Providing maintenance data

Abstract

There is provided a method for generating information describing maintenance of a personnel transport system (110), the method comprising: receiving (210) data describing a status of the personnel transport system (110); obtaining (220) data defining a digital twin (132); simulating (230) operation of the personnel transport system (110) with the digital twin (132); obtaining (240) augmented reality data (142) based on the simulation; and generating (260) a message to the terminal device (150), the message comprising information describing the maintenance of the personnel delivery system (110). A control system (120) and a computer program are also provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the technical field of people transportation systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to the provision of maintenance data for people transportation systems. Background Art

[0002] Different types of people transportation systems, such as elevators, escalators, and moving walkways, need to be maintained according to predefined maintenance schedules or in response to unexpected situations. The traditional way of arranging maintenance is for technicians to visit the site as needed and perform regular inspections and / or visit the site in response to calls describing malfunctioning people transportation systems. Solutions for remotely monitoring the operation of people transportation systems have also been introduced. Such methods rely on, for example, a data center receiving a fault notification from the people transportation system, and technicians traveling to the site and attempting to perform the required maintenance tasks to get the people transportation system repaired.

[0003] Such solutions are effective, but they also have drawbacks for various reasons. For example, depending on the required maintenance tasks, it may happen that the technician dispatched to the site cannot manage to resolve the situation due to a lack of the required knowledge / abilities and / or he / she does not have the required tools and / or spare parts. As a result, the maintenance tasks are delayed, and this leads to dissatisfaction among the users of the people transportation system.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to introduce novel methods that at least partially mitigate the drawbacks of the prior art solutions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following presents a simplified overview in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of various inventive embodiments. This overview is not an extensive overview of the present invention. It is neither intended to identify the key or important elements of the present invention nor to depict the scope of the present invention. The following overview only presents some concepts of the present invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a method, a control system, and a computer program for generating information describing the maintenance of a people transportation system.

[0007] The object of the present invention is achieved by a method, a control system, and a computer program as defined by the respective independent claims.

[0008] According to a first aspect, there is provided a method for generating information describing the maintenance of a people transportation system, the method performed by a control system comprising:

[0009] Receiving data describing the state of a people transportation system,

[0010] Obtaining data defining a digital twin corresponding to at least a part of the people transportation system,

[0011] Simulate the operation of a personnel conveyance system using a digital twin having data describing the state of the personnel conveyance system.

[0012] Obtain extended reality data based on the simulation of the operation of the personnel conveyance system using the digital twin.

[0013] Generate a message to a terminal device, the message including information describing the maintenance of the personnel conveyor system in a data packet, the data packet at least including extended reality data related to the state of the personnel conveyor system.

[0014] The method may further include the following steps before generating the message:

[0015] Obtain data describing components based on the simulation of the operation of the personnel conveyance system using the digital twin.

[0016] For example, the data describing the components may be included in the generated message having extended reality data.

[0017] Furthermore, the data describing the state of the personnel conveyance system may be at least one of the following: measurement data obtained from the personnel conveyance system; fault codes obtained from the personnel conveyance system.

[0018] The personnel conveyance system may be identified, for example, from the data describing the state of the personnel conveyance system. The identification data of the personnel conveyance system may be used to obtain data defining the digital twin of the personnel conveyance system. For example, the fault code may be used together with the identification data to obtain data defining the digital twin corresponding to at least a part of the personnel conveyance system. In addition, the fault code may be used to select the digital twin defining the sub-entity of the personnel conveyance system.

[0019] At least one component related to the state of the personnel conveyance system may be identified by simulating the operation of the digital twin with the data describing the state of the personnel conveyance system. For example, information about the at least one component may be included in the data describing the components related to the state of the personnel conveyance system. Furthermore, the extended reality data for the simulation of the operation based on the digital twin may be selected based on the at least one component identified as related to the state of the personnel conveyance system. The extended reality data may provide a visualization describing the maintenance operation of the at least one component.

[0020] The extended reality data may be one of the following: augmented reality data, virtual data.

[0021] According to a second aspect, there is provided a control system for generating information describing the maintenance of a personnel conveyance system, the control system being configured to:

[0022] Receive data describing the state of the personnel conveyance system.

[0023] Obtain data defining a digital twin corresponding to at least a portion of a people conveyance system,

[0024] Use the digital twin to simulate the operation of the people conveyance system using data describing the state of the people conveyance system,

[0025] Obtain extended reality data based on the simulation of the operation of the people conveyance system using the digital twin,

[0026] Generate a message to a terminal device, the message including information describing maintenance of the people conveyance system in a data packet, the data packet including at least extended reality related to the state of the people conveyance system.

[0027] Before generating the message, the control system may also be configured to:

[0028] Obtain data describing components based on the simulation of the operation of the people conveyance system using the digital twin.

[0029] For example, the control system may be configured to include the data describing the components together with the extended reality data in the generated message.

[0030] The control system may be configured to receive at least one of: measurement data obtained from the people conveyance system; a fault code obtained from the people conveyance system, as data describing the state of the people conveyance system.

[0031] In addition, the control system may be configured to identify the people conveyance system from the data describing the state of the people conveyance system. The control system may also be configured to use the identification data of the people conveyance system to obtain data defining the digital twin of the people conveyance system. Further, the control system may be configured to use the fault code together with the identification data to obtain data defining a digital twin corresponding to at least a portion of the people conveyance system. The control system may, for example, be configured to use the fault code to select a digital twin defining a sub - entity of the people conveyance system.

[0032] In addition, the control system may be configured to identify at least one component related to the state of the people conveyance system by simulating the operation of the digital twin with data describing the state of the people conveyance system. For example, the control system may be configured to include information about at least one component in the data describing the components related to the state of the people conveyance system. In addition, the control system may be configured to select extended reality data based on the at least one identified component related to the state of the people conveyance system, based on the simulation of the operation of the digital twin. For example, the extended reality data may provide a visualization of maintenance operations described about at least one component.

[0033] The extended reality data can be one of the following: augmented reality data, virtual data.

[0034] According to a third aspect, a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method according to the first aspect as defined above.

[0035] The expression "a plurality of" herein refers to any positive integer starting from one, for example up to one, two or three.

[0036] The expression "a plurality of" herein refers to any positive integer starting from two, for example up to two, three or four.

[0037] When read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, various exemplary and non - limiting embodiments of the present invention, their additional objects and advantages, with respect to the construction and method of operation, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplary and non - limiting embodiments.

[0038] The verbs "comprise" and "include" are used in this document as open limitations which neither exclude nor require the presence of unrecited features. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the features recited in the dependent claims may be freely combined with one another. Further, it should be understood that the use of "a" or "an" (i.e., the singular form) throughout this document does not exclude a plurality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] In the figures of the drawings, embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of example and not by way of limitation.

[0040] Figure 1 Schematically illustrates a system according to an example.

[0041] Figure 2 Schematically illustrates a method according to an example.

[0042] Figure 3 Schematically illustrates a control system according to an example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The specific examples provided in the description given below should not be construed as limiting the scope and / or applicability of the appended claims. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the lists and groups of examples provided in the description given below are not exhaustive.

[0044] Generally, the present invention relates to providing information describing the maintenance of a people conveyance system. For example, the provision of information can relate to maintenance access or training of personnel. The solution is based on using a so-called digital twin to determine the state of the people conveyance system, such as a fault situation, and details, such as the root cause associated therewith, and generating a message carrying a data packet based thereon, the data packet including extended reality data and other data, such as the type of fault, the identification of the number of faulty operating components, etc., as information describing the maintenance of the people conveyance system.

[0045] Figure 1 Schematically shown is an example of an environment of a system in which the present invention can be implemented and an example of an entity involved in implementing the present invention. First, there are a plurality of people conveyance systems 110 operating in one or more locations. The people conveyance system 110 can refer to an elevator, an escalator, and / or a moving walkway, or any combination thereof. The people conveyance system 110 under discussion is configured to provide data describing the state of the people conveyance system 110. This provision can be arranged to occur, for example, upon a request from a control system 120 and / or it can be triggered by the people conveyance system 110 itself. The data describing the state of the people conveyance system can refer to measurement data. The measurement data can be obtained, for example, using a plurality of sensors from the people conveyance system 110, or it can be a plurality of values describing the operating parameters of the conveyance system 110 that can be obtained from the people conveyance system 110. For the sake of clarity, it is worth mentioning that the data describing the state of the people conveyance system 110 can be such that it describes the overall operation of the people conveyance system 110 or the operation of one or more entities of the people conveyance system 110, such as the operation of an elevator car, the operation of an electric motor of the corresponding people conveyance system 110, the operation of an elevator brake, the operation of elevator doors, etc. The parameters monitored can be, for example, the speed, acceleration, or any other corresponding parameter of the corresponding entity. For example, as a non-limiting example, based on the measurement data, a fault occurring in the people conveyance system 110 or even the wear state of at least one component can be detected. In some exemplary embodiments, the data describing the state of the people conveyance system 110 can be one or more fault codes generated by the people conveyance system 110, for example, when a fault in the system 110 is detected. The fault code can describe the faulty entity of the people conveyance system 110, and it can be transmitted alone or together with other data, such as together with measurement data or similar data.

[0046] The entity arranged to receive data describing the state of the people conveyor system 110 is the control system 120 according to the present invention. The control system 120 can be implemented, for example, as one or more server devices, or as any computing device configured to execute the method according to the present invention as described herein. In other words, the control system 120 can be communicatively connected, directly or indirectly through other entities, to the people conveyor system 110 and the entities therein in order to obtain data. The communication connection can also be arranged to be bidirectional, i.e., as a non-limiting example, the control system 120 can send signals to the conveyor system 110, for example to request data from it.

[0047] Furthermore, the control system 120 can be configured to be communicatively connected to a plurality of data memories 130, 140. In a non-limiting example as Figure 1 shown, the number of data memories 130, 140 is two, where the first data memory is arranged to store data of a so-called digital twin 132 defining the number of people in the conveyor system 110. In other words, arranged for the people conveyor system 110, the corresponding digital twin data 132 is stored in the data memory 130. For the purposes of the present invention, the digital twin 132 should be understood as a virtual representation of the real-world people conveyor system 110, i.e. In other words, it is a model of the digital implementation of the people conveyor system 110, which can be used to simulate the operation of the people conveyor system 110 and contains a certain amount of additional data defining the people conveyor system 110. Such additional data can be, for example, a list of components used in the implementation of the people conveyor system 110 in the real world. Additionally, the additional data can define, for example, a list of tools required to perform maintenance of the people conveyor system 110 in the said case. In summary, the digital twin 132 can be generated by computer-aided design when the people conveyor system 110 is designed and defined as digitally readable and executable data. In some exemplary embodiments, the digital twin 132, as a simulation model of the people conveyor system 110, can be implemented as a machine learning model that is trained to output data indicating the operation of the people conveyor system 110 in response to the receipt of data (such as measurement data) derived from the people conveyor system 110, for example having a monitoring system including one or more sensors. For example, the training of such a machine learning model can be performed using data generated using the simulation model of the people conveyor system 110 and / or using other data, such as measurement data from the corresponding system, and, for example, using so-called feedback reports received from the people maintaining the people conveyor system 110.

[0048] In addition, the control system 120 may be arranged to be communicatively connected to at least one other data memory 140. The second data memory 140 may be arranged to store so-called extended reality data 142. For example, the extended reality data may refer to virtual reality data and / or augmented reality data. The extended reality data 142 stored in the data memory 140 may include a plurality of data files, and the data is associated with various parts of the personnel conveyance system 110. In other words, the extended reality data 142 may represent one or more components of the personnel conveyance system 110 and / or provide outputs that disclose maintenance operations regarding one or more components of the conveyance system 110. For example, if the extended reality data is a collection of data files representing information in virtual reality, it may define instructions on how a certain component can be replaced in the personnel conveyance system 110, for example. Alternatively or additionally, for example, it may visualize or allow an observer to see the operable components of a certain sub-entity of the personnel conveyance system 110. On the other hand, if the extended reality data is augmented reality data, then it may define visualizations that can be integrated into a real-world visualization captured in any known manner. In the context of the present invention, the augmented reality data may, for example, visualize (such as highlight) a malfunctioning component in a real-world visualization when an image capture device is oriented to capture an image from the corresponding component. For the purposes of the present invention, the extended reality data 142 is something by means of which enhanced information can be provided to the user compared to the real-world view. The data stored in the second data memory 140 may be classified such that different data files can be queried with predefined parameters, such as keywords or any other identifier. For the sake of completeness, it is worth mentioning that the communication connections between the control system 120 and the plurality of data memories 130, 140 may be arranged to be two-way, i.e., the control system 120 may query data from the data memories 130, 140, but may also store data therein. One-way communication may also be applied as long as the control system 120 can obtain the data stored in the corresponding data memories 130, 140. As already mentioned, as Figure 1 The system shown may include one or more data memories 130, 140 as long as the data described herein can be queried from the set-up.

[0049] Furthermore, the control system 120 may be communicatively connected to one or more terminal devices 150, and the one or more terminal devices 150 may be, for example, terminal devices 150 used by technicians maintaining the conveyance system 110. Such devices may be, for example, mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PCs, virtual glasses, wearable devices, or any other type of display device communicatively connected to the control system 120. The terminal devices 150 under discussion are capable of generating extended reality content remotely or on-site according to the embodiment.

[0050] The communication connection mentioned above can be achieved by using wired communication technology, wireless communication technology, or any combination of the two. For example, a wireless communication network such as a mobile communication network can be used to communicate with the terminal device 150, for example. Additionally, the entities, in particular the personnel conveyance system 110, the control system 120, and one or more data memories 130, 140 can be remotely located in the same place, or these methods can be combined in any applicable way.

[0051] Figure 2 An example of a method implemented by the control system 120 communicatively connected to the other described entities is schematically shown. The purpose of this method is to generate information describing the maintenance of the personnel conveyance system 110. Such information can be, for example, information that enables the identification of an object (such as a component) from the personnel conveyance system 110, information that enables the performance of maintenance tasks for the personnel conveyance system 110, information listing the relevant components related to the maintenance tasks, or any combination of these and other corresponding information.

[0052] In step 210, the control system 120 receives data describing the state of the personnel conveyance system 110. As already mentioned, the data describing the state of the personnel conveyance system 110 can refer to measurement data. The data describing the state of the personnel conveyance system 110 can also carry data identifying the personnel conveyance system 110. Alternatively or additionally, the data describing the personnel conveyance system 110 can describe a fault of the personnel conveyance system 110, such as a fault code, for example, together with the data identifying the personnel conveyance system 110.

[0053] In response to receiving 110 the data describing the state of the personnel conveyance system 110, the control system 120 can obtain 220 the data defining the digital twin 132, which corresponds to at least a part of the personnel conveyance system 110 from which the data is received 210. The obtaining 220 of the data defining the digital twin 132 can be performed by querying the data memories 130, 140 arranged to store such data. The query can carry data identifying the personnel conveyance system 110 or at least its sub-entities to enable the data memories 130, 140 to return the digital twin data 132 corresponding to the data based on which the query is made. As mentioned above, data identifying the personnel conveyance system 110 can be received in step 210. As a result of the query, the data memories 130, 140 return the digital twin data 132 (i.e., the digital model of the personnel conveyance system 110 or a part thereof) to the control system 120. As mentioned above, the digital twin data 132 can also define a machine learning model of the personnel conveyance system 110 or a part thereof, which is configured to perform operations considered to be simulations by inputting data.

[0054] In response to receiving digital twin data 132, control system 120 may be configured to simulate 230 the operation of digital twin 132 using data describing the state of the people conveyor system 110. This may correspond to an arrangement in which control system 120 is configured to read and execute data defining digital twin 132 of the corresponding people conveyor system 110, i.e., at least simulate the operation of people conveyor system 110 with digital twin 132 model. The simulation 230 according to the present invention may be performed such that the received data describing the state of people conveyor system 110 is input as one or more parameters into the digital twin 132 model, which causes the digital twin 132 model to resemble the real people conveyor system 110 in operation. Additionally, in some embodiments, simulation 230 includes inputting data describing the state of people conveyor system 110 into a machine learning model that is trained to identify, in a deviated manner, the root cause (if any) of the operation of people conveyor system 110. By performing simulation 230 in the manner described, deviations from the simulation model in operation can be detected by computational means, the simulation model being arranged to operate in an optimal or desired manner, and this approach enables identification of one or more root causes of the deviated operation. The root cause may be, for example, a failure of one or more components or component assemblies in people conveyor system 110. Thus, as a result of simulation 230, one or more entities of people conveyor system 110 operating in a deviated manner compared to a reference can be identified. The result of simulation 230 may also be data generating a list of maintenance tasks that need to be performed in order to correct the deviation in operation. Such a list may, for example, list maintenance tasks with predefined codes or the like so that control system 120 can use them at least internally in further steps of the method. According to some example embodiments of the present invention, the term maintenance task should be understood in a broad manner to also cover a list of root causes of deviated operation.

[0055] In the above method, the digital twin 132 is considered a system-level model of the people conveyance system 110, but in some other methods, the digital twin 132 can correspond to at least a portion of the people conveyance system 110. In other words, the digital twin 132 of the people conveyance system 110 can be defined as a collection of sub-models of the people conveyance system 110, i.e., sub-digital twins 132. In this method, multiple sub-digital twins 132 can be models of multiple sub-entities of a people conveyance system 110 of a certain people conveyance system 110. In this method, for example, the fault code received in step 210 as described can be used, such as together with data identifying the people conveyance system 110, to obtain 220 (such as select) data defining the digital twin 132, where the digital twin 132 corresponds to a sub-entity of the people conveyance system 110 for simulation 230. For example, the fault code can indicate, for example, that the elevator car has experienced an unacceptable amount of vibration, and thus one or more sub-digital twins 132 defined as being related to the vibration of the elevator car can be obtained for use in the simulation. For example, one such sub-digital twin 132 can describe the operation of the bearings of an electric motor or any pulley around which the elevator ropes extend. This method can more accurately lead to the actual root cause of a fault in a more efficient manner and lead to the selection of accurate extended reality data 142 with any other data, as described in the upcoming description.

[0056] That is, in response to the simulation 230 and the detection of one or more root causes, the control system 240 is configured to obtain 240 from the respective data memories 130, 140 what is referred to as extended reality data 142 based on the simulation 230 of the operation of the people conveyor system 110. The obtaining 240 of the extended reality data 142 may refer to a mechanism in which the control system 120 includes as a parameter a certain piece of data describing an entity of the people conveyor system 110 in which a failure has occurred, obtained in the simulation 230. Such data may be, for example, at least a part of the simulation data or at least the result data of the simulation 230. In some other embodiments, the data may directly identify one or more entities, such as components of the people conveyor system 110 that have failed based on the detection performed in the simulation 230. Alternatively or additionally, the data may identify a maintenance task or tasks if such tasks are derived during the simulation 230 phase. As described, the purpose of step 240 of the method is to receive the extended reality data 142 in response to a query of the data memories 130, 140, where the extended reality data 142 is related in a predefined manner to the detected aspects in the operation of the people conveyor system 110. For example, the relationship may correspond to the detection of one or more entities of the people conveyor system 110 identified as being involved in a failure of the people conveyor system 110, and the obtained extended reality data 142 represents in some way measurements regarding the identified entities, such as components of the people conveyor system 110. For example, the extended reality data 142 may describe maintenance tasks that need to be performed on the identified entities in order to resolve the failure situation. Depending on the subtype of the extended reality data 142, it may be data that visually highlights some components in the representation, or it may be a guide for performing a maintenance task. For example, the extended reality data 142 may be augmented reality data that can be integrated with the real-world visualization, or it may be virtual reality data representing real-world things in a virtual space, as is commonly known. The extended reality data may be implemented as an animation, a video, or a simulation. For example, the animation may primarily consider size limitations (so that components do not collide), the video may be a recorded instruction, and the simulation may be an animation that takes into account physical outputs (such as displacement, speed, current, etc.) and may therefore be considered more accurate, i.e., closer to reality.

[0057] Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, the control system 120 may also be configured to obtain 250 data describing components based on simulating the operation of the people conveyor system 110 using the digital twin 132. In other words, the simulation may be based on a simulation using a simulation model (i.e., using the digital twin 142) to generate a list of components related to or at least assumed to be related to a deviated operation of the people conveyor system 110. The list of components may also define one or more tools required to perform maintenance operations on the people conveyor system 110 and the components therein. As described above and asFigure 2 As shown by the dashed line in, step 250 may be optional and, for example, depend on the application area of the present invention. For example, in the case where the present invention is used to prepare a maintenance visit for a technician, step 250 may be implemented to generate a list of items that the technician will carry with them for the visit. On the other hand, if the present invention is used for training purposes, step 250 need not be implemented. Thus, in some example embodiments, the method is implemented such that the process proceeds directly from step 240 to step 260.

[0058] In response to the previous step, the control system 120 is ready to generate 260 a message to a terminal device 150, for example owned by a technician. The 260 message is generated such that the message includes information describing the maintenance of the personnel conveyor system 110 in a data packet that includes at least extended reality data 142, but also data describing components related to the state of the personnel conveyor system 110 according to some embodiments. The generation 260 of the message should be understood to cover any method of generating the message in terms of the various possibilities of delivering and providing data to the recipient, i.e., using point-to-point communication or leveraging any application, such as an application cloud computing environment. The data in the message can be executed by the terminal device 150 such that information describing the maintenance of the personnel conveyor system 110 can be generated. For the sake of clarity, it is worth mentioning that, in the context of the present invention, the generation 260 of the message can also be implemented such that the data including the extended reality data included in the data packet is a network link to a memory arranged to store the corresponding extended reality data. The storage or determination of the storage location can be performed, for example, in the above-mentioned step 240. In other words, the extended reality data in the data packet can be the extended reality data itself or a network link to a network location storing the corresponding extended reality data. The recipient can access the data accordingly with her / his terminal device 150. The method of storing the extended reality data as well as the data describing the components in a data memory accessible using one or more network links included in the data packet has the advantage of optimizing (such as minimizing) the amount of data delivered in the message, which saves communication resources as well as memory resources, especially in the terminal device. In view of the above, the term data packet should be understood as a vehicle carrying one or more desired pieces of data between the control system 120 and the terminal device 150.

[0059] Figure 3 An example of such a device configurable to implement the operation of the control system 120 is schematically shown in. The control system 120 can be configured to execute the method according to the present invention as described in the examples in the previous description. Thus, Figure 3 the device can be configured to execute the generation of information describing the maintenance of the personnel conveyor system 110. For the sake of clarity, it is worth mentioning that, Figure 3The block diagram depicts some of the components of entities that can be used to implement the functionality of the apparatus. Figure 3 The apparatus includes a processor 310 and a memory 320. The memory 320 can store data, such as the described data segments, but can also store computer program code 325 that causes associations in the described manner. The apparatus can also include a communication interface 330, such as a wireless communication interface or a communication interface for wired communication, or both, to communicate with other described entities. Thus, the communication interface 330 can include one or more modems, antennas, and any other hardware and software for enabling communication, for example, under the control of the processor 310. In addition, I / O (input / output) components can be arranged together with the processor 310 and a portion of the computer program code 325 to provide a user interface for receiving input from a user (such as from a technician) and / or providing output to the user of the apparatus when necessary. In particular, the user I / O components can include user input devices, such as one or more keys or buttons, a keyboard, a touch screen, or a touchpad, etc. The user I / O components can include output devices, such as speakers, a display, or a touch screen. The components of the apparatus can be communicatively connected to each other via a data bus that enables the transmission of data and control information between the components.

[0060] At least a portion of the memory 320 and the computer program code 325 stored therein can also be arranged together with the processor 310 to cause the apparatus to perform at least a portion of the method described herein. The processor 310 can be configured to read from and write to the memory 320. Although the processor 310 is depicted as a corresponding single component, it can be implemented as a corresponding one or more separate processing components. Similarly, although the memory 320 is depicted as a corresponding single component, it can be implemented as a corresponding one or more separate components, some or all of which can be integrated / removable and / or can provide permanent / semi-permanent / dynamic / cache storage.

[0061] The computer program code 325 may include computer-executable instructions that, when loaded into the processor 310 of the corresponding control system 120, implement functions corresponding to the steps implemented in the method. As an example, the computer program code 325 may include a computer program consisting of one or more sequences of one or more instructions. The processor 310 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 320. One or more sequences of one or more instructions may be configured to cause a device such as a computer to perform the described method when executed by the processor 310. Thus, the device may include at least one processor 310 and at least one memory 320, the at least one memory 320 including computer program code 325 for one or more programs, and the at least one memory 320 and the computer program code 325 being configured to, together with the at least one processor 310, cause the device implementing the control system 120 to perform the method. For completeness, it is worth mentioning that at least a part of the computer program code 325 may correspond to a digital twin 132 of the corresponding people conveyor system 110, and it may be implemented as an analog model, such as a machine learning model.

[0062] The computer program code 325 or at least some parts thereof may be provided, for example, as a computer program product including at least one computer-readable non-transitory medium having the computer program code 325 stored thereon, the computer program code 325 causing the device to perform the method when executed by the processor 310. The computer-readable non-transitory medium may include a storage device or a recording medium, such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc, or another article tangibly embodying the computer program. As another example, the computer program may be provided as a signal configured to reliably transmit the computer program.

[0063] Furthermore, the computer program code 325 may include a proprietary application, such as computer program code for causing the execution of the method in the manner described in the present description.

[0064] Any of the programming functions mentioned may also be performed in firmware or hardware adapted or programmed to perform the necessary tasks.

[0065] For completeness, it is worth mentioning that the entity performing the method in the role of the control system 120 may also be implemented with multiple devices, such as Figure 3 the devices schematically shown in, as a distributed computing environment corresponding to the control system. For example, one of the devices may be communicatively connected to other devices and, for example, share the data of the method so that another device performs at least one other part of the method. As a result, the method executed in the distributed computing environment generates a control signal indicating the distribution of responsibilities as described.

[0066] The above solution can be used for various purposes. For example, it can be used to train technicians to perform various maintenance tasks in real-world situations, as the operation of the real-world personnel conveyance system 110 is monitored. Thus, the data generated for the technicians can be training data expressed at least partially by applying extended reality technology therein. On the other hand, the solution according to the present invention can be applied in the context of actual maintenance tasks or operations. For example, in response to the generated message, the technician can prepare for access by arranging all the necessary components with her / him, and when entering the site, the technician can receive instructions to perform the maintenance task by utilizing extended reality technology. All of these improve the preparation for and the conduct of the maintenance access.

[0067] The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the applicability and / or interpretation of the appended claims. The lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless otherwise expressly stated.

Claims

1. A method for generating information describing maintenance of a people conveyor system (110), the method being executed by a control system (120), the method comprising: receiving (210) data describing the state of a people conveyor system (110), obtaining (220) data defining a digital twin (132) that corresponds to at least a part of the people conveyor system (110), simulating (230) the operation of the people conveyor system (110) with the digital twin (132) having data describing the state of the people conveyor system (110), obtaining (240) extended reality data (142) based on simulating the operation of the people conveyor system (110) with the digital twin (132), generating (260) a message to a terminal device (150), the message including information describing maintenance of the people conveyor system (110) in a data packet that at least includes extended reality data related to the state of the people conveyor system (110).

2. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the following steps before generating (260) the message: obtaining (250) data describing components based on simulating (230) the operation of the people conveyor system (110) with the digital twin (132).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the data describing the components is included in the generated message together with the extended reality data.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the data describing the state of the people conveyor system (110) is at least one of the following: measurement data obtained from the people conveyor system (110); a fault code obtained from the people conveyor system (110).

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the people conveyor system (110) is identified according to the data describing the state of the people conveyor system (110).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the identification data of the people conveyor system (110) is used to obtain data defining the digital twin (132) of the people conveyor system (110).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the fault code is used together with the identification data to obtain data defining the digital twin (132) corresponding to at least a part of the people conveyor system (110).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the fault code is used to select the digital twin (132) defining a sub - entity of the people conveyor system (110).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one component related to the state of the people conveyor system (110) is identified by simulating the operation of the digital twin (132) with the data describing the state of the people conveyor system (110).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein information about the at least one component is included in the data describing the components related to the state of the people conveyor system (110).

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein extended reality data (142) for an operation based on the digital twin (132) is selected based on at least one component identified as being related to the state of the people conveyor system (110).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the extended reality data (142) provides a visualization describing a maintenance operation for the at least one component.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the extended reality data (142) is one of the following: augmented reality data, virtual data.

14. A control system (120) for generating information describing maintenance of a people conveyor system (110), the control system (120) being configured to: receive (210) data describing the state of the people conveyor system (110), obtain (220) data defining a digital twin (132) corresponding to at least a part of the people conveyor system (110), simulate (230) the operation of the people conveyor system (110) with the digital twin (132) having data describing the state of the people conveyor system (110), obtain (240) extended reality data (142) based on the simulation of the operation of the people conveyor system (110) with the digital twin (132), generate (260) a message to a terminal device (150), the message including information describing maintenance of the people conveyor system (110) in a data packet, the data packet at least including extended reality related to the state of the people conveyor system (110).

15. The control system (120) according to claim 14, the control system (120) being configured to, before generating (260) the message: obtain (250) data describing components based on the simulation (230) of the operation of the people conveyor system (110) with the digital twin (132).

16. The control system (120) according to claim 15, wherein the control system (120) is configured to include the data describing the components in the generated message with the extended reality data.

17. The control system (120) according to any one of the preceding claims 14 to 16, wherein the control system (120) is configured to receive at least one of the following: measurement data obtained from the people conveyor system (110); a fault code obtained from the people conveyor system (110), as data describing the state of the people conveyor system (110).

18. The control system (120) according to any one of the preceding claims 14 to 17, wherein the control system (120) is configured to identify the people conveyor system (110) based on the data describing the state of the people conveyor system (110).

19. The control system (120) according to claim 18, wherein the control system (120) is configured to use identification data of the people conveyor system (110) to obtain data defining a digital twin (132) of the people conveyor system (110).

20. The control system (120) according to claim 19, wherein the control system (120) is configured to use the fault code together with the identification data to obtain data defining a digital twin (132) corresponding to at least a part of the people conveyor system (110).

21. The control system (120) according to claim 20, wherein the control system (120) is configured to use the fault code to select the digital twin (132) defining a sub - entity of the people conveyor system (110).

22. The control system (120) according to any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein the control system (120) is configured to identify at least one component related to the state of the people conveyor system (110) by simulating the operation of the digital twin (132) with data describing the state of the people conveyor system (110).

23. The control system (120) according to claim 22, wherein the control system (120) is configured to include information about the at least one component in data describing components related to the state of the people conveyor system (110).

24. The control system (120) according to any one of claims 22 or 23, wherein the control system (120) is configured to select the extended reality data (142) based on the at least one component identified as related to the state of the people conveyor system (110) and based on a simulation (230) of the operation of the digital twin (132).

25. The control system (120) according to claim 24, wherein the extended reality data (142) provides a visualization describing maintenance operations for the at least one component.

26. The control system (120) according to any one of the preceding claims 14 to 25, wherein the extended reality data (142) is one of the following: augmented reality data, virtual data.

27. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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