Method for Controlling Elevator Equipment Using a Computer-Controlled Mobile Device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method (400) for controlling an elevator installation (100) using a computer-controlled mobile device (102). The elevator installation (100) may include an elevator shaft (106) having a plurality of shaft thresholds (112) each assigned to one floor, an elevator car (104) having a car threshold (110) and capable of being moved along the elevator shaft (106), and a control unit (120) for moving (400) the elevator car (104). The mobile device (102) may include an evaluation unit (300) designed to communicate with the control unit (120). The method (400) first includes receiving information (306, 308, 312) generated using at least one component (122, 124, 125; 302, 304, 310) of the mobile device (102) as a result of a height discrepancy (114) between the car threshold (110) and a current shaft threshold (112) located across from the car threshold (110) at an evaluation unit (300). The information (306, 308, 312) is then evaluated to generate control information (314) for moving (400) the elevator car (104). Finally, the control information (314) is sent to a control unit (120) to move the elevator car (104) such that the height discrepancy (114) between the car threshold (110) and the current shaft threshold (112) is minimized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling elevator equipment using a computer-controlled mobile device. The present invention also relates to an evaluation unit, elevator equipment, a computer program product, and a computer-readable medium including such a computer program product, which are designed to execute the proposed method.

Background Art

[0002] Elevators are used to transport people or goods between different floors or levels of a building or structure. Before an elevator is put into operation, at each stop position of the elevator, the door sill of the elevator car is usually required to be set at each individual floor via an elevator control device so that it is at approximately the same height as the door sill or floor sill of the associated floor.

[0003] To measure the individual height deviation between the door sill of the elevator car and the door sill or floor sill of the floor, technicians usually move from floor to floor in the elevator car, manually measure and record the individual height deviation. After measuring all the floors, the technician manually enters the recorded measurement values into the elevator controller.

[0004] It is known to record measurement values related to elevator equipment using a mobile terminal device, such as a smartphone, or to display or set configuration data for configuring elevator equipment via a mobile terminal device.

[0005] For example, International Publication No. 2018 / 050470A1 describes a method by which measurements can be recorded as soon as the mobile terminal device is recognized as being in the shaft door area of ​​an elevator system, via a sensor integrated within the mobile terminal device. The measurements can then be transmitted to a central evaluation unit, such as a server, for evaluation.

[0006] International Publication No. 2017 / 064191A1 discloses a method by which the position data of the elevator car's stopping position can be displayed on a mobile terminal device and modified by corresponding user input. The car's stopping position can be measured using position measuring means within the elevator system. The modified position data can then be transmitted to the elevator system's configuration unit.

[0007] Previously, measuring and setting individual stopping positions for elevator systems was a relatively complex and error-prone process requiring trained personnel and extremely meticulous work procedures. In particular, reading errors or misprints were difficult to avoid with sufficient reliability when measurements were manually recorded and written down, thus typically requiring additional test runs to check the stopping positions set based on the measurements.

[0008] In particular, there may be a need for a method of controlling elevator equipment using a computer-controlled mobile device in which the setting of the elevator car's stopping position can be performed in a simplified, faster, more cost-effective, and / or error-free manner. Furthermore, there may be a need for a properly configured evaluation unit and elevator equipment communicating with such evaluation unit, as well as a computer program product configured to implement the method, and a computer-readable medium provided with the product. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 050470 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2017 / 064191 [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] This type of need can be satisfied by the subject matter described in any one of the independent claims of the present invention. Useful embodiments are defined in the dependent claims and the following description.

[0011] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for controlling an elevator system using a computer-controlled mobile device. The elevator system may comprise an elevator shaft having a plurality of shaft sills, each assigned to a single floor; an elevator car having a car sill and being able to move along the elevator shaft; and a control unit for moving the elevator car. The mobile device may have an evaluation unit designed to communicate with the control unit. The method comprises at least the following steps, preferably in the order provided: In the first step, information generated using at least one component of the mobile device as a result of the height difference between the car sill and the current shaft sill located opposite the car sill is received by the evaluation unit. Subsequently, in the second step, this information is evaluated and control information for moving the elevator car is generated. Finally, in the third step, this control information is sent to the control unit to move the elevator car such that the height difference between the car sill and the current shaft sill is minimized.

[0012] A second aspect of the present invention relates to an evaluation unit designed to carry out and / or control a method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention.

[0013] A third aspect of the present invention relates to an elevator system comprising an elevator shaft having a plurality of shaft sills, each assigned to a single floor; an elevator car having a car sill and capable of moving along the elevator shaft; and a control unit for moving the elevator car. The control unit is designed to communicate with an evaluation unit according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention.

[0014] A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a computer program product having computer-readable instructions, which, when executed on a computer-controlled mobile device, instructs the device to carry out a method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention.

[0015] A fifth aspect of the present invention relates to a computer-readable medium on which a computer program product according to an embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention is stored.

[0016] Possible features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention may be based, without particular limitation, on the concepts and findings described below.

[0017] As indicated at the outset, adjusting the height of the elevator car relative to the door openings on individual floors has historically relied primarily on manual processes, which can be associated with a corresponding susceptibility to errors. In particular, the process of a technician applying a measuring tape, reading the measurement, writing down the measurement, and finally entering the measurement into the elevator controller can lead to inaccuracies and errors that may necessitate further height adjustments, including subsequent checks of the individual stopping positions of the elevator car, and, if necessary, even further checks. For example, measurements may be unintentionally confused and assigned to the wrong floor.

[0018] Elevator controllers typically have an integrated human-machine interface, or HMI for short, through which technicians can input or modify configuration data. For convenience, the human-machine interface includes a display and several input keys for operating the elevator controller. Depending on the design of the human-machine interface, manual input of measurements into the elevator control device can be cumbersome and therefore prone to errors. This is why proper training of technicians is usually required for correct operation.

[0019] Therefore, the entire process of adjusting the height can be extremely complex and time-consuming.

[0020] Therefore, in short, the method presented herein proposes using a computer-controlled mobile device, in particular a smartphone, tablet, or laptop computer, to perform (fine) adjustments to the individual stopping positions of the elevator car.

[0021] A mobile device can generally be understood as a portable electronic device that can be easily carried by technicians. An application (also known as an app) specifically programmed for (fine) adjustment of the stopping position can be run on the mobile device. Using this application, along with the option of wired and / or wireless data communication, which is usually available for modern computer-controlled mobile devices, the mobile device can be specially configured to exchange data with the control unit that controls the elevator equipment. For example, the application can be programmed to send control commands to the control unit to move the elevator car, and as a result, the mobile device conveniently functions as a kind of remote control of the control unit. (Fine) adjustment of the stopping position can thus be performed without manually inputting correction values ​​into the control unit beforehand, thereby saving time and eliminating a potential source of error.

[0022] Furthermore, modern mobile devices are often equipped with sensors for measuring various physical variables. These sensors can be advantageously used to automatically measure, at least largely, measurements that were previously measured, read, and entered manually, and transmit them to a control unit using the data communication options described above. This eliminates the need to manually measure the height difference between the cage sill and the door sill, or more precisely, the need to read, write down, and enter (and potentially repeat) individual measurements related to this point.

[0023] In other words, the overall process of adjusting the height of the elevator car, or more precisely, the (fine) adjustment of the car sill with respect to the shaft sill of each individual floor, can be significantly accelerated, simplified, and made more convenient using the method shown in this specification. In particular, reading errors and input errors can be avoided through direct data communication between the mobile device and the control unit. This means that in most cases, there is no need for additional learning or test runs as was previously required. Also, when the data required for the (fine) adjustment of the height position of the elevator car is sent directly from the mobile device to the control unit using the method shown in this specification, in some cases, the complex handling of the user interface of the control unit, and thus also the corresponding training of the technicians, can be dispensed with.

[0024] The car sill can be understood to mean the sill of the elevator car, particularly the door sill of the car door of the elevator car. The shaft sill can be understood to mean the elevator shaft sill assigned to the floor, particularly the door sill of the shaft door. In more general terms, the shaft sill can also be understood as the lower end of the shaft opening through which the elevator car is accessible from the floor.

[0025] The control unit can be understood to mean a module having a plurality of electrical and / or electronic components for controlling various actuators of the elevator equipment, particularly devices for moving the elevator car, for example. For example, the control unit can be designed to communicate with the mobile device via a wired and / or wireless data communication link, such as a cellular radio phone, WLAN, or Bluetooth connection.

[0026] The evaluation unit can be understood as an electronic module integrated into a mobile device and configured to execute a computer control application for controlling elevator equipment. The evaluation unit can be designed to be similar to the control unit in order to communicate directly with the control unit via a wired and / or wireless data communication link. Alternatively, data communication with the control unit can be performed via a communication component of a mobile device arranged separately from the evaluation unit, and the evaluation unit can send control information to the control unit via the communication component.

[0027] For example, the information generated using at least one component of the mobile device can be information generated as a result of user input, such as by touching the touch-sensitive screen of the mobile device, or information generated by one or more integrated sensors of the mobile device. The user input can occur, for example, when a technician determines the height deviation between the car door and the current shaft door, and as a result, an input corresponding to the application running on the mobile device is made, corresponding information is generated, and received by the evaluation unit. Specifically, the input can also be, for example, a control command for moving the elevator car or the value of the height deviation measured by the technician. The integrated sensor can be, for example, an inclination sensor for measuring the inclination of the mobile device or a height sensor for measuring the height of the mobile device. The integrated sensor can be used, for example, to measure the height deviation and generate corresponding information, which is subsequently received by the evaluation unit.

[0028] The height difference can be understood as a vertical offset between the car sill and the current shaft sill, i.e., an offset in the direction of the elevator car's movement. In other words, at the elevator car's stopping position, the car sill may be lowered or raised relative to the current shaft sill in accordance with the height difference. As a result, a corresponding step is formed, which can be an obstacle when entering or exiting the elevator car. By generating and transmitting appropriate control information, the elevator car can be moved until the step is eliminated, i.e., until the car sill and the current shaft sill are at approximately the same height, and therefore a transition without a step is achieved. Depending on the requirements, this adjustment can be performed with an accuracy of, for example, a single-digit millimeter range, and in this sense can be referred to as fine-tuning.

[0029] Control information may include, for example, one or more control commands generated based on user input for controlling a control unit, and / or sensor data generated by one or more sensors of a mobile device, and / or data obtained through further processing of this sensor data.

[0030] As already mentioned, the mobile device may have a tilt sensor. In one embodiment, the control information may include sensor data generated by the tilt sensor at the mobile device's position. Since the mobile device is placed on the cage sill on one side and on the current shaft sill on the other, it has a tilt angle that depends on the height difference between the cage sill and the current shaft sill. The control information may include information on the height difference determined based on the sensor data.

[0031] For example, to measure the inclination angle using a tilt sensor, the mobile device can be placed vertically, horizontally, or in any other predetermined orientation on the gap between the elevator car sill and the current shaft sill. To measure the inclination angle, a highly precise orientation of the mobile device relative to the elevator car sill and the current shaft sill may be specified. In particular, the orientation may be predetermined according to the type of device of the mobile device, i.e., its dimensions and shape. This ensures that the inclination angle measurement is performed under approximately the same measurement conditions on each floor.

[0032] The tilt angle can be measured at the stationary and / or fluctuating positions of the mobile device. The position of the mobile device may change when measuring the tilt angle, for example, as the elevator car moves according to the height displacement while the mobile device is placed on the car sill and current shaft sill. Therefore, minimizing the height displacement can be done as part of a closed control loop in which continuous feedback on the change in height displacement is provided to the control unit.

[0033] Height deviation information can be, for example, a length value calculated from sensor data that indicates the vertical offset between the car sill and the current shaft sill. However, height deviation information can also include values ​​for height deviation from the sensor data itself or manually entered into the application by the user. The length value can be, for example, a dimensional value in millimeters or a ratio. Alternatively, or in addition, height deviation information can indicate a change in the length value calculated from sensor data as the elevator car moves. For example, in this case, height deviation information can indicate whether the length value increases or decreases as the elevator car moves. Height deviation information can also simply indicate whether the height deviation is positive or negative, i.e., whether the car sill is above or below the current shaft sill.

[0034] A particular advantage of this embodiment is that manual recording of measurements by technicians can be omitted, and instead, sensor data that can be provided by tilt sensors, which are often already present at no additional cost, can be used, especially when a smartphone can be used. Since a mobile device can be used as a measuring device without changing any significant hardware, additional measuring devices, such as those that are part of an elevator system, are not required for (fine) adjustment of the stopping position.

[0035] In one embodiment, the height displacement information may indicate a first direction and / or a second direction. The control unit may be configured to move the elevator car in the first direction and / or the second direction based on the height displacement information. The first and second directions may be opposite to each other. For example, the control unit may be configured to move the elevator car in the first direction when the height displacement information indicates the second direction, i.e., to raise the elevator car when the height displacement information indicates that the car sill is below the current shaft sill. Alternatively, or in addition, the control unit may be configured to move the elevator car in the second direction when the height displacement information indicates the first direction, i.e., to lower the elevator car when the height displacement information indicates that the car sill is above the current shaft sill. As a result, the elevator equipment can be controlled in a direction-based manner to minimize the height displacement. This has the advantage of avoiding uncertainties associated with positioning the mobile device as accurately as possible relative to the cage and shaft sill, which can occur, for example, when measuring the absolute value of the inclination angle.

[0036] In one embodiment, sensor data can be evaluated along with a predetermined target range for the inclination angle. In this way, if the inclination angle is within the specified target range, an end command to terminate the movement can be generated and sent to the control unit. The target range can be selected such that, after the elevator car has been adjusted, the car sill ends at approximately the same height as the current shaft sill, provided the inclination angle is within the target range. The target range can include values ​​of, for example, 0 to 2 degrees, depending on the requirements. The target range can also be selected such that, after the elevator car has been adjusted, the height deviation is at most 2 mm, 5 mm, or 10 mm. As a result, when the elevator car adjustment is performed with sufficient precision, the movement of the elevator car can be automatically terminated.

[0037] In one embodiment, the information may include user input to an application run using a mobile device for controlling the elevator equipment. The control information may include control commands to a control unit based on user input. As already mentioned, user input may include, for example, touching the control portion of the touch-sensitive screen of the mobile device, or / or in addition, activating a physical control button on the mobile device. The application may be configured to translate user input into corresponding control commands that can be read by the elevator equipment's control unit. The application may be written in any programming language and may be programmed with corresponding interfaces, such as in the form of control surfaces and / or input fields. The control command may, for example, specify the movement of the elevator car. Alternatively, or in addition, the control command may also represent a value of height deviation entered by the user, which can be used by the control unit to move the elevator car accordingly. In particular, if the data communication between the mobile device and the control unit is wireless, as is common with modern mobile devices, this embodiment allows technicians to control the elevator equipment in a substantially location-independent manner.

[0038] In one embodiment, the application may include a first interface for inputting upward movement and / or a second interface for inputting downward movement. A first control command may be generated to move the elevator car upward when input is received via the first interface, and / or a second control command may be generated to move the elevator car downward when input is received via the second interface. The interfaces may be designed as touch-sensitive control surfaces, also referred to as buttons, for example. The control surfaces may be arranged separately from each other and / or visually distinct from each other. This greatly simplifies the operation of the application and, consequently, the control of the elevator equipment, especially compared to the user interfaces of conventional elevator control devices.

[0039] In one embodiment, a control command can specify the path and / or direction of movement of the elevator car and / or duration and / or speed of movement. As a result, the elevator car can be moved with extreme precision, and can be moved at particularly low speeds, for example, depending on the requirements.

[0040] In one embodiment, the control information may include floor information relating to the floor currently assigned to the shaft threshold. The floor information can encode floor numbers, such as "1st floor" or "2nd floor." This allows the control information to be automatically assigned to a specific floor, thus avoiding potential confusion that may occur when measurements and floor information are manually entered.

[0041] In one embodiment, the mobile device may have a height sensor. The information may include further sensor data generated by the height sensor. Floor information can be generated based on the further sensor data. The height sensor may be, for example, a barometer or GPS sensor on the mobile device. Correspondingly, the further sensor data may be barometric pressure data or geographic location data, which can indicate the height of the mobile device, and therefore the height of the car or shaft threshold. Thus, floor information can be generated without the use of additional sensors, such as permanently installed magnetic sensors and corresponding cord tapes, which may be used in conventional elevator systems.

[0042] Embodiments of the described method can be advantageously carried out using an evaluation unit according to an embodiment of a second aspect of the present invention.

[0043] Such evaluation units may be able to carry out embodiments of the described method using an application according to a third embodiment of the present invention, which is programmed specifically for this purpose.

[0044] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a computer program product may be configured, when executed on a computer-controlled mobile device, to cause the mobile device to perform a step or to control the mobile device to perform a step as part of the method described herein. In other words, a computer program product of the fourth aspect of the present invention may be considered an application on which a mobile device is programmed to perform a task in the method described herein. The computer program product may be programmed in any computer language.

[0045] Computer program products can be stored on any computer-readable medium. For example, computer program products can be stored on portable computer-readable media such as flash memory, CDs, or DVDs. Alternatively, computer program products can be stored on a permanently installed computer or server and downloaded from there via a network such as the internet. In particular, computer program products can be stored on computers that are part of a cloud.

[0046] It should be noted that some possible features and advantages of the present invention are described herein with reference to different embodiments of a control method, an evaluation unit configured to implement the control method, and / or elevator equipment communicating therewith. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the features of the present invention may be appropriately combined, modified, or replaced to arrive at further embodiments of the present invention.

[0047] Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, but neither the drawings nor the description are intended to be construed as limiting the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0048] [Figure 1] An elevator system and a computer-controlled mobile device for carrying out a method according to one embodiment of the present invention are shown. [Figure 2] This document shows an elevator system and a computer-controlled mobile device for carrying out a method according to a further embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This document shows a computer-controlled mobile device having an evaluation unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] A flowchart of the method according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0049] The drawings are merely schematic and not to scale.

[0050] Figure 1 shows an elevator system 100 and a computer-controlled mobile device 102 for carrying out a method according to one embodiment of the present invention. The elevator system 100 comprises an elevator car 104 that can be moved within an elevator shaft 106. The elevator shaft 106 is schematically shown herein to have shaft openings 108 along the walls, allowing access to the elevator car 104 from, for example, a floor of a building. In practice, the elevator shaft 106 may have multiple such shaft openings 108, depending on the number of floors in the building. The elevator car 104 is at a stopping position opposite the shaft opening 108. The car sill 110 of the elevator car 104 is slightly vertically offset from the shaft sill 112 of the shaft opening 108, i.e., there is a height difference 114 between the car sill 110 and the shaft sill 112. This is represented as a small step between the elevator car 104 and the floor 116 of the associated floor. In particular, the cage sill 110 and the shaft sill 112 are door sills in both cases. As an example, in Figure 1, the cage sill 110 is located above the shaft sill 112.

[0051] Inside the elevator car 104 is a technician 118, such as a commissioning engineer, who moves from floor to floor to fine-tune the individual stopping positions of the elevator car 104 at each shaft opening 108. For this purpose, the technician 118 uses a mobile device 102, in this example a personal service smartphone. The mobile device 102 is designed to communicate with the control unit 120 of the elevator equipment 100. This communication takes place via a wireless data connection using cellular wireless telephone, WLAN, and / or Bluetooth, in particular, as shown in Figure 1. A dedicated application for controlling the elevator equipment 100 runs on the mobile device 102.

[0052] According to this embodiment, the application is configured to include a first interface 122 and a second interface 124 for processing input from the technician 118. The two interfaces 122 and 124 are designed here as separate touch-sensitive buttons that can be activated by touching the touch-sensitive screen 125 of the mobile device 102. The mobile device 102 is designed to generate a first control command 126 when the button of the first interface 122 labeled "Up" is touched, and to generate a second control command 128 when the button of the second interface 124 labeled "Down" is touched. The control commands 126 and 128 are transmitted wirelessly from the mobile device 102 to the control unit 120, which is designed to move the elevator car 104 upward when it receives the first control command 126, or downward when it receives the second control command 128. In this example, the technician 118 conveniently activates a button on the second interface 124 to move the elevator car 104 downward according to a height difference 114 so that the car sill 110 is at approximately the same height as the shaft sill 112. The mobile device 102 or an application running on it then functions as some kind of remote control of the control unit 120.

[0053] Depending on the application configuration, the technician 118 may input further information regarding the control of the elevator car 104, specifically values ​​relating to the elevator car 104's speed, duration of movement, or path, in addition to the direction of movement, into the mobile device 102. These values, as well as control commands 126 and 128, are sent to the control unit 120, which further processes them in a manner suitable for controlling the elevator car 104. Depending on the accuracy requirements for the positioning of the car sill 110 perpendicular to the shaft sill 112, the technician 118 may, for example, use the corresponding input in the application to move the elevator car 104 very slowly to reduce the height deviation 114 to a target range of a few millimeters, for example, from 0 to a maximum of 2 mm.

[0054] Figure 2 shows an elevator system 100 and a computer-controlled mobile device 102 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The situation shown is the same as in Figure 1, except that an integrated sensor system within the mobile device 102 is used here to detect height deviations 114 or to control the elevator car 104. Thus, the height deviations 114 are not detected here, for example, by the technician 118 himself measuring the height deviations 114 or simply by looking at them, but are detected in an automated manner using the mobile device 102 or an application running on the mobile device 102 that is programmed specifically for this purpose.

[0055] According to this embodiment, the mobile device 102 is designed to measure its tilt, which can be advantageously used to detect a height deviation 114. For this purpose, the technician 118 places the mobile device 102 on the cage sill 110 on one side and on the shaft sill 112 on the other side, so that the mobile device 102 has a tilt corresponding to the height deviation 114, which is measured as an inclination angle by the sensor system of the mobile device 102. Based on the inclination angle, the mobile device 102, or more precisely, the application running on the mobile device 102 to control the control unit 120, calculates height deviation information 200 indicating the height deviation 114. Depending on the design, the height displacement information 200 may include the absolute value of the height displacement 114, or, in addition, directional information indicating only the direction of the height displacement 114, i.e., whether the cage sill 110 has a positive offset, i.e., is above the shaft sill 112, or has a negative offset, i.e., is below the shaft sill 112, as shown in Figure 2.

[0056] The mobile device 102 then sends height displacement information 200 to the control unit 120, which evaluates the height displacement information 200 and is designed to move the elevator car 104 up or down depending on the result of this evaluation. In Figure 2, the height displacement information 200 shows a positive offset of the car sill 110 relative to the shaft sill 112. Therefore, the control unit 120 moves the elevator car 104 downward in the opposite direction of this positive offset.

[0057] On the other hand, if the height deviation information 200 includes an absolute length value calculated from the inclination angle with respect to the height deviation 114, this length value can then be used by the control unit 120 to determine the corresponding movement path of the elevator car 104. In this case, the control unit 120 moves the elevator car 104 based on the height deviation information 200 until the inclination angle measured, for example by the mobile device 102, or the length value calculated from the inclination angle, falls within a target range that specifies the precision to be achieved in the fine adjustment of the elevator car 104.

[0058] In one embodiment, once the target value range is reached, the mobile device 102 automatically sends an end command 202 to the control unit 120 to terminate the movement. For example, with the termination of such an automatic movement, the new stopping position of the elevator car 104 is automatically stored in the control unit 120.

[0059] It is even more advantageous if the mobile device 102 further sends floor information 204 to the control unit 120, and this information informs the control unit 120 of the floor where the elevator car 104 is currently located. Similar to the height deviation 114, the floor information 204 can also be determined using the sensor system of the mobile device 102, for example, using an integrated barometer or an integrated GPS sensor. This allows, for example, the height deviation information 200 to be automatically assigned to the relevant current floor.

[0060] Figure 3 shows a computer-controlled mobile device 102 having an evaluation unit 300 designed to carry out a method according to one embodiment of the present invention. The evaluation unit 300 is used, in particular, to perform the applications relating to Figures 1 and 2 described above.

[0061] In this embodiment, the mobile device 102 has a tilt sensor 302 on one side for measuring the tilt angle of the mobile device 102 and a height sensor 304 on the other side for measuring the height of the mobile device 102. The tilt sensor 302 and the height sensor 304 are components of the sensor system of the mobile device 102 as referred to in the context of Figures 1 and 2, and are each coupled to an evaluation unit 300, so that the tilt sensor 302 can send sensor data 306 regarding the measured tilt angle, and the height sensor 304 can send further sensor data 308 regarding the measured height to the evaluation unit 300. The evaluation unit 300 is designed to generate height deviation information 200 based on the sensor data 306 and send it to the control unit 120. It is also possible for the evaluation unit 300 to transfer the sensor data 306 directly to the control unit 120 for further processing. Alternatively, or in addition, the evaluation unit 300 is designed to generate floor information 204 based on further sensor data 308 and send it to the control unit 120. Again, the evaluation unit 300 may simply transfer further sensor data 308 to the control unit 120 instead of floor information 204, and the unit can determine the corresponding floor from the further sensor data 308.

[0062] Furthermore, the evaluation unit 300 is coupled to the touch-sensitive screen 125 via the input processing unit 310. The input processing unit 310 is designed to convert input from the technician 118 into corresponding input data 312 that can be evaluated by the evaluation unit 300.

[0063] Based on these data 306, 308, and 312, the evaluation unit 300 generates control information 314 suitable for processing by the control unit 120. Depending on the design, the control information 314 may include, as already described, control commands 126, 128, termination command 202, height deviation information 200, and / or floor information 204. Alternatively, or in addition, the control information 314 may include sensor data 306, further sensor data 308, and / or input data 312 for external processing by the control unit 120.

[0064] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of Method 400 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Method 400 can be carried out in conjunction with elevator equipment 100 and mobile device 102, for example, as described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0065] Method 400 includes a first step 410 in which information, e.g. input information 112, sensor data 306 and / or further sensor data 308, i.e., information generated as a result of the height deviation 114 using one or more components of the mobile device 102, e.g., screen 125, tilt sensor 302 and / or height sensor 304, is received by the evaluation unit 300.

[0066] Next, the evaluation unit 300 evaluates this information in a corresponding manner in the second step 420 in order to generate control information 314.

[0067] Finally, in the third step 430, the evaluation unit 300 sends control information 314 to the control unit 120 so that the control unit 120 can move the elevator car 104 up or down in a corresponding manner using the control information 314, thereby minimizing the height difference 114.

[0068] In addition, and with some deviation from previously used terminology by choice of words, possible characteristics, details and / or advantages of embodiments of the present invention can be described below.

[0069] In particular, when operating the elevator equipment 100, a mobile phone with a corresponding application is used as a mobile device 102 for precise adjustment of the car floor, including the car sill 110. The technician 118 moves from floor to floor in the elevator car 104, and in each case places the mobile phone 102 on the car sill 110, for example, the door sill of the elevator car 104, and the current shaft sill 112, for example, the door sill of the current floor. The tilt sensor 302 in the mobile phone 102 measures the tilt and calculates the deviation between the car position and the floor position. This deviation, along with the current floor position, is sent via a wireless communication link, for example, WLAN or Bluetooth, to an elevator controller in the form of a control unit 120, which then adjusts the car position accordingly.

[0070] As an alternative to, or in addition to, the automatic adjustment of the elevator car 104 by the control unit 120, the technician 118 may also tap, for example, a corresponding button on the application itself that is being activated, such as an up or down button, to correct the discrepancy between the car position and the floor position. The application sends this input information, also referred to as the input data 312 mentioned above, along with the current floor position, to the control unit 120 via a wireless communication link, and the control unit 120 adjusts the car position according to the input information.

[0071] As already mentioned, the technician 118 would normally move from floor to floor in the elevator car 104, measuring the discrepancy between the car's position and the floor's position using a measuring tape, and recording the measurements. After measuring all floors, the technician would input the recorded measurements into the elevator controller via the user interface. Under certain circumstances, further test runs would have been necessary.

[0072] In contrast, the method described herein offers the advantage of eliminating manual measurement and input of measurements via a user interface. This avoids errors during measurement or input. Instead, the floor position is stored in the application of the mobile phone 102 and sent to the control unit 120 along with the displacement measurements detected by the sensor. The resulting cage adjustment can be directly observed by the technician 118. This means that operation is much faster and less prone to errors.

[0073] In the first modified form, the mobile phone 102 is placed in the transition between the thresholds of the cage door and the floor door in order to measure the tilt angle of the mobile phone 102 using a tilt sensor 302 integrated inside the mobile phone 102. Subsequently, the height difference 114 between the two thresholds 110 and 112 is calculated based on the tilt angle.

[0074] Next, the calculated height difference 114 is transmitted to the control unit 120. Based on the height difference 114, the control unit 120 moves the elevator car 104, for example, until the mobile phone 102 is in a horizontal position, that is, until an incline of approximately 0 degrees is calculated.

[0075] In the second variant, the elevator car 104 is controlled by an application, or more precisely, by an engineer 118 who, via corresponding inputs in the application, specifies to the control unit 120 how far and in what direction the elevator car 104 should be moved so that the two thresholds 110 and 112 are aligned with each other. The mobile phone 102 communicates directly with the control unit 120, for example, via WLAN or Bluetooth. Communication via the cloud is also conceivable.

[0076] The mobile phone 102 can also autonomously determine its current floor location and transmit this height information, also referred to as the floor information 204, to the control unit 120.

[0077] For example, the mobile phone 102 may automatically provide feedback as soon as it reaches a horizontal position indicating that the measurement is complete.

[0078] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as “comprising” and “having” do not exclude other elements or steps, and that terms such as “a” or “an” do not exclude multiple elements or steps. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps described with reference to one of the embodiments described above may also be used in combination with other features or steps of the other embodiments described above. Reference numerals in the claims should not be considered limiting.

Claims

1. A method (400) for controlling an elevator installation (100) using a computer-controlled mobile device (102), the elevator installation (100) comprising an elevator shaft (106) having a plurality of shaft thresholds (112) each assigned to one floor, an elevator car (104) having a car threshold (110) and capable of being moved along the elevator shaft (106), and a control unit (120) for moving (400) the elevator car (104), the mobile device (102) having an evaluation unit (300) designed to communicate with the control unit (120), the method comprising: receiving (410) in the evaluation unit (300) using at least one component (122, 124, 125; 302, 304, 310) of the mobile device (102) information (306, 308, 312) generated as a result of a height discrepancy (114) between the car threshold (110) and a current shaft threshold (112) located opposite the car threshold (110), wherein the information (306, 308, 312) includes an input by a user (118) in an application executed using the mobile device (102) for controlling the elevator installation (100), and the control information (314) includes a control command (126, 128) to a control unit (120) based on the input by the user (118); evaluating (420) the information (306, 308, 312) and generating control information (314) for moving (400) the elevator car (104); sending (430) control information (314) to a control unit (120) to move the elevator car (104) so ​​that the height discrepancy (114) between the car sill (110) and the current shaft sill (112) is minimized; The method (400) includes:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device has a tilt sensor, the information includes sensor data generated by the tilt sensor at a location of the mobile device, where the mobile device is located at a car sill on the one hand and a current shaft sill on the other hand, and thus has a tilt angle that depends on a height deviation between the car sill and the current shaft sill, and the control information includes height deviation information determined based on the sensor data.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the height deviation information indicates a first direction and / or a second direction, and the control unit is configured to move the elevator car in the first direction and / or the second direction based on the height deviation information.

4. 4. The method (400) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the sensor data (306) is evaluated together with a predetermined target value range for the tilt angle, and if the tilt angle is within the specified target value range, an end command (202) to end the movement (400) is generated and sent to the control unit (120).

5. 2. The method (400) of claim 1, wherein the application includes a first interface (122) for inputting an upward movement and / or a second interface (124) for inputting a downward movement, and wherein when input is made via the first interface (122), a first control command (126) for moving the elevator car (104) upward is generated, and / or when input is made via the second interface (124), a second control command (128) for moving the elevator car (104) downward is generated.

6. The method (400) of claim 1 or claim 5, wherein the control command (126, 128) specifies a path of movement and / or a direction of movement and / or a duration of movement and / or a speed of movement of the elevator car (104).

7. The method (400) of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control information (314) includes floor information (204) related to a floor assigned to the current shaft threshold (112).

8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile device has a height sensor, the information includes additional sensor data generated by the height sensor, and the floor information is generated based on the additional sensor data.

9. An evaluation unit (300) designed to implement and / or control the method (400) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An elevator installation (100), comprising: an elevator shaft (106) having a plurality of shaft thresholds (112) each assigned to one floor; an elevator car (104) having a car sill (110) and capable of being moved along an elevator shaft (106); a control unit (120) for moving (400) the elevator car (104); Equipped with An elevator installation (100), wherein the control unit (120) is designed to communicate with an evaluation unit (300) according to claim 10.

11. 9. A computer program product having computer-readable instructions that, when executed on a computer-controlled mobile device (102), directs the device to perform the method (400) of any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. A computer readable medium having stored thereon the computer program product of claim 11.

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