Garage door position indicator

• US 5,798,681 A
• Filed: 08/20/1996
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chang, Nai-Wen
• Original Assignee: Chang, Nai-Wen
• Inventors: Chang, Nai-Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): LA, ANH V
• Application Number:
  US08/700,286
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.45, 340/686, 340/689, 340/692, 340/671, 340/555, 340/556, 340/539, 340/545, 49/25, 49/31, 250/491.1
• US Class Current: 336/83
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/668 for overhead wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/326 of the angular type
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/46 in or on the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages

Abstract

The garage door position indicator contains a radio frequency (RF) transmitter with an electronic angle sensor attached onto a garage door, and a RF receiver with a visual/audio indicator. The electronic angle sensor supplies signals to the RF transmitter during the changes in orientation of a garage door from vertical to horizontal and from horizontal to vertical. The RF receiver is responsive to the RF signals from the RF transmitter and controls a visual/audio indicator to indicate the position of a garage door accordingly.

Claims

1. An electronic indicator providing indications of changes of position of a garage door, comprising:

a transmitter unit including a housing to be easily attached onto a garage door, the housing enclosing;

an electronic angle sensor comprising 3 IR RX LEDs, and encoder panel which is always in vertical position due to the gravity force, and 3 IR TX LEDs;

wherein the 3 IR RX LEDs are individually aligned and faced to the 3 IR TX LEDs;

a micro processor coupling to said electronic angle sensor for generating and distinguishing signals when the garage door changes orientation from vertical to horizontal and from horizontal to vertical;

an RF transmitter coupled to said micro processor and responsive to the signals from said electronic angle sensor for transmitting RF signals during the changes of the orientation of the garage door; and

a receiver unit including a RF receiver responsive to the RF signals from said transmitter, and another micro processor couples to said RF receiver;

an indicating means being activated by said another micro processor when receipt of the RF signals by the receiver, whereby activation of said indicating means indicates the changes of orientation of the garage door during operation.

2. The electronic indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said encoder panel has 7 holes logically arranged on the panel for infrared pulses from said 3 IR TX LEDs to pass through and reach some of the said 3 IR RX LEDs during the change of orientation of a garage door.

3. The electronic indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said electronic angle sensor generates signals when some of said 3 IR RX LEDs receive infrared pulses from said 3 IR TX LEDs through 1 or 2 of the 7 holes that are logically arranged on said encoder panel while the garage door changes its orientation.

4. The electronic indicator as defined in claim 1, where in said micro processor in said transmitter unit is capable of distinguishing signals generated by said electronic angle sensor, and is capable of detecting low battery power.

5. The electronic indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said another micro processor in said receiver unit is capable of distinguishing signals received by said RF receiver from said RF transmitter unit, and is capable of detecting low battery power.

6. The electronic indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said IR RX LEDs and IR TX LEDs can further be increased to 4 or more pairs, and the holes on said encoder panel can further be increased and logically arranged accordingly for more accurate indication of the changes of position of the garage door during operation.

7. The electronic indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said indicating means comprises:

a visual indicator including 5 LEDs that are to be activated by said another micro processor coupling to said receiver unit according to the RF signals from said RF transmitter that are generated by said electronic angle sensor, to show 5 different positions of the garage door during its change of orientation; and

an audio indicator including a tone generator that are to be activated by said micro processor coupling to said receiver unit according to the RF signals from said RF transmitter that are generated by the electronic angle sensor, to generate 5 different tones representing the 5 different positions of the garage door during its change of orientation.

8. The electronic indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said transmitter unit is battery powered, and the receiver unit can be battery powered or adapted to be plugged into an electrical socket.