Elevator Safety Circuit Configuration via Data Query
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elevator safety systems face difficulties in managing configuration changes and ensuring accurate safety configuration data, particularly when components of the safety circuit need to be replaced, which can lead to incorrect data usage and potential safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A configuration apparatus and main safety circuit system that enable communication and data exchange to manage safety configuration data, with periodic queries and updates to ensure accurate data usage, and the ability to enter a safety state if data discrepancies are detected, thereby preventing elevator usage when configurations are incorrect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If safety configuration data is stored in a non-safety component for backup purposes, then ease of maintenance is improved, but reliability deteriorates because the non-safety component may change the safety circuit configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates safety configuration data storage into two distinct components: a safety component (non-transitory memory in the safety circuit) and a non-safety component (backup storage). This segmentation allows the non-safety component to serve as a backup without compromising the integrity of the active safety configuration, resolving the contradiction between ease of maintenance and configuration integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety circuit acts as an intermediary between the non-safety backup component and the actual safety circuit operation. It reads configuration data from the non-safety component during startup but only executes safety logic from its own protected memory, preventing any potential changes from the non-safety component while still allowing backup functionality.
2Device complexity
If safety configuration data is manually managed, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of information increases when components are replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic copying of safety configuration data from the safety circuit's memory to a non-safety backup component. This eliminates the need for manual configuration management while preventing data loss during component replacement, as the backup copy preserves the original safety configuration parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety circuit performs preliminary backup of configuration data to a non-safety component before any potential component replacement occurs. This preliminary action ensures that even if the primary safety component fails or is replaced, the configuration data is already preserved in the backup location, preventing information loss.
3Reliability
If the main safety circuit periodically queries configuration data, then reliability is improved through verification, but use of energy increases due to continuous communication
Solution Approach 1:
The main safety circuit implements periodic querying of configuration data from the configuration apparatus at predetermined time intervals rather than continuous monitoring. This periodic action maintains configuration verification reliability while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous communication, as the system only activates communication protocols at scheduled intervals.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a configuration apparatus for an elevator system. The configuration apparatus comprises a communication interface configured to enable communication with a main safety circuit of the elevator system via a communication channel; at least one memory configured to store safety configuration data of the elevator system; wherein configuration apparatus is configured to provide via the communication interface at least part of the safety configuration data to the main safety circuit in response to a safety configuration data query.