Elevator Door Sensing for Early Closing Without Passenger Startle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elevator door control systems lack features for efficient and user-friendly operation, particularly in preventing sudden door closures that startle passengers and causing unnecessary wear and tear.
Innovation Solution
A sensor device with a 3D TOF sensor and evaluation unit that detects objects in the doorway and vestibule areas, issuing opening and conditional closing signals to control elevator doors, ensuring safe and timely closure without startling passengers, and reducing wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the elevator doors close quickly to improve efficiency, then productivity increases, but user comfort deteriorates due to sudden closing actions startling passengers
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the vestibule area before initiating door closing. The detection device checks whether an object is present in the vestibule region before the doors start closing. Only when the vestibule is confirmed empty does the system allow quick closing to proceed, thus preparing safety verification in advance to enable both speed and comfort
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the vestibule area during the door closing process and adjusts closing behavior based on real-time detection feedback. If an object is detected in the vestibule during closing, the system responds by opening the doors again, creating a feedback loop that balances productivity with user comfort based on actual conditions
2Loss of time
If the elevator doors close quickly to reduce waiting times, then loss of time decreases, but reliability deteriorates due to potential premature closing when objects are present
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the door movement area and vestibule area before initiating door closing. The detection device checks whether an object is present in these regions before the doors start closing. Only when both areas are confirmed empty does the system allow quick closing to proceed, thus preparing safety verification in advance to enable both speed and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system takes preliminary anti-action by detecting and preventing potential harmful closing actions before they occur. The detection device continuously monitors for objects in the door movement area and vestibule, and the control unit prevents closing initiation or interrupts closing if objects are detected, thereby counteracting potential safety issues before they manifest
3Measurement precision
If separate detection for door movement area and vestibule is implemented, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single detection device is designed to perform multiple functions: detecting objects in the door movement area, detecting objects in the vestibule area, and providing continuous monitoring during door operation. This multi-functional approach achieves high measurement precision for different zones without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The detection device combines multiple detection capabilities into one integrated unit rather than using separate devices for each area. The single device covers both the door movement area and vestibule area, merging detection functions to achieve precise multi-zone monitoring while minimizing system complexity
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
Enhances elevator efficiency by allowing quicker door closure under safe conditions, reducing waiting times, and minimizing wear and tear while improving passenger comfort.
Implementation Method 1
detection device (21) which is designed to detect whether an object is in the door movement area
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Sensor device for an elevator with a cabin having an elevator door which has a door movement space in the passageway and which has an anteroom area on the floor in front of the door movement space, with a detection device designed for the separate detection of objects in the door movement space and in the anteroom area and for carrying out successive detection runs with an evaluation device, wherein the evaluation device has a memory and is designed to store at least temporarily the information in the memory as to whether an object has been detected during a detection run and to output an early closing signal to close the elevator doors if no object is detected during a detection run and the information for a previous, in particular for a specific previous, in particular for the immediately preceding detection run is stored in the memory.that an object has been detected.