Elevator Hall Door Gesture Sensors for Misuse Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Legacy door sensing mechanisms in elevators, such as tactile sensors, are often misused by passengers to prevent doors from closing, leading to safety issues and operational inefficiencies, as they can be triggered by objects other than people, causing doors to remain open.
Innovation Solution
A detection system comprising gesture sensors installed on elevator doors that detect pre-defined hand gestures to control door operations, including an illumination strip for visual notifications and speakers for audible cues, communicating with a door control subsystem to manage door movements and prevent improper usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tactile sensors are used to detect door contact for safety, then passenger safety is improved, but the sensors are misused by passengers to prevent door closing, leading to operational inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces tactile sensors with optical gesture sensors that detect hand movements and gestures through optical fields rather than mechanical contact. This substitution allows the system to maintain safety functions while eliminating the abuse problem, as gestures cannot be accidentally triggered by objects like briefcases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary gesture recognition system between the passenger and the door control mechanism. Instead of direct tactile contact, passengers perform specific hand gestures that are detected and translated into door control commands, adding a layer of intentional interaction that prevents misuse.
2Reliability
If tactile sensors are triggered by objects other than people, then door safety is maintained, but doors remain open due to improper activation, causing operational delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces contact-based tactile sensors with non-contact optical gesture sensors. This eliminates the problem of objects like briefcases accidentally triggering the sensors, as the optical system specifically detects human hand gesture patterns rather than any physical contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the detection parameter from physical contact force to optical gesture patterns. By detecting specific hand movement trajectories and positions in 3D space, the system distinguishes between intentional gestures and accidental object presence, maintaining safety while reducing false activations.
3Measurement precision
If gesture sensors are installed on elevator doors, then door control precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the gesture sensors multi-functional by using them for both safety monitoring and door control operations. The same sensor array that detects gestures for door opening also monitors the detection zone for safety, eliminating the need for separate tactile sensors and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the gesture detection unit with the existing door control subsystem, allowing a single integrated system to handle both gesture recognition and door actuation. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the control architecture.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A detection system (200) is provided. The detection system includes gesture sensors (205) installed on front panels of a set of hall doors (207). The gesture sensors (205) detect motion. The detection system (200) includes a gesture detection unit (220) that controls operations of the gesture sensors (205). The gesture detection unit (220) analyzes the motion detected by the gesture sensors (205) and detects a pre-determined hand gesture format. The gesture detection unit (220) activates a door open operation for the set of hall doors (207) in response to detecting the pre-determined hand gesture format.