Sensor network for a passenger transport system

Abstract

A passenger transport system sensor network has a master unit, a signal-transferring apparatus, and a plurality of sensor nodes each having at least one sensor sensing a physical measurement variable and transferring the sensed variable to the master unit via the signal-transferring apparatus. A sensor-identifying module in the master unit determines the identity of the sensors from information, stored in a database, of: a first information type about reference measurement results to be typically provided by a particular sensor under already known conditions; a second information type about the identity of a sensor node containing the particular sensor, the sensor node having a plurality of different sensors or a plurality of identical sensors in different configurations; and/or a third information type about a configuration of a sensor node holding the particular sensor, which configuration was defined in advance. Sensor identities and installation locations can be determined in an automated manner.

Claims

1. A sensor network for a passenger transport installation, the sensor network comprising: a master unit; a signal transmission means; a plurality of sensor nodes in signal communication with the master unit through the signal transmission means; a plurality of sensors each for detecting a physical measured variable of the passenger transport installation and wherein each of the sensor nodes includes at least one of the sensors and transmits the detected measured variable to the master unit by the signal transmission means; wherein the master unit includes a sensor detection module that determines an identity of the sensors included in the sensor nodes by using information previously stored in a database; and wherein the information previously stored in the database is at least one of, (i) a first type of information comprising information about reference measurement results to be typically provided under known conditions by particular sensors to be installed in the passenger transport installation, (ii) a second type of information comprising information about an identity of particular sensor nodes to be installed in the passenger transport installation, the identified particular sensor nodes comprising a plurality of different ones of the sensors or a plurality of same ones of the sensors in different configurations, and (iii) a third type of information comprising information about a pre-established configuration of particular sensor nodes to be installed in the passenger transport installation, the configured particular sensor nodes comprising a plurality of different ones of the sensors or a plurality of same ones of the sensors in different configurations.

2. The sensor network according to claim 1 wherein, using the first type of information, the master unit, during an initialization process in which the passenger transport installation is prompted to assume the known conditions, compares measurement results actually provided by one of the sensors in the sensor network with the reference measurement results previously stored in the database and determines the identity of the one sensor.

3. The sensor network according to claim 2 wherein the master unit, during the initialization process in which the passenger transport installation is prompted to move a passenger conveyor unit in a predetermined manner along a conveying path as part of a test run, records current accelerations measured by at least one acceleration sensor included in the sensor nodes and determines the identity of the at least one acceleration sensor recording the measured current accelerations based on a comparison of the recorded measured current accelerations with the reference measurement results.

4. The sensor network according to claim 1 wherein, using the second type of information, the master unit determines the identity of one of the sensors in the sensor network by comparing an identity signal transmitted by a one of the sensor nodes including the one sensor with the identity information previously stored in the database.

5. The sensor network according to claim 4 wherein each of the sensor nodes is configured to be installed only at an associated configurationally predetermined position within the passenger transport installation, wherein each of the sensor nodes includes an identity transmitting unit that transmits an identity signal specific to the sensor node in which it is included to the master unit, and wherein the master unit determines a position at which each of the sensors in the sensor network is installed within the passenger transport installation by comparing the identity signals transmitted by the identity transmitting units with the identity information previously stored in the database, the identity information indicating the configurationally predetermined positions within the passenger transport installation.

6. The sensor network according to claim 1 wherein, using the third type of information, the pre-established configuration includes information about a configuration-appropriate type of and a number of the sensors included in each of the sensor nodes, and wherein the master unit derives an actual type of and an actual number of the sensors included in one of the sensor nodes from measurement results actually transmitted by the one sensor node, and determines the identity of each of the sensors included in the one sensor node by comparing the derived actual type of and number of the sensors included in the one sensor node with the pre-established configuration information about the configuration-appropriate type of and the number of the sensors contained in the sensor nodes.

7. The sensor network according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of the sensors in the sensor network are identical in physical design.

8. The sensor network according to claim 1 wherein the signal transmission means is a bus system to which the sensor nodes are connected and by which each of the sensor nodes can direct signals generated by the sensors included therein to the master unit.

9. The sensor network according to claim 1 wherein the identity of each of the sensors in the sensor network includes information about an associated installation location within the passenger transport installation.

10. The sensor network according to claim 1 wherein the master unit includes a data memory in which the information previously stored in the database is stored.

11. A passenger transport installation being one of an elevator installation, an escalator and a moving walkway and including the sensor network according to claim 1.

12. A method for retrofitting an existing passenger transport installation, the method comprising the steps of: installing the sensor network according to claim 1 in the existing passenger transport installation; and determining an identity of each of the sensors included in the sensor network using the information stored in the database.

13. A method for determining an identity of sensors in a sensor network for a passenger transport installation, wherein the sensor network includes a master unit, a signal transmission means, a plurality of sensor nodes, and a plurality of sensors each for detecting a physical measured variable and wherein each of the sensor nodes includes at least one of the sensors transmits the detected measured variable to the master unit by the signal transmission means, the method comprising the steps of: storing information in a database, the stored information being at least one of, (i) a first type of information comprising information about reference measurement results to be typically provided under known conditions by particular sensors to be installed in the passenger transport installation, (ii) a second type of information comprising information about an identity of particular sensor nodes to be installed in the passenger transport installation, the identified particular sensor nodes comprising a plurality of different ones of the sensors or a plurality of same ones of the sensors in different configurations, and (iii) a third type of information comprising information about a pre-established configuration of particular sensor nodes to be installed in the passenger transport installation, the configured particular sensor nodes comprising a plurality of different ones of the sensors or a plurality of same ones of the sensors in different configurations; and determining an identity of each of the sensors using the information stored in the database.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a passenger transport installation in the form of an elevator comprising a sensor network according to the invention for monitoring operating parameters.

(2) The drawing is merely schematic and is not to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) FIG. 1 shows a passenger transport installation 1 in the form of an elevator installation 2. The elevator installation 2 comprises an elevator car 5 and a counterweight 7 which can be moved in an elevator shaft by means of cables or belts 9 which are driven by a drive machine 11. The elevator car 5 has a car door 13. Furthermore, a plurality of shaft doors 15 are provided on the elevator shaft. Operation of the elevator installation 2, and in particular the drive machine 11, and the car door 13 and the shaft doors 15 is controlled by means of an elevator controller 16.

(4) In order to be able to recognize currently prevailing operating conditions in the elevator installation 2, to be able to control the elevator installation suitably and/or in particular to be able to detect anomalies in the elevator installation 2, a sensor network 3 is provided in the elevator installation. The sensor network 3 has a plurality of sensor nodes 19 distributed over the elevator installation 2. Each of the sensor nodes 19 comprises at least one sensor 21, but usually a plurality of different sensors 21 (shown by way of example for the sensor node 19 located on the shaft door 15), and is designed to detect, by means of the sensors 21, specific operating parameters in the elevator installation 2 on or near an installation location of the particular sensor node 19.

(5) Each of the sensor nodes 19 is connected to a master unit 35 via a bus system that is used as a signal transmission means 17, such that the sensors 21 contained in the sensor nodes 19 can transmit their measurement results in the form of, for example, electrical or electromagnetic signals to the master unit 35 and/or, conversely, the master unit 35 can control an operation of the sensors 21 by transmitting control signals.

(6) For example, an elevator car sensor node 27 can be arranged on the elevator car 5. This sensor node can have for example one or more sensors, in particular acceleration sensors, sound sensors, temperature sensors and/or electrical or magnetic field detecting sensors, by means of which accelerations acting on the elevator car 5, noises occurring therein, and temperatures and/or fields prevailing therein can be detected. The elevator car sensor node 27 may further include a camera arrangement 31, by means of which, for example, an interior in the elevator car 5 or parts of the elevator shaft in the vicinity of the elevator car can be observed.

(7) Furthermore, a drive machine sensor node 23 may be arranged on the drive machine 11. This sensor node may contain, for example, sensors 21, by means of which electrical power flows supplied to the drive machine 11, accelerations acting on the drive machine 11, for example in the form of vibrations, temperatures prevailing at the drive machine 11, noises occurring at the drive machine 11 and/or electrical and/or magnetic fields prevailing near the drive machine 11, etc. can be measured.

(8) Furthermore, a car door sensor node 29 may be arranged on the car door 13. This sensor node can measure, by means of suitable sensors 21, for example, accelerations acting on the car door 13, noises occurring there, etc.

(9) Similarly, a shaft door sensor node 25 can be arranged on each of the shaft doors 15. This sensor node can, for example, detect accelerations acting on the shaft door 15, noises occurring there, etc.

(10) A fixing element sensor node (not shown) may be provided on a fixing element of the belt 9. In this case, the belts 9 may optionally be suspended elastically resiliently on statically fixed structures within a building by means of the fixing element, it being possible for example for acceleration sensors attached to the fixing element to provide information about movements of the fixing element.

(11) The various sensor nodes 19 can transmit, by means of their sensors 21, signals which contain information about the operating parameters detected thereby, to the master unit 35. In said unit, the received signals can be suitably processed and/or evaluated in order to receive information about currently prevailing conditions within the elevator installation 2.

(12) Optionally, the received signals can be sent to a remote monitoring device 37 via a data communication device 33 before or after said signals are processed or evaluated. The monitoring device 37 can be installed e.g. in a monitoring center in which, for example, the manufacturer of the passenger transport installation 1 can monitor the functioning thereof remotely.

(13) However, in order for the master unit 35 to be able to appropriately evaluate the received signals, it must know from which of the many sensors 21 a particular signal was sent. In other words, the master unit 35 has to know the identity of a sensor 21 in order to correctly process and/or evaluate the signals it has received therefrom.

(14) For this purpose, the master unit 35 has a sensor detection module 39. The sensor detection module 39 can exchange signals with each of the sensor nodes 19 by means of the signal transmission means 17. Furthermore, the sensor detection module 39 can retrieve information from a database, which information is stored, for example, in a data memory 41 within the master unit 35. The sensor detection module 39 is designed to be able to determine an identity, in particular an installation location, of the sensors 21 connected in the sensor network 3 and to provide this information to a data processing unit 43 so that said unit can appropriately evaluate the signals received by the sensors 21.

(15) In a first possible embodiment, the sensor detection module 39 can determine the identity of a sensor 21 on the basis of measurement results measured by this sensor 21 under certain known conditions.

(16) For this purpose, information about the reference measurement results to be typically provided by the particular sensor 21 under the known conditions is stored in the database as the first type of information. For example, these measurement results can be determined as early as during a planning phase or an adjustment phase, for example on the basis of experiments and/or simulations. After the sensor network 3 has been installed in the passenger transport installation 1, an initialization process can then be carried out, during which the passenger transport installation 1 is operated specifically under the known conditions. In this case, measurement results actually provided by the sensors 21 are then compared with the reference measurement results stored in advance in the database. On the basis of such a comparison, the identity of a particular sensor 21 can be deduced.

(17) In one specific example, acceleration sensors for example may be provided in the car sensor node 27 and in the car door sensor node 29, the shaft door sensor node 25 and the drive machine sensor node 23 or a fixing element sensor node, in order to be able to measure the accelerations acting on the particular components at the time. In actual operation, for example during a test run, of the elevator installation 2, very different accelerations act on the various components. In particular, for example, the accelerations acting on the car 5 are generally significantly higher than, for example, the accelerations acting on the drive machine 11 or the fixing element of the belts 9. For example, it may be determined in advance what accelerations should typically occur on the various components during a test run. By then comparing the accelerations actually measured at the various sensors 21 with the previously determined reference measurement results in a test run carried out during the initialization process, the identity of the various acceleration sensors, i.e. in this specific case the installation location thereof, can be deduced.

(18) The actual measurement results can be directly compared with the reference measurement results, taking into account potentially permissible tolerances in the process. Alternatively, a kind of ranking or sequence of the various measured sensor signals can also be taken into account as part of the comparison with the reference measurement results for associating the identities of the sensors 21. This means, for example, that a maximum measured acceleration can be associated with the sensor 21 on the elevator car 5, whereas, for example, much smaller measured accelerations can be associated with the sensor 21 at the fixing point for the belts 9.

(19) According to a second embodiment, it is known for each sensor node 19 at which position, that is to say at which installation location, each sensor node is to be installed in the passenger transport installation 1.

(20) For example, the sensor nodes 19 may be designed in such a way that on account of, for example, a shape of a sensor node housing 47, the sensor node 19 can only be installed at exactly one point within the passenger transport installation 1. Instead of the shape of the sensor node housing 47, a pattern of screw points 49 can also be individually predefined for each sensor node 19. In the drawing, three sensor nodes 19 having sensor node housings 47 of different geometries are shown by way of example, i.e. in the example shown having a triangular, rectangular or a semicircular sensor node housing 47. Additionally or alternatively, the patterns of the screw-on points 49 can also be formed with differently arranged screw-on points 49 and/or with different numbers of screw-on points 49. Each sensor node can direct signals measured by the sensors 21 connected thereto to the master unit 35 and optionally also directly to the controller 16, in a wired or wireless manner.

(21) Each sensor node 19 has an identity transmitting unit 45, by means of which the sensor node 19 can transmit a specific identity signal to the master unit 35. The identity transmitting unit 45 may be, for example, a simple multiple microswitch in which a pattern of switching states unambiguously identifies the position or identity of the sensor node 19. Alternatively, the identity transmitting unit 45 may be a more complex electronic component such as a tag, an EEPROM, or an RFID/NFC. The identity transmitting unit 45 can, for example, send out the identity signal during a system start and thus notify the master unit 35 of the information as to the installation location at which the particular sensor node 19 is installed.

(22) In this specific embodiment, the second type of information stored in the database is thus provided with information about the identity of a sensor node 19 containing the particular sensor 21. If, for example, as part of an initialization process, the identity signal transmitted by the identity transmitting unit 45 of the sensor node 19 is compared with the reference data stored in advance in the database, which data indicate the configurationally predetermined position of the sensor node 19 within the passenger transport installation 1, the information about the actual identity or the actual installation location of each of the sensor nodes 19 and thus also each of the sensors 21 can be derived as a result.

(23) In such an embodiment, the sensor nodes 19 and the sensor node housings 47 thereof can advantageously be factory-assembled, and a service technician needs merely to install the sensor node housings 47 at the predetermined installation locations.

(24) In a third embodiment, the third type of information to be stored in the database may contain information about a pre-established configuration of a sensor node 19 accommodating the particular sensor 21.

(25) In this embodiment, the information required by the sensor detection module 39 in order to be able to detect the sensor nodes 19 is present as early as in a configuration or planning phase of the passenger transport installation 1. This information about the configuration of the passenger transport installation 1 and in particular about the sensor network 3 to be provided therein can be used later, for example during an initialization process, in order to be able to determine the identity of the sensor nodes 19 accommodated therein and thus of the installed sensors 21.

(26) A possible configuration of a passenger transport installation is to be roughly described below:

(27) In a sensor network 3, each sensor node 19, i.e. a combination of a host and one or more sensors 21, provides specific data, such as acceleration data, at a detection rate of, for example, 100 Hz. The sensor network 3 comprises a plurality of sensor nodes 19. A sensor node 19 comprises a host module and various sensors 21 attached thereto, for example in the form of modular hardware. In the planning stage of the passenger transport installation 1 various monitoring objectives are defined, that is to say, properties that are to be repeatedly monitored within the passenger transport installation 1, for example during the operation thereof. These may include, for example, the ride quality of the elevator car 5 and/or the car doors 13. On the basis of such monitoring objectives, it is possible to determine the functions and the parameters to be monitored for sensor nodes 19 to be provided on the respective components of the passenger transport installation 1. A configuration that indicates this, that is to say a kind of functional specification, contains, inter alia, information about the number and types of sensors 21 (for example accelerometers) and their installation locations (for example on the LDU (landing door unit), on a belt fixing element, on the elevator car 5, etc.), and possibly other mandatory or optional parameters (such as a detection rate of 100 Hz).

(28) Whereas at the time of configuration of the passenger transport installation 1 the monitoring objectives to be achieved or monitoring functions to be used for this purpose are known, the specific hardware, that is to say the specific apparatuses used for this purpose, do not yet need to be known. Therefore, a mechanism is needed in order to be able to align the already defined functions that are to be realized by the sensor nodes 19 with the hardware actually installed. Moreover, in the case of modular hardware, it is not already known in advance at which installation location within the passenger transport installation 1 a specific apparatus is installed.

(29) It is therefore proposed, by means of the sensor detection module 39 of the master unit 35, to carry out a method in which the monitoring objectives defined in advance are compared with the apparatuses actually installed, in particular the sensors 21 actually installed.

(30) For this purpose, the pre-established configuration can be stored in advance as information about a configuration-appropriate type and number of sensors 21 contained in one of the sensor nodes 19 in the database. The sensor detection module 39 can then analyze, during an initialization process, measurement results actually transmitted by a sensor node 19, as to what type and number of sensors 21 are contained in the particular sensor node 19. This information can then be compared with the information stored in the database in order to derive therefrom the identity of the particular sensor node 19, and thus of the sensors 21 contained therein.

(31) By means of the sensor network 3 presented herein and a method to be carried out therein for determining an identity of sensors 21 accommodated therein, the identity of the sensors 21 can be ascertained automatically. Modular sensor hardware may be installed, preferably anywhere within the passenger transport installation 1. Hardware of the sensor nodes 19 may also be interchangeable. The sensor-based monitoring hardware in a passenger transport installation 1 can thus be flexibly, easily and/or quickly installed and installation effort in the field can be reduced. Identities and in particular installation locations of potentially identical sensors 21 can be determined automatically in the sensor network 3, which can simplify installation of the sensor network 3 and help to prevent errors.

(32) Finally, it should be noted that terms such as “comprising”, “including”, etc. do not preclude other elements or steps, and terms such as “a” or “an” do not preclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above.

(33) In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.