Patents Examined by Christopher Uhlir
  • Patent number: 11542118
    Abstract: The invention concerns a brake control apparatus and a method of controlling an elevator brake. The brake control apparatus comprises a first switch and a second switch connected in series with each other for selectively supplying current from a power source to an electrically operated actuator of an elevator brake. The control pole of the first switch and the control pole of the second switch are associated with an elevator safety circuit. The brake control apparatus further comprises a first monitoring circuit configured to indicate operation of the first switch and a second monitoring circuit configured to indicate operation of the second switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: KONE Corporation
    Inventor: Ari Kattainen
  • Patent number: 11535488
    Abstract: Elevator systems having an elevator machine connected to an elevator car within an elevator shaft, the elevator shaft including a plurality of landings, at least one first sensor assembly attached to the elevator car, at least one second sensor assembly arranged within the elevator shaft and configured to interact with the at least one first sensor assembly, and a computing system in communication with at least one of the at least one first sensor assemblies and the at least one second sensor assemblies such that the computing system receives at least one of signals or data from the at least one of the at least one first sensor assemblies and the at least one second sensor assemblies. The at least one first sensor assemblies and the at least one second sensor assemblies form a contactless position sensing system for determining a position of the elevator car within the elevator shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: David Ginsberg, Ronnie E. Thebeau, David Alun James
  • Patent number: 11535486
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining elevator car locations are provided. Aspects includes operating, by a processor, a machine room sensor to collect vibration data associated with one or more components in a machine room of an elevator system, wherein the elevator system comprises an elevator car and a hoistway and analyzing the vibration data to determine a position of the elevator car in the hoistway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Sandeep Sudi
  • Patent number: 11505433
    Abstract: An access door arrangement of an elevator shaft, wherein at least one elevator car is moving, includes a door lock, whereby in connection with the door lock a reset switch of an inspection mode resetting device is located, whereby the door lock has a lock part movable between a lock position and an open position and whereby the reset switch is integrated in said door lock to be operated by the movement of the movable lock part or a related movable part. This solution allows an easy resetting of the inspection mode of the elevator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Juha-Matti Aitamurto
  • Patent number: 11505428
    Abstract: A control unit, an elevator-monitoring apparatus and a method are used to monitor a maintenance mode of an elevator installation. The control unit has a controller and a memory device, wherein the controller receives a first signal when a locking device of shaft door is locked and receives a second signal when the locking device is unlocked. The controller compares a chronological signal sequence of first signals and second signals with a reference sequence stored in the memory device for actuation of the locking device and, if the signal sequence of the first signals and second signals matches the reference sequence, ends the maintenance mode and releases a car of the elevator installation for a traveling operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventor: Markus Walker
  • Patent number: 11465878
    Abstract: A method of controlling building systems including detecting a status parameter of a door of a building; displaying the status parameter of the door on a device; detecting a status parameter of a door lock, the door lock being operbly connected to the door; and displaying the status parameter of the door and the status parameter of the door lock on a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Emily Baldi
  • Patent number: 11469749
    Abstract: A power controller with a cable connected remote controlling device configured to transmit a pulsed instruction signal according to a predetermined signal pattern to the power controller. The power controller determines if the instruction signal corresponds with a predetermined signal pattern. If the instruction signal corresponds with a predetermined signal pattern, the controller passes the instruction signal to switches that control power supply of an electric device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventor: Arto Nakari
  • Patent number: 11465883
    Abstract: An elevator arrangement, comprising at least one rope connected with an elevator car; a rope wheel arrangement comprising at least one rope wheel around which the rope passes turning around an axis, which extends in width direction of the rope; and a rope position detector arranged to detect displacement of the rope over at least one limit position and to trigger one or more predetermined actions in response to detecting displacement of the rope over a limit position. The rope is arranged to pass around a rope wheel turning around an axis, which extends in width direction of the rope, and the rope position detector is arranged to detect displacement of the rope over a limit position in thickness direction of the rope at a detection point, and to trigger one or more predetermined actions in response to detecting displacement of the rope in its thickness direction over the limit position, said limit position being on the opposite side of the rope than said rope wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Juha Helenius, Mika Juntunen, Samuel Markkula
  • Patent number: 11465877
    Abstract: The invention refers to an elevator system having a plurality of elevator cars, which elevator cars comprise several first cars and at least one second car, which second car differs from the first cars in its size and/or technical configuration, whereby the first cars and the second car run together within one and the same elevator shaft, which elevator system comprises an elevator control comprising a call allocation control having a first part connected to at least one call input device for allocating the first elevator cars and a second part connected to at least one call issuing means for the call allocation of the second car, whereby the first and second part of the call allocation control are configured to work independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Ari Hanninen, Ilpo Haipus, Ari Koivisto, Jouni Ratia, Markku Haivala
  • Patent number: 11462198
    Abstract: A new and improved Digital Musical Instrument includes a hardware segment that electronically detects the physical inputs of a musicians musical playing style or articulated intent; a Software segment that interprets and formulates the data output from the hardware segment, to be applied to any digitally modulated synthesizer or recording sampler; and an optional expanded method of sampling or digitally recording articulated sounds of acoustic instruments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Inventor: Christopher E. Borman
  • Patent number: 11440767
    Abstract: A system for dynamic assignment of buttons on destination entry terminals (DETs) is provided. The system performs operations that include identifying a message for display on a touchscreen display of a destination entry system of an elevator. The message includes a selection button for display on the touchscreen display. The at least one selection button is displayed at a first location on the touchscreen display. The at least one selection button is displayed at a different location on the touchscreen display once a rearrangement criterion is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Brad Guilani
  • Patent number: 11440770
    Abstract: Provided is an elevator derailment detection device configured to detect disengagement of a vertically movable body to be guided by guide rails to be raised and lowered from at least one of the guide rails. The elevator derailment detection device includes: a conductive wire, which is provided in a hoistway in parallel to a direction in which the vertically movable body is raised and lowered; a magnetic field measurement device, which is provided to the vertically movable body so as to measure an intensity of a magnetic field generated by a current flowing through the conductive wire, and is configured to output the measured magnetic field intensity; and a controller configured to detect the disengagement of the vertically movable body from the at least one of the guide rails when the magnetic field intensity output from the magnetic field measurement device falls above or lower than an allowable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinichi Sato
  • Patent number: 11434104
    Abstract: A safety actuation device for an elevator system including an elevator car and a guide rail includes a safety brake disposed on the car and adapted to be forced against the guide rail when moved from a non-braking state to a braking state. An electronic safety actuator is operably connected to the safety brake. The electronic safety actuator includes at least one sensor configured to monitor one or more parameters associated with a ride quality of the elevator car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Richard N. Fargo
  • Patent number: 11420845
    Abstract: A rescue apparatus for an elevator includes a brake control unit having input terminals for connecting to a power supply, output terminals for connecting to a magnetizing coil of an electromagnetic brake, at least one controllable brake opening switch associated with at least one of the input terminals and adapted, in an open state, to prevent supply of current from the power supply to the magnetizing coil and, in a closed state, to allow supply of current from the power supply to the magnetizing coil, a control cable including one or more control signal wires and a remote control panel for operating the at least one brake opening switch, the remote control panel being coupled via the control cable to the brake control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arto Nakari, Ari Kattainen
  • Patent number: 11401134
    Abstract: An elevator calling operation based on a wrist-wearable smart device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: XiaoBin Tang
  • Patent number: 11383953
    Abstract: An elevator group control device may handle load calls for an elevator system having an elevator car, whereby a load call includes a departure floor, a destination floor, load specification data and a time period which the load is to be transported from the departure floor to the destination floor. The allocating may include reserving a particular portion of the floor area of the elevator car for the load during a portion of the time period, based on the load specification data and the particular portion being available to accommodate the load during the portion of the time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Ilja Tauber, Ville Wilkman, Lauri Hautaniemi, Vahid Arabzadeh, Jinze Dou, Showmik Dasgupta, Lucky Ogege Eronmosele, Paulo Silva, Diogo Pinto, Sonia Soeiro, Claudia Barradas Fontes
  • Patent number: 11383957
    Abstract: A method and an elevator for moving an elevator car to a landing floor in case of a predefined event related to a main electrical power supply of an elevator are disclosed. The method includes charging energy from the main electrical power supply into an external electrical energy storage prior to detecting the predefined event related to the main electrical power supply, controlling an operation of an electric motor for moving the elevator car with an electrical drive to decelerate the elevator car and to produce regenerative electrical energy, selectively utilizing said energy charged from the main electrical power supply into the external electrical energy storage and said produced regenerative electrical energy to maintain an elevator brake in deactivated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ari Kattainen, Pasi Raassina, Juhamatti Nikander, Ari-Pekka Lahtinen, Pasi Rinnesaari, Pasi Ahonen
  • Patent number: 11358832
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method for defining absolute position information of an elevator car. The method comprises: obtaining continuously a pulse position information of the elevator car; and defining an absolute position information of the elevator car by adding a predefined correction value to the obtained pulse position information of the elevator car. The predefined correction value indicates a drift between the obtained pulse position information of the elevator car and the actual pulse position of the elevator car. The invention also relates to a safety control unit and an elevator system performing at least partly the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Ari Kattainen, Antti Hovi
  • Patent number: 11345569
    Abstract: A monitoring system for controlling self-testing of a traction elevator includes a self-testing process module in communication with a three-phase AC back-up battery power supply. The self-testing process module includes a processor configured to initiate and control a series of steps for performing measurements of the three-phase AC back-up battery power supply, including measurements of the battery supply during a simulated emergency situation (“rescue/evacuation”). The processor is programmed to initiate testing on a defined schedule and transmit test results to a maintenance system (including remotely-located systems) on a routine basis. The monitoring system also includes a display unit providing visual information regarding the status of self-testing processes and their results and a communications unit for transmitting test results to a remote maintenance controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Reynolds & Reynolds Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Hall, Werner John Reinartz
  • Patent number: 11339026
    Abstract: A method of detecting maintenance requirements of a system for conveying a car through a passageway is provided. The method comprising: detecting pressure data for at least one or more locations along a passageway using a pressure sensor; comparing the pressure data to benchmark pressure data for each of the one or more locations; determining a pressure data variance at a first location of the one or more locations in response to the pressure data and the benchmark pressure data; and identifying an identity of a car stop location door system located at the first location when the pressure data variance is greater than a selected tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Guohong Hu