HK1220295B - Method and apparatus for commissioning a lift installation - Google Patents

Description

Method and device for debugging elevator equipment

Technical Field

The invention relates to a method and a device for debugging an elevator installation.

Background Art

Elevator installations are equipped with monitoring devices or safety circuits. These safety circuits typically consist of safety elements connected in series. These safety elements can, for example, monitor the status of a shaft door or a car door. Electromechanical safety circuits or bus-based safety circuits are well known. The reliable operation of these safety circuits is regularly monitored. Reliable connection and testing methods for these circuits are known, for example, from EP 1 159 218, WO 2010/097404, or WO 2013/020 806. The prior art does not provide information on whether or to what extent the safety circuits should be checked during commissioning of an elevator installation.

When commissioning known safety circuits, the potential of bus-based safety circuits is not fully utilized. Previously, this was done "drive-by-drive," with each sensor individually tested for its specific function and assembly. Sensors were bridged or manually operated, making testing impossible in actual operating conditions. Disturbances or incorrect assembly could go undetected. Furthermore, such commissioning is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Summary of the Invention

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method/device which solves the problems of the known solutions and in particular enables a rapid and reliable commissioning of an elevator installation.

This object is achieved with the method and the device according to the invention.

The elevator device has a control unit and is provided with a bus and a plurality of bus nodes, wherein the bus nodes are connected to the control unit via the bus.

At least one sensor or actuator is assigned to each bus node, which monitors and/or controls components of the elevator system.

According to the present invention, when commissioning the elevator installation, the control unit first detects node-specific data for each bus node. According to the present invention, node-specific data refers to data provided by the respective bus node of the control unit and describing the bus node. This can, for example, include information about the type of sensor or actuator assigned to the bus node, such as whether the sensor monitors the state of a door (open/closed), determines the position of a movable component, detects the speed of a motor, or measures electrical parameters in a circuit, such as the weight or acceleration of a movable component. For actuators, node-specific data can include, for example, whether the actuator can latch or operate a door.

Other node-specific data may also be: an identification code of the bus node or a sensor/actuator assigned to the bus node, data indicating the state of the corresponding sensor/actuator (e.g. on or off) and, if necessary, also an indication of when a state change has occurred (e.g. from on to off).

As a result, after carrying out the first step, the control unit receives knowledge of the connected bus nodes of the elevator system and thus an overall picture of the safety circuit of the elevator system.

In the second step, verification is performed. This verification can include a comparison in which the previously detected node-specific data is compared with the data in the participating component list by means of the control unit. The participating component list defines the expected results for which bus nodes should have which properties. Here, it is determined whether the detected data matches the data in the participating component list. Alternatively or optionally, the verification can also include a functional check of the elevator system. Here, the control unit checks whether the connected sensors emit the signals expected based on the occurring situation and function without any problems. Furthermore, alternatively or optionally, the verification can include a plausibility check in which a check is performed to determine whether the connected sensors or sensor components meet the logic standards specified by the elevator system.

If the verification obtains a positive result, the operator can be informed to end the debugging and release the elevator equipment for normal operation.

In the comparison above, the expected results and the actual status found form the input for the verification. The verification itself can include various components. In basic verification, the expected results are compared with the actual status. This checks whether a sufficient number of each sensor type exists. In specialized verification, specific tests are performed for certain sensor types or groups. Cross-comparisons or additional information can be used to check the functionality of the sensors.

Finally, before the end of commissioning or before being released for normal operation, a functional test can be performed, wherein the functionality of each sensor is checked at least once. In particular, it can be checked for each sensor whether a state change (for example from off to on) can be detected.

When all preconfigured sensors have been identified, verification can be triggered, for example, for sensors that were preconfigured upon delivery. In this case, the expected result matches the actual status. Verification can also be triggered by the configuration data being received by the control unit, by manual configuration being completed, or by operating a learned sensor.

Validation can be performed fully manually as well as fully automatically.

Here, the list of participating components does not necessarily have to be stored in the control unit. It is sufficient for the list of participating components to be provided to the control unit, for example by a server to which the control unit is connected or by another bus node of the elevator system.

If the data are inconsistent, in a third step the operator is informed of the detected discrepancies between the node-specific data and the data of the participating parts list. This notification can be done for each discrepancy or node individually or for multiple discrepancies together.

The method according to the present invention enables precise diagnosis of which bus nodes deviate from the target state according to the list of participating components. Unlike conventional electromechanical safety circuits that divide the safety circuit into multiple segments, problems can be detected in a targeted manner. Furthermore, the safety and availability of the elevator system are increased by the continuous self-testing capabilities that are subsequently performed.

Preferably, with the notification to the operator that the node-specific data are not present in the participating component list, a request is made as to whether the non-existent node-specific data are to be stored in the participating component list.

Further preferably or alternatively, a request is made as to whether the node-specific data should be removed from the participating component list, by informing the operator that the node-specific data are stored in the participating component list but have not yet been detected by the control unit.

It can also be provided that an attempt is first made to determine the node-specific data of the relevant bus node and only then a request is made to the operator.

Elevator system according to the present invention can be put into operation by means of a predefined list of participating components. In this case, there should be no deviation between the list of participating components and the acquired data specific to the node, so that at least one first phase of commissioning or commissioning is immediately ended.

Alternatively, the list of participating components can be empty or only partially include node-specific data, for example node-specific data typically present in every elevator installation, such as bus nodes associated with car doors or bus nodes monitoring safety brakes.

It can also be provided that bus nodes are connected or switched on gradually. The control unit continuously monitors the elevator installation and immediately detects whether a new bus node has been connected or put into operation. Depending on whether the node-specific data is already in the list of participating components, the operator is informed accordingly.

It is also conceivable to manually configure an empty list of participating components on site and then put the elevator system into operation. Automatic configuration can also be achieved using a data storage device or remote maintenance. The common feature of these various approaches is that the safety system knows all connected sensors or participating components and also preferably records whether a sensor has changed its status. This provides a current list of connected and therefore active sensors at any given moment.

It is further preferred that during the test it is also determined whether node-specific data, in particular state-specific data, have changed in the bus node and thus whether the bus node is active.

It is also possible to determine when node-specific data have changed or when the bus node was last activated.

Furthermore, during the test, node-specific data, in particular state-specific data, can be forced to change, for example by triggering a state change in an assigned sensor.

When all bus nodes have been detected and are included in the list of participating components, the operator can finally be informed that the commissioning is temporarily or finally concluded and the elevator installation is released for temporary normal operation, if necessary. Alternatively, the operator can be informed when the plausibility check and/or comparison of the participating components list with the detected bus nodes is completed.

After the initial commissioning is completed, a functional test of the elevator system can preferably be performed. Here, specific bus nodes or groups of bus nodes can be categorized and specific tests can be performed for these bus nodes or groups. An event in the elevator system is forced to occur by means of the control unit, and it is determined whether this event leads to a corresponding change in the node-specific data.

For example, the bus nodes that monitor the status of the car doors and floor doors can be tested by driving the elevator car to a certain floor and checking whether the responsible bus node reports the opening/closing of the corresponding assigned door to the control unit. This makes it possible to check, for example, whether the correct bus node is positioned at the correct location.

Functional checks can be supplemented by cross-comparisons in relation to other events.

In the above example, using the data from the bus node which determines the position of the elevator car, the function check is supplemented by ensuring that the floor approached is actually the correct floor.

The bus nodes can be arranged at least partially redundantly, so that an incorrect arrangement of the bus nodes can at least partially be ruled out.

It is further preferred that a plausibility check be performed subsequent to or simultaneously with the functional check. In the plausibility check, it is determined whether the determined node-specific data conform to predefined logical criteria. In this case, the arrangement of the bus nodes is checked in particular. Impossible combinations of bus nodes (e.g., "one shaft door" and "several car doors") are not permitted for normal operation.

If the plausibility check indicates an impossible combination of bus nodes, commissioning can preferably be restarted automatically. Alternatively, commissioning can also be restarted manually. Depending on the cause of the faulty plausibility check, commissioning can be started from the first step and, if necessary, also from the second step.

Preferably, the information that can be used for the plausibility check can be input by the operator. For example, the accessible floors in the building can be entered. This allows bus node combinations that do not correspond to the entered number of floors to be excluded from the plausibility check. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a device for commissioning an elevator system. This device comprises a control unit configured to perform the aforementioned steps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better described below with reference to embodiments, wherein:

FIG1 schematically shows a possible structure of an elevator installation according to the invention;

FIG2 schematically illustrates a possible design of a participating parts list;

FIG. 3 schematically shows a possible configuration for informing the operator of the scenario.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The elevator system 1 schematically shown in FIG. 1 comprises a control unit 2 which is connected to a plurality of bus nodes 41 to 48 by means of a bus 3 .

Reference numeral 6 schematically shows a shaft of a building, into which the elevator system 1 is installed. The building has three floors, for example, each floor being equipped with a shaft door 61, 62, or 63. Bus node 41 is associated with shaft door 61, bus node 42 with shaft door 62, and bus node 43 with shaft door 63.

Each bus node 41, 42 or 43 is assigned a sensor that can detect information about the state (open, closed, locked) of the shaft door 61, 62 or 63 and, if necessary, generate a fault message for the control unit 2. In addition, bus nodes 411, 421 and 431 can be present, each of which is assigned a switch for calling an elevator.

The elevator system 1 also has an elevator car 7. The elevator car 7 is provided with elevator doors 74, which are also assigned to the bus node 44. A sensor is assigned to the bus node 44, which can detect information about the state of the shaft door 74 (open, closed, locked) and, if necessary, generate a fault message for the control unit 2.

The elevator system 1 may also have a bus node 45 and a bus node 46, which are respectively assigned to an operating unit 75 and an emergency switch 76, which are arranged in the elevator car 7. The operating unit 75 is used by the user to control the elevator system 1 and enables the selection of the floor to be traveled to. It also includes switches for opening and/or closing doors, a visual display device, and/or a device for outputting voice announcements and an intercom. By operating the emergency switch 76, the elevator system 1 can be brought to an immediate stop in an emergency.

The drive unit is also arranged in the drive chamber 8 and is provided with an emergency brake 87 and a speed sensor 88, which are respectively assigned to the bus nodes 47 and 48. In a preferred embodiment, the drive unit is arranged in a shaft, wherein a separate drive chamber is omitted.

During commissioning of the elevator system 1, the control unit 2 determines the bus nodes 41 to 48 installed and activated in the elevator system and the node-specific data of each bus node 41 to 48. The determined data are temporarily stored, for example, in a table as shown in FIG.

The detected node-specific data are then automatically compared by means of the control unit with the participant list 5, which is empty in the present exemplary embodiment. For this reason, in the event of a discrepancy with the participant list 5 for each determined bus node 41 to 48, a request is sent to the technician responsible for commissioning the elevator system 1 as to whether the respective determined bus node 41 to 48 should be stored in the participant list.

An example notification is schematically shown in FIG3 .

When the determined bus node 41 is confirmed, the technician receives a new notification that another determined bus node (in this case, bus node 411 ) is to be stored.

In the event of an interruption, the technician reaches a higher-level menu page, where he can, for example, restart the commissioning or process a list of involved parts.

The bus node 41 stored in this manner in the list of participating components 5 can then be subjected to a first functional check. The control unit 2 activates the shaft door 61 and opens it. The sensor assigned to the bus node 41 detects the opening of the shaft door 61 and notifies the control unit 2 of this change in status. This reported change in status allows the bus node 41 to be tested for proper functionality.

After all determined bus nodes have been stored in the participant list 5, a notification is issued to end the first phase of commissioning. Thus, a request is issued to end the first phase of commissioning.

After successfully completing the first phase of commissioning, an extended functional test is performed on the entire elevator system 1. It should be noted that, when performing an extended functional test, the first functional test mentioned above can also be canceled.

The control unit 2 can, for example, simulate the actuation of a switch of the bus node 421 of the second floor so that the elevator car 7 moves to the second floor. When moving to the second floor, the control unit 2 receives node-specific data about the rotational speed of the motor 88 from the rotational speed sensor 88 from the bus node 48, which data indicate the movement of the elevator car 7.

When the elevator car 7 has reached the desired floor, the elevator door 74 opens simultaneously with the shaft door 62. The corresponding bus node 44 or 42 informs the control unit 2 of the status change, which confirms the correct functioning of both bus nodes 42 and 44. The above-described procedure is carried out accordingly for the remaining floors, wherein the bus node 45 is also tested by also receiving a request from the control unit 75 to proceed to a specific floor.

To check the emergency switch 76, the operation of the switch is simulated via the bus node 46 and a decision is made by correspondingly communicating node-specific data to the bus nodes 47 and 48 whether the safety brake 87 immediately brings the elevator car 7 to a standstill.

Obviously, such a function check can also be performed in a conventional manner, in that the technician is instructed to perform certain steps by the control unit 2. For example, the technician performs the function check individually by means of a mobile computer wirelessly connected to the control unit 2.

Simultaneously with or immediately following the extended functional check, a plausibility check of the elevator system is also performed. The control unit checks whether the request received by the bus nodes 41 to 48 is feasible according to defined and/or node-specific data-dependent logical criteria.

After successful completion of the function and plausibility check, a notification is received that the elevator system 1 is released for normal operation.

An alternative possibility for commissioning is to already provide a list of participating components 5 when designing the elevator system 1. This list of participating components serves, on the one hand, as a guide to where the bus nodes 41 to 48 must be located in the elevator system 1. On the other hand, the list of participating components 5 is used for commissioning, wherein the control unit 2 automatically determines whether the bus nodes 41 to 48 are present and verifies, by means of a function and plausibility check, whether the bus nodes 41 to 48 are correctly installed and functioning properly.

Claims (14)

1. A method for commissioning elevator equipment (1), employing a control unit (2), a bus (3), and multiple bus nodes (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 411, 421, 431), wherein the bus nodes are connected to the control unit (2) via the bus (3), wherein the method comprises the following steps: (A) For each bus node (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 411, 421, 431), the control unit (2) detects node-specific data. (B) For each bus node (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 411, 421, 431), the detected node-specific data is compared with the data in the participating component list (5) by means of the control unit, and (C) If there is a discrepancy between the data in the participating component list (5) and the detected node-specific data, a notification is generated to the operator. The method is characterized by further comprising the following steps: Check: Whether node-specific data is stored in the participating component list (5). The request is for confirmation from the operator: whether the measured node-specific data should be stored in the list of participating components (5). Data is stored when the operator confirms that it should be stored. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized by the following steps, Check: Whether there is any data stored in the list of participating components (5) that was not detected by the control unit (2). The request is for confirmation from the operator: whether the data stored in the participating component list (5) should be deleted from the participating component list. When the operator confirms that data should be deleted, delete the data that was not detected by the control unit. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when detecting node-specific data, information relating to the state of the bus node is detected. 4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, when detecting data specific to a node, the control unit (2) forces a state change of each bus node (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 411, 421, 431). 5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a predefined list of participating components is applied (5). 6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an empty or only partially containing list of participating components (5) containing node-specific data is applied. 7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control unit (2) continuously checks whether new bus nodes (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 411, 421, 431) have been connected. 8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when detecting node-specific data, it is determined whether the node-specific data has changed at the bus nodes (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 411, 421, 431). 9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when detecting node-specific data, it is determined whether the state-specific data at the bus nodes (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 411, 421, 431) has changed. 10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that: determining when node-specific data changes. 11. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, after the temporary commissioning is completed, a functional check and/or reliability check of the elevator equipment (1) is performed. 12. A device for commissioning elevator equipment (1), comprising: Control unit (2), Bus (3), Multiple bus nodes (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 411, 421, 431), wherein the bus nodes (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 411, 421, 431) are connected to the control unit (2) via a bus (3), wherein the control unit (2) is designed to: For each bus node (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 411, 421, 431), detect node-specific data. For each bus node (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 411, 421, 431), the detected node-specific data is compared with the data in the list of participating components. If there is a discrepancy between the data in the component list (5) and the detected node-specific data, a notification is generated to the operator. The control unit (2) is characterized in that it is designed to: Check: Whether node-specific data is stored in the participating component list (5). The request is for confirmation from the operator: whether the measured node-specific data should be stored in the list of participating components (5). Data is stored when the operator confirms that it should be stored. 13. The apparatus for commissioning elevator equipment according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus for commissioning elevator equipment is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11. 14. An elevator device having the apparatus for commissioning the elevator device according to claim 12.