Patent Description:
Elevator monitoring systems are well known. For example, <CIT> discloses a system for monitoring a door of an elevator car and submitting sensor data to a remote monitoring center. Further, from <CIT> another remote monitoring installation for an elevator system is known. From the prior art it is known to connect multiple sensors to multiple ports of the monitoring controller or the use a communication protocol that allows multiple sensors to communicate with the monitoring controller over a single communication port. <CIT> discloses an elevator monitoring system according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

The object of the present invention is to provide an elevator monitoring system, which allows to use a technically quite simple sensor for monitoring an elevator installation by a technically simple elevator monitoring solution.

Further beneficial embodiments are subject to the dependent claims, the descriptions and the drawings.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the object is solved by an elevator monitoring system comprising a monitoring controller for communicating with a remote monitoring installation. The monitoring controller comprising a signal input for connecting the monitoring controller to a sensor system of the elevator monitoring system. The sensor system comprises a first sensor module for determining a state of an elevator controller of an elevator system monitored by the elevator monitoring system, and a second sensor module for determining movement information of the monitored elevator system. The sensor system is capable of combining an output state of the first sensor module and an output state of the second sensor module into a single output state by a logical AND operation and provides this single output state as an input for the signal input.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the object is solved by a method for determining elevator status information of an elevator system by an elevator monitoring system. The monitoring system comprises a monitoring controller for communicating with a remote monitoring installation. The monitoring controller comprising a signal input, a first sensor module for determining the state of the elevator controller of an elevator system monitored by the elevator monitoring system. Further it comprises a second sensor module for determining movement information of the elevator system. The method comprises:.

In the following, different embodiments of the invention will be discussed.

In a further embodiment, the output state of the first sensor module has during normal operation of the monitored elevator system an opposite value to the output state of the second sensor module during movement of the car of the monitored elevator system.

In a further embodiment, the output state of the first sensor module has during normal operation of the monitored elevator system a value equal to the output state of the second sensor module during the stationary state of the car of the monitored elevator system.

In a further embodiment, the first sensor module is capable of determining the state of the elevator controller by sensing a status indication of the elevator controller.

In a further embodiment, the state of the elevator controller is either "in normal operation" or "out of service".

In a further embodiment, the second sensor module is capable of determining the movement information by sensing a state of the elevator motor.

In a further embodiment of the method for determining elevator status information, the method comprises:.

Advantageous developments of the system as well as of the method are described in the claims dependent thereon.

Exemplifying embodiments of the invention are explained in detail by way of the figures, for which purpose:.

Other potential features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

<FIG> shows an elevator system <NUM> installed in an elevator shaft <NUM> comprising a car <NUM> moving within the shaft <NUM> and driven by a motor <NUM>. A drive of the motor <NUM> is controlled by an elevator controller <NUM>. The elevator controller <NUM> is also connected to further parts of the elevator installation such as a car operation panel installed within the car <NUM> and landing operation panels installed on each floor <NUM> as well as to further components as required or desired.

For the connection of the different parts of the elevator control wired or wireless communication means can be used. In <FIG> a traveling cable <NUM> is shown for the connection between the elevator controller <NUM> and the parts of the control being installed on the car <NUM>. Such elevator installations are well known to the person skilled in the art. Also typical variations of elevator installations are well known. <FIG> shows an elevator installation making use of a wire rope or a belt <NUM>. Other types of elevator installations like a hydraulic elevator would also be possible.

The elevator system <NUM> is monitored by an elevator monitoring system <NUM> comprising a monitoring controller <NUM> and a sensor system <NUM>. The monitoring controller <NUM> is capable to communicate with a remote monitoring installation <NUM> such as a remote monitoring center of an elevator service company or a monitoring application being installed on individual computers of technicians, including mobile devices, or of any another person like a building owner being interested in a current status of an elevator installation.

The connection between the monitoring controller <NUM> and the remote monitoring installation <NUM> is typically established by a data connection over the Internet <NUM>. The connection between the monitoring controller <NUM> and the Internet <NUM> as well as between the Internet <NUM> and the remote monitoring installation <NUM> can be established by a wired or wireless data communication link. Typical examples are Ethernet or other wired data connections. Wired might include electrical wiring as well as connections based on an optical medium. The wireless communication can be established by WiFi, Bluetooth, GMS, LTE, <NUM> or any other wireless protocol.

<FIG> shows the monitoring system <NUM> of <FIG> in more detail.

The monitoring system <NUM> comprises a sensor system <NUM> comprising a first sensor module <NUM> and a second sensor module <NUM>, which are serially connected with each other. The sensor system <NUM>, i.e. the first sensor module <NUM> and the second sensor module <NUM>, is as well connected by a serial connection to a signal input <NUM> of the monitoring controller <NUM>. In other words, the monitoring controller <NUM>, the first sensor module <NUM> and the second sensor module <NUM> are connected in series.

The first sensor module <NUM> and the second sensor module <NUM> are essentially of the same type but could also be slightly different. In the following a sensor module <NUM> will be described, which could be used as the first sensor module <NUM> as well as for the second sensor module <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the sensor module <NUM>. The sensor module <NUM> has an input <NUM> for obtaining a measurement signal. This measurement signal can be obtained by various ways. For example, a sensor could be used to sense a voltage, a current or any other observable by a respective sensor. Another possibility is to directly connect a wire to the input <NUM>, which is connected at its other end to a specific location within a wiring circuit to be sensed, e.g. into the wiring circuit of the elevator controller <NUM> as shown for the first sensor module <NUM> in <FIG>.

The sensor module <NUM> has further a switching element <NUM> which is controlled by the input signal of the sensor module <NUM>. The switching element <NUM> might be a mechanical switch such as a relay or any electrical switch based on semiconductor technology, like thyristors, IGBT, transistors, etc. An opto-isolator, also known as an optocoupler, could be used for the switching element <NUM>. Further embodiments of a switching element are well known to a person skilled in the art.

The switching element <NUM> defines the output state of the sensor module <NUM>. The switching element <NUM> has two states, which correspond to the information to be determined by the sensor module <NUM>. Examples will be given below for the first sensor module <NUM> as well as for the second sensor module <NUM>. The switching contacts <NUM>,<NUM> are electrically connected to each other by the switching element <NUM> in its closed state. The switching contacts <NUM>,<NUM> are electrically disconnected from each other by the switching element <NUM> in its open state.

As shown in <FIG>, the first sensor module <NUM> is used to determine if the elevator controller <NUM> is in a normal operation mode or not. In the normal operation mode, the elevator controller is ready to serve elevator calls. In contrast thereto, the elevator could also be in a breakdown or error mode, in which the elevator controller is not able to serve elevator calls.

There are various possibilities to determine the current mode of the elevator controller <NUM>. For example, many types of available elevator controllers of various manufacturers have status lights, for example an LED, which indicates the current mode of the elevator controller. The light of the LED can be sensed by a light sensor. The output signal of the light sensor can be used as an input for the first sensor module <NUM>.

As already mentioned above, another possibility is to directly attach a wire into the elevator controller <NUM> and to sense the mode by picking up an electrical signal of the elevator controller and using this signal as the input for the first sensor module <NUM>.

The second sensor module <NUM> is used to sense a status of the motor <NUM> or the movement of the car. For this, in the example shown in <FIG>, a current sensor, such as a hall sensor, can be used to measure a current used to drive the motor <NUM>. As only the information is needed if a rotor of the motor is rotating, but not the actual direction of the rotation or a rotational speed, a quite simple sensor could be used as well. The switching element <NUM> of the second sensor module <NUM> is closed in case the motor is in a stationary state. As soon as the motor starts turning the second sensor module <NUM> is configured to open the switching element <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the switching element <NUM> of the first sensor module <NUM> and the switching element <NUM> of the second sensor module <NUM> are serially connected by wires <NUM> with the signal input <NUM> of the monitoring controller.

In the following, the switching element <NUM> of the first sensor module <NUM> and the switching element <NUM> of the second sensor module <NUM> will be referred to as the switching elements <NUM>. The first sensor module <NUM> and the second sensor module <NUM> will be referred to as the sensor modules <NUM>, <NUM>.

As already described above, the switching elements <NUM> provides the output states of sensor modules <NUM>, <NUM>. By the serial connection, the output state of the first sensor module <NUM> and the output state of the second sensor module <NUM> are combined by a logical AND operation.

This logical AND operation and by the output states of the sensor modules <NUM>, <NUM> as described above a surprising variety of information can be sensed by a very simple electrical wiring. This will be described with reference to the following figures.

<FIG> shows the situation in which the elevator system is available for accepting calls, but is not currently transporting any persons, goods or robots or anything else that might be transported by an elevator. Thus the car is in a stationary state, the motor <NUM> is not rotating, the brakes are typically closed.

The first sensor module <NUM> provides an output state that indicates the availability of the elevator system. This state is represented by a logical True, which is equivalent to <NUM>. This status is shown in the graph <NUM> of the output state of the first sensor module <NUM> over time.

The second sensor module <NUM> provides an output state that indicates the stationary state of the elevator car. This state is represented by a logical True, which is equivalent to <NUM>. This status is shown in the graph <NUM> of the output state of the second sensor module <NUM> over time.

Also shown in <FIG> is the combined output state of the first sensor module <NUM> and the second sensor module <NUM>, which is shown in the graph <NUM>. The combination is made by a logical AND operation.

<FIG> shows the situation in which the elevator system <NUM> is available for accepting calls until the time t<NUM>. At the time t<NUM> the elevator controller <NUM> changes from its available state into a non-available state. The first sensor module <NUM> provides therefore an output state that indicates the availability of the elevator system until the time t<NUM> and changes to not-available from time t<NUM> on. At the time t<NUM> the output state of the first sensor module <NUM> changes therefore from True to False, which is equivalent to the change from <NUM> to <NUM>. In the following True and <NUM> are used as equivalents. The same applies to False and <NUM>. This is indicated in the graph <NUM> of the output state of the first sensor module <NUM>. The graph <NUM> shows again the output state over time.

Over the whole timespan shown in the graphs shown in <FIG> the car is in a stationary state, the motor <NUM> is not rotating and the brakes are typically closed.

The second sensor module <NUM> provides an output state that indicates the stationary state of the elevator car <NUM>. The state of not moving is represented by a True value. This is indicated in the graph <NUM> of the output state of the second sensor module <NUM>. The graph <NUM> shows the output state over time.

Also shown in <FIG> is the combined output state of the first sensor module <NUM> and the second sensor module <NUM>. The combination is made by a logical AND operation.

<FIG> shows the situation in which the elevator system is available for accepting calls over the whole time shown in the graphs of <FIG>. The first sensor module <NUM> provides again an output state that indicates the availability of the elevator system. This is indicated by the True value. In the graph <NUM> of the output state of the first sensor module <NUM> this is indicated by a constant True value over time.

Further, the car is not moving until t<NUM>. At t<NUM> the car starts moving until t<NUM>, which might be due to a travel of the car from one floor to another. A further movement of the car is shown from the time t<NUM> to t<NUM>.

The second sensor module <NUM> provides an output state that indicates the stationary state of the elevator car. As the car in this example is travelling from the time t<NUM> to t<NUM> and from t<NUM> to t<NUM> the graph <NUM> indicates the stationary state until t<NUM>, from t<NUM> to t<NUM> and from t<NUM> on. The stationary state is indicated in the graph <NUM> of the output state of the second sensor module <NUM> as True and as False otherwise. The graph <NUM> shows the output state over time.

Further, the car is not moving until t<NUM>. At t<NUM> the car starts moving until t<NUM>, which might be due to a travel of the car from one floor to another. Further movements of the car for only short times are shown from the time t<NUM> to t<NUM>. Those movements could be caused by releveling actions of the car.

The second sensor module <NUM> provides again an output state that indicates the stationary state of the elevator car. As the car in this example is travelling from the time t<NUM> to t<NUM> and moves from t<NUM> to t<NUM> multiple times for only a short period, the graph <NUM> indicates the stationary state until t<NUM>, from t<NUM> to t<NUM> and from t<NUM> on. The stationary state is indicated in the graph <NUM> of the output state of the second sensor module <NUM> as True and as False otherwise. The graph <NUM> shows again the output state over time. As can be seen from the graph <NUM>, during the time t<NUM> and t<NUM> the graph shows multiple short movements.

Also shown in <FIG> is the combined output state of the first sensor module <NUM> and the second sensor module <NUM>, which is shown in the graph <NUM>. The combination is made by the logical AND operation.

From the output state of the above described sensor system <NUM>, which is the combined state of the output states of the first sensor module <NUM> and the output state of the second sensor module <NUM> combined by the logical AND operation and provided to the signal input of the monitoring controller <NUM> the following can be concluded. For the evaluation, the values provided to the signal input <NUM> are recorded for a period of time, for example the values are kept in a memory of the monitoring controller <NUM> and/or of a memory of the remote monitoring installation. The memory might be any known storage medium which might be a volatile storage medium such as RAM or a non-volatile storage medium such as solid state disc, an EPROM, flash memory, or an electro-mechanical storage medium such as a hard disk drive.

If the signal input <NUM> is constantly on True or <NUM>, it can be concluded that the elevator system is available. This can be reported by the monitoring controller <NUM> to a remote monitoring installation.

If the signal input <NUM> is over a longer period of time on False or <NUM>, it can be concluded that the elevator system is not available. This can be reported by the monitoring controller <NUM> to a remote monitoring installation <NUM>. "A longer period of time" might be a duration longer than one minute, as elevator travels should normally be shorter than <NUM> seconds.

If the signal input is for a period of time which corresponds to a typical duration of an elevator travel on False or <NUM>, it can be concluded that the elevator is serving a call. A trip counter of the monitoring system can be increased. From the actual duration of the trip and a typical speed of the elevator car <NUM> also a distance that the car is travelling can be calculated for the tip as well as an accumulated distance. Those values can be reported by the monitoring controller <NUM> to a remote monitoring installation as well. A "typical duration of an elevator travel" is normally between <NUM> seconds and <NUM> seconds.

If the signal input is for a period of time which is shorter than the typical duration of an elevator travel on False or <NUM> but on True or <NUM> otherwise, it can be concluded that the elevator car must do some releveling maneuver to bring the elevator car in level with a floor landing. The releveling maneuver can be reported by the monitoring controller <NUM> as well.

The reported values can be stored on the monitoring system <NUM> and be reported to the remote monitoring installation <NUM> upon request. Alternatively or additionally, the monitoring system <NUM> is reporting the values constantly or the signal input <NUM> constantly to the remote monitoring installation <NUM>.

In a further embodiment shown in <FIG>, the second sensor module <NUM> comprises a first sub-module <NUM>' and a second sub-module <NUM>" which together form the second sensor module <NUM>. For the first sub-module <NUM>' and the second sub-module <NUM>" a sensor module <NUM> as described above with reference to <FIG> is used. The output state of the first sub-module <NUM>' and the output state of the second sub-module <NUM>" are combined by a logical AND operation. This can be realized again by a serial connection of the first sub-module <NUM>' and the second sub-module <NUM>". The first sensor module <NUM> is again connected in series with the first sub-module <NUM>' and the second sub-module <NUM>". This sensor system <NUM> can be used, in case the motor <NUM> or the elevator controller <NUM> controlling the drive of the motor <NUM> provides a signal for movements of the motor <NUM> in one direction and another signal for movements of the motor <NUM> in the other direction. If the first sub-module <NUM>' and the second sub-module <NUM>" report the stationary state, the output state of the second sensor module <NUM> is True or <NUM>. In case the first sub-module <NUM>' or the second sub-module <NUM>" report a movement, the output state of the second sensor module <NUM> is False or <NUM>.

In a further embodiment, the first sensor module <NUM> might also be realized by several sub-modules as described for the second sensor module <NUM> with respect to <FIG>. It should also be noted that the sub-modules for the first sensor module as well for the second sensor module could be arranged in parallel so that the output states of the sub-modules would be combined by a logical OR operation.

In a further embodiment, the first sensor module might detect the non-availability of the elevator system to be monitored. In such a case, the sensor module has an additional operation to invert the output state. This could be realized by an inverter for controlling the switching element or by choosing a switching element with inverted control.

Claim 1:
Elevator monitoring system comprising:
- a monitoring controller (<NUM>) of the elevator monitoring system (<NUM>) for communicating with a remote monitoring installation (<NUM>), the monitoring controller (<NUM>) comprising a signal input (<NUM>) for connecting the monitoring controller (<NUM>) to a sensor system (<NUM>) of the elevator monitoring system (<NUM>), and
- wherein the sensor system (<NUM>) comprises
- a first sensor module (<NUM>) for determining a state of an elevator controller (<NUM>) of an elevator system (<NUM>) monitored by the elevator monitoring system (<NUM>), and
- a second sensor module (<NUM>) for determining movement information of the monitored elevator system (<NUM>), characterized in that,
- the sensor system (<NUM>) is capable of combining an output state of the first sensor module (<NUM>) and an output state of the second sensor module (<NUM>) into a single output state by a logical AND operation and provides this single output state as an input for the signal input (<NUM>).