Elevator Fault Detection via Health Status Graph
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern elevator systems face challenges in detecting faults, particularly in identifying components that are about to fail, due to their increasing complexity, making it difficult to monitor the health of components in a simple and efficient manner.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that connect to the elevator system's interface to receive status information, calculate a tree-type health status graph with nodes representing components and links representing connections, and display a visual representation using icons and line modifiers to indicate health and communication indicators, facilitating fault detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the elevator system complexity increases to include more communicatively connected components, then the functionality and capability of the system improve, but the difficulty of detecting and monitoring faults increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex elevator system into individual components (controllers, sensors, motors, actuators, etc.) and represents each as a separate node in a visual graph. This segmentation allows operators to monitor and diagnose faults at the component level rather than being overwhelmed by the overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary device that connects to the elevator system interface and generates a visual representation of the system's health status. This intermediary translates complex system data into an accessible graphical format, bridging the gap between complex system operations and operator understanding.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more components are added to the elevator system, then the system's capability improves, but the overall status information becomes less accessible for monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a visual copy or representation of the actual elevator system's health status. Instead of directly monitoring the complex physical system, the device generates a graphical replica showing the status of all components, making information accessible without adding physical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms one-dimensional status data (simple on/off or healthy/faulty states) into a two-dimensional visual graph with nodes and connections. This dimensional transformation allows operators to perceive system-wide status and component relationships that would be difficult to grasp from raw data alone.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional fault detection methods are used in complex elevator systems, then implementation is simpler, but fault detection efficiency and timeliness decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback monitoring by constantly checking the health status of components and immediately updating the visual representation. When a component's health indicator changes or communication quality degrades, the visual graph updates in real-time, providing immediate feedback to operators about system status changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection by monitoring health indicators and communication quality before actual failures occur. By tracking degradation trends and communication issues, the system can alert operators to potential problems before they result in complete component failure or system shutdown.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for detecting faults in an elevator system includes an interface module for connecting the device to an interface of the elevator system, a visual output module, and a processing module. The processing module receives, by the interface module, status information from the elevator system. The status information includes health indicators indicative of a health of components of the elevator system, and communication indicators indicative of a communication quality between communicatively connected components of the elevator system. The processing module calculates, from the status information, a tree-type health status graph of the elevator system. The processing module displays, by the visual output module, a visual representation of the graph of the elevator system. The visual representation includes icons representing the nodes, icon modifiers representing the health indicator attribute of the nodes, and lines representing the links.