# US 12,600,598 B2 · Elevator system having a laser distance measuring device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,600,598 B2 - Document ID: US12600598B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/309,402 - Filed: 2019-12-02 - Published: 2022-01-06 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-18 - Assignees: Inventio AG - Applicants: Inventio AG - Inventors: Domenico De Piano; Faruk Osmanbasic; Titus Bucher; Michael Thalmann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12600598B2 ## CPC - B66B 1/3492: {Position or motion detectors or driving means for the detector (B66B1/40, B66B1/50 take precedence; length measuring G01B; speed measuring G01P)} - G01S 7/4814: {of transmitters alone} - G01S 17/08: for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) - B66B: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ({apparatus for raising or lowering persons on theatrical stages or the like A63J5/12} ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract An elevator system includes an elevator car and a laser distance measuring device. The elevator car is moved along a travel path that is delimited at the top by an upper boundary and at the bottom by a lower boundary. The laser distance measuring device emits a laser beam and determines a distance to a position at which the laser beam impinges on an object. The laser distance measuring device is mounted on the elevator car such that the laser beam can be directed upward to the upper boundary in a first configuration and can be directed downward to the lower boundary in a second configuration. A current position of the elevator car can thereby be determined in a redundant manner. Furthermore, in a third configuration, lateral distances to boundary markers can be measured to read out information that is codified by the boundary markers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An elevator system comprising: an elevator car movable along a travel path delimited at a top of the travel path by an upper boundary and delimited at a bottom of the travel path by a lower boundary; a laser distance measuring device emitting a laser beam and being adapted to determine a distance to a position at which the laser beam impinges on an object from a portion of the laser beam that is reflected back or backscattered by the object; and wherein the laser distance measuring device is mounted on the elevator car and is operable to change a direction of the laser beam to direct the laser beam upward toward the upper boundary in a first configuration and to direct the laser beam downward toward the lower boundary in a second configuration, whereby the laser distance measuring device determines a distance to the upper boundary when in the first configuration and determines a distance to the lower boundary when in the second configuration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The elevator system according to claim 1 wherein the laser distance measuring device includes a mirror movable between a first mirror position and a second mirror position, the mirror in the first mirror position aligning the laser beam according to the first configuration and the mirror in the second mirror position aligning the laser beam according to the second configuration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The elevator system according to claim 2 wherein the mirror is rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation to move between the first mirror position and the second mirror position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The elevator system according to claim 2 wherein the laser distance measuring device is operable to direct the laser beam toward a lateral boundary next to the travel path in a third configuration and to determine a distance to the lateral boundary when in the third configuration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The elevator system according to claim 4 wherein the mirror is movable into a third mirror position thereby aligning the laser beam according to the third configuration. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The elevator system according to claim 5 wherein the mirror does not deflect the laser beam when in the third mirror position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The elevator system according to claim 1 including a plurality of boundary markers arranged laterally next to the travel path at different heights along the travel path and wherein the laser distance measuring device is operable to determine a lateral distance to each of the boundary markers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The elevator system according to claim 7 wherein the boundary markers are arranged at different horizontal lateral distances in relation to the travel path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The elevator system according to claim 8 wherein the elevator system includes a plurality of elevator shaft doors at different height positions along the travel path and wherein the horizontal lateral distance at which one of the boundary markers is arranged correlates with a number of the elevator shaft doors located at the height of the one boundary marker along the travel path. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The elevator system according to claim 7 wherein each of the boundary markers has an upper end and a lower end and wherein for each of the boundary markers a region between the upper end and the lower end thereof marks a region within which the elevator car can be subjected to level compensation during operation of the elevator system. ### Claim 11 An elevator system comprising: an elevator car movable along a travel path delimited at a top of the travel path by an upper boundary and delimited at a bottom of the travel path by a lower boundary; a laser distance measuring device emitting a laser beam and being adapted to determine a distance to a position at which the laser beam impinges on an object from a portion of the laser beam that is reflected back or backscattered by the object, the laser distance measuring device including a mirror movable among a first mirror position, a second mirror position and a third mirror position; wherein the laser distance measuring device is mounted on the elevator car and is operable among a first configuration, a second configuration and a third configuration; wherein the laser distance measuring device, when in the first configuration, moves the mirror to the first mirror position whereby the mirror directs the laser beam upward toward the upper boundary and wherein the laser distance measuring device determines a distance to the upper boundary; wherein the laser distance measuring device, when in the second configuration, moves the mirror to the second mirror position whereby the mirror directs the laser beam downward toward the lower boundary and wherein the laser distance measuring device determines a distance to the lower boundary; and wherein the laser distance measuring device, when in the third configuration, moves the mirror to the third mirror position to direct the laser beam toward a lateral boundary next to the travel path and to determine a distance to the lateral boundary, and wherein the mirror does not deflect the laser beam when the mirror is in the third mirror position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The elevator system according to claim 11 wherein the mirror is rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation to move among the first mirror position, the second mirror position and the third mirror position.