Elevator system configured for estimating elevator car speed to adjust car top virtual safety net action

Abstract

An elevator system has: a hoistway; a pit; a car; a sensor assembly configured to capture and process images, configured to form a VSN around a first area outside the car; a safety chain configured to: monitor a change in positioning of a stationary object outside the car to determine a measured speed of the car, and upon detecting that the object has passed the VSN, the sensor assembly is configured to: select a first response protocol from a set of response protocols that is mutually associated with a different measured speed of the car; and executing the first response protocol.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments herein relate to elevator safety systems, and more particularly to elevator systems configured to estimate elevator car velocity to adjust the operation of a virtual safety net (VSN) atop the car. Background Art

[0002] Potentially dangerous conditions may exist in the hoistway due to the inability to gain and maintain control of the car or counterweight. Therefore, human sensing devices that initiate the elevator safety chain (e.g., cut drive power and engage the machine brakes) may be installed in the hoistway and on top of the car to make the system foolproof.

[0003] Elevator codes dictate that mechanics should ride on top of a car only when the car is traveling at inspection speed and should stop the car when performing any operation that requires them to lean on the handrail. Mechanics should avoid riding on top of a car when the car is operating in normal mode. A system is desired for preventing mechanics from riding on top of an elevator car while the car is operating in normal mode. Summary of the invention

[0004] Disclosed is an elevator system comprising: a hoistway, an elevator pit and an elevator car; a sensor assembly configured to capture and process images, installed within the elevator system, and configured to form a virtual safety net (VSN) around at least a portion of a first area outside the elevator car; an elevator safety chain configured to: monitor changes in the positioning of a stationary object outside the elevator car to determine a measured speed of the elevator car, and upon detecting that a potentially human object has crossed the VSN, the sensor assembly is configured to: select a first response protocol from a set of response protocols that correlates to a different measured speed of the elevator car; and execute the first response protocol.

[0005] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the system, the sensor assembly is mounted to an elevator car, the elevator car includes a roof, and the first area is the roof of the elevator car.

[0006] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the method, the system includes a railing system located on top of the elevator car, wherein the VSN extends around one side of the railing system and extends vertically a predetermined distance above the railing system.

[0007] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the described systems, sensors are located at corners of the railing system.

[0008] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the described systems, the stationary object is a hoistway wall.

[0009] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the system, the sensor is a motion sensor, a depth sensor, or a range sensor.

[0010] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the system, the sensor is one of a LIDAR, a RADAR, or a camera.

[0011] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the system, the sensor is millimeter wave RADAR.

[0012] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the system, the sensor is an RGBD camera.

[0013] In addition to or in lieu of one or more aspects of the system, the set of response protocols is within a lookup table stored in a non-volatile memory onboard the sensor assembly; and the set of response protocols includes one or more of the following: an emergency stop by initiating an elevator safety chain by the sensor assembly, thereby cutting power to the drive and engaging the machine brake; sounding an audio alarm; and slowing the elevator car.

[0014] Further disclosed is a method of controlling an elevator system, the elevator system including a hoistway, a pit and an elevator car, the method including: monitoring, by a sensor component within the elevator system (which includes a sensor configured to capture and process images), a virtual safety net (VSN) being crossed by a potentially human object, the VSN being formed by a sensor; monitoring, by the sensor component, a change in the positioning of a stationary object outside the elevator car to determine a measured speed of the elevator car; and upon detecting, by the sensor component, that the object has crossed the VSN: selecting, by the sensor component, a first response protocol from a set of response protocols that correlates to a different measured speed of the elevator car; and executing the first response protocol.

[0015] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the method, the sensor assembly is mounted to an elevator car, the elevator car including a roof, and the first area is the roof of the elevator car.

[0016] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the method, the method includes activating a sensor on a railing system located on top of the elevator car, thereby providing a VSN around one side of the railing system, wherein the VSN extends vertically a predetermined distance above the railing system.

[0017] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the method, sensors are located at corners of the railing system.

[0018] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the method, the stationary object is a hoistway wall.

[0019] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the method, the sensor is a motion sensor, a depth sensor, or a range sensor.

[0020] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the method, the sensor is one of a LIDAR, a RADAR, or a camera.

[0021] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the method, the sensor is a millimeter wave RADAR.

[0022] Additionally or alternatively to one or more aspects of the method, the sensor is a RGBD camera.

[0023] In addition to or in lieu of one or more aspects of the method, the set of response protocols is in a lookup table stored in a non-volatile memory onboard the sensor component; and the method includes: selecting, by the sensor component, one or more of the following from the set of response protocols: performing an emergency stop by initiating an elevator safety chain by the sensor component, thereby cutting off power to the elevator drive and engaging a machine brake; sounding an audio alarm; and slowing the elevator car.

[0024] Unless otherwise expressly indicated, the aforementioned features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity. These features and elements and their operation will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the following description and accompanying drawings are intended to be illustrative and explanatory in nature, rather than restrictive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the accompanying figures in which like references indicate similar elements.

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an elevator system in which various embodiments of the present disclosure may be employed;

[0027] Figure 2 Additional aspects of an elevator system configured with a plurality of motion sensors for detecting that an object is on top of an elevator car are shown;

[0028] Figure 3 One of the sensors is shown providing a virtual sensing plane extending to the hoistway wall;

[0029] Figure 4 A diagram showing data representing an object on a hoistway wall from information captured by a sensor and processed by an elevator car controller at a first time;

[0030] Figure 5a graph showing data representing an object on a hoistway wall from information captured by a sensor and processed by an elevator car controller at a second time later than the first time;

[0031] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a process performed by an elevator system for detecting an object on top of an elevator car and responsively controlling the elevator car based on the detected elevator car speed; and

[0032] Figure 7 is a flow chart generally illustrating a process performed by an elevator system for detecting an object on top of an elevator car and responsively controlling the elevator car based on the detected elevator car speed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Figure 1 1 is a perspective view of an elevator system 101, which includes an elevator car 103, a counterweight 105, a tension member 107, a guide rail 109, a machine 111 (alternatively referred to as a drive), a position reference system 113, and a system controller 115, which can be used to control normal elevator car operations and active safety functions. The elevator car 103 and the counterweight 105 are connected to each other through the tension member 107. The tension member 107 can include or be configured as, for example, a rope, a steel cable, and / or a coated steel belt. The counterweight 105 is configured to balance the load of the elevator car 103 and is configured to facilitate movement of the elevator car 103 in an elevator shaft or hoistway 117 and along the guide rail 109 relative to the counterweight 105 simultaneously and in opposite directions.

[0034] The tension member 107 engages a machine 111, which is part of the overhead structure of the elevator system 101. The machine 111 is configured to control the movement between the elevator car 103 and the counterweight 105. A position reference system 113 may be mounted on a fixed portion at the top of the elevator shaft 117, such as on a support or rail, and the position reference system 113 may be configured to provide a position signal related to the position of the elevator car 103 within the elevator shaft 117. In other embodiments, the position reference system 113 may be mounted directly to the moving components of the machine 111, or may be located in other locations and / or configurations as known in the art. The position reference system 113 may be any device or mechanism for monitoring the position of the elevator car and / or counterweight as known in the art. For example, without limitation, the position reference system 113 may be an encoder, a sensor, or other system and may include speed sensing, absolute position sensing, etc., as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0035] As shown, the system controller 115 is located in a controller room 121 of the elevator shaft 117 and is configured to control the operation of the elevator system 101, and in particular the elevator car 103. It is to be appreciated that the controller 115 need not be located in the controller room 121, but may be located in the hoistway or other locations in the elevator system. For example, the system controller 115 may provide drive signals to the machine 111 to control the acceleration, deceleration, leveling, stopping, etc. of the elevator car 103. The system controller 115 may also be configured to receive position signals from the position reference system 113 or any other desired position reference device. When moving up or down along the guide rails 109 in the elevator shaft 117, the elevator car 103 may stop at one or more landings 125 as controlled by the system controller 115. Although shown in the controller room 121, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the system controller 115 may be located and / or configured in other locations or positions within the elevator system 101. In one embodiment, the system controller 115 may be remotely located or located in a distributed computing network (eg, a cloud computing architecture). The system controller 115 may be implemented using a processor-based machine such as a personal computer, a server, a distributed computing network, or the like.

[0036] The machine 111 may include a motor or similar drive mechanism. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the machine 111 is configured to include an electrically driven motor. The power source for the motor may be any power source (including an electrical grid) that is supplied to the motor (in combination with other components). The machine 111 may include a traction sheave that transmits force to the tension member 107 to move the elevator car 103 within the elevator shaft 117.

[0037] The elevator system 101 also includes one or more elevator doors 104. The elevator doors 104 may be attached to the elevator car 103, or the elevator doors 104 may be located on a landing 125 of the elevator system 101, or both. The embodiments disclosed herein may be applicable to elevator doors 104 attached to the elevator car 103, or elevator doors 104 located on a landing 125 of the elevator system 101, or both. The elevator doors 104 open to allow passengers to enter and exit the elevator car 103.

[0038] like Figure 2As shown in FIG. 1 , the elevator car 10 in the hoistway 117 (including the rear wall 117a) has a sensor assembly 150, which may include one or more sensors 140, and may further include a processor 145 or communicate with the processor 145, and the processor 145 may capture and process the image 142. The sensor assembly 150 has a memory and a communication circuit module so that it communicates with the system controller 115, for example, via an intelligent safety control system. The sensor assembly 150 may include a link to a controllable relay that can be turned on to turn on the safety chain. The connection to the safety chain may be made via an electric relay or via a transmitted message sent to the elevator safety system (including the system controller 115) via an intelligent safety control system.

[0039] The car roof 130 may be equipped with a railing system 135 extending between front rail corners 135c1-c2 (eg, above the door 104) and rear corners 135c3-c4 and having four railing sides 135a-135d.

[0040] The car top 130 may be equipped with sensors 140, including a first sensor 140a, which is disposed on the railing system 135 at one or more of the corners 135c1-c4. It is to be appreciated that other mounting configurations in the elevator system are within the scope of the present disclosure. The sensor 140 may be a range sensor or a depth sensor, and may be a motion sensor. The sensor 140 may be a LIDAR, a RADAR such as a millimeter wave RADAR, or a camera such as an RGBD camera.

[0041] In one embodiment, the sensor assembly 150 is configured to sense when an object 155 of interest due to its size and movement indicating that it is potentially a human (i.e., a mechanic) is above the elevator car 103 and extends beyond the elevator car, such as into the hoistway 117, and the elevator safety chain is activated. This results in the drive power from the machine 111 being cut off and the machine brake 160 being engaged. The sensor assembly 150 may alternatively be mounted at other locations on the elevator car, such as the bottom, or at other locations on the elevator system, such as within the hoistway, pit (including pit ladders). Go to Figure 3 , an embodiment provides for monitoring the top of the car (TOC) using a sensor 140a, which may be a LIDAR sensor. The sensor 140a is mounted to one of the front rail corners 135c1. The sensor 140a is configured to project a virtual safety net (VSN) across one rail side 135a perpendicular to the hoistway wall 117a. A two-dimensional (2D) virtual sensing plane or virtual fence portion of 210. VSN 210 extends vertically above the top of the guardrail system 135 car by a predetermined vertical height (or distance) VH (the VH may be one meter) to define a virtual plane fence.

[0042] The sensor assembly 150 senses any part of the mechanic 155, such as an arm, passing over the VSN 210. The elevator safety chain may be activated upon sensing that the mechanic has passed over the VSN 210, for example, by cutting off power to the drive 111 and engaging the machine brake 160. As an example, this set of response protocols may be stored in the sensor assembly 150, in a lookup table, or in a non-transitory memory onboard the sensor assembly 150.

[0043] The sensor assembly 150 can also detect stationary objects outside the railing area, such as the hoistway wall 117a, and generate data points 220 representing a vertical profile of 117a. For example, when the elevator car 103 is moving through the elevator lobby, the sensor assembly 150 can generate data points 220 representing the door sill 205.

[0044] More specifically, if Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , as the car 103 is moving, the sensor assembly 150 periodically generates data points 220 of the hoistway wall 117a that are used to determine the change in position over time relative to the elevator car 103. The change in position over time is used to determine the elevator car speed and direction. For example, Figure 4 The image in represents a data point 220 generated by the sensor assembly 150 at 4.5 seconds from a set point (the set point may be when the elevator car 103 begins to move), and Figure 5 The image in FIG. 4 represents data points 220 generated by sensor assembly 150 at 4.7 seconds (i.e., 200 milliseconds later). Each set of data points 220 captures the position of sill 205 at a particular floor relative to elevator car 103. Figure 5 Compared with the elevator car Figure 4 Therefore, a determination is made regarding the downward movement of elevator car 103. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The magnitude of the change in position during the duration between measurements in indicates the speed at which the elevator car 103 is moving downward. The velocity of the elevator car 103 can be estimated by characterizing the wall features and how they change from scan to scan (which provides a time stamp).

[0045] In addition to the sensed range value, the sensor may also record the reflected intensity of the signal as a function of the scanning angle. This signal may also be used as part of data processing to create a description of the wall at any moment in time. In the case of a flat wall, the intensity can identify wall features, including, for example, texture.

[0046] Depending on the speed and whether the mechanic 155 passes over the VSN 210, the sensor assembly 150 can make a determination as to how to control the elevator car 103. For example, an emergency stop (e-stop) can be executed by the sensor assembly 150 initiating a safety chain, sounding an audio alarm via a speaker 250 on the top 130 of the elevator car 103, or initiating a controlled stop or deceleration of the elevator car 103.

[0047] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a process performed by the elevator system 101 for detecting an object 155 on the top 130 of the elevator car 103 and responsively controlling the elevator car 103 based on the detected speed of the elevator car 103 .

[0048] As shown in block 600, the method includes activating a sensor 140a at a corner 135c1 of a railing system 135 at the top 130 of the elevator car 103. This provides a VSN 210 around one side 135a of the railing system 135. The VSN 210 extends vertically above the railing system 135 a predetermined distance.

[0049] As shown in block 610, the method includes monitoring, by a sensor assembly 150 of an elevator car 103, a VSN 210 being crossed by an object 155. As shown in block 620, the method includes monitoring, by the sensor assembly 150, a change in the position of a stationary object 205 outside the elevator car 103 to determine a measured speed of the elevator car 103. As shown in block 630, the method includes selecting, by the sensor assembly 150, from a set of response protocols a first response protocol correlated to a different measured speed of the elevator car 103, the first response including controlling one or more of the drive 111, the machine brake 160, and the alarm speaker 250 to sound an alarm or provide a visual alert, such as with a light. As shown in block 640, the method includes selecting, by the sensor assembly 150, from a set of response protocols stored in a lookup table on a non-transitory memory onboard the sensor assembly 150. One of the responses may be an emergency stop by initiating an elevator safety chain, thereby cutting power to the elevator drive 111 and engaging the machine brake 160. One of the responses may be to control the speaker 250 to sound an audio alarm. One of the responses may be to slow down the speed of the elevator car 103. As shown in block 650, the method includes executing a first response protocol.

[0050] Figure 7 is a flow chart generally illustrating a process performed by the elevator system 101 for detecting an object 155 on the top 130 of the elevator car 103 and responsively controlling the elevator car 103 based on the detected speed of the elevator car 103 .

[0051] As shown in block 710, the method includes monitoring, by the sensor assembly 150 of the elevator car 103, for a VSN 210 to be crossed by the object 155, the VSN 210 being formed by a sensor 140a mounted to the elevator car 103 around a portion of a first area 127 exterior to the elevator car 103. In one embodiment, the first area 127 is the top 130 of the elevator car 103. The disclosed detection process can be applied to other areas of the elevator system 101, such as a pit area, ladders, etc.

[0052] As shown in block 720, the method includes monitoring, by the sensor assembly 150, a change in the location of the stationary object 205 outside the elevator car 103 to determine a measured speed of the elevator car 103. As shown in block 730, the method includes selecting, by the sensor assembly 150, from a set of response protocols a first response protocol that correlates to a different measured speed of the elevator car 103, the first response including controlling one or more of the drive 111, the machine brake 160, and the alarm speaker 250 to issue an alarm. As shown in block 740, the method includes executing the first response protocol.

[0053] Embodiments provide dual use of a single LIDAR sensor 140a to allow the system to provide a safety net feature and also provide vertical speed sensing capability along at least one fence side 135a of the elevator car 103. These two functions enable the system 101 to select from a range of potential actions, such as e-stop, sounding an audio alarm, or triggering the sensor assembly 150 to initiate a controlled stop or deceleration.

[0054] The sensor data identified herein may be obtained and processed individually or simultaneously and spliced ​​together, or a combination thereof, and the sensor data identified herein may be processed in raw or compiled form. The sensor data may be processed on the sensor (e.g., via edge computing), by a controller identified or implied herein, on a cloud service, or by a combination of one or more of these computing systems. The sensor may transmit data via a wired or wireless transmission line, applying one or more protocols as indicated below.

[0055] Wireless connection can apply the protocol including local area network (LAN or WLAN representing wireless LAN) protocol. LAN protocol includes WiFi technology based on the subsection 802.11 standard from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Other applicable protocols include low power WAN (LPWAN), which is a wireless wide area network (WAN) designed to allow long-range communication at low bit rates, enabling terminal devices to operate for extended periods of time (several years) using battery power. Long-range WAN (LoRaWAN) is a type of LPWAN maintained by the LoRa Alliance, and is a media access control (MAC) layer protocol for transmitting management and application messages between network servers and application servers, respectively. LAN and WAN protocols can generally be considered to be TCP / IP protocols (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) used to manage the connection of computer systems to the Internet. Wireless connection can also apply the protocol including dedicated area network (PAN) protocol. PAN protocol includes, for example, Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE), which is a wireless technology standard designed and marketed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) for exchanging data over short distances using short wavelength radio waves. PAN protocols also include Zigbee (i.e., a technology based on section 802.15.4 from the IEEE), which represents a suite of advanced communication protocols used to create personal area networks with small, low-power digital radio components for low-power, low-bandwidth needs. Such protocols also include Z-Wave, which is a wireless communication protocol supported by the Z-Wave Alliance that applies low-energy radio waves to communicate between devices (such as appliances) (the wireless communication protocol uses a mesh network), thereby allowing wireless control of the devices.

[0056] The wireless connection may also include radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, which is used to communicate with an integrated chip (IC) on, for example, an RFID smart card. Additionally, sub-1 GHz (Sub-1Ghz) RF devices operate in the ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) spectrum band below sub-1Ghz—typically in the 769-935MHz, 315Mhz and 468Mhz frequency ranges. This spectrum band below 1Ghz is particularly useful for RF IOT (Internet of Things) applications. The Internet of Things (IoT) describes a network of physical objects—"things"—that are embedded with sensors, software and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems via the Internet. Other LPWAN-IOT technologies include narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IOT) and category M1 Internet of Things (Cat M1-IOT). Wireless communications for the disclosed system may include cellular communications, such as 2G / 3G / 4G communications (etc.). Other wireless platforms based on RFID technology include Near Field Communication (NFC), which is a set of communication protocols for low-speed communication, such as to exchange data between electronic devices over short distances. NFC standards are defined by the ISO / IEC (defined below), NFC Alliance, and GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications) groups. The above is not intended to limit the scope of applicable wireless technologies.

[0057] Wired connections may include connections (cables / interfaces) under RS ​​(Recommended Standard)-422, also known as TIA / EIA-422, which is a standard developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association. A wired connection may also include a connection (cable / interface) under the Modbus serial communication protocol managed by the Modbus organization. Modbus is a master / slave protocol designed to be used in conjunction with its programmable logic controller (PLC), and it is a commonly available component for connecting industrial electronic devices. Wireless connections may also include connectors (cables / interfaces) under the PROFibus (process fieldbus) standard managed by PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI). PROFibus is a standard for fieldbus communication in automation technology, which is published as part of IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 61158. Wired communication can also be performed over a controller area network (CAN) bus. CAN is a vehicle bus standard that allows microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other in applications without the need for a host computer. CAN is a message-based protocol published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The above is not intended to limit the scope of applicable wired technologies.

[0058] When data is transmitted between final processors over a network as identified herein, the data may be transmitted in raw form, or may be processed in whole or in part at any of the final processors or intermediate processors, such as in a cloud service (e.g., where at least a portion of the transmission path is wireless) or at other processors. The data may be parsed, partially or completely processed or compiled at any of the processors, and then may be spliced ​​together or maintained as separate packets of information. Each processor or controller identified herein may be, but is not limited to, a single processor or multi-processor system of any of a large number of possible architectures, including field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), central processing units (CPUs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or graphics processing units (GPUs) hardware arranged homogeneously or heterogeneously. The memory identified herein may be, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), or other electronic, optical, magnetic, or any other computer-readable medium.

[0059] In addition to the processor and non-transient memory, the controller may further include one or more input and / or output (I / O) device interfaces, which are coupled via an onboard (local) interface in communication to communicate between other devices. The onboard interface may include, for example, but not limited to, an onboard system bus, which includes a control bus (for inter-device communication), an address bus (for physical addressing), and a data bus (for transmitting data). In other words, the system bus may be able to realize electronic communication between the processor, the memory, and the I / O connection. The I / O connection may also include a wired connection and / or a wireless connection identified herein. The onboard interface may have additional elements (omitted for simplicity), such as a controller, a buffer (cache), a driver, a repeater, and a receiver, to enable electronic communication. The memory may execute a program, access data, or a lookup table, or a combination of each, to facilitate its processing, all of which may be stored in advance or received during the execution of its process by other computing devices, such as via cloud services or other network connections with other processors identified herein.

[0060] Embodiments can be in the form of processor-implemented processes and devices (such as processors) for practicing those processes. Embodiments can also be in the form of computer code-based modules (such as computer program products), such as computer program codes, which contain instructions implemented in tangible media (such as non-transitory computer-readable media) such as floppy disks, CD ROMs, hard drives, registers on processors as firmware, or any other non-transitory computer-readable media, wherein when the computer program code is loaded into a computer and executed by the computer, the computer becomes a device for practicing the embodiments. Embodiments can also be in the form of computer program code, such as whether stored in a storage medium, loaded into a computer and / or executed by the computer, or transmitted through a transmission medium (such as through electrical wiring or cabling, through optical fiber, or via electromagnetic radiation), wherein when the computer program code is loaded into a computer and executed by the computer, the computer becomes a device for practicing exemplary embodiments. When implemented on a general-purpose microprocessor, the computer program code segments configure the microprocessor to create a specific logic circuit.

[0061] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that when used in this specification, the terms "include" and / or "comprises" (comprises, comprising) specify the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups of the above items.

[0062] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for its elements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, various modifications may be made to adapt a particular condition or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from its substantial scope. Therefore, it is contemplated that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present disclosure, but rather the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An elevator system, comprising: Hoistways, elevator pits and elevator cars; a sensor assembly configured to capture and process images, mounted within the elevator system, and configured to form a virtual safety net (VSN) around at least a portion of a first area outside the elevator car; Elevator safety chain, configured as: monitoring changes in the positioning of a stationary object external to the elevator car to determine a measured speed of the elevator car, and Upon detecting that a potentially human subject has crossed the VSN, the sensor assembly is configured to: selecting a first response protocol from a set of response protocols that correlates to a different measured speed of the elevator car; as well as The first response protocol is executed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein: The sensor assembly is mounted to an elevator car, the elevator car includes a roof, and the first region is the roof of the elevator car.

3. The system of claim 2, comprising: a railing system located at said top of said elevator car, The VSN extends around a side of the railing system and extends vertically a predetermined distance above the railing system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein: The sensors are located at the corners of the railing system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein: The stationary object is a shaft wall.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein: The sensor is a motion sensor, a depth sensor or a range sensor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein: The sensor is one of LIDAR, RADAR or a camera.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein: The sensor is millimeter wave RADAR.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein: The sensor is an RGBD camera.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein: The set of response protocols is in a lookup table stored in a non-transitory memory onboard the sensor assembly; and The set of response protocols includes one or more of the following: emergency stop by initiating the elevator safety chain by the sensor assembly, thereby cutting power to the drive and engaging the machine brake; sounding an audio alarm; and slowing the elevator car.

11. A method for controlling an elevator system, the elevator system comprising a hoistway, a pit and an elevator car, the method comprising: monitoring a virtual safety net (VSN) for crossing by a potentially human subject by a sensor assembly within the elevator system, the sensor assembly including a sensor configured to capture and process images, the VSN being formed by the sensor; monitoring, by the sensor assembly, changes in the positioning of a stationary object external to the elevator car to determine a measured speed of the elevator car; and When it is detected by the sensor assembly that the object has crossed the VSN: selecting, by the sensor assembly, a first response protocol from a set of response protocols that correlates to a different measured speed of the elevator car; as well as The first response protocol is executed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein: The sensor assembly is mounted to an elevator car, the elevator car includes a roof, and the first region is the roof of the elevator car.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising: A sensor located on a railing system at the top of the elevator car is activated, thereby providing the VSN around one side of the railing system, wherein the VSN extends vertically a predetermined distance above the railing system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein: The sensors are located at the corners of the railing system.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein: The stationary object is a hoistway wall.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein: The sensor is a motion sensor, a depth sensor or a range sensor.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein: The sensor is one of LIDAR, RADAR or a camera.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein: The sensor is millimeter wave RADAR.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein: The sensor is an RGBD camera.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein: The set of response protocols is in a lookup table stored in a non-transitory memory onboard the sensor assembly; as well as The method comprises: One or more of the following are selected by the sensor assembly from the set of response protocols: an emergency stop is performed by initiating the elevator safety chain by the sensor assembly, thereby cutting power to the elevator drive and engaging a machine brake; sounding an audio alarm; and slowing the elevator car.

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