Systems and method for detecting a location of a person in a hoistway

1 . A system for detecting a presence of a person in a hoistway, comprising:

one or more controllers configured to authenticate the person in the hoistway via a signal emitter, that is a smart helmet, wherein the smart helmet is configured to be worn by the person, and to automatically enter an inspection mode upon authentication,

wherein upon entering, and while in, the inspection mode, the one or more controllers is configured to lock the signal emitter to the person, to thereby effect communications with the signal emitter utilizing a uniquely assigned signal;

the one or more controllers being operationally connected to an elevator car in the hoistway and configured to determine whether the person is within a predetermined distance of the elevator car from a signal emitter on the person,

wherein the predetermined distance is implemented by signal-strength thresholds, measured by the one or more controllers via a signal strength from the signal emitter to a beacon connected to the elevator car, corresponding to a plurality of zones of radiation, including a caution zone, a warning zone, and a danger zone, relative to the elevator car;

wherein when the person is within the predetermined distance of the elevator car, the one or more controllers is configured;

to transmit a feedback request to the smart helmet and stop the elevator car unless the one or more controllers receives feedback to the feedback request within a predetermined period of time, and

to issue an emergency stop button command to the elevator car upon the elevator car entering the danger zone without receiving the feedback within the predetermined period of time.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers is configured to transmit to a mobile phone of the person the feedback request.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more controllers includes:

an elevator controller that controls directional motion of the elevator car; and

the beacon connected to the elevator car that is configured to communicate with the smart helmet to determine a proximity of the smart helmet to the elevator car, and to communicate with the mobile phone of the person to transmit the feedback request.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the smart helmet is configured to communicate with the beacon utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy.

5 . The system of claim 1 , comprising:

a first transmitter that is located on the elevator car;

a second transmitter that is configured to be worn by a person;

wherein the first and second transmitters are operatively coupled over a wireless communication path;

wherein the first transmitter is configured to determine when a velocity or acceleration change occurs in the elevator car and transmit a signal indicative of the velocity or acceleration change to the second transmitter; and

the second transmitter is configured to provide a warning to the person when the velocity or acceleration change is greater than a threshold.

6 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of signal detectors located in one or more of the hoistway and the elevator car and are operatively coupled to the one or more controllers, whereby the one or more controllers are configured to determine that the person is located within the elevator car, above the elevator car, or in a hoistway pit.

7 . The system of claim 1 , comprising signal detectors at a top of the hoistway, directly above the elevator car, within the elevator car, directly below the elevator car, and within a hoistway pit, wherein utilizing a signal strength from the signal emitter, received by the signal detectors, the one or more controllers is configured to determine that the person is located within the elevator car, above the elevator car, or in the hoistway pit.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers configured to authenticate the person in the hoistway via the signal emitter, that is the smart helmet, over a low-energy personal area network (PAN).

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communications include voice communications for reproduction via a built-in speaker of the signal emitter.

10 . A method of detecting a presence of a person in a hoistway, comprising:

authenticating, by one or more controllers, the person via a smart helmet having a signal emitter, wherein the smart helmet is configured to be worn by the person;

automatically entering an inspection mode upon authentication,

wherein upon entering, and while in, the inspection mode, the one or more controllers locks the signal emitter to the person, and assign a unique signal to the signal emitter;

detecting, by the one or more controllers, when the person is within a predetermined distance from an elevator car in the hoistway via the signal emitter worn by the person,

wherein the predetermined distance is implemented by signal-strength thresholds, measured via the one or more controllers via a signal strength from the signal emitter to a beacon connected to the elevator car, corresponding to a plurality of zones of radiation, including a caution zone, a warning zone, and a danger zone, relative to the elevator car;

sending, by one or more controllers, a feedback request to the smart helmet upon detecting the person is within the predetermined distance; and

stopping the elevator car, by one or more controllers issuing an emergency stop bottom comment to the elevator car, upon the elevator car entering the danger zone, after failing to receive feedback within a predetermined period of time.

11 . The method of claim 10 , comprising sending the feedback request to a mobile phone of the person.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the smart helmet transmits signals utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein one or more controllers is connected to the elevator car that communicates with the smart helmet utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy.

14 . The method of claim 13 , comprising training the one or more controllers to learn via machine learning to determine when the person is within the hoistway.

15 . The method of claim 13 , comprising communicating by the one or more controllers with one or more sensors to determine whether the one or more signal detectors detects a signal from the signal emitter, to thereby determine the person is within the hoistway or the elevator car.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein signal detectors are located at a top of the hoistway, in a hoistway pit, directly above the elevator car, directly below the elevator car, and within the elevator car, and the method includes utilizing a signal strength from the signal emitter, received by the signal detectors, to determine that the person is located within the elevator car, above the elevator car, or in the hoistway pit.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the signal emitter is a smart key.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more controllers configured to authenticate the person in the hoistway via the signal emitter, that is the smart helmet, over a low-energy personal area network (PAN).

19 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the communications include voice communications for reproduction via a built-in speaker of the signal emitter.