AUTOMATIC DOOR SENSOR DEVICE

• US 20150059248A1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optex Company Limited (OPTEX GROUP Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Optex Company Limited (OPTEX GROUP Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: SHIRAISHI, Masanao, IWATA, Yohei, IKEDA, Takayasu, KONDO, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,341,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/26
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/003 Bistatic lidar systems; Multistatic lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

There is provided an automatic door sensor device (1) capable of preventing a door (3) which is transitioning from an open position to a closed position from being erroneously detected as an object by temporarily changing a detection area (A, C2, C3). The automatic door sensor device (1) includes a doorway area sensor (7a) that detects the presence of an object in a doorway area (B) which includes at least a portion of an area defined by the path of a door (3), detectors (6, 7b) that detect the presence and/or the movement of an object in changeable detection areas (A, C2, C3), and a detection area changer (31) that changes the detection areas (A, C2, C3) when it is determined, by using the doorway area sensor (7a), that the door (3) is transitioning from an open position to a closed position.

Claims

1. An automatic door sensor device that is supported by a support member and detects an object to control opening and closing of a door, the device comprising:

a doorway area sensor to detect presence of an object in a doorway area which includes at least a portion of an area defined by the path of the door;

a detector to detect presence and/or movement of an object in a changeable detection area; and

a detection area changer to change the detection area when it is determined, by using the doorway area sensor, that the door is transitioning from an open position to a closed position.

2. The automatic door sensor device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the detector includes a moving object sensor that detects movement of an object in a moving object detection area, and

wherein the detection area changer includes a moving object detection area changer that changes the moving object detection area from a first moving object detection area to a second moving object detection area that is different from the first moving object detection area when it is determined that the door is transitioning from the open position to the closed position, the first moving object detection area being allowed to be defined so as to overlap with the area on the track of the door, and the second moving object detection area being defined so as not to overlap with the area on the track of the door.

3. The automatic door sensor device as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the moving object sensor includes a moving object detection determiner to compare a magnitude of a detection signal with a changeable detection signal threshold, and determines movement of an object in the moving object detection area if the magnitude of the detection signal exceeds the changeable detection signal threshold, the moving object detection area of the moving object sensor being dependent on the changeable detection signal threshold, and

wherein the moving object detection area changer changes the moving object detection area from the first moving object detection area to the second moving object detection area by switching the changeable detection signal threshold from a first detection signal threshold to a second detection signal threshold that is greater than the first detection signal threshold.

4. The automatic door sensor device as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the moving object sensor further includes:

an emitter to emit a radiation wave;

a receiver to receive a reflected wave from the object irradiated with the radiation wave emitted by the emitter; and

a detection signal obtainer to obtain the detection signal from the radiation wave emitted by the emitter and the reflected wave received by the receiver.

5. The automatic door sensor device as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the moving object sensor includes a microwave sensor that uses Doppler effect.

6. The automatic door sensor device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the detector includes an object detection sensor that detects presence of an object in an object detection area, the object detection sensor being mounted on the support member, and

wherein the detection area changer includes an object detection sensor sensitivity changer that changes the object detection area by decreasing a sensitivity of the object detection sensor when it is determined that the door is transitioning from the open position to the closed position.

7. The automatic door sensor device as claimed in claim 6,

wherein the object detection sensor includes an infrared sensor, and the object detection area is defined in the vicinity of the door.

8. The automatic door sensor device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein, when a predetermined period has elapsed after the detection area is changed upon determination that the door is transitioning from the open position to the closed position, the detection area changer returns the changeable detection area to the detection area before the change.

9. The automatic door sensor device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein it is determined that the door is transitioning from the open position to the closed position when the doorway area sensor detects presence of an object in the doorway area after a predetermined condition has occurred.

10. A method for detecting an object to control opening and closing of a door, the method comprising:

detecting presence of an object in a doorway area which includes at least a portion of an area defined by the path of the door;

determining, when an object is detected in the doorway area, that the door is transitioning from an open position to a closed position;

detecting presence and/or movement of an object in a changeable detection area; and

changing the detection area when it is determined that the door is transitioning from the open position to the closed position.