CONFIGURATION OF OPERATING PANELS OF AN ELEVATOR SYSTEM

Abstract

A method and a device configures a floor allocation of at least two operating panels of an elevator system having an elevator car and an elevator control unit in a building having at least two floors, wherein a respective one of the operating panels and an elevator door are located on each floor of the building, wherein a door contact unit is arranged on the elevator door, wherein the door contact unit is opened with the elevator door open, and wherein the elevator car moves vertically between the at least two floors. According to the method and device, the door contact unit is connected with the operating panel on each floor. The elevator car is moved to each floor and the elevator door is opened. The operating panel detects the open door contact unit and allocates the approached floor to the operating panel depending on the position of the elevator car.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for configuring a floor allocation of at least two operating panels of an elevator system including an elevator car and an elevator control unit in a building having at least two floors, wherein a respective one of the operating panels and a respective elevator door are located on each of the floors of the building, wherein a respective door contact unit is arranged on each of the elevator doors and is opened when the associated elevator door is open, and wherein the elevator car moves vertically between the at least two floors, comprising the steps of: a. connecting each of the door contact units with the operating panel on the floor where the associated elevator door is located; b. moving the elevator car to one of the floors and opening the associated elevator door; c. detecting with the operating panel located at the one floor the open door contact unit arranged at the one floor; d. allocating the one floor to the operating panel located at the one floor; and e. performing steps b through d for each of the floors.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein each of the operating panels is connected to the respective door contact unit by a respective connecting unit.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the connecting unit is a separate unit or is integrated into the respective door contact unit.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein the door contact units are connected with the elevator control unit by a safety circuit.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the safety circuit is an electrical safety circuit or a safety circuit with a bus system.

21. The method according to claim 19 wherein the operating panels are connected with the safety circuit in parallel to the door contact units.

22. The method according to claim 16 wherein the operating panels are connected with the elevator control unit via a communication network.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the communication network is a wired communication network or a wireless communication network.

24. The method according to claim 16 wherein the operating panels send at least one message relating to the detected open door contact unit to the elevator control unit.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein depending on the at least one message and depending on a vertical position of the elevator car, the elevator control unit allocates the floor at which the elevator car is positioned to the operating panel sending the at least one message and transmits the allocation to the operating panel sending the at least one message.

26. The method according to claim 16 wherein a vertical position of the elevator car is sent to the operating panel located on the floor being approached by the elevator car, and allocation of the floor being approached is determined by the operating panel located at the floor being approached depending on the detection of the respective door contact unit being open.

27. The method according to claim 16 wherein the operating panels store the floor allocation in a memory unit.

28. A device for configuring a floor allocation of at least two operating panels of an elevator system including an elevator car and an elevator control unit in a building having at least two floors, wherein a respective one of the operating panels and a respective elevator door are located on each of the floors of the building, wherein a respective door contact unit is arranged on each of the elevator doors and is opened when the associated elevator door open, and wherein the elevator car moves vertically between the at least two floors, comprising: a respective connecting unit on each of the floors connecting the respective door contact unit with the respective operating panel.

29. The device according to claim 28 wherein the connecting units include at least one resistor or a communication module.

30. The device according to claim 28 wherein the connecting units include at least one of a rectifier and a galvanic separation.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The invention will be explained in more detail based on an exemplary embodiment depicted on the figures. Shown on:

[0026] FIG. 1 is a simplified view of elevator components for implementing the method according to the invention,

[0027] FIG. 2 is a simplified view of an elevator system, and

[0028] FIG. 3 is an exemplary connecting unit for an electrical safety circuit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] FIG. 1 presents a simplified view of elevator components for implementing the method according to the invention. An elevator system exhibits an elevator control unit 3, which is connected with an operating panel 4 by means of a communication network 8.

[0030] An operating panel 4 is usually arranged on each floor of a building. The operating panel 4 allows a passenger on the elevator system to transmit an elevator trip call to the elevator control unit 3. To this end, the operating panel 4 exhibits at least one switch, pushbutton, touch-sensitive screen (touchscreen display), etc.

[0031] The communication network 8 can be configured as desired. For example, it can be wired or wireless. A (serial) bus system, a wireless network (WLAN=wireless local area network), a Bluetooth network, etc., could be used, for example.

[0032] In order to satisfy the safety requirements in elevator construction, an elevator system exhibits a safety circuit or monitoring device. The safety circuit typically consists of safety elements connected in series, such as a door contact unit 5, a manual emergency stop switch, a shaft limit switch, a buffer switch, etc. The door contact unit 5 monitors the state of elevator doors. Such a door contact unit 5 is here located on each elevator door on each floor of the building. The safety circuit can be configured as an electrical or electromechanical safety circuit, or as a bus-based safety circuit.

[0033] The door contact unit 5 can be configured as a mechanical or electromechanical switching unit, magnetic switching unit, contactless switching unit, RFID switching unit (radio frequency identification =identification of electromagnetic waves), etc.

[0034] When the elevator door opens, the door contact unit 5 is opened or interrupted. If the case involves an electrical safety circuit, the circuit is here interrupted, which is detected by the elevator control unit. The elevator control unit 3 then shuts down the elevator system. When using a safety circuit with a bus system, the door contact unit 5 reports or messages the state, for example opened to the elevator control unit 3, and the elevator system is shut down based on the report or message. This report or message can consist of an analog or digital signal. However, it can also be a text message, signaling message or some other message.

[0035] According to the invention, the door contact unit 5 is connected with the operating panel 4 by means of a connecting unit 6. The connecting unit 6 can here be integrated into the door contact unit 5, which is to be symbolized with the dashed rectangle, or be a separate unit.

[0036] When using an electrical safety circuit, the connecting unit 6 encompasses at least one resistor, preferably a high-impedance resistor. When using an alternating current safety circuit, at least one rectifier is additionally provided for the connecting element 6. If the operating panel 4 and door contact unit 5 do not share the same ground, the connecting unit 6 encompasses at least one galvanic separation or separating unit.

[0037] Given an electrical safety circuit, the operating panel 4 is connected with the door contact unit 5 by means of an electrical line via the connecting unit 6, or with the safety circuit parallel to the door contact unit 5.

[0038] When using a bus-based safety circuit, the connecting unit 6 exhibits at least one communication module. Communication between the operating panel 4 and door contact unit 5 can here be wired or wireless. The operating panel 4 and door contact unit 5 can also be serially connected with each other via the connecting unit 6.

[0039] FIG. 2 presents a simplified view of an elevator system with the elevator components described on FIG. 1. In this example, the elevator system is located in a multistory building (1st floor to 4th floor1.SW, 2.SW, 3.SW, 4.SW respectively), and exhibits an elevator shaft 1. In this elevator shaft 1, an elevator car 2 is moved back and forth between the 1st and 4th floors by means of a drive (not shown).

[0040] The elevator system further exhibits an operating panel 4 on each of the 1st to 4th floors, which is connected with an elevator control unit 3 via a wired or wireless communication network 8.

[0041] Each of the 1st to 4th floors exhibits an elevator door (not shown) to the elevator shaft 1. As already described on FIG. 1, a door contact unit 5 is situated on this elevator door. The door contact unit 5 in this example is a serially connected safety element of an electrical safety circuit. If the elevator door is opened, the door contact unit 5 also opens, and the circuit of the safety circuit is interrupted. Interrupting the safety circuit causes the elevator system to be shut down.

[0042] The operating panel 4 is connected with the door contact unit 5 by a connecting unit 6. The connecting unit 6 can be configured as a separate unit or as a unit of the door contact unit 5. As in this example, the operating panel 4 can be connected with the safety circuit parallel to the door contact unit. The connection between the operating panel 4 and door contact unit 5 can be realized with cost-effective lines, for example cables consisting of copper wires, since there exist no special safety requirements for this connection.

[0043] In an electrical safety circuit, the connecting unit 6 exhibits at least one resistor, which preferably is configured to be high impedance. When using an alternating current safety circuit in the elevator system, the connecting unit 6 additionally encompasses a rectifier. If the operating panel 4 and door contact unit 5 or safety circuit do not have the same ground, a galvanic separation is used in the connecting unit 6. In this example, the connecting unit 6 is to have one resistor per line or connecting cable between the door contact unit 5 and operating panel 4.

[0044] At the beginning of the configuration process, the elevator car 2 is moved (by the elevator control unit 3) to one of the 1st to 4th floors. Any of the 1st to 4th floors can be approached first in the method according to the invention. The bottom or top of the four floors is preferably the starting point, after which the other floors are approached in one direction until the top or bottom floor has been reached.

[0045] Once the elevator car 2 arrives at one of the 1st to 4th floors, the elevator door opens. This also causes the door contact unit 5 to open, and the safety circuit is interrupted.

[0046] The operating panel 4 on the approached floor detects the open door contact unit 5. The operating panel 4 is now allocated to the approached 1st to 4th floor by having the elevator control unit 3 notify the operating panel 4 on the approached 1st to 4th floor about the position of the elevator car 2, and the operating panel 4 allocate itself to the approached 1st to 4th floor. Or the operating panel 4 reports or signals the open door contact unit 5 to the elevator control unit 3, the elevator control unit 3 allocates the approached 1st to 4th floor to the operating panel 4 depending on the position of the elevator car 2, and sends the allocation to the operating panel 4 by way of a message or signal. Also conceivable is for the elevator control unit 3 to store the allocation of the operating panel 4 only in a memory unit of the elevator control unit 3, i.e., not send this allocation to the operating panel 4. In addition to the allocation, an identification feature for the operating panel 4 must then be stored, which allows the elevator control unit 3 to identify the respective operating panel 4 given a call request from the operating panel 4. For example, the identification feature can be an address, serial number or some other clear or one-to-one feature.

[0047] In general, the allocation is stored in a memory unit of the operating panel 4 or elevator control unit 3.

[0048] The message, signal or report can be as desired. For example, use can be made of an analog or digital signal, a text message, a signaling message (of a wired or wireless communication network), etc.

[0049] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary connecting unit 6 for an electrical safety circuit. As already described on FIGS. 1 and 2, an operating panel 4 is connected with a door contact unit 5 by a connecting unit 6. In this example, the connection consists of two lines, e.g., configured as copper wire cables. The connecting unit 6 encompasses a resistor 7 for each line. The two resistors 7 are preferably configured to be high impedance.

[0050] 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.