Delay-based access control apparatus and method

• US 20060082337A1
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J., Parsadayan, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/283
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/668 for overhead wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/79 using time control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages

Abstract

An access control mechanism such as a movable barrier operator (70) has a first time window unit (72) that is responsive to one or more triggers (71) (such as a delayed-closure button). An event detector (73) then monitors for one or more events of interest during a corresponding first time window. For example, the event detector can monitor for evidence that a vehicle is moving towards a garage exit or has effected an exit from the garage. A second time window unit (74) responsive at least to the event detector and optionally as well to the first time window unit then responds with a second time window. Upon conclusion of the second time window, a movable barrier closer (75) initiates movement of the corresponding movable barrier towards a closed position (or other position of interest).

Claims

1. A method for use with an access control mechanism comprising:

detecting a predetermined event;

in response to detecting the predetermined event, automatically determining whether a second predetermined event occurs;

when the second predetermined event occurs;

automatically initiating a delay;

upon concluding the delay, automatically causing the access control mechanism to initiate closure of a corresponding barrier;

when the second predetermined event does not occur, not automatically causing the access control mechanism to initiate closure of the corresponding barrier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the access control mechanism comprises a movable barrier operator.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a predetermined event further comprises detecting assertion of a user interface.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein detecting assertion of a user interface further comprises detecting assertion of a button.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein detecting assertion of a button further comprises detecting assertion of a delayed closure button.

6. The method of claim 5 and further comprising:

detecting assertion of a closure button;

in response to detecting assertion of the closure button, automatically causing the access control mechanism to initiate closure of the corresponding barrier without the delay.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a predetermined event further comprises detecting opening of the corresponding barrier.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein detecting opening of the corresponding barrier further comprises detecting that the corresponding barrier has reached a substantially fully-opened position.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically determining whether a second predetermined event occurs further comprises automatically determining whether an incident occurs during a second delay, wherein the second delay is different than the delay.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein automatically determining whether an incident occurs during a second delay further comprises:

automatically initiating a monitoring period of at least a predetermined duration;

automatically monitoring for the incident during the monitoring period.

11. The method of claim 10 and further comprising setting the predetermined duration as a function, at least in part, of a user-settable input.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein automatically initiating a monitoring period further comprises activating a timer.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the incident further comprises detection of at least one predetermined event.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one predetermined event further comprises detection of movement of an object.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the detection of movement of an object further comprises detection of a particular pattern of apparent object movement.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the particular pattern of apparent object movement further comprises at least one of:

a series of sensed events;

at least one sensed event of at least a predetermined duration.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein automatically determining whether an incident occurs during a second delay further comprises automatically determining whether an incident is detected via at least one of:

an optical-based detector;

a sound-based detector;

a weight-based detector;

a proximity-based detector

a radio frequency identifier-based detector.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the optical-based detector comprises at least one of:

an infrared-based detector;

a laser-based detector;

a vision-based detector.

19. The method of claim 9 wherein automatically determining whether an incident occurs during a second delay further comprises automatically determining whether a second delay concludes without detecting any of a plurality of incidents.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein not automatically causing the access control mechanism to initiate closure of the corresponding barrier further comprising maintaining the corresponding barrier in a present position.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically determining whether a second predetermined event occurs further comprises automatically determining whether either of at least a first incident and a second incident occurs.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein not automatically causing the access control mechanism to initiate closure of the corresponding barrier further comprises, when the second predetermined event does occur and comprises the first incident, taking a first predetermined course of action.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein not automatically causing the access control mechanism to initiate closure of the corresponding barrier further comprises, when the second predetermined event does occur and comprises the second incident, taking a second predetermined course of action, which second predetermined course of action is different from the first predetermined course of action.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the first incident corresponds to detection of movement of a vehicle.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the second incident corresponds to detection of movement of a living object.

26. The method of claim 1 and further comprising providing a user-perceivable signal in response to detecting the predetermined event.

27. The method of claim 1 and further comprising providing a user-perceivable signal in response to automatically initiating the delay.

28. The method of claim 1 and further comprising providing a user-perceivable signal in response to automatically causing the access control mechanism to initiate closure of a corresponding barrier.

29. A movable barrier operator comprising:

a trigger;

a first time window unit responsive to the trigger;

an event detector that is responsive to the trigger and the first time window unit;

a second time window unit that is operably responsive to the first time window unit and the event detector;

a movable barrier closer that is operably responsive to the second time window unit.

30. The movable barrier operator of claim 29 wherein the trigger comprises a user-assertable interface.

31. The movable barrier operator of claim 30 wherein the user-assertable interface comprises a button.

32. The movable barrier operator of claim 29 wherein the trigger comprises a movable barrier position detector.

33. The movable barrier operator of claim 32 wherein the movable barrier position detector comprises a movable barrier open position detector.

34. The movable barrier operator of claim 29 wherein the first time window unit comprises a first timer.

35. The movable barrier operator of claim 34 wherein the first timer provides a first time window having a substantially predetermined duration.

36. The movable barrier operator of claim 29 wherein the event detector further comprises means for detecting at least one indicia as corresponds to movement of an object.

37. The movable barrier operator of claim 36 wherein the event detector further comprises means for detecting a pattern of indicia as corresponds to movement of an object.

38. The movable barrier operator of claim 37 wherein the event detector further comprises means for detecting a plurality of different patterns.

39. The movable barrier operator of claim 38 wherein at least some of the plurality of different patterns correspond to different objects.

40. The movable barrier operator of claim 38 wherein at least some of the plurality of different patterns correspond to different modes of movement of the object.

41. The movable barrier operator of claim 29 wherein the second time window unit further comprises means for initiating a second window of time following completion of a first window of time as corresponds to the first time window unit.

42. The movable barrier operator of claim 29 wherein the event detector further comprises means for concluding event detection upon conclusion of a first window of time as correspond to the first time window unit.

43. The movable barrier operator of claim 42 wherein the second time window unit further comprises means for initiating a second window of time when the first window of time concludes subsequent to detecting a predetermined event.