Moveable barriers with obstruction detection

• US 20070296049A1
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Gioia, William G., Fitzgibbon, James, Dombkowski, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/474,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20070296049A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/432
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/12 structurally associated with, e.g. formed in or on a common substrate with, one or more electric light sources, e.g. electroluminescent light sources, and electrically or optically coupled thereto semiconductor devices with at least one potential barrier or surface barrier adapted for light emission H01L33/00; amplifiers using electroluminescent element and photocell H03F17/00; electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00

Abstract

A system includes a photo beam detector. The photobeam detector senses a presence of an obstruction. The system also includes an apparatus to attach the photo beam detector to the moveable barrier. At least a portion of the photo beam detector is positioned at the moveable barrier such that a movement of the moveable barrier causes a simultaneous rotation of the portion of the photo beam detector. The system also includes a coupler and a controller. The controller is coupled to the photo beam detector via the coupler. The controller is programmed to determine whether the obstruction exists in a pathway of the moveable barrier from input received from the photo beam detector.

Claims

1. A system for operating a moveable barrier comprising:

a photo beam detector for sensing a presence of an obstruction;

an apparatus to attach the photo beam detector to the moveable barrier, at least a portion of the photo beam detector being positioned at the moveable barrier such that a movement of the moveable barrier causes a simultaneous rotation of the portion of the photo beam detector;

a coupler; and

a controller, the controller coupled to the photo beam detector via the coupler, the controller being programmed to determine whether the obstruction exists in a pathway of the moveable barrier from input received from the photo beam detector.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the coupler is selected from a group comprising a wired connection and a wireless connection.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the photo beam detector comprises an emitter and a detector, the emitter and detector tracking an edge of the moveable barrier.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the photo detector comprises an emitter, a detector, and a reflector.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the moveable barrier comprises and arm and the emitter and the detector are positioned at a first end of the arm and the reflector is coupled to an opposite end of the arm.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the system comprises a barrier operator, the barrier comprises an arm and wherein the emitter and detector are coupled to the barrier operator and the reflector is coupled to the arm.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the moveable barrier comprises an arm, the emitter at least partially embedded in the arm, and the reflector is coupled to the end of the arm.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the moveable barrier is selected from a group comprising a garage door, a swinging gate, and a sliding gate.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the photo detector is embedded in the barrier.

10. A method of detecting whether an obstruction exists in a pathway of a barrier comprising:

positioning at least a portion of photo beam detector at a moveable barrier; and

actuating and moving the moveable barrier, the moving of the moveable barrier causing a concurrent rotation of the portion of the photo beam detector such that the photo beam detector detects obstructions in a pathway of the moveable barrier as the moveable barrier and the portion of the photo beam detector move together.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein positioning at least a portion of a photo beam detector comprises positioning the entire photo beam detector at the barrier.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein positioning at least a portion of a photo beam detector comprises embedding at least a portion of the photo beam detector at the barrier.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein positioning at least a portion of a photo beam detector comprises positioning a reflector at the barrier.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein positioning at least a portion of a photo beam detector comprises positioning at least a portion of the photo beam detector along a bottom surface of the moveable barrier.

15. The method of claim 10 comprising positioning at least a portion of a photo beam detector at the operator.