Patents by Inventor Uwe Schönauer
Uwe Schönauer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20230242373Abstract: An elevator system (201) includes an elevator car (203) arranged to move within an elevator shaft, an elevator drive (211) including a brake (208), an elevator controller (230) configured to control the elevator drive so as to control the movement of the elevator car between a plurality of landings in the elevator shaft, a position reference system (240) configured to measure a position of the elevator car within the elevator shaft, and a safety controller (232) connected to the position reference system (240) to receive car position information and configured to selectively apply the brake of the elevator drive so as to stop the elevator car. The safety controller is configured to monitor the received car position information at least when the elevator car is moving in a designated unlocking zone of a given landing with an elevator car door open and to apply the brake.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2022Publication date: August 3, 2023Inventors: Uwe Schönauer, Peter Herkel, Felix Donath
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Publication number: 20220177264Abstract: A method of controlling a moving component (22, 24) approaching a buffer (42, 46) in a hoistway (34) of an elevator system (20) is provided. The method includes: a) calculating, based on a current velocity of the moving component (22, 24), a required braking distance to decelerate the moving component (22, 24) to a maximum buffer impact velocity; b) comparing the required braking distance to a current buffer distance between the moving component (22, 24) and the buffer (42, 46) to give a comparison result; c) repeating steps a) and b) one or more times; and d) triggering an emergency stop of the moving component (22, 24) based on the comparison result.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2021Publication date: June 9, 2022Inventor: Uwe Schönauer
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Publication number: 20220177263Abstract: A method of controlling an elevator car (22) includes driving the elevator car (22) with a drive system (30) including a drive device (32) and a brake device (36); detecting an emergency stop condition; triggering the brake device (36) in response to detecting an emergency stop condition; determining a delay to be applied between triggering the brake device (36) and stopping the drive device (32); and waiting for a time period corresponding to the delay before stopping the drive device (32).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2021Publication date: June 9, 2022Inventor: Uwe Schönauer
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Publication number: 20210371242Abstract: An elevator system (2, 102) includes a drive system (10) including one or more drive components (11, 13) and drive hardware (15) for controlling the supply of power to the one or more drive components (11,13), a safety chain (16) arranged to break and thus interrupt a supply of power to the one or more drive components (11, 13) unless all of one or more safety condition(s) is satisfied; and a control device (12). The control device (12) is arranged to receive drive information from the drive hardware (15) indicative of a drive system fault; to receive safety chain information from the safety chain (16) indicative of a safety chain break; and to detect and classify a fault in the elevator system (2, 102) using the drive information and the safety chain information.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2020Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Uwe Schönauer, Prasanna Nagarajan
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Publication number: 20210039918Abstract: A method of leveling an elevator car, a projection device and a leveling system. The method of leveling an elevator car includes: stopping the elevator car on a set landing; generating a calibration image that spans across the base plane of the elevator car and the base plane of the landing; processing the calibration image, and determining whether the elevator car is leveled with the landing based on the calibration image processing result; and ascending or descending the elevator car when it is determined that the elevator car is not leveled with the landing. According to the leveling method of the present application, it is possible to quickly and easily identify whether the object to be leveled is leveled with the leveling reference by analyzing and processing the calibration image, and even further identify the degree of levering, thereby realizing quick and simple leveling.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2020Publication date: February 11, 2021Inventors: XiaoBin Tang, Uwe Schoenauer, Alexander Paetow, Derk Pahlke
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Patent number: 10906775Abstract: Disclosed is an elevator control system configured to control movement of an elevator car (12) along an elevator hoistway (26) between a starting position and a destination position (L2), the control system comprising a car holding position monitoring unit configured to monitor whether the elevator car (12) has moved upwards or downwards in the hoistway (26) during a holding period (68) where the car (12) was intended to remain stationary at the destination position (L2).Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2015Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANYInventor: Uwe Schoenauer
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Publication number: 20200346889Abstract: A regenerative elevator drive (2) is arranged to receive power from, and supply regenerative energy to, an external power supply (4, 10) and is arranged to direct excess regenerative energy through a dynamic braking resistor (20). An inverter (16) is arranged to receive a DC voltage, derived from the external power supply (4, 10), and to convert the DC voltage to an AC voltage for output to an external motor (22). A DC link capacitor (14) is connected across the input of the inverter (16). A circuit breaker unit (54) is arranged to switch between a first state which provides a connection between the inverter (16) and the external power supply (4, 10), and a second state which disconnects the inverter (16) from the external power supply (4,10).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2019Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventors: Stephan Glessner, Herbert Horbrugger, Andrew The, Uwe Schoenauer
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Publication number: 20180362297Abstract: Disclosed is an elevator control system configured to control movement of an elevator car (12) along an elevator hoistway (26) between a starting position and a destination position (L2), the control system comprising a car holding position monitoring unit configured to monitor whether the elevator car (12) has moved upwards or downwards in the hoistway (26) during a holding period (68) where the car (12) was intended to remain stationary at the destination position (L2).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2015Publication date: December 20, 2018Inventor: Uwe Schoenauer
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Patent number: 9890016Abstract: An elevator system (10) includes an elevator hoistway (12) having a plurality of landings (14), an elevator car (16) configured to move within the elevator hoistway (12), and a position determining system (40) having a plurality of landing position indicators (48) and a plurality of dummy position indicators (50). At least one of the landing position indicators (48) is mounted proximate to each of the plurality of landings (14). Each dummy position indicator (50) is mounted within the elevator hoistway (12) at a predetermined vertical position between various of the plurality of landing position indicators (48). The position determining system (40) additionally includes a sensor (42) configured to determine when the elevator car is adjacent one of the plurality of landing position indicators (48) or one of the plurality of dummy position indicators (50). The plurality of landing position indicators (48) and the plurality of dummy position indicators (50) are positioned to form a sequence of unique patterns.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2012Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANYInventors: Uwe Schoenauer, Donald F. Cominelli, Shan Li, HengFeng Xie
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Publication number: 20150314985Abstract: An elevator system (10) includes an elevator hoistway (12) having a plurality of landings (14), an elevator car (16) configured to move within the elevator hoistway (12), and a position determining system (40) having a plurality of landing position indicators (48) and a plurality of dummy position indicators (50). At least one of the landing position indicators (48) is mounted proximate to each of the plurality of landings (14). Each dummy position indicator (50) is mounted within the elevator hoistway (12) at a predetermined vertical position between various of the plurality of landing position indicators (48). The position determining system (40) additionally includes a sensor (42) configured to determine when the elevator car is adjacent one of the plurality of landing position indicators (48) or one of the plurality of dummy position indicators (50). The plurality of landing position indicators (48) and the plurality of dummy position indicators (50) are positioned to form a sequence of unique patterns.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2012Publication date: November 5, 2015Inventors: Uwe SCHOENAUER, Donald F. COMINELLI, Shan LI, Hengfeng XIE
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Patent number: 8960371Abstract: When main power to an elevator system 10 is lost, an automatic rescue operation is performed using power from a backup power source 46. A rescue run for an elevator stopped between floors is initiated by lifting a brake 28 and allowing the elevator car 12 to move by gravity. If the car 12 moves as a result of a weight imbalance between the car 12 and a counterweight 14, operation of the hoist motor 24 is synchronized with sensed movement of the car 12 to generate electricity. If weight is balanced so that the car 12 does not move, backup power is supplied to the hoist motor 24 to apply a motor torque to drive the car 12 in a selected direction during the rescue run.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2009Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Otis GmbH & Co. OHGInventors: Uwe Schoenauer, Andreas Belkner
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Publication number: 20120085593Abstract: When main power to an elevator system 10 is lost, an automatic rescue operation is performed using power from a backup power source 46. A rescue run for an elevator stopped between floors is initiated by lifting a brake 28 and allowing the elevator car 12 to move by gravity. If the car 12 moves as a result of a weight imbalance between the car 12 and a counterweight 14, operation of the hoist motor 24 is synchronized with sensed movement of the car 12 to generate electricity. If weight is balanced so that the car 12 does not move, backup power is supplied to the hoist motor 24 to apply a motor torque to drive the car 12 in a selected direction during the rescue run.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2009Publication date: April 12, 2012Applicant: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANYInventors: Uwe Schoenauer, Andreas Belkner
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Patent number: 6170614Abstract: An electronic overspeed governor for preventing elevator overspeed by enabling safety devices. The electronic overspeed governor includes a microprocessor assembly designed to interface with existing sensors, detectors, components, and safety equipment of current operational and production elevator systems. The microprocessor assembly receives very accurate position measurements from a position measurement system. The microprocessor receives configuration information from a rom which contains data specific to the particular model of elevator and other installation specific parameters. The software calculates elevator speed based on successive position data. If an overspeed or near overspeed condition occurs, the microprocessor generates the appropriate outputs to be conveyed to the elevator safety system. The safety system activates devices to arrest the overspeed condition.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 1998Date of Patent: January 9, 2001Assignee: Otis Elevator CompanyInventors: Peter Herkel, Uwe Schönauer