a function of the door position when the car door 111 moves from the closed position to the open position, and Figure 3B A second reference power consumption curve is schematically shown, which represents the power consumption of the motor according to the door position when the car door 111 moves from the open position to the closed position.

[0041] In the first reference power consumption curve, when the car door 111 starts to move, the power consumption of the motor initially rises to and remains at the intermediate power consumption level P due to the additional load caused by the operation of the door coupler 112. c (exist Figure 3A and 3B After the door coupler travel, the force required to move the car door 111 decreases, and thus, the power consumption of the motor decreases to and remains at the baseline (or nominal) power consumption level P n , until the car door 111 has moved to the fully open position, which causes a sharp increase in the power consumption of the motor (e.g., a power consumption peak) because the car door 111 has reached the end position of its movement stroke.

[0042] In the second reference power consumption curve, when the car door 111 starts to move, the power consumption of the motor is initially maintained at the baseline power consumption level P n , until the car door 111 has moved into the door coupler range. Upon entering the door coupler range, the load generated by the operation of the door coupler 112 causes the power consumption of the motor to rise to and remain at the intermediate power consumption level P c , until the car door 111 has moved to the fully closed position, which results in a sharp increase in the power consumption of the motor (e.g., a power consumption peak) because the car door 111 has reached the end position of its range of movement. In the second reference power consumption curve, entering the "door coupler range" may also result in a smaller peak in the power consumption of the motor, such as Figure 3B as shown in the diagram.

[0043] Another aspect that may have an impact on the power consumption of the motor when moving the car door 111 may be caused by the closing weight, which may be coupled to the car door 111 and arranged such that it ensures that the car door 111 is closed in the event of a power loss (and thus the door drive system 230 cannot drive the movement of the car door 111): the closing weight may result in a smaller increase in the motor load when opening the door than when closing the door. This may allow the baseline power consumption level P in the power consumption curve for the movement of the car door 111 from the closed position to the open position to be n Slightly higher than the baseline power consumption level P in the corresponding power consumption curve for movement of the car door 111 from the open position to the closed position n .

[0044] The configuration process may include: recording a first power consumption curve, the first power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor of the door drive system 230 as a function of the position of the car door 111 when the car door 111 moves from the first end position to the second end position; and recording a second power consumption curve, the second power consumption curve describing the power consumed by the motor of the door drive system 230 as a function of the position of the car door when the car door 111 moves from the second end position to the first end position. In this regard, the configuration process may include operating the door drive system 230 to move the car door 111 from the first end position to the second end position and to move the car door 111 from the second end position to the first end position, while measuring one or more parameters describing the power consumption of the motor so as to record the first and second power consumption curves, respectively. In this regard, movement towards the first or second direction may continue until the power consumption of the motor exceeds a predetermined peak power threshold Φ (see also in this regard Figure 3A and 3B ), which can be considered as an indication that the car door 111 has reached the corresponding end position of its movement range.

[0045] The configuration process may also include tracking or monitoring the position of a component of the transmission system of the door drive system 230, the component at least indirectly indicating the (relative) position of the car door 111, while moving the car door 111 from a first end position to a second end position and / or vice versa. Thus, the configuration process may include recording a first reference position as the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door 111 is at the first end position of its range of movement, and / or recording a second reference position as the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door 111 is at the second end position of its range of movement. Alternatively or additionally, the configuration process may also include recording a reference distance between corresponding positions of the component of the transmission system between the first end position and the second end position of the range of movement of the car door 111.

[0046] Similarly, in one example, the power consumption of the motor can be represented by one or more characteristics of the current and / or voltage provided to the motor of the door drive system 230, such as by the magnitude of the current provided to the motor. In such an example, the first and second power consumption curves can include corresponding current curves that describe the magnitude of the current provided to the motor of the door drive system 230 according to the position of the car door between the first end position and the second end position of its range of movement. Similarly, in one example, the drive system can include a belt drive device, and the first and second reference positions can include corresponding positions of (predetermined reference points in) a drive belt of the belt drive assembly and / or the reference distance can include the distance traveled by the drive belt between the closed and open positions of the car door 111.

[0047] As above, the elevator door controller 220 may not know which of the first end position and the second end position represents the closed position of the car door 111 and which represents the open position of the car door 111. In this regard, the configuration process may include designating one of the first end position and the second end position as the door-closed position and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as the door-open position based on the recorded first and second power consumption curves.

[0048] Taking into account one or more characteristics of a reference power consumption curve representing the power consumption of the motor as a function of the door position, for example according to Figure 3A and 3BOne or more characteristics of the reference power consumption curve of the example shown, the designation can be dependent on one or more characteristics of the first and second recorded power consumption curves. In this regard, the designation can consider the first and second power consumption curves as a whole, or can consider specific portions of the first and second power consumption curves. In this regard, the designation can include identifying a corresponding gate coupler range in each of the first and second power consumption curves, and performing the designation based on one or more characteristics of the corresponding gate coupler range identified in the first and second power consumption curves. In this regard, the gate coupler range can be identified as a sub-portion of the power consumption curve that exhibits a continuous time period of increased power consumption and satisfies one or more predefined gate coupler range criteria (e.g., one or more of the following):

[0049] The power consumption is at least higher than the baseline power consumption level but lower than the predetermined peak power threshold P hi A first predetermined margin;

[0050] The sub-portion covers at least a predetermined travel distance of the car door 111 .

[0051] Considering the entirety or at least a major portion of the first and second recorded power consumption curves, non-limiting examples of one or more characteristics of the respective gate coupler ranges in the first and second recorded power consumption curves used in the names include the following:

[0052] In response to the identified respective door coupler ranges occurring at the beginning of the recorded first power consumption curve and at the end of the recorded second power consumption curve, the first end position is designated as a door closed position and the second end position is designated as an door open position.

[0053] In response to the identified respective door coupler range occurring at the beginning of the recorded second power consumption curve and at the end of the recorded first power consumption curve, the second end position is designated as the door closed position and the first end position is designated as the door open position.

[0054] In further examples, additionally or alternatively, the designation may consider a certain sub-portion of the first and second power consumption curves, such as a corresponding gate coupler range identified in the first and second power consumption curves. Non-limiting examples in this regard include the following:

[0055] In response to the door coupler range identified in the recorded second power consumption curve terminating at a power consumption peak and the door coupler range identified in the recorded first power consumption curve not terminating at the power consumption peak, the first end position is designated as a closed end position and the second end position is designated as an open end position.

[0056] In response to the door coupler range identified in the recorded first power consumption curve terminating at a power consumption peak, and the door coupler range identified in the recorded second power consumption curve not terminating at the power consumption peak, the second end position is designated as the closed end position, and the first end position is designated as the open end position.

[0057] In this regard, the presence of a power consumption peak may be identified by using one or more predefined peak criteria, such as one or more of the following:

[0058] the power consumption is at least a second predetermined margin above the baseline, wherein the second predetermined margin is greater than the first predetermined margin;

[0059] The power consumption exceeds the predetermined peak power threshold P hi .

[0060] Thus, designating one of the first end position and the second end position as the door closed position and the other as the door open position provides the door controller 220 with knowledge of which of the first end position and the second end position of the range of motion of the car door 111 represents the closed position and which represents the open position. The information may be stored in a memory available in or accessible by the door controller 220 for subsequent use during operation of the elevator system 100. In addition, the door controller 220 may also send a confirmation to the elevator controller 210 regarding the successful completion of the designation.

[0061] As previously described, the configuration process may include tracking or monitoring the position of a component of the transmission system of the door drive system 230, and recording a first reference position as the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door 111 is at a first end position of its range of movement, and / or recording a second reference position as the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door 111 is at a second end position of its range of movement, and may also include a reference distance between the first and second reference positions.

[0062] The door controller 220 may further associate the first and / or second reference positions to the closed position of the car door 111 or the open position of the car door 111 by designating one of the first end position and the second end position of the car door 111 as the closed position and the other as the open position. In the case where the first end position of the car door 111 has been found to represent the closed position of the car door 111 (and, conversely, the second end position has been found to represent the open position of the car door 111), the first reference position represents the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door 111 is closed, and the second reference position represents the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door 111 is open, and in the case where the second end position of the car door 111 has been found to represent the closed position of the car door 111 (and, conversely, the first end position has been found to represent the open position of the car door 111), the second reference position represents the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door 111 is closed, and the first reference position represents the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door 111 is open.

[0063] Thus, the door controller 220 can operate the elevator door 111 based on the first and / or second reference position, possibly taking into account a reference distance between the first and second reference positions, for example so that one of the first and second reference positions is used as an indication of the closed position of the elevator door 111 position, and the other is used as an indication of the open position of the elevator door 111.

[0064] The door controller 220 may be arranged to initiate the configuration process in response to a command received from the elevator controller 210, in response to a command from an external (computing) device coupled to the elevator controller 210, or in response to a command received through a user interface provided in the elevator car 110. Regardless of the manner in which the configuration process is initiated, the functionality is accessible only by maintenance personnel.

[0065] Once started, the door controller 220 may be configured to perform a predetermined number of configuration procedures to ensure that the first and second end positions of the range of motion of the car door 111 are correctly designated as the door closing position and the door opening position, and possibly to ensure that the first and second reference positions are correctly set for the components of the drive system of the door drive system 230. In particular, successful completion of the configuration procedure may require that the aforementioned configuration procedure be performed a predetermined number of times in response to commands received from the elevator controller 210 with the same results regarding the designation of the first and second end positions of the range of motion of the car door 111 as the door closing position and the door opening position, and, if applicable, with substantially the same results regarding the first and second reference positions.

[0066] In the above, the description refers to the car door 111 in the singular. However, the description is easily generalized to control the operation of at least one car door 111 of the elevator car 110, and therefore, the technology described in the present disclosure is equally applicable to, for example, a single car door 111 that opens to the left, a single car door 111 that opens to the right, and a double door 111 including corresponding door leaves that open to the left and to the right. In the latter example, the same motor and transmission system of the door drive system 230 can be used to drive the movement of the two door leaves. In the case where the elevator car 110 includes two or more independent car doors driven by corresponding separate door drive systems 230, such as corresponding car doors 111 in both ends of the elevator car 110, the door controller 220 can perform the above configuration process separately for each car door 111.

[0067] Standards related to the safety of elevator transportation require that the elevator car 110 is not allowed to travel unless the car door 111 is fully closed. As an example, the closed state of the car door 111 can be provided by using a safety switch arranged in the car door 111, which closes the safety chain when the car door 111 is fully closed and thus sends a monitoring signal, which can be transmitted to the elevator controller 210 as a main car door closing signal to provide an indication that the car door 111 is properly closed.

[0068] In some cases, such as maintenance operations performed on the elevator system 100, it may be necessary to bypass the safety switch and thus disconnect the safety chain. In this case, it may still be necessary to move the elevator car 110 up or down, and safety regulations still prohibit the elevator controller 220 from moving the elevator car 110 without an indication that the car door 111 is fully closed. For this case, the elevator controller 210 can allow the elevator car 110 to move in response to receiving an auxiliary car door closing signal from the door controller 220, and the auxiliary car door closing signal is derived using a mechanism that is substantially independent of the mechanism applied in the derivation of the main car door closing signal. As an example in this regard, the door controller 220 can substantially continuously record the power consumption curve generated by the movement of the car door 111, and treat the power consumption curve ending with a door coupler range and / or the door coupler range within the power consumption curve ending with a power consumption peak as an event that can trigger the transmission of the auxiliary car door closing signal to the elevator controller 210. As another example, the door controller 220 may alternatively or additionally treat a component of the drive system reaching one of the first and second reference positions associated with the closed door position as an event that may trigger transmission of a secondary car door closing signal to the elevator controller 210 .

[0069] The operations of the door controller 220 involved in performing the configuration process may be described as steps of a method. As an example of this, Figure 4A flow chart showing a method 300 is depicted, which may be implemented by the door controller 220, by a (computing) device coupled to the door controller 220, or by another entity of the elevator control system 200. The method 300 begins by monitoring one or more parameters describing power consumption of a motor of the door drive system 230 when the door 110 moves, as shown in block 302. The method 300 also includes recording a first power consumption curve describing power consumption of the motor as a function of the car door position when the car door 111 moves from the first end position to the second end position, as shown in block 304, and recording a second power consumption curve describing power consumption of the motor as a function of the car door position when the car door 111 moves from the second end position to the first end position, as shown in block 306. The method 300 also includes designating one of the first end position and the second end position as a door closed position, and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as a door open position, based on one or more characteristics of the first and second power consumption curves, as shown in block 308. The method 300 may also include operating the car door 111 according to the designation after completing the configuration process, as shown in block 310. The various operations described with reference to blocks 302 to 310 of the method 300 may be implemented, modified and / or supplemented in a variety of ways, such as described with reference to the door controller 220, other elements of the elevator control system 200 and / or another element of the elevator system 100.

[0070] Similarly, the door controller 220 may include or may be provided using one or more computing devices including respective one or more processors arranged to execute one or more computer programs to provide at least some aspects of the operation of the door controller 220. As an example in this regard, the operation of the door controller 220 may be provided by a door controller apparatus or by an apparatus arranged to operate as the door controller 220. Figure 5 Some components of an apparatus 400 that may be used to implement such an apparatus are schematically shown.

[0071] Device 400 includes processor 410 and memory 420. Memory 420 can store data and computer program code 425. Device 400 can also include communication device 430 for wired or wireless communication with other devices and / or user I / O (input / output) component 440, and user I / O component 440 can be arranged together with processor 410 and a part of computer program code 425 to provide a user interface for receiving input from a user and / or providing output to a user. Specifically, user I / O component may include user input device, such as one or more keys or buttons, keyboard, touch screen or touch pad, etc. User I / O component may include output device, such as display or touch screen. Components of device 400 are coupled to each other via bus 450, which enables data and control information to be transmitted between components.

[0072] The memory 420 and a portion of the computer program code 425 stored therein may also be arranged with the processor 410 to cause the apparatus 400 to perform at least some aspects of the operation of the aforementioned door controller 220. The processor 410 is configured to read from and write to the memory 420. Although the processor 410 is depicted as a respective single component, it may be implemented as respective one or more separate processing components. Similarly, although the memory 420 is depicted as a respective single component, it may be implemented as respective one or more separate components, some or all of which may be integrated / removable and / or may provide permanent / semi-permanent / dynamic / cached storage.

[0073] The computer program code 425 may include computer executable instructions that, when loaded into the processor 410, implement at least some aspects of the operation of the door controller 220 described above. As an example, the computer program code 425 may include a computer program consisting of one or more sequences of one or more instructions. The processor 410 is capable of loading and executing the computer program by reading one or more sequences of one or more instructions included therein from the memory 420. The one or more sequences of one or more instructions may be configured to, when executed by the processor 410, cause the device 400 to perform at least some aspects of the operation of the door controller 220 described above. Therefore, the device 400 may include at least one processor 410 and at least one memory 420, the memory 420 including the computer program code 425 for one or more programs, the at least one memory 420 and the computer program code 425 being configured to, together with the at least one processor 410, cause the device 400 to perform at least some aspects of the operation of the door controller 220 described above.

[0074] The computer program code 425 may be provided as, for example, a computer program product including at least one computer-readable non-transitory medium having the computer program code 425 stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor 410, causes the apparatus 400 to perform at least some aspects of the operation of the door controller 220 described above. The computer-readable non-transitory medium may include a storage device or recording medium, such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc, or another article of manufacture that tangibly embodies the computer program. As another example, the computer program may be provided as a signal configured to reliably transmit the computer program.

[0075] References to processors here should not be understood as including only programmable processors, but also special purpose circuits such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific circuits (ASICs), signal processors, etc. Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than those explicitly described.

Claims

1. A device (220) for controlling the operation of a car door (111) by operating a door drive system (230), the car door being arranged in an elevator car (110), the door drive system (230) being arranged to drive the car door (111) to move between a first end position and a second end position in a range of movement of the car door, wherein the door drive system (230) comprises an electric motor coupled to the car door (111) via a transmission system, and wherein the elevator car (110) comprises a door coupler (112) connected to the car door (111), the door coupler (112) being used to temporarily couple the car door (111) to the landing door (131) when the elevator car (110) resides in a landing area of ​​a landing (130), so that the landing door (131) moves together with the car door (111) between a closed position and an open position, The device (220) is arranged to control the movement of the car door (111), monitor one or more parameters describing the power consumption of the motor when the car door (111) moves, and perform a configuration process, the configuration process comprising: recording a first power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor according to the position of the car door (111) when the car door (111) moves from the first end position to the second end position, recording a second power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor as a function of the position of the car door (111) when the car door (111) moves from the second end position to the first end position, and Based on one or more characteristics of the first power consumption curve and the second power consumption curve, one of the first end position and the second end position is designated as a door closing position, and the other of the first end position and the second end position is designated as a door opening position.

2. The device (220) according to claim 1 is further arranged to operate the car door (111) according to the designation after completing the configuration process.

3. The apparatus (220) of claim 1, wherein performing the configuration process comprises: The device (220) controls the door drive system (230) to move the car door (111) from the first end position to the second end position to capture the first power consumption curve; and The device (220) controls the door drive system (230) to move the car door (111) from the second end position to the first end position to capture the second power consumption curve.

4. The apparatus (220) of claim 3, wherein performing the configuration process comprises: The device (220) controls the door drive system (230) to move the car door (111) from the first end position toward the second end position until the power consumption of the motor exceeds a predetermined peak power threshold; and The device (220) controls the door drive system (230) to move the car door (111) from the second end position toward the first end position until the power consumption of the motor exceeds the predetermined peak power threshold.

5. The device (220) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein designating one of the first end position and the second end position as the door-closing position, and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as the door-opening position comprises: identifying, in each of the first and second recorded power consumption curves, a respective gate coupler range as a sub-portion of a continuous time period of the respective recorded power consumption curve that exhibits increased power consumption; as well as Based on one or more characteristics of the corresponding door coupler range identified in the recorded first power consumption curve and the second power consumption curve, one of the first end position and the second end position is designated as a door closing position, and the other of the first end position and the second end position is designated as a door opening position.

6. The apparatus (220) of claim 5, wherein identifying the gate coupler range in a power consumption curve comprises: Identifying sub-portions of the corresponding power consumption curve that exhibit consecutive time periods of increased power consumption that meet one or more of the following door coupler range criteria: The power consumption is higher than a baseline power consumption indicated in a corresponding power consumption curve by at least a first predetermined margin, but the power consumption does not exceed a predetermined peak power threshold; The subsection covers at least a predetermined travel distance of the car door (111).

7. The device (220) according to claim 5, wherein designating one of the first end position and the second end position as the door-closed position and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as the door-open position comprises: in response to the identified respective door coupler range occurring at the beginning of the first recorded power consumption curve and at the end of the second recorded power consumption curve, designating the first end position as the door closed position and the second end position as the door open position, In response to the identified corresponding door coupler range occurring at the beginning of the second recorded power consumption curve and the end of the first recorded power consumption curve, the second end position is designated as the door closed position and the first end position is designated as the door open position.

8. The device (220) according to claim 5, wherein designating one of the first end position and the second end position as the door-closed position and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as the door-open position comprises: in response to the door coupler range identified in the recorded second power consumption curve terminating in a power consumption peak and the door coupler range identified in the recorded first power consumption curve not terminating in a power consumption peak, designating the first end position as a closed end position and designating the second end position as an open end position, In response to the door coupler range identified in the recorded first power consumption curve terminating at a power consumption peak, and the door coupler range identified in the recorded second power consumption curve not terminating at the power consumption peak, the second end position is designated as the closed end position, and the first end position is designated as the open end position.

9. The device (220) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the one or more parameters describing the power consumption of the electric motor include one or more characteristics of the current and / or voltage supplied to the electric motor.

10. The device (220) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the one or more parameters describing the power consumption of the electric motor include the magnitude of the electric current supplied to the electric motor.

11. The apparatus (220) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further arranged to track a position of a predetermined component of the transmission system, and wherein the configuration process further comprises: Recording a first reference position as the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door (111) is in a first end position, and / or recording a second reference position as the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door (111) is in a second end position; as well as Based on the designation of the first end position and the second end position of the car door (111), one of the first reference position and the second reference position is associated with the door closing position, and the other of the first reference position and the second reference position is associated with the door opening position.

12. The apparatus (220) of claim 11, wherein associating one of the first reference position and the second reference position with the door-closed position, and associating the other of the first reference position and the second reference position with the door-open position comprises: in response to designating the first end position as the door-closed position, associating the first reference position with the door-closed position and associating the second reference position with the door-open position, In response to designating the second end position as the door-closed position, the second reference position is associated with the door-closed position and the first reference position is associated with the door-open position.

13. The device (220) according to claim 11 is also arranged to control the door drive system (230) so as to move the car door (111) to the closed door position and the open door position according to the first reference position and the second reference position after completing the configuration process.

14. The apparatus (220) of claim 11, wherein the predetermined component of the drive system comprises a drive belt of a belt drive assembly.

15. The device (220) according to claim 11, further arranged to In response to the car door (111) being positioned at one of the first reference position and the second reference position associated with the door closing position, a second door closing signal is issued.

16. The device (220) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further arranged to: recording a further power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor as a function of the position of the car door (111) when the car door (111) moves from the first end position to the second end position; In the further power consumption curve, identifying the respective door coupler range as a sub-portion of a continuous time period during which the recorded respective power consumption curve exhibits increased power consumption; and The second door closing signal is issued in response to one of the following: The gate coupler range occurs at the end of the further power consumption curve, The gate coupler range in the further power consumption curve ends at a power consumption peak.

17. An elevator car (110), comprising: a car door (111) arranged in the elevator car (110); a door drive system (230) for driving the car door (111) to move between a first end position and a second end position of the car door movement range, wherein the door drive system (230) comprises an electric motor coupled to the car door (111) via a transmission system; a door coupler (112) connected to the car door (111) for temporarily coupling the car door (111) to the landing door (131) when the elevator car (110) resides in a landing area of ​​a landing (130) so that the landing door (131) moves with the car door (111) between a closed position and an open position; as well as A device (220) for controlling the operation of a car door (111) by operating a door drive system (230) according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. A method (300) for controlling the operation of a car door (111) arranged in an elevator car (110) by operating a door drive system (230), the door drive system (230) being arranged to drive the car door (111) to move between a first end position and a second end position of a range of movement of the car door, wherein the door drive system (230) comprises an electric motor coupled to the car door (111) via a transmission system, and wherein the elevator car (110) comprises a door coupler (112) connected to the car door (111), the door coupler (112) being used to temporarily couple the car door (111) to the landing door (131) when the elevator car (110) resides in a landing area of ​​a landing (130), so that the landing door (131) moves together with the car door (111) between a closed position and an open position, the method (300) comprising: monitoring (302) one or more parameters describing power consumption of the motor when the car door (111) moves; recording a first power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor as a function of the position of the car door (111) when the car door (111) moves from the first end position to the second end position, recording a second power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor as a function of the position of the car door (111) when the car door (111) moves from the second end position to the first end position, and Based on one or more characteristics of the first power consumption curve and the second power consumption curve, one of the first end position and the second end position is designated as a door closing position, and the other of the first end position and the second end position is designated as a door opening position.

19. The method (300) according to claim 18 further includes operating the car door (111) after designating one of the first end position and the second end position as the door closing position and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as the door opening position.

20. The method (300) of claim 18, further comprising: controlling the door drive system (230) to move the car door (111) from the first end position to the second end position to capture the first power consumption curve; as well as The door drive system (230) is controlled to move the car door (111) from the second end position to the first end position to capture the second power consumption curve.

21. The method (300) of claim 20, further comprising: controlling the door drive system (230) to move the car door (111) from the first end position toward the second end position until the power consumption of the motor exceeds a predetermined peak power threshold; as well as The door drive system (230) is controlled to move the car door (111) from the second end position toward the first end position until the power consumption of the motor exceeds the predetermined peak power threshold.

22. The method (300) according to any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein designating one of the first end position and the second end position as the door-closed position and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as the door-open position comprises: in each of the first and second recorded power consumption curves, identifying a corresponding gate coupler range as a sub-portion of a continuous time period of the corresponding recorded power consumption curve that exhibits increased power consumption; as well as Based on one or more characteristics of the corresponding door coupler range identified in the recorded first power consumption curve and the second power consumption curve, one of the first end position and the second end position is designated as a door closing position, and the other of the first end position and the second end position is designated as a door opening position.

23. The method (300) of claim 22, wherein identifying a gate coupler range in a power consumption curve comprises: Identifying sub-portions of the corresponding power consumption curve that exhibit consecutive time periods of increased power consumption that meet one or more of the following door coupler range criteria: the power consumption being higher than a baseline power consumption indicated in a corresponding power consumption curve by at least a first predetermined margin, but the power consumption not exceeding a predetermined peak power threshold; The subsection covers at least a predetermined travel distance of the car door (111).

24. The method (300) of claim 22, wherein designating one of the first end position and the second end position as the door-closed position and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as the door-open position comprises: in response to the identified respective door coupler range occurring at the beginning of the first recorded power consumption curve and at the end of the second recorded power consumption curve, designating the first end position as the door closed position and the second end position as the door open position, In response to the identified corresponding door coupler range occurring at the beginning of the second recorded power consumption curve and the end of the first recorded power consumption curve, the second end position is designated as the door closed position and the first end position is designated as the door open position.

25. The method (300) of claim 22, wherein designating one of the first end position and the second end position as the door-closed position and designating the other of the first end position and the second end position as the door-open position comprises: in response to the door coupler range identified in the recorded second power consumption curve terminating in a power consumption peak and the door coupler range identified in the recorded first power consumption curve not terminating in a power consumption peak, designating the first end position as a closed end position and designating the second end position as an open end position, In response to the door coupler range identified in the recorded first power consumption curve terminating at a power consumption peak, and the door coupler range identified in the recorded second power consumption curve not terminating at the power consumption peak, the second end position is designated as the closed end position, and the first end position is designated as the open end position.

26. The method (300) of any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein the one or more parameters describing the power consumption of the electric motor include one or more characteristics of the current and / or voltage supplied to the electric motor.

27. The method (300) of any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein the one or more parameters describing the power consumption of the electric motor include a magnitude of an electric current supplied to the electric motor.

28. The method (300) of any one of claims 18 to 21, further comprising tracking a position of a predetermined component of the transmission system, and wherein the method (300) further comprises: Recording a first reference position as the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door (111) is in a first end position, and / or recording a second reference position as the position of the component of the transmission system when the car door (111) is in a second end position; as well as Based on the designation of the first end position and the second end position of the car door (111), one of the first reference position and the second reference position is associated with the door closing position, and the other of the first reference position and the second reference position is associated with the door opening position.

29. The method (300) of claim 28, wherein associating one of the first reference position and the second reference position with the door-closed position and associating the other of the first reference position and the second reference position with the door-open position comprises: in response to designating the first end position as the door-closed position, associating the first reference position with the door-closed position and associating the second reference position with the door-open position, In response to designating the second end position as the door-closed position, the second reference position is associated with the door-closed position and the first reference position is associated with the door-open position.

30. The method (300) according to claim 28 further includes controlling the door drive system (230) to move the car door (111) to the door closing position and the door opening position according to the first reference position and the second reference position after associating one of the first reference position and the second reference position with the door closing position and associating the other of the first reference position and the second reference position with the door opening position.

31. The method (300) of claim 28, wherein the predetermined component of a drive system comprises a drive belt of a belt drive assembly.

32. The method (300) of claim 28, further comprising In response to the car door (111) being positioned at one of the first reference position and the second reference position associated with the door closing position, a second door closing signal is issued.

33. The method (300) according to any one of claims 18 to 21, further comprising: recording a further power consumption curve describing the power consumption of the motor as a function of the position of the car door (111) when the car door (111) moves from the first end position to the second end position; In the further power consumption curve, identifying the respective door coupler range as a sub-portion of a continuous time period during which the recorded respective power consumption curve exhibits increased power consumption; and The second door closing signal is issued in response to one of the following: The gate coupler range occurs at the end of the further power consumption curve, The gate coupler range in the further power consumption curve ends at a power consumption peak.

34. A computer program product comprising computer readable program code configured to cause the method according to any one of claims 18 to 33 to be performed when the program code is run on one or more computing devices.

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