AUTOMATIC CLOSURE SYSTEM IMPACT DETECTION

• US 20160231715A1
• Filed: 01/26/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Erik Dumais
• Original Assignee: Erik Dumais
• Inventors: Dumais, Erik
• Granted Patent: US 10,348,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/41 Detection by monitoring transmitted force or torque E05F15/48 takes precedence; Safety couplings with activation dependent upon torque or force, e.g. slip couplings
• 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 15/681 operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/435 by interruption of the beam
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/436 the beam being parallel to the wing edge
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0851 for motors actuating a movable member between two end positions, e.g. detecting an end position or obstruction by overload signal

Abstract

A method is provided, including providing an accelerometer responsive to motion of a closure forming part of an automatic closure system, providing an output of the accelerometer to first and second comparator circuits, the first comparator circuit having a first reference voltage such that the output of the first comparator circuit is indicative of a direction of closure motion and the second comparator circuit having an adjustable second reference voltage such that the output of the second comparator circuit is scaled relative to this adjustable second reference voltage to adjust the sensitivity of the output of the second comparator, providing a microcontroller coupled to the first and second comparator circuits, the microcontroller determining both a motion sequence of the closure and whether the closure has impacted an object, and providing an interface circuit for communicating the output from the microcontroller to a remote controller circuit.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an accelerometer responsive to motion of a closure forming part of an automatic closure system;

providing an output of the accelerometer to first and second comparator circuits, the first comparator circuit having a first reference voltage such that the output of the first comparator circuit is indicative of a direction of motion of the closure and the second comparator circuit having an adjustable second reference voltage such that the output of the second comparator circuit is scaled relative to this adjustable second reference voltage to adjust the sensitivity of the output of the second comparator;

providing a microcontroller coupled to the outputs of the first and second comparator circuits, the microcontroller for determining based upon the outputs of the first and second comparator circuits with time both a motion sequence of the closure and whether the closure has impacted an object; and

providing an interface circuit for communicating the output from the microcontroller to a remote controller circuit.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising;

the remote controller circuit which comprises;

a filtering circuit for receiving and processing the output from the interface circuit;

a microcontroller for receiving the output from the filtering circuit and determining whether to at least one of trigger an alarm and communicate a control signal to a motor.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the interface circuit transmits data to the remote controller via a wired power interface which also provides a power rail supplying power via a power supply circuit to the accelerometer, microcontroller, and first and second comparator circuits wherein the wired power interface is coupled to the remote controller.

4. A device comprising:

an accelerometer responsive to motion of a closure forming part of an automatic closure system;

an output of the accelerometer to first and second comparator circuits, the first comparator circuit having a first reference voltage such that the output of the first comparator circuit is indicative of a direction of motion of the closure and the second comparator circuit having an adjustable second reference voltage such that the output of the second comparator circuit is scaled relative to this adjustable second reference voltage to adjust the sensitivity of the output of the second comparator;

a microcontroller coupled to the outputs of the first and second comparator circuits, the microcontroller for determining based upon the outputs of the first and second comparator circuits with time both a motion sequence of the closure and whether the closure has impacted an object; and

an interface circuit for communicating the output from the microcontroller to a remote controller circuit.

5. The device according to claim 4, further comprising;

a power interface circuit which receives power from the remote controller circuit via a wired link and couples the interface circuit to the wired link;

a power supply circuit for receiving the power from the power interface circuit and generating the required power supply rails for the accelerometer, microcontroller, and first and second comparator circuits.

6. A system comprising:

an impact detector circuit comprising;

an accelerometer responsive to motion of a closure forming part of an automatic closure system;

an output of the accelerometer to first and second comparator circuits, the first comparator circuit having a first reference voltage such that the output of the first comparator circuit is indicative of a direction of motion of the closure and the second comparator circuit having an adjustable second reference voltage such that the output of the second comparator circuit is scaled relative to this adjustable second reference voltage to adjust the sensitivity of the output of the second comparator;

a first microcontroller coupled to the outputs of the first and second comparator circuits, the first microcontroller for determining based upon the outputs of the first and second comparator circuits with time both a motion sequence of the closure and whether the closure has impacted an object; and

an interface circuit for communicating the output from the microcontroller to a remote controller circuit; and

the remote controller circuit comprising;

a filtering circuit for receiving and processing the output from the interface circuit within the impact detector;

a second microcontroller for receiving the output from the filtering circuit and determining whether to at least one of trigger an alarm and communicate a control signal to a motor.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein

the impact detector circuit further comprises;

a power interface circuit which receives power from the remote controller circuit via a wired link and couples the interface circuit to the wired link;

a first power supply circuit for receiving the power from the power interface circuit and generating the required power supply rails for the accelerometer, first microcontroller, and first and second comparator circuits; and

the remote controller circuit further comprises;

a second power supply circuit for receiving an input power supply and generating the required power supply rails of the second microcontroller and filtering circuit and providing the power to the wired link.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein

the interface circuit within the impact detector circuit comprises a wireless transmitter operating according to a predetermined wireless standard;

and

the remote controller circuit comprise a wireless receiver operating according to a predetermined wireless standard for receiving data from the wireless transmitter and coupling this received signal to the filtering circuit.