NOTIFICATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ELEVATOR OPERATION MODE

Abstract

A notification device and a notification method to announce a current operation mode of an elevator, especially a maintenance or inspection mode, is provided for the elevator that executes the notification method. The elevator includes a control assembly allocated outside of a shaft of the elevator, wherein the notification device is electrically connected or communicates with the control assembly. The notification device includes a display that displays information depending on the status of a lock of the control assembly, wherein the display is off or displays a predetermined first information when the lock is locked, and the display is on and displays a predetermined second information when the lock is unlocked.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A notification device for an elevator, the elevator having a control assembly allocated outside of a shaft of the elevator, the notification device being electrically connected to or in communication with the control assembly, the notification device comprising: a display displaying information that is dependent on a status of a lock means of the control assembly; wherein the display is off or displays a predetermined first information when the lock means is locked; and wherein the display is on and displays a predetermined second information when the lock means is unlocked.

15. The notification device according to claim 14 wherein the notification device is at least one of wired to and wirelessly connectable with at least one other of the notification device.

16. The notification device according to claim 15 wherein the notification devices are located on a same floor or different floors of a building where the elevator is installed.

17. The notification device according to claim 15 wherein the displayed information is a same information for each of the notification devices or is different information for each of the notification devices.

18. The notification device according to claim 15 wherein the displayed information for each of the notification devices is displayed synchronously or asynchronously.

19. The notification device according to claim 14 wherein the notification device includes a TTS-tool generating at least one of an audio signal and a haptic signal.

20. The notification device according to claim 14 wherein the lock means is mounted on a cover of the control assembly and the lock means is adapted to be locked and unlocked by a key means.

21. The notification device according to claim 20 wherein the key means is at least one of a key, an ID-card, a password and a signal sent to the control assembly.

22. An elevator comprising: wherein the elevator is installed in a building and has a shaft; a control assembly of the elevator allocated outside of the shaft; and at least one of the notification device according to claim 14 being located on each floor of the building accessed by the elevator.

23. A notification method for an elevator, wherein there is at least one notification device on one or more floors of a building where the elevator is installed, the notification method comprising the steps of: the at least one notification device communicating with a control assembly of the elevator, the control assembly being allocated outside of a shaft of the elevator; displaying a predetermined first information on or switching off a display of the notification device in response to a locking of a lock means of the control assembly communicated to the notification device by the control assembly; and switching on and displaying a predetermined second information on the display in response to an unlocking of the lock means communicated to the notification device by the control assembly.

24. The notification method according to claim 23 wherein the first information announces that the elevator is currently available for passengers.

25. The notification method according to claim 23 wherein the second information announces that the elevator is currently out of service for passengers.

26. The notification method according to claim 23 wherein the at least one notification device is at least one of connected wired to and connected wirelessly with at least one other of the notification device.

27. The notification method according to claim 26 wherein the notification devices display the first and second information synchronously or asynchronously.

28. The notification method according to claim 26 wherein the notification devices display the first information as a same information or as different information.

29. The notification method according to claim 26 wherein the notification devices display the second information as a same information or as different information.

30. The notification method according to claim 23 including generating at least one of an audio signal and a haptic signal by the at least one notification device according to the first and second information displayed on the display.

31. The notification method according to claim 23 including sending a car of the elevator to a predetermined destination when no passenger is in the car and the lock means is unlocked.

32. An elevator comprising: wherein the elevator is installed in a building and has a shaft; a control assembly of the elevator allocated outside of the shaft; at least one notification device being located on each floor of the building accessed by the elevator; and wherein the notification devices execute the notification method according to claim 23.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Below embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description help to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a front side of a notification device according to the aforementioned invention.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an elevator with a destination arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a front side of one example of a notification device 1 disclosed herein for an elevator. For this embodiment, the notification device 1 comprises a display 4 and is integrated into a landing operation panel (LOP) 11. If the LOP 11 has its own display e.g. like an operation panel using Schindler-Port-technology (Schindler, Ebikon, Switzerland), the display 4 of the control assembly 3 (FIG. 2) and the display of the LOP 11 can be combined in one display unit.

[0025] To avoid that a blind person or kids who are not able to read or understand the displayed text information use the elevator 2 (FIG. 2) when the elevator 2 is in its normal operation mode, but maintenance working is not yet finished, the notification device 1 is provided with a TTS-tool 6 for converting the displayed text information in an audio or a haptic signal. From the audio signal, a voice may be generated by a loudspeaker. A haptic signal e.g. can be felt on the display 4 of the notification device 1 if the display 4 is a touchscreen. For example, with a double-click on the display 4 or by pressing a special button 12 of the LOP 11 (normally the button for the disabled) the TTS-tool will start to convert the displayed information into a voice instruction. Such a voice instruction should be helpful for these passengers. For example, the voice is an artificial voice telling a passenger that the elevator is currently and until when out of service.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, an elevator 2 is installed in a building, wherein a control assembly 3 of this elevator 2 is allocated outside of the elevator shaft 7 on the top floor 8 of this building. The control assembly 3 is provided as a control cabinet comprising a front door or cover 9 on which a lock means 5 is mounted. The lock means 5 can be locked and unlocked by a key, ID-card, a password and/or a signal sent e.g. from a mobile device to the control assembly 3. The notification device 1 communicates or is electrically connected with the control assembly 3 so that the display 4 may display information in dependence on the current status of the control assembly 3. When the lock means 5 is locked and the control assembly 3 is closed, the display 4 will stay off or be switched off. Alternatively, the display 4 may show the predetermined first information, e.g. advertising information, etc. When the lock means 5 is unlocked and the control assembly 3 has been opened, the display 4 will be on or be switched on and display the predetermined second information to notify passengers that the elevator is now not available for use.

[0027] Because a control assembly 3 is settled only on the top floor 8 of this building, it is important that people on other floors 8 should also know whether maintenance working is finished or not. For this reason, there is at least one notification device 1 assigned on every floor 8 of the building. These notification devices 1 are connected wired or wirelessly (dashed lines) with each other, wherein the first notification device 1 on the top floor 8 is coupled directly with the lock means 5 of the control assembly 3. Alternatively, every one of these notification devices 1 can be coupled with the lock means 5 individually and separately. Therefore, the notification devices 1 may display different information. In case that a blind person touches a notification device 1, then just this notification device 1 will generate an audio notification.

[0028] It is also possible that on the same floor 8 more than one notification device 1 is assigned, e.g. nearby to the door to a stairway or on the main aisle of the building. Then passengers may recognize earlier that they should take the stairway to their destination floor before they arrive at the unavailable elevator 2. The information displayed by these notification devices 1 can be the same or different and also may be updated or refreshed asynchronously or asynchronously.

[0029] When the technician unlocks the lock means 5, the car 10 of the elevator 2 will go to a predetermined destination floor 8 if there is nobody inside of the car 10. The predetermined destination floor is e.g. the top floor of this building. The technician who wants to begin a maintenance working thus may prove whether anybody is still in the car 10. In contrary to this, if a passenger is in the car 10 at the moment of the unlocking the lock means 5, the traveling of this passenger in the car 10 will not be interrupted. But the notification devices 1 will be changed to notify passengers outside of the car 10 of the unavailability or unserviceability of this elevator 2 in order to prevent further using this elevator 2 by other passengers from interrupting maintenance working. For the passenger, who is currently in the car 10, he can be informed that this elevator 2 will be put into maintenance working in a short while, he should leave this car 10 as soon as possible. After the passenger left the car 10 and the car 10 arrived at the top floor 8, the technician will set the elevator 2 in the maintenance operation mode. Then the elevator 2 is only available for the exclusive use of the technician until he finishes the required work.

[0030] It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that with the advancement of technology, the basic idea of the invention may be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above; instead, they may vary within the scope of the claims.

[0031] 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.