Elevator system comprising sensor assembly for person detection

Abstract

An elevator system includes: a hoistway; an elevator car, the elevator car configured to travel in the hoistway; the bottom pit is located at the bottom of the hoistway; a safety chain configured to enable or disable movement of the elevator car; and a sensor assembly configured to initiate opening of the safety chain upon detection of a person in the pit to disable movement of the elevator car.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments described herein relate to elevator systems, and more particularly to elevator systems that include one or more sensor assemblies for detecting a person in a pit of the elevator system. Background Art

[0002] Personnel such as maintenance personnel may need to enter the pit of the elevator shaft for inspection, maintenance, etc. Many safety measures exist to prevent injury to personnel in the pit. Additional safety measures, while not necessary, may be beneficial. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to an embodiment, an elevator system includes: a hoistway; an elevator car, the elevator car configured to travel in the hoistway; a pit, the pit being located at the bottom of the hoistway; a safety chain, the safety chain configured to enable or disable movement of the elevator car; and a sensor assembly, the sensor assembly configured to initiate opening of the safety chain to disable movement of the elevator car when a person in the pit is detected.

[0004] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include wherein the sensor assembly is configured to open the safety chain upon detecting the person in the pit and detecting that the safety chain is closed.

[0005] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include wherein the sensor assembly is configured to generate an alarm upon detecting the person in the pit and detecting the safety chain is closed.

[0006] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include a run-stop interface in the pit configured to open or close the safety chain when activated by the person.

[0007] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include wherein the sensor assembly includes at least one sensor that measures a distance to an object in the pit.

[0008] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a LIDAR sensor, a millimeter wave RADAR sensor, and an RGBD camera.

[0009] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include wherein the sensor assembly includes a sensor assembly safety chain contact as a component of the safety chain.

[0010] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include a second sensor assembly configured to open the safety chain to disable movement of the elevator car upon detecting the person in the pit.

[0011] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include wherein the second sensor assembly includes a second sensor assembly safety chain contact portion as a component of the safety chain.

[0012] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include: a second hoistway; a second elevator car, the second elevator car configured to travel in the second hoistway; a second pit, the second pit located at the bottom of the second hoistway; a second safety chain, the second safety chain configured to enable or disable movement of the second elevator car; and a second sensor assembly, the second sensor assembly configured to initiate opening of the second safety chain to disable movement of the second elevator car when the person in the second pit is detected.

[0013] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include wherein the sensor assembly and the second sensor assembly are in communication.

[0014] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include wherein the sensor assembly sends a communication to the second sensor assembly upon detecting the person in the pit.

[0015] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include wherein in response to the communication, the second sensor assembly increases sensitivity to detect the person in the second pit.

[0016] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include where increasing the sensitivity of the second sensor assembly includes at least one of: (i) lowering a threshold for detecting the person in the second pit, (ii) increasing a frame rate of the second sensor assembly, (iii) reducing a field of view of the second sensor assembly, and (iv) increasing a resolution of the second sensor assembly.

[0017] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, or as an alternative, further embodiments may include wherein the second sensor assembly resets the sensitivity used to detect the person in the second pit to an initial value when the person is absent from the pit or the second pit for a predetermined period of time.

[0018] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include shutting down the safety chain in the pit.

[0019] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include wherein in response to actuation of a run-stop interface in the pit, the sensor assembly sends a communication to the second sensor assembly to increase sensitivity to detect the person in the second pit.

[0020] In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include wherein in response to opening of the safety chain in the pit, the sensor assembly sends a communication to the second sensor assembly to increase sensitivity to detect the person in the second pit.

[0021] According to an embodiment, a method of operating an elevator system, the elevator system comprising: a hoistway; an elevator car, the elevator car configured to travel in the hoistway; a pit, the pit being located at the bottom of the hoistway; a safety chain, the safety chain configured to enable or disable movement of the elevator car; and a sensor assembly, the method comprising detecting a person in the pit by the sensor assembly; and when a person in the pit is detected, the sensor assembly initiating opening of the safety chain to disable movement of the elevator car.

[0022] According to another embodiment, a computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes instructions for causing a processor to implement a process for operating an elevator system, the elevator system including: a hoistway; an elevator car, the elevator car configured to travel in the hoistway; a pit, the pit located at the bottom of the hoistway; a safety chain, the safety chain configured to enable or disable movement of the elevator car; and a sensor assembly, the process including detecting a person in the pit by the sensor assembly; and when a person in the pit is detected, the sensor assembly initiating opening of the safety chain to disable movement of the elevator car.

[0023] 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

[0024] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of examples and not limitation in the accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements.

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of an elevator system in which various embodiments of the present disclosure may be employed;

[0026] Figure 2A depicts an elevator pit according to an embodiment;

[0027] Figure 2B Depicting a safety chain contact portion of an elevator pit according to an embodiment;

[0028] Figure 3 depicts a sensor assembly according to an embodiment;

[0029] Figure 4 A flow chart depicting a process for monitoring an elevator pit according to an embodiment;

[0030] Figure 5 depicts an elevator pit equipped with two sensor assemblies according to an embodiment;

[0031] Fig. 6A depicts two elevator pits according to an embodiment;

[0032] Figure 6B depicts the movement of personnel between two elevator pits according to an embodiment;

[0033] Figure 7 Depicting safety chain contacts of two elevator pits according to an embodiment; and

[0034] Figure 8 A flow chart depicts a process for monitoring two elevator pits, according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Figure 1 1 is a perspective view of an elevator system 101 including an elevator car 103, a counterweight 105, a tension member 107, a guide rail 109, a machine 111, a position reference system 113, and a controller 115. The elevator car 103 and the counterweight 105 are connected to each other by the tension member 107. The tension member 107 may 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 to facilitate the movement of the elevator car 103 in opposite directions and simultaneously relative to the counterweight 105 within an elevator shaft or hoistway 117 and along the guide rail 109.

[0036] 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. The position reference system 113 can be mounted on a fixed portion at the top of the elevator shaft 117, such as on a support or guide rail, and can 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 can be mounted directly to the moving components of the machine 111, or can be located in other positions and / or configurations as known in the art. The position reference system 113 can be any device or mechanism for monitoring the position of the elevator car and / or counterweight as known in the art. For example, but not limited to, the position reference system 113 can be an encoder, a sensor, or other system, and can include speed sensing, absolute position sensing, etc., as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0037] As shown, the 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 in the controller room 121 but may be in the hoistway or other location in the elevator system. For example, the controller 115 can provide drive signals to the machine 111 to control the acceleration, deceleration, leveling, stopping, etc. of the elevator car 103. The controller 115 can 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 can stop at one or more landings 125 as controlled by the controller 115. Although shown in the controller room 121, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the controller 115 can be located and / or configured elsewhere or at a location within the elevator system 101. In one embodiment, the controller 115 can be located remotely or in a distributed computing network (e.g., a cloud computing architecture). The controller 115 may be implemented using a processor-based machine (eg, a personal computer, a server, a distributed computing network, etc.).

[0038] 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 electric drive motor. The power source for the motor may be any power source, including an electrical grid, which is combined with other components to be supplied to the motor. 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.

[0039] The elevator system 101 also includes one or more elevator doors 104. The elevator doors 104 can be attached to the elevator car 103, or the elevator doors 104 can be located on a landing 125 of the elevator system 101, or both. The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied 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.

[0040] Although shown and described using a roping system including tension members 107, elevator systems that employ other methods and mechanisms for moving an elevator car within an elevator shaft may employ embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, embodiments may be employed in a ropeless elevator system that uses a linear motor to move the elevator car. Embodiments may also be employed in a ropeless elevator system that uses a hydraulic lift to move the elevator car. Embodiments may also be employed in a ropeless elevator system that uses a self-propelled elevator car (e.g., an elevator car equipped with friction wheels, pinch wheels, or traction wheels). Figure 1 These are non-limiting examples presented for illustrative and explanatory purposes only.

[0041] Figure 2A An elevator pit 200 is depicted according to an embodiment. The elevator pit 200 is located at the bottom of the hoistway 117 and includes equipment that may need to be accessed or inspected by a person 202. Access to the pit 200 is through an access door 204, which may be a door of the lowest landing of the building or another door. A ladder 206 provides entry and exit to the pit 200. A sensor assembly 220 monitors the pit 200 for the presence of (one or more) persons 202. A run-stop interface 210 is provided in the pit 200. The run-stop interface 210 is manually operated by the person 202 to open or close the safety chain of the elevator system 101. When the safety chain is open, the elevator car 103 is prevented from moving.

[0042] Figure 2A The elevator pit 200 in FIG. 1 includes safety chain contacts, including a sensor assembly safety chain contact 230, a pit door safety chain contact 234, and a pit ladder safety chain contact 236. If any of the safety chain contacts 230, 234, and 236 are open, the elevator car 103 will be prevented from moving. In addition, if the run-stop interface 210 is open, the elevator car 103 will be prevented from moving. In some embodiments, the pit ladder safety chain contact 236 can be implemented by using the sensor assembly 220 to detect a person 202 on the ladder 206.

[0043] Figure 2B Depicted is a safety chain contact 230, 234, and 236 and a run-stop interface 210 of an elevator pit 200 according to an embodiment. The safety chain contact 230, 234, and 236 and the run-stop interface 210 are part of the safety chain of the elevator system 101. If any of the safety chain contact 230, 234, and 236 and the run-stop interface 210 is "open", movement of the elevator car 103 is prevented. The safety chain contact 230, 234, and 236 and the run-stop interface 210 are connected to the sensor assembly 220 by a link so that the sensor assembly 220 can detect the state (e.g., open or closed) of each of the run-stop interface 210 and the safety chain contact 230, 234, and 236. The link can be a wired and / or wireless connection that allows the sensor assembly 220 to detect the state of each of the run-stop interface 210 and the safety chain contact 230, 234, and 236.

[0044] Figure 3Depicts a sensor assembly 220 according to an embodiment. The sensor assembly 220 includes one or more sensors 222. The sensor 222 can be a distance sensor that generates distance measurements in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional field of view. The sensor 222 can be implemented using a LIDAR sensor, a millimeter wave RADAR sensor, an RGBD camera, or other distance measurement sensors. The sensor assembly 220 includes a processor 224 that controls the operation of the sensor assembly 220. The processor 224 can be implemented using a general-purpose microprocessor that executes a computer program stored on a storage medium to perform the operations described herein. Alternatively, the processor 224 can be implemented in hardware (e.g., ASIC, FPGA) or in a combination of hardware / software. The processor 224 allows the sensor assembly 220 to perform calculations locally, also known as edge computing. The processor 224 can send commands to other components of the elevator system 101 based on the results of the local calculations.

[0045] The sensor assembly 220 includes a memory 226 that can store computer programs, reference data, sensor data, etc. that can be executed by the processor 224. The memory 226 can be implemented using known devices such as random access memory. The sensor assembly 220 includes a communication unit 228 that allows the sensor assembly 220 to communicate with other components of the elevator system 101 (e.g., other sensor assemblies and / or the elevator controller 115). The communication unit 228 can be implemented using a wired connection (e.g., LAN, Ethernet, twisted pair, etc.) or a wireless connection (e.g., WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth, etc.).

[0046] In operation, the sensor assembly 220 can open the safety chain of the elevator system 101 under certain conditions. The safety chain is a known component of the elevator system and generally includes a plurality of contacts (e.g., relays) in series that control power to the elevator system machine 111 to enable or disable movement of the elevator car 103. If any of the contacts of the safety chain are open, the elevator car 103 is prevented from moving. In an example embodiment, the sensor assembly 220 can control the sensor assembly safety chain contact 230 to open or close the safety chain. It is understood that the sensor assembly safety chain contact 230 is one of several contacts that make up the safety chain.

[0047] Figure 4A flow chart depicting a process of the sensor assembly 220 monitoring the pit 200 according to an embodiment. At 300, the sensor assembly 220 determines whether the person 202 has entered the pit 200. The sensor assembly 220 can detect the presence of the person 202 by comparing the distance measurement from the sensor 222 to a threshold. When no person 202 is in the pit 200, background distance measurements are collected to establish a baseline. Then, when the person 202 appears in the foreground (in front) of the learned surrounding background, they can be classified by the processor 224. The distance data obtained by the sensor 222 can be compared with the threshold to confirm that the person 202 exists. The presence or direction of travel of the person 202 can also be determined (e.g., by comparing the distribution of points across multiple frames of the field of view) to verify whether the person 202 is present in the pit 200. In one example, the distance measurement defines a cloud of points in the field of view. The number of points within a certain distance (e.g., within the inner wall of the pit) greater than the threshold indicates that the person is in the pit 200.

[0048] Once the person has entered the pit 200, the flow proceeds to 302 where the sensor assembly 220 determines whether the safety chain is open. The safety chain may be opened by the person 202 manually opening the safety chain by pressing the run-stop interface 210. The sensor assembly 220 may determine that the safety chain is open via a signal received through a link with the run-stop interface 210 and each of the safety chain contacts 230, 234, and 236.

[0049] If the safety chain is on at 302, flow proceeds to 304 where the sensor assembly 220 enters a shutdown mode. Since the safety chain is on, there is no need for active monitoring of the pit 200 by the sensor assembly 220.

[0050] If the safety chain is not open at 302 , the flow proceeds to 306 , where the sensor assembly 220 initiates opening of the safety chain. The sensor assembly 220 opens the safety chain by opening the sensor assembly safety chain contact 230 .

[0051] From 306, flow proceeds to 308, where an alarm is generated to indicate that the person 202 has entered the pit 200, but the safety chain is not deployed. The alarm may be generated to the person 202 in the pit 200 via an audible or visual indicator (not shown).

[0052] From 308, the process proceeds to 310, where the sensor assembly 220 waits for the reset function to complete. The reset function can be performed in two ways, manually or automatically. For a manual reset of the sensor assembly 220, the person opens the safety chain having the run-stop interface 210 and the pit door safety chain contact 234. The sensor assembly 220 confirms the opening of the safety chain via a signal received through a link with the pit door safety chain contact 234 and the run-stop interface 210. Next, the person will press a button on the sensor assembly 220 to enable its manual reset. When the sensor assembly 220 switches to this reset mode, it will have a time delay to enable the person 202 to move out of the pit 200 without being detected by the sensor assembly 220. The reset button for the sensor assembly 220 can be outside the pit 200.

[0053] Again, for automatic reset, this can only be done if the run-stop interface 210 and the pit door safety chain contact 234 are tripped and the safety chain is open. The sensor assembly 220 then determines that there is no person in the pit. If the sensor assembly 220 determines that there is no person 202 in the pit 200, the sensor assembly 220 enters a reset mode after a period of time to again allow the person to disengage the run-stop interface 210 and close the pit door safety chain contact 234 (i.e., close the safety chain).

[0054] Figure 4 The process both ensures the safety of personnel 202 in the pit 200 (by opening a safety chain if necessary) and warns personnel 202 if the correct procedures for entering the pit 200 are not followed.

[0055] Figure 5 A pit is depicted according to an embodiment equipped with two sensor assemblies 220 and 221. In this embodiment, either sensor assembly 220 or sensor assembly 221 can initiate the opening of the safety chain, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 In an environment where a single sensor assembly cannot provide adequate sensing of the entire pit 200, it may be desirable to use two sensor assemblies 220 and 221. If the sensor assemblies 220 and 221 include corresponding sensor assembly safety chain contacts 230, the sensor assembly safety chain contacts 230 are connected in series (also referred to as a daisy chain) such that opening any one of the sensor assembly safety chain contacts 230 opens the safety chain.

[0056] Fig. 6A An elevator system is described having two hoistways, two elevator cars 103A and 103B, and two adjacent elevator pits 200A and 200B in an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 6A6, both pits 200A and 200B include the components described with reference to FIG2. Each pit includes a sensor assembly, respectively labeled 220A and 220B.

[0057] exist Fig. 6A In the embodiment of FIG. 2 , personnel 202 can travel between pits 200A and 200B via the passage between the pits without having to climb up and down ladder 206. This may lead to a situation where a person moves from pit 200A to pit 200B without being immediately detected by sensor assembly 220B. Figure 6B is a top-down view depicting a person 202 moving between two elevator pits in an example embodiment.

[0058] Sensor assembly 220A communicates with sensor assembly 220B to improve the ability to detect movement of person 202 into pit 200B. In an example embodiment, sensor assembly 220A may open the safety chain for elevator car 103A in a first hoistway, and sensor assembly 220B may open the safety chain for second elevator car 103B in a second hoistway. Therefore, if a person is present in pit 200A, this will not interrupt the operation of elevator car 103B.

[0059] Figure 7 Depicts the safety chain contacts of two elevator pits according to an embodiment. Sensor assembly 220A communicates with sensor assembly safety chain contacts 230A, pit door safety chain contacts 234A, pit ladder safety chain contacts 236A, and run-stop interface 210A. If any of run-stop interface 210A or safety chain contacts 230A, 234A, 236A is open, elevator car 103A will be prevented from moving. Sensor assembly 220B communicates with sensor assembly safety chain contacts 230B, pit door safety chain contacts 234B, pit ladder safety chain contacts 236B, and run-stop interface 210B. If any of run-stop interface 210B or safety chain contacts 230B, 234B, 236B is open, elevator car 103B will be prevented from moving. Sensor assembly 220A and sensor assembly 220B communicate via sensor assembly to sensor assembly link 227. Link 227 may be a wired and / or wireless connection that allows each sensor assembly 220A and 220B to communicate a current state to the other sensor assembly 220B and 220A.

[0060] Figure 8 A flow chart depicting a process for monitoring two pits according to an embodiment. Figure 8In the example of FIG. 2 , person 202 initially enters pit 200A and then moves to pit 200B. Regardless of which pit person 202 enters first, Figure 8 steps, and Figure 8 The steps can generally be referred to as the first pit and the second pit.

[0061] At 400, the sensor assembly 220A determines whether the person 202 has entered the pit 200A. As described above, this is performed by comparing the distance data from the sensor 222 to a threshold. The presence of a person in the pit 200A may also be determined by activating the run-stop interface 210 in the pit 200A.

[0062] Once the person 202 enters the pit 200A, the process proceeds to 402, wherein the sensor assembly 220A transmits the presence of the person 202 in the pit 200A to the sensor assembly 220B. At this point, there is a chance that the person 202 moves from the pit 200A to the pit 200B. In order to provide early detection of such movement, at 404, the sensitivity of the sensor assembly 220B is increased. One method for increasing the sensitivity of the sensor assembly 220B is to reduce the threshold used to detect the person in the pit 200B. For example, if the initial threshold requires 500 sensing points performed by the sensor 222 to detect the person, the threshold can be reduced so that the 200 sensing points performed by the sensor 222 detect the person 202. Another way to increase the sensitivity of the sensor assembly 220B is to increase the frame rate of the sensor assembly 220B. Another way to increase the sensitivity of the sensor assembly 220B is to reduce the field of view of the sensor assembly 220B. Another method to increase sensitivity is to increase the resolution of sensor assembly 220B. Block 404 may also include sensor assembly 220A increasing sensitivity in pit 200A if person 202 moves back to pit 200A.

[0063] At 406, sensor assembly 220A and sensor assembly 220B communicate to determine that person 202 is not present in either pit 200A or 200B. Once the person has left (e.g., person 202 is not present in pit 200A or 200B), the process proceeds to 408, where the sensitivity of sensor assembly 220A and sensor assembly 220B are both reset to initial levels. If person 202 is not detected in pit 200B, a predetermined time period has passed, and elevator car 103A has returned to service with its safety chain closed, the sensitivity of sensor assembly 220A and sensor assembly 220B may both be reset.

[0064] The embodiments described herein allow the sensor assembly to protect personnel in the pit while promoting compliance with safety regulations. In this way, personnel will not rely too much on the sensor assembly to control the car. This increases the dual characteristics of the sensor assembly as a protection device and a training enhancement device. Daisy chaining multiple sensor assemblies simplifies and streamlines the system structure required to manage multiple sensor assemblies in a pit. In addition, it improves the robustness of personnel detection in the pit. In a multi-pit system, communication between sensor assemblies increases the confidence of detection in the system and the protection range within (one or more) pits.

[0065] As described above, embodiments may take the form of processor-implemented processes and means for implementing those processes (e.g., processor 224 in sensor assembly 220). Embodiments may also take the form of computer program code containing instructions embodied in tangible media (such as network cloud storage, SD card, flash drive, floppy disk, CD ROM, hard drive, or any other computer-readable storage medium), wherein when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the embodiments. Embodiments may also take the form of, for example, computer program code stored in a storage medium, loaded into and / or executed by a computer, or transmitted through some transmission medium, loaded into and / or executed by a computer, or transmitted through some transmission medium (such as through wires or cables, through fiber optics, or via electromagnetic radiation); wherein when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the embodiments. When implemented on a general-purpose microprocessor, the computer program code segments configure the microprocessor to create specific logic circuits.

[0066] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be limitations of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a / an" and "the" are intended to also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the term "comprises and / or comprising" when used in this specification specifies the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, element components and / or groups thereof.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various example embodiments are shown and described herein, all with certain features in specific embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited thereby. On the contrary, the present disclosure may be modified to incorporate any number of variations, changes, substitutions, combinations, sub-combinations, or equivalent arrangements not previously described but commensurate with the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the present disclosure may include only some of the described embodiments. Therefore, the present disclosure is not to be considered limited by the foregoing description, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An elevator system, comprising: Well; an elevator car configured to travel in the hoistway; A pit, the pit being located at the bottom of the hoistway; a safety chain configured to enable or disable movement of the elevator car; as well as A sensor assembly is configured to initiate opening of the safety chain to disable movement of the elevator car upon detecting a person in the pit.

2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor assembly is configured to open the safety chain upon detecting the person in the pit and detecting that the safety chain is closed.

3. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor assembly is configured to generate an alarm upon detecting the person in the pit and detecting the safety chain being closed.

4. The elevator system of claim 1, further comprising a run-stop interface in the pit, the run-stop interface configured to open or close the safety chain when activated by the person.

5. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor assembly includes at least one sensor that measures a distance to an object in the pit.

6. The elevator system according to claim 5, wherein: The at least one sensor includes at least one of a LIDAR sensor, a millimeter wave RADAR sensor, and an RGBD camera.

7. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor assembly includes a sensor assembly safety chain contact portion as a component of the safety chain.

8. The elevator system of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor assembly configured to open the safety chain to disable movement of the elevator car upon detecting the person in the pit.

9. The elevator system according to claim 8, wherein: The second sensor assembly includes a second sensor assembly safety chain contact portion as a component of the safety chain.

10. The elevator system according to claim 1, further comprising: Second shaft; a second elevator car configured to travel in the second hoistway; a second bottom pit, the second bottom pit being located at the bottom of the second hoistway; a second safety chain configured to enable or disable movement of the second elevator car; as well as A second sensor assembly is configured to initiate opening of the second safety chain to disable movement of the second elevator car upon detecting the person in the second pit.

11. The elevator system of claim 10, wherein: The sensor assembly is in communication with the second sensor assembly.

12. The elevator system of claim 11, wherein: The sensor assembly sends a communication to the second sensor assembly upon detecting the person in the pit.

13. The elevator system of claim 12, wherein: In response to the communication, the second sensor assembly increases sensitivity to detect the person in the second pit.

14. The elevator system of claim 13, wherein: Increasing the sensitivity of the second sensor assembly includes at least one of: (i) lowering a threshold for detecting the person in the second pit; (ii) increasing a frame rate of the second sensor assembly; (iii) reducing a field of view of the second sensor assembly; and (iv) increasing a resolution of the second sensor assembly.

15. The elevator system of claim 14, wherein: The second sensor assembly resets the sensitivity for detecting the person in the second pit to an initial value when the person is absent in the pit or in the second pit for a predetermined period of time.

16. The elevator system of claim 15, further comprising shutting down the safety chain in the pit.

17. The elevator system of claim 10, wherein: In response to actuation of a run-stop interface in the pit, the sensor assembly sends a communication to the second sensor assembly to increase sensitivity to detect the person in the second pit.

18. The elevator system of claim 10, wherein: In response to opening of the safety chain in the pit, the sensor assembly sends a communication to the second sensor assembly to increase sensitivity to detect the person in the second pit.

19. A method of operating an elevator system, the elevator system comprising: Well; an elevator car configured to travel in the hoistway; A pit, the pit being located at the bottom of the hoistway; a safety chain configured to enable or disable movement of the elevator car; and a sensor assembly, the method comprising: detecting a person in the pit by the sensor assembly; as well as Upon detecting a person in the pit, the sensor assembly initiates motion to open the safety chain to disable the elevator car.

20. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a processor to implement a process for operating an elevator system, the elevator system comprising: Well; an elevator car configured to travel in the hoistway; A pit, the pit being located at the bottom of the hoistway; a safety chain configured to enable or disable movement of the elevator car; and a sensor assembly, the process comprising: detecting a person in the pit by the sensor assembly; as well as Upon detecting a person in the pit, the sensor assembly initiates motion to open the safety chain to disable the elevator car.

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