System and method for operating a barrier with a timer

• US 20060150511A1
• Filed: 01/12/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Parsadayan, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,331,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/29
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/79 using time control

Abstract

A pause profile is stored in a memory. An ambient condition is determined. The pause profile is accessed in the memory and a pause time is determined based upon the measured ambient condition. A moveable barrier is caused to remain in an open position for the pause time that is obtained from the memory.

Claims

1. A method of operating a moveable barrier operator comprising:

storing a pause profile in a memory;

determining an ambient condition;

accessing the pause profile and determining a pause time based upon the measured ambient condition; and

causing a moveable barrier to remain in an open position for the pause time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring an ambient condition comprises determining an ambient condition selected from a group comprising a time of a day;

a day of a week;

a month of a year;

a day of a year, a temperature; and

a measured light intensity.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving a movable barrier from a closed position to an open position;

and wherein causing the movement of the movable barrier to remain in an open position comprises pausing the movement of the moveable barrier when the open position is reached, maintaining the barrier in the open position for the pause time, and returning the barrier to a closed position after the pause time has expired.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring new traffic patterns at the moveable barrier and dynamically adjusting the pause profile based upon the new traffic patterns.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein storing a pause profile comprises storing a plurality of pause times relating to times of days of a week.

6. A moveable barrier operator comprising:

a memory for storing a pause profile;

a transmitter for transmitting signals to actuate a moveable barrier;

a timer having an expiration period;

a controller coupled to the memory, the transmitter, and the timer, the controller programmed to receive an ambient condition and access the pause profile in memory and determine a pause time based upon the ambient condition, the controller further programmed to set the expiration period of the timer to the pause time; and

wherein the controller causes a movable barrier to remain in an open position for the expiration period of the timer.

7. The operator of claim 6 wherein the pause profile is adjusted dynamically based upon new traffic patterns measured at the barrier.

8. The operator of claim 6 wherein the pause profile comprises pause times relating to times of days of a week.

9. The operator of claim 6 wherein the pause times in the pause profile are based upon a criteria selected from a group comprising a time of a day, a day of a week, a calender year, and a day of a year.

10. The operator of claim 6 wherein the pause profile is fixed at the time of manufacturing of the operator.

11. The operator of claim 6 wherein the pause profile may be manually adjusted and overwritten by a human user when the operator is installed.

12. The operator of claim 6 wherein the ambient condition is selected from a group comprising a time of a day;

a day of a week;

a month of a year;

a temperature; and

a measured light intensity.