HK1208017B - Elevator system - Google Patents

Description

Elevator system

The application is a divisional application of an application with the application number of 201180053550.4 and the invention name of "elevator system", which is filed on 25.08.2011.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a control for an idle state of an elevator system, more particularly to a solution for controlling an elevator to an idle state and/or cancelling an idle state in an elevator system.

Background

In an elevator system, one or more elevators can be switched from normal operation to an idle state during a period of time when the elevators are not used or their use is minimal. The electricity consumption of the elevator system can be reduced by disconnecting the power supply of one or more control devices of the elevator during the idle state of the elevator. This type of energy saving mode of the elevator is useful because e.g. in fairly low apartment buildings usually more than half the energy consumption of the elevator system occurs during periods when the elevator is not in use. Sometimes an elevator/elevators stays at a certain predetermined floor for a duration of idle state.

One problem with the above-described solution is the start-up delay, which is caused when the elevator returns from an idle state to normal operation. The restart of the power supply of the control appliance of the elevator causes delays which lengthen the waiting time of the elevator. And the transfer of the elevator car from the stopping floor during an idle state to passengers waiting for the elevator slows down the service.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the invention to optimize the waiting time of an elevator in connection with switching/restoring the elevator to/from an idle state. In order to achieve this object, the invention discloses an elevator system according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

A first aspect of the invention relates to an elevator system comprising a control for controlling an elevator to an idle state and/or to cancel an idle state. The elevator system is configured to receive data from a control circuit external to the elevator system, and the controller is arranged to form control commands for controlling the elevator to an idle state and/or to cancel the idle state on the basis of the data received from the control circuit external to the elevator system. In one embodiment of the invention the elevator system is configured to receive signals formed by a control circuit outside the elevator system, and the controller is arranged to form control commands for controlling the elevator to an idle state and/or to cancel the idle state on the basis of data formed by the control circuit outside the elevator system. Said control circuit outside the elevator system is preferably a control circuit of the building, which control circuit does not belong to the elevator system, such as for example a control circuit for the lighting of the building, a control circuit for locking doors and/or an access control circuit of the building. The control circuit outside the elevator system can be implemented with electronic and/or electrical control/operating elements and it can comprise e.g. one or more microprocessors, control logic, IC circuits, relays, contactors, solid state switches, memory circuits, etc. The term elevator system refers to a system, in particular for transporting passengers and/or goods, in which system the passengers and/or goods can be transported in a substantially vertical manner.

Thus the elevator can wake up from an idle state, e.g. from the control of a stair light switch, so that the elevator is always woken up when the lights are switched on at a certain floor of the building. The new building comprises in particular also a movement detector for switching on the stair light. A wake-up of the elevator from an idle state can also be connected to this solution. The elevator can also be switched from normal operation to an idle state, e.g. when the staircase lights are extinguished or with a certain delay after the lights have been extinguished. In this way the operation required by the elevator can be predicted to be better, because the extinguishing of the lamp in the building gives a reliable indication of the reduction in the operation required by the elevator. With this solution energy can also be saved by switching the elevator to energy saving mode during the idle state of the elevator when there is little elevator traffic. Alternatively, the system may be connected to data of a door card of a hotel room, for example; with this type of door card, in addition to locking the door, lighting of hotel rooms is typically managed. In this case the wake-up of the elevator can be activated, for example, when the door card is pulled out of the unit controlling the lights of the hotel room. In many buildings, locking of exterior doors and access control are electronically controlled. The data of this type of electronic control circuit connected to the access control can also be utilized in the control of the idle state of the elevator. Using the information about the elevator passengers arriving at the building, which is generated by means of the electronically controlled lock, the elevator can e.g. be woken up from an idle state. Also data generated e.g. by a doorbell, a camera monitoring or other access control device can be used to wake up the elevator from an idle state. If the control circuit to be used is able to identify an individual, information about the possible destination floor of the individual can be added to the user data of the individual about the elevator system. The user data can also be recorded in the memory of e.g. the group control unit or the elevator control unit, as well as in the memory of the control circuit outside the elevator system. In this case it is also possible to form a destination call, which specifies the assumed destination floor of the passenger for the control purpose of the elevator, together with waking up the elevator from an idle state. On the other hand, if the person identified from the user data (e.g. if the person lives on the first floor, etc.) does not use the elevator, the destination call can also remain unformed and the elevator can also be left without waking from the idle state.

A second aspect of the invention relates to an elevator system comprising an elevator control unit for controlling movement of an elevator car. The elevator control unit is configured to receive data from the control circuit external to the elevator system; furthermore, the elevator control unit is arranged to initiate an elevator run sequence for cancelling the idle state of the elevator on the basis of data received from a control circuit outside the elevator system. When the control circuit to be used, which is outside the elevator system, is able to identify a person, information about the person's possible destination floor can be added to the user data of the person about the elevator system. The user data can also be recorded in the memory of e.g. the group control unit or the elevator control unit instead of in the memory of the control circuit outside the elevator system. In this case, it is also possible to form a destination call, which specifies the assumed destination floor of the passenger, together with waking up the elevator from an idle state. In this case the elevator control unit can initiate a run sequence on the basis of the destination call. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the elevator car is driven to a predetermined point in the elevator hoistway during an idle state. In this case the elevator control unit can then start a run sequence for cancelling the idle state by transferring the elevator car from the position where the elevator car was during the idle state to the supposed entrance, based on information received from the control circuit outside the elevator system about the passenger to arrive.

A third aspect of the invention relates to an elevator system connected to suitable means for detecting elevator passengers. The elevator system comprises a control for controlling the elevator to an idle state and/or to cancel the idle state. The means for detecting elevator passengers are adapted to detect elevator passengers at a predetermined distance from the entrance of the elevator car, and the controller is arranged to form control commands for controlling the elevator to an idle state and/or to cancel an idle state on the basis of the detection of elevator passengers at a predetermined distance from the entrance of the elevator car. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the means for detecting elevator passengers are consequently adapted to detect elevator passengers before they arrive at the entrance of the elevator car, and the controller is arranged to form a control order for cancelling the idle state of the elevator on the basis of the detection made.

The distance to the entrance of the elevator car is preferably determined such that the amount of time it takes to transfer the passenger the amount of distance at the estimated transfer speed is at least the same as the amount of time it takes for the elevator to return from idle state to ready for operation. The time it takes for the elevator to return from the idle state to ready for operation is preferably at least about 5 seconds and at most about 15 seconds. The passenger's transfer speed may be estimated, for example, based on an assumed walking speed or a transfer speed depending on another moving method. If an escalator or moving walkway (conveyor) is used for transfer to the entrance of the elevator car, the transfer speed of the passenger can be estimated based on the transfer speed of the escalator/moving walkway.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the means for detecting elevator passengers are adapted to detect elevator passengers arriving at the building when said passengers are outside the building. The means for detecting elevator passengers are preferably adapted to be connected to the entrance of the building.

In one embodiment of the invention the means for detecting elevator passengers comprise a part to be transported with an elevator passenger and a stationary part, and said part to be transported with an elevator passenger and said stationary part are arranged to form a wireless data transmission connection with each other for detecting an elevator passenger. The data to be transmitted between the part to be transported with the elevator passengers and the stationary part can in this case preferably be sent as electromagnetic radiation. The part to be moved with the elevator passenger may also comprise an identifier for identifying the elevator passenger. This type of identifier is carried with an individual and contains an identifier, for example an RFID identifier, in which case the stationary part comprises the reader circuit of the RFID identifier. Elevator passengers can also be identified on the basis of signals of e.g. mobile phones or small computers.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the elevator is controlled to an energy saving mode during the idle state and the power supply of one or more devices of the elevator system is arranged to be disconnected for the duration of the energy saving mode of the elevator, in which case the energy consumption of the elevator system can be reduced. In one embodiment of the invention the elevator car is driven to a predetermined point in the elevator hoistway during an idle state of the elevator. One possibility is to drive the elevator car for the duration of the idle state to the point where the person arriving at the building transfers to the elevator car with the shortest connection. For the duration of the idle state, the elevator car to a point where it can also be driven to considerable advantage during an unexpected strong swing of the building, such as for example during strong winds or earthquakes.

By means of the invention, the operating requirements of the elevator can be predicted and at the same time the influence of the delay on the number of times the elevator waits, which is caused in particular by the elevator switching from an idle state back to normal operation, can be optimized, preferably reduced.

The additional features and advantages of the invention summarized above and shown below will be better understood with the aid of the following description of some embodiments, which does not limit the scope of application of the invention.

Drawings

The invention is described in more detail below by means of some examples of embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawings, in which

Fig. 1 presents a block diagram of a control device of an elevator system according to a first and a second embodiment of the invention;

fig. 2 illustrates an elevator system according to a third embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Examples 1 and 2

Fig. 1 presents a block diagram of a control arrangement of an elevator system for an elevator system comprising several elevators, which elevators are arranged to transport passengers and/or goods along a substantially vertical movement path. The mechanical and electromechanical basic elements required for transporting passengers/goods (e.g. elevator car, guide rails, suspension ropes of the elevator car), the hoisting machine with which the elevator car is moved in the elevator hoistway, etc. are generally known to the person skilled in the art, and therefore their operation and structure are not presented separately here.

In the elevator system according to fig. 1, each elevator comprises an elevator control unit 3, which manages the control of the movement of the elevator car by forming a speed reference, i.e. a speed target value for the movement of the elevator car in the elevator hoistway. The elevator control unit 3 is connected to the control devices 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the elevators in such a way that data transmission is enabled, e.g. by means of a data bus, which may be a serial bus, a parallel bus or a combination of both. The elevator control unit 3 communicates a speed reference to the frequency converter 14c, with which the speed of the elevator car is adjusted towards the target value of the speed, so that when the elevator car starts moving, the speed of the elevator car is first gradually accelerated to the permitted maximum speed and the elevator car is driven at the permitted maximum speed until the speed starts decelerating again, so that the speed gradually drops to zero when the elevator car reaches the stopping floor. During this elevator run sequence, speed control takes place by regulating the power to be supplied to the hoisting machine with the frequency converter, in which case the speed of the elevator car can be controlled steplessly. The elevator car moves in the elevator hoistway in response to an elevator call given by the call-giving device 14b, which elevator call can also be a destination call in addition to the ordinary car call, in which case the elevator call also contains information about the destination floor of the elevator passenger. Elevator cars also typically include a user interface for giving destination calls; other control devices 14a in/on the elevator car can be e.g. a display, a control device for the door operator of the elevator car, various positioning devices of the elevator car, lighting of the elevator car and power supply devices for the lighting, etc.

In addition, the control equipment generally comprises a safety circuit 14d of the elevator, which is independent of the rest of the system and has the function of ensuring that the operation of the elevator is safe not only in normal operation but also e.g. during installation and maintenance work of the elevator. The safety circuit of an elevator comprises e.g. sensors for measuring the position and/or locking of landing doors of the elevator, sensors arranged near the end of the elevator shaft and defining the limits of permitted movement of the elevator car, sensors measuring the valve operation of the elevator machine, etc.

Several elevators of the elevator system can also be operatively connected to the group control unit 15, which group control unit 15 receives elevator calls of different elevators from the call-giving appliances 14b and allocates the calls to the particular elevator to be served in an attempt to optimize the operation of the elevator system, e.g. to shorten the waiting time of the elevators in order to reduce the energy consumption of the elevators, etc. However, the group control unit 15 is not necessarily used, especially in smaller elevator systems, which usually comprise only one elevator. In this case the elevator control unit 3 manages the reception of the call and controls the movement of the elevator car in the manner required by the call.

The software and/or control logic of the group control unit 15 comprises a control 1b for controlling one or more elevators to an idle state and also to cancel the idle state. The group control unit 15 is configured to receive data from a control circuit outside the elevator system, which control circuit may be at least a control circuit 2a controlling the lighting of the building, an electronic control circuit 2b for locking doors and/or a control circuit 2c for access control of the building. A control circuit 2a for lighting is arranged in the building together with a light switch, controlling the lighting of the building, for example stair lighting. An electronic control circuit 2b for locking the door controls the locking of the outer door; in addition to traditional keys, smart electronic control circuits are also capable of opening doors using keys based on contactless identification, such as infrared or RFID technology. The electronic circuit used for locking can also identify and transmit data about who key is using to lock the door. The control circuit 2c for access control of the building may be connected to a user interface, such as a keypad giving door coding; the control circuit for access control may also operate, for example, in conjunction with a doorbell or door camera to identify a person attempting to enter or move within the building.

The above-mentioned control circuits 2a, 2b, 2c outside the elevator system are connected to the building automation channel and the building automation channel is also led to the group control unit 15 directly or e.g. via a gateway. The group control unit 15 is connected to a building automation channel via which the group control unit 15 receives data from the control circuits 2a, 2b, 2c outside the elevator system in a manner that allows data transfer with the transmitter-receiver circuits. Based on the data received via the building automation channel, the group control unit 15 controls one or more elevators to an idle state according to the situation and, if necessary, wakes up one or more elevators by cancelling their idle state. By sending elevator-specific control commands to the elevator control units 3 via the data channel between the group control unit 15 and the elevator control unit 3 by means of the group control unit 15, control is taken to the idle state/cancellation of the idle state takes place. Thus, when the control circuit for lighting sends a message that the lamp in the staircase has been extinguished, the elevator can be controlled to an idle state, and when the control circuit for lighting informs that the lamp has been lit on a certain floor of the building, the idle state can be cancelled and the elevator can be woken up. In a corresponding manner, the elevators can also be woken up from an idle state when the group control unit 15 receives information from the electronic control circuit 2b for locking doors and/or the control circuit 2c for access control of the building that an individual identified as an elevator passenger arrives at the building. In this case the group control unit 15 can also allocate destination calls to one or more elevator control units 3, which destination calls specify a hypothetical destination floor for the passenger for elevator control purposes, in conjunction with waking up the elevator from an idle state.

Information about the lighting/extinguishing of building lamps can also be determined by measuring the voltage of the power line of the lamp, in which case the absence of voltage informs that the lamp has been extinguished, while the presence of voltage on the power line indicates that the lamp is switched on.

If the elevator system does not comprise a group control unit 15, e.g. due to a small number of elevators, the elevator control unit/elevator control unit 3 can be connected directly to the building automation channel, so that data transmission between the elevator control unit/unit 3 and the control circuits 2a, 2b, 2c outside the elevator system is possible in the same way as when using the group control unit 15, in which case each elevator control unit 3 also comprises a controller 1a for controlling the elevators to an idle state and/or cancelling the idle state on the basis of data received from the control circuits 2a, 2b, 2c outside the elevator system via the building automation channel. The control 1a can in this case be included in the software and/or in the control logic of the elevator control unit.

In a first embodiment of the invention the elevator is switched to energy saving mode in idle state by disconnecting the power supply to one or more control devices 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d of the elevator. To this end, controllable switches, which may be relays or connectors or, on the other hand, solid-state switches, such as MOSFET transistors, IGBT transistors, thyristors, semiconductor relays and/or bipolar transistors, are arranged in the supply circuit of the control device 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d in question. Which is controlled by the controller 1b of the group control unit 15 and/or by the controller 1a of the elevator control unit 3 so that by controlling the switches the power supply of the control means 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d in question is disconnected from the idle state for a duration of time, in which case the energy consumption of the elevator system is reduced.

In a second embodiment of the invention the elevator car is driven to a predetermined point in the elevator hoistway during an idle state of the elevator. One possibility is to drive the elevator car for the duration of the idle state to a point from which it is as convenient as possible for people arriving at the building to transfer to the elevator car. For the duration of the idle state, the elevator car can also be driven to a point which is quite advantageous during abnormally strong oscillations of the building, such as e.g. during strong winds or earthquakes. When waking up the elevator from the idle state, the elevator control unit 3 starts a run sequence for cancelling the idle state by transferring the elevator car from the position where the elevator car was during the idle state of the elevator car to the assumed entrance, based on information received from the control circuit 2a, 2b, 2c outside the elevator system about the passengers coming to.

Example 3

In the elevator system presented in fig. 2, the means 5, 6 for detecting elevator passengers are adapted to be connected to the elevator system. Elevator passengers are identified, for example, by processing the image signals received with the camera 5 using an image recognition program. Elevator passengers can also be identified with e.g. an RFID reader 6a, which RFID reader 6a is arranged beside the path of movement of an elevator passenger 7 arriving at the building 11, e.g. in connection with the entrance 12 of the building or inside the building 11, so that the RFID reader can detect the RFID identifier 6b transported together with the elevator passenger 7. The identity of the elevator passenger is detected by bringing the RFID identifier 6b into the proximity of the reader 6a, in which case a wireless data transmission connection is formed between the reader 6a and the identifier 6b via electromagnetic radiation.

The above-mentioned camera 5/RFID reader 6a is arranged so that it is possible to detect an elevator passenger 7 at a predetermined distance s (reference number 8 in fig. 2) from the entrance 9 of an elevator car in the building 11. The distance s is determined such that the amount of time t taken to transfer the passenger 7 said amount of distance s at the average walking speed v is at least the same as the amount of time t taken for the elevator to return from an idle state to operational readiness, i.e. according to the following formula:

s≥v*t

where s is the distance from the entrance 9 of the elevator car, v is the average walking speed of the passenger 7 and t is the time it takes for the elevator to return from idle state to ready for operation.

The camera 5/RFID reader 6a is connected via a communication channel to the elevator control unit 3, which elevator control unit 3 is arranged in the elevator hoistway. Furthermore, a crane moving the elevator car 4 and a frequency converter supplying power to the crane are arranged in the elevator hoistway. The communication channel between the camera 5/RFID reader 6a can be realized for example with signal lines or with a wireless data transmission connection.

The elevator control unit 3 comprises a control 1a for controlling the elevator to an idle state and for cancelling the idle state. In this embodiment of the invention the elevator is switched to energy saving mode during the idle state. When at least a defined amount of time delay has elapsed since the last received elevator call, the elevator control unit 3 controls the elevator to the energy-saving mode. During the energy-saving mode, the elevator control unit disconnects the electricity supply to one or more control devices of the elevator.

When receiving information from the camera 5/RFID reader 6a about the arrival of an elevator passenger, the elevator control unit 3 cancels the energy saving mode and wakes up the elevator. In this case the elevator control unit 3 starts again the electricity supply to the control of the elevator in energy saving mode, in which case the control starts again when the electricity supply is connected. The time delay for start-up is about 5 seconds. The camera 5/RFID reader 6a is adapted to detect an elevator passenger 7 at a distance 8 from the entrance 9 of the elevator car, which distance takes the elevator passenger 7 to arrive at the entrance of the elevator car at an average walking speed of 5 seconds, so that the elevator has resumed from a 5 second start-up delay and is operationally ready when the elevator passenger 7 arrives.

The invention has been described above with the aid of some examples of embodiments of the invention. It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited solely to the embodiments described above, but that many other applications are possible within the scope of the inventive concept defined in the claims.

Claims (4)

1. An elevator system, comprising an elevator control unit (3) for controlling movement of an elevator car (4);

characterized in that the elevator control unit (3) is configured to receive data from a control circuit (2a, 2b, 2c) external to the elevator system;

and characterized in that the elevator control unit (3) is arranged to start a new run sequence for cancelling the idle state of the elevator by transferring the elevator car from the position where the elevator car was during the idle state to a supposed entrance on the basis of information received from a control circuit (2a, 2b, 2c) outside the elevator system about passengers to arrive;

wherein the elevator is controlled to an energy saving mode during an idle state;

wherein the elevator car is driven during an idle state of the elevator to a predetermined point in the elevator hoistway, from which point it is convenient for people arriving at the building to transfer to the elevator car or which is advantageous during an abnormally strong sway of the building;

wherein for the duration of the energy saving mode the power supply of one or more devices of the elevator system is arranged to be disconnected,

wherein the elevator control unit is arranged to initiate an elevator run sequence for cancelling the idle state of the elevator on the basis of data received from a control circuit outside the elevator system.

2. Elevator system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control circuit outside the elevator system is a control circuit (2a) for the lighting of the building.

3. Elevator system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control circuit outside the elevator system is a control circuit (2b) for locking doors.

4. Elevator system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control circuit outside the elevator system is the access control circuit (2c) of the building.