Inventio Ag

Ivo Lustenberger

Astrid Sonnenmoser

Martin Hess

Thomas Hartmann

Kurt Heinz

Adrian Knecht

David Michel

Christian Studer

Reto Tschuppert

Frank Olivier Roussel

An elevator system controller controls a drive and optionally further elevator components. The controller includes a circuit having a switch to be monitored, the switch having an input and an output, a signal transmitter unit applying an AC voltage input signal to the input of the switch, and a monitoring unit to record an output signal at an output of the switch. On the basis of a comparison of the output signal with the input signal, the circuit generates a monitoring signal that indicates a switching state of the switch. The switch may be, for example, a door switch connected in series with other safety switches to form a safety chain. Applying the AC voltage signal instead of a conventional DC voltage signal makes it possible to avoid electrical corrosion in the switch and also makes it possible to increase a reliability of a detected switching state of the switch.

Elevator system having a circuit with a switch monitored by means of an AC voltage signal

A passenger transport system includes a bus system transferring data between a central control unit and a plurality of field devices. In a failure detection method, the field devices are configured in an unbranched chain configuration and the control unit transmits a test telegram to a first field device to start a monitoring cycle during which each field device receiving the test telegram forwards the test telegram to a next field device in the chain. During the monitoring cycle, the control unit monitors a communication between the field devices occurring via the bus system, in order to detect when a field device does not forward the test telegram. A data volume transmitted via the bus system during the failure detection method is significantly reduced in comparison to conventional failure tests such that failures can be recognized more quickly and/or simpler hardware and/or software can be used.

Passenger transport system having central control unit and multiple field devices having an optimized failure detection method

A car safety supervising unit (SSU) for an elevator having an elevator car displaceable within an elevator shaft includes at least one sensor for sensing car-related parameters and outputting corresponding car-related signals, an I/O interface for inputting input signals into the car SSU and for outputting output signals to external devices and a signal processing unit for processing at least one of the car-related signals and the input signals and for generating the output signals. In an installation operation mode, the signal processing unit processes exclusively the car-related signals and generates the output signals based exclusively on the car-related signals whereby the car SSU accomplishes basic safety functions for safely operating the elevator with a limited number of available sensors. In a normal operation mode, the signal processing unit processes both the car-related signals and the input signals and generates the output signals based on both.

Car and entity safety supervising unit for an elevator

A method for moving an elevator car of an elevator for evacuating passengers from the elevator car in the event of a power failure, wherein a brake blocks a vertical movement of the elevator car, includes the steps of: applying an electrical pulse or a plurality of electrical pulses to the brake of the elevator car to release the brake and unblock the vertical movement of the elevator car, the brake being released for as long as the particular electrical pulse is applied to the brake; determining a covered height which the elevator car has covered during the application of the particular electrical pulse; comparing the determined covered height with a predetermined distance; and terminating the application of the particular electrical pulse to the brake when the determined covered height is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance.

Method for moving an elevator car of an elevator for evacuating passengers and brake opening device for moving an elevator car of an elevator for evacuating passengers

An elevator safety supervising entity (SSE) includes a car safety supervising unit (SSU) controlling functions of car safety components and having at least one car sensor sensing car-related parameters, a head SSU controlling functions of shaft safety components and having at least one shaft sensor sensing shaft-related parameters, and a data linkage transmitting signal data between the SSUs. Both SSUs detect a failure in the other one of the SSUs and in the data linkage signal data transmission and in response switch from a normal operation mode to a failure operation mode. In the failure operation mode, the SSUs operate autonomously to keep the elevator operative at least temporarily with a sufficiently high safety even when functions of the elevator SSE are disturbed due to failures and e.g. passengers may be evacuated from the elevator car before completely stopping elevator operation.

Elevator safety supervising entity with two units having an option for e.g. autonomous passenger evacuation

An elevator system has a central control unit for generating control signals and/or processing sensor signals and controlling functions of the system, a plurality of field devices distributed inside a structure accommodating the system, preferably along an elevator shaft, and a field bus system for interchanging the signals between the control unit and the field devices. Each field device outputs sensor signals generated by a sensor and/or receives control signals to be implemented by an actuator. Data packets including the signals are interchanged in a serial manner between the control unit and all field devices in a summation frame method using a closed ring topology. Each field device has a driver to insert the sensor signals into the data packet or to remove the control signals from the data packet. Data and signal transmission is thereby carried out quickly and safely in a safety circuit of the elevator system.

Elevator system having a central control unit and a plurality of field devices which communicate via a summation frame method

A monitoring unit, for monitoring an elevator system, includes a circuit assembly having a power supply unit for dispensing a grid-dependent first operating voltage and at least one processor-controlled monitoring module to actively and/or passively ascertain state data of the elevator system. An energy storage unit, that dispenses a grid-independent second operating voltage, and a first switching device supply the first operating voltage to the monitoring module during a normal operation and supply the second operating voltage to the monitoring module in the event of a power outage. A non-volatile data storage unit that stores a variable operating parameter and a second switching device deactivate parts of the circuit assembly. The monitoring module actuates the second switching device based on the stored operating parameter that has a first value before the monitoring unit is started and has a second value after the monitoring unit is started.

Monitoring unit for an elevator system, and method

An elevator system drive unit moves an elevator car in an elevator shaft to at least two shaft access doors under control of a control unit. The car does not move or moves only to a limited extent if an individual is in the shaft. A monitoring unit and sensor (switching contact) detect changes in state in at least one of the doors using a sequence of pulses monitoring signal. The monitoring unit has a battery and can be switched to an autonomous mode when the elevator system is entirely or partially disabled. The monitoring unit, in the autonomous mode, records state data from the sensor and is connected to a safeguard unit that reads and evaluates the recorded state data, and prevents the elevator system from being put into the normal mode of operation if a change in the state of one of the monitored doors has been detected.

Method and apparatus for controlling an elevator system

An elevator system includes a control unit, a bus, a plurality of bus-nodes connected via the bus with the control unit, and a plurality of safety-state detection devices connected with the control unit via the bus-nodes. A method of commissioning the elevator system includes the steps: A) verification by the control unit of the safety-state detection means that are connected to the bus; B) checking of the functional capability of the safety-state detection means that are connected; C) checking by the control unit of the safety functions of the elevator system based on a change in state of a safety-state detection means; and D) release of the elevator system for a normal operation only after positive execution by the control unit of the steps A) to C), wherein the release is accompanied by a change in state of the control unit from an unsecured state into a secured state.

Method and control unit for checking elevator system safety functions

A method for operating a safety system having a control unit, a bus, a plurality of bus nodes connected to the control unit via the bus, and a plurality of participants connected to the control unit via the bus nodes, wherein at least one participant is designated as a temporary participant. The method includes the step of logging the temporary participant out of the safety system by giving notice of a disconnection of the temporary participant from the safety system by a manipulation and disconnecting the temporary participant from the safety system. The safety system can be used with an elevator system for carrying out the method.

Method for operating an electronic safety system with temporary participants

A method for operating a safety system having a control unit, a bus, a plurality of bus nodes connected to the control unit via the bus and a plurality of participants connected to the control unit via the bus nodes, wherein at least one participant is designed as a temporary participant. The method involves the steps that the temporary participant is notified in the safety system by the temporary participant being connected at a bus node to the safety system via the bus, the temporary participants is recognized by the control unit, the temporary participant is integrated into the safety system by the control unit and the temporary participant is activated at least once. A further aspect of the invention relates to a safety system for an elevator system for carrying out the method and to an elevator system having the safety system.

A passenger transport system includes a central control unit for controlling system functions, field devices spatially distributed within the system, and a bus system transmitting data between the unit and the devices. The unit and/or the devices detect a current data transmission and the conclusion of the data transmission, and output different types of data telegrams that differ according to urgency. The unit and/or the devices output data telegrams only when no current data transmission is occurring and after a waiting period has elapsed since the conclusion of a previous data transmission. Each type of data telegram is assigned an individual waiting period on the basis of the respective urgency. Thus, a simple transmission prioritization is implemented during the data transmission, wherein each device can transmit data telegrams with different urgency and data telegrams of higher urgency are effectively transmitted with higher priority than data telegrams of lesser urgency.

Passenger transport system with central control unit and multiple field devices which communicate with data telegrams prioritized by waiting periods

A device serves for determining the speed of a passenger-transporting system. The device includes an arrangement of auxiliary elements and a sensing device. The arrangement of the auxiliary elements rotates, in a manner corresponding to a movement of the passenger-transporting system. The sensing device can sense whether an auxiliary element is, or is not, located at a certain sensing location. The auxiliary elements are of a first configuration type and a second configuration type. The sensing device can sense whether an auxiliary element is of the first configuration type or of the second configuration type. Furthermore, the sensing device can assign an auxiliary element of the first configuration type and an auxiliary element of the second configuration type to one another such that the direction of rotation can be determined from the order in which the auxiliary elements are sensed.

Passenger-transporting system with a device for determining the operating state

A safety circuit for an elevator system includes a first circuit having a plurality of switching contacts and a second circuit having a plurality of switching contacts. The switching contacts of the first circuit are connected in series, and the switching contacts of the second circuit are connected in parallel. Each switching contact of the first circuit is associated with a different switching contact of the second circuit. The switching contacts that are associated with each other are in opposite switching states.

Safety circuit for an elevator system

A method for commissioning an elevator system, the system having a control unit, a bus, and a plurality of bus nodes, which nodes are connected with the control unit through the bus, wherein the method includes the following steps: for each bus node, node-specific data are registered by the control unit; for each bus node, the registered node-specific data are compared with a participant list; and for each deviation between the participant list and the registered node-specific data, a message is issued for an operator.

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Buttisholz, Switzerland

Ivo Lustenberger