Elevator Control Panel Failure Detection via Passenger Interaction Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing elevator systems face issues with passenger-operated control panels malfunctioning or being operated incorrectly, leading to compromised user experiences and inefficient transport requests.

Innovation Solution

A monitoring system using cameras and an interaction analyzer to capture passenger interactions with control panels, analyze their behavior, detect failures, and invoke predefined actions to address these issues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If passenger-operated control panels are used for placing transport requests, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to malfunction or damage of the apparatus

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidreliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an interaction analyzer as an intermediary component that monitors passenger interactions with the control panel through camera images. This mediator detects whether the control panel is functioning correctly by analyzing passenger behavior patterns, thereby monitoring reliability without interfering with the ease of operation of the control panel itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If control panel apparatuses are installed in landings for placing transport calls, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to need for monitoring systems

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The interaction analyzer serves multiple functions: it monitors passenger interactions with control panels, detects failures in control panel operation, and can identify when transport requests are not properly placed. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate monitoring systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If interaction analysis is performed using camera images, then reliability of failure detection is improved, but loss of time increases due to image processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovereliabilityVSAvoidloss of time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously captures and pre-processes camera images in real-time as passengers interact with control panels. By performing preliminary analysis on the captured images, the system prepares detection data in advance, enabling rapid failure detection without significant time loss when actual failures occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4347469B1Monitoring method, monitoring system, and controller for elevators.
Publication Date: 2025.11.12 KONE OYJ
  • EP4347469B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4347469B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B
  • EP4347469B1 patent drawingFigure 3C~4A

AI summary

According to an example embodiment, a monitoring system for monitoring passenger interaction with one or more control panel apparatuses (130-k) for placing transport calls to an elevator system (100) in a landing (115) of the elevator system (100), the monitoring system comprising is provided, the system comprising: one or more cameras (135-k, 142-m) arranged for capturing images of passengers on the landing (115); and an interaction analyzer (144) for determining passenger interaction with the one or more control panel apparatuses (130-k), the interaction analyzer arranged to: carry out, based on the respective time series of images received from said one or more cameras (135-k, 142-m), an interaction analysis for determining one or more aspects of passenger interaction with the one more or more control panel apparatuses (130-k), carry out, based on the determined one or more aspects of passenger interaction with the one or more control panel apparatuses (130-k), a failure detection for the one more or more control panel apparatuses (130-k), and invoke one or more predefined actions in response to detecting a failure that pertains to at least one of the one or more control panel apparatuses (130-k).