Patents Examined by Christopher Uhlir
  • Patent number: 11040853
    Abstract: A hoistway access system for an elevator includes an access switch positioned at a selected landing floor 34 of an elevator and operably connected to a controller 46. A remote controlled lock 48 is located at landing doors of a landing floor providing access to a hoistway pit 36, and is operably connected to the controller. A safety actuation system is operably connected to an elevator car and operably connected to the controller. The controller is configured to command a drive system to drive the elevator car to an upper location when the access switch is activated, to define a selected safety volume in the hoistway defined by the hoistway pit and the elevator car, command engagement of the safety actuation system to stop and hold the elevator car, and command the lock to unlock when the safety actuation system is engaged, thereby allowing access to the hoistway via the landing doors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Aurélien Fauconnet, Pascal Rebillard
  • Patent number: 11017752
    Abstract: An attachment for a smart device having a touch screen displaying at least one interactive area thereon includes at least one port defining an air passageway therethrough and at least one actuator element disposed at least partially within the air passageway of each of the at least one ports. Each of the at least one actuator elements is configured to actuate upon a flow of air passing through the corresponding air passageway. Actuation of each of the at least one actuator elements causes an electrical interaction with one of the interactive areas of the touch screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Inventor: Gordon J. Burrer
  • Patent number: 11011146
    Abstract: This invention continues and adds to the embodiments under Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/840,644, adding circuits using small dual-coil humbucking pickups made to mount in the same holes as and replace single-coil pickups. It also develops circuits to match the value of tone capacitors to the lumped inductances of pickup circuits. A mechanical switching system for 3 single-sized humbuckers can produce 21 distinct tonal circuits from 48 different switch combinations, using a 6-way circuit switch and three 2-way mode switches. A digitally-controlled solid-state switching system can avoid the duplicate circuits, and control even more pickups for more tones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Inventor: Donald L Baker
  • Patent number: 10991353
    Abstract: A modular single-coil electromagnetic stringed-instrument pickup, made to mount in replacement of a standard single-coil pickup, using the similar mounting screws and springs, has a replaceable base, core, blade pole and cover. The core unit has two flat coil forms glued to a bar magnet, which together form a trough for the coil. The outsides of the coil forms have printed circuits which form the coil end contacts and an integral electrostatic shield, with interconnect fixed after the coil is wound, so that the core unit can be flipped to change the magnetic polarity of the pickup, and thus the string vibration signal, while maintaining a humbucking pair circuit with equivalent pickup. The base, which can be either non-magnetic or ferro-magnetic material in different shapes and configurations to shape the magnetic field, contains three conductive index pins, which both make contact with the core unit contacts, and transmit string signals to any circuit or electrical contacts on the bottom of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Inventor: Donald L Baker
  • Patent number: 10978032
    Abstract: An attachment for a smart device having a touch screen displaying at least one interactive area thereon includes at least one port defining an air passageway therethrough and at least one actuator element disposed at least partially within the air passageway of each of the at least one ports. Each of the at least one actuator elements is configured to actuate upon a flow of air passing through the corresponding air passageway. Actuation of each of the at least one actuator elements causes an electrical interaction with one of the interactive areas of the touch screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Inventor: Gordon J. Burrer
  • Patent number: 10968073
    Abstract: A touchless keyboard system for operating an elevator through an existing touch-sensitive keyboard of the elevator, the touchless keyboard system including a touchless detection device comprising at least one sensor for detecting non-touch indications from users for opted floors, an actuation device comprising at least one actuator for physical engaging buttons of the existing touch-sensitive keyboard of the elevator corresponding to the opted floors, and a controller in communication with the detection device and with the actuation device for receiving and processing output signals from the at least one sensor and controlling movement of the at least one actuator based on the processed output signals. The touchless keyboard system further comprises a touchless keyboard housing for receiving the touchless detection device and the actuation device, where the touchless keyboard housing is operatively mountable to the touch-sensitive keyboard of the elevator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Fady S Alnajjar, Waleed Ahmed, Munkhjargal Gochoo
  • Patent number: 10954101
    Abstract: Brake release sensors for an elevator can be replaced by an arrangement wherein the brake release is determined from the force caused by the brake. This is achieved by providing measuring device for measuring the weight of an elevator car between the brake and the motor body so that the weight of the elevator car is measured only when the brake is on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Ari Kattainen, Lauri Stolt
  • Patent number: 10934133
    Abstract: A safety arrangement of an elevator and a method for monitoring electrical safety in an elevator system is disclosed. The safety arrangement of an elevator includes a motor drive of the elevator, which motor drive includes a main circuit, an accessible conducting part, which is earthed, an insulator, which is adapted to electrically insulate the aforementioned conducting part from the aforementioned main circuit and also a monitoring circuit, which is configured to determine an earth fault of the aforementioned main circuit occurring via the aforementioned conducting part. The monitoring circuit is configured to form a signal indicating the danger of electric shock in the motor drive of the elevator, if the aforementioned earth fault is diagnosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ari Kattainen, Juha-Matti Aitamurto, Lauri Stolt
  • Patent number: 10926973
    Abstract: Provided is an elevator shaft dimensions measurement device including: a plurality of 3-D distance image sensors which are arranged on a circumference of the same circle, facing the direction of the center of the circle and inclined at an elevation angle with respect to a horizontal plane, and which output measurement data by capturing an image of a pattern irradiated onto the inner walls of an elevator shaft that are imaging objects; and a computer which integrates the measurement data output from the plurality of 3-D distance image sensors at a plurality of height positions in the elevator shaft, generates first integrated measurement data covering 360 degrees in the horizontal direction, aligns the first integrated measurement data to create second integrated measurement data after the alignment, and calculates the dimensions of the elevator shaft on the basis of the second integrated measurement data after the alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC RESEARCH LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Kawanishi, Hiroyuki Tsutada, Keisuke Sambongi, Yu Enomoto, Yuichi Taguchi, Jay Thornton
  • Patent number: 10919733
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a configuration apparatus for an elevator system. The configuration apparatus comprises a communication interface configured to enable communication with a main safety circuit of the elevator system via a communication channel; at least one memory configured to store safety configuration data of the elevator system; wherein configuration apparatus is configured to provide via the communication interface at least part of the safety configuration data to the main safety circuit in response to a safety configuration data query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Antti Hovi, Ari Kattainen
  • Patent number: 10919730
    Abstract: An elevator system includes an elevator car; a machine to impart motion to the elevator car; a brake to stop rotation of the machine, the brake comprising a first coil and a second coil, wherein removing power from the first coil and the second coil applies the brake to the machine; and a controller in communication with the brake, the controller configured to connect the first coil and the second coil in one of a first electrical configuration and a second electrical configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Amir Lotfi, Daniel M. Bohn
  • Patent number: 10906774
    Abstract: An elevator alignment system providing alignment between respective sills of an elevator car and an entrance landing to/from which the cab is scheduled, via alignment members disposed with the sills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Inventor: Scott Akin
  • Patent number: 10889464
    Abstract: A system for the generation of call advance data for an elevator control, which system is going to be installed in an elevator car moving in an elevator shaft and includes at least one acceleration sensor outputting current acceleration data and/or magnetometer outputting a magnetic flux signal which includes current magnetic flux data at the current position of the elevator car, which acceleration sensor and/or magnetometer is mounted in connection with the elevator car; a velocity calculating unit which calculates from the current acceleration/magnetic flux data current car velocity data; a position calculating unit which calculates from the current acceleration/magnetic flux data and/or from the current car velocity data current car position data; and a call advance processing unit which calculates from the current car velocity data and the current car position data call advance data which designates the time until which the car is able to stop at the next approaching floor in travelling direction, which c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Veikko Mattsson, Kenneth Kronkvist
  • Patent number: 10882717
    Abstract: An emergency operation controller for an elevator is connected to other emergency operation controllers of their respective elevators through network, and each controller constitutes a node in the network. The controller generates and transmits an emergency condition detection message to other controllers in the network which constitute adjacent nodes to the controller when the controller detects an emergency condition, and receives an emergency condition detection message from other controllers which constitute adjacent nodes to the controller in the network when other controllers detect an emergency condition. The emergency condition detection message includes a propagation count. The propagation count is configured to be decremented by one, each time one controller transmits the emergency condition detection message to other controllers which constitute next adjacent nodes. The emergency condition detection message is continuously transmitted until the propagation count reaches to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Miyajima, Daisuke Meguro
  • Patent number: 10875741
    Abstract: An elevator request authorization system is provided and includes a second server configured to grant an elevator use token upon request from a first server registerable with the second server for establishing secure communications between the second server and the first server. The first server is configured to be receptive of an elevator request relating to elevator usage by a user, to authenticate the user, to authorize the elevator usage by the user to which the elevator request relates, to request the elevator use token from the second server via the secure communications upon authentication and authorization and to deliver the elevator use token to the user upon receipt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Bradley Armand Scoville, Yew Leong, Adam Kuenzi, Cesar Aguilar, Simantov Yousoufov, Yuri Novozhenets, Jason Higley
  • Patent number: 10843895
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a passenger transport system, which transport system comprises at least two passenger conveyors, as e.g. escalators or elevators, which transport system comprises a control for the passenger conveyors and for controlling passenger flow in the transport system. The control is connected to a passenger flow determination device for establishing a passenger flow reference value of the actual passenger flow to be expected in the passenger transport system, and which control further comprises a passenger guide system for controlling passenger flow in the transport system, which passenger guide system uses a cost function considering a set of system control parameters as passenger riding time, energy consumption, passenger waiting time, passenger transport capacity, maintenance demand, etc. The control uses a transport model simulating the function of the hardware components of the transport system under consideration of correlated system operating parameters as e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventor: Jukka Salmikuukka
  • Patent number: 10836604
    Abstract: A method for operating an elevator installation, the installation including an elevator control device, uses a mobile radio to perform operator control actions for the elevator installation. The mobile radio receives relevant data allowing indirect access to the elevator installation initially in the form of an identification code that is transmitted continuously or regularly by a transmission unit associated with the elevator installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Adrian Bünter, Markus Gilli
  • Patent number: 10836606
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a condition of a belt-shaped rope of an elevator, which rope is connected with one or more elevator units of an elevator, includes monitoring lateral positions of successive rope locations, which rope locations pass during use of the elevator via a monitoring zone located in proximity of a crowned rope wheel around which the belt-shaped rope is arranged to turn; gathering lateral position data of the belt-shaped rope, which lateral position data indicates lateral positions of several successive rope locations of the rope at the monitoring zone; analyzing the lateral position data; detecting characteristics in the lateral position data indicating damaged rope; and triggering one or more predefined actions if characteristics indicating damaged rope are detected. An arrangement and an elevator, which implement the method, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Juha Helenius
  • Patent number: 10832642
    Abstract: Drum pedal assemblies are disclosed which can include one or more adjustment features. Adjustment features which can be included in embodiments of the invention can include spring tension adjustment features, pedal incline adjustment features, lever length adjustment features, beater stem angle adjustment features, chain path adjustment features, operable chain length adjustment features, and chain connection point position adjustment features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Inventor: Richard A. Sikra
  • Patent number: 10822197
    Abstract: A method of operating an elevator system is provided. The method includes powering, using a battery, the elevator system when an external power source is unavailable. The method also includes controlling, using a controller, a plurality of components of the elevator system. The controlling comprises operating at least one of the battery, an elevator car, a drive unit, and a brake. The method further includes determining, using the controller, a run profile of the elevator car in response to a selected deceleration. The method yet further includes operating, using the controller, the elevator car in response to the run profile determined, and determining, using the controller, an actual velocity of the elevator car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Edward Piedra