Optical monitoring device for interaction with users

Abstract

The invention proposes a convenient and secure, but also easily retrofittable, optical monitoring device (1) for monitoring a monitoring region (8), comprising an installation strip (4) having a transmitting and / or receiving device (6, 7) for detecting objects in the monitoring region (8), wherein the installation strip (4) is designed to be attached to the side of the monitoring region (8). In addition, it has an acoustic or audiovisual signalling device (9) for outputting information and / or warnings, which signalling device (9) is integrated in the installation strip (4), wherein the signalling device (9) has an interface (S) in order to receive control signals from a sensor device and / or an evaluation device (6, 7, 13, 14; 17), which control signals are converted into an acoustic or audiovisual output via the signalling device (9).

Description

[0001] Optical monitoring device for interacting with users

[0002] The invention relates to an optical monitoring device, in particular a light grid and / or a light curtain for monitoring a monitoring area, according to the preamble of claim 1. The optical monitoring device can be used, for example, for monitoring elevators or industrial doors.

[0003] For example, EP 4332 038 A1 discloses the possibility of equipping elevators with extended sensor functions, such as a people-counting device located at the entrance to the elevator car. Furthermore, EP 1 626 924 B1 discloses the possibility of providing an edge-illuminating device for elevator doors along the entire door edge, which, for example, allows the closing or opening of the door to be accompanied by different lighting conditions.

[0004] The object of the invention is to propose an optical monitoring device which can offer the user or persons a higher degree of comfort and safety during use, even with older elevator or gate devices.

[0005] The problem is solved, starting from an optical monitoring device of the type mentioned at the outset, by the characterizing features of claim 1.

[0006] The measures mentioned in the dependent claims make advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention possible.

[0007] The optical monitoring device according to the invention can be used, for example, in elevators, but also in industrial doors. In particular, it can be designed as a light grid or light curtain to monitor a surveillance area.

[0008] In an elevator, a cabin travels along an elevator shaft, and the cabin can be enclosed by doors. Typically, two types of doors are used: Shaft doors close the shaft openings and are normally only opened when the cabin is in the predefined stopping position for the corresponding floor at the shaft opening. Cabin doors enclose the actual interior of the cabin, preventing the cabin occupants from coming into contact with shaft walls or other objects that move relative to the cabin during its travel.

[0009] In an industrial gate, for example, one area of ​​a room is separated from another by a movable gate, or made accessible by opening this gate.

[0010] The monitoring area typically includes the area covered by the gates or doors during their closing process, because the aim is to avoid an unintended collision with people or other objects due to the gate or door movement.

[0011] In addition, areas to one or both sides of the movement plane of the gate or door are sometimes monitored to allow more precise control of the gate / door movement, for example to take into account whether people are approaching and could thus still enter the danger zone.

[0012] The monitoring device according to the invention comprises a compact mounting strip in which the transmitting and receiving devices for object detection are housed, thus forming an optical detection area. The transmitting device emits beams from emission points along the strip, which are then received by the receiving device. In the case of a simple light grid, the beams can, for example, be aligned parallel and spaced equally apart. The door or gate opening is penetrated by a so-called light curtain. Instead of or in addition to an interruption light barrier, so-called TOF (time-of-flight) sensors can also be used, which enable distance measurement to a detected object in order to obtain additional information about the object's position or movement (e.g., direction, speed).

[0013] The mounting strip is generally attached to the side of the monitored area, particularly to the door frame or the side of the door. When the invention is applied to an industrial door, for example, a foil or roller door, the door movement is usually vertical, i.e., in or against the direction of gravity. In this case, the mounting strip can be arranged approximately parallel to the door guide. In an elevator, the door, usually divided into two sections, opens horizontally, i.e., perpendicular to the direction of gravity. Here, the mounting strip can be arranged vertically next to the door. It is also conceivable that the mounting strip is attached to the side of the door itself and moves with it. A horizontal arrangement of the mounting strip is also fundamentally possible.

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by the integration of an acoustic or audiovisual signaling device, in particular a loudspeaker, into the mounting strip, enabling loudspeaker output. This allows information or warnings to be output acoustically, among other things. The integration into the mounting strip offers the particular advantage of easy retrofitting; the compact mounting strip can generally be installed in older elevator models that do not already have additional technical devices such as loudspeakers and also lack space for additional devices, either by replacing the existing strip or by installing the device.

[0015] The loudspeaker has an interface for receiving control signals from a sensor or evaluation device, which are then converted into loudspeaker output. This interface can be in the form of a simple electrical input. The loudspeaker may also include control electronics that provide this interface or input. It is also conceivable that the incoming signals are directly the recordings of the acoustic loudspeaker output. Alternatively, the control electronics may receive control commands or other evaluation data and then assign the loudspeaker output to them.

[0016] Comfort and safety can thus be improved in elevators, but also with industrial doors. Without such interaction with people in the elevator, it can happen, for example, that people overlook certain visual signals, miss their destination floor, or fail to perceive a dangerous situation, or perceive it too late, etc. But even if an emergency occurs in the cabin (e.g., a person feeling unwell), if the cabin stops unexpectedly, or similar situations, it can be advantageous to be able to speak with the people in the cabin. The same essentially applies to industrial doors. For example, a user can be warned in time if an industrial door is closing or opening, especially if it has been in one of its previous states for some time.

[0017] In a further development of the invention, a microphone is integrated into the mounting strip to receive and forward messages from occupants. The evaluation device can also receive signals from the microphone, if necessary. For example, voice control or speech recognition is conceivable. This means that, for instance, defined commands can be entered via voice control. Furthermore, speech recognition can be provided that, for example, uses artificial intelligence to answer questions from users or occupants or to respond to commands. In a simpler case, it is also conceivable that the speech recognition could only recognize certain signal words, such as cries for help, even in different languages.

[0018] Advantageously, the loudspeaker and / or microphone are positioned so that they face the monitored area, as this ensures good sound transmission within that area. In one embodiment, the microphone and / or loudspeaker can therefore be located on the side facing the monitored area.

[0019] In one embodiment of the invention, at least one sensor device is provided for the sensory detection of the state of the door and / or the cabin. Such information can also be made available to the user, e.g.:

[0020] - when the door or gate opens or closes,

[0021] - if the door or gate is jammed or cannot close completely due to an obstruction,

[0022] - if any error was detected,

[0023] - if the elevator is overloaded,

[0024] - when the cabin is moving, starting up or stopping,

[0025] - if the cabin makes an unscheduled stop or does not stop exactly in the designated position,

[0026] - if the cabin is overloaded,

[0027] - etc.

[0028] Acceleration sensors can be used in various ways in elevators and industrial doors. Acceleration sensors in the elevator car can, in principle, provide information about the movement of the entire car:

[0029] When the cabin starts or stops, it accelerates (with positive or negative acceleration). The cabin can also accelerate while in motion; for example, it may reduce its speed some distance before reaching a landing.

[0030] When entering or leaving the cabin, forces are transferred to the cabin floor through the footsteps of the people.

[0031] Acceleration sensors in the doors can provide information specifically about their movement, particularly when opening or closing. Furthermore, in both elevator doors and industrial gates, acceleration sensors in the doors or gates, or in the area of ​​the respective guide rails, can be used to determine how their opening and closing movements occur, especially whether jerky movements are causing a malfunction due to jamming, obstructions in the guide, or similar issues. In one embodiment, this information can also be communicated to the user via the signaling device according to the invention, for example, if there is a risk of collision with the door or gate because it is not opening as quickly as expected.The signaling device can also be used to audibly indicate when people are boarding a cabin if the cabin is overloaded because the acceleration sensor has detected too many people or too much weight.

[0032] Sometimes, when the elevator car stops at a landing, insufficient leveling can occur, meaning there is too great a height difference between the shaft opening threshold and the car opening. The consequence, especially when these differences are relatively small, is that people stumble when entering or exiting the elevator because they hit their foot when moving towards the higher threshold, or they lose their balance because the level they step onto is lower than expected. Therefore, it is advantageous to have one or more sensor devices to determine the quality of the leveling or the height difference. The movement of the door, or its current or future state, can also be detected. This information can then be broadcast as a warning over the loudspeaker, for example...that one must be careful of a threshold when getting in or out, or that the doors are closing or will close soon.

[0033] For this purpose, in one embodiment of the invention the

[0034] The evaluation device must be designed to record the measured values ​​of the sensor device and, for example, to send a control signal to the interface of the loudspeaker from a predetermined threshold of the height difference, or to send a control signal to the interface regarding the movement / movement state of the door / gate.

[0035] The evaluation device, like the sensor device or devices, can also be integrated into the mounting strip, so that a device that is as compact as possible is provided, which can also be easily retrofitted and requires little installation space or modifications.

[0036] The compact design can also be maintained if more complex analysis of the signals from the sensor devices or the information received by the microphone is required. The analysis unit can be a computer. However, if the analysis electronics are so complex that integration into the mounting strip is no longer possible, an IoT (Internet of Things) connection to a network or cloud can be used. At least part of the analysis unit's function (e.g., computational-mathematical function and / or storage function) is then outsourced to a network or cloud, enabling more complex analyses with greater hardware requirements.Especially when speech recognition or other AI methods are used, computers with higher processing power, even large supercomputers, may be required. These cannot be housed in a local elevator and would be far too expensive anyway. Therefore, it is advantageous to be able to share such computing resources via a network, a server, or the cloud. The server or cloud can then form the basis, or at least a part of, the evaluation system. This essentially eliminates limitations on what the evaluation system can do.

[0037] The sensor device allows for the acquisition of status data about the elevator, particularly regarding the cabin, door, stopping position and leveling, speed and acceleration, door opening and closing process, etc. This also enables a comparison to determine whether these measurements fall within predefined tolerance limits. Depending on the configuration, the evaluation device can be set up to send a message via the network or internet regarding maintenance or repair needs, subsequently forwarding it, for example, via email, SMS, or other means to a person or maintenance company. It is also conceivable that, for example, in the event of an emergency call, a control center, the police, and / or emergency services could be notified.

[0038] In a further development of the invention, the monitoring device can also emit optical signals to the user. For this purpose, the mounting strip can advantageously include a light source that emits visible light, which the user can then perceive. The emission itself can be controlled by the evaluation device; that is, control signals are sent to the light source depending on the input. These control signals can be used to switch the light source on or off, dim it, make it flash in a predefined rhythm, change its color, etc. For example, a red light can illuminate in case of danger, or when the user's attention is required. In one embodiment of the invention, for example, the area of ​​the threshold can be illuminated with red light to prevent tripping over the threshold in the event of leveling problems.

[0039] To assign measurement signals to individual control signals, a memory can be provided. This can also be external storage, for example, in the case of a cloud. The memory can also be integrated into the mounting rail, but for storing larger amounts of data, storage in external storage via a network or cloud is advantageous. With the help of AI, results, especially during assignment, can be recorded more quickly and easily. The stored data can be used to record elevator- or door-specific measurement profiles and later compared during evaluations; AI can also be used to initiate a machine learning process.

[0040] Depending on the specific design, the mounting strips can be installed and used in different ways. One variant involves mounting a strip on each side of the opening, so that the strips face each other. One of the mounting strips can house the transmitter, the other the receiver; that is, these are one-way light barriers. Typically, the individual transmitters are arranged along the strip, and the receivers are arranged along the strip in which they are mounted. In simple light curtains, the individual transmitter and receiver units are arranged at equal intervals along their respective strips. The transmitter and receiver units are positioned close enough to each other to ensure a sufficient level of safety, so that in practice, hardly any relevant object can enter the monitored area without being detected.In some light grids, the light rays are arranged parallel to each other, but light grids are also possible in which there is no parallel arrangement, the light rays overlap, etc.

[0041] In another variant, two mounting strips are provided, but one of them includes both the transmitting and receiving units, while the other is equipped with reflectors, i.e., it is a 2-way or reflective light barrier.

[0042] Another variant can also use TOF sensors, meaning only one mounting strip is required. The TOF sensors integrated within determine the distance by receiving the radiation reflected from the detected object. Typically, a signal is modulated onto the emitted light, which is lower in frequency than the light frequency. The phase shift between the emitted and reflected light can be measured or determined, for example, through correlation.

[0043] Examples of implementation

[0044] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail below, including further details and advantages. Specifically, the drawings show:

[0045] Fig. 1: a schematic representation of an optical monitoring device, according to the invention, for use in an elevator, as well as

[0046] Fig. 2: a schematic representation of an optical monitoring device, according to the invention, for an industrial gate.

[0047] Figure 1 shows an optical monitoring device 1 for an elevator with cabin doors 2, 3 partially or fully open, which are oriented horizontally. Each of the cabin doors 2, 3 has a mounting strip 4, 5 on its frame. At the same height, the mounting strip 4 contains, on the one hand, the transmitter 6 with transmitter units arranged at regular intervals along the strip 4, and on the other hand, the mounting strip 5 contains the receiver 7 with receiver units arranged at regular intervals along the strip 5. The dashed lines between the transmitter 6 and receiver 5 represent the emitted infrared light beams used to form the light grid.

[0048] The optical monitoring device 1 also includes an audiovisual signaling device 9, which comprises a loudspeaker 10, a microphone 11, and a lamp 12. In addition, sensor devices are provided, specifically two accelerometers 13 at the ends of the strip 4, which can detect the movements of doors 2 and 3. For reasons of compactness, the sensors 13 for door 2 are integrated into the mounting strip 4. The accelerometers 13 for door 3 are instead integrated into the strip 5 to detect its movement. The mounting strip 4 also includes a leveling sensor 14, which can be used to determine whether the threshold 15 of the cabin is sufficiently aligned with the threshold 16 of the floor.

[0049] Sensors 6 and 7, acting as light grids, and sensors 13 and 14, along with microphone 11, transmit their signals to evaluation unit 17, where they are analyzed. If an object is located within the monitored area 8, a stop signal is sent to the door control unit to prevent or stop the closing of doors 2 and 3. Additionally, an acoustic warning signal or a voice announcement (e.g., "Caution! Door is blocked!") is emitted via speaker 10. Conversely, if leveling sensor 14 indicates that thresholds 15 and 16 are too far apart and pose a tripping hazard, this is also communicated via speaker 10. Furthermore, lamp 12 illuminates the transition area between thresholds 15 and 16 in red, marking it as a danger zone.

[0050] Furthermore, the evaluation device 17 is also integrated into the mounting strip 4.

[0051] Using microphone 11, passengers in the elevator car can request information, such as why the car stopped unexpectedly. They can also make emergency calls if, for example, someone in the elevator feels unwell and needs immediate assistance. However, the sounds, voice input, etc., captured by microphone 11 require more processing power than the integrated part of the evaluation device 17 in the mounting strip 4 can provide. Therefore, the evaluation device 17 has a connection to a cloud 18. This also enables the storage of sensor and measurement data for targeted analysis. Using a computer, measurement data can then be compared and analyzed over longer periods via the cloud 18.

[0052] With two mounting strips 4, 5 it would also be conceivable that instead of the transmitter units 6 common transmitter / receiver units would be used, while the receiver units 7 in the strip 5 would be replaced by reflectors.

[0053] Figure 2 shows an optical monitoring device 101 for an industrial door. The actual door, in the form of a foil door 102, moves vertically. The mounting rail 104 is therefore attached to the door guide. In this embodiment, only one rail 104 with TOF sensors 106 is attached on one side. These sensors together form the transmitting and receiving device and measure the distance to detected objects. If an object enters the monitoring area 8, the measured distance to the object is compared with a threshold value that is expected when the foil door 102 enters the detection range of the respective sensor 106 during the regular closing process. The distance from the sensor 106 to the retracted foil door 102 is extremely small because the sensor 106 and the foil door 102 are located within the guide. Therefore, an object attempting to pass through the door opening, or being driven through it, cannot reach such a small distance.

[0054] The signaling device 9, with the same function as in the embodiment according to Fig. 1, also includes the loudspeaker 10, the microphone 11 and light source 12, these being arranged at regular intervals along the strip 104 and being switched on as visual support of information and warnings, for example by a green indicator when the gate 102 remains open, orange when the gate 102 is about to close, and red from the time when the gate 102 has been started.

[0055] The evaluation device 17 is not integrated into the mounting strip 104, but also has a cloud (18) connection.

[0056] Figures 1 and 2 also schematically illustrate the interface S for connecting control signals from the sensor devices 6, 7, 13, 14, 106 and / or an evaluation device 17, which are converted into an acoustic or audiovisual output via the signaling device 9. All embodiments and further developments of the invention have in common that an acoustic or audiovisual signaling device for outputting information and / or warnings is provided, which is integrated into the mounting strip. The signaling device has an interface for receiving control signals from a sensor and / or an evaluation device, which are converted into an acoustic or audiovisual output via the signaling device. Thus, not only is a higher level of safety and convenience offered, but the almost universal retrofit capability also extends the scope of application to older models of gate devices or elevators.

[0057]

[0058] 1 optical monitoring device

[0059] 2 cabin doors

[0060] 3 cabin doors

[0061] 4 Mounting strip

[0062] 5 Mounting strip

[0063] 6 Transmitter

[0064] 7 Receiving device

[0065] 8 Monitoring area

[0066] 9 Signal device

[0067] 10 speakers

[0068] 11 Microphone

[0069] 12 Lamps / Light bulbs

[0070] 13 Accelerometer

[0071] 14 Leveling sensor

[0072] 15 Cabin threshold

[0073] 16 Threshold of the floor

[0074] 17 Evaluation device

[0075] 18 Cloud

[0076] 101 optical monitoring device

[0077] 102 Foil gate

[0078] 104 Mounting strip

[0079] 106 TOF sensor

[0080] S interface

Claims

Claims 1. Optical monitoring device (1, 101), in particular light grid and / or light curtain for monitoring a monitoring area (8), • with a mounting strip (4, 104) which has a transmitting and / or receiving device (6, 7, 106) for detecting objects in the monitoring area (8) and for forming the optical detection area, • wherein the mounting strip (4, 104) is designed to be attached laterally to the monitoring area (8), in particular to the door frame or the side surface of the door (2), characterized in that • an acoustic or audiovisual signaling device (9) for outputting information and / or warnings is provided, which is integrated in the mounting strip (4), wherein the signaling device (9) has an interface (S) for receiving control signals from a sensor and / or evaluation device (6, 7, 13, 14, 106; 17), which are converted into an acoustic or audiovisual output via the signaling device (9).

2. Optical monitoring device (1 , 101 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the signaling device (9) comprises a loudspeaker (10) to output information and / or warnings acoustically.

3. Optical monitoring device (1 , 101 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a microphone (11 ) is integrated in the mounting strip (4, 104) to receive messages from persons and / or other noises from the monitoring area (8) and in particular to forward them to the evaluation device (17).

4. Optical monitoring device (1 , 101 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the loudspeaker (10) and / or the microphone (11) is / are arranged on the side facing the monitoring area (8).

5. Optical monitoring device (1 , 101 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one sensor device (6, 7, 13, 14, 106) is provided for sensorial detection of a state of the door and / or gate (2, 3, 102) and / or the cabin.

6. Optical monitoring device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor device or one of the sensor devices (14) is / are designed to detect the quality of a leveling and / or the height difference between the threshold (15, 16) of the shaft opening and the cabin opening.

7. Optical monitoring device (1 , 101 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor device or one of the sensor devices (13) is designed as an acceleration sensor to detect the movement of the door and / or the movement state of the door (2, 3, 102).

8. Optical monitoring device (1, 101) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an evaluation device (17) is provided to acquire the measured values ​​of at least one of the sensor devices (6, 7, 13, 14, 106) and which is in particular designed to • to forward a control signal to the interface (S) from a predefined threshold value of the height difference and / or • to forward the movement and / or one of the movement states of the door or gate (2, 3, 102) as a control signal to the interface (S).

9. Optical monitoring device (1 , 101 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one sensor device (6, 7, 13, 14, 106) and / or the evaluation device (17) is / are integrated into the mounting strip.

10. Optical monitoring device (1, 101) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor device or at least one of the sensor devices (6, 7, 13, 14, 106) and / or the evaluation device (17) has an IoT connection device for connection to a network and / or a cloud (18) in order to transmit the measured values ​​and / or the control signals to a server for evaluation and / or storage.

11. Optical monitoring device (1, 101) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the server and / or the cloud (18) is / are designed as an evaluation device (17) and / or as part of the evaluation device (17).

12. Optical monitoring device (1, 101) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the evaluation device (17) and / or the cloud (18) is / are configured to send a message via the network and / or the Internet about a maintenance and / or repair requirement.

13. Optical monitoring device (1, 101) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mounting strip (4) has a light source (12) to emit visible light, wherein the evaluation device (17) is connected to the light source (12) to send control signals to the light source in order to control the emission, in particular to switch the light source (12) on or off and / or to change the color of the emission.

14. Optical monitoring device (1, 101) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the evaluation device and / or the cloud (17, 18) has a memory, • which includes an assignment rule and / or table to assign the measurement signals to control signals and / or • which is designed to store and provide the measurement signals for evaluation by an artificial intelligence as part of the network and / or the cloud (18).

15. Optical monitoring device (1, 101) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical monitoring device (1, 101): • has two of the mounting strips (4, 5), wherein one of the two mounting strips (4) has the transmitting device (6), which is designed such that at least two transmitters are arranged spaced apart along its longitudinal extent, and the other mounting strip (5) has the receiving device (7), which is designed such that at least two receivers are arranged spaced apart along its longitudinal extent, or • only the one mounting strip (4, 104) includes or • in addition to the mounting strip which has the transmitting and receiving device, a reflective mounting strip is included which is designed such that a reflector or at least two spaced-apart reflectors are arranged along its longitudinal extent, so that the rays emitted by the transmitting device can reach the receiving device.

16. Optical monitoring device (1, 101) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monitoring area (8) is a door area of ​​an elevator with a cabin that is movable in an elevator shaft, or of an industrial gate.

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