阅读说明：本技术 使用振动确定电梯轿厢位点 (Determining elevator car position using vibration ) 是由 S.苏迪 于 2019-08-20 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供了用于确定电梯轿厢位点的方法和系统。方面包括通过处理器操作机器室传感器来收集与在电梯系统的机器室中的一个或多个组件相关联的振动数据,其中电梯系统包括电梯轿厢和井道,并且分析振动数据来确定电梯轿厢在井道中的位置。(Methods and systems for determining elevator car location are provided. Aspects include operating, by a processor, a machine room sensor to collect vibration data associated with one or more components in a machine room of an elevator system, wherein the elevator system includes an elevator car and a hoistway, and analyzing the vibration data to determine a position of the elevator car in the hoistway.)

1. A system for determining elevator car location, the system comprising:

a controller coupled to the memory;

a sensor affixed to a point proximate to a machine of an elevator system, wherein the elevator system includes a hoistway and an elevator car;

wherein the controller is configured to:

operating the sensor to collect vibration data associated with one or more components of the machine; and

analyzing the vibration data to determine a position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a proximity sensor affixed to a moving component of the elevator car, the sensor operated by the controller; and

a sensor affixed to a location within the hoistway of the elevator system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a passive actuator.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:

performing an initialization operation on the elevator car, the initialization operation comprising:

operating the elevator car to travel to a synchronized floor in the hoistway, the synchronized floor corresponding to the location of the actuator in the hoistway;

operating the elevator car to travel to each of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collecting vibration data with the machine room sensor; and

storing the vibration data in a memory.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to collect travel time data during the initialization operation of the elevator car.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

collecting, by the machine room sensor, synchronization data from a component of the machine room, wherein synchronization data includes vibration data associated with operation of the elevator car; and

analyzing the synchronization data to determine a synchronization point at which the elevator car is located in the hoistway.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to:

in response to determining that the elevator car is located at the synchronization point, operating the elevator car to travel to each of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collecting vibration data with the machine room sensor; and

storing the vibration data in a memory.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

operating an elevator operation sensor to collect elevator operation data associated with the elevator car based at least on determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway; and

associating the elevator operation data with the position of the elevator car.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the elevator operation data to a state-based maintenance system.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway comprises comparing the vibration data to the vibration data stored in memory to identify the position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a confidence score for one or more floor locations in the hoistway based on the comparing the vibration data to the vibration data stored in the memory, wherein determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway is based at least in part on the confidence score for the one or more floor locations.

12. A method for determining an elevator car location, the method comprising:

collecting, by a processor, vibration data associated with one or more components in a machine room of an elevator system, wherein the elevator system includes an elevator car and a hoistway; and

analyzing the vibration data to determine a position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the elevator system further comprises:

a proximity sensor affixed to a moving component of the elevator car; and

a sensor affixed to a location within the hoistway of the elevator system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

performing an initialization operation on the elevator car, the initialization operation comprising:

operating the elevator car to travel to a synchronized floor in the hoistway, the synchronized floor corresponding to the location of the actuator in the hoistway;

operating the elevator car to travel to each of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collecting vibration data with the machine room sensor; and

storing the vibration data in a memory.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising collecting travel time data during the initialization operation of the elevator car.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

collecting, by the machine room sensor, synchronization data from a component of the machine room, wherein synchronization data includes vibration data associated with operation of the elevator car; and

analyzing the synchronization data to determine a synchronization point at which the elevator car is located in the hoistway.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

in response to determining that the elevator car is located at the synchronization point, operating the elevator car to travel to each of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collecting vibration data with the machine room sensor; and

storing the vibration data in a memory.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

operating an elevator operation sensor to collect elevator operation data associated with the elevator car based at least on determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway; and

associating the elevator operation data with the position of the elevator car.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising communicating the elevator operation data to a state-based maintenance system.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway comprises comparing the vibration data to the vibration data stored in memory to identify the position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

Technical Field

The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to elevator systems and, more particularly, to a system for determining elevator car position in an elevator system using vibration.

Background

Elevator systems typically operate with various sensors that are utilized to determine the position of an elevator car within a hoistway. At the same time, sensor data can be collected to predict maintenance needs and any changes to the operating state. Sensor data collected from various sensors is most useful when correlating to the location of the elevator car within the hoistway.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one embodiment, a system is provided. The system includes a controller coupled to a memory, a sensor affixed (affix) to a point proximate to a machine of an elevator system, wherein the elevator system includes a hoistway and an elevator car, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the sensor to collect vibration data associated with one or more components of the machine and analyze the vibration data to determine a position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the system may comprise: a proximity sensor affixed to a moving component of the elevator car, the sensor operated by the controller, and a sensor affixed to a location within a hoistway of the elevator system.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the system may comprise: the sensor is a passive actuator.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the system may comprise: the controller is further configured to perform an initialization operation on the elevator car, the initialization operation including operating the elevator car to travel to a synchronized floor in the hoistway, the synchronized floor corresponding to a location of the actuator in the hoistway, operating the elevator car to travel to each of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collecting vibration data by the machine room sensor, and storing the vibration data in the memory.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the system may comprise: the controller is further configured to collect travel time data during an initialization operation of the elevator car.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the system may comprise: the controller is further configured to collect synchronization data from a component of the machine room via the machine room sensor, wherein the synchronization data includes vibration data associated with operation of the elevator car, and analyze the synchronization data to determine a synchronization point at which the elevator car is located in the hoistway.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the system may comprise: the controller is further configured to operate the elevator car to travel to each of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collect vibration data by the machine room sensor and store the vibration data in the memory in response to determining that the elevator car is located at the synchronization point.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the system may comprise: the controller is further configured to operate the elevator operation sensor to collect elevator operation data associated with the elevator car based at least on determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway, and associate the elevator operation data with the position of the elevator car.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the system may comprise: the controller is further configured to transmit the elevator operation data to a state based maintenance system.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the system may comprise: determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway includes comparing the vibration data to vibration data stored in memory to identify the position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the system may comprise: the controller is further configured to generate a confidence score for one or more floor locations in the hoistway based on comparing the vibration data to the vibration data stored in the memory, wherein determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway is based at least in part on the confidence score for the one or more floor locations.

According to one embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes operating, by a processor, a machine room sensor to collect vibration data associated with one or more components in a machine room of an elevator system, wherein the elevator system includes an elevator car and a hoistway, and analyzing the vibration data to determine a position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the method may comprise: wherein the elevator system further comprises a proximity sensor affixed to a moving component of the elevator car and a sensor affixed to a location within a hoistway of the elevator system.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the method may comprise: performing an initialization operation on the elevator car, the initialization operation including operating the elevator car to travel to a synchronized floor in the hoistway, the synchronized floor corresponding to a location of the actuator in the hoistway, operating the elevator car to travel to each of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collecting vibration data by the machine room sensor, and storing the vibration data in a memory.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the method may comprise: travel time data is collected during an initialization operation of the elevator car.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the method may comprise: the method includes collecting synchronization data from a component of the machine room by a machine room sensor, wherein the synchronization data includes vibration data associated with operation of the elevator car, and analyzing the synchronization data to determine a synchronization point at which the elevator car is located in the hoistway.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the method may comprise: in response to determining that the elevator car is located at the synchronization point, operating the elevator car to travel to each of a plurality of floors in the hoistway and collecting vibration data by the machine room sensor, and storing the vibration data in a memory.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the method may comprise: based at least on determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway, operating an elevator operation sensor to collect elevator operation data associated with the elevator car, and associating the elevator operation data with the position of the elevator car.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the method may comprise: elevator operation data is communicated to a state based maintenance system.

In addition or as an alternative to one or more of the features described above, a further embodiment of the method may comprise: determining the position of the elevator car in the hoistway includes comparing the vibration data to vibration data stored in memory to identify the position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

Drawings

The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and is not limited by the accompanying figures, in which like references indicate similar elements.

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of an elevator system that can employ various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of a computer system for use in implementing aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 3 depicts a block diagram of an elevator system 300 having a sensor system for determining elevator car position in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; and

fig. 4 depicts a flow diagram of a method for determining elevator car location in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

As shown and described herein, various features of the present disclosure will be presented. Various embodiments may have the same or similar features and therefore the same or similar features may be labeled with the same reference number, but the beginning of the reference number is the different first number of the figure for which the feature is shown. Thus, for example, the element "a" shown in diagram X may be labeled "Xa" and similar features in diagram Z may be labeled "Za". Although similar reference numerals may be used in a generic sense, various embodiments will be described and various features may include variations, modifications, etc. (whether explicitly described or otherwise as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art).

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an elevator system 101, the elevator system 101 including an elevator car 103, a counterweight 105, roping 107, guide rails 109, a machine 111, a position encoder 113, and a controller 115. The elevator car 103 and the counterweight 105 are connected to each other by a roping 107. The tether 107 may comprise or be configured as a rope, a steel cable, and/or a coated steel band, for example. The counterweight 105 is configured to balance the load of the elevator car 103 and to facilitate movement of the elevator car 103 relative to the counterweight 105 within the hoistway 117 and along the guide rails 109 simultaneously and in opposite directions.

The roping 107 engages a machine 111, which machine 111 is part of the roof structure of the elevator system 101. The machine 111 is configured to control movement between the elevator car 103 and the counterweight 105. The position encoder 113 can be mounted on an upper sheave of the governor system 119 and can be configured to provide a position signal related to the position of the elevator car 103 within the hoistway 117. In other embodiments, the position encoder 113 may be mounted directly to the moving components of the machine 111, or may be positioned in other locations and/or configurations as known in the art.

The controller 115 is positioned in a controller room 121 of the elevator hoistway 117 as shown and is configured to control operation of the elevator system 101 and particularly operation of the elevator car 103. For example, the controller 115 may provide drive signals to the machine 111 to control acceleration, deceleration, leveling, stopping, etc. of the elevator car 103. The controller 115 may also be configured to receive position signals from the position encoder 113. The elevator car 103 can stop at one or more landings 125 as controlled by the controller 115 when moving up or down along guide rails 109 within the hoistway 117. Although shown in the controller room 121, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the controller 115 can be positioned and/or configured in other locations or positions within the elevator system 101.

The machine 111 may include a motor or similar drive mechanism. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the machine 111 is configured to include an electrically driven motor. The power source for the motor may be any power source (including the electrical grid) that is supplied to the motor in combination with other components.

Although roping systems are shown and described, elevator systems that employ other methods and mechanisms for moving an elevator car within a hoistway (such as hydraulic and/or ropeless elevators) can employ embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is merely a non-limiting example presented for purposes of illustration and explanation.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown an embodiment of a processing system 200 for implementing the teachings herein. In this embodiment, the system 200 has one or more central processing units (processors) 21a, 21b, 21c, etc. (collectively or generically referred to as processor 21). In one or more embodiments, each processor 21 may comprise a Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) microprocessor. The processor 21 is coupled via a system bus 33 to a system memory 34 (RAM) and various other components. Read Only Memory (ROM) 22 is coupled to system bus 33 and may include a basic input/output system (BIOS) that controls certain basic functions of system 200.

FIG. 2 further depicts an input/output (I/O) adapter 27 and a network adapter 26 coupled to the system bus 33. I/O adapter 27 may be a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) adapter that communicates with hard disk 23 and/or tape storage drive 25, or any other similar component. The I/O adapter 27, hard disk 23, and tape storage 25 are collectively referred to herein as mass storage device 24. Operating system 40 for execution on processing system 200 may be stored in mass storage device 24. Network communications adapter 26 interconnects bus 33 with an external network 36, thereby enabling data processing system 200 to communicate with other such systems. A screen (e.g., a display monitor) 35 is connected to system bus 33 through a display adapter 32, which display adapter 32 may include a graphics adapter and a video controller to improve the performance of graphics-intensive applications. In one embodiment, adapters 27, 26, and 32 may be connected to one or more I/O buses that are connected to system bus 33 through intervening bus bridges (not shown). Suitable I/O buses for connecting peripheral devices, such as hard disk controllers, network adapters, and graphics adapters, typically include common protocols such as Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI). Additional input/output devices are shown connected to system bus 33 via user interface adapter 28 and display adapter 32. The keyboard 29, mouse 30, and speakers 31 are all interconnected to the bus 33 via the user interface adapter 28, which may comprise, for example, a super I/O chip that integrates multiple device adapters into a single integrated circuit.

In the exemplary embodiment, processing system 200 includes a graphics processing unit 41. Graphics processing unit 41 is a specialized electronic circuit designed to manipulate and alter memory to speed up the generation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display. In general, the graphics processing unit 41 is very efficient in manipulating computer graphics and image processing, and has a highly parallel structure, which makes the graphics processing unit 41 more efficient than a general purpose CPU for algorithms in which large block processing is done in parallel. The processing system 200 described herein is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the application, use, and/or techniques of this disclosure, which can be embodied in various forms known in the art.

Thus, as configured in FIG. 2, the system 200 includes processing power in the form of a processor 21, storage power including a system memory 34 and a mass storage device 24, input components such as a keyboard 29 and a mouse 30, and output power including a speaker 31 and a display 35. In one embodiment, a portion of system memory 34 and mass storage device 24 collectively store an operating system to coordinate the functions of the various components shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is merely a non-limiting example presented for purposes of illustration and explanation.

Turning now to an overview of technology more particularly related to aspects of the present disclosure, the collection of elevator performance data can be useful for predicting maintenance needs of an elevator system. However, to help make elevator performance data as useful as possible for predicting these maintenance needs, the data should be combined with the specific location of the elevator within the elevator hoistway. For example, if it is determined that a landing door is malfunctioning based on some sensor readings, the sensor data needs to be linked to a specific floor in order to assist in repair, so maintenance can be performed on the correct door. Likewise, maintenance personnel may want to know whether poor door performance is tied to all landing doors or to a particular landing door. Generally, elevator systems are able to know which floor the elevator is at by using a monitoring device that can communicate with the elevator controller, or by using sensors in the hoistway to determine which floor the elevator car is passing or landing on. However, installing these sensors in communication with the elevator controller can be expensive, particularly for existing elevator systems. There is a need for an easy to install, low cost system that can determine the location of an elevator car within an elevator hoistway.

Turning now to an overview of aspects of the present disclosure, one or more embodiments address the shortcomings of the prior art described above by providing an elevator car position sensing system that utilizes a combination of proximity sensors located on moving components of an elevator within a hoistway of a building. Also, the passive actuator is located at a fixed location within the hoistway. The passive actuator can be sensed by the proximity sensor and because the passive actuator is at a fixed location, the elevator car location can be synchronized (initialized) at the fixed location. For example, a passive actuator can be located at a particular floor (e.g., the top floor) of a building and synchronize an elevator car as it travels to that particular floor. In one or more embodiments, the elevator car location sensing system can also utilize sensors located in a control area such as the machine room or any other location of the elevator system (such as, for example, on the machine itself or attached to a sheave). The sensor is capable of detecting vibration patterns during operation of the elevator car. Based on these vibration patterns, a controller in electronic communication with the sensor can learn and determine the location of the elevator car within the hoistway. The detection of the vibration pattern, together with the synchronization sensor described above, enables the determination of the elevator car position. The elevator car location sensing system can trigger other sensors (vibration sensors, etc.) to collect sensor data that can be saved and/or transmitted to a state based management (CBM) system. Some example sensor data that can be collected by other sensors includes floor level accuracy sensing and other similar information related to each landing. In one or more embodiments, the elevator car position sensing system can be utilized during installation of a new elevator system or can be utilized to retrofit an existing elevator system due to its independence.

Turning now to a more detailed description of aspects of the present disclosure, fig. 3 depicts an elevator system 300 having a sensor system for determining elevator car location. The system 300 includes an elevator car 304 operating in a hoistway of a building. In the illustrated example, the elevator car 304 is shown dispatched to different floors within the hoistway at different time periods (e.g., synchronization, time 1, and time 2 as indicated below each elevator location). Also, the building hoistway includes floors 1, 2, 3, and 4. The elevator car 304 includes a sensor 310 affixed to the moving components of the elevator car 304. Located at one (or more) of the floors in the hoistway is a passive sensor 316 (herein, at the top floor (floor 4)). The system 300 includes a control area 312 housing an elevator machine 302, the elevator machine 302 providing mechanical operation for the elevator car 304 to operate throughout a hoistway. The elevator machine 302 can include both a motor and a sheave utilized for moving the elevator car 304 in a hoistway. The control area 312 includes a control area sensor 318. The sensors described herein can be controlled by an elevator control unit 306 connected to a network 320. Through the network 320, the elevator control unit 306 is able to communicate with a maintenance system 330. The maintenance system 330 can be any type of maintenance system, such as a state based maintenance (CBM) system.

In one or more embodiments, the elevator control unit 306, the sensor 310, and the control area sensor 318 can be implemented on the processing system 200 found in fig. 2. In addition, the cloud computing system may be capable of wired or wireless electronic communication with one or all of the elements of system 300. Cloud computing can supplement, support, or replace some or all of the functionality of the elements of system 300. Additionally, some or all of the functionality of the elements of system 300 can be implemented as nodes of a cloud computing system. The cloud computing node is only one example of a suitable cloud computing node and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the embodiments described herein.

In one or more embodiments, the sensor 310 can be affixed to a moving component of the elevator car 304, such as, for example, a top portion of the elevator car 304 or a bottom portion or side portion of the elevator car 304. For example, the sensor 310 can be affixed to a sheave or counterweight in the elevator system. In yet another embodiment, the sensor 310 can be affixed to a door header of the elevator car 304 and positioned such that the sensor 310 can collect sensor data related to the passive sensor 316. The passive sensor 316 can be, for example, a passive actuator. Also, the passive sensor 316 can be affixed to a point in the hoistway of the elevator system to serve as a reference point. For example, the reference point can be a top floor of the hoistway. As shown during the synchronization period in fig. 3, this reference point (floor 4) will initialize the elevator car 304 position in the hoistway for the elevator control unit 306. Initialization refers to when the elevator control unit 306 is able to determine the exact location of the elevator car 304 in the hoistway based on the interaction 314 between the sensor 310 and the passive sensor 316. When the sensor 310 reads the passive sensor 316, the elevator control unit 306 can "know" with some degree of certainty that the elevator car 304 is at the top of the hoistway (i.e., the reference point). The reference point can then be utilized to further determine the position of the elevator car 304 along the hoistway, as described further below.

In one or more embodiments, the control zone sensors 318 in the control zone 302 can collect vibration data at points in the hoistways 334, 336 by operation of the elevator cars 304 passing through the hoistways. The vibration data collected by the control area sensors 318 can be analyzed locally or in the cloud 320 by the elevator control unit 306 to determine vibration characteristics that are unique to a particular location in the hoistway. For example, vibrations having a particular amplitude or decibel level can be detected by the control zone sensor 318 in the control zone 312 as the elevator car 304 passes through the hoistway. The vibration signature can be associated with a particular location based on the reference floor and the time the elevator car travels in the hoistway. Also, the vibration characteristics can vary based on whether the elevator machine 302 engages the elevator car 304 in an upward direction or a downward direction. In the illustrated example, the unique vibration signature 334 between floor 2 and floor 3 can be determined by the elevator control unit 306. The vibration signature 334 can be used to supplement the reference floor determined by the sensor 310 and the passive sensor 316 of the top floor. The sensor 310 and the passive sensor 316 serve as reference points for the elevator car 304 and the elevator control unit 306. Based on the detection of the particular vibration characteristic by the control region sensor 318 in relation to the travel time from the reference location, the elevator control unit 306 can determine the location of the elevator car 304. Additionally, as the elevator car 304 passes through the hoistway, additional vibration characteristics 336 can be determined and utilized to determine the position of the elevator car 304 within the hoistway.

In one or more embodiments, the sensor 310 and the passive sensor 316 are not utilized in the system 300. Rather, the control room sensor 318 can identify a reference location in the hoistway that is likely to correspond to a particular location in the hoistway. For example, movement of the elevator car 304 from the top floor of the hoistway can be initiated with a unique vibration signature due to the mechanism that operates the elevator car 304. Based on the unique vibration signature, the elevator system 312 can utilize the location as a reference location for the elevator car 304. Additional reference points can be added based on the detection of the vibration signatures 334, 336 to supplement the determination of the elevator car location. In yet another embodiment, for a hoistway with a so-called "fast" travel path, the vibration mode of the travel path can be utilized as a reference point for the elevator control unit 306. A fast-traveling corridor refers to a high-rise building in which an elevator car serves a subset of floors along with a lobby. For example, in a 100-story building, the elevator car 304 may serve floors 60-80 as well as a lobby. When the elevator car travels from floor 1 to floor 60, the elevator car 304 typically travels at the highest speed without interruption. Knowing the travel pattern and comparing the vibration data, the elevator control unit 306 can determine a unique vibration signature to utilize as a reference point for the elevator car 304 in the hoistway. Typically when the car is in motion, there is a series of vibration bursts that can be sensed by the control zone sensor 318. For example, if the elevator moves from floor 1 to floor 4, the machine vibrations will exceed a certain threshold and these vibrations will last for a certain time. The algorithm can determine that three floors have been traversed. The direction of the car can be chosen because the machine load is slightly different in the empty car down and up states. In one case it works with gravity and in the other against gravity. The elevator control unit is thus able to determine the car position using the direction and a vibration "burst" based on a simple threshold. Sometimes, a passive (synchronous) sensor 316 positioned at the highest landing can be used to calibrate the system 200. For example, there can be a learning run during initial commissioning of the system. This synchronization can be triggered, for example, when there is a power failure, when the vibration signature may have exceeded a certain threshold, and when the elevator may have stopped halfway in the hoistway at a time. Some correction can be made accordingly. In one or more embodiments, vibration signatures for when the elevator car is traveling from a bottom landing to a top landing or vice versa can be used as a signature to synchronize algorithms for determining the position of the car. In one or more embodiments, the vibration signature can have some attribute such as, for example, a threshold level of signal that determines when the machine 302 is started or stopped. Starting and stopping is equivalent to the elevator car 304 moving from one landing and stopping at another landing. Some further attributes of the vibration signature include the time at which certain vibration signatures occur, which equates to the elevator car 304 moving from one landing to another for 4 seconds, and also the maximum floor level of the building at which the direction of the elevator car 304 can be determined.

Fig. 4 depicts a flow diagram of a method for determining elevator car location in accordance with one or more embodiments. The method 400 includes operating, by a processor, a machine room sensor to collect vibration data associated with one or more components in a machine room of an elevator system, wherein the elevator system includes an elevator car and a hoistway, as shown in block 402. Also at block 404, the method 400 includes analyzing the vibration data to determine a position of the elevator car in the hoistway.

Additional processes may also be included. It is to be understood that the flow depicted in fig. 4 represents a diagram and that other flows may be added or existing flows may be removed, modified or rearranged without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and methods is presented herein by way of example and not limitation with reference to the figures.

The term "about" is intended to include a degree of error associated with measuring a particular quantity based on equipment available at the time of filing an application.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a" and "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

While the disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.