GARAGE DOOR ANTENNA

• US 20130326956A1
• Filed: 06/05/2013
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arvin Brent Simon
• Original Assignee: Arvin Brent Simon
• Inventors: Simon, Arvin Brent
• Granted Patent: US 8,887,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/13
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/46 responsive to changes in electrical capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a garage door is presented. An alarm system includes an antenna mounted to a garage door. A signal generator logic generates a periodic signal based on a capacitive value of the antenna. The signal generator logic also provides transmit power to the antenna that is radiated away from the garage door. A detection logic detects if there is a change in a characteristic of the periodic signal caused by movement in proximity of the garage door. Amplification logic amplifies the change of the periodic signal. Alarm detection logic determines if the change is an alarm and an alarm response logic will stop a movement of the garage door when the change is an alarm resulting from movement near the door.

Claims

1. An alarm system configured for controlling a garage door comprising:

an antenna configured to be mounted to the garage door;

a signal generator logic configured to generate a periodic signal based on a capacitive value of the antenna, wherein the signal generator logic provides transmit power to the antenna;

detection logic configured detect a change in a characteristic of the periodic signal caused by movement near the garage door;

amplification logic configure to amplify the change;

alarm detection logic configured to determine if the change is an alarm condition; and

alarm response logic configured to stop a movement of the garage door when the change is an alarm condition.

2. The alarm system configured for controlling a garage door of claim 1 wherein the signal generator logic further comprises:

a resistive-capacitive (RC) circuit, wherein the capacitive value of the antenna is the capacitive value of the RC circuit.

3. The alarm system configured for controlling a garage door of claim 1 wherein the detection logic further comprises:

an inverter; and

a comparing device configured to compare an oscillating signal at the inverter to a different oscillating signal and to detect a phase difference between the oscillating signal at the inverter and the different oscillating signal, wherein the change in a characteristic of the periodic signal is at based, at least in part, on a characteristic of the periodic signal.

4. The alarm system configured for controlling a garage door of claim 3 wherein the comparing device is an exclusive-or (XOR) gate.

5. The alarm system configured for controlling a garage door of claim 3 wherein the different oscillating signal is an external signal independent from the oscillating signal at the inverter.

6. The alarm system configured for controlling a garage door of claim 3 wherein the inverter is a first inverter, wherein the oscillating signal at the inverter is at an input to the first inverter and wherein the detection logic further comprises:

a resister with a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected an output of the first inverter; and

a second inverter with an input of the second inverter connected the second end of the resister, wherein the different oscillating signal is at the input of the second inverter.

7. The alarm system configured for controlling a garage door of claim 1 wherein the antenna is a first antenna with a first capacitive value and further comprising:

a second antenna configured to be mounted to the garage door, wherein the signal generator logic is configured to generate the periodic signal based on a second capacitive value of the antenna, and wherein the signal generator logic provides transmit power to the second antenna.

8. The alarm system configured for controlling a garage door of claim 7 wherein the signal generation logic further comprises:

a first inverter;

a second inverter, wherein the first antenna is connected between the first inverter and the second inverter; and

a third inverter, wherein the second antenna is connected between the second inverter and the third inverter.

9. The alarm system configured for controlling a garage door of claim 1 wherein the amplification logic further comprises:

a phased locked loop (PLL) configured as an integration circuit and biased in an off center mode.

10. The alarm system configured or controlling a garage door of claim 1 wherein the amplification logic further comprises:

an operational amplifier (Op Amp).

11. The alarm system configured for controlling a garage door of claim 1 wherein the amplification logic further comprises:

a first Op Amp;

a second Op Amp in series with the first Op Amp, wherein the first Op Amp amplifies the change before the second Op Amp, and wherein when an output of the first Op Amp crosses a threshold the alarm response logic is configured not to stop a movement of the garage door.

12. The alarm system configured for controlling a garage door of claim 1 wherein the change is at least one of the group of:

a phase change and a frequency.

13. A garage door safety system comprising:

a detection logic configured to receive a first capacitance value from a first antenna mounted on a garage door and to receive a second capacitive value from a second antenna mounted on the garage door, wherein the detection logic is configured to generate pulses based, at least in part, on the first capacitive value and the second capacitive value, wherein the detection logic is configured to detect a difference between two or more of the pulses;

amplification logic configured to amplify the difference to produce an amplified difference;

alarm generation logic configured to detect if the amplified difference is associated with an alarm condition; and

alarm response logic configured to change a movement of the garage door when an alarm condition is detected.

14. The garage door safety system of claim 13 further comprising:

reset logic configured to reset the amplification logic and the alarm generation logic to allow the garage door safety system to detect a sequence of alarm conditions caused by a movement of an object in proximity to the garage door.

15. The garage door safety system of claim 14 further comprising:

a radar logic configured to detect based, at least in part, at least one of the group of;

a speed of the object and a direction of the object.

16. A method for detecting a moving object moving with respect to a garage door comprising:

receiving at an antenna an altered electromagnetic field altered by the moving object, wherein a capacitance of the antenna is a capacitive element of an oscillating circuit;

detecting that one or more pulses of the oscillating circuit are different other pulses generated by the oscillating circuit;

amplifying the difference to produce an amplified difference;

determining if the amplified difference is an alarm condition; and

stopping a movement of the garage door when the amplified difference is an alarm condition.

17. The method for detecting an object moving with respect to a garage door of claim 16 wherein the difference has a first frequency and wherein the amplifying further comprises:

amplifying the difference with a phased locked loop (PLL) that is in an off center mode, wherein the first frequency is input to an input of the PLL, and wherein the PLL has an output frequency that is different than the first frequency.

18. The method for detecting an object moving with respect to a garage door of claim 16 wherein the amplifying further comprises:

amplifying the difference with a plurality of stages of amplification including at least a first amplification stage and a second amplification stage, wherein the first amplification stage amplifies the difference before the second amplification stage; and

preventing the alarm condition when an output of the first amplification stage crosses a threshold value.

19. The method for detecting an object moving with respect to a garage door of claim 16 further comprising:

integrating the difference to produce an integrated difference, wherein the determining if the amplified difference is an alarm condition is based, at least in part on the integrated difference.

20. The method for detecting an object moving with respect to a garage door of claim 19 wherein the integrating further comprises:

integrating the difference using an operational amplifier (Op Amp) that is configured as an integrator; and

periodically resetting the Op Amp.