Granted Patent B2

US 12,330,908 · App. 16/406,803 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Inventors: Derk Pahlke (Berlin, DE); Mario Pink (Berlin, DE); Goran Djuknic (New York, NY)

Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY

B66B1/3461B66B1/3407B66B1/3492H04W84/02

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. Elevator system ( 2 ) comprising:

an elevator car ( 6 ) configured for traveling along a hoistway ( 4 );

a sensor ( 19 ) configured for determining a current position of the elevator car ( 6 ) within the hoistway ( 4 );

at least one stationary wireless communication module ( 20 ); and

at least one mobile wireless communication module ( 22 ) attached to the elevator car ( 6 );

wherein the at least one stationary wireless communication module ( 20 ) and at the least one mobile wireless communication module ( 22 ) are configured for communicating with each other via a wireless data connection using one of a plurality of radio channels; and

wherein the at least one stationary wireless communication module ( 20 ) and the at least one mobile wireless communication module ( 22 ) are configured for selecting the radio channel to be used for communicating from the plurality of radio channels based on the current position of the elevator car ( 6 ) within the hoistway ( 4 );

wherein a same radio channel is used for communicating between the at least one stationary wireless communication module ( 20 ) and the at least one mobile wireless communication module ( 22 ) at at least two adjacent floors along the hoistway.

2. Elevator system ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the elevator system ( 2 ) is configured for performing a normal run, the normal run comprising:

moving the elevator car ( 6 ) along the hoistway ( 4 );

determining the current position of the elevator car ( 6 ) within the hoistway ( 4 );

selecting a radio channel to be used for communicating via the wireless data connection based on the current position of the elevator car ( 6 ) within the hoistway ( 4 ).

3. Elevator system ( 2 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one stationary wireless communication module ( 20 ) and the at the least one mobile wireless communication module ( 22 ) are configured for selecting the radio channel to be used for communicating via the wireless data connection from a channel table ( 25 ) associating positions of the elevator car ( 6 ) with a radio channel.

4. Elevator system ( 2 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the normal run further comprises:

determining a radio channel allowing proper or best communication via wireless data connection from the plurality of radio channels at selected positions of the elevator car ( 6 ) within the hoistway ( 4 ); and

updating the channel table ( 25 ) by storing the determined radio channel together with the selected associated positions of the elevator car ( 6 ) in the channel table ( 25 ).

5. Elevator system ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the elevator system ( 2 ) is configured for performing a learning run, the learning run comprising:

(i) moving the elevator car ( 6 ) along the hoistway ( 4 );

(ii) for a selected position of the elevator car ( 6 ) within the hoistway ( 4 ), determining a radio channel allowing proper or best communication via the wireless data connection from the plurality of radio channels;

(iii) storing the determined radio channel together with the selected position of the elevator car ( 6 ); and

(iv) repeating steps (ii) and (iii) for a selected number of different positions of the elevator car ( 6 ) within the hoistway ( 4 ).

6. Elevator system ( 2 ) according to claim 5 , wherein a maximum speed of the elevator car ( 6 ) during the learning run is set slower than a maximum speed of the elevator car ( 6 ) during a normal run.

7. Elevator system ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the elevator system ( 2 ) comprises a plurality of stationary wireless communication modules ( 20 ).

8. Elevator system ( 2 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the stationary wireless communication modules ( 20 ) are distributed over a plurality of positions along the height of the hoistway ( 4 ).

9. Method of communicating via a wireless data connection between a mobile wireless communication module attached to an elevator car ( 6 ) traveling along a hoistway and a stationary wireless communication module, wherein the method comprises

determining a current position of the elevator car ( 6 ) within the hoistway ( 4 ); and

selecting a radio channel to be used for communicating via the wireless data connection between the mobile wireless communication module and the stationary wireless communication module from a plurality of radio channels based on the determined position of the elevator car ( 6 );

wherein a same radio channel is used for communicating between the stationary wireless communication module ( 20 ) and the mobile wireless communication module ( 22 ) at at least two adjacent floors along the hoistway.

10. Method according to claim 9 , wherein the radio channel used for communicating via the wireless data connection is selected from a channel table ( 25 ) associating positions of the elevator car ( 6 ) with a radio channel.

11. Method according to claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining a radio channel allowing proper or best communication at selected positions of the elevator car ( 6 ); and

updating the channel table ( 25 ) by storing the determined radio channel together with the respective associated positions of the elevator car ( 6 ) in the channel table ( 25 ).

12. Method according to claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises performing a learning run, the learning run comprising:

(i) moving the elevator car ( 6 ) along the hoistway ( 4 );

(ii) for a selected position of the elevator car ( 6 ) within the hoistway ( 4 ), determining a radio channel allowing proper or best communication;

(iii) storing the determined radio channel together with the selected position of the elevator car ( 6 );

(iv) repeating steps (ii) and (iii) for a selected number of different positions of the elevator car ( 6 ) along the hoistway ( 4 ).

13. Method according to claim 12 , wherein a maximum speed of the elevator car ( 6 ) during the learning run is set slower than a maximum speed of the elevator car ( 6 ) during a normal run.

14. Method according to claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises switching between a plurality of stationary wireless communication modules ( 20 ) based on the determined position of the elevator car ( 6 ).

15. Method according to claim 14 , wherein the stationary wireless communication modules ( 20 ) are distributed over a plurality of positions along the height of the hoistway ( 4 ).

Assignments (4)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (26)