Automated elevator maintenance mode initiation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11072515-B2
Application number	US-201815937138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2018
Priority date	Mar 27, 2018
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

An illustrative example elevator system includes at least one elevator car that is moveable along a hoistway. An elevator controller is configured to respond to a communication from a portable device indicating a desire for the at least one elevator car to be placed in a maintenance mode and indicating a location of desired hoistway access. The controller automatically moves the elevator car to a determined positon based on the communication. That position corresponds to the location of the desired hoistway access. The controller performs at least one automated procedure to place the elevator car in the maintenance mode. The controller provides an indication to the portable device that the elevator car is in the determined position and that the automated procedure has been completed.

First claim

We claim:

1. An elevator system, comprising:
at least one elevator car that is moveable along a hoistway; and
an elevator controller that is configured to:
respond to a communication from a portable device indicating a desire for the at least one elevator car to be placed in a maintenance mode and indicating a location of desired hoistway access,
automatically move the at least one elevator car to a determined position based on the communication, the determined position corresponding to the location of desired hoistway access,
perform at least one automated procedure to place the at least one elevator car in the maintenance mode based on the communication, and
provide an indication to the portable device that the at least one elevator car is in the determined position and the at least one automated procedure is complete.

2. The elevator system of claim 1 , comprising a second elevator car and
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine an access level corresponding to the location of desired hoistway access,
determine a boarding level where maintenance personnel can board the second elevator car,
automatically cause the second elevator car to arrive at the boarding level based on the communication, and
automatically cause the second elevator car to carry the maintenance personnel to the access level.

3. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the location of desired hoistway access is one of on top of the at least one elevator car and a pit beneath the at least one elevator car.

4. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein
the at least one automated procedure comprises a plurality of automated procedures; and
the controller is configured to perform the plurality of automated procedures in a predetermined order based on the location of desired hoistway access.

5. The elevator system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of automated procedures includes at least verifying a condition of a plurality of hoistway doors along the hoistway and verifying a condition of a maintenance switch.

6. The elevator system of claim 5 , wherein the elevator controller verifies the condition of the hoistway doors by determining whether any of the hoistway doors is open.

7. The elevator system of claim 5 , wherein the elevator controller verifies the condition of the maintenance switch by at least one of automatically setting the maintenance switch into a maintenance mode position and determining whether the maintenance switch is in the maintenance mode position.

8. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to
receive the communication prior to arrival of maintenance personnel and the portable device at a site of the elevator system;
move the at least one elevator car to the determined position prior to or upon arrival of the maintenance personnel and the portable device at the site; and
complete at least one automated procedure prior to or upon arrival of the maintenance personnel and the portable device at the site.

9. The elevator system of claim 1 , comprising the portable device and wherein the portable device comprises a user interface that is configured to
allow maintenance personnel to indicate the desire for the at least one elevator car to be placed in the maintenance mode and the location of desired hoistway access to the elevator controller; and
provide an output to the maintenance personnel indicating at least that the elevator car has arrived at the determined position.

10. The elevator system of claim 9 , wherein the portable device is configured to
receive instructions from the elevator controller regarding at least one manual procedure needed to place the at least one elevator car in the maintenance mode prior to the maintenance personnel accessing the hoistway;
provide an output corresponding to the at least one manual procedure;
receive input from the maintenance personnel indicating that the at least one manual procedure is complete; and
provide a confirmation to the elevator controller when the at least one manual procedure is complete.

11. The elevator system of claim 9 , wherein
the elevator controller determines whether the at least one elevator car is still in the maintenance mode after a first preselected period of time;
the elevator controller communicates with the portable device indicating that the at least one elevator car is still in the maintenance mode after the first preselected period of time;
the portable device provides an output for maintenance personnel regarding ending the maintenance mode; and
the elevator controller ends the maintenance mode after receiving an indication from the portable device to end the maintenance mode or expiration of a second, longer preselected period of time.

12. The elevator system of claim 9 , wherein the portable device is configured to
determine when the portable device is leaving or has left the site of the elevator system; and
provide a prompt for the maintenance personnel regarding a status of the maintenance mode of the at least one elevator car.

13. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to use stored information regarding a user-preferred elevator car position corresponding to the location of desired hoistway access; and
the stored information is associated with an identifier of maintenance personnel that previously provided information regarding the user-preferred elevator car position.

14. A method of facilitating maintenance of an elevator system that includes at least one elevator car that is moveable along a hoistway, the method comprising:
automatically responding to a communication from a portable device indicating a desire for the at least one elevator car to be placed in a maintenance mode and indicating a location of desired hoistway access;
automatically moving the at least one elevator car to a determined position based on the communication, the determined position corresponding to the location of desired hoistway access;
performing at least one automated procedure to place the at least one elevator car in the maintenance mode based on the communication; and
providing an indication to the portable device that the at least one elevator car is in the determined position and the at least one automated procedure is complete.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the elevator system includes a second elevator car and the method comprises
determining an access level corresponding to the location of desired hoistway access,
determining a boarding level where maintenance personnel can board the second elevator car,
automatically causing the second elevator car to arrive at the boarding level based on the communication, and
automatically causing the second elevator car to carry the maintenance personnel to the access level.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one automated procedure comprises a plurality of automated procedures and the method comprises
performing the plurality of automated procedures in a predetermined order based on the location of desired hoistway access; and
wherein the plurality of automated procedures includes at least verifying a condition of a safety chain associated with a plurality of hoistway doors along the hoistway and verifying a condition of a maintenance switch.

17. The method of claim 14 , comprising
receiving the communication prior to arrival of maintenance personnel and the portable device at a site of the elevator system;
moving the at least one elevator car to the determined position prior to or upon arrival of the maintenance personnel and t

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Witczak Tadeusz Pawel
• Tracey Michael J

Classifications

• B66B2201/406

  by input of human supervisor · CPC title

• B66B1/3461

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

• B66B2201/00

  Aspects of control systems of elevators · CPC title

• B66B3/02

  Position or depth indicators · CPC title

• B66B1/28

  electrical (detecting excessive speed B66B5/04 {; control of electrical motor H02P}) · CPC title