Field of the Invention:

The invention relates to passenger transporta- tion systems of a building and radio communication. In particular, the invention relates to enhanced radio signal coverage in an elevator environment.

Description of the Related Art:

Passenger transportation devices and systems such as lifts/elevators of a building typically include e.g. an emergency telephone or other telephony equip ^¬ ment that nowadays often utilizes wireless technology such as second generation (2G) or third generation (3G) mobile telecommunications technology. Furthermore, pas ^¬ sengers in the elevator cars may need to be able to use their handheld wireless devices.

However, since the hoistway is usually a back ^¬ bone of the building made e.g. from concrete and steel, it is difficult for a wireless network signal to get into the hoistway where the wireless transceiver is of ^¬ ten located. Furthermore, e.g. metal coated thermal in ^¬ sulations and selective windows prevent network signal access to a building.

On the other hand, getting an antenna of the wireless transceiver out from the hoistway is often difficult. Furthermore, using active repeaters and the like to improve the signal in the hoistway requires costly components and extra electric power. Further- more, in some countries and/or areas only network oper ^¬ ators are allowed to install active repeaters. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to alleviate the problems described above and to introduce a solution that allows enhancing radio signal coverage in an elevator environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

An embodiment of an elevator antenna pair comprises a primary antenna that is configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals with an external wireless communication network. The elevator antenna pair further comprises a secondary antenna that is communicatively connected to the primary antenna and con ^¬ figured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals with at least one radio frequency transceiver in an el- evator car. The primary antenna is arranged within an elevator landing signalization unit, and the secondary antenna is arranged inside an elevator hoistway.

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, the primary antenna comprises a passive repeater antenna.

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, the secondary an ^¬ tenna comprises a passive repeater antenna.

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, the secondary an ^¬ tenna is communicatively connected to the primary an ^¬ tenna via a wire, and further via a connector arranged in the elevator landing signalization unit.

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, the connector is further arranged on a printed circuit board of the ele ^¬ vator landing signalization unit. In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, the primary antenna is arranged on or in a printed circuit board of the el ^¬ evator landing signalization unit.

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, the primary antenna comprises a metal foil.

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, the external wire- less communication network comprises a wireless tele ^¬ communication network.

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, at least one radio frequency transceiver in the elevator car comprises an elevator emergency telephone.

An embodiment of an elevator system comprises an elevator car having at least one radio frequency transceiver. The elevator system further comprises a hoistway that comprises openings to floors, each open- ing having an associated elevator landing signalization unit. The elevator system further comprises at least one elevator antenna pair of the above embodiment ( s ) .

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, at least one of the elevator landing signalization units comprises at least one of elevator call buttons, elevator hall lanterns or elevator hall indicators.

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, the wire of each antenna pair is laid via a hoistway wall through-hole arranged for display cabling of an associated elevator landing signalization unit. In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, the elevator system comprises at least two elevator antenna pairs according to the above embodiment ( s ) , the primary antennas of which are each arranged in elevator landing signaliza- tion units at different floors.

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, one of the elevator antenna pairs is arranged in a top floor.

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, one of the elevator antenna pairs is arranged in a bottom floor.

In an embodiment, alternatively or in addition to the above described embodiments, the elevator anten- na pairs are distributed substantially evenly between the floors to provide radio signal coverage for the whole hoistway length.

The invention allows enhancing radio signal coverage in an elevator environment. At least some of the embodiments allow easy installation since no extra wall drillings for antennas are needed. At least some of the embodiments allow low cost installation since no expensive active repeater antennas or amplifiers are needed. At least some of the embodiments allow low cost installation since no high quality (and expensive) ca ^¬ bling to connect active repeater antennas to each other is needed. At the same time, at least some of the em ^¬ bodiments allow providing radio signal coverage for the whole travel of an elevator car. At least some of the embodiments allow integrating the antenna structure in ^¬ to already existing electronics at least partially, such as call button and/or call display devices at landings. At least some of the embodiments allow en ^¬ hancing elevator radio signal coverage in a way that requires little maintenance and no on-site electric power due to the use of passive repeater antennas. At least some of the embodiments allow enhancing elevator radio signal coverage for both wireless elevator emer ^¬ gency telephones and wireless devices of the passengers in the elevator car. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate em ^¬ bodiments of the invention and together with the de- scription help to explain the principles of the inven ^¬ tion. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an example block diagram of elevator antenna pair in accordance with an example embodiment; and

Fig. 2 is an example block diagram of an elevator system incorporating elevator antenna pairs in accordance with an example embodiment.

Like reference numerals are used to designate like parts in the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

Reference will now be made in detail to embod ^¬ iments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description provided below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the present examples and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present examples may be con ^¬ structed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions of the examples and the sequence of opera ^¬ tions for constructing and operating the example. How- ever, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different examples.

FIG. 1 illustrates an elevator antenna pair 100. It should be noted that at least some of the ele ^¬ ments described below may not be mandatory and thus some may be omitted in certain embodiments.

The elevator antenna pair 100 comprises a pri ^¬ mary antenna 110 that is configured to transmit and re ^¬ ceive radio frequency signals with an external wireless communication network. The external wireless communica- tion network may comprise e.g. a wireless telecommuni ^¬ cation network, such as a mobile telecommunications network based on second generation (2G) , third genera ^¬ tion (3G) , fourth generation (4G) and/or fifth generation (5G) mobile telecommunications technology. Alter- natively/in addition, the wireless communication network may comprise e.g. a wireless local area network (WLAN) .

The elevator antenna pair 100 further compris ^¬ es a secondary antenna 120 that is communicatively con- nected to the primary antenna 110 and configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals with at least one radio frequency transceiver in an elevator car, such as the radio frequency transceiver 211 in the elevator car 210 of FIG. 2.

The primary antenna 110 and the secondary an ^¬ tenna 120 may each comprise a passive repeater antenna. The primary antenna 110 is arranged within an elevator landing signalization unit, such as the elevator landing signalization unit 231a or 231b of FIG. 2. The sec ^¬ ondary antenna 120 is arranged inside an elevator hoistway, such as the elevator hoistway 220 of FIG. 2.

The secondary antenna 120 may be communica ^¬ tively connected to the primary antenna 110 via a wire 130, and further via a connector 140 that may be ar ^¬ ranged (e.g. pre-installed) in the elevator landing signalization unit 231.

The elevator landing signalization unit 231 may comprise a printed circuit board (PCB) 232 on which the connector 140 may be arranged or installed. Fur ^¬ thermore, the primary antenna 110 may be arranged on or in the printed circuit board 232 of the elevator land- ing signalization unit 231. In an embodiment, the con ^¬ nector 140 and the primary antenna 110 may be arranged on or in the same PCB 232 of the elevator landing signalization unit 231, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Alternatively, the elevator landing signalization unit 231 may comprise several PCBs, and the connector 140 and the primary antenna 110 may be arranged on or in sepa ^¬ rate PCBs of a single elevator landing signalization unit 231. The primary antenna 110 may comprise a metal foil based structure, thereby allowing easy and low cost integration into the PCB 232. Furthermore, such a metal foil based structure requires little space. The metal in the metal foil based structure may comprise e.g. copper or the like.

FIG. 2 illustrates an elevator system 200. It should be noted that at least some of the elements de ^¬ scribed below may not be mandatory and thus some may be omitted in certain embodiments. The elevator system 200 comprises an elevator car 210 that has at least one radio frequency trans ^¬ ceiver 211. At least one of the radio frequency trans ^¬ ceiver (s) 211 in the elevator car 210 may comprise a (wireless) elevator emergency telephone. Furthermore, at least one of the radio frequency transceiver ( s ) 211 in the elevator car 210 may comprise wireless devices (e.g. mobile telephones, tablet computers, and the like) of the passengers in the elevator car 210.

The elevator system 200 further comprises a hoistway 220 that comprises openings 221a, 221b to floors. Herein, the term "opening" is used to refer to openings to the floors served by the elevator system 200, to allow passenger access to the elevator car 210. Typically, each opening comprises a door frame, door sill, rider plates, door panel (s), door tracks, door hangers and locks.

Each opening 221a, 221b has an associated ele ^¬ vator landing signalization unit 231a, 231b. Herein, the term "signalization" is used to refer to the push buttons, hall lanterns and the like used to call eleva ^¬ tor cars and to indicate the status, position and the like of the elevator cars. Accordingly, the elevator landing signalization unit 231a, 231b may comprise ele- vator call buttons, elevator hall lanterns and/or ele ^¬ vator hall indicators and their associated electronics including printed circuit boards 232a, 232b.

The elevator system 200 further comprises elevator antenna pairs 100a, 100b. In the example of FIG. 2, the functionalities and properties of the primary antennas 110a, 110b, secondary antennas 120a, 120b, wires 130a, 130b, connectors 140a, 140b, and PCBs 232a, 232b are substantially similar to those of their coun ^¬ terparts in the example of FIG. 1, so their descrip ^¬ tions are not repeated here in detail.

The wire 130a, 130b of the antenna pairs 100a, 100b may be laid via a hoistway wall through-hole that has been pre-arranged for display cabling of the asso ^¬ ciated elevator landing signalization unit 231a, 231b. Accordingly, no extra wall drillings for the antenna pairs 100a, 100b are required.

As shown in FIG. 2, the elevator system 200 may comprise at least two elevator antenna pairs 100a, 100b, the primary antennas 110a, 110b of which may each be arranged in elevator landing signalization units 231a, 231b that are located at different floors. One of the elevator antenna pairs may be arranged in a top floor, one of the elevator antenna pairs may be ar ^¬ ranged in a bottom floor, and/or the elevator antenna pairs may be distributed substantially evenly between the floors to provide radio signal coverage for the whole hoistway length. For example, the elevator anten ^¬ na pairs may be provided at every fifth floor, depend ^¬ ing on the radio signal coverage of each elevator an ^¬ tenna pair.

The term 'apparatus' or 'mobile apparatus' is used herein to refer to any device with processing capability such that it can execute instructions. Those skilled in the art will realize that such processing capabilities are incorporated into many different de ^¬ vices and therefore these terms each include mobile telephones (including smart phones) , tablet computers, personal digital assistants and many other devices. One or more interface mechanisms can be used with the exemplary embodiments, including, for example, Internet access, telecommunications in any suitable form (e.g., voice, modem, and the like), wireless com- munications media, and the like. For example, employed communications networks or links can include one or more satellite communications networks, wireless commu ^¬ nications networks, cellular communications networks, 3G communications networks, 4G communications networks, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTNs) , Packet Data Networks (PDNs) , the Internet, intranets, a combination thereof, and the like.

Any range or device value given herein may be extended or altered without losing the effect sought.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily lim ^¬ ited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims and other equivalent features and acts are intended to be within the scope of the claims.

It will be understood that the benefits and advantages described above may relate to one embodiment or may relate to several embodiments. The embodiments are not limited to those that solve any or all of the stated problems or those that have any or all of the stated benefits and advantages. It will further be un- derstood that reference to 'an' item refers to one or more of those items. Aspects of any of the examples described above may be combined with aspects of any of the other exam ^¬ ples described to form further examples without losing the effect sought.

The term 'comprising' is used herein to mean including the elements identified, but that such ele ^¬ ments do not comprise an exclusive list and an antenna or apparatus may contain additional elements.

While the present inventions have been de- scribed in connection with a number of exemplary embodiments, and implementations, the present inventions are not so limited, but rather cover various modifications, and equivalent arrangements, which fall within the pur ^¬ view of prospective claims.