MOVABLE BARRIER SYSTEM ADAPTED TO TRANSMIT DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION TO A REMOTE DEVICE

• US 20100090796A1
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Viking Access Systems, LLC (FAAC S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Viking Access Systems, LLC (FAAC S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Perez, Daniel, Karimi, Pezhman
• Application Number:
  US12/249,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20100090796A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.7
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

The invention is a movable barrier system with wireless connectivity to a remote device in close proximity. More particularly, an apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises of a movable barrier, an operator adapted to control movement of the movable barrier, and a wireless peer-to-peer interface adapted to transmit diagnostic information to a remote device in response to a command instruction received from said remote device. When movable barrier system receives a command instruction from remote device, it may perform self-diagnostic tests on specific sub-components and externally connected devices. After obtaining test results, movable barrier system transmits diagnostic information back to remote device.

Claims

1. A movable barrier system comprising:

a movable barrier;

an operator adapted to control movement of the movable barrier; and

a wireless peer-to-peer interface adapted to transmit diagnostic information to a remote device in response to a command instruction received from the remote device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless peer-to-peer interface further comprises a Bluetooth device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said operator may perform a diagnostic test on one or more of the following devices:

a power supply;

a movement module;

a loop detector;

a radio receiver;

an exit device;

a master/slave communication;

a hold open timer;

an overlap delay;

an obstruction sensor; and

a fine tune control module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said operator may perform a self-diagnostic test.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said diagnostic information further comprises one or more of the following:

a motor load;

an acceleration rate;

a barrier movement speed;

an appliance voltage;

a battery voltage;

a charger status;

an operator status;

a hold open timer;

an obstruction sensitivity; and

a fine tune control.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote device comprise a Bluetooth enabled device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said Bluetooth enabled device comprises a cell phone or a personal digital assistant.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless peer-to-peer interface is adapted to receive another control instruction from said remote device for instructing said movable barrier to:

open;

close; and

stop.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless peer-to-peer interface is adapted to receive another control instruction from said remote device for changing a parameter for one or more of the following devices:

a loop detector;

a radio receiver;

an exit device;

a master/slave communication; and

a hold open timer;

an overlap delay;

an obstruction sensor; and

a fine tune control module.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless peer-to-peer interface is adapted to receive another control instruction for changing a parameter related to:

a motor load;

an acceleration rate;

a barrier movement speed;

an appliance voltage;

a battery voltage;

a charger status.

a hold open timer;

an obstruction sensitivity;

a fine tune control; and

other modes of operation.

11. A movable barrier system, comprising:

a plurality of movable barrier subsystems; and

a wireless peer-to-peer interface adapted to transmit diagnostic information from at least one of the movable barrier subsystems to a remote device in response to a control instruction received from said remote device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said movable barrier subsystem comprises a movable barrier and a movable barrier operator.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said wireless peer-to-peer interface further comprises a Bluetooth device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said movable barrier subsystems perform a diagnostic test on one or more of the following devices:

a power supply;

a movement module;

a loop detector;

a radio receiver;

an exit device;

a master/slave communication;

a hold open timer;

an overlap delay;

an obstruction sensor; and

a fine tune control module.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said diagnostic information further comprises one or more of the following:

a motor load;

an acceleration rate;

a barrier movement speed;

an appliance voltage;

a battery voltage;

a charger status;

a hold open timer;

an obstruction sensitivity; and

a fine tune control.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said remote device comprise a Bluetooth enabled device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein said control instruction from said remote device comprises instructing said movable barrier to:

open;

close; and

stop.

18. A wireless remote device, comprising:

a user interface;

a wireless peer-to-peer interface;

a processor adapted to;

(a) receive a first command from a user via the user interface;

(b) transmit a second command to a movable barrier system via the wireless peer-to-peer interface; and

(c) receive diagnostic information from the movable barrier system via the wireless peer-to-peer interface.

19. The wireless remote device of claim 18, wherein said wireless peer-to-peer interface comprises a Bluetooth enabled interface.

20. The wireless remote device of claim 18, wherein the first command comprises a voice command.

21. The wireless remote device of claim 20, wherein the processor is adapted to implement voice or speech recognition.

22. The wireless remote device of claim 18, wherein the user interface includes a visual display adapted to show diagnostic information.

23. The wireless remote device of claim 18, wherein the wireless remote device may be plugged into the movable barrier system.

24. The wireless remote device of claim 18, wherein the processor is adapted to perform speech synthesis on diagnostic information received for the purpose of providing audible speech output of diagnostic information to user.

25. The wireless remote device of claim 18, wherein said device may transfer diagnostic information results to a third party.

26. A method for transmitting diagnostic information, comprising the steps of:

receiving a command from a wireless peer-to-peer interface in a wireless peer-to-peer protocol, in response to the command performing one or more diagnostic tests on one or more diagnostic elements of a movable barrier system, and

transmitting information relating to the one or more diagnostic tests in the wireless peer-to-peer protocol.