Apparatus and techniques for door opener systems

• US 10,443,296 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NICE North America LLC
• Original Assignee: GTO Access Systems, LLC (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Rosenmarkle, Steven, Lawrence, Mark, Kirkland, Matthew, Rolon, Alexandra
• Primary Examiner(s): Syed, Nabil H
• Application Number:
  US16/115,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20190063141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/60 using electrical actuators
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/668 for overhead wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/72 responsive to emergency conditions, e.g. fire
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/487 Fault detection of safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/50 Fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/502 of components
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/512 of electric power
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/54 Obstruction or resistance detection
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/80 User interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/814 Sound emitters, e.g. speakers
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/822 Light emitters, e.g. LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/452 in or on the floor or wall
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/0069 actuated in a predetermined sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/30 not involving the use of a pass

Abstract

Embodiments of a system and method for controlling a door are generally described herein. A door opener system can include a head unit. The system can include a wall station, a controller, or a wireless transmitter. The wall station can be inside a room, the room including the door and the controller can be outside the room. The wireless transmitter can be portable. The wall station, controller, or wireless transmitter can be used to control the head unit. The head unit can be used to open or close the door.

Claims

1. A barrier opener system comprising:

a motorized barrier operator configured to open and close a barrier of an area enclosed by the barrier, the motorized barrier operator including a light connected to control circuitry, the light configured to provide general illumination around the motorized barrier operator, and the control circuitry configured to alert a user using one or more of a sequence or count of flashes of the light corresponding to a respective condition;

a wall station configured to be located inside the area enclosed by the barrier and to communicate with the motorized barrier operator to cause the motorized barrier operator to open and close the barrier;

a controller configured to be located outside the area enclosed by the barrier, the controller including a light button, the light button configured to activate the light on the motorized operator when pressed;

a wireless transmitter configured to be portable; and

wherein the wall station is further configured to receive an indication that a condition has occurred and determine an alert that corresponds to the condition, and

wherein the light is configured to alert a user by using a distinct count of flashes corresponding to the alert for the condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the light is configured to indicate a wireless connection with the controller or the wireless transmitter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to acquire a dual in-line package (DIP) switch setting from another device and to emulate a security protocol using the acquired DIP switch setting when a button is pressed.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to remove the DIP switch setting and return to a default function when the button is pressed.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the light is configured to flash using:

a first count to indicate that the wall station is miswired.

5. A motorized opener system comprising:

a motorized barrier operator configured to open and close a barrier to an area enclosed at least in part by the barrier;

a wall station configured to be located inside the area enclosed at least in part by the barrier and configured to communicate with the motorized barrier operator to cause the motorized barrier operator to open and close the barrier; and

a controller configured to be located outside the area enclosed by the barrier, the controller including a light button, the light button configured to activate a light on the motorized barrier operator when pressed, and the controller configured to acquire a dual in-line package (DIP) switch setting from a wireless transmitter; and

wherein the wall station is further configured to receive an indication that a condition has occurred and determine an alert that corresponds to the condition, and

wherein the light is configured to alert a user by using a distinct count of flashes corresponding to the alert for the condition.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the motorized barrier operator includes a configuration button, the configuration button configured to initiate a connection with the controller or the wireless transmitter.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the wall station includes a light controller, the light controller configured to activate the light on the motorized barrier operator.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the wall station includes a locking feature, the locking feature configured to, when activated, prevent the wireless transmitter from causing the motorized barrier operator to open the barrier.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is to communicate with the motorized barrier operator to cause the motorized barrier operator to open and close the barrier.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is to send a command to the wall station to communicate with the motorized barrier operator to cause the motorized barrier operator to open and close the barrier.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to wirelessly communicate with the wall station, and wherein the controller is to receive a command from the wireless transmitter and forward the command to the wall station.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the motorized barrier operator further includes a disengagement lever, the disengagement lever configured to disengage the motorized barrier operator from the barrier, wherein the disengagement lever is configured to be inoperable from outside the barrier.

13. The system of claim 5, comprising a safety beam apparatus, the safety beam apparatus configured to:

output an infrared beam;

monitor the infrared beam; and

in response to determining the infrared beam has been disrupted, one or more of stop the barrier from moving, reverse a barrier transit direction to open the barrier, or prevent the barrier from moving in a transit direction to close the barrier.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the safety beam apparatus includes a power light and a separate alignment light, the power light indicating whether the safety beam apparatus has power and the alignment light indicating whether a light emitter that emits the infrared beam is aligned with a light receiver.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein the motorized barrier operator includes a carbon monoxide detector, and the motorized barrier operator is configured to automatically open the barrier when the carbon monoxide detector detects a carbon monoxide concentration above a threshold.

19. The system of claim 5, wherein the light is configured to flash using:

a first count to indicate that the wall station is miswired.

16. A method for controlling a barrier opener system, the method comprising:

at a motorized barrier operator configured to open and close a barrier of an area enclosed by the barrier;

receiving, from a wireless device via a wall station, an indication that a condition has occurred;

determining, from memory of the motorized barrier operator, an alert that corresponds to the condition;

alerting a user to the condition using a light on the motorized barrier operator by using a distinct count of flashes of the light, the distinct count corresponding to the alert for the condition; and

wherein the wireless device is outside the area enclosed by the barrier and the wall station is inside the area enclosed by the barrier.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the motorized barrier operator includes an expansion port, the expansion port configured to interface with a wireless receiver to communicate with the wireless device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the condition includes a safety beam obstacle, a loss of power, or a shorted wire.