Determining elevator car location using vibrations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11535486-B2
Application number	US-201816107236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining elevator car locations are provided. Aspects includes operating, by a processor, a machine room sensor to collect vibration data associated with one or more components in a machine room of an elevator system, wherein the elevator system comprises an elevator car and a hoistway and analyzing the vibration data to determine a position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for determining elevator car locations, the system comprising:
a controller coupled to a memory;
a sensor affixed to a location proximate to a machine for an elevator system, wherein the elevator system comprising a hoistway and an elevator car;
wherein the controller is configured to:
operate the sensor to collect vibration data associated with one or more components of the machine; and
analyze the vibration data to determine a position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a proximity sensor affixed to a moving component of the elevator car, the proximity sensor operated by the controller; and
a passive sensor affixed to a location within the hoistway of the elevator system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
perform an initialization operation for the elevator car, the initialization operation comprising:
operating the elevator car to travel to a synchronization floor in the hoistway, the synchronization floor corresponds to a location in the hoistway of the passive sensor;
operating the elevator car to travel to each floor of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collecting, by the sensor, vibration data; and
storing the vibration data in a memory.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to collect travel time data during the initialization operation for the elevator car.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
collect, by the sensor, synchronization data from a component of the machine room, wherein synchronization data comprises vibration data associated with operation of the elevator car; and
analyze the synchronization data to determine that the elevator car is located at a synchronization location in the hoistway.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
responsive to determining that the elevator car is located at the synchronization location, operate the elevator car to travel to each floor of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collect, by the sensor, vibration data; and
store the vibration data in a memory.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
based at least on a determination of the position of the elevator car in the hoistway, operate an elevator operation sensor to collect elevator operation data associated with the elevator car; and
associate the elevator operation data with the position of the elevator car.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the elevator operation data to a condition based maintenance system.

9. The system of claim 3 , wherein determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway comprises comparing the vibration data to the vibration data stored in memory to identify the position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate a confidence score for one or more floor locations in the hoistway based on the comparing the vibration data to the vibration data stored in the memory, wherein determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway is based at least in part on the confidence score for the one or more floor locations.

11. A method for determining elevator car location, the method comprising:
operating, by a processor, a machine room sensor to collect vibration data associated with one or more components in a machine room of an elevator system, wherein the elevator system comprises an elevator car and a hoistway; and
analyzing the vibration data to determine a position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the elevator system further comprises:
a proximity sensor affixed to a moving component of the elevator car; and
a passive sensor affixed to a location within the hoistway of the elevator system.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
perform an initialization operation for the elevator car, the initialization operation comprising:
operating the elevator car to travel to a synchronization floor in the hoistway, the synchronization floor corresponds to a location in the hoistway of the passive sensor;
operating the elevator car to travel to each floor of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collecting, by the machine room sensor, vibration data; and
storing the vibration data in a memory.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising collecting travel time data during the initialization operation for the elevator car.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
collecting, by the machine room sensor, synchronization data from a component of the machine room, wherein synchronization data comprises vibration data associated with operation of the elevator car; and
analyzing the synchronization data to determine that the elevator car is located at a synchronization location in the hoistway.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
responsive to determining that the elevator car is located at the synchronization location, operating the elevator car to travel to each floor of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collecting, by the machine room sensor, vibration data; and
storing the vibration data in a memory.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
based at least on a determination of the position of the elevator car in the hoistway, operating an elevator operation sensor to collect elevator operation data associated with the elevator car; and
associating the elevator operation data with the position of the elevator car.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising transmitting the elevator operation data to a condition based maintenance system.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway comprises comparing the vibration data to the vibration data stored in memory to identify the position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Sudi Sandeep

Classifications

• B66B5/0018

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

• B66B1/52

  Floor selectors · CPC title

• 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

• G05B19/4067

  Restoring data or position after power failure or other interruption · CPC title

• B66B1/40

  and for correct levelling at landings · CPC title