Method, computer program and checking device for checking a passenger transport system by means of a bridging device, and method and bridging device for automatically bridging a safety contact of a passenger transport system

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for checking a passenger transport system by means of a bridging device (24), the passenger transport system having a control unit (20) for operating the passenger transport system, wherein the control unit (20) has at least one safety contact (44) which has to be bridged in order to be able to check the passenger transport system, and wherein the control unit (20) is communicatively coupled to the bridging device (24), the method comprising: transmitting a bridging signal to the bridging device (24), wherein the bridging signal is representative of the fact that the safety contact (44) is to be bridged, and wherein the bridging device (24) is designed to bridge the safety contact (44) in response to receiving the bridging signal; transmitting a checking signal to the control unit (20), wherein the checking signal is representative of which checking method the control unit (20) is to execute, and wherein the control unit (20) is designed to check the passenger transport system according to the checking method in response to receiving the checking signal; and receiving at least one result signal of the control unit (20), wherein the result signal is representative of a result of the check.

Description

[0001] Method, computer program and test device for checking a passenger transport system by means of a bridging device, and method and bridging device for automatically bridging a safety contact of a passenger transport system

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a method, a computer program and a testing device for testing a passenger transport system by means of a bridging device, and to a method and a bridging device for automatically bridging a safety contact of a control unit of the passenger transport system.

[0004] It is well known that a passenger transport system must be thoroughly tested before commissioning to ensure its proper functioning and safety. Several test procedures can be performed during this test. These procedures are now associated with considerable and costly effort. In particular, to perform one or more test procedures, service personnel must bridge one or more safety contacts of the passenger transport system, particularly a control unit of the passenger transport system, in order to be able to carry out the test procedures. For this purpose, the corresponding safety contacts must be bridged manually using jumpers. After completing the corresponding test procedure, the jumpers must be removed manually.

[0005] In addition, it may be necessary to manually enter one or more parameter values ​​for one or more operating parameters of the passenger transport system and / or one or more commands via an input unit of the control unit. When processing two or more test procedures in succession, it may also be necessary to reset the control unit between the individual test procedures using manual input. After the test procedures have been completed, the control unit provides the service personnel with the test results, which are encoded in various codes, including error codes. The service personnel must be suitably trained to understand these codes and to find solutions to correct any errors that may exist.The time required for service personnel to perform the tests, which includes manually bridging the safety contacts, if necessary, understanding the error codes and developing appropriate solutions, can be considerable.

[0006] In addition to the high costs associated with the process described above, errors can occur in every manually performed step, for example when bridging the safety contacts, entering the parameter values ​​and / or commands into the control unit and / or reading the results, which can affect the proper functioning and / or safety of the passenger transport system.

[0007] There may be a need for a method, a computer program and / or a testing device for automatically testing a passenger transport system by means of a bridging device, which can contribute to the proper functioning and / or safety of the passenger transport system, with low cost and / or time expenditure compared to the state of the art.

[0008] Furthermore, there may be a need for a method and a bridging device for automatically bridging a safety contact of a control unit of the passenger transport system, which can contribute to the proper functioning and / or safety of the passenger transport system, and which can do so with low cost and / or time expenditure compared to the prior art.

[0009] Such a need can be met by the subject matter according to one of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims and the following description.

[0010] One aspect of the invention relates to a method for checking a passenger transport system using a bridging device. The passenger transport system has a control unit for operating the passenger transport system, wherein the control unit has at least one safety contact that must be bridged in order to be able to check the passenger transport system, and wherein the control unit is communicatively coupled to the bridging device.The method comprises: sending a bridging signal to the bridging device, wherein the bridging signal is representative of the fact that the safety contact is to be bridged, and wherein the bridging device is configured to bridge the safety contact in response to receiving the bridging signal; sending a test signal to the control unit, wherein the test signal is representative of which test method the control unit is to process, and wherein the control unit is configured to test the passenger transport system according to the test method in response to receiving the test signal; and receiving at least one result signal from the control unit, wherein the result signal is representative of a result of the test.

[0011] One aspect of the invention relates to a testing device for testing the passenger transport system using the bridging device. The passenger transport system has the control unit for operating the passenger transport system. The control unit has at least one safety contact that must be bridged in order to test the passenger transport system. The control unit is communicatively coupled to the bridging device.The testing device comprises: a first interface configured to communicate with the control unit; a second interface configured to communicate with the bridging device, wherein the bridging device is configured to bridge the safety contact in response to receiving a bridging signal from the testing device; a memory unit configured to store one or more parameter values ​​of one or more operating parameters of the passenger transport system, and a first processor communicatively coupled to the first interface, the second interface, and the memory unit, and configured to execute the method according to one of the preceding claims.

[0012] One aspect of the invention relates to a method for automatically bypassing the safety contact of the control unit of the passenger transport system using the bypass device. The control unit is communicatively coupled to the bypass device. The method comprises receiving the bypass signal, wherein the bypass signal is representative of the fact that the safety contact is to be bypassed, and bypassing the safety contact using the bypass device. The bypass signal can be generated by the test device, sent to the bypass device, and received by the bypass device.

[0013] One aspect of the invention relates to the bridging device for automatically bridging the safety contact of the control unit of the passenger transport system. The bridging device comprises: a third interface configured to communicate with the testing device for testing the passenger transport system; a fourth interface via which the bridging device can be coupled to the safety contact; a switch arrangement for bridging the safety contact, wherein the switch arrangement comprises at least one switch electrically connected to the fourth interface and configured to bridge the safety contact in response to receiving an activation signal from the control unit;and a control element that is communicatively coupled to the third interface and the switch arrangement and that is configured to receive the bridging signal from the control unit via the third interface, wherein the bridging signal is representative that the safety contact is to be bridged, to generate the activation signal depending on the bridging signal and to send the activation signal to the switch arrangement.;

[0014] One aspect of the invention relates to a method for checking the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device, which comprises the method described above and below for checking the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device and the method described above and below for automatically bridging the safety contact of the control unit of the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device.

[0015] One aspect of the invention relates to a computer program for testing the passenger transport system using the bridging device, wherein the computer program comprises computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the testing device, cause the testing device to execute the method for testing the passenger transport system using the bridging device. The computer program can be stored on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0016] Sending the override signal, which automatically overrides the safety contact, sending the test signal, and receiving the result signal allow the safety contact to be overridden automatically and the passenger transport system to be tested automatically. Manual overriding of the safety contact, manually triggering the test on the control unit via a manual input into the control unit, and reading one or more test results by a service employee tasked with testing the passenger transport system are no longer necessary. This helps ensure that the inspection of the passenger transport system can be carried out quickly, easily, and cost-effectively. It also contributes to the flawless functioning and high level of safety of the passenger transport system.

[0017] The passenger transport system can, for example, be designed to transport one or more people and / or goods from one height level to another and / or from one location to another, for example, within a building. The passenger transport system can, for example, be an elevator system, an escalator, or a moving walkway.

[0018] The control unit can be configured to control one or more drive motors, one or more brakes, and / or one or more automatic doors of the passenger transport system. The control unit can also be configured to acquire and store one or more measured values ​​of one or more operating parameters of the passenger transport system, for example, on a memory unit of the control unit. The control unit can have a processor that can communicate with the drive motors, the brakes, the doors, and / or one or more sensors via one or more interfaces of the control unit to acquire the measured values ​​and can store the acquired measured values ​​on the memory unit.

[0019] The control unit is designed to perform at least one, preferably several, test measures on the passenger transport system in order to check the passenger transport system accordingly. The test measures can include, for example, recording and analyzing the measured values. The measured values ​​can, for example, relate to one or more operating parameters. The operating parameters can, for example, be one or more speeds or one or more lengths, in particular distances.

[0020] The control unit can have two or more safety contacts. In this case, the bridging signal can be representative of whether two or more of the safety contacts are to be bridged, in particular which of the safety contacts are to be bridged. During normal operation, the safety contacts can serve to ensure the safety of the passenger transport system and in particular of the persons transported by the passenger transport system. In the case of an elevator system as a passenger transport system, one or more of the safety contacts can, for example, ensure that an elevator car of the passenger transport system can only be moved vertically in an elevator shaft of the passenger transport system if a car door of the elevator car and / or a shaft door of the elevator shaft are closed.

[0021] The method for testing the passenger transport system using the bridging device can be carried out, for example, using a testing device external to the passenger transport system. The testing device can be a computing device, for example, a portable computing device such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a laptop.

[0022] The bridging device can have a third interface for communication with the test device and a switch arrangement for bridging the safety contact(s). Optionally, the bridging device can be integrated into the test device or the control unit.

[0023] The result signal can be representative of two or more test results. One or more parameter values ​​of the passenger transport system's operating parameters and / or one or more error messages can be encoded in the result signal. However, the result signal can also be representative of the fact that the test itself has failed. In particular, in this case, the result of the test can be that the test has failed.

[0024] Using the procedure for testing the passenger transport system using the bridging device, as explained above and below, two or more different test procedures can be processed automatically. These test procedures can be processed sequentially by executing the procedure several times in succession. Depending on the test procedure currently being performed, different safety contacts must be bridged, and the bridging signal and test signal must be configured differently accordingly to ensure that precisely the safety contacts that need to be bridged to perform the corresponding test procedure are bridged.Optionally, the test device can send a reset signal to the control unit after performing one of the test methods and before starting a next one of the test methods, wherein the control unit is configured to reset itself in response to receiving the reset signal.

[0025] The control element can, for example, comprise a processor and / or a microchip. The processor or microchip can be arranged on a circuit board of the bypass device. The switch arrangement can comprise a switch assigned to the corresponding safety contact for bridging the corresponding safety contact for each safety contact of the control unit that must be bypassed during the various test procedures.

[0026] According to a further development, the method comprises, before sending the bypass signal and the test signal: receiving an input from a service employee, wherein the input is representative of which test procedure is to be carried out on the passenger transport system; generating the bypass signal depending on the input; and generating the test signal depending on the input. In principle, various functions of the passenger transport system can be tested. In doing so, it may be necessary to process two or more different test procedures. The input from the service employee can be representative of which of the test procedures is to be processed and, accordingly, which functions of the passenger transport system are to be tested. Depending on the function to be tested, it may be necessary to bypass certain safety contacts that do not need to be bypassed when carrying out another of the test procedures.In addition, the control unit must be informed which test procedure is to be performed so that the control unit can perform the corresponding test procedure on the passenger transport system. Receiving the service employee's input, generating the override signal, and generating the test signal can therefore contribute particularly efficiently to automatically testing various functions of the passenger transport system.

[0027] According to one development, the method comprises, before sending the test signal: sending a configuration signal to the control unit, wherein the configuration signal is representative of at least one setting of the control unit, and wherein the control unit is configured to make the corresponding setting in response to receiving the configuration signal. If the input from the service employee is received, the configuration signal can be generated depending on the input. For example, it can be expedient to configure the control unit differently for different test methods. These different configurations can be implemented using the one or more settings. The settings can relate, for example, to one or more parameter values ​​of operating parameters of the passenger transport system and in particular of the control unit.Sending the configuration signal to the control unit allows the configuration required for the test procedure to be performed to be set automatically, if necessary depending on the input of the service employee.

[0028] According to one development, the method comprises, after sending the bridging signal and before sending the test signal: receiving a confirmation signal from the bridging device, wherein the confirmation signal is representative of the safety contact to be bridged due to the bridging signal being bridged; and sending the test signal in response to receiving the confirmation signal. According to one development, the method comprises, after receiving the result signal, generating a report signal depending on the result signal and sending the report signal to an output unit of the service employee's test device, wherein the report signal is representative of the result of the check, and the output unit is configured to output the result of the check in such a way that it is perceivable and understandable by the service employee.The result signal is typically a digital signal, which by its nature is not understandable for the service employee. Furthermore, the results may be encoded in the result signal in such a way, for example, in the form of multiple abbreviations, that they are not readily understandable for the service employee even in a non-digital representation, such as a table or continuous text. For example, the service employee may require appropriate training to be able to correctly interpret the results and any abbreviations. Generating the report signal in such a way that the result is output by the output unit in a manner that is perceptible and understandable to the service employee, for example, in prose and / or without abbreviations, helps the service employee to easily understand the result.

[0029] If the result signal is representative of two or more results, the report signal can also be generated to be representative of the two or more results. Depending on the report signal, a report can be generated listing the results. The report can be output to the service technician via the output unit. Alternatively or additionally, the report can be stored on a storage unit of the test device and / or sent to a server of a service provider.

[0030] The output unit can, for example, comprise an optical output unit, such as a display unit, in particular a display, or an acoustic output unit, such as a loudspeaker.

[0031] According to a further development, the procedure after receiving the

[0032] result signal: generating a service signal depending on the result signal and

[0033] Sending the service signal to an output unit of a test device of the service employee, wherein the service signal is representative of a service to be performed by the service employee on the passenger transport system, and wherein the output unit is configured to output the service signal in such a way that it is perceptible and understandable to the service employee. Automatically generating the service signal depending on the result signal and sending the service signal to the output unit can easily contribute to informing the service employee, depending on the result of the test, which service is to be performed next.The service can, for example, be a manual activity to be performed by the service employee on the passenger transport system or the execution of another test procedure. In the latter case, the procedure explained above and below can be repeated accordingly. The service signal can be generated alternatively or in addition to the report signal and sent to the display device.

[0034] According to a further development, the control unit has the safety contact and at least one further safety contact. In this case, the bridging signal is representative of which of the safety contacts is to be bridged. The method for automatically bridging the safety contact can, after receiving the bridging signal and before bridging the safety contact, determine which safety contact of the control unit is to be bridged based on the bridging signal, wherein the corresponding safety contact is bridged when the safety contact is bridged. The bridging signal can also be representative of the fact that more than one, for example two, of the safety contacts are to be bridged. Accordingly, these two safety contacts can then be bridged using the bridging device.

[0035] According to a further development, the method for automatically bypassing the safety contact comprises sending a confirmation signal to the test device, wherein the confirmation signal is representative of the fact that the safety contact to be bypassed due to the bypass signal is being bypassed. The confirmation signal can be generated by the bypass device. The test device can be configured to send the test signal to the control unit in response to receiving the confirmation signal.

[0036] According to one development, the safety contact(s) each have a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact, the switch(es) each have a first output for electrically connecting to the corresponding first electrical contact and a second output for electrically connecting to the corresponding second electrical contact, and the switch(es) are designed to electrically connect the corresponding first output to the corresponding second output in response to receiving the activation signal, thereby bridging the corresponding safety contact. Exactly one of the switches can be assigned to each of the safety contacts. The safety contacts can each be bridged to the corresponding switch. For this purpose, the electrical contacts of the safety contacts are connected to the outputs of the corresponding switch.Short-circuiting one of the first outputs with the second output of the same switch by closing the corresponding switch then causes a short-circuit of the first electrical contact of the corresponding safety contact with the second electrical contact of the corresponding safety contact and thus the bridging of the corresponding safety contact.

[0037] According to a further development, the switch has a relay or is designed as a relay. The relay represents a simple and reliable embodiment of the switch. In the case of multiple switches, each of the switches can be implemented with a corresponding relay.

[0038] It should be noted that some of the possible features and advantages of the invention are described herein with reference to only one of the aspects. However, one skilled in the art will recognize that these features can be readily applied to one or more of the other aspects to achieve further embodiments of the invention and / or to achieve further advantages. Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein neither the drawings nor the description should be construed as limiting the invention.

[0039] Fig. 1 shows a control unit of a passenger transport system, a testing device and a bridging device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Fig. 2 shows components of the bridging device according to Figure 1.

[0041] Fig. 3 shows an example of a safety contact of the control unit according to Figure 1.

[0042] Fig. 4 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for checking the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device;

[0043] Fig. 5 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for automatically bridging the safety contact of the control unit.

[0044] Fig. 6 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for checking the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device;

[0045] The figures are merely schematic and not to scale. The same reference numerals designate identical or equivalent features in the various figures.

[0046] Fig. 1 shows a control unit 20 of a passenger transport system (not shown), a testing device 22 and a bridging device 24, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] The passenger transport system can, for example, be designed to transport one or more people and / or goods from one height level to another height level and / or from one location to another location, for example within a building. The passenger transport system can, for example, be an elevator system, an escalator, or a moving walkway. The control unit 20 can be designed to control one or more drive motors, one or more brakes, and / or one or more automatic doors of the passenger transport system. The control unit 20 can also be designed to record and store one or more measured values ​​of one or more operating parameters of the passenger transport system, for example on a storage medium (not shown) of the control unit 20.The control unit 20 may include a processor (not shown) that can communicate with the drive motors, the brakes, the doors, and / or one or more sensors for acquiring the measured values ​​via one or more interfaces of the control unit 20 and can store the acquired measured values ​​on the storage medium.

[0048] The control unit 20 is designed to perform at least one, preferably several, test measures, in other words, test methods, on the passenger transport system in order to check the passenger transport system accordingly. The test measures can, for example, include recording and analyzing the measured values. The measured values ​​can, for example, relate to one or more operating parameters. The operating parameters can, for example, be one or more speeds or one or more lengths, in particular distances.

[0049] The control unit 20 is communicatively coupled to the bridging device 24, for example, via a cable connection. The control unit 20 has a safety contact arrangement 42. The safety contact arrangement 42 has at least one, normally several, safety contacts 44, for example two or more of the safety contacts 44. During normal operation, the safety contacts 44 can serve to ensure the safety of the passenger transport system and in particular of the persons transported by the passenger transport system. In the case of an elevator system as a passenger transport system, one or more of the safety contacts 44 can, for example, ensure that an elevator car of the passenger transport system can only be displaced vertically in an elevator shaft of the passenger transport system when a car door of the elevator car and / or a shaft door of the elevator shaft are closed.To carry out one or more of the test procedures for testing the passenger transport system, one or more of the safety contacts 44 can be bridged, in particular automatically by means of the bridging device 24.

[0050] The testing device 22 is used to test the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device 24. The testing device 22 has a first interface 32, a second interface 34, a memory unit 33, a first processor 31 and an output unit 30. The first interface 32 is designed to communicate with the control unit 20, for example via a cable connection or wirelessly, for example via near-field communication, such as Bluetooth, or via remote field communication, such as the Internet and / or mobile communications. For this purpose, the control unit 20 can have a fifth interface 40 which is communicatively coupled to the first interface 32. The second interface 34 is designed to communicate with the bridging device 24, for example via a cable connection or wirelessly, for example via near-field communication, such as Bluetooth, or via remote field communication, such asthe Internet and / or mobile communications.

[0051] The storage unit 33 is configured to store one or more parameter values ​​of one or more operating parameters of the passenger transport system. The first processor 31 is communicatively coupled to the first interface 32, to the second interface 34, and to the storage unit 33. The first processor 31 is configured to execute one or more test methods for checking the passenger transport system, for example, the method explained below with reference to Figure 4.

[0052] The output unit 30 can, for example, have an optical output unit, such as a display unit, in particular a display, or an acoustic output unit, such as a loudspeaker. The test device 22 can, for example, be a computing unit, for example a portable computing unit, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a laptop. The bridging device 24 is designed to bridge at least one of the safety contacts 44, in particular automatically, in response to receiving a bridging signal from the test device 22.

[0053] Fig. 2 shows components of the bridging device 24 according to Figure 1. The bridging device 24 serves to automatically bridge at least one of the safety contacts 44 of the control unit 20 of the passenger transport system. The bridging device 24 has a third interface 36, a fourth interface 38, a control element 46, a switch arrangement 50, and a housing 58. Figure 2 shows a view into the opened housing 58 and, in particular, of the components of the bridging device 24.

[0054] The control element 46 may, for example, comprise a processor and / or a microchip (not shown). The processor or microchip may be arranged on a circuit board 48 of the bridging device 24.

[0055] The third interface 36 is designed to communicate with the testing device 22 for testing the passenger transport system, for example via the second interface 34. The bridging device 24 is coupled via the fourth interface 38 to the control unit 20, in particular to the safety contact arrangement 42, in particular to one or more of the safety contacts 44, in particular via a suitable cable connection.

[0056] The control element 46 is communicatively coupled to the third interface 36 and the switch assembly 50. The control element 46 is configured to receive the bridging signal from the control unit 20 via the third interface 36, wherein the bridging signal is representative of the fact that at least one of the safety contacts 44 is to be bridged, to generate an activation signal depending on the bridging signal, and to transmit the activation signal to the switch assembly 50.

[0057] The switch arrangement 50 serves to bridge one or more of the safety contacts 44. The switch arrangement 50 has at least one switch 52. Each of the switches 52 can have a corresponding relay or be designed as a relay. Each of the switches 52 can have a first output 60 and a second output 62. The switches 52 are designed such that in a first switching state of the switch 52 the corresponding first output 60 and the corresponding second output 62 are electrically isolated from one another and that in a second switching state of the switch 52 the corresponding first output 60 and the corresponding second output 62 are electrically connected to one another. In the second switching state, the safety contact 44 assigned to the corresponding switch 52 is bridged.

[0058] The bridging device 24 may include a busbar 54 in which electrical lines coming from the inputs 60 and outputs 62 are spatially combined in an electrically isolated manner. The busbar 54 may be electrically coupled to the fourth interface 38 via a multi-strand cable 56 that includes at least a portion of these electrical lines.

[0059] For each safety contact 44 of the control unit 20 that must be bridged during the various test procedures, the switch arrangement 50 can have a switch 52 assigned to the corresponding safety contact 44 for bridging the corresponding safety contact 44. In particular, exactly one of the switches 52 can be assigned to each of the safety contacts 44. The switch(es) 52 are electrically connected to the fourth interface 38 and are configured to bridge the corresponding safety contact(s) 44 in response to receiving the activation signal from the control element 46.

[0060] Fig. 3 shows an example of one of the safety contacts 44 of the control unit 20 according to Figure 1. The safety contact(s) 44 can each have a first electrical contact 64 and a second electrical contact 66. The first outputs 60 of the switches 52 can be electrically connected to the first electrical contacts 64, and the second outputs 62 of the switches 52 can be electrically connected to the second electrical contacts 66 of the corresponding safety contacts 44.

[0061] The switch(es) 52 are configured, in response to receiving the activation signal, to electrically connect the corresponding first output 60 to the corresponding second output 62, thereby bridging the corresponding safety contact 44. The safety contacts 44 can each be bridged to the corresponding switch 52. For this purpose, the electrical contacts 64, 66 of the safety contacts are connected to the outputs 60, 62 of the corresponding switch 52. Short-circuiting one of the first outputs 60 to the second output 62 of the same switch 52 by closing the corresponding switch 52 then short-circuits the first electrical contact 64 of the corresponding safety contact 44 to the second electrical contact 66 of the corresponding safety contact 44, thus bridging the corresponding safety contact 44.

[0062] Fig. 4 shows a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method for checking the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device 24. The method for checking the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device 24 can be carried out, for example, by means of the testing device 22 which is external to the passenger transport system.

[0063] In an optional step S2, an input from a service employee can be received. In principle, various functions of the passenger transport system can be tested. This may require processing two or more different test procedures. The service employee's input can then be representative of which test procedure is to be processed and, accordingly, which functions of the passenger transport system are to be tested. The service employee can be entrusted with carrying out the test of the passenger transport system. For example, the service employee can enter the input into the test device 22 via an input device of the test device 22.

[0064] In an optional step S4, a configuration signal can be sent to the control unit 20. The configuration signal can be representative of at least one setting of the control unit 20. The control unit 20 can be configured to make the corresponding setting in response to receiving the configuration signal. The configuration signal can also be representative of which of the test methods is to be performed, so that the control unit 20 can perform the corresponding test method on the passenger transport system. If the service employee's input is received, the configuration signal can be generated depending on the input. For example, it can be expedient to configure the control unit 20 differently for different test methods. These different configurations can be implemented using the one or more settings.The settings may, for example, refer to one or more parameter values ​​of operating parameters of the passenger transport system and, in particular, of the control unit 20. Sending the configuration signal to the control unit 20 allows the configuration required for the test procedure to be performed to be set automatically, possibly depending on the input of the service employee.

[0065] The bypass signal can be generated in step S6. If the optional step S2 has been processed, the bypass signal can be generated depending on the input. For example, depending on the function to be tested, one, two, or more of the safety contacts 44 may need to be bypassed, which do not need to be bypassed when performing another of the test procedures. The bypass signal can encode precisely those safety contacts 44 that need to be bypassed for the test procedure currently being performed. Alternatively or additionally, the switches 52 that need to be activated to bypass the corresponding safety contacts 44 can be encoded in the bypass signal.

[0066] In a step S10, the bridging signal can be sent to the bridging device 24. The bridging signal is representative of which of the safety contacts 44 are to be bridged. The bridging device 24 is configured to bridge the corresponding safety contact(s) 44 in response to receiving the bridging signal. The bridging signal can be representative of the fact that more than one, for example two, of the safety contacts 44 are to be bridged, in particular which of the safety contacts 44 are to be bridged. Accordingly, both safety contacts 44 can then be bridged by means of the bridging device 24.

[0067] In an optional step S12, a confirmation signal of the

[0068] The confirmation signal can be received by the bridging device 24. The confirmation signal can, if appropriate, be representative of the fact that the safety contact(s) 44 intended to be bridged based on the bridging signal are actually bridged. The confirmation signal can be generated by the bridging device 24 and sent to the test device 22.

[0069] In a step S14, a test signal can be sent to the control unit 20. The test signal can be representative of which test method the control unit 20 should execute. The control unit 20 is configured to test the passenger transport system according to the corresponding test method in response to receiving the test signal.

[0070] In a step S16, at least one result signal from the control unit 20 can be received, in particular by means of the testing device 22. The result signal can be representative of one result of the test. The result signal can be representative of two or more results of the test. One or more parameter values ​​of operating parameters of the passenger transport system and / or one or more error messages can be encoded in the result signal. However, the result signal can also be representative of the fact that the test itself has failed. In particular, in this case, the result of the test can be that the test has failed. The result signal can be generated by the control unit 20 after the test and sent to the testing device 22.

[0071] In an optional step S18, a report signal can be generated depending on the result signal. Furthermore, in step S18, the report signal can be sent to an output unit of the testing device 22. The report signal can be representative of the result of the test. The output unit 30 can be designed to output the result of the test in such a way that it is perceptible and understandable to the service employee. If the result signal is representative of two or more results, the report signal can also be generated in such a way that it is representative of the two or more results. Depending on the report signal, a report can be generated in which the results are listed. The report can be output to the service employee by means of the output unit 30.Alternatively or additionally, the report can be stored on the storage unit 33 of the testing device 22 and / or sent to a server of a service provider.

[0072] In an optional step S20, a service signal can be generated depending on the result signal. If necessary, in step S20, the service signal can be sent to the output unit 30 of the service employee's testing device 22. The service signal is representative of a service to be performed by the service employee on the passenger transport system. The output unit 30 is designed to output the service signal in such a way that it is perceptible and understandable to the service employee. The service can, for example, be a manual activity to be performed by the service employee on the passenger transport system or the performance of another testing method, wherein in the latter case, the method explained with reference to Figure 4 can be processed again. The service signal can be generated alternatively or in addition to the report signal and sent to the display device 30.

[0073] Using this method for testing the passenger transport system using the bridging device 24, explained with reference to Figure 4, two or more different test procedures can be processed automatically. These test procedures can be processed sequentially by executing the procedure several times in succession. Depending on the test procedure currently being performed, different safety contacts 44 can be bridged, and the bridging signal and the test signal can be configured differently accordingly, ensuring that precisely those safety contacts 44 that need to be bridged to perform the corresponding test procedure are bridged.Optionally, the test device 22 can send a reset signal to the control unit 20 after performing one of the test methods and before starting a next one of the test methods, wherein the control unit 20 is configured to reset itself in response to receiving the reset signal.

[0074] Fig. 5 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for automatically bridging the safety contact 44 of the control unit 20. The method for automatically bridging the safety contact 44 of the control unit 20 can be processed by the bridging device 24, in particular by the control element 46 of the bridging device 24.

[0075] In a step S22, the bypass signal from the control unit 20 can be received. The bypass signal is representative of the fact that at least one of the safety contacts 44 is to be bypassed, and in particular of which of the safety contacts 44 is to be bypassed.

[0076] In a step S24, depending on the bridging signal, it can be determined which of the safety contacts 44 of the control unit 20 is to be bridged.

[0077] In a step S26, the safety contact 44 determined in step S24 can be bridged by means of the bridging device 24.

[0078] In an optional step S28, the confirmation signal can be generated and sent to the test device 22. The confirmation signal is representative of the fact that the safety contact 44, which is to be bridged due to the bridging signal, is actually bridged. The test device 22 can be configured to send the test signal to the control unit 20 in response to receiving the confirmation signal.

[0079] Fig. 6 shows a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method for checking the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device 24. This method for checking the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device 24 comprises the method explained with reference to Figure 4 for checking the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device 24 and the method explained with reference to Figure 5 for automatically bridging the safety contact 44 of the control unit 20 of the passenger transport system by means of the bridging device 24. In particular, steps S2 to S10 can be processed one after the other as explained with reference to Figure 4, in particular by means of the testing device 22. Subsequently, steps S22 to S28 can be processed one after the other as explained with reference to Figure 5, in particular by means of the bridging device 24. Subsequently, steps S14 to S20 can be carried out as with - TI -

[0080] Reference to Figure 4 explained, in particular by means of the test device 22.

[0081] A computer program for testing the passenger transport system using the bridging device 24 may include computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the testing device 22, cause the testing device 22 to execute one of the methods explained above for testing the passenger transport system using the bridging device 24. The computer program may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0082] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "having", "comprising", etc. do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps described with reference to one of the above embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference symbols in the claims are not to be regarded as limiting. Furthermore, it should be understood that written numbering that directly precedes features, such as "first", "second", "third", etc., imply neither an order nor a number of the corresponding features, but merely serve to distinguish features with the same name from one another.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A method for checking a passenger transport system by means of a bridging device (24), the passenger transport system comprising a control unit (20) for operating the passenger transport system, wherein the control unit (20) has at least one safety contact (44) which must be bridged in order to be able to check the passenger transport system and wherein the control unit (20) is communicatively coupled to the bridging device (24), the method comprising: Sending a bridging signal to the bridging device (24), wherein the bridging signal is representative of the fact that the safety contact (44) is to be bridged, and wherein the bridging device (24) is configured to bridge the safety contact (44) in response to receiving the bridging signal; Sending a test signal to the control unit (20), wherein the test signal is representative of which test method the control unit (20) is to process, and wherein the control unit (20) is designed to test the passenger transport system according to the test method in response to receiving the test signal; and Receiving at least one result signal from the control unit (20), wherein the result signal is representative of a result of the check.

2. The method of claim 1, prior to transmitting the bridging signal and the test signal, comprising: Receiving an input from a service employee, the input being representative of which test procedure is to be performed on the passenger transport system; Generating the bridging signal depending on the input; and generating the test signal depending on the input.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, before sending the test signal comprising: Sending a configuration signal to the control unit (20), wherein the configuration signal is representative of at least one setting of the control unit (20) and wherein the control unit (20) is designed to make the corresponding setting in response to receiving the configuration signal.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, after sending the bridging signal and before sending the test signal, comprising: Receiving a confirmation signal from the bridging device (24), the confirmation signal being representative of the safety contact (44) to be bridged due to the bridging signal being bridged; and Sending the test signal in response to receiving the confirmation signal.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, after receiving the result signal comprising: Generating a report signal dependent on the result signal; and Sending the report signal to an output unit (30) of a testing device (22) of the service employee, wherein the report signal is representative of the result of the check and the output unit (30) is designed to output the result of the check in such a way that it is perceptible and understandable by the service employee.

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, after receiving the result signal comprising Generating a service signal depending on the result signal; and Sending the service signal to an output unit (30) of a testing device (22) of the service employee, wherein the service signal is representative of a service to be performed by the service employee on the passenger transport system, and wherein the output unit (30) is designed to output the service signal in such a way that it is perceptible and understandable by the service employee.

7. Testing device (22) for checking a passenger transport system by means of a bridging device (24), the passenger transport system comprising a control unit (20) for operating the passenger transport system, wherein the control unit (20) has at least one safety contact (44) which must be bridged in order to be able to check the passenger transport system and wherein the control unit (20) is provided with the bridging device (24) is communicatively coupled, the testing device (22) comprising: a first interface (32) which is designed to communicate with the control unit (20); a second interface (34) which is designed to communicate with the bridging device (24), wherein the bridging device (24) is designed to bridge the safety contact (44) in response to receiving a bridging signal from the testing device (22); a memory unit (33) which is designed to store one or more parameter values ​​of one or more operating parameters of the passenger transport system, and a first processor (31) which is communicatively coupled to the first interface (32), the second interface (34) and the memory unit (33) and which is designed to execute the method according to one of the preceding claims.

8. A method for automatically bridging a safety contact (44) of a control unit (20) of a passenger transport system by means of a bridging device (24), wherein the control unit (20) is communicatively coupled to the bridging device (24), the method comprising: Receiving a bridging signal, the bridging signal being representative of the safety contact (44) being to be bridged; and Bridging the safety contact (44) by means of the bridging device (24).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the control unit (20) has the one safety contact (44) and at least one further safety contact (44) and wherein the bridging signal is representative of which safety contact (44) of the safety contacts (44) is to be bridged, the method after receiving the bridging signal and before bridging the safety contact (44) comprising: Determining which safety contact (44) of the control unit (20) is to be bridged, depending on the bridging signal, wherein when the safety contact (44) is bridged, the corresponding safety contact (44) is bridged.

10. Method according to one of claims 8 or 9, comprising: Sending a confirmation signal to the test device (22), the confirmation signal being representative of the safety contact (44) to be bridged due to the bridging signal being bridged.

11. Bridging device (24) for automatically bridging a safety contact (44) of a control unit (20) of a passenger transport system, the bridging device (24) comprising: a third interface (36) designed to communicate with a testing device (22) for testing the passenger transport system; a fourth interface (38) via which the bridging device (24) can be coupled to the safety contact (44); a switch arrangement (50) for bridging the safety contact (44), wherein the switch arrangement (50) has at least one switch (52) which is electrically connected to the fourth interface (38) and which is designed to bridge the safety contact (44) in response to receiving an activation signal from the control unit (20);and a control element (46) which is communicatively coupled to the third interface (36) and the switch arrangement (50) and which is designed to receive a bridging signal from the control unit (20) via the third interface (36), wherein the bridging signal is representative of the fact that the safety contact (44) is to be bridged, to generate the activation signal depending on the bridging signal and to send the activation signal to the switch arrangement (50); 12. Bridging device (24) according to claim 11, wherein the safety contact(s) (44) each have a first electrical contact (64) and a second electrical contact (66), the switch(es) (52) of the switch arrangement (50) each have a first output (60) for electrical connection to the corresponding first electrical contact (64) and a corresponding second output (62) for electrical connection to the corresponding second electrical contact (66), and the switch(es) (52) are designed to connect the corresponding first output (60) to the corresponding second output (62), thereby bridging the corresponding safety contact (44).

13. Bridging device (24) according to claim 12, wherein the switch (52) comprises a relay or is designed as a relay.

14. A method for checking a passenger transport system by means of a bridging device (24), comprising the method according to one of claims 1 to 6 and the method according to one of claims 8 to 10.

15. A computer program for testing a passenger transport system by means of a bridging device (24), the computer program comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a testing device (22), cause the testing device (22) to execute the method according to one of claims 1 to 6.

Images