A method for teaching elevator car landing positions to an elevator control system and an elevator control system

Abstract

A method for teaching elevator car landing positions to an elevator control system and an elevator control system To simplify the teaching of elevator car landing positions to an elevator control system, a method for teaching elevator car landing positions to an elevator control system is suggested. In the method: - an elevator car (110) is driven along an elevator shaft (101) by an elevator drive machine (120); - landing position references in the elevator shaft (101) referring to landing platforms (203) are detected with a TOF camera (140) and the elevator car (110) position at the moments when the position reference was detected are collected by a car positioning detection system (160), which is consecutively repeated for a number of landing position references; and - the detected elevator landing positions are indicated to the elevator control logic (150) as the elevator car (110) positions detected by the car position detection system (160), and the elevator control logic stores them in a memory (151). Contains also a parallel independent claim for an elevator control system.

Description

[0001] A method for teaching elevator car landing positions to an elevator control system and an elevator control system

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] The invention relates to elevators having absolute positioning of the elevator car , and more specifically, teaching elevator car landing positions to an elevator control system .

[0004] Technical background

[0005] An absolute car positioning system in an elevator system has usually essentially been a tape comprising absolute position markers that is provided in the elevator shaft and a reading unit on the car, as illustrated in FIG 1 of EP 1 634 841 Al , for example .

[0006] The general principles and various examples of teaching absolute elevator car positioning are described in present applicant ' s international application published under publication number WO 2020 / 260346 Al .

[0007] In order to precisely control the displacement of the elevator car and its current position in the elevator shaft , the elevator controller requires detailed information from the current position of the elevator car within the elevator shaft . To do this , absolute position references localizing each floor level are installed in the elevator shaft and the elevator car is driven in the shaft , wherein a portable smart device , such as a mobile phone , detects each of the markers with its sensors , such as , with its camera, and the control system is taught thereby .

[0008] Objective of the invention

[0009] It is generally known to determine the position of the elevator car with regard to landing door floor locations using a door camera, at when the elevator car is stopping, such as , in the elevator described in European patent 3 452 396 Bl of Kone Corporation, if no absolute positioning is used . However , the solution presented in the ' 396 European patent is a different approach which does not utilize absolute elevator car positioning but determines the position of the landing platform at each elevator car stopping separately . It is an obj ective to simplify an elevator control system for learning elevator car landing positions having absolute positioning of the elevator car such as those disclosed in WO 2020 / 260346 Al or WO 2023 / 222422 Al , for example .

[0010] This obj ective can be achieved with the method according to claim 1 and the elevator control system according to claim 8 .

[0011] The dependent claims describe advantageous aspects of the method and of the elevator control system .

[0012] Advantages of the invention

[0013] In the method for teaching elevator car landing positions to an elevator control system :

[0014] - an elevator car is driven along an elevator shaft by an elevator drive machine ;

[0015] - landing position references in the elevator shaft referring to landing platforms are detected with a TOF camera and the elevator car position at the moments when the position reference was detected are collected by a car position detection system, which is consecutively repeated for a number of landing position references ; and

[0016] - the detected elevator landing positions are indicated to the elevator control logic as the elevator car positions detected by the car position detection system, and the elevator control logic stores them in a memory .

[0017] The elevator system comprises an elevator car and an elevator control system comprising an elevator control logic which is configured to control a position of the elevator car . Further, the elevator system comprises a TOF camera attached to the elevator car . The TOF camera is used for monitoring a space around a landing door and a car door during closing of the landing door and the car door to prevent the closing of the car door and the landing door if the TOF camera ( 140 ) detects an obj ect , including a person, so that the obj ect or the person, does not get damaged or hit by the closing doors . The elevator system further includes a car position detection system also known as an absolute position detection system . Such a position detection system typically comprises a tape fixedly installed in the shaft and a sensor head arranged to read position information provided on the tape . Alternatively, other car position detection system might also be used, for example a car position detection system as described in WO 2023 / 222422 Al . In the latter, a method of monitoring an elevator car in an elevator shaft is described . The method includes acquiring position data of the elevator car by acquiring motion data indicative of a motion of the elevator car and determining , from a dynamical system model , an estimated position of the elevator car . The dynamical system model may describe a motion of the elevator car based on input variables . The input variables include the position data and the motion data . The method may further include determining an offset value indicative of a motion data offset , wherein the offset value is generated such that the dynamical system model fits the position of the elevator car indicated by the position data, determining a sensor reliability parameter based on the offset value , and providing output data comprising the sensor reliability parameter .

[0018] With the method, the elevator control system, such as that disclosed in WO 2020 / 260346 Al , can be simplified . Now it is not any more the sensor of an extra portable smart device that is necessary to detect the absolute position references , but the detection can be carried out by a TOF camera . A time-of-f light ( TOF) camera ( also referred to as TOF camera ) refers in the context of elevators generally to time- of-flight detection equipment for determining whether the elevator car door can be closed or not . Since a TOF camera is a part of the equipment normally contained in the elevator car , an extra portable smart device such as in the ' 346 publication is not any more necessary for the function of teaching absolute positioning to an elevator control system . The recent development in TOF camera equipment has made the invention possible due to increased resolution and coverage of the TOF cameras .

[0019] After the installation of the elevator system, the elevator system basically does not know anything about the shaft . The landing positioning reference teaching method is used to teach the absolute position references in the shaft , but at the beginning, there is no mapping between absolute positions and the landings . Those landing positions must be learned . After the learning trip , the controller has a mapping between the position references and the landings .

[0020] In other words , the teaching makes the control system to understand the relation between the absolute position references such as on the tape and floors or landings in the elevator shaft . The teaching needs to be carried out when commissioning an elevator system for first use . Furthermore , in addition to this , it may be necessary to repeat the teaching after a power out of the elevator system, such as , after maintenance or generally after a power interruption .

[0021] Preferably, the landing platforms to the elevator shaft are equipped with landing doors that are kept closed during the teaching while elevator car door is kept open during the teaching . This enables a greater flexibility for placing the landing position references and may further increase the positioning accuracy .

[0022] The elevator control system comprises a control logic and memory for storing elevator car landing positions . The control logic is configured to operate an elevator drive machine to move an elevator car within an elevator shaft while carrying out the method according to the invention, and to store in the memory elevator car landing positions so detected .

[0023] With absolute positioning of the elevator car drive , when the elevator car has stopped at a platform, the control device monitors the elevator drive machine and controls the elevator drive machine responsive to any changes in the elevator car load, keeping the elevator car in place when load is increased or reduced from the elevator car . This principle of operation is different from the operation of elevator disclosed in 3 452 396 Bl where the quality of elevator car landings is monitored each time the elevator stops .

[0024] List of drawings

[0025] In the following, the invention is described in more detail with reference to the appended drawing FIG 1 which shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary elevator system comprising a control system . Detailed description

[0026] FIG 1 shows an exemplary elevator system 100 , which can usually be found in this form in buildings , but also in ships or other vertically extending structures . The elevator system includes an elevator car 110 , often also referred to as a car, and a counterweight 102 in a shaft 101 .

[0027] The shaft usually extends predominantly vertically, preferably with an inclination of less than 15 ° .

[0028] Car 110 and counterweight 102 are suspended from a suspension element 103 , which is guided over one or more deflection rollers 104 .

[0029] The design chosen for illustration corresponds to a 1 : 1 suspension with 50% weight compensation; It is known to those s killed in the art that there are numerous types of suspension with a different number or configuration of deflection rollers , counterweights and suspension elements are possible .

[0030] The suspension element 103 is guided over a traction sheave 105 which is driven by drive machine 120 . For this purpose , the traction sheave 105 is mechanically connected to the drive machine 120 , so that the drive machine 120 can transmit mechanical energy to it .

[0031] The drive machine 120 may include a transmission .

[0032] Instead of a traction sheave 105 , a drive drum or a direct drive may also be possible . Other possibilities to drive an elevator car are known to the person s killed in the art such as a hydraulic drive .

[0033] In the example shown, the drive machine 120 and traction sheave 105 are installed at the top of the elevator system 100 .

[0034] Typically, these and other parts of the drive are provided in a separate engine room ( not shown) , but the elevator system 100 can also be designed without an engine room .

[0035] Alternatively, the engine room or the location where the drive components are accommodated can also be located in other positions that do not necessarily have to be in close proximity to the elevator shaft 101 . The drive components can form a unit with the elevator car .

[0036] The drive machine 120 typically also functions as a brake in order to enable controlled travel of the elevator car 110 even in the event of mechanical energy being released .

[0037] The braking function can be guaranteed by the drive machine 120 in various ways , for example by a mechanical brake , which can also act as a parking brake , or by an electromotive brake , also known as a dynamo brake , as well as a direct current or countercurrent brake .

[0038] The drive machine 120 is connected to the energy supply system 121 via electrical conductors 122 . The number of conductors depends on the type of drive machine 120 . For example , in the case of a separately excited synchronous motor, it may be necessary to provide an excitation current in addition to the rotating field, while this is not the case for asynchronous motors , direct current motors with commutators or permanent magnet synchronous motors .

[0039] The wiring of the motor also influences the number of conductors required, e . g . in contrast to a star connection, a delta connection, eliminates the need for a neutral conductor .

[0040] In addition, the electrical conductors 122 can also be sensor lines or data connections that provide the energy supply system 121 with information about corresponding operating states of the drive machine 120 . Numerous other drive forms and wiring options are known to those skilled in the art , so they will not be discussed in more detail here .

[0041] The energy supply system 121 is connected to the electrical conductors 123 to a network connection 124 , which is , for example , a building power network . The network connection provides electrical energy to the energy supply system 121 . The network connection 124 can, for example , also be powered alone by a dedicated generator, for example an emergency generator .

[0042] Preferably, the network connection 124 (which preferably is the mains connection) feeds the energy supply system 121 with a substantially constant nominal voltage and frequency . Depending on how the energy supply system 121 is designed, different designs are also possible for the electrical conductors 123 , for example with one or more , for example three , external conductors .

[0043] In an advantageous embodiment , the mains connection is three-phase .

[0044] In a further embodiment , the mains connection additionally comprises a neutral conductor .

[0045] The energy supply system 121 supplies the drive machine 120 with the energy necessary for operation .

[0046] The design depends on the way in which the drive machine 120 is operated .

[0047] In a typical embodiment , the drive machine 120 includes a permanent magnet synchronous motor .

[0048] In this case , the energy supply system 121 is typically a frequency converter , which feeds the drive machine 120 in a multi-phase manner with a variable frequency, which is ideally dependent on the current operating state of the drive machine 120 and is coordinated therewith .

[0049] Other versions are particularly known from older elevator systems , for example the motor of the drive machine 120 can be a direct current motor that is fed by a rectifier, for example a converter, this rectifier forming the energy supply system 121 or part of it .

[0050] A particularly simple design of the energy supply system 121 is possible if the drive machine 120 comprises an asynchronous motor since the supply system 121 only has the tas k of providing the correct coil wiring with a suitable supply through the mains connection 124 .

[0051] Further combinations of drive machine 120 and energy supply system 121 are possible , so that the options mentioned are j ust examples .

[0052] The elevator system 100 includes a car position detection system 160 also known as an absolute position detection system . Such a position detection system typically comprises a tape 162 fixedly installed in the shaft 101 and a sensor head 164 for reading position information provided on the tape 162 . In addition to this or alternatively, another kind of car position detection system might be used, for example a car detection system as described in WO 2023 / 222422 Al .

[0053] The elevator system 100 includes a TOF camera 140 for monitoring the landing door 202 and car door 201 .

[0054] In this example , the TOF camera 140 is attached to the outer top of the elevator car 110 , but it can also be attached to one of the outside sides or to the floor of the elevator car 110 . Alternatively, or in addition, the TOF camera 140 can also be attached to the inside or between the inside and outside cladding of the elevator car 110 . It is j ust necessary that - during normal operation of the elevator system - a landing door 202 and car door 201 can be monitored during door closing, following the principles presented above , such that , the closing of the landing door 202 and car door 201 can be prevented if the TOF camera detects an obj ect , including a person, such that the closing of the door must be prevented .

[0055] In the method for teaching elevator car landing position to an elevator control system, the elevator car 110 is driven along the elevator shaft 101 by the elevator drive machine 120 preferably with an elevator car door 201 opened or even before an elevator car door is installed in the elevator car 110 , so that landings or at least a part of the landing is within the field of view of the TOF camera 140 if the car is in a respective position as discussed below .

[0056] As already described above , the elevator system comprises also the car position detection system 160 . As explained above , it may comprise a tape provided in the shaft and a reading unit on the car , such as the one illustrated in FIG 1 of EP 1 634 841 Al , the contents of which regarding the car position detection system 160 are incorporated to this specification by reference , and alternatively or in addition, another kind of absolute position detection system . During the method for teaching elevator car landing positions , the car is driven from the lowest position to the highest position in the shaft . Alternatively or in addition, driving the car from the highest position to the lowest position is also possible . Landing references are detected with the TOF camera 140 . Each elevator landing position is detected as the elevator car 110 position detected by the car position detection system 160 at the moment a respective landing floor is level with the car floor . In the currently envisaged realization of the method and car position detection system 160 it is not foreseen to use special landing positioning references , but alternatively or in addition, special references may be used . It is currently envisaged to identify the floor itself ( on the elevator car as well as on the landing ) and detect the moment in time , at which the car floor is level with the landing floor . As the TOF camera 140 and / or the car position detection system 160 is / are able to determine the distance the elevator car 110 has travelled, the leveling condition may be based on the distance measurement . In case the landing floor is not visible to the TOF camera due to a closed landing door , a structure such as the landing door , a part of the landing door , or the landing platform may be identified, which has a known distance to the landing floor .

[0057] In this regard, the position detection system 160 is preferably an absolute position detection system which may be configured to acquire position data of the elevator car 110 by acquiring motion data indicative of a motion of the elevator car 110 in the elevator shaft and determining, from a dynamical system model , an estimated position of the elevator car by computing the distance travelled by the elevator car 110 .

[0058] The absolute position detection system may further comprise a dynamical system model which describes a motion of the elevator car 110 based on input variables which include the position data and the motion data of the elevator car 110 . The absolute position detection system then preferably computes an offset value indicative of a motion data offset . The offset value is preferably generated such that the dynamical system model fits the position of the elevator car 110 indicated by the position data , determining a sensor reliability parameter based on the offset value , and provides output data comprising the sensor reliability parameter .

[0059] This is consecutively repeated for each landing platform. The detected elevator landing positions are indicated to the elevator control logic 150 which stores them in a memory 151 .

[0060] The landing platforms may be equipped with platform doors 202 that are kept closed during the teaching procedure .

[0061] In another embodiment , each platform may be equipped with a TOF camera in addition to the elevator car 110 being equipped with a TOF camera 140 .

[0062] In another embodiment , which is outside the scope of the claims , each platform may be equipped with a TOF camera alternatively to the elevator car 110 being equipped with a TOF camera 140 .

[0063] An elevator control system comprises a control logic 150 and memory 151 for storing elevator car landing positions . The control logic 150 is configured to operate the elevator drive machine 120 to move the elevator car 110 in the elevator shaft 110 while carrying out the method, and to store in the memory 151 elevator car 110 landing positions so detected . The TOF camera 140 is connected to the control logic 150 . Also the encoder 199 is connected to the control logic 150 .

[0064] The invention should not be understood to be limited only by the below claims , but the invention is to be understood to include all their legal equivalents and the combinations of the embodiments presented .

Claims

Claims :

1. A method for teaching elevator car landing positions for an elevator car (110) to an elevator control system of an elevator system, the elevator control system comprising an elevator control logic (150) which is configured to control a position of the elevator car (11) , wherein the elevator control system comprises a TOF camera (140) attached to the elevator car (110) , and wherein the TOF camera (140) is used for monitoring a space around a landing door (202) and a car door (201) during closing of the landing door (202) and the car door (201) to prevent the closing of the car door (201) and the landing door (202) if the TOF camera (140) detects an object, including a person, wherein in the method:- the elevator car (110) is driven along an elevator shaft (101) by an elevator drive machine (120) ;- landing position references in the elevator shaft (101) referring to landing platforms (203) are detected with the TOF camera (140) and the elevator car (110) position at the moments when the position reference was detected are collected by a car position detection system (160) , which is consecutively repeated for a number of landing position references; and- the detected elevator landing positions are indicated to the elevator control logic (150) as the elevator car (110) positions detected by the car position detection system (160) , and the elevator control logic stores them in a memory (151) .

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the landing platforms to the elevator shaft (101) are equipped with landing doors (202) that are kept closed during the teaching while elevator car door (201) is kept open during the teaching.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the car position detection system (160) is an absolute position detection system.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: the absolute position detection system is configured to acquire position data of the elevator car by reading with a sensor head position information on a tape fixedly installed in the shaft.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: the absolute position detection system is configured to acquire position data of the elevator car by acquiring motion data indicative of a motion of the elevator car and determining, from a dynamical system model, an estimated position of the elevator car.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: the absolute position detection system comprises a dynamical system model which describes a motion of the elevator car based on input variables which include the position data and the motion data of the elevator car.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: the absolute position detection system computes an offset value indicative of a motion data offset, wherein the offset value is generated such that the dynamical system model fits the position of the elevator car indicated by the position data, determining a sensor reliability parameter based on the offset value, and provides output data comprising the sensor reliability parameter.

8. An elevator control system, comprising: an car positioning detection system (160) , a control logic (150) and memory (151) for storing elevator car landing positions, , a TOF camera (140) attached to the elevator car (110) , and wherein the TOF camera (140) is used for monitoring a space around a landing door (202) and a car door (201) during closing of the landing door (202) and the car door (201) to prevent the closing of the car door (201) and the landing door (202) if the TOF camera (140) detects an object, including a person, and wherein the control logic (150) is configured to operate an elevator drive machine (120) to move an elevator car (110) in an elevator shaft (101) while carrying out the method of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 7, and to store in the memory (151) elevator landing positions so detected.9 . The elevator control system according to claim 8 , wherein : the car position detection system ( 160 ) is an absolute position detection system .10 . The elevator control system according to claim 9 , wherein : the absolute position detection system is configured to acquire position data of the elevator car by reading with a sensor head position information on a tape fixedly installed in the shaft .11 . The elevator control system according to claim 9 or 10 , wherein : the absolute position detection system is configured to acquire position data of the elevator car by acquiring motion data indicative of a motion of the elevator car and determining , from a dynamical system model , an estimated position of the elevator car .12 . The elevator control system according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein : the absolute position detection system comprises a dynamical system model which describes a motion of the elevator car based on input variables which include the position data and the motion data of the elevator car .13 . The elevator control system according to claim 12 , wherein : the absolute position detection system computes an offset value indicative of a motion data offset , wherein the offset value is generated such that the dynamical system model fits the position of the elevator car indicated by the position data, determining a sensor reliability parameter based on the offset value , and provides output data comprising the sensor reliability parameter .

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