Detection of people relative to a passenger conveyor with a capacitive sensor

US9272882B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY · US

Inventors

• Nicholas Charles Soldner · Southbury, US
• Arthur Hsu · South Glastonbury, US
• William A. Veronesi · Hartford, US
• Bryan Robert Siewert · Westbrook, US
• Gero Gschwendtner · Pressbaum, AT
• Abdullah Ercan · Wien, AT
• Alois Senger · Gresten, AT

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 18, 2009
• Grant date: Mar 1, 2016
• Expiry date: Dec 14, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R15/16
• WIPO field: Handling
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A system for detecting a person relative to a passenger conveyor includes a driving circuit for supplying an oscillating drive signal to a first electrode of a capacitive sensor configured to produce an electric field toward a second electrode in response to the oscillating drive signal. A detection circuit is connected to the capacitive sensor, and produces an output as a function of the capacitance of the capacitive sensor, such that the detection circuit senses a change in capacitance of the capacitive sensor, such as when a person enters the electric field between the first and second electrodes. A controller is responsive to the change in capacitance sensed by the detection circuit to selectively adjust an operation mode of the passenger conveyor.