Wireless barrier-edge monitor device and method

• US 20030150164A1
• Filed: 02/12/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Staub, Christopher J., Pongrazzi, Kevin, Mehalshick, George M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,732,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/26
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/00 Power-operated mechanisms for wings motor-operated accessories in locks for completing closing or initiating opening of a wing E05B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/42 Detection using safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/487 Fault detection of safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/452 for saving energy
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/61 Power supply
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/66 Wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/822 Light emitters, e.g. LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/46 in or on the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/00 Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6827 sensing light
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/88 for limiting unrolling

Abstract

A remote unit 14 couples to an obstacle detection sensor 13 to both detect an obstacle in the path of a movable barrier 11 and operability of the obstacle detection sensor 13 itself. Information regarding these and, optionally, other parameters (such as battery status) is coded and transmitted as a short burst wireless transmission to an interface unit 15. The interface unit 15 decodes the message and provides controlling information to a movable barrier operator 12 as appropriate when an obstacle is present, when the sensor 13 is faulty, or when other monitored parameters are out of normal bounds. In addition, the interface unit 15 can provide local alarms (auditory and visual) when detecting one or more of the above conditions.

Claims

1. A device for use with a movable barrier having an obstacle sensor affixed thereto and a movable barrier operator operably coupled to the movable barrier, comprising:

a first unit comprising;

a testing unit having an input to operably couple to the obstacle sensor and having an output to provide first information regarding the operability of the obstacle sensor

an obstacle detection unit having an input operably coupled to the obstacle sensor and having an output to provide second information regarding whether the movable barrier is presently encountering an obstacle;

a coder having an input operably coupled to receive the first and second information and having an output to provide a coded message that is based, at least in part, on the first and second information;

a wireless transmitter having an input operably coupled to the output of the coder and having a wireless output to transmit the coded message at least once every two seconds;

a second unit comprising;

a wireless receiver having a wireless input to receive the coded message as transmitted by the wireless output of the wireless transmitter of the first unit and having an output;

a decoder having an input coupled to the output of the wireless receiver and having an output to provide recovered information that corresponds to the first and second information;

an output unit having an input operably coupled to the output of the decoder and having an output operably coupled to the movable barrier operator to provide an indication to the movable barrier operator when either;

the obstacle sensor senses an obstacle; and

the testing unit senses that the obstacle sensor is at least partially non-operable.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the obstacle sensor comprises at least one of a switch style sensor, a pneumatic style sensor, and a light beam style sensor.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the output of the testing unit provides the first information regarding the operability of the obstacle sensor substantially continuously.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the coded message comprises a digital word.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the digital word is comprised of 8 bits.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless output of the wireless transmitter transmits the coded message about once each second.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless output of the wireless transmitter transmits the coded message as a brief burst transmission at least once every two seconds.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless transmitter comprises at least one of a radio frequency transmitter, a light frequency transmitter, and an sonic frequency transmitter.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the testing unit comprises testing means for testing the obstacle sensor with respect to operability.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the testing means further tests the obstacle sensor with respect to an open circuit.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the coder comprises coder means for coding the first and second information as bits in a digital word.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the second unit further comprises an alarm having an input operably coupled to the decoder to provide an alarm when the testing unit senses that the obstacle sensor is at least partially non-operable.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the alarm includes an audible alarm.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the alarm includes a visual alarm.

15. The device of claim 1 and further including an indicator operably coupled to the decoder to indicate when the testing unit senses that the obstacle sensor is operable.

16. A method for use with a movable barrier having an obstacle sensor affixed thereto and a movable barrier operator operably coupled to the movable barrier, comprising:

at a first location;

substantially continuously monitoring the obstacle sensor to determine both that the obstacle sensor is operable and when an obstacle has been detected by the obstacle sensor;

substantially continuously repeatedly wirelessly transmitting short burst messages, at least some of which messages include information regarding whether an obstacle has been encountered by the movable barrier and whether the obstacle sensor is operable;

at a second location, which second location is remote from the first location;

receiving the short burst messages and extracting the information regarding whether an obstacle has been detected by the obstacle sensor and whether the obstacle sensor is operable;

notifying the movable barrier operator whenever either the obstacle sensor detects an obstacle and when the obstacle sensor is not operable.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein substantially continuously monitoring the obstacle sensor to determine that the obstacle sensor is operable includes testing the obstacle sensor at least once every two seconds.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein substantially continuously monitoring the obstacle sensor to determine that the obstacle sensor is operable includes testing the obstacle sensor at least once about every second.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein substantially continuously repeatedly wirelessly transmitting short burst messages includes substantially continuously repeatedly wirelessly transmitting short burst messages such that a short burst message is transmitted at least once every two seconds.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein substantially continuously repeatedly wirelessly transmitting short burst messages includes substantially continuously repeatedly wirelessly transmitting short burst messages such that a short burst message is transmitted at least once about every second.

21. The method of claim 16 and further comprising:

at the second location;

providing an alarm whenever the obstacle sensor is not operable.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein providing an alarm includes providing an audible alarm.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein providing an alarm includes providing a visual alarm.

24. The method of claim 16 and further comprising:

at the first location;

monitoring at least one portable power source;

and wherein substantially continuously repeatedly wirelessly transmitting short burst messages, at least some of which messages include information regarding whether an obstacle has been detected by the obstacle sensor and whether the obstacle sensor is operable includes substantially continuously repeatedly wirelessly transmitting short burst messages, at least some of which messages include information regarding whether an obstacle has been encountered by the movable barrier, whether the obstacle sensor is operable, and status of the at least one portable power source.

25. The method of claim 24 and further comprising:

at the second location;

providing a first alarm whenever the obstacle sensor is not operable; and

providing a second alarm whenever the status of the at least one portable power source reaches a predetermined threshold.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein providing a first alarm includes providing a first audible alarm and wherein providing a second alarm includes providing a second audible alarm, wherein the first audible alarm is different than the second audible alarm.

27. The method of claim 16 and further comprising:

at the first location;

substantially continuously monitoring another movable barrier operational parameter;

and wherein substantially continuously repeatedly wirelessly transmitting short burst messages, at least some of which messages include information regarding whether an obstacle has been encountered by the movable barrier and whether the obstacle sensor is operable includes substantially continuously repeatedly wirelessly transmitting short burst messages, at least some of which messages include information regarding whether an obstacle has been encountered by the movable barrier, whether the obstacle sensor is operable, and the another movable barrier operational parameter.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein substantially continuously monitoring another movable barrier operational parameter includes substantially continuously monitoring another movable barrier operational parameter comprising alignment between the movable barrier and a corresponding movable barrier track.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein notifying the movable barrier operator whenever either the movable barrier encounters an obstacle and when the obstacle sensor is not operable includes notifying the movable barrier operator whenever the movable barrier encounters an obstacle, the obstacle sensor is not operable, and when the alignment between the movable barrier and the corresponding movable barrier track is unacceptable.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein:

notifying the movable barrier operator whenever the obstacle sensor is not operable includes causing the movable barrier operator to stop moving the movable barrier in a first direction and to begin moving the movable barrier in a reverse direction; and

notifying the movable barrier operator whenever the alignment between the movable barrier and the corresponding movable barrier track is unacceptable includes causing the movable barrier operator to stop moving the movable barrier in a first direction and to not move the movable barrier in a reverse direction.

31. A barrier-edge monitor for use with a movable barrier having an obstacle sensor affixed to a barrier-edge thereof and a movable barrier operator operably coupled to the movable barrier, comprising:

a barrier-mounted remote unit comprising;

sensor input means for operably coupling to the obstacle sensor for detecting when the barrier-edge of the movable barrier encounters an obstacle and for detecting operability of the obstacle sensor, wherein the sensor input means detects operability of the obstacle sensor;

message means operably coupled to the sensor input means for forming a message indicating operability status of the obstacle sensor and whether the barrier-edge is then presently encountering an obstacle;

wireless transmitter means operably coupled to the message means for wirelessly transmitting the message, such that a message indicating at least operability status of the obstacle sensor is broadcast at least once every two seconds;

an interface unit comprising;

wireless receiver means for receiving the message as transmitted by the wireless transmitter means;

output means operably coupled to the wireless receiver means for providing an indication to the movable barrier operator when either;

the sensor input means senses an obstacle; and

the sensor input means senses that the obstacle sensor is at least partially non-operable.