Automatic Door Sensor Contingency Mode for Obstacle Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic door installations, such as elevator and entrance doors, are prone to being taken out of service due to incorrect obstacle detection by door sensors, which can be affected by deteriorating operating conditions like noise and temperature, leading to unreliable operation and potential safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows automatic door installations to operate in two modes: standard and contingency. In contingency mode, a different obstacle check procedure is used, which can include repeated sensor readings, the use of auxiliary sensors, and adjusted light signal properties to improve accuracy despite deteriorating conditions, ensuring continued operation and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the door sensor equipment operates in standard mode with a first obstacle check procedure, then the operation speed and efficiency are maintained, but the reliability of obstacle detection deteriorates when operating conditions deteriorate (noise, temperature)
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between standard mode and contingency mode based on evaluated operating conditions. When conditions deteriorate (noise, temperature), the system transitions to contingency mode with a different obstacle check procedure that prioritizes detection reliability over speed, and vice versa when conditions improve
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters of the obstacle check procedure based on operating conditions. In contingency mode, parameters such as sensor reading frequency, signal threshold sensitivity, and verification steps are adjusted to maintain reliable detection despite adverse conditions
2Reliability
If the door sensor equipment uses a sensitive obstacle check procedure to improve detection accuracy, then the reliability of obstacle detection is improved, but the system is more prone to false positives and taken out of service
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the sensitivity and strictness of the obstacle check procedure based on evaluated operating conditions. In contingency mode, the system uses a different procedure that is less prone to false positives while maintaining adequate detection capability, allowing continued operation under adverse conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a contingency obstacle check procedure that can be applied temporarily when conditions deteriorate. This alternative procedure acts as a fallback mechanism that sacrifices some detection precision to maintain system availability, allowing the system to continue operating rather than being taken out of service
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the reliability of obstacle detection in adverse conditions, allowing the automatic door installation to maintain operation and ensure safety by adjusting the obstacle check procedure based on evaluated operating conditions, thereby minimizing the risk of incorrect obstacle determination and maintaining access to facilities.
Implementation Method 1
The optical door sensor typically determines that there may be an obstacle in front of the elevator car doors when an emitted light signal is not detected by a receiver
Implementation Method 2
The door sensor may be an optical door sensor, such as a break beam sensor, that forms a light curtain of infrared light outside of the elevator car doors
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed of operating an automatic door installation comprising door sensor equipment including a door sensor. The automatic door installation is operable in at least a standard mode, in which the door sensor equipment conducts an obstacle check to determine whether an obstacle is present according to a first obstacle check procedure, and a contingency mode, in which the door sensor equipment conducts the obstacle check according to a different second obstacle check procedure. The method includes the steps of evaluating an operating condition of the automatic door installation; determining whether the operating condition lies within a standard operating range; and operating the automatic door installation in the contingency mode when the operating condition lies outside a respective standard operating range.