Device for displaying the situation outside a building with a lift

This device is for additional elevator equipment and may, among other things, be used for elevators in hotels, business and exhibition centers, retail complexes, etc. This device for monitoring exteriors of elevator-equipped buildings includes a number of video cameras positioned on the outer wall along the vertical span of the building, a display screen in the elevator car, a controller, an elevator position indicator and a multiplexer. Controller output is fed directly into the monitor. The output socket of the multiplexer is connected to the first input socket of the controller whose second input socket is connected to the output socket of the elevator position indicator. The device contains at least one set of additional video cameras positioned outside the building, at different heights elsewhere on the premises. Feed cables from the first, second . . . nth video cameras installed on the outer wall of the building are connected, respectively, to the 1st, 2nd . . . nth input sockets of a commutation switch; feed cables from the 1st, 2nd, . . . lnth additional cameras are connected, respectively, to the 11th, 12th, . . . lnth input sockets of the commutation switch, whose output socket is connected to the input socket of a multiplexer. In this fashion, the exterior of the building where the elevator is located can be monitored through cameras installed at a distance from the building itself.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This object is for additional elevator equipment and may, among other applications, be used for elevators in hotels, business and exhibition centers, retail complexes, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There already exists a device (JP 7081858) that displays different information for elevator passengers, such as date, weather, day of the week and season, and may be used for virtual monitoring of the building's exterior.

This device contains an information generator and an internal monitoring device inside the elevator car.

The drawback of this device is its inability to display the exterior of the building where the elevator is located in real time.

There is yet another well-known device (JP 11079580) for monitoring the exterior of elevator-equipped buildings. It includes one video camera positioned outside the building, a controller, a display screen in the elevator car and an elevator position indicator. Controller output is fed directly into the monitor.

The video camera is attached to the outer wall of the building at mid-floor, so that the camera's lens could move vertically and sideways to allow for monitoring of the building's exterior from the first floor to the top floor.

The drawback of this device is that a single camera (rather than multiple cameras at different floors) installed at a fixed location (in this case, at mid-height of the building) will produce a distorted image on the display as the elevator moves up or down.

Besides, any mechanical devices on the outer wall of the building (the device for moving the lens or the entire video camera) must be maintained against the elements (lubrication, spare part replacement, etc.).

There is yet another well-known device (RU 55756 U1) for monitoring exteriors of elevator-equipped buildings. It includes a video camera positioned outside the building, a display screen in the elevator car, a controller and an elevator position indicator. Controller output is fed directly into the monitor. The device contains one or more additional video cameras positioned along the vertical span of the building and a multiplexer. Feed cables from the cameras are connected, respectively, to the 1st, 2nd, . . . nth input sockets of the multiplexer, which is in turn connected to the first input socket of the controller; the output socket of the elevator position indicator is connected to the second input socket of the controller.

This device is based on the above design.

Using this device, one can monitor the building's exterior from inside the elevator, with video signal being fed in from fixed observation points alongside the vertical span of the building.

However, this device does not allow for monitoring video feeds from observation points located at a distance from the building where the elevator is located.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The intended purpose of this device is to allow for monitoring video feeds from observation points located at a distance from the building where the elevator is located.

According to this device, the device for monitoring exteriors of elevator-equipped buildings includes a number of video cameras positioned on the outer wall along the vertical span of the building, a display screen in the elevator car, a controller, an elevator position indicator and a multiplexer. Controller output is fed directly into the monitor. The output socket of the multiplexer is connected to the first input socket of the controller whose second input socket is connected to the output socket of the elevator position indicator. The device contains at least one set of additional video cameras positioned outside the building, at different heights elsewhere on the premises, and a commutation switch. Feed cables from the first, second . . . nthvideo cameras installed on the outer wall of the building are connected, respectively, to the 1st, 2nd, . . . nthinput sockets of the commutation switch; feed cables from the 1st, 2nd, . . . lnthadditional cameras are connected, respectively, to the 11th, 12th, . . . lnthinput sockets of the commutation switch, whose output socket is connected to the input socket of the multiplexer.

The applicant had been unable to identify any existing designs identical to the proposed device, and thus one may conclude that it should satisfy the novelty criterion.

The design of this useful model is illustrated on the diagram below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

These video cameras are positioned equidistantly (at 3 m intervals) along the vertical span of Building1. The elevator has Monitor3installed inside—a 32″ built-in TFT panel by SHARP. The output socket of Controller4(Computer Dynamics Nd61400 Pentium4 2.4 GHz, 1024 MP RAM, 40 Gb HDD, operating system Linux 2.6.1) is connected to the input socket of Monitor3. Elevator Position Indicator5(for example, an optical one) is installed in the elevator shaft. The output socket of the indicator is connected to the second input socket of Controller4. The first input socket of Controller4is connected to the input socket of Multiplexer9, which in this case is an 8-port Ethernet router (D-Link DGS 1008). The device includes at least one (in this case, it is in fact one) set of additional video cameras11,12,13,14. . . ln installed outside Building1and at some distance therefrom, at various heights throughout Facility20, which is, essentially, a high-rise. It could also be a different structure, such as a building or a broadcast television tower, etc. The device contains Commutation Switch10, which in this case is a US-made CISCO-9000 with a wireless interface. In this example, the commutation switch is operated with a remote control unit placed in the elevator.

In this example, using the remote control (or controls on Commutation Switch10itself), one can select one of the two observation regimes, alternating between the feed from video cameras2,6,7,8. . . n installed on Building1and additional video cameras11,12,13,14. . . ln located throughout the territory of Facility20.

Video feeds from each selected camera or group of cameras are channeled through Commutation Switch10and into Multiplexer9. Images are sequenced in Multiplexer9, and the aggregate picture is channeled to Controller4. Indicator5feeds data on the position of the elevator car to Controller4. As a result, Controller4selects the most up to date image from the feed received from Multiplexer9and displays the position of the elevator on Monitor3. Elevator passengers can thus monitor the exterior of elevator-equipped Building1in real time as the car moves along, alternating between the feed from fixed observation points on the outer wall of Building1or observation points located throughout Facility20, at a distance from Building1. Thus, the functionality of this device allows for monitoring and displaying inside the elevator not only video feeds from the cameras installed on the building itself, but also from those positioned at other locations, at a distance from such a building.

This device is factory-made on regular equipment, using off-the-shelf components and materials, which, in this applicant's opinion, satisfies the industrial applicability criterion.