Brake operation management in elevators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10252879-B2
Application number	US-201415116120-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2014
Priority date	Feb 6, 2014
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to determining that an elevator car of an elevator system is approaching a landing, obtaining, by a controller, a value for at least one parameter associated with the elevator system based on the determination that the elevator car is approaching the landing, determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing within a threshold distance, determining, by the controller, when to engage in at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation based on the value for the at least one parameter and based on determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing within the threshold distance, and initiating the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation at a time corresponding to the determination of when to engage in the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining that an elevator car of an elevator system is approaching a landing;
obtaining a value for at least one parameter associated with the elevator system based on the determination that the elevator car is approaching the landing;
determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing within a threshold distance;
determining when to engage in at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation based on the value for the at least one parameter and based on determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing within the threshold distance;
initiating the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation at a time corresponding to the determination of when to engage in the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation;
monitoring load weighing data based on determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing within the threshold distance; and
determining that the load weighing data indicates that a load associated with the elevator car changes in an amount that is less than a threshold over a given period of time;
wherein the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation is initiated based on the determination that the load weighing data indicates that the load associated with the elevator car changes in the amount that is less than the threshold over the given period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining at least one characteristic regarding the use of the elevator system, wherein the determination of when to engage in the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation is based on the obtained at least one characteristic.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one of:
a count or identity of passengers currently in the elevator car,
a count or identity of passengers outside of the elevator car requesting service using
the elevator car,
one or more landings serving as a source of origin for the passengers outside of the elevator car,
one or more destination landings for one or more of the passengers,
an estimate of incoming passenger traffic based on historical data, and
an identification of any large objects or freight to be conveyed by the elevator car.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
causing the elevator system to re-level the elevator car upon the arrival of the elevator car at the landing within the threshold distance based on the at least one characteristic.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
subsequent to determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing, determining a load that is anticipated to enter the elevator car at the landing; and
initiating a re-leveling of the elevator car based on the anticipated load prior to the anticipated load entering the elevator car at the landing.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiating of the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation comprises dropping a brake of the elevator system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiating of the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation comprises de-energizing a machine of the elevator system.

8. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
determine that an elevator car of an elevator system is approaching a landing;
obtain a value for at least one parameter associated with the elevator system based on the determination that the elevator car is approaching the landing;
determine that the elevator car arrives at the landing within a threshold distance;
determine when to engage in at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation based on the value for the at least one parameter and based on determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing within the threshold distance; and
initiate the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation at a time corresponding to the determination of when to engage in the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation;
monitor load weighing data based on determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing within the threshold distance,
determine that the load weighing data indicates that a load associated with the elevator car changes in an amount that is less than a threshold over a given period of time;
initiate the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation based on the determination that the load weighing data indicates that the load associated with the elevator car changes in the amount that is less than the threshold over the given period of time.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation comprises a dropping of a brake of the elevator system.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation comprises a de-energizing of a machine of the elevator system.

11. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
determine that an elevator car of an elevator system is approaching a landing;
obtain a value for at least one parameter associated with the elevator system based on the determination that the elevator car is approaching the landing;
determine that the elevator car arrives at the landing within a threshold distance;
determine when to engage in at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation based on the value for the at least one parameter and based on determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing within the threshold distance;
initiate the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation at a time corresponding to the determination of when to engage in the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation;
monitor load weighing data based on determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing within the threshold distance;
determine that the load weighing data indicates that a load associated with the elevator car changes in an amount that is greater than a threshold over a given period of time; and
continue to cause a re-leveling of the elevator car to occur and keep a brake of the elevator system up based on the determination that the load weighing data indicates that the load associated with the elevator car changes in the amount that is greater than the threshold over the given period of time.

12. An elevator system comprising:
at least one elevator car configured to traverse a hoistway;
a machine;
a brake;
a controller configured to:
determine that the at least one elevator car is approaching a landing;
obtain a value for at least one parameter associated with the elevator system based on the determination that the at least one elevator car is approaching the landing;
determine that the at least one elevator car arrives at the landing within a threshold distance;
determine when to engage in at least one of a brake cycling operation as applied to the brake and a power cycling operation as applied to the machine based on the value for the at least one parameter and based on determining that the at least one elevator car arrives at the landing within the threshold distance; and
initiate the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation at

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Lotfi Amir
• Roberts Randall Keith
• Thebeau Ronnie E
• Garfinkel Michael
• Piedra Edward
• Hanvey Dennis
• Rush Daniel

Classifications

• B66B1/32

  effective on braking devices {, e.g. acting on electrically controlled brakes (brake control H02P, lift brakes per se B66B5/02)} · CPC title

• B66B1/40

  and for correct levelling at landings · CPC title

• B66B1/36 Primary

  Means for stopping the cars, cages, or skips at predetermined levels · CPC title

• B66B9/00

  Kinds or types of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures (characterised by control systems B66B1/00; apparatus for raising or lowering persons on stages of theatres A63J5/12) · CPC title

• B66B1/44

  and for taking account of disturbance factors, e.g. variation of load weight · CPC title