This invention relates to providing a power-on-reset (POR) of one or more controllers of an elevator without a maintenance person visiting the site of the elevator, including a remote monitoring and control center providing a POR signal over communication linkage, a local elevator monitoring device providing a POR signal, and elevator diagnostic program routines within a controller providing a POR signal; the POR may be performed internally of the controller or by means of power relays, which may include electronic switches.
Remote monitoring of elevator conditions has become common. The status of various elements and various operational parameters of the elevator are typically sent by a communication link, which may be telephone or some other media, to a central monitoring and control station. Remote elevator monitoring of this sort may be as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,568,909, 4,622,538 5,450,478, and more modern systems which have evolved therefrom.
A typical response to an elevator malfunction that requires immediate attention is dispatching service personnel on a service call to the site of the elevator. Performing an on-site service call delays the point in time when correction of the malfunction will occur. Service calls are also costly.
Objects of the invention include: reducing the number of service calls required by elevators being monitored; reducing the cost of restoring elevators after malfunctions have been detected; reducing the time required to correct an elevator malfunction in certain cases; avoiding unnecessary service calls to elevator sites; and improved elevator monitoring and servicing.
This invention is predicated on the recognition that a significant number of elevator service calls require no more than causing a power on reset of one or more controllers (main controller, door controller, or drive controller) by the maintenance personnel, once on site.
In accordance with the present invention, an elevator malfunction, detected either by a related elevator controller or remote elevator monitoring equipment, for which a power on reset (POR) of the controller may provide either a cure or additional information useful in determining the cure of the malfunction, is accomplished without the aid of on-site maintenance personnel either by interrupting the electric power supplied to the controller or by causing the controller to perform an internal POR.
According to the invention in one form, a power relay (which may consist of a moveable armature switch or electronic switches) of an elevator controller (which may comprise a main controller, a door controller, a drive controller, etc.) is accomplished without the aid of on-site maintenance personnel by operating a remotely operable power relay from which the controller derives power. According to the invention, the power relay of the controller may be operated by (a) remote monitoring and control personnel sending a signal over a communication link, by (b) on-site elevator monitoring equipment, or by (c) computer programs which perform elevator diagnostics within the controller itself.
According to the invention in another form, an elevator controlled is caused to be re-booted (in a manner similar to a control/alt/delete re-boot in a personal computer), without the aid of on-site maintenance personnel; the re-boot may be caused by (a) remote monitoring and control personnel sending a signal over a communication link, by (b) on-site elevator monitoring equipment providing a signal to the controller, by (c) computer programs which perform self-test within the controller itself.
The invention allows providing a power-on reset without the intervention of on-site maintenance personnel, in response to monitoring equipment or off-site personnel determining an elevator malfunction which a POR may cure or provide additional, useful information. Examples of malfunctions for which a POR is not useful include a problem with a load weighing device or an open safety chain.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in the light of the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Referring to
The elevator 9 may have a main controller 16 and may also have a drive controller 17 and/or a door controller 18; except as described with respect to
In one embodiment of the invention, the remote elevator monitoring equipment 10 will determine that a malfunction has occurred, and send a code of that malfunction over the communication linkage 12 to the central elevator monitoring and control station 11 by means of a suitable communication unit 30, which may be a modem. The remote monitoring and control station 11 will receive the malfunction code through communication equipment 33, which may comprise a modem, and typically will have steps 34 to print and display the malfunction code. These may be viewed by personnel who, in accordance with the prior art, will determine whether a service call should be made immediately or later, and perhaps provide suggested tests and potential causes of problems to aid service personnel in correcting the malfunction when service personnel arrive at the site of the elevator 9.
In accordance with the invention, in a next step 36 in the process of this embodiment of the invention, an expert reviews additional data which is displayed, indicating other status and operating conditions of the elevator. From this, the expert will decide whether a POR may possibly cure the malfunction or provide useful information. If the maintenance personnel presses a switch or otherwise indicates that a POR should be conducted, then a test 39 will be affirmative causing a POR transmission through communication equipment 40, which may be a modem; if a POR is not indicated, a negative result of test 39 will bypass step 40. If the POR signal is sent over the communication linkage 12, it will be received by a communication unit 43, which may be a modem, which will send a signal over one or more lines 44 to perform a step 45 that interrupts power through the power relays 23-25.
The communication units 30, 43 will typically comprise send and receive modes of a single modem, as will the units 33, 40.
In this embodiment, the powering of any controllers may be initially established by the remote monitoring and control station 11, and interrupted when appropriate in response to elevator malfunctions. The apparatus will typically be set up so that the power will remain off for some significant fraction of a minute or other suitable interval, and then the relay will be operated so as to restore power to the controller, thereby achieving a conventional POR of the computer.
The apparatus of
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In
Thus, the invention may either interrupt the power to the controller, or cause the controller to re-boot itself.
The foregoing patents are incorporated herein by reference.
Thus, although the invention has been shown and described with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes, omissions and additions may be made therein and thereto, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.