Patent Application
20210165542
This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 19212769.4 filed on Dec. 2, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The invention concerns in general the technical field of people transport and access control systems. Especially the invention concerns maintenance interface devices of the people transport and maintenance interface devices of access control systems.
Typically, people transport systems, such as elevator systems, escalator systems, and moving walkway systems, or access control systems, such as automatic door systems, turnstile systems, gate systems, may comprise one or more maintenance interface devices, such as test and emergency panel, e.g. a maintenance access panel (MAP), for providing one or more maintenance, test, inspection and/or emergency operations of the conveyor system. Typically in elevator systems the maintenance interface devices may be arranged outside an elevator shaft, for example inside a machine room of the elevator system or at a landing, to enable that the one or more maintenance, test, inspection and/or emergency operations of the conveyor system may be carried out via the maintenance interface device from outside the shaft. The maintenance interface devices shall be accessible to authorized persons only.
Typically, the maintenance interface devices may comprise physical input devices, such as buttons, keyboard, keypad, touch screen and similar, for receiving user input. Moreover, the maintenance interface devices may typically comprise physical output devices as display, loudspeaker, touch screen, and similar, for providing visual or audible output detectable by the user of the maintenance interface device, such as maintenance personnel.
It may be beneficial to provide improved solutions for the maintenance interface devices.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying embodiments of the invention.
An objective of the invention is to present a maintenance interface system and a method for providing a visual output representing maintenance related information of a people transport system or access control system. Another objective of the invention is that the maintenance interface system and the method for providing a visual output representing maintenance related information of a people transport system or access control system enable providing an adaptable user interface for maintenance purposes in people transport systems or access control systems.
The objectives of the invention are reached by a maintenance interface system and a method as defined by the respective independent claims.
According to a first aspect, a maintenance interface system for providing a visual output representing maintenance related information of a people transport system or access control system is provided, wherein the maintenance interface system comprising: a storage unit having maintenance related information of the people transport system or the access control system stored thereon, and a user device arranged to: receive at least part of the stored maintenance related information from the storage unit in response to detecting an activation event, and provide a visual output representing the received maintenance related information.
The provided visual output may be augmented reality display, virtual reality display, or mixed reality display.
The user device may further comprise one or more input devices and/or one or more sensor devices arranged to detect user indication, wherein the user device may be arranged to generate at least one control signal to a control unit of the people transport system or the access control system for controlling one or more operations of the people transport system or the access control system and/or one or more operational parameters of the people transport system or the access control system in association with the detected user indication.
The user indication may comprise at least one of the following: gesture, gaze, voice, touch.
The detected activation event may be one of the following: manual activation, automatic activation.
Moreover, detecting the automatic activation event may comprise: detecting a location of the user device, or detecting the user device in a vicinity of the people transport system or the access control system.
The part of the maintenance related information represented with the provided visual output may depend on an access level assigned for the user device.
The user device may be a wearable smart device, a mobile terminal device, or a digital user device comprising one or more displays or other capability to display the visual output.
The people transport system may be one of the following: an elevator system, an escalator system, or a moving walkway system, and the access control system may be one of the following: automatic door system, turnstile system, gate system.
According to a second aspect, a method for providing visual output representing maintenance related information of a people transport system or the access control system is provided, wherein the method comprising: detecting an activation event; receiving, by a user device, at least part of maintenance related information of the people transport system or the access control system stored on a storage unit; and providing, by the user device, a visual output representing the received maintenance related information.
The provided visual output may be augmented reality display, virtual reality display, or mixed reality display.
The method may further comprise: detecting, by one or more input devices and/or one or more sensor devices of the user device, user indication; and generating, by the user device, at least one control signal to a control unit of the people transport system or the access control system for controlling one or more operations of the people transport system or the access control system and/or one or more operational parameters of the people transport system or the access control system in association with the detected user indication.
The user indication may comprise at least one of the following: gesture, gaze, voice, touch.
The detected activation event may be one of the following: manual activation, automatic activation.
Moreover, detecting the automatic activation event may comprise: detecting a location of the user device or detecting the user device in a vicinity of the people transport system or the access control system.
The part of the stored maintenance related information represented with the provided visual output may depend on an access level assigned for the user device.
The user device may be a wearable smart device, a mobile terminal device, or a digital user device comprising one or more displays or other capability to display the visual output.
The people transport system may be one of the following: an elevator system, an escalator system, a moving walkway system; and the access control system may be one of the following: automatic door system, turnstile system, gate system.
Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of unrecited features. The features recited in dependent claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an”, i.e. a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality.
The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings.
At least some aspects of embodiments according to the present invention may be described, at least in partly, by referring to
The people transport system 100 and/or the access control system 120 may comprise only the maintenance interface system 200 according to embodiments of the present invention. In other words, a traditional physical maintenance interface device 116 may be replaced with the maintenance interface system 200 according to embodiments of the present invention. One or more maintenance, test, inspection and/or emergency operations of the system may be carried out via the maintenance interface system 200 according to embodiments of the present invention. Alternatively, the people transport system 100 and/or the access control system 120 may comprise the maintenance interface system 200 according to embodiments of the present invention and the traditional physical maintenance interface device 116 as illustrated in the examples of
The maintenance interface system 200 may comprise a storage unit 202 and a user device 204. The storage unit 202 may be for example a computing entity, cloud storage, or other digital media storage or system. The storage unit 202 may have maintenance related information of the people transport system 100 or the access control system 120 stored thereon. The storage unit 202 may be communicatively coupled to the control unit 110a of the people transport system 100 or to the control unit 110b of the access control system 120 in order to be able to obtain maintenance related information of the people transport system 100 or the access control system 120. The communication between the control unit 110a, 110b and the storage unit 202 may be implemented in a wired manner or wirelessly at least in part. According to an embodiment of the invention, the storage unit 202 may be implemented as a part of the control unit 110a of the people transport system 100 or the control unit 110b of the access control system 120. According to another embodiment of the invention, the storage unit 202 may be an external storage unit. Some non-limiting examples of the external storage units may e.g. be a remote server, cloud server, computing unit, a network of computing devices. The external unit herein means a unit that locates separate from the people transport system 100 or the access control system 120. In the example of
Now, at least some aspects of the present invention may be described by referring to
In the step 310 an activation event may be detected. The detected activation event may be manual activation or automatic activation. The detection of the manual activation event may be a detection of a user indication. The user indication may be provided for example via the user device 204, e.g. user interaction with the user device 204 and a user, e.g. a maintenance personnel, of the user device 204. The use device 204 may comprise one or more input devices, such as buttons, touchscreen, touch-buttons or similar, for providing the user indication indicating activation of the user device 204. For example, the manual activation event may be a touch, e.g. with a finger or any other pointer, on a touch button of the user device 204.
Detecting the automatic activation event may comprise detecting a location of the user device 204. In other words, detecting the automatic activation event may comprise detecting that the user device 204 resides, i.e. locates, at a predefined location. The predefined location may be for example a machine room; a service center; an environment of the people conveyor system 100 or access control system 120; e.g. a specific landing in an elevator system; any other location suitable for performing maintenance operations. The location detection may be based on any indoor positioning system; Global Positioning System (GPS) or any other outdoor positioning system; any visual image recognition system; a digital readable optical code system, such as barcode, QR code, or any other digital readable optical code; or a radio-frequency system, such as a radio-frequency identification (RFID) system or any other RF-based solution. For example, the user device 204 may detect the automatic activation event by detecting that the user device 204 locates at the predefined location by using any indoor or outdoor positioning system or any visual image recognition system. Alternatively, the user device 204 may comprise scanning and/or reader devices capable to scan and read the digital readable optical code and/or an RFID tag. The digital readable optical code and/or RFID tag may be arranged in the predefined location. The user device 204 may detect the automatic activation event by reading the digital readable optical code and/or the RFID tag.
Alternatively, detecting the automatic activation event may comprise detecting the user device 204 in a vicinity of the people transport system 100 or the access control system 120, i.e. within the environment of the of the people conveyor system 100 or access control system 120. The user device 204 detection may be based on any visual image recognition system; a digital readable optical code system, such as barcode, QR code, or any other digital readable optical code; or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) system. For example, the user device 204 may comprise scanning and/or reader devices capable to scan and read the digital readable optical code and/or RFID tag. The digital readable optical code and/or an RFID tag may be arranged at a suitable location within the environment of the of the people conveyor system 100 or access control system 120. The user device 204 detects the automatic activation event in response to reading the digital readable optical code and/or the RFID tag.
In the step 320 the user device 204 may receive at least part of the stored maintenance related information from the storage unit 202 in response to detecting the activation event. The maintenance related information may comprise, but is not limited to, equipment data; maintenance history data; instructions and documentations, recommended maintenance actions, e.g. based on remote data analysis, data from one or more sensors, usage data, or any other kind of analytics based data, calendar based maintenance or other planned maintenance; equipment type or model; performance data, operational parameters of the system; and/or real time or delayed video image from one or more imaging devices, such as cameras, arranged on site.
In the step 330 the user device 204 may provide a visual output 410, i.e. a display, representing the received maintenance related information by the user device 204. The user device 204 may display the received maintenance related information e.g. on the one or more displays of the user device 204 or through projection by the projector of the user device 204. The provided visual output 410 may act as a digital maintenance interface device of the people transport system 100 or the access control system 120. With the term “digital maintenance interface device” is meant throughout this application a user interface displaying the received maintenance related information, wherein the user interface is not a physical maintenance interface device, such as a maintenance access panel, of the people transport system 100 or the access control system 120. The visual output 410 may be created, i.e. implemented, with augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), or mixed reality (MR). Alternatively, the visual output 410 representing the received maintenance related information may be displayed on the one or more displays of the user device 204, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a smart watch, or any other digital user device comprising one or more displays or other capable to display the visual output 410. This enables a simple way to provide the visual output 410.
In the augmented reality the visual output 410 representing the received maintenance related information, e.g. augmented reality display, may be overlaid on a real-world environment. The visual output 410 implemented with augmented reality display, i.e. augmented reality interface, may be placed virtually on any surface or location. The augmented reality display may e.g. be a see-through augmented reality display or a projected augmented reality display. The see-through augmented reality display may be displayed on a display or a screen of the user device 204, such as a video see-through display or a holographic based see-through display. The projected augmented reality display, i.e. spatial augmented reality display, may be projected on a wall, a panel, or any similar surface. The augmented reality display may be relative to the view of the user of the user device 204, relative to the user device 204, or floating in a static spatial location, i.e. relative to spatial direction. An augmented reality display being relative to the view of the user of the user device 204 means that the augmented reality display is in the same place in relation to the user, when the augmented reality display is activated. In other words, when the user turns their head, the augmented reality display moves accordingly so that the reality display is in the same place in relation to the user. For example, e.g. the augmented reality display may be at a predefined distance from the head of the user, when the augmented reality display is activated, e.g. at a one meter distance from the head of the user. According to an example, if user device 204 is a mobile terminal device, e.g. a tablet computer, when the user places the mobile terminal device in front of their face the augmented reality display may be visible, but if the mobile terminal device is lowered and directed, e.g. by the user of the mobile terminal device, e.g. towards floor, the augmented reality display may no longer visible. An augmented reality display being relative to the user device 204 means that the augmented reality display is in the same place in relation to the user device 204, when the augmented reality display is activated. In other words, when the user device 204 is moved e.g. by the user of the user device, the augmented reality display moves accordingly so that the reality display is in the same place in relation to the user device 204. For example, e.g. the augmented reality display may be at a predefined distance from the user device 204 at a predefined direction, when the augmented reality display is activated, e.g. at a one meter distance from the user device 204 in front of the user device 204. According to an example, when the augmented reality display is pointing to floor the augmented reality display may still be the predefined distance from the user device 204 to the predefined direction, e.g. one meter from the user device 204 in front of the user device 204 somewhere above the floor. An augmented reality display being relative to spatial direction means that the augmented reality display may be floating in a predefined physical location, when the augmented reality display is activated, irrespective location of the user of the user device 204. In other words, the augmented reality display may be floating in a corner of a floor irrespective of a direction from which the user of the user device 204 is looking at the augmented reality display. The visual output 410 implemented with augmented reality may be operated on site, i.e. the user device 204 (and the user of the user device 204) may be in a vicinity of the people transport system 100 or the access control system 120 when operating the maintenance interface device implemented with augmented reality, or remotely, i.e. the user device 204 does not need to be in vicinity of the people transport system 100 or the access control system 120, when operating the maintenance interface device implemented with augmented reality.
In the virtual reality the visual output 410 representing the received maintenance related information, e.g. virtual reality display, i.e. virtual reality interface, may be arranged to replace a real-world environment with a virtual environment. Otherwise, the virtual reality operates as the augmented reality described above. The visual output 410 implemented with virtual reality may be operated on site. Preferably, the visual output 410 implemented with virtual reality may be operated remotely.
In the mixed reality real-world objects may be dynamically integrated into virtual world to produce new environments and visualizations, where physical and digital objects, such as the visual output representing the received maintenance related information, e.g. a mixed reality display, i.e. mixed reality interface, may co-exist and interact in real time. Otherwise, the mixed reality operates as the augmented reality described above. The visual output 410 implemented with mixed reality may be operated on site or remotely.
The part of the maintenance related information received by the user device 204 in the step 320 from the storage unit 202 may depend on an access level assigned for the user device 204. The user device 204 may be capable to have different access levels indicating different level access rights for the user of the user device 204. Different amount of the maintenance related information and/or content of the maintenance related information may be received from the storage unit 202 for each access level assigned for the user device 204. The access level may be device specific and/or user specific. Device specific access level means that each user device 204 may have a specific access level irrespective of the user of the user device 204. The user specific access level means that each user may have a specific access level. This enables that the same user device 204 may have different access levels for different users of the user device 204. According to an example, unauthorized user, an operator of the people transport system 100 or the access control system 100, and a maintenance personnel may each have different access level for the user device 204 causing that different amount and/or content of the maintenance related information may be received from the storage unit 202 for each access level.
Next, at least some further aspects of the present invention may be described by referring to
In the step 610, a user indication may be detected, i.e. received. The user device 204 may comprise user one or more input devices, such as touchscreens, keypad, keyboard, buttons, microphones, and/or one or more sensor devices, such as imaging devices, e.g. cameras, accelerometers, gyroscopes, compasses, and/or any other sensor devices capable to detect movement, for detecting the user indication. The user indication detectable with the one or more input devices and/or the one or more sensor device of the user device 204 may comprise at least one of the following: gesture, gaze, voice, touch.
The touch-based user indication may be detected for example by a touchscreen or touch-based buttons of the user device 204. The visual output 410 may be displayed at least partly, e.g. one or more elements 412a-412n being associated with at least one piece of the received maintenance related information enabling interactive operations, on the touchscreen and/or touch-based buttons arranged to detect the touch-based user indication. For example, in the example of
The gesture-based, i.e. motion-based, user indication may be detected by one or more sensor devices of the user device 204, such as cameras, accelerometers, gyroscopes, compasses, and any other sensor devices capable to detect movement. Alternatively, the gesture-based user indication may be detected by one or more sensor devices arranged in a peripheral device such as a pointer, a glove or other wearable accessory. The detected gestures, e.g. gestures of a hand of the user, may mimic physical user interaction with a physical input device. According to a non-limiting example, if the visual output 401 comprises one or more elements 412a-412n being associated with at least one piece of the received maintenance related information enabling interactive operations to receive user indication, e.g. an element 412a-412n representing a switch, button or keypad, e.g. the slide switch 412n of the example in
In the step 620, the user device 204, may generate at least one control signal to the control unit 110a of the people transport system 100 for controlling one or more operations of the people transport system 100 and/or one or more operational parameters of the people transport system 100 associated with the detected user indication. In response to receiving the at least one control signal from the user device 204, the control unit 110a of the people transport system 100 is arranged to control the operation of the people transport system 100 according to the at least one control signal and/or to control, i.e. adjust, one or more operational parameters of the people transport system 100 according to the at least one control signal. Alternatively, the user device 204, may generate at least one control signal to the control unit 110b of the access control system 120 for controlling one or more operations of the access control system 120 and/or one or more operational parameters of the access control system 120 associated with the detected user indication. In response to receiving the at least one control signal from the user device 204, the control unit 110b of the access control system 120 is arranged to control the operation of the access control system 120 according to the at least one control signal and/or to control, i.e. adjust, one or more operational parameters of the access control system 120 according to the at least one control signal. The at least one control signal may comprise instructions to perform one or more maintenance, test, inspection and/or emergency operations or any other operations corresponding to operations that may be provided with the physical maintenance interface device 116 of the people transport system 100 or the access control system 120. The at least one control signal may further comprise for example, but not limited to, one or more of the following: maintenance related reporting, such as performed maintenance operations, spare part orders, recommendation(s) for next visit; video or voice calls to an external unit, e.g. support organization; etc.
The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the applicability and/or the interpretation of the appended claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19212769.4 | Dec 2019 | EP | regional |
