Position determining system for multicar ropeless elevator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10689226-B2
Application number	US-201615546048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2016
Priority date	Feb 4, 2015
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

An elevator car travels in a lane ( 113, 115, 117 ) of an elevator shaft ( 111 ). A linear propulsion system imparts force to the car ( 214 ). The system includes a first part ( 116 ) mounted in the lane of the shaft and a second part ( 118 ) mounted to the elevator car configured to co-act with the first part to impart movement to the car. Car state sensors ( 360 a - c ) are disposed in the lane and determine a state space vector of the car within the lane. A sensed element ( 364 ) on the car is sensed by the plurality of car state sensors when the car is in proximity to the respective car state sensor. A control system ( 225 ) applies an electrical current to at least one of the first part and the second part and the plurality of car state sensors communicate with the control system and the linear propulsion system to provide state space vector data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An elevator system comprising:
an elevator car configured to travel in a lane of an elevator shaft;
a linear propulsion system configured to impart force to the elevator car, the linear propulsion system comprising:
a first part mounted in the lane of the elevator shaft; and
a second part mounted to the elevator car configured to co-act with the first part to impart movement to the elevator car;

a plurality of car state sensors disposed within the lane and operable to determine a state space vector of the elevator car within the lane;
a sensed element disposed on the elevator car, wherein each of the plurality of car state sensors is configured to detect the sensed element when the elevator car is in proximity to the respective car state sensor; and
a control system operable to apply an electrical current to at least one of the first part and the second part,
wherein the plurality of car state sensors are in communication with the control system and the linear propulsion system to provide state space vector data thereto,
and an elevator car identification mechanism arranged on the elevator car and configured to be detected by the plurality of car state sensors, wherein each of the plurality of car state sensors is configured to detect an identity of the elevator car based on the elevator car identification mechanism such that the identity of the specific elevator car, the location of the specific elevator car within the lane, and state space vector data are known by the control system.

2. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein each sensor of the plurality of car state sensors is at least one of an IR/optical transmissive sensor, an IR/optical reflective sensor, a magnetic encoder, an eddy current sensors, and a hall effect sensor.

3. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein each sensor of the plurality of car state sensors is at least one of a laser Doppler device, a CMOS/CCD camera, and a laser imaging device.

4. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of car state sensors define a plurality of first car state sensors and the elevator car is a first elevator car in a first lane, the system further comprising:
a second elevator car disposed in a second lane of the elevator shaft; and
a plurality of second car state sensors configured to determine the state space vector of the second elevator car.

5. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the elevator car is a first elevator car, the system further comprising a second elevator car disposed in the same lane of the elevator shaft as the first elevator car, wherein the plurality of car state sensors are configured to determine state space vector of each the first elevator car and the second elevator car.

6. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of car state sensors are further configured to determine at least one of velocity, acceleration, magnetic angle, and direction of movement of the elevator car.

7. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein control system is configured to determine the state space vector of the elevator car based on the proximity of the elevator car to one or more of the plurality of car state sensors.

8. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of car state sensors are hardwired to at least one of the control system and the propulsion system.

9. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the system includes a plurality of first parts and each of the plurality of first parts has at least one associated car state sensor.

10. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the first part comprises one or more motor segments and the second comprises one or more permanent magnets.

11. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the elevator car identification mechanism is an RFID chip.

12. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of car state sensors are configured to determine the state space vector of the elevator car within the lane based on at least one of a velocity measurement, acceleration measurement, and magnetic angle measurement.

13. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the state space vector is a physical position of the elevator car.

14. The elevator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an elevator car indicator configured on the elevator car; and
at least one additional sensor configured to detect an identity of the elevator car based on the elevator car indicator.

15. A method comprising:
measuring a state space vector of a first elevator car in a first lane of an elevator shaft with at least one of a plurality of car state sensors disposed within the first lane and a sensed element disposed on the elevator car;
communicating the state space vector of the first elevator car to a control system;
controlling at least one of the speed, direction of movement, and acceleration of the first elevator car based on the measured state space vector of the first elevator car;
determining the identity of the first elevator car with the at least one of a plurality of car state sensors, based on an elevator car identification mechanism arranged on the first elevator car;
communicating the identity of the first elevator car to the control system; and
associating a location and the measured state space vector to the identified first elevator car.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
measuring a state space vector of a second elevator car in the first lane of the elevator shaft with at least one of the plurality of car state sensors;
communicating the state space vector of the second elevator car to the control system; and
controlling at least one of the speed, direction of movement, and acceleration of the second elevator car based on the measured state space vector of the second elevator car.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
measuring a state space vector of a second elevator car in a second lane of the elevator shaft with at least one of a plurality of second car state sensors;
communicating the state space vector of the second elevator car to the control system; and
controlling at least one of the speed, direction of movement, and acceleration of the second elevator car based on the measured state space vector of the second elevator car.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising computing at least one of the speed, direction of movement, magnetic angle, and acceleration of the first elevator car based on the measured state space vector information.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method is performed by a control system of a multicar, ropeless elevator system.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Depaola Jr Peter
• Fargo Richard N
• Ginsberg David
• Nguyen Dang V
• Krishnamurthy Shashank

Classifications

• B66B1/3492 Primary

  Position or motion detectors or driving means for the detector (B66B1/40, B66B1/50 take precedence; length measuring G01B; speed measuring G01P) · CPC title

• B66B9/02

  actuated mechanically otherwise than by rope or cable · CPC title

• B66B11/0407

  actuated by an electrical linear motor (in the counterweight B66B17/12) · 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

• B66B1/30 Primary

  effective on driving gear {, e.g. acting on power electronics, on inverter or rectifier controlled motor} · CPC title