Elevator door sensor integrated with a long range communication gateway

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10827238-B2
Application number	US-201916426176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2019
Priority date	May 30, 2018
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A sensing apparatus for monitoring a conveyance system is provided. The sensing apparatus includes: a controller; at least one sensor in communication with the controller, the at least one sensors configured to detect sensor data of the conveyance system and communicate the sensor data to the controller; and a long-range communication module in communication with the controller, the long-range communication module being configured to transmit the sensor data to a remote system through a wireless network via long-range wireless communication protocol, wherein the long-range communication module is located within the sensing apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensing apparatus for monitoring an elevator system comprising an elevator car, the sensing apparatus comprising:
a controller, the controller comprising: a processor and a memory;
at least one sensor in communication with the controller, the at least one sensors configured to detect sensor data of the elevator system and communicate the sensor data to the controller; and
a long-range communication module in communication with the controller, the long-range communication module being configured to transmit the sensor data to a remote system through a wireless network via long-range wireless communication protocol,
wherein the long-range communication module is located within the sensing apparatus,
wherein the long-range communication module is configured to detect a network signal strength of the wireless network, the network signal strength varying along a hoistway of the elevator system, and
wherein the long-range communication module is configured to store the sensor data within the memory of the control until the network signal strength of the wireless network is greater than a threshold and then transmit the sensor data to a remote system through the wireless network when the network signal strength of the wireless network is greater than a threshold.

2. The sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensing apparatus is configured to be attached to a door of the elevator car of the elevator system.

3. The sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensing apparatus is configured to be attached to a door hanger of a door of the elevator car of the elevator system.

4. The sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to process the sensor data prior to the long-range communication module transmitting the sensor data to the remote system through a wireless network via long-range wireless communication protocol.

5. The sensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the long-range communication module is configured to transmit sensor data that is unprocessed to the remote system through a wireless network via long-range wireless communication protocol.

6. A sensing system for monitoring an elevator system, the sensing system comprising:
an elevator car of the elevator system; and
a sensing apparatus attached to the elevator car, the sensing apparatus comprising:
a controller, the controller comprising: a processor and a memory;

at least one sensor in communication with the controller, the at least one sensor configured to detect sensor data of the elevator system and communicate the sensor data to the controller; and
a long-range communication module in communication with the controller, the long-range communication module being configured to transmit the sensor data to a remote system through a wireless network via long-range wireless communication protocol,
wherein the long-range communication module is located within the sensing apparatus,
wherein the long-range communication module is configured to detect a network signal strength of the wireless network, the network signal strength varying along a hoistway of the elevator system, and
wherein the long-range communication module is configured to store the sensor data within the memory of the control until the network signal strength of the wireless network is greater than a threshold and then transmit the sensor data to a remote system through the wireless network when the network signal strength of the wireless network is greater than a threshold.

7. The sensing system of claim 6 , wherein the sensing apparatus is attached to a door of the elevator car of the elevator system.

8. The sensing system of claim 6 , wherein the sensing apparatus is attached to a door hanger of a door of the elevator car of the elevator system.

9. The sensing system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a power source configured to provide electrical power to the sensing apparatus, wherein the power source is configured to generate power for the sensing apparatus.

10. The sensing system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to process the sensor data prior to the long-range communication module transmitting the sensor data to the remote system through a wireless network via long-range wireless communication protocol.

11. The sensing system of claim 6 , wherein the long-range communication module is configured to transmit sensor data that is unprocessed to the remote system through a wireless network via long-range wireless communication protocol.

12. A method for data transfer in an elevator system comprising an elevator car, the method comprising:
collecting sensor data of the elevator system using at least one sensor of a sensing apparatus attached to the elevator car of the elevator system;
detecting a network signal strength of the wireless network via long-range wireless protocol using the long-range communication module, the network signal strength varying along a hoistway of the elevator system;
storing the sensor data in a memory of the sensing apparatus until the network signal strength of the wireless network is greater than a threshold;
transmitting the sensor data to a remote system through a network via a long-range wireless protocol when the network signal strength of the wireless network is greater than a threshold using a long-range communication module located internal to the sensing apparatus.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Witczak Tadeusz Pawel
• Bogli Craig Drew
• Oggianu Stella M

Classifications

• B66B25/006

  Monitoring for maintenance or repair (for security reasons B66B29/005) · CPC title

• B66B5/0025

  for maintenance or repair · CPC title

• B66B1/3461 Primary

  between the elevator control system and remote or mobile stations · CPC title

• B66B1/3446

  Data transmission or communication within the control system · CPC title

• H04Q2209/823

  where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm · CPC title