Depth sensor based passenger sensing for empty passenger conveyance enclosure determination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016295192-A1
Application number	US-201615089619-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 4, 2016
Priority date	Apr 3, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A passenger conveyance system, includes a depth-sensing sensor within a passenger conveyance enclosure for capturing sensor data from within the passenger conveyance enclosure; a processing module in communication with the depth-sensing sensor to receive the sensor data, the processing module uses the depth-sensing sensor data to determine that the passenger conveyance enclosure is empty; and a passenger conveyance controller to receive the empty passenger conveyance enclosure determination from the processing module to control operation of the passenger conveyance system in response to the empty passenger conveyance enclosure determination.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . A passenger conveyance system, comprising:
a depth-sensing sensor within a passenger conveyance enclosure for capturing sensor data from within the passenger conveyance enclosure; a processing module in communication with the depth-sensing sensor to receive the sensor data, the processing module uses the depth-sensing sensor data to determine that the passenger conveyance enclosure is empty; and an passenger conveyance controller to receive the empty passenger conveyance enclosure determination from the processing module to control operation of the passenger conveyance system in response to the empty passenger conveyance enclosure determination.

17 . The system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the sensor data is 3D depth data.

18 . The system as recited in claim 17 , wherein the depth-sensing sensor comprises a structured light measurement, phase shift measurement, time of flight measurement, stereo triangulation device, sheet of light triangulation device, light field cameras, coded aperture cameras, computational imaging techniques, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), imaging radar, imaging sonar, scanning LIDAR, flash LIDAR, Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor, and small Focal Plane Array (FPA), or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

19 . The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the depth-sensing sensor provides a field-of-view that includes at least one of the passenger conveyance enclosure, a passenger conveyance enclosure door, and a passenger conveyance waiting area external to the passenger conveyance enclosure.

20 . The system as recited in claim 19 , further comprising a data capture module in communication with the depth-sensing sensor and the processing module to capture data in coordination with the operation of the passenger conveyance system.

21 . The system as recited in claim 20 , wherein the data capture module is operable to receive sensor data within the passenger conveyance enclosure from the depth-sensing sensor for communication to the processing module.

22 . The system as recited in claim 21 , further comprising a load sensor in communication with the data capture module, the load sensor operable to determine a current load weight of the passenger conveyance enclosure.

23 . The system as recited in claim 22 , wherein the load sensor is operable to trigger the data capture module to obtain sensor data from the depth-sensing sensor if the sensed load weight is less than a preset threshold.

24 . The system as recited in claim 23 , wherein the data capture module communicates the sensor data to the processing module to confirm the passenger conveyance enclosure is empty.

25 . The system as recited in claim 24 , wherein the processing module is operable to recalibrate the load sensor.

26 . A method of determining a passenger conveyance enclosure is empty, the method comprising:
detecting an empty passenger conveyance enclosure with a depth-sensing sensor within the passenger conveyance enclosure; and communicating the confirmed empty passenger conveyance enclosure determination to a passenger conveyance controller to control operation of the passenger conveyance system in response to the confirmed empty passenger conveyance enclosure determination.

27 . The method as recited in claim 26 , further comprising controlling the passenger conveyance enclosure in response to the confirmed empty passenger conveyance enclosure determination.

28 . The method as recited in claim 27 , further comprising increasing a movement speed of the passenger conveyance enclosure in response to the confirmed empty passenger conveyance enclosure determination.

29 . The method as recited in claim 28 , further comprising confirming the empty passenger conveyance enclosure with the depth-sensing sensor in response to a load sensor.

30 . The method as recited in claim 29 , further comprising recalibrating a load sensor in response to the confirmed empty passenger conveyance enclosure determination.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Hsu Arthur
• Fang Hui
• Finn Alan Matthew
• Jia Zhen

Classifications

• B66B3/02

  Position or depth indicators · CPC title

• B66B1/3476 Primary

  Load weighing or car passenger counting devices (B66B5/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B66B5/0012

  Devices monitoring the users of the elevator system · CPC title

• H04N13/204 Primary

  using stereoscopic image cameras (stereoscopic photography G03B35/00) · CPC title

• B66B1/2408

  where the allocation of a call to an elevator car is of importance, i.e. by means of a supervisory or group controller · CPC title