Method and Device for Automatic Systems Designed to Operate Movable Barriers

• US 20080016771A1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nice S.p.A. (Nice Group SpA)
• Original Assignee: Nice S.p.A. (Nice Group SpA)
• Inventors: Marchetto, Oscar
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,684 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 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/42 Detection using safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/632 for horizontally-sliding wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/635 operated by push-pull mechanisms, e.g. flexible or rigid rack-and-pinion arrangements E05F15/652 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/436 the beam being parallel to the wing edge
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/437 the beam being perpendicular to the wing edge
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/434 Electromotors; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/334 by using pulse generators
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/44 Sensors not directly associated with the wing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/452 for saving energy, e.g. sleep or wake-up
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/512 of electric power
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/54 Obstruction or resistance detection
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/61 Power supply
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/612 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/662 by optical waves
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/822 Light emitters, e.g. light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/83 Travel information display
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/45 in or on the fixed frame
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/452 : in or on the floor or wall
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/46 : in or on the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/21 : of identical elements, e.g. of identical compression springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/22 : of not identical elements of the same category, e.g. combinations of not identical springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 : for garages
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/40 : for gates
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33261 : Conversion of detected pulses to voltage, frequency to voltage convertor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45242 : Door, panel, window operation, opening, closing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 : for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 : operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

Method, together with the devices implementing said method, for controlling the closing and opening movements of a movable barrier (103) so as to prevent a dangerous impact with an obstacle or crushing thereof, said movable barrier (103) comprising a closing edge having, positioned thereon, one or more sensors (108) connected to a first transceiver (27b) able to exchange a signal with a second fixed transceiver (27a) in communication with a control unit which manages the movement of the barrier (103), comprising a step defining for said signal a communications protocol consisting of more than two signal configurations (A, B, C, D).

Claims

1. A method for controlling the closing and opening movements of a movable barrier so as to prevent a dangerous impact with an obstacle or crushing thereof, said movable barrier comprising a closing edge having, positioned thereon, one or more sensors connected to a first transceiver able to exchange a signal with a second fixed transceiver in communication with a control unit which manages the movement of the barrier, characterized in that it comprises a step of defining for said signal a communications protocol consisting of more than two signal configurations.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step involving associating with at least one of said transceivers a processing unit for managing their functions.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of detecting the movement status of the barrier.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising a further step of varying the transmission period of said signal configurations depending on the movement status of the barrier.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising a further step of varying the transmission period of said signal configurations so that it is at a maximum when the barrier is stationary and at a minimum when the barrier is moving.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of associating a synchronization signal with said signal configurations.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of using a signal configuration to inform the control unit, via the second transceiver, if an obstacle comes into contact with the barrier in order to avoid the impact.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of using a signal configuration to inform the second transceiver of switching to a transmission mode with a shorter signal period.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of powering the transceiver using an electrical energy accumulator.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising a further step of using a signal configuration to inform the second transceiver when said accumulator does not provide sufficient power.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of using an infrared signal.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of recovering in the second transceiver the synchronism with the signal emitted by the first transceiver.

13. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of varying cyclically the transmission period of said signal configurations.

14. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of positioning the second fixed transceiver in the vicinity of an end-of-travel point of the barrier.

15. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of using sensing edges as sensors.

16. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of characterizing said signal configurations by means of the temporal position of pulses.

17. The method according to claim 1, comprising a further step of interpreting the absence of a signal from the first transceiver as an indication that an obstacle is present.

18. The device for implementing the method according to claim 1 for controlling the closing and opening movements of a movable barrier so as to prevent a dangerous impact with an obstacle or crushing thereof, comprising:

one or more sensors;

wireless transceiver means for transmitting the status of said one or more sensors;

characterized in that said transceiver means communicate by means of two or more signal configurations.

19. The device according to claim 18, comprising a data processing unit able to process the information sent from said one or more sensors and manage said transceiver means.

20. The device according to claim 18, comprising a sensing edge as sensor.

21. The device according to claim 18, comprising moreover an accumulator for powering said one or more sensors and/or said transceiver means.

22. The device according to claim 21, comprising moreover means for detecting the power still available in said accumulator.

23. The device according to claim 22, in which a signal configuration is able to indicate when said accumulator does not provide sufficient power.

24. The device according to claim 18, comprising moreover a movement sensor for detecting the movement status of the movable barrier.

25. The device according to claim 24, in which the transmission period of said signal configurations varies depending on the movement status of the barrier.

26. The device according to claim 25, in which the transmission period of said signal configurations is at a maximum when the barrier is stationary and at a minimum when the barrier is moving.

27. The device according to claim 18, in which a signal configuration is a synchronization signal.

28. The device according to claim 18, in which a signal configuration is able to indicate whether an obstacle comes into contact with the barrier.

29. The device according to claim 18, in which a signal configuration is able to indicate the switching to a transmission mode with a shorter signal period.

30. The device according to claim 18, in which said wireless transceiver means use an infrared signal.

31. The device according to claim 18, in which the transmission period of said signal configurations varies cyclically.

32. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that it is positioned on a closing edge of the movable barrier.

33. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that it is fixed and able to transmit the status of one or more sensors to a unit controlling the movable barrier.

34. The device according to claim 18, in which said signal configurations are characterized by means of the temporal position of pulses.