SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING A GARAGE DOOR

• US 20130081329A1
• Filed: 10/03/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GBF Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GBF Incorporated
• Inventors: Brennan, Patrick Thomas, French, John Stuhr
• Granted Patent: US 9,458,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/13
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/79 using time control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/324 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/406 characterised by monitoring or safety G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45242 Door, panel, window operation, opening, closing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically closing a garage door can include one or more door open sensors, one or more motion sensors, one or more timers, and a door close activator. In certain embodiments, the one or more door open sensors are configured to detect whether a garage door is completely open. In various embodiments, the one or more motion sensors are configured to detect motion. In certain embodiments, the one or more timers are configured to delay for at least one predetermined time period after motion is no longer detected. In various embodiments, the door close activator is configured to close the garage door after the delay of the predetermined period of time.

Claims

1. An automatic garage door closing system comprising:

at least one door open sensor configured to detect whether a garage door is completely open;

at least one motion sensor configured to detect motion;

at least one timer configured to delay at least one predetermined period of time after the motion is no longer detected; and

a door close activator configured to close the garage door after the delay of the predetermined period of time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one door open sensor is configured to enable the at least one timer and the door close activator when the at least one door open sensor detects that the garage door is completely open.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one door open sensor comprises an optical interrupted switch.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one motion sensor is configured to activate the at least one timer when a first motion is detected.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one motion sensor comprises two passive infrared sensors.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one timer and the door close activator are at least one processing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one timer comprises:

a first timer configured to delay a first predetermined period of time after the motion is no longer detected,

a second timer configured to delay a second predetermined period of time after the first predetermined period of time, and

a third timer configured to delay a third predetermined period of time after the second predetermined period of time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first timer comprises a charging capacitor and a discharging resistor, the charging capacitor configured to charge when the motion is detected, and the charging capacitor configured to discharge through the discharging resistor during the first predetermined period of time.

9. The system of claim 7, comprising an analog-to-digital converter, wherein the analog-to-digital converter receives an analog signal from the first timer and provides the second timer with a digital signal.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the second timer comprises a timing capacitor and a timing resistor, the timing capacitor configured to discharge when the motion is detected, and the timing capacitor configured to charge through the timing resistor during the second predetermined period of time.

11. The system of claim 7, comprising an alarm, wherein the third timer is configured to activate the alarm for a duration of the third predetermined period of time.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising an alarm that comprises two astable circuits and a speaker configured to generate a pulsed audible alarm.

13. The system of claim 1, comprising an on/off switch configured to turn on and off the automatic garage door closing system and a garage door system.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic garage door closing system is integrated with a garage door system.

15. A method for automatically closing a garage door, the method comprising:

detecting the garage door is completely open using a door open sensor device;

detecting motion using a motion sensing device;

triggering at least one timer after the motion has stopped; and

automatically closing the garage door at the expiration of a predetermined time period associated with the at least one timer.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising enabling the at least one timer when the door open sensor device detects that the garage door is completely open.

17. The method of claim 15, comprising activating the at least one timer when the motion sensing device detects the motion.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the predetermined time period comprises a first predetermined time period, a second predetermined time period and a third predetermined time period, and wherein the triggering the at least one timer comprises:

triggering a first timer for a first predetermined time period after the motion has stopped,

triggering a second timer for a second predetermined time period after a first predetermined time period has expired, and

triggering a third timer for a third predetermined time period after the second predetermined time period has expired.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising activating an alarm for the third predetermined time period.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising deactivating the alarm after the third predetermined time period has expired.

21. The method of claim 15, comprising disabling the at least one timer when the door open sensor device detects that the garage door is not completely open.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a set of instructions for execution on a computer, the set of instructions comprising:

a door detection routine configured to detect when a garage door is completely open;

a motion detection routine configured to detect motion;

a timer routine configured to delay a predetermined time period after the motion has stopped; and

a close door routine configured to close the garage door at the expiration of the predetermined time period.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with the set of instructions of claim 22, comprising a device enabling routine configured to enable execution of the timer routine and the close door routine when the door detection routine detects that the garage door is completely open.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with the set of instructions of claim 22, comprising a device activation routine configured to enable execution of the timer routine when the motion detection routine detects the motion.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with the set of instructions of claim 22, wherein the predetermined time period comprises a first predetermined time period, a second predetermined time period and a third predetermined time period, and wherein the timer routine comprises:

a first timer routine configured to delay for a first predetermined time period after the motion has stopped,

a second timer routine configured to delay for a second predetermined time period after a first predetermined time period has expired, and

a third timer routine configured to delay for a third predetermined time period after the second predetermined time period has expired.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with the set of instructions of claim 25, comprising an alarm activation routine configured to activate an alarm for the third predetermined time period.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with the set of instructions of claim 26, comprising an alarm deactivation routine configured to deactivate the alarm after the third predetermined time period has expired.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with the set of instructions of claim 22, comprising a device disabling routine configured to disable execution of the timer routine and the close door routine when the device disabling routine detects that the garage door is not completely open.