Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being taught by Otis (EP 1159218).
With respect to claim 1, Otis teaches an elevator safety system comprising:
an electronic safety controller (fig. 1, 20);
at least one safety sensor (fig. 1, 31-33) providing safety-related information;
at least one dual-channel safety node communicatively (paragraph 0039; 91-96) connected to the safety controller and configured to obtain safety-related information from the at least one safety sensor; and
a safety diagnostics (paragraph 0024; software) configured to:
detect a single-channel failure of the at least one dual-channel safety node (paragraph 0024); and
in response to detecting a single-channel failure, determine integrity of the obtained safety-related information (paragraph 0029);
wherein, in case the safety-related information was determined intact, the safety controller is configured to generate a command allowing a rescue run of an elevator car to a rescue floor using said safety-related information (paragraph 0031).
With respect to claim 2, Otis teaches wherein said at least one dual-channel safety node has a duplicated and redundant, fail-safe processing structure (paragraph 0039-0040).
With respect to claim 3, Otis teaches wherein said at least one dual-channel safety node is communicatively connected to the safety controller via duplicated messaging, preferably via a duplicated data bus (paragraph 0040).
With respect to claim 4, Otis teaches wherein duplicated data is transferred via both data buses of the duplicated data bus between the at least one dual-channel safety node and the safety controller (paragraph 0029).
With respect to claim 5, Otis teaches wherein the single-channel failure is a single-channel failure of one of said data buses, in particular a single cable problem or a single connector problem or a single data transceiver problem, or electric interference, such as common-mode interference that disturbs data communication (paragraph 0029).
With respect to claim 6, Otis teaches wherein the at least one dual-channel safety node comprises two safety inputs connected to the at least one safety sensor, and wherein the single-channel failure is failure of one of the safety inputs (paragraph 0039-0040).
With respect to claim 7, Otis teaches wherein the at least one safety sensor is connected to the at least one dual-channel safety node (paragraph 0039-0040).
With respect to claim 8, Otis teaches wherein the at least one safety sensor comprises a safety contact (paragraph 0030) and/or other sensor, such as a limit switch, a position sensor, a speed sensor or a camera.
With respect to claim 9, Otis teaches wherein the at least one dual-channel safety node is disposed in the car, and the at least one safety sensor is one of a car pulley encoder, a door zone sensor (fig. 1, 31-33; door zone), a car door contact, and a safety contact of an elevator safety gear.
With respect to claim 10, Otis teaches wherein the safety diagnostics is a separate diagnostics device, or a diagnostics function implemented in a software (paragraph 0031-0030) comprised by the at least one dual-channel safety node and/or by the safety controller.
With respect to claim 11, Otis teaches an elevator system comprising; an elevator shaft (claim 5) and an elevator car (abstract) configured to transfer passengers and/or cargo in the elevator shaft between landing floors, floors; and the elevator safety system according to any of claim 1 allowing a rescue run of the car to a rescue floor.
With respect to claim 12, Otis teaches an elevator car rescue run method in the elevator system according to claim 11, the method comprising:
obtaining by the at least one dual-channel safety node safety-related information from the safety sensor (paragraph 0039);
detecting by the safety diagnostics a single-channel failure of the at least one dual-channel safety node (paragraph 0024); and
in response to detecting the single-channel failure, determining integrity of the obtained safety-related information (paragraph 0029);
information, wherein, in case the safety-related information was determined intact, generating by the safety controller a command allowing a rescue run of the car to a rescue floor using said safety-related information (paragraph 0031).
With respect to claim 13, Otis teaches further comprising continuing a current elevator run as the rescue run to the rescue floor (paragraph 0031); or performing a new, low-speed rescue run after stopping of the car.
With respect to claim 14, Otis teaches further comprising; performing the rescue run automatically upon occurring of an emergency stopping situation (paragraph 0031); or initiating the rescue run locally on-site by pressing a manual drive button; or initiating the rescue run remotely by sending a message from a remote entity, such as a service center.
With respect to claim 15, Otis teaches further comprising: after arrival of the car to the rescue floor, preventing by the safety system a next elevator run; and shutting down operation of the elevator until the diagnosed failure has been repaired (paragraph 0031).
With respect to claim 16, Otis teaches wherein said at least one dual-channel safety node is communicatively connected to the safety controller via duplicated messaging, preferably via a duplicated data bus (paragraph 0040).
With respect to claim 17, Otis teaches wherein the single-channel failure is a single-channel failure of one of said data buses, in particular a single cable problem or a single connector problem or a single data transceiver problem, or electric interference, such as common-mode interference that disturbs data communication (paragraph 0029).
With respect to claim 18, Otis teaches wherein the at least one dual- channel safety node comprises two safety inputs connected to the at least one safety sensor, and wherein the single-channel failure is failure of one of the safety inputs (paragraph 0039-0040).
With respect to claim 19, Otis teaches wherein the at least one dual-channel safety node comprises two safety inputs connected to the at least one safety sensor, and wherein the single-channel failure is failure of one of the safety inputs (paragraph 0039-0040).
With respect to claim 20, Otis teaches wherein the at least one dual-channel safety node comprises two safety inputs connected to the at least one safety sensor, and wherein the single-channel failure is failure of one of the safety inputs (paragraph 0039-0040).
Conclusion
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/ERICK D GLASS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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