Optically monitoring comb-line of escalators and moving walks
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorsHerbert Horbruegger, Reinhard Henkel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method for monitoring at least part of a comb-line (18) of a comb plate (14) having a plurality of teeth (16), of a people conveyor (2) having a movable transportation band (4) and the comb plate (14) located at the transition (20) between the movable transportation band (4) and the stationary comb plate (14), wherein the method includes (a) taking a picture of the comb-line (18) with a camera (12); (b) comparing the picture with a reference picture; (c) determining the safety state of the comb-line (18) based on such comparison.
Claims14
A method for monitoring at least part of a comb-line of a people conveyor having a movable transportation band with a plurality of tread elements and a gap between adjacent tread elements and the comb plate located at a transition between the movable transportation band and a stationary surface, the comb plate having a plurality of teeth, wherein the method includes:
- (a) taking a picture of the comb-line with a camera that is positioned below the comb plate and bringing out the static comb-line of the picture by pattern filtering the picture;
- (b) comparing the pattern filtered picture with a reference picture;
- (c) determining a state of the comb-line based on the comparing.
A method for monitoring at least part of a comb-line of a people conveyor having a movable transportation band and the comb plate located at a transition between the movable transportation band and a stationary surface, the comb plate having a plurality of teeth, wherein the method includes:
- (a) taking a picture of the comb-line with a camera and bringing out the static comb-line of the picture by pattern filtering the picture;
- (b) comparing the pattern filtered picture with a reference picture;
- (c) determining a state of the comb-line based on the comparing, wherein the picture-taking step includes taking a plurality of pictures independent of a traffic situation on the movable transportation band, and performing an interference elimination by correlating the plurality of pictures.
A comb teeth monitoring device for monitoring at least part of a comb-line of a people conveyor having a movable transportation band with a plurality of tread elements and a gap between adjacent tread elements and a comb plate located at a transition between the movable transportation band and a stationary surface, wherein the comb plate has a plurality of teeth forming the comb-line, comprising:
- a camera positioned below the comb plate to take a picture of the comb plate through the gap;
- a memory for storing a reference picture of the comb-line;
- a pattern filtering unit for filtering a picture taken by the camera;
- a comparison unit for comparing a picture taken by the camera with the reference picture;
- and
- a determining unit for determining a state of the comb-line based on the comparison of the comparison unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.