Ultrasonic/electromagnetic non-contact buttons/switches for elevators

A method of providing non-contact data selection, comprising the steps of:

• providing at least one data selection;
• providing a data selector in proximity to a data selection field;
• detecting the proximity of said data selector to said data selection field with a proximity detector;
• activating a non-contact selection system comprising a plurality of signal emitters and a plurality of signal receivers when said data selector is detected;
• said activating step comprising sequentially transmitting a plurality of signals in proximity to said plurality of data selections;
• said transmitting step comprising sequentially emitting a plurality of electromagnetic signals from said signal emitters each aimed at a corresponding one of said signal receivers;
• altering the path of at least one of said transmitted plurality of signals through interaction with said data selector;
• said altering step comprising partially blocking said path of at least one of said plurality of electromagnetic signals;
• detecting at least one of said altered plurality of signals;
• said detecting step comprising measuring an intensity of each of said electromagnetic signals at each of said plurality of signal receivers;
• determining a position of said selection device from said at least one of said altered plurality of signals;
• correlating said position of said data selector to said at least one data selection;
• and
• deactivating said non-contact selection system when said proximity detector has detected that said data selector has left the vicinity of the data selection field.

A non-contact data selection system comprising:

• at least one data selection;
• means for transmitting a plurality of signals in proximity to said plurality of data selections;
• said transmitting means comprising means for transmitting a plurality of acoustic signals from at least three groupings, each of said at least three groupings comprising a signal emitter for emitting one of said plurality of acoustic signals of a unique frequency and a signal receiver for receiving one of said plurality of acoustic signals;
• means for altering the path of at least one of said transmitted plurality of acoustic signals through interaction with a selection device;
• means for detecting at least one of said altered plurality of acoustic signals;
• means for determining a position of said selection device from said at least one of said altered plurality of acoustic signals;
• and
• means for correlating said position of said selection device to said at least one data selection.