Abstract: A safety detection system for a door apparatus comprising a plurality of linearly disposed emitters (17) each adapted to be activated to emit an energy beam (23), and a plurality of linearly disposed receivers (11) each corresponding to one of the plurality of emitters and adapted to receive one of the energy beams (23) from the corresponding one of the plurality of emitters (17), wherein each of the plurality of receivers (11) is singularly activated prior to receiving the energy beam (23) in accordance with a scan sequence, wherein each of the plurality of emitters is singularly activated to emit the energy beam in accordance with the scan sequence, and wherein each activated one of the plurality of receivers upon receiving the energy beam deactivates and a next one of the plurality of receivers in the scan sequence is activated.

Abstract: A method for detecting interference energy in a sliding door safety system includes the steps of disposing at least one emitter along a first vertical surface, disposing at least one receiver corresponding to the at least one emitter along a second vertical surface, activating the at least one receiver, activating the at least one emitter to emit an energy beam that includes a modulated square wave of a predetermined frequency, sampling an energy intensity received by the activated at least one receiver a predetermined number of times recording each time a received energy intensity to form a plurality of recorded energy intensities, selecting the lowest magnitude one of the plurality of recorded energy intensities to form a lowest recorded energy intensity, comparing the lowest recorded energy intensity to a threshold value and determining a source of the energy intensity to be external when the lowest recorded energy intensity is less than the threshold value.

Abstract: A method for detecting interference energy in a sliding door safety system includes the steps of disposing at least one emitter along a first vertical surface, disposing at least one receiver corresponding to the at least one emitter along a second vertical surface, activating the at least one receiver, activating the at least one emitter to emit an energy beam that includes a modulated square wave of a predetermined frequency, sampling an energy intensity received by the activated at least one receiver a predetermined number of times recording each time a received energy intensity to form a plurality of recorded energy intensities, selecting the lowest magnitude one of the plurality of recorded energy intensities to form a lowest recorded energy intensity, comparing the lowest recorded energy intensity to a threshold value and determining a source of the energy intensity to be external when the lowest recorded energy intensity is less than the threshold value.

Abstract: A camera (26), with suitable illumination (such as IR) provides images to a processing card (33) which converts the images to numerical vectors and applies them to a neural network (35) which is capable of providing a door-open signal (38) in response to something, either moving or still, in the paths of the doors (29), or anything moving in a manner to indicate intent to enter the elevator in the landing adjacent to the elevator (27). The door open signal is provided to the elevator door controller (39) to cause the doors to become or remain open in response to anything moving toward the elevator or anything disposed in the door pathway.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting the distance between opposing sides of an elevator door system is presented. The invention enhances the ability of an elevator door safety system to discriminate between false targets and true obstructions. The method detects distance between a first plurality of emitters and a first plurality of receivers mounted on the opposing sides of the elevator door system. The method comprises emitting an energy beam from an emitter. A halo component of the energy beam, having a predetermined wide angle, is sampled with the plurality of receivers to provide a set of energy signals indicative of intensity of the halo component energy sampled. From the set of energy signals, a vertical distance from the center of the pattern to an intersection of the halo component with the first plurality of receivers is determined. The distance between the first plurality of emitters and receivers is then calculated utilizing the predetermined wide angle and the vertical distance.