Abstract: An elevator car cargo system includes two opposing sidewalls extending from a car floor, and a stacking rack including two or more sets of horizontally-extending rails to define two or more horizontally-extending tiers and one or more vertically-extending columns in the elevator car for loading and unloading cargo. a method of operating an elevator system includes driving an elevator car along a hoistway. The elevator car includes two opposing sidewalls extending from a car floor and a stacking rack including two or more sets of horizontally-extending rails to define two or more horizontally-extending tiers and one or more vertically-extending columns in the elevator car for loading and unloading cargo. The elevator car is stopped at a landing floor of the hoistway, and cargo is selectably loaded onto and/or unloaded from the stacking rack.

Abstract: An escalator system includes a moving step including a plurality of grooves and drivable in a travel direction. A combplate is located at at least a downstream end of the moving step relative to the travel direction at a step-combplate interface. A retraction device is configured to move the combplate along the travel direction from a normal position toward a retracted position when an entrapment of an object is detected at the step-combplate interface.

Abstract: A virtual safety net system includes at least one active remote sensor configured to output energy that establishes an energy safety net and to detect reflected energy that is reflected from an object disposed in the energy safety net, and a processor in signal communication with the at least one active remote sensor. The processor is configured to determine an energy intensity of the reflected energy and to identify the object as an exception tool permitted to be disposed in the energy safety net in response to the energy intensity exceeding an energy intensity threshold.

Abstract: A virtual safety net system includes at least one active remove sensor in signal communication with a processor. The at least one remote sensor is configured to output energy that establishes an energy safety net and to detect reflected energy that is reflected from an object disposed in the energy safety net. The energy safety net has a work zone defined within the energy safety net. The processor is configured to determine a location of the object within the energy safety net. The processor determines the object as authorized to be located within the energy safety net when the object is within the work zone, and determines the object as unauthorized to be located within the energy safety net when the object is outside the work zone while remaining within the energy safety net.

Abstract: A virtual elevator safety net configuration system includes an active remote sensor configured to output energy within field of view (FOV) and to detect the energy reflected from an object located in the FOV, and one or more markers arranged within the FOV to define a spatial region of interest. The one or more markers are configured to reflect the energy having a first energy intensity to the active remote sensor. The virtual elevator safety net configuration system further includes a processor in signal communication with the active remote sensor. The processor is configured to determine the spatial region of interest within the FOV based at least in part on the reflected energy having a first energy intensity.

Abstract: A system is provided and includes an electromechanical system, a controller configured to control operations of the electromechanical system in accordance with commands and a multi-modal navigation system. The multi-modal navigation system is communicative with the controller to be receptive of information relating to the operations of the electromechanical system and is configured to control at least a subset of the operations of the electromechanical system in accordance with the information and at least a subset of the commands.

Abstract: A control system is provided and includes a personnel movement system deployed in a building and passenger and building owner devices. A memory of the passenger device has first executable instructions of a control application stored thereon, which, when executed, cause a passenger device processor to register a passenger with and store a passenger profile of the passenger with the control application and to generate a passenger interface by which the passenger interfaces with the control application. A memory of the building owner device has second executable instructions of the control application stored thereon, which, when executed, cause a business owner device processor to register the building with and store a description of the building with the control application.

Abstract: An automatic wayfinding system is provided and includes a robotic guide, a passenger interface through which a passenger provides an input of a desired destination and a dispatching module, which, upon receipt of the input of the desired destination, dispatches the robotic guide to the passenger. At least one of the robotic guide and the dispatching module have access to a navigation map including the desired destination, a current position of the passenger and information relating to one or more paths from the current position of the passenger to the desired destination. The robotic guide is programmed to lead the passenger along the one or more paths while remaining tethered to the passenger.

Abstract: An elevator system having: a hoistway; an elevator car movable within the hoistway; a controller operationally coupled to the elevator car; a counterweight coupled to the elevator car and movable within the hoistway; and an approaching-hazard-warning-system that has: a warning system controller; a range finding sensor, operationally coupled to the warning system controller, and mounted to one of the elevator car, the counterweight and the hoistway wall, wherein, while operating in an inspection mode, the warning system controller is configured to receive sensor data from the range finding sensor, detect when a distance between the elevator car and the counterweight is less than a stop distance while the elevator car and the counterweight are moving toward each other, and execute a first responsive action including one or more of slowing the elevator car by communicating with the car controller, stopping the elevator car and sounding a first audible alert.

Abstract: A monitoring system of an elevator system in which an elevator car and a counterweight, which are attached to a tension member, travel through a hoistway in opposite directions is provided. The monitoring system includes a controller to cause the elevator car to travel to a predefined position in the hoistway, a sensor to sense a position of the counterweight with the elevator car stopped at the predefined position and to generate data corresponding to sensing results and a processor operably coupled to the sensor and configured to analyze the data and to calculate, based on analysis results, an elongation of the tension member.

Abstract: A safety net system is provided for an elevator system including an elevator pit and multiple points of ingress to the elevator pit. The safety net system includes multiple sensors arranged in multiple planes encompassing the multiple points of ingress to perform sensing and to generate data corresponding to sensing results and a processor coupled to the multiple sensors to analyze whether the data indicates a person entering the elevator pit and to take an action based on results of the analysis.

Abstract: An escalator system includes a moving step including a plurality of grooves and drivable in a travel direction. A combplate is located at at least a downstream end of the moving step relative to the travel direction at a step-combplate interface. A retraction device is configured to move the combplate along the travel direction from a normal position toward a retracted position when an entrapment of an object is detected at the step-combplate interface.

Abstract: An escalator system is provided and includes a balustrade including a skirt with a brush, a moving step, which is drivable to move in a conveyance direction along the balustrade to form a step-skirt interface between ends of the brush of the skirt and a corresponding side of the moving step, and an entrapment monitoring and detection system. The entrapment monitoring and detection system includes a sensor and a processor. The sensor is disposed at the step-skirt interface and is configured to sense an object being present at the step-skirt interface. The processor is configured to determine whether the sensor senses the object being present at the step-skirt interface for a predetermined time.

Abstract: An escalator system is provided and includes a combplate, a moving step, which is drivable to move in a conveyance direction along the combplate, to pass by the combplate at a step-combplate interface and an entrapment monitoring and detection system. The entrapment monitoring and detection system includes a sensor disposed at the step-combplate interface and configured to sense an object being present at the step-combplate interface and a processor configured to determine whether the sensor senses the object being present at the step-combplate interface for a predetermined time.

Abstract: An evaluation device for an elevator system includes a self-propelled drive unit including a motor secondary to travel along a motor primary in a hoistway, and at least one diagnostic sensor.

Abstract: An elevator system includes a lane and at least one rail extending along the lane. An elevator car is arranged in the lane and is operatively coupled to the at least one rail. The elevator car has a predetermined alignment relative to the at least one rail. A propulsion system is operatively connected between the elevator car and the at least one rail. A thrust and moment control system is operatively connected to the propulsion system. The thrust and moment control system selectively controls the propulsion system to substantially maintain the predetermined alignment of the elevator car relative to the at least one rail.

Abstract: A multi-car ropeless elevator system includes at least one lane. An elevator car is arranged in the at least one lane. A linear motor system includes a plurality of stationary motor primary sections extending along the at least one lane and at least one moveable motor secondary section mounted to the elevator car. A plurality of sensors is operatively connected to the linear motor system. Each of the plurality of sensors is operatively associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of stationary motor primary sections. A sensor failure detection and fusion system is operatively connected to each of the plurality of sensors. The sensor failure detection and fusion system operates to identify failures in one or more of the plurality of sensors and fuse data received from remaining ones of the plurality of sensors.

Abstract: An elevator component separation assurance system includes a controller, and a brake controller. The controller includes an electronic processor, a computer readable storage medium, a safety motion state estimator, and a safety assurance module. The safety motion state estimator is configured to identify velocity and position of each one of a plurality of elevator components. The safety assurance module is configured to select a separation map from a plurality of pre-pre-programmed separation maps for each one of an adjacent component pair of the plurality of elevator components for initiating a Ustop that maintains elevator component separation. The brake controller is carried by each one of the plurality of elevator components, and is configured to actuate a secondary brake upon detection of a loss of communication with at least a portion of the controller.

Abstract: A sensor system for a passenger conveyance system includes a multiple of 3D sensors mounted to a movable structure within a vertical shaft and/or a horizontal shaft and a processing module in communication with the multiple of 3D sensors, the processing module operable to identify an obstruction within the horizontal or vertical shaft.

Abstract: A method and system for managing an elevator system, includes providing a recovery car to travel in the hoistway via a motor, and engaging the car via an attachment device of the recovery car.