US4832158A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Elevator system having microprocessor-based door operator
Assignee: Thyssen Elevator Holding Corp
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Filing: 1987-12-03
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Granted: 1989-05-23
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Expires: 2007-12-03
Abstract
Abstract An elevator system has a door operator with a door operator motor and a dedicated microprocessor for storing door open and door close cycles. The microprocessor initiates door open and close cycles responsive to external door open and door close commands. Preferably the microprocessor stores a plurality of door closed cycles in which the elevator controller selects one of the cycles when issuing a door closed command.
Inventors
- 👤 Dennis J. Farrar
- 👤 Mark H. Duckworth
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 19:29
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/18; G05B19/19; G05B19/21; G05B19/23; G05B19/231; G05B19/232; G05B19/04; G05B19/042; G05B19/0421; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/20; G05B2219/21; G05B2219/21046; G05B2219/23; G05B2219/23214; G05B2219/25; G05B2219/25176; G05B2219/25194; G05B2219/25274; G05B2219/26; G05B2219/2628; G05B2219/2659; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/31; G05B2219/31094; G05B2219/33; G05B2219/33176; G05B2219/34; G05B2219/34466; G05B2219/36; G05B2219/36464; G05B2219/37; G05B2219/37103; G05B2219/37182; G05B2219/37185; G05B2219/37187; G05B2219/37313; G05B2219/41; G05B2219/41292; G05B2219/42; G05B2219/42237; G05B2219/43; G05B2219/43072; G05B2219/43079; G05B2219/43081; G05B2219/45; G05B2219/45242
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
391 words
An elevator system having a car with a door moveable between open and closed positions, a drive means for raising and lowering the car, a processor control means for actuating said drive means for moving the car between landings and for stopping the car at landings, and for issuing door open and door closed commands, and a door operator means comprising: a door drive means coupled to said door for opening and closing the door; position indicating means representative of door open limit DOL and door closed limit DCL; obstruction detecting means; sensor means for generating travel distance signals representative of distance of door travel; and microprocessor means coupled to said processor control means for controlling said door drive means including (a) means for generating speed control signals for controlling the speed of said door drive means; (b) programmable means for storing travel distance value between open and closed positions of the door; (c) programmable means for storing maximum door speed, travel-in speed, slowdown distance, and travel-in distance for both a door open cycle and a door closed cycle; (d) means responsive to a door open or close command from said processor control means for executing a door opening or closing cycle, wherein each cycle includes programmed command for: (i) activating said door drive means up to said maximum door speed; (ii) calculating instantaneous door position responsive to said stored travel distance and said travel distance signals; (iii) slowing down said door drive means at a pre-selected rate responsive to reaching said slowdown distance; (iv) operating said drive means at said travel-in speed responsive to reaching said travel in-distance; (v) stopping said door upon detecting DOL or DCL; and (vi) wherein said door closed cycle further includes an interrupt means responsive to said obstruction detecting means for stopping said drive means; and wherein said microprocessor means further includes a first interrupt cycle for re-opening the door responsive to said obstruction detecting means; a second interrupt cycle for stopping, but not fully re-opening the door, responsive to said obstruction detecting means, and a third interrupt cycle for overriding at least one obstruction detecting means and actuating said drive means for urging said door closed; and wherein said processor control means comprises means for selecting, in conjunction with issuing door closed commands, the first, second, or third interrupt cycle for closing the door.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
391 words
An elevator system having a car with a door moveable between open and closed positions, a drive means for raising and lowering the car, a processor control means for actuating said drive means for moving the car between landings and for stopping the car at landings, and for issuing door open and door closed commands, and a door operator means comprising: a door drive means coupled to said door for opening and closing the door; position indicating means representative of door open limit DOL and door closed limit DCL; obstruction detecting means; sensor means for generating travel distance signals representative of distance of door travel; and microprocessor means coupled to said processor control means for controlling said door drive means including (a) means for generating speed control signals for controlling the speed of said door drive means; (b) programmable means for storing travel distance value between open and closed positions of the door; (c) programmable means for storing maximum door speed, travel-in speed, slowdown distance, and travel-in distance for both a door open cycle and a door closed cycle; (d) means responsive to a door open or close command from said processor control means for executing a door opening or closing cycle, wherein each cycle includes programmed command for: (i) activating said door drive means up to said maximum door speed; (ii) calculating instantaneous door position responsive to said stored travel distance and said travel distance signals; (iii) slowing down said door drive means at a pre-selected rate responsive to reaching said slowdown distance; (iv) operating said drive means at said travel-in speed responsive to reaching said travel in-distance; (v) stopping said door upon detecting DOL or DCL; and (vi) wherein said door closed cycle further includes an interrupt means responsive to said obstruction detecting means for stopping said drive means; and wherein said microprocessor means further includes a first interrupt cycle for re-opening the door responsive to said obstruction detecting means; a second interrupt cycle for stopping, but not fully re-opening the door, responsive to said obstruction detecting means, and a third interrupt cycle for overriding at least one obstruction detecting means and actuating said drive means for urging said door closed; and wherein said processor control means comprises means for selecting, in conjunction with issuing door closed commands, the first, second, or third interrupt cycle for closing the door.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
An elevator system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said door drive means includes a motor and an H-bridge motor control having transistors activated in pairs for providing current, and wherein said microprocessor means has means to provide said speed control signals for actuating said transistors out of phase for doubling the effective switching frequency.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
An elevator system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means includes timer means for setting door open times, and responsive to said obstruction detecting means and door re-opening, for setting a different door open time.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
87 words
An elevator system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said microprocessor means includes a pulser microprocessor for issuing speed control signals, said pulser microprocessor including input/output terminals for receiving signals from said obstruction detecting means and DOL and DCL signals, and a control microprocessor for receiving door open and door close commands, sensor means for monitoring and correcting the speed of said drive means, means for instructing said pulser microprocessor to initiate door open and door closed cycles, and means for communicating with said processor control means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
An elevator system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said control microprocessor and pulser microprocessor each includes on-board, programmable memory for storing an operating program.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
An elevator system as defined in claim 4, wherein said door drive means includes a motor, a motor control, and a control logic device for supplying signals to said motor control, wherein, said pulser microprocessor supplies said speed control signals to said control logic device, and wherein said control microprocessor includes means for monitoring said pulser microprocessor output and for controlling the output of said control logic device responsive thereto.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
100 words
An elevator system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said door operator means includes a housing, and wherein the drive means includes a motor and a main drive pulley coupled to the motor, said pulley including a shaft supported by said housing and having a shaft extension disposed in the housing, a printed circuit board mounted in said housing and containing said microprocessor means, wherein said printed circuit board includes an edge adjacent said shaft extension, and wherein said shaft and edge contain cooperating elements of a means for detecting rotational position of said shaft at DOL and DCL positions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
An elevator system as claimed in claim 6, comprising a pair of sensor means for generating pulses representative of motor rpm, said pulses being out of phase, and means for determining motor direction responsive to signal comparison characteristics.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
335 words
A elevator system having a car with a door moveable between open and closed positions, a drive means for raising and lowering the car, a processor control means for actuating said drive means for moving the car between landings and for stopping the car at landings, and for issuing door open and door closed commands, and a door operator means comprising: a door drive means coupled to said door for opening and closing the door; position indicating means representative of door open limit DOL and door closed limit DCL; obstruction detecting means; sensor means for generating travel distance signals representative of distance of door travel; microprocessor means for controlling said door drive means; a serial communications link coupling said microprocessor means and said processor control means; and at least one diagnostic terminal connector, for an external diagnostic/programming device, connected to said communications link; wherein said microprocessor means comprises: (a) means for generating speed control signals for controlling the speed of said door drive means; (b) programmable means for storing travel distance value between open and closed positions of the door; (c) programmable means for selectively receiving from said diagnostic terminal connector, and for storing, maximum door speed, travel-in speed, slowdown distance, and travel-in distance for both a door open cycle and a door closed cycle; (d) means responsive to a door open or close command from said processor control means for executing a door opening or closing cycle, wherein each cycle includes programmed commands for: (i) activating said door drive means up to said maximum speed; (ii) calculating instantaneous door position responsive to said stored travel distance and said travel distance signals; (iii) slowing down said drive means at a pre-selected rate responsible to reaching said slowdown distance; (iv) operating said drive means at said travel-in speed responsive to reaching said travel in-distance; (v) stopping said door upon detecting DOL or DCL; and (vi) wherein said door closed cycle further includes an interrupt means responsive to said obstruction detecting means for stopping said drive means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
335 words
A elevator system having a car with a door moveable between open and closed positions, a drive means for raising and lowering the car, a processor control means for actuating said drive means for moving the car between landings and for stopping the car at landings, and for issuing door open and door closed commands, and a door operator means comprising: a door drive means coupled to said door for opening and closing the door; position indicating means representative of door open limit DOL and door closed limit DCL; obstruction detecting means; sensor means for generating travel distance signals representative of distance of door travel; microprocessor means for controlling said door drive means; a serial communications link coupling said microprocessor means and said processor control means; and at least one diagnostic terminal connector, for an external diagnostic/programming device, connected to said communications link; wherein said microprocessor means comprises: (a) means for generating speed control signals for controlling the speed of said door drive means; (b) programmable means for storing travel distance value between open and closed positions of the door; (c) programmable means for selectively receiving from said diagnostic terminal connector, and for storing, maximum door speed, travel-in speed, slowdown distance, and travel-in distance for both a door open cycle and a door closed cycle; (d) means responsive to a door open or close command from said processor control means for executing a door opening or closing cycle, wherein each cycle includes programmed commands for: (i) activating said door drive means up to said maximum speed; (ii) calculating instantaneous door position responsive to said stored travel distance and said travel distance signals; (iii) slowing down said drive means at a pre-selected rate responsible to reaching said slowdown distance; (iv) operating said drive means at said travel-in speed responsive to reaching said travel in-distance; (v) stopping said door upon detecting DOL or DCL; and (vi) wherein said door closed cycle further includes an interrupt means responsive to said obstruction detecting means for stopping said drive means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-05-22 | 1992-11-21 | 1993-05-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-05-22 | 1996-11-21 | 1997-05-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-05-22 | 2000-11-21 | 2001-05-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |