A position-determination system for an elevator uses a camera arranged on an elevator car, which camera has a sensor with a defined number of light-sensitive pixels for generating image data of a surface structure of hoistway material arranged along a travel path of the elevator car. An analysis unit, based on the image data, determines a position and/or velocity of the elevator car. The position-determination system recognizes a reference pattern with a specified dimension which lies in a capturing range of the camera, wherein, based on the reference pattern, the analysis unit performs a scaling of the image data.

A system and/or method that establishes a proximity environment with respect to an elevator and detecting a position of a user device within the proximity environment is provided. Further the system and method determines a source floor and a destination floor respective to the user device and generating an elevator call to the elevator in accordance with the source floor and the destination floor.

The invention refers to an elevator comprising an elevator car and a suspension arrangement for suspending and/or moving an elevator car, which suspension arrangement comprises at least one suspension member, whereby at least one suspension member component is provided which component is to be applied to the suspension member for affecting the physical properties of the suspension member during the operation of the elevator. According to the invention the suspension member component applied to the suspension member comprises an component identifier which is an addition to the suspension member component which component identifier is configured to be identified visibly or via additional tools. The invention allows the unambiguous identification of the suspension member component and also the distribution of the component on the suspension member surface.

A method for refinishing a surface structure of shaft material of an elevator, which extends along a shaft, enables the use of image data to determine an absolute position and/or speed of an elevator car. The elevator includes the elevator car, which is movable in the shaft, a camera, which is arranged at the elevator car and generates the image data from the surface structure, and an evaluating unit, which determines the absolute position and/or the speed of the elevator car from the image data. The surface structure is refinished at least locally in order to increase a distinctiveness of the surface structure in the image data. The shaft material can be, for example, a guide rail, a fastening element of the guide rail, or a shaft wall.

An illustrative example embodiment of an elevator system includes a machine including a motor and a brake. The machine is configured to selectively cause movement of an elevator car. At least one vibration sensor situated near the machine provides an indication of operation of the machine to indicate at least stops and starts of the machine associated with stopping and starting movement of the elevator car.

The disclosure relates to an elevator system consisting of a plurality of elevator carriages, a shaft system, a drive system for separately moving the elevator carriages within the shaft system, as well as a safety system having a plurality of safety nodes designed to bring the elevator system into a safe operating mode if an operating mode of the elevator system, which deviates from the normal operation mode, is detected. The elevator carriages, the shaft system and the drive system form a functional unit. One of the safety nodes is always assigned to one of the functional units, wherein the safety nodes are each connected to at least another safety node through an interface for transmitting data. Each safety node includes at least one sensor, which detects an operating parameter of the corresponding assigned functional unit. A control unit evaluates the operating parameter detected by one of the sensors of the respective safety node and, taking into account the data transmitted by at least another safety node.

An elevator system having an elevator car in an elevator shaft and having a measuring tape in the elevator shaft for determining the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft. The measuring tape is arranged vertically in the elevator shaft and has optical coding for length measurement. At least one marking element which has optical marking is arranged on the measuring tape. The marking element is fixedly arranged on the measuring tape. A sensor device which comprises a lighting source and a sensor which form a detection field for detecting the measuring tape is attached to the elevator car. The elevator system comprises an evaluation device for decoding the codings in the detection field and a control device for controlling the elevator system as a function of the coding and/or of the position of the at least one marking element on the measuring tape.

An elevator system has an elevator car that can travel vertically along a vertical track including a stationary vertical guide rail, and that can travel horizontally by a car transfer device. The car transfer device has a horizontal displacement unit with a vertical guide rail piece that guides the elevator car in the horizontal displacement unit, the horizontal displacement unit being movable into a transit position in which the guide rail piece and the stationary vertical guide rail together form a section of the vertical track. The elevator system has a connecting device by which, in the transit position of the horizontal displacement unit, the vertical guide rail piece can be connected to the stationary vertical guide rail, wherein, when connected by the connecting device, the vertical guide rail piece cannot be displaced in the horizontal direction with respect to the stationary vertical guide rail.

A device for detecting the position of an elevator car (40) by a sensor and evaluation unit (20, 22, 24), accommodated in a sensor housing (10), which can be arranged on the elevator car, is designed for interaction with a strip (14) having a length and/or position coding and which is connected to a switching unit (12) that has a safety switch (30) and/or an interrupter contact for an emergency function, especially an emergency stop of the elevator car, the sensor and evaluation unit being designed for generating a position and/or speed signal from the length or position coding and for generating or receiving an elevator car status signal (62) that corresponds to an opening status of an elevator car. A monitoring device (60) for activating the switching unit is associated with the sensor and evaluation unit and is designed such that the emergency function can be activated as a response to the position or speed signal and to the elevator car status signal if a car movement with the elevator car door open exceeds a predetermined speed threshold value and/or acceleration threshold value and/or displacement threshold value.

Disclosed is a car mover, configured to move an elevator car in lane of a hoistway, having: a power supply configured to power one or more motors to drive a respective one or more wheels; a car mover controller operationally connected to the power supply and a supervisory controller operationally connected to the car mover controller, wherein the car mover controller and the supervisory controller are configured to execute health monitor protocols to thereby: monitor a state of charge (SOC) of the power supply; and control the car mover in response to determining that the power supply is in a low SOC.