Autonomous elevator car mover configured for self-learning lateral clearance control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12528667-B2
Application number	US-202016994892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2020
Priority date	Aug 17, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

A car mover for autonomously moving an elevator car along a lane in a hoistway, including: first and second wheels of the car mover, configured to apply a pinch force against a track therebetween and to rotationally drive along the track, by respective first and second wheel motors of the car mover; and a controller configured to execute: a lateral clearance control self-learning module, wherein based on adjustment data, one or more operational parameters applied by one or more of the first and second wheel motors are adjusted; and a lateral clearance feedback control module, wherein based on one or more of a first lateral clearance adjacent the first wheel on the track and a second lateral clearance adjacent the second wheel on the track, torque applied by one or more of the first and second wheel motors is increased or decreased.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A car mover for autonomously moving an elevator car along a lane in a hoistway, comprising:
first and second wheels of the car mover, configured to apply a pinch force against a track therebetween and to rotationally drive along the track, by respective first and second wheel motors of the car mover; and a controller configured to execute:
a lateral clearance control self-learning module,
wherein based on adjustment data, one or more operational parameters applied by one or more of the first and second wheel motors are adjusted; and
a lateral clearance feedback control module,
wherein based on one or more of a first lateral clearance adjacent the first wheel on the track and a second lateral clearance adjacent the second wheel on the track, torque applied by one or more of the first and second wheel motors is increased or decreased.

2 . The car mover of claim 1 , wherein:
wherein the adjustment data represents prior adjustments to the first and second wheel motors from prior runs of the car mover.

3 . The car mover of claim 2 , wherein:
from the adjustment data, the controller is configured to adjust velocity or torque of the first and second wheels relative to each other to thereby adjust an effective diameter of the first and second wheels relative to each other.

4 . The car mover of claim 3 , wherein:
in operation, the controller is configured to adjust one or more of velocity and torque, after an identified destination is reached, or after a predetermined period of time or operational runs is reached by the car mover.

5 . The car mover of claim 3 , wherein:
the adjustment data is obtained via a log of adjustments to the first and second wheel motors from prior runs of the car mover.

6 . The car mover of claim 5 , wherein:
the adjustment data is derived as one or more of:
a weighted average applied to the log of adjustments to the first and second wheel motors from previous runs of the car mover; and
a correction factor based on the log of adjustments to the first and second wheel motors from previous runs of the car mover.

7 . The car mover of claim 1 , wherein:
a sensor operationally connected to the car mover is configured to sense the first lateral clearance adjacent the first wheel on the track and the second lateral clearance adjacent the second wheel on the track.

8 . The car mover of claim 7 , wherein:
the sensor is configured to transmit sensor data indicative of the first and second lateral clearances to the controller via a wired or wireless transmission channel.

9 . The car mover of claim 8 , wherein:
the sensor is configured to transmit the sensor data to the controller over the wireless transmission channel, directly or via a cloud service.

10 . The car mover of claim 9 , wherein:
the sensor data is configured to processed, at least in part, by one more of the sensor via edge computing, the controller, and the cloud service.

11 . A method of operating a car mover for autonomously moving an elevator car along a lane in a hoistway, comprising:
applying a pinch force against a track between first and second wheels of the car mover, and rotationally driving along the track, by respective first and second wheel motors of the car mover; and executing, by a controller, a lateral clearance control self-learning module, wherein based on adjustment data, one or more operational parameters applied by one or more of the first and second wheel motors are adjusted; and executing, by the controller, a lateral clearance feedback control module, wherein based on one or more of a first lateral clearance adjacent the first wheel on the track and a second lateral clearance adjacent the second wheel on the track, torque applied by one or more of the first and second wheel motors is increased or decreased.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the adjustment data represents prior adjustments to the first and second wheel motors from prior runs of the car mover.

13 . The method of claim 12 , comprising:
adjusting, by the controller utilizing the adjustment data, velocity or torque of the first and second wheels relative to each other to thereby adjust an effective diameter of the first and second wheels relative to each other.

14 . The method of claim 13 , comprising:
adjusting, in operation by the controller, one or more of velocity and torque after an identified destination is reached, or after a predetermined period of time or operational runs is reached by the car mover.

15 . The method of claim 13 , comprising:
obtaining the adjustment data via a log of adjustments to the first and second wheel motors from prior runs of the car mover.

16 . The method of claim 15 , comprising one or more of:
deriving the adjustment data as a weighted average applied to the log of adjustments to the first and second wheel motors from previous runs of the car mover; and deriving the adjustment data as a correction factor based on the log of adjustments to the first and second wheel motors from previous runs of the car mover.

17 . The method of claim 11 , comprising:
sensing, by a sensor operationally connected to the car mover, the first lateral clearance adjacent the first wheel on the track and the second lateral clearance adjacent the second wheel on the track.

18 . The method of claim 17 , comprising:
transmitting, by the sensor, sensor data indicative of the first and second lateral clearances to the controller via a wired or wireless transmission channel.

19 . The method of claim 18 , comprising:
transmitting, by the sensor, the sensor data to the controller over the wireless transmission channel, directly or via a cloud service.

20 . The method of claim 19 , comprising:
processing the sensor data, at least in part, by one more of the sensor via edge computing, the controller, and the cloud service.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Roberts Randy

Classifications

• B66B1/3461

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

• B66B2201/402

  by historical, statistical or predicted traffic data, e.g. by learning · CPC title

• B66B1/3446

  Data transmission or communication within the control system · CPC title

• B66B2201/307

  Tandem operation of multiple elevator cars in the same shaft · CPC title

• B66B11/043

  actuated by rotating motor; Details, e.g. ventilation (roping on drum, sheave, winch or pulley B66B11/0065; power supply or control B66B1/28, H02P; motor construction H02K) · CPC title