Visual inspection diagnostics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11390488-B2
Application number	US-202016952677-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2020
Priority date	Jun 26, 2020
Publication date	Jul 19, 2022
Grant date	Jul 19, 2022

Abstract

A passenger conveyor diagnostic system includes a processor that stores at least one visual inspection diagnostic, and a passenger conveyor system including at least one sensor configured to capture one or both of an image and a sound. The processor applies the at least one visual inspection diagnostic to one or both of the image and the sound to generate a diagnosed status of the passenger conveyor system, and overlays the diagnosed status of the passenger conveyor system on the image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A passenger conveyor diagnostic system, comprising:
a processor that stores at least one visual inspection diagnostic; and
a passenger conveyor system including at least one sensor configured to capture ride quality data, the ride quality data including one or both of an image and a sound,
wherein the processor applies the at least one visual inspection diagnostic to one or both of the image and the sound to generate a diagnosed status of the passenger conveyor system, and overlays the diagnosed status of the passenger conveyor system on the image.

2. The passenger conveyor diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the processor performs the at least one visual inspection diagnostic based, at least in part, on one or both of the image and the sound, generates a video stream based on one or both of the image and sound, and overlays a results graphical user interface (GUI) on the video stream, the results GUI indicating the diagnosed status of the passenger conveyor system.

3. The passenger conveyor diagnostic system of claim 2 , further comprising a mobile terminal in signal communication with one or both of the processor and the at least one sensor, the mobile terminal configured to display the video stream and the results GUI overlaid on the video stream.

4. The passenger conveyor diagnostic system of claim 3 , wherein the results GUI dynamically changes in response to a detected abnormality of the passenger conveyor system reproduced during playback of the video stream.

5. The passenger conveyor diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the passenger conveyor system is one of an elevator system or an escalator system.

6. The passenger conveyor diagnostic system of claim 5 , wherein the ride quality data includes at least one of machine noise, elevator door noise, elevator car noise, and elevator car vibration, step vibration, step noise, drive chain noise, handrail noise, handrail vibration, step speed, and braking speed.

7. The passenger conveyor system of claim 2 , wherein results GUI operates in a first mode that displays data configured to diagnose a given component included in the elevator system, and a second mode that displays measured metrics captured in response to performing the at least one visual inspection diagnostic.

8. The passenger conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile terminal device is one of a smartphone, a computer tablet, or a smart watch.

9. The passenger conveyor system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is installed in a cloud computing network.

10. The passenger conveyor system of claim 3 , wherein the processor is installed in the mobile terminal device.

11. A mobile terminal device configured to diagnose a passenger conveyor system, the mobile terminal device comprising:
a memory unit that stores a visual inspection application configured to perform at least one visual inspection diagnostic;
a network interface device that establishes communication with at least one sensor installed on the passenger conveyor system; and
an electronic hardware controller that applies the at least one visual inspection diagnostic to ride quality data that includes one or both of images and a sounds obtained from the at least one sensor to determine at least one diagnostic result of the passenger conveyor system, and displays the image with the least one diagnostic result overlaid thereon.

12. The mobile terminal device of claim 11 , wherein the controller generates a video stream based on one or both of the images and the sounds received from the at least one sensor, and overlays a results graphical user interface (GUI) on the video stream, the results GUI displaying the at least one diagnostic result of the passenger conveyor system displayed in the video stream.

13. The mobile terminal device of claim 12 , wherein the results GUI dynamically changes in response to a detected abnormality of the passenger conveyor system reproduced during playback of the video stream.

14. The mobile terminal device of claim 12 , wherein the ride quality data includes at least one of elevator machine noise, elevator door noise, elevator car noise, elevator car vibration, escalator machine noise, escalator step vibration, escalator step noise, escalator step speed, escalator handrail noise, escalator handrail vibration, and escalator braking speed.

15. The mobile terminal device of claim 13 , wherein the controller invokes a first mode that generates a first-type results graphical user interface (GUI) configured to display data configured to diagnose a given component included in the elevator system, and a second mode that generates a second-type results GUI configured to display measured metrics.

16. The mobile terminal device of claim 15 , wherein the first-type results GUI displays at least one component name of a component included in the video stream.

17. The mobile terminal device of claim 16 , wherein the measured metrics displayed by the second-type results GUI are captured in response to performing the at least one visual inspection diagnostic.

18. The mobile terminal device of claim 11 , wherein the mobile terminal device is one of a smartphone, a computer tablet, or a smart watch.

19. A method of diagnosing a passenger conveyor system, the method comprising:
storing, via a processor, at least one visual inspection diagnostic; and
capturing, via at least one sensor installed on the passenger conveyor system, one or both of an image and a sound, applying, via the processor, the at least one visual inspection diagnostic to one or both of the image and the sound to generate a diagnosed status of the passenger conveyor system; and
overlaying, via the processor, the diagnosed status of the passenger conveyor system on the image.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein overlaying the image comprises:
performing, via the processor, the at least one visual inspection diagnostic based on one or both of the image and the sound;
generating, via the processor, a video stream based on one or both of the image and sound; and
overlaying, via the processor, a results graphical user interface (GUI) on the video stream, the results GUI indicating the diagnosed status of the passenger conveyor system.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Miriyala Pradeep
• Kumar Raushan
• Sahgal Rachit

Classifications

• B66B25/006

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

• B66B5/0087 Primary

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

• B66B27/00

  Indicating operating conditions of escalators or moving walkways (of general application G08) · CPC title

• B66B1/3415

  Control system configuration and the data transmission or communication within the control system · CPC title

• B66B5/0018 Primary

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