Otis Elevator Company

Other

Ut Automotive Dearborn, Inc.

Robert G Morgan

David Crenella

Michael P Gozzo

H Winston Maue

Harold Terry

Alberto Vecchiotti

Richard Robert Grzybowski

David J Sirag, Jr

Eric K Jamieson

Timothy S Roddy

Bruce E Zepke

Jeffrey M Izard

Ronald K Reich

Chester J Slabinski

David Sirag

Mary Ann Valk

Eugene V Capatina

Elevator system hall fixtures such as lanterns, hall call button switches and lights, gongs, and floor position indicators are connected to a controller via wireless transceivers. The controller can be a system, group, and/or car controller. A low power wireless system connects all fixtures on one hallway, with a higher power wireless system connecting each hallway with the appropriate controller.

Two-part wireless communications system for elevator hallway fixtures

A wireless safety chain for an elevator system includes a base transceiver connected to a system controller. A plurality of safety chain components each includes a physical sensor such as a switch, and a wireless transceiver. The physical sensor monitors the component status. The wireless transceiver communicates among the other safety chain components and the system controller. The wireless safety chain preferably employs a token scheme, where a token is sent from the base transceiver to one component, which in turn sends the token to another component, and so on, until the token returns to the base transceiver. Failure of the token to return to the base transceiver in a predetermined amount of time signals that the elevator system is unsafe.

Wireless safety chain for elevator system

Elevator cars ( ) have floors ( ) including a matrix of elements ( ) including a weight sensing cell ( ) to determine weight distribution in the car for controlling the position of a moveable hitch ( ) on the car and for allocating calls to the cars depending upon the weight distribution. Transmitters ( ) borne by passengers ( ) transmit identification portions, and may also transmit personal preferences of the passenger with respect to the elevator ride. The system may store personal preferences in a data base indexed by personal identification numbers, limiting the required transmission to only the identification number. Correlation (FIG. ) of identification numbers with the cell indicating by weight where a passenger is located may be achieved in each element of the floor or in a controller. A group controller ( ) may allocate calls based upon weight distribution and/or preferences of passengers.

Elevator ride improvements utilizing smart floor

A remote control device transmits a request for elevator service while a passenger is some distance from the elevator; the call may be assigned to an elevator car, but the car stops for that particular passenger only if the call is verified by the passenger approaching the immediate vicinity of the elevator. In one embodiment, tags identifying beacons that cause requests to be made remotely of, in proximity with, and within the elevator identify the location from where each request is made. In other embodiments, which may use key operated devices, limited-sensitivity receivers, or receivers with directional reception patterns, including overlapping patterns, may be utilized to distinguish between elevator call requests made remotely and made in the vicinity of the elevator. Other methods of verifying presence of the calling device at the elevator may be used.

Remote elevator call placement with provisional call verification

Remote control devices borne by potential passengers are alerted to initiate a request for elevator service by beacons in the building. The beacon alert message includes a tag identifying the floor on which the beacon is located and a position on the floor at which the beacon is located. The floor description tags prevent transmissions of the remote device from being recognized on floors other than the floor on which the device was alerted by a beacon, whereby transmission power of the remote devices may be quite high to assure reception anywhere on the floor, while being ignored on adjacent floors. Tags descriptive of the location on the floor (such as east, west, or lobby area) allow early assignment of a call to an elevator, without causing a car to stop for that particular passenger unless the call is verified by the passenger being sensed in the immediate vicinity of the elevator, and a car call is not entered for the destination floor unless the passenger is sensed as being within the elevator cab, due to a remote device message including a cab descriptor tag.

Remote elevator call requests with descriptor tags

The preferred embodiment apparatus employs an interior trim panel and an electrical harness for use in an automotive vehicle. In one aspect of the present invention, the interior trim panel has a generally rigid substrate covered by an aesthetically pleasing covering material. In another aspect of the present invention, an electrical harness is provided with integrally created switch contacts and integrally created connector terminals.

Interior trim panel and electrical harness apparatus for an automotive

An apparatus which clasps easily to a fishing rod for the purpose of retaining a fishing line spool to aid in the transfer of fishing line from spool to fishing reel or from fishing reel to fishing line spool. Apparatus retains the fishing line spool to the spool holder base with the use of a conic retention nut thereby both the casting and spinning reel configuration may utilize the apparatus without altering reeling methods.

Growing community of inventors

Bolton, CT, United States of America

Robert G Morgan