AUTONOMOUS HUMAN-MACHINE-INTERFACE IN THE FORM OF A LANDING OPERATION PANEL OR A LANDING INFORMATION PANEL FOR AN ELEVATOR INSTALLATION

Abstract

A human-machine-interface formed as a landing operation panel or a landing information panel for an elevator installation has: an interaction unit (3) that responds to actuation by a passenger to generate input signals and/or to output output signals to be perceived by the passenger; a communication unit that transmits the input signals to an elevator and/or receives the output signals from the elevator controller; and a supply unit that supplies electrical energy to the interaction unit and the communication unit, the supply unit having an energy conversion unit and an electricity storage unit, wherein the energy conversion unit converts kinetic energy available in the immediate surroundings of the human-machine-interface into electrical energy, and wherein the electricity storage unit stores the converted electrical energy. The human-machine-interface operates with energy autonomy, i.e. without a supply cable to a central power supply.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A human-machine-interface being a landing operation panel or a landing information panel for an elevator installation, the human-machine-interface comprising: an interaction unit that responds to actuation by a passenger by at least one of generating input signals and outputting output signals that can be perceived by the passenger; a communication unit that transmits the input signals to an elevator controller and/or receives the output signals from the elevator controller; a supply unit that supplies electrical energy to the interaction unit and to the communication unit; and wherein the supply unit has an energy conversion unit and an electricity storage unit, wherein the energy conversion unit converts kinetic energy available in immediate surroundings of the human-machine-interface into electrical energy, and wherein the electricity storage unit stores the electrical energy converted by the energy conversion unit.

16. The human-machine-interface according to claim 15 operating solely on the electrical energy provided by the supply unit.

17. The human-machine-interface according to claim 15 wherein the energy conversion unit includes a wind turbine rotated by a flow of air and a generator coupled to a shaft of the wind turbine, wherein the kinetic energy is generated from the flow of air.

18. The human-machine-interface according to claim 17 wherein the wind turbine is accommodated in a duct element arranged in the elevator installation between an elevator shaft and a landing corridor.

19. The human-machine-interface according to claim 15 wherein the electricity storage unit includes an accumulator.

20. The human-machine-interface according to claim 15 wherein the electricity storage unit includes a supercapacitor.

21. The human-machine-interface according to claim 15 wherein the communication unit wirelessly exchanges the input signals and/or the output signals with the elevator controller.

22. The human-machine-interface according to claim 15 wherein the communication unit becomes active exclusively in response to an input of one of the input signals.

23. An elevator installation comprising: an elevator shaft; an elevator car; a drive machine for moving the elevator car in the elevator shaft between levels of different landings; an elevator controller controlling functionalities of the elevator installation in response to input signals and for outputting output signals as information about a current state in the elevator installation; and the human-machine-interface according to claim 15 in communication with the elevator controller.

24. The elevator installation according to claim 23 wherein at least one of the human-machine-interface is arranged on each of the different landings.

25. The elevator installation according to claim 24 being devoid of power lines for supplying electrical energy to the human-machine-interfaces.

26. The elevator installation according to claim 23 wherein the human-machine-interface is arranged on a door frame of a landing door the separates the elevator shaft from a landing corridor at one of the different landings.

27. The elevator installation according to claim 26 being devoid of power lines for supplying electrical energy to the human-machine-interface.

28. The elevator installation according to claim 23 wherein the energy conversion unit of the human-machine-interface includes a wind turbine rotated by a flow of air and a generator coupled to a shaft of the wind turbine, and wherein the wind turbine is arranged in a passage duct providing fluid communication between the elevator shaft and a landing corridor adjacent to the human-machine-interface.

29. The elevator installation according to claim 23 wherein the elevator controller and the human-machine-interface wirelessly exchange the input signals and the output signals with one another.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] FIG. 1 is a sectional view through an elevator installation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] FIG. 2 is a front view of a landing door having human-machine-interfaces according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a human-machine-interface according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] FIG. 4 is a sectional view through a door frame of a landing door with a human-machine-interface arranged therein according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] The drawings are merely schematic and not true to scale. In the various figures, identical reference signs refer to features which are identical or have an identical function.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] FIG. 1 shows an elevator installation 51 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The elevator installation 51 comprises an elevator shaft 53 in which an elevator car 55 and a counterweight 69 can be moved in the vertical direction between different landings 61. The elevator car 55 and the counterweight 69 are held by cable-like suspension means 67. The cable-like suspension means 67 can be moved with the help of a traction sheave 71 of a drive machine 57, and in this way the elevator car 55 and the counterweight 69 can be moved in opposite directions. The drive machine 57 is controlled by an elevator controller 59.

[0067] A landing door 73 separating an inner volume in the elevator shaft 53 from an outer volume in a landing corridor 93 of each landing 61 is provided on each of the landings 61.

[0068] Human-machine-interfaces 1 in the form of a landing information panel 63 and a landing operation panel 65 are provided on each of the landing doors 73.

[0069] With the help of the landing information panel 63, the landing on which the elevator car 55 is currently located can be shown to a passenger 95, for example. For this purpose, the landing information panel 63 can, for example, output output signals which it receives from the elevator controller 59 in a manner able to be perceived by the passenger 95.

[0070] The landing operation panel 65 can be operated by the passenger 95 in order to call the elevator car 55 to his landing 61, for example. Upon actuation, the landing operation panel 65 can generate a corresponding input signal and forward it to the elevator controller 59.

[0071] FIG. 2 shows a landing door 73 on a landing 61 or in a landing corridor 93. The landing door 73 has a door frame 75 and two door leaves 77 that can be moved relative to this door frame 75 and can therefore be opened and closed.

[0072] A human-machine-interface 1 in the form of a landing information panel 63 is arranged in the door frame 75 above the door leaves 77. The landing information panel 63 has an output unit 13 in the form of a display 15 which can be formed with the help of an LED matrix 79, for example. The output unit 13 can, for example, display information about the landing 61 on which the elevator car 55 is currently located.

[0073] An air slot 81 can also be seen on the landing information panel 63, which air slot opens into a passage duct 85 which extends through the door frame 75. The passage duct 85 thus connects the outer volume within the landing corridor 93 to the inner volume within the elevator shaft 53.

[0074] A further human-machine-interface 1 in the form of a landing operation panel 65 is provided in the door frame 75 laterally next to the door leaves 77. The landing operation panel 65 has two buttons 83 which can be actuated by the passenger 95 in order to call the elevator car 55, for example. The buttons 83 each act as sensors 11 of an input unit 9. By pressing a button 83, the passenger 95 can thus generate an input signal, which can then be forwarded from the human-machine-interface 1 to the elevator controller 59, so that the latter can move the elevator car 55 to the desired landing 61. An air slot 81 is also provided on the landing operation panel 65 and opens into a passage duct 85.

[0075] FIG. 3 schematically shows an exemplary structure of a human-machine-interface 1. The human-machine-interface 1 has an interaction unit 3, a communication unit 5, and a supply unit 7.

[0076] Depending on whether the human-machine-interface 1 is designed as a landing information panel 63 or as a landing operation panel 65 or as a combination of both panel types, the interaction unit 3 can have different components.

[0077] For example, an input unit 9 can be provided in the interaction unit 3 via which the passenger 95 can generate input signals in order to transmit information to the elevator installation 51. The input unit 9 can comprise a sensor 11, for example, which can detect an actuation or a touch by the passenger 95.

[0078] Alternatively or additionally, an output unit 13 can be provided in the interaction unit 3, via which information can be output to the passenger 95. For this purpose, the output unit 13 can, for example, comprise a display 15 in order to be able to output the information as an output signal in a manner able to be perceived by the passenger 95. Alternatively, the output unit 13 can also present the information in a different way, for example in the form of an acoustic output, and for this purpose can have a loudspeaker, for example.

[0079] The human-machine-interface 1 also comprises a logic unit 17, with the help of which the input signals and/or output signals can be processed, for example. For this purpose, the logic unit 17 can have, for example, a data processing unit with a processor (CPU) and possibly a data storage unit.

[0080] The communication unit 5 serves to exchange the input signals and/or output signals with the elevator controller 59, for example. For this purpose, the communication unit 5 has a preferably wireless transceiver unit 19. This transmitter/receiver unit 19 can transmit the various signals, for example as radio signals, to a further transmitter/receiver unit 91 on the elevator installation 59 (see also FIG. 1) or receive them from it.

[0081] The supply unit 7 of the human-machine-interface 1 has an energy conversion unit 23 and an electricity storage unit 25 as well as a power management unit 21.

[0082] The energy conversion unit 23 is designed to convert energy that is available in a non-electrical form in the immediate surroundings of the human-machine-interface 1 into electrical energy. The electrical energy can then be forwarded to the power management unit 21. The power management unit 21 can partially or completely forward this electrical energy directly to energy-consuming components of the human-machine-interface 1 such as the communication unit 5, the interaction units 3, and/or the logic unit 17. Alternatively or additionally, the power management unit 21 can partially or completely forward the electrical energy to the electricity storage unit 25, in which the electrical energy can be temporarily stored and, if necessary, can be called up again at a later point in time by the power management unit 21 and can be made available to the other components of the human-machine-interface 1.

[0083] In the example shown, the energy conversion unit 23 is designed to convert kinetic energy in the form of a flow of air 89 into electrical energy. For this purpose, the energy conversion unit 23 has a small wind turbine 27 which is set in rotation by the flow of air 89. A shaft 28 of the wind turbine 27 rotating about an axis of rotation is connected to a generator 29. The generator 29 generates an electrical current due to the rotation. If necessary, the electrical current can be rectified in the power management unit 21 or with the help of a rectifier to be additionally provided.

[0084] Furthermore, in the example shown, the electricity storage unit 25 is equipped with an accumulator 31 and/or a supercapacitor 33 in order to be able to store the electrical energy made available by the energy conversion unit 23.

[0085] FIG. 4 shows how the human-machine-interface 1 can be arranged in the frame 75 of the landing door 73. A passage duct 85 can be provided in the frame 75. A duct element 87 in the form of a tube, for example, can be integrated in the passage duct 85. The wind turbine 27 and the generator 29 of the energy conversion unit 23 are then in turn accommodated in the duct element 87. The wind turbine 27 is arranged in such a way that a flow of air 89 flowing through the duct element 87 causes it to rotate.

[0086] As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 4, the flow of air 89 can be caused by pressure differences that can prevail within a building between the outer volumes of the landing corridors 93 and the inner volume of the elevator shaft 53. Typically, on lower landings 61, a flow of air 89 flows from a landing corridor 93 there into the elevator shaft 53, and then on upper landings 61 it flows again as a flow of air 89 from the elevator shaft 53 into the landing corridors 93 there. The flow of air 89 can be caused, for example, by the difference in height within the elevator shaft 53 and/or by different temperatures within the building. Movements of the elevator car 55 within the elevator shaft 53 can also cause a flow of air 89.

[0087] Overall, it is assumed that on each of the landings 61 a flow of air 89 flows through energy conversion units 23 of human-machine-interfaces 1 located there with sufficient frequency in order to be able to provide sufficient energy for operating the entire human-machine-interface 1 after conversion into electrical energy.

[0088] Each of the human-machine-interfaces 1 can thus work with energy autonomy. It is therefore not necessary to lay supply cables, for example from a central energy supply, to each of the human-machine-interfaces 1.

[0089] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as “comprising,” “having,” 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 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.

[0090] 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.