"""Smart"" position transducer system for elevators"

US5274203A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY · US

Inventors

• Clement A. Skalski · Avon, US
• Richard C. McCarthy · Simsbury, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 8, 1993
• Grant date: Dec 28, 1993
• Expiry date: Mar 8, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B66B1/3492
• WIPO field: Handling
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

An elevator system (FIG. 1) employing a microprocessor-based group controller (FIG. 2 ) communicating with the cars (3, 4) using car position and velocity information provided by a "smart" primary position transducer (SPPT) system to control the motion of the cars and assign them to handle passenger demands. The SPPT includes an input shaft coupled to a primary encoder disk. Coupled to the shaft through gearing are one or more encoder disks (FIG. 7 ) performing the function of turns counting, as well as additional functions. Each disk contains multiple tracks, and each of these tracks is sensed by a sensor, or, alternatively, the SPPT may use two independent sensors per track. It is important to have two essentially independent means of performing the key sensing functions. The read heads of the SPPT are divided into primary and secondary sets with each set used to feed an independent processor. Within each set of sensor signals, cross checks are performed to insure the integrity of the system, which would detect a cracked or broken glass disk. In the electronics of the SPPT (FIG. 6 ) system primary and secondary position signals are each found by two methods and compared to maximi…