System and method for detection of a malfunction in an elevator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11634301-B2
Application number	US-201815997136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2018
Priority date	Jun 5, 2017
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

A system and method for detection of a malfunction in an elevator. The system includes an elevator cab, a server, at least one sensor, and a controller. The controller receives a signal captured by the at least sensor and transmit to the server. The server processes the transmitted signal and prognostically detects the malfunction in the elevator cab.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for detection of a malfunction in an elevator cab comprising a controller, one or more microphones, a server, the method comprising:
inputting, in the controller, at least one sound signal captured by the one or more microphones;
processing, by the controller, the at least one sound signal received from the one or more microphones;
determining, by the controller, that the at least one sound signal received by the one or more microphones has originated from the elevator cab; and
transmitting the at least one sound signal which has originated from the elevator cab to a server; and
wherein the at least one sound signal is processed at the server that detects the malfunction in the elevator cab;
wherein the one or more microphones include a first microphone positioned at a first location inside the elevator cab and a second microphone positioned at a second location inside the elevator cab, and wherein the method includes comparing, by the controller, a difference in a time of reception of a sound signal by the first microphone and the second microphone to a range of time interval values to determine if the at least one sound signal has originated from the elevator cab.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the server is in communication with the elevator cab via an internet connection.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the server includes a processor, a machine learning system and a smart decision service.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein if it is identified that a passenger is trapped in the elevator, the server connects the elevator cab to a customer care center, a human analyst, or an end user system.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein if it is identified that a passenger is trapped in the elevator, the method includes a step of sending a notification to a technician device to inform a technician of the trapped passenger, wherein the technician device is one of a phone, a watch, or a portable device connected to the internet.

6. A method for detection of a malfunction in an elevator cab comprising a controller, one or more microphones, a server, the method comprising:
inputting, in the controller, at least one sound signal captured by the one or more microphones;
processing, by the controller, the at least one sound signal received from the one or more microphones;
determining, by the controller, that the at least one sound signal received by the one or more microphones has originated from the elevator cab; and
transmitting the at least one sound signal which has originated from the elevator cab to a server; and
wherein the at least one sound signal is processed at the server that detects the malfunction in the elevator cab;
wherein the one or more microphones include a first microphone positioned at a first location inside the elevator cab, a second microphone positioned at a second location inside the elevator cab, and a third microphone positioned at a third location outside the elevator cab, and wherein the method includes:
comparing a difference in a time of reception of a sound signal by the first microphone and the second microphone to a range of time interval values, and
comparing an average amplitude of a sound signal received by the first microphone and the second microphone with an amplitude of a sound received by the third microphone to determine if the at least one sound has originated from the elevator cab.

7. A system for detection of a malfunction in an elevator comprising:
an elevator cab;
a server;
one or more microphones positioned in the elevator cab;
a controller configured to:
receive signals captured by the one or more microphones;
determine that the signals received by the one or more microphones have originated from the elevator cab; and
transmit the signals received by the one or more microphones which have originated from the elevator cab to a server,
wherein the server processes the transmitted signals and detects the malfunction in the elevator cab;
wherein the one or more microphones include a first microphone positioned at a first location inside the elevator cab and a second microphone positioned at a second location inside the elevator cab;
wherein the controller is configured to compare a difference in a time of reception of a sound signal by the first microphone and the second microphone to a range of time interval values to determine if the sound signal has originated from the elevator cab.

8. A system for detection of a malfunction in an elevator comprising:
an elevator cab;
a server;
one or more microphones positioned in the elevator cab;
a controller configured to:
receive signals captured by the one or more microphones;
determine that the signals received by the one or more microphones have originated from the elevator cab; and
transmit the signals received by the one or more microphones which have originated from the elevator cab to a server,
wherein the server processes the transmitted signals and detects the malfunction in the elevator cab;
wherein the one or more microphones include a first microphone positioned at a first location inside the elevator cab, a second microphone positioned at a second location inside the elevator cab, and a third microphone positioned at a third location outside the elevator cab;
wherein the controller is configured to:
compare a difference in a time of reception of a sound signal by the first microphone and the second microphone to a range of time interval values, and
compare an average amplitude of a sound received by the first and the second microphones with an amplitude of a sound received by the third microphone to determine if the sound has originated from the elevator cab.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Swami Aditya
• Kottur Guru Charan
• Meguro Daisuke
• Miyajima Hiromitsu

Classifications

• B66B5/0012 Primary

  Devices monitoring the users of the elevator system · CPC title

• B66B5/027

  to permit passengers to leave an elevator car in case of failure, e.g. moving the car to a reference floor or unlocking the door · CPC title

• B66B1/3461

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

• B66B5/0031

  for safety reasons · CPC title

• B66B5/0018

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