Touchless Elevator Panel With Intentional Proximity Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional elevator buttons are prone to mechanical wear, costly, and facilitate the spread of diseases, requiring human contact, and existing contactless solutions like barrier systems and smartphone-based methods have limitations such as dependency on user devices or vulnerability to malfunctions.
Innovation Solution
A touchless elevator user interface system using a sensor array with proximity sensors and an electronic circuit to detect intentional user inputs, minimizing accidental activations by analyzing proximity values and applying logic functions to confirm single sensor element activations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional mechanical buttons are used, then the elevator call function is achieved, but mechanical wear occurs and the structure is complicated and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical buttons with optical sensors that detect hand gestures (open palm, closed fist, finger pointing) to activate elevator calls. This eliminates mechanical wear while maintaining the call function, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If conventional manual buttons are used, then the elevator call is registered, but human contact is required which facilitates disease spread
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces hand gestures as an intermediary between the user and the elevator system. The optical sensors detect gestures (open palm for up, closed fist for down, finger pointing for floor selection) without requiring physical contact with buttons, thereby eliminating disease transmission risk while maintaining ease of operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If touchless barrier systems are used, then contactless operation is achieved, but dependency on external devices like flag keys is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the human body itself to serve as the control interface through natural hand gestures. The optical sensors detect these gestures directly, eliminating the need for external devices like flag keys or smartphones. This resolves the contradiction by making the system contactless while simultaneously improving ease of operation through intuitive gesture control.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If sensor arrays are used to detect hand gestures, then touchless operation is achieved, but accidental activations may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent assigns different detection zones and gesture recognition patterns to different sensor elements in the array. Each sensor element corresponds to a specific button location and recognizes specific gestures (e.g., open palm for up call, closed fist for down call). This localized gesture recognition within specific sensor zones minimizes accidental activations while maintaining contactless operation.
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
Minimizes accidental elevator calls, reduces disease transmission risks, and enhances service efficiency by ensuring accurate and quick elevator destination selection without physical contact.
Implementation Method 1
a proximity sensor associated with an associated button and positioned proximate thereto. The proximity sensor arranged to generate a button detection zone around the associated button and detect a presence within the button detection zone
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods having a touchless operating panel with buttons and an electronic circuit (EC). The system including a proximity sensor (PS) associated with an associated button and positioned proximate thereto. The PS arranged to generate a button detection zone around the associated button and detect a presence within the button detection zone. When the PS detects a presence of an object within the button detection zone in a time period, the EC receives proximity values about the detection from the PS. The EC detects if activation of the PS is intentional or unintentional, based on inputting into an activation assessment module, the received proximity values and any other proximity values received from one or more other PSs. When a detection is made that the PS is intentionally activated regarding the presence of the object within the button detection zone. The EC generates and emits a command action.