Elevator auto-positioning for validating maintenance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10941018-B2
Application number	US-201815861783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2018
Priority date	Jan 4, 2018
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

An elevator system is described. Aspects include an elevator shaft, an elevator car, and at least one camera, wherein the camera is operated by a controller. The controller configured to receive a maintenance request associated with the elevator system. The maintenance request is analyzed to determine an operational mode for the elevator car. The operational mode is enabled for the elevator car. The camera captures media associated with the elevator system responsive to enabling the operational mode for the elevator car.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An elevator system comprising:
an elevator shaft;
an elevator car; and
at least one camera, wherein the camera is operated by a controller, the controller configured to:
receive a maintenance request associated with the elevator system;
analyze the maintenance request to determine an operational mode for the elevator car;
enable the operational mode for the elevator car;
capture, from the camera, media associated with the elevator system responsive to enabling the operational mode for the elevator car; and
receive camera adjustment data from a user.

2. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
transmit, by a transceiver, the media captured from the camera.

3. The elevator system of claim 2 , wherein the media captured from the camera is transmitted to a user device.

4. The elevator system of claim 2 , wherein the media captured from the camera is transmitted to a maintenance server.

5. The elevator system of claim 4 , wherein the maintenance server analyzes the media to determine the maintenance request based at least in part on the analysis of the media.

6. The elevator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more sensors associated with the elevator system; and
wherein the controller is further configured to:
transmit sensor data, by the transceiver, to a maintenance server, wherein the maintenance server determines the maintenance request based at least part on the sensor data.

7. The elevator system of claim 6 , wherein the analyzing the maintenance request to determine an operational mode for the elevator car comprises:
analyzing the root cause to identify one or more components in the elevator system associated with the root cause;
determining a location of the one or more components in the elevator system; and
determining at least one camera position, at least one elevator car location, and a velocity of the elevator car for the operational mode.

8. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the maintenance server analyzes the sensor data to determine anomalous sensor data;
wherein the maintenance server determines a root cause of the anomalous sensor data based at least in part on a root cause analysis of the anomalous sensor data; and
wherein the maintenance request comprises the root cause.

9. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the media captured from the camera comprises at least one of an image and a video.

10. A computer-implemented method for inspecting an elevator system, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a maintenance request associated with the elevator system, wherein the elevator system comprises at least one elevator car, at least one camera, and an elevator shaft;
analyzing the maintenance request to determine an operational mode for an elevator car in the elevator system;
automatically enabling the operational mode for the elevator car;
capturing, from the camera, media associated with the elevator system responsive to enabling the operational mode for the elevator car; and
receiving camera adjustment data from a user.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:
transmitting, by a transceiver, the media captured from the camera.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein the media captured from the camera is transmitted to a maintenance server.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the maintenance server analyzes the media to determine the maintenance request associated with the elevator system based at least in part on the analysis of the media.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:
obtaining sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the elevator system; and
transmitting the sensor data, by the transceiver, to a maintenance server, wherein the maintenance server determines the maintenance request based at least part on the sensor data.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the maintenance server analyzes the sensor data to determine anomalous sensor data;
wherein the maintenance server determines a root cause of the anomalous sensor data based at least in part on a root cause analysis of the anomalous sensor data; and
wherein the maintenance request comprises the root cause.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the analyzing the maintenance request to determine an operational mode for the elevator car comprises:
analyzing the root cause to identify one or more components in the elevator system associated with the root cause;
determining a location of the one or more components in the elevator system; and
determining at least one camera position, at least one elevator car location, and a velocity of the elevator car for the operational mode.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the media captured from the camera comprises at least one of an image and a video.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the media captured from the camera is transmitted to a user device.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Mahoney Sally Day

Classifications

• B66B1/3423

  Control system configuration, i.e. lay-out · CPC title

• B66B5/0018

  Devices monitoring the operating condition of the elevator system · CPC title

• B66B5/0087

  Devices facilitating maintenance, repair or inspection tasks (devices incorporated in the buffer B66B5/288; railings on top of the car B66B11/0226) · CPC title

• B66B1/343

  Fault-tolerant or redundant control system configuration · CPC title

• B66B5/0025 Primary

  for maintenance or repair · CPC title