METHOD FOR OPERATING A PASSENGER CONVEYOR SYSTEM BY RELIABLY CONFIGURING AN ELECTRONIC SAFETY DEVICE

Abstract

A passenger conveyor system has a controller and a safety device monitoring a safety-relevant system function. The safety device is in a “configured” state monitoring the safety-relevant function according to specifications when a target configuration parameter is stored. A system operating method includes: the controller receiving a first configuration parameter and a second configuration parameter created independently of the first parameter; transmitting the first and second parameters to the safety device; wherein the parameters relate to the same target configuration parameter; comparing the first and second parameters in the safety device and, when the parameters match within a prespecified tolerance, storing the corresponding target configuration parameter in the safety device and transmitting the target configuration parameter and/or a “configured” signal from the safety device to the controller. The controller controls the functionalities of the passenger conveyor system according to whether it received the target configuration parameter and/or the “configured” signal.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for operating a passenger conveyor system, the passenger conveyor system having a controller for controlling functionalities of the passenger conveyor system and a safety device for monitoring a safety-relevant function of the passenger conveyor system, wherein the safety device is configurable to a “configured” state by storing a target configuration parameter to then monitor the safety-relevant function according to predetermined specifications, the method comprising the steps of: receiving by the controller a first configuration parameter and receiving a second configuration parameter created independently of the first configuration parameter, the first configuration parameter and the second configuration parameter relating to a same target configuration parameter; transmitting the first configuration parameter and the second configuration parameter to the safety device; comparing the first configuration parameter and the second configuration parameter in the safety device and, when the first configuration parameter and the second configuration parameter match within a prespecified tolerance, storing the target configuration parameter related to the first configuration parameter and the second configuration parameter in the safety device and transmitting the target configuration parameter and/or a “configured” signal from the safety device to the controller; and wherein the controller controls the functionalities of the passenger conveyor system according to whether it has received the target configuration parameter and/or the “configured” signal.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the passenger conveyor system is an elevator system and the controller controls an elevator car of the elevator system to only move in an elevator shaft after the controller receives the target configuration parameter and/or the “configured” signal.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein the controller receives the first configuration parameter or the second configuration parameter in response to a manual input by a person at a human/machine interface.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein the controller receives the first configuration parameter or the second configuration parameter by retrieving data from an external database.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the data in the external database was created during a design process and/or a commissioning of the passenger conveyor system and the data contains the first configuration parameter and/or the second configuration parameter, or wherein the first configuration parameter and/or the second configuration parameter can be derived from the data.

21. The method according to claim 16 wherein the controller receives the first configuration parameter and/or the second configuration parameter from a mobile, processor-controlled data processing device that is adapted to be coupled temporarily to the controller for data exchange.

22. The method according to claim 16 wherein the controller receives the first configuration parameter or the second configuration parameter from a data memory that is coupled to the controller for data exchange.

23. The method according to claim 16 wherein the controller transmits the target configuration parameter to a mobile, processor-controlled data processing device.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the data processing device outputs the target configuration parameter to a person and, when the person confirms at the data processing device that the target configuration parameter is correct, the data processing device sends a “sealed” signal to the controller, wherein the controller actuates the functionalities of the passenger conveyor system at most to a limited extent before receiving the “sealed” signal, and the controller actuates the functionalities of the passenger conveyor system to an unlimited extent after receiving the “sealed” signal.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the controller transmits the “sealed” signal to the safety device, the safety device changes to a sealed state after receiving the “sealed” signal and transmits an “acknowledged” signal to the controller, the controller actuates the functionalities of the passenger conveyor system at most to a limited extent before receiving the “acknowledged” signal, and the controller actuates the functionalities of the passenger conveyor system to an unlimited extent after receiving the “acknowledged” signal.

26. The method according to claim 16 wherein the first configuration parameter and/or the second configuration parameter are each transmitted from the controller to the safety device together with a checksum characterizing the respective configuration parameters.

27. The method according to claim 16 wherein a dataset representing the first configuration parameter and/or the second configuration parameter is not modified by the controller before the dataset is transmitted by the controller to the safety device.

28. A passenger conveyor system comprising: a controller controlling functionalities of the passenger conveyor system; a safety device monitoring a safety-relevant function of the passenger conveyor system; wherein the safety device is configurable to a “configured” state by storing a target configuration parameter to then monitor the safety-relevant function according to predetermined specifications; and wherein the controller and the safety device are adapted to perform or control the method according to claim 16.

29. A computer program product comprising at least one computer program means for performing the method according to claim 16 when the computer program means is loaded into a processor-controlled controller for controlling functionalities of a passenger conveyor system and a processor-controlled safety device for monitoring a safety-relevant function of the passenger conveyor system.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which the computer program product according to claim 29 is stored.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0079] FIG. 1 shows an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] FIG. 2 is a diagram to illustrate data transmissions and data processing as part of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] The drawings are merely schematic and not to scale. Like reference signs denote like or equivalent features in the various drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] In the following, only one target configuration parameter is determined from a first and a second configuration parameter, and is stored in a safety device. However, this is not to be interpreted restrictively. It is also possible for a plurality of first configuration parameters and a plurality of second configuration parameters to be transmitted to one or more safety devices in an analogous manner, and for a plurality of target configuration parameters to be derived therefrom, which are stored in one or more of the safety devices.

[0083] FIG. 1 shows a very rough schematic of a passenger conveyor system 1 in the form of an elevator system. An elevator car 5 is arranged in an elevator shaft 3 and is held by cable-like suspension means 9. A drive machine 7 can move the cable-like suspension means 9 and thus displace the elevator car 5 vertically. The drive machine 7 is controlled by a controller 11. An elevator door 13 is provided at a floor. A current closed state of the elevator door 13 is monitored with a safety device 17 in the form of a door switch 15. Several further safety devices 17 can also be provided in the passenger conveyor system 1 in order, for example, to monitor the closed states of further elevator doors 13, or also other functionalities.

[0084] A technician 23 can visit the passenger conveyor system 1 in order to use his smartphone 19 as a mobile data processing device 21 to configure the passenger conveyor system 1, and in particular its safety device 17. This can be done, for example, directly after completion of the passenger conveyor system 1 or as part of maintenance work on the same.

[0085] A possible embodiment of such a procedure for configuring the safety device 17 is described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0086] First, the controller 11 receives a first configuration parameter 41 and a second configuration parameter 43. The two configuration parameters 41, 43 were previously created independently of each other, but both relate to a desired target configuration of the safety device 17 to be configured.

[0087] In the example shown, the first configuration parameter 41 is transmitted to the controller 11 by a mobile, processor-controlled data processing device 21. The data processing device 21 can be a smartphone 19 belonging to the technician 23, on which a suitable application (app) is running. The first configuration parameter 41 can, for example, be entered by the technician 23 via a human/machine interface 27 of the smartphone 19. The human/machine interface 27 can be, for example, a touch-sensitive screen 25 or a keyboard. Alternatively, the first configuration parameter 41 can also be retrieved from an external source such as an external database 37 held in a data cloud 35, using a data communication module 29 of the smartphone 19. For example, configuration data can be stored in the database 37, that were created during a conceptual design process or when the passenger conveyor system 1 was commissioned. The first configuration parameter 41 can then, for example, also be transmitted to the controller 11 or its data communication module 31 using the data communication module 29. For example, the data can be transmitted wirelessly.

[0088] Furthermore, in the example shown, the second communication parameter 43 is provided by a data memory 39 which is coupled to the controller 11 for data exchange. This data memory 39 can be a flash memory, for example, on which configuration data for all safety devices 17 of the passenger conveyor system 1 are stored.

[0089] Both the first and the second configuration parameters 41, 43 are then transmitted from the controller 11 to the safety device 17 or to its data communication module 33. The datasets representing the first and second configuration parameters 41, 43, i.e., their representation using computer code, are particularly not modified by the controller 11. The two transmitted configuration parameters 41, 43 are then compared with each other in the safety device 17. If the two configuration parameters 41, 43 match within a specified tolerance, a target configuration parameter 47 corresponding to the two configuration parameters 41, 43 is stored in the safety device 17. In addition, the target configuration parameter 47 is also sent back to the controller 11. Alternatively or additionally, a “configured” signal 49 can be transmitted to the controller 11.

[0090] As a result of it receiving the target configuration parameter 47 and/or the “configured” signal 49, the controller 11 can recognize that the safety device 17 has been configured correctly and can correctly perform its monitoring function of the passenger conveyor system 1. The controller 11 can adapt the actuation of the functionalities of the passenger conveyor system 1 accordingly. For example, the controller 11 can actuate the drive machine 7 in such a way that the elevator car 5 is displaced in the elevator shaft 3, or that it is displaced at a speed for normal operation of the passenger conveyor system 1, only at that point.

[0091] After recognizing the correct configuration of the safety device 17, the controller 11 can change from a previous restricted mode, in which the functionalities of the passenger conveyor system 1 were at best limited, to a normal mode in which the functionalities of the passenger conveyor system 1 are fully available.

[0092] Furthermore, the controller 11 can send the target configuration parameter 47 to the mobile data processing device 21. The dataset representing the target configuration parameter 47, i.e., its representation using computer code, is particularly not modified by the controller 11. For example, the technician 23 can analyze this returned target configuration parameter 47 in the data processing device 21, for example by comparing it with the data previously entered by the technician 23 or by comparing it with data previously read out from the database 37. In the event that the technician 23 determines that the target configuration parameter 47 is correct, i.e., for example sufficiently corresponds to target specifications, he can confirm the correctness of the target configuration parameter 47 by entering it at the human/machine interface 27, for example. The data processing device 21 can then transmit a “sealed” signal 51 back to the controller 11. As a result of receiving this “sealed” signal 51, the controller 11 can then change from a previous restricted mode, in which the functionalities of the passenger conveyor system 1 were at best limited, to a normal mode in which the functionalities of the passenger conveyor system 1 are fully available.

[0093] Instead of switching to the normal mode immediately after receiving the “sealed” signal 51 from the data processing device 21, the controller 11 can transmit the “sealed” signal 51 to the safety device 17. After receiving the “sealed” signal 51, the safety device 17 then switches to a “sealed” state and transmits an “acknowledged” signal 52 to the controller 11. The controller 11 only changes to the normal mode after receiving the “acknowledged” signal 52 from the safety device 17.

[0094] In order to ensure the integrity of the data that reflect the various configuration parameters 41, 43, 47, additional checksums 45 can be transmitted together with this data during transmission between the various devices, i.e., between the data processing device 21 and the controller 11 on the one hand or between the controller 11 and the safety device 17 on the other hand, which checksums characterize the respective configuration parameters 41, 43, 47 and/or their data. Such checksums 45 can have been determined in advance as CRC values.

[0095] In the example presented above, the first configuration parameter 41 was determined by the mobile data processing device 21 and transmitted to the controller 11, whereas the second configuration parameter 43 was read out from the data memory 39 provided directly on the controller 11. However, it should also be possible to have both the first configuration parameter 41 and the second configuration parameter 43 determined by the data processing device 21. For example, the data processing device 21 can, on the one hand, choose an input from the technician 23 on his screen 25 as the first configuration parameter 41 and, on the other hand, choose data retrieved from the database 37 as the second configuration parameter 43, and then transmit both configuration parameters 41, 43 to the controller 11.

[0096] Analogously, it is also conceivable to have both configuration parameters 41, 43 determined directly by the controller 11, for example because it retrieves data from a database 37 via the data communication module 31 integrated in the controller 11 and receives the data as the first configuration parameter 41, on the one hand, and receives data from the data memory 39 as the second configuration parameter 43.

[0097] In particular, it is possible with the aid of the method proposed here to configure the safety device 17 without the technician 23 having to enter configuration data manually into a human/machine interface. For example, the safety device 17 can compare first configuration parameters 41 which were automatically read out from the database 37 with second configuration parameters 43 which were automatically read out from the data memory 39. If the two configuration parameters 41, 43 match sufficiently, a corresponding target configuration parameter 47 can be automatically stored in the safety device 17. Based solely on all of these method steps to be carried out automatically, the safety device 17 can then switch to at least partial operation in which its functionalities are available at least to a limited extent and/or in which the functionalities of the entire passenger conveyor system 1 are provided to a limited extent. In partial operation, for example, a speed at which the elevator car 5 can be moved can be limited, or the elevator car 5 can only travel after prior additional confirmation. At a later point in time, for example, the stored target configuration parameter 47 can then be checked by a technician 23 and, if correct, a “sealed” signal 51 can be transmitted to the controller 11, whereupon the controller can then switch to full operation.

[0098] Overall, with the approach described here, greater reliability can be achieved when configuring the passenger conveyor system 1, and accordingly, increased security can be achieved for the passenger conveyor system 1. In addition, the configuration process itself can be simplified.

[0099] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as “comprising”, “having”, etc. do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as “a” or “an” do not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps which 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.

[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.