Contactless hall effect push button switch
AssigneeThyssenKrupp Elevator Capital Corporation
InventorsRobert H. Sweet, James A. Nickerson, Michael A. Palazzola
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A programmable switching device that employs a Hall Effect sensor and a moving magnet is disclosed. The Hall Effect sensor is electrically connected to a programmable microprocessor that is programmed to detect changes in Hall Effect voltages at the sensor. The programmable switching device may also be configured as a rotary switching device. By using a plurality of magnets and Hall Effect transducers and orienting some magnets with their polarities in different directions, a temper-proof switch can be achieved. The programmable switching device may be connected to a serial bus that is interfaced with an elevator controller.
Claims20
A contactless push-button device comprising:
- a push-button element that is linearly displaceable between a first position and a second position and biased to move from the second position to the first position;
- a magnet mounted to the push button element;
- a Hall Effect transducer mounted in line with the linear displacement direction of the push-button so that when the push-button moves from the first position to the second position the distance between the magnet and the Hall Effect transducer changes;
- a programmable microprocessor for being assigned a unique address, the programmable microprocessor electrically connected to the Hall Effect Transducer;
A switching device comprising:
- a Hall Effect transducer;
- a movable magnetic element that moves relative to the Hall Effect transducer;
- a programmable microprocessor electrically connected to the Hall Effect transducer, the microprocessor programmed to execute a field averaging algorithm to compensate for changes in quiescent Hall Effect voltages, the programmable microprocessor also programmed to contain a unique address;
- and
- a communication interface for connecting the microprocessor to a controller;
- the communication interface connected to the microprocessor.
An elevator system comprising:
- an elevator controller;
- a programmable contactless push-button device comprising:
- (i) a Hall Effect transducer having a quiescent Hall Effect voltage;
- (ii) a moving magnet located in line with the Hall Effect transducer, the moving magnet being linearly displaceable along the line formed by the magnet and the Hall Effect transducer;
- and
- (iii) a microprocessor that is interfaced with the Hall Effect transducer;
- the microprocessor programmed to calculate running averages for the quiescent voltage, the microprocessor also having a unique address;
- and
- a serial bus connecting the microprocessor to the elevator controller.
A contactless, rotary switch device comprising:
- a rotating disk having a surface;
- one or more magnets disposed on the disk;
- and
- one or more Hall Effect transducers located on a planar surface that is parallel to the surface of the disk, the distance between the Hall Effect transducers and the magnets varying as the disk rotates.
A switch comprising:
- a plurality of Hall Effect transducers disposed on a planar surface;
- a rotatable disk that is parallel to the planar surface;
- a first set of magnets disposed on the disk, at least two magnets in the first set having their polarities oriented in different directions;
- a second set of magnets disposed on the disk, at least two magnets in the second set having their polarities oriented in different directions;
- the disk having a first position where one or more magnets in the first set is located over each Hall Effect transducer;
- and
- the disk having a second position where one or more magnets in the second set is located over each Hall Effect transducer, and at least one transducer having a magnet over it with a polarity oriented differently than when the disk is in the first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.