ELEVATOR BEING MONITORED WITH PASSENGER SMART MOBILE DEVICE

Abstract

A holder structure fixed to an elevator car of an elevator is configured to hold a passenger's smart mobile device. The mobile device includes sensors, and the holder structure releasably mechanically couples the mobile device to the elevator car. A method for monitoring an operation of the elevator includes providing the mobile device with a specific application software controlling the mobile device to execute the following monitoring procedure: repeatedly supervising measurement values of at least one of the sensors; upon occurrence of a specific parameter pattern in the measurement values, starting a measurement acquisition procedure during which measurement values are sensed by at least one of the sensors and the sensed measurement values are transmitted to an evaluation unit for further evaluation. The specific parameter pattern specifically results upon the mobile device being held in at least one of a predefined position and a predefined orientation in the elevator car.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. An elevator including a displaceable elevator car and a holder structure fixed to the elevator car for holding a smart mobile device of a passenger in the elevator car, the holder structure comprising: the holder structure being configured to releasably mechanically couple the mobile device to the elevator car; and at least one of the holder structure being configured to hold the mobile device such that acceleration sensors of the mobile device sense an acceleration pattern resulting upon the mobile device being held by the holder structure; and a light sensor of the mobile device senses a light pattern resulting upon the mobile device being held by the holder structure.

14. The elevator according to claim 13 wherein the holder structure is configured for holding the mobile device in a positive fit connection.

15. The elevator according to claim 13 wherein the holder structure is configured for holding the mobile device in a predefined inclined orientation relative to a horizontal plane.

16. The elevator according to claim 13 wherein the holder structure is fixedly attached to one of a wall of the elevator car and an elevator car carrier structure carrying the elevator car.

17. The elevator according to claim 13 wherein the holder structure is fixedly attached to the elevator car at a position neighboring an elevator car door displacement path along which an elevator car door of the elevator car is displaceable upon being opened and closed.

18. The elevator according to claim 13 including motivation measures for motivating the passenger to couple the mobile device with the holder structure during an elevator travel of the elevator car.

19. A method for monitoring an operation of an elevator including an elevator car, the method comprising the steps of: providing a smart mobile device of a passenger in the elevator car with application software controlling the smart mobile device to execute the following monitoring procedure; repeatedly supervising measurement values generated by at least one sensor of the smart mobile device; upon occurring of a specific parameter pattern in the measurement values, starting a measurement acquisition procedure during which measurement values are sensed by the at least one sensor and the sensed measurement values are transmitted to an evaluation unit for further evaluation; and wherein the specific parameter pattern results upon the smart mobile device being held in at least one of a predefined position and a predefined orientation in the elevator car.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the monitoring procedure includes: continuously supervising acceleration measurement values generated by acceleration sensors of the smart mobile device; and upon occurring of a specific acceleration pattern in the acceleration measurement values, starting the measurement acquisition procedure.

21. The method according to claim 19 wherein the monitoring procedure includes: continuously supervising light measurement values generated by a light sensor of the smart mobile device; and upon occurring of a specific light pattern in the light measurement values, starting the measurement acquisition procedure.

22. The method according to claim 19 wherein the monitoring procedure includes: continuously supervising the measurement values; and upon occurring of the specific parameter pattern in the measurement values for more than a predetermined time interval, starting the measurement acquisition procedure.

23. A computer program product comprising non-transitory computer readable instructions which, when performed by a processor of a smart mobile device, instruct the smart mobile device to execute the following monitoring procedure: continuously supervising measurement values generated by at least one sensor of the smart mobile device; upon occurring of a specific parameter pattern in the measurement values, starting a measurement acquisition procedure during which measurement values are sensed by the smart mobile device and the sensed measurement values are transmitted to an evaluation unit for further evaluation; and wherein the specific parameter pattern results upon the mobile device being held by a holder structure configured to releasably mechanically couple the smart mobile device to an elevator car.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising the computer program product according claim 23 stored thereon.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] FIG. 1 shows an elevator with an elevator car including a holder structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] FIG. 2 shows a side view onto a simple holder structure for an elevator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] FIG. 3 shows a front view onto the holder structure of FIG. 2.

[0067] FIG. 4 shows a positional arrangement of a holder structure in an elevator car of an elevator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] The figures are only schematic and not to scale. Same reference signs refer to same or similar features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0069] FIG. 1 shows an elevator 1 comprising an elevator car 3 and a counterweight 5. By driving a suspension traction means 9 comprising for example a plurality of belts 11 via a traction sheave 15 of a drive engine 13, the elevator car 3 and the counterweight 5 may be displaced in a vertical direction in an elevator shaft 7.

[0070] As a specific feature, a holder structure 17 is fixedly provided within the elevator car 3. This holder structure 17 is configured to hold a passenger's smart mobile device 19 including at least one sensor 20, such as a smartphone, wherein the mobile device 19 may be releasably mechanically coupled via the holder structure 17 to the elevator car 3. In the example shown, the holder structure 17 is fixedly and rigidly attached to a side wall 21 of the elevator car 3.

[0071] Specifically, the holder structure 17 may be configured such that the mobile device 19 may be coupled to it in a positive-fit connection in a way such that the mobile device 19 is held in a specifically predefined orientation. Preferably, the predefined orientation is inclined with respect to a vertical plane.

[0072] Furthermore, the holder structure 17 may comprise a cover shield element 25 in order to cover a light sensor 23 of the mobile device 19 or to arrange for example a light source or a light filter on top of the light sensor 23. Alternatively, the mobile device 19 may be oriented with its light sensor 23 directed towards a specific light source inside the elevator car 3.

[0073] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show a side view and a front view onto an exemplary holder structure 17. The holder structure 17 is attached to the elevator car's side wall 21 and comprises a bottom element 27 extending substantially horizontal and a front abutment element 29 extending substantially in a vertical plane. Furthermore, a rear abutment element 31 is provided and extends in an inclined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. Additionally, a side abutment element 33 may be provided at opposing sides of the holder structure 17.

[0074] Accordingly, the holder structure 17 forms with its bottom element 27, front abutment element 29, rear abutment element 31 and side abutment element 33 a receptacle, into which a mobile device 19 may be put from an upside direction and is then held in a positive-fit connection within the receptacle such that, due to gravity and the boundaries formed by the front, rear and side abutment elements 29, 31, 33, the mobile device 19 is fixedly held, i.e. is coupled, to the holder structure 17.

[0075] Particularly, the mobile device 19 is held in a predefined inclined orientation with respect to the horizontal plane. Therein, depending on a thickness of the mobile device 19, the mobile device 19 may either lie with its rear surface completely along the rear abutment element 31 such that the mobile device is arranged in the angle . Or, if the mobile device 19 is thinner than the distance between the lower end of the rear abutment element 31 and the front abutment element 29, the mobile device 19 may slightly slide towards the front abutment element 29 (as shown in the exemplary representation in FIG. 2), such that the mobile device 19 assumes an angle with respect to the horizontal plane which is slightly smaller than the angle . In fact, the actual angle with which the mobile device 19 will be held within the holder structure 17 may depend on the thickness and the length of the mobile device 19 such that, upon knowing these parameters, the orientation in which the mobile device 19 will be held in the holder structure may be easily determined.

[0076] Furthermore, in the shown example, the holder structure 17 comprises the cover shield element 25 which covers the light sensor 23 at the front side of the mobile device 19 such that substantially no ambient light reaches the light sensor 23.

[0077] In an alternative embodiment (not shown in the figures), the holder structure 17 could be established similarly to a selfie stick, which is mounted in the elevator car 3 in such a way that by mechanical transmission of accelerations and vibrations from the elevator car 3 via the holder structure 17 to for example a passenger's smart phone, the accelerations and vibrations acting at or onto the elevator car 3 may be precisely measured with a high quality and possibly in a standardized manner using the sensors 20 comprised in the smart phone.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 4, the holder structure 17 may be fixed next to an elevator car door 35, i.e. at a position neighboring to a door displacement path along which the elevator car door 35 is displaced upon being opened or closed. Alternatively, a similar holder structure 17 could be constructed and fixed on an exterior of elevator doors 35, for example to activate sensing or other desired processes in the mobile device 19.

[0079] In order to enable a use of a passenger's mobile device 19 for monitoring the operation of the elevator 1, an application software, i.e. an app, may be installed on the mobile device 19. This application software controls functions of the mobile device 19 such as to execute a specific monitoring procedure. In such monitoring procedure, the mobile device 19 uses at least one of its sensors 20 to repeatedly or continuously measure measurement values and supervise these measurement values. Particularly, it is supervised whether the measurement values correspond to a predetermined specific parameter pattern, possibly within acceptable tolerances.

[0080] Therein, the specific parameter pattern corresponds to measurement values which are generally acquired upon the mobile device 19 being held at a specific position within the elevator car 3 and/or in a specific orientation, possibly within acceptable tolerances. For example, such specific position and/or specific orientation may be established upon the mobile device being coupled to the holder structure 17.

[0081] Particularly, the parameter pattern may be a specific acceleration pattern which is measured by a 3D acceleration sensor of the mobile device 19 when the mobile device 19 is coupled to the holder structure 17 and is therefore held in the specific inclined orientation. Instead or additionally, the parameter pattern may be or may include a specific light pattern which is measured by a light sensor 23 of the mobile device 19 when the mobile device 19 is coupled to the holder 17 and for example the cover shield element 25 covers the light sensor 23. For example, the parameter pattern may comprise a set of acceleration measurement values which occur upon the mobile device 19 being arranged in the predefined inclined orientation and/or a set of light intensity measurement values which occur upon the mobile device 19 being held in the support structure 17, possibly with its light sensor 23 being covered by the cover shield element 25. Furthermore, as part of the parameter pattern, it may be checked whether such measurement values are static, i.e. do not significantly change, during a predetermined time interval of for example 5 s.

[0082] If a correspondence between the actually measured measurement values and the parameter pattern occurs, it is assumed that the mobile device 19 is correctly coupled with the holder structure 17. Thereby, starting of a specific measurement acquisition procedure is automatically triggered.

[0083] During such measurement acquisition procedure, measurement values are sensed by at least one of the sensors 20 of the mobile device 19, preferably repeatedly or even continuously. For example, accelerations acting onto the mobile device 19 may be measured using the 3D acceleration sensor of the mobile device 19. Noises occurring in the environment of the mobile device 19 may be measured using the microphone of the mobile device 19. Magnetic, electric or electromagnetic fields occurring in the environment of the mobile device 19 may be measured using corresponding field sensors of the mobile device 19. Similarly, temperatures, humidity and/or other physical parameters may be measured by sensors 20 of the mobile device 19. In specific cases, even a current location of the mobile device 19 may be measured using for example a GPS sensor of the mobile device 19.

[0084] The sensed measurement values may be directly transmitted to an evaluation unit 37 (FIG. 1) arranged for example in a remote control center for further evaluation. Alternatively, the sensed measurement values may be temporarily stored in the mobile device 19 and may be transmitted to the evaluation unit 37 at a later point in time. Optionally, the sensed measurement values may be already pre-processed or pre-evaluated within the mobile device 19. Transmission of the measurement values or of any pre-processed or pre-evaluated values to the evaluation unit 37 may be performed preferably by a wireless data transmission using for example data transmission capabilities of the mobile device 19. For example, data may be transmitted via the internet.

[0085] As soon as the mobile device 19 is removed from the holder structure 17, this may be remarked by the mobile device 19 as for example the actually measured measurement values do no more correspond to the predefined measurement pattern. The measurement acquisition procedure may then be automatically stopped.

[0086] According to an alternative implementation of the method proposed herein, the mobile device 19 also continuously checks whether it is in the predefined position and/or the predefined orientation. However, in this case, the predefined position/orientation do not necessarily result from the mobile device 19 being directly mechanically coupled to the holder structure 17. Instead, the elevator car 3 may be provided with specific facilities, such as for example a graspable handle, which motivate a passenger to position and/or orient its mobile device 19 in a predefined manner, possibly within acceptable tolerances. For example, a passenger may carry a wearable device at or on one of his body parts and the facility provided in the car 3 may motivate the passenger to arrange the respective body part at a specific location and/or orientation within the elevator car 3. For example, the passenger may carry a smartwatch on his wrist and a handlebar or another physical apparatus may be provided in the elevator car 3 which induces the passenger to position his wrist with the smartwatch in a distinct position/orientation. For example, a waist-level handlebar may induce passengers to grab onto it, thereby fixing their wearable smartwatch to be in a distinct position perpendicular to the horizontal handlebar. In a specific implementation, a graspable handle may be provided in the elevator car 3 that requires the passenger to grasp from the underside such that, consequently, a watch face on the grasping hand would be facing downwards, resulting in an extended unique accelerometer signal due to the effect of gravity. The handle could also constrict the passenger's wrist motion during the elevator ride. The specific position and/or orientation of the mobile device 19 may then be detected by the mobile device based on corresponding sensor signals and the measurement acquisition procedure may be started accordingly.

[0087] In order to motivate elevator passengers to offer their personal smart mobile devices 19 for monitoring the elevator operation and couple the mobile device 19 to the holder structure 17, i.e. to incentivize passengers to participate in temporarily re-purposing of their mobile devices 19, some motivation measures may be implemented. For example, some gamification or mobile-related services may be considered.

[0088] For example, pay-for-lift schemes where passengers pay for their rides via identifiers on their mobile devices 19 may be considered. In such case, the elevator 1 only registers via the identifier when the mobile device 19 is placed within the holder structure 17.

[0089] Alternatively or additionally, badging of time in and out of a building or floor by placing the mobile device 19 in the holder structure 17 may be considered.

[0090] As another option, the mobile device 19 may be used for unlocking floors upon being coupled with the holder structure 17.

[0091] A further alternative could be games where riding different elevators helps a player to collect virtual badges and a way to collect badges is to couple the mobile device 19 with the holder structure 17.

[0092] As another motivation measure, specific services may be installed and/or enabled on the passenger's mobile device 19 upon being coupled with the holder structure 17. For example, a specific selfie app could be installed on a smart mobile device 19 such that photos or videos are taken when the passenger is in the elevator car 3. Such photos or videos may then be given to the owner of the mobile device 19. Accordingly, upon the mobile device 19 being coupled to the holder structure 17, not only the measurement acquisition procedure is automatically started and ride quality data representing the operation of the elevator 1 are collected, but, in parallel, a camera is activated for taking photos or videos of the passengers. The camera may be the camera of the mobile device 19 or another camera fixedly installed within the elevator car 3. Offering photos or videos to elevator passengers may be specifically attractive and therefore may be a good motivation measure for example in cases of a panorama elevator. The photos or videos may show the passenger for example with an imposing background. Furthermore, such photos or videos may be attractive for example for elevators to a nightclub or restaurant or for elevator enthusiasts. In particular, passengers may be motivated to putting the photos or videos on a website or use them for a game (for example who can get the most elevators selfies).

[0093] Optionally, for example a QR code or a beacon or other identification means may be provided in or near the elevator car 3 in order to enable the passenger to download a correct software application and/or identify the location.

[0094] With embodiments of the elevator 1 and the method for monitoring an operation of the elevator 1 proposed herein, several advantages may be realized.

[0095] For example, prior approaches such as the approach described in EP 16188445 use a passenger movement-based solution for triggering a mobile device for sensing during the passenger's ride. However, such approaches may be unreliable due to false positives that occur during daily life. With the approach described herein, triggering of the mobile device 19 to execute the measurement acquisition procedure may be more reliable.

[0096] Furthermore, measurement values which are sensed by the mobile device's sensors may be more accurate and reliable due to the direct mechanical coupling to the elevator car 3 via the holder structure 17.

[0097] Additionally, the fixed position and orientation of the mobile device 19 being coupled to the holder structure 17 may enable a direct comparison of sensor signals between measurements from different mobile devices 19 and/or different time frames.

[0098] Furthermore, arranging the holder structure 17 with its coupled mobile device 19 in proximity to panels of an elevator car door 35 may enable sensing of door movements through a magnetometer sensor of the mobile device 19.

[0099] Finally, it should be noted that the term comprising does not exclude other elements or steps and the a or an does not exclude a plurality. Also, elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined.

[0100] 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.