Movable barrier operator having force and position learning capability

• US 6,107,765 A
• Filed: 10/23/1997
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J., Farris, Bradley, Moravec, John V.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARTIN, DAVID S
• Application Number:
  US08/957,316
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 318/264-266, 318/280-300, 318/466-470, 318/445-479, 318/434, 49/26-28, 49/31
• US Class Current: 318/266
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/00 Power-operated mechanisms for wings motor-operated accessories in locks for completing closing or initiating opening of a wing E05B17/00
• 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 15/668 for overhead wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/436 the beam being parallel to the wing edge
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/315 Curve setting or adjusting
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/342 Pulse count value setting or correcting
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/554 sensing motor load
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/80 User interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/00 Details, accessories and auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/414 against high or low temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/75 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/42 Recording and playback systems, i.e. in which the programme is recorded from a cycle of operations, e.g. the cycle of operations being manually controlled, after which this record is played back on the same machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35472 Mode selection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36457 During teaching, force set point is automatically adapted to circumstances
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36463 Manual switch to drive motor to wanted position, store, memorize position
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36464 Position, teach, store extreme, full open, closed positions
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36489 Position and force
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37429 Temperature of motor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/42281 If estimated temperature rise of motor is too high, inhibit motor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/42311 : Store working torque profiles as function of time, position, compare with real torque
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45242 : Door, panel, window operation, opening, closing
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/006 : Calibration or setting of parameters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0852 : directly responsive to abnormal temperature by using a temperature sensor in a control circuit H02H7/0833

Abstract

A movable barrier operator includes a wall control switch module having a learn switch thereon. The switch module is connectable to a control unit positioned in a head of a garage movable barrier operator. The head unit also contains an electric motor which is connected to a transmission for opening and closing a movable barrier such as a garage door. The switch module includes a plurality of switches coupled to capacitors which, when closed, have varying charge and discharge times to enable which switch has been closed. The control unit includes an automatic force incrementing system for adjusting the maximal opening and closing force to be placed upon the movable barrier during a learn operation. Likewise, end of travel limits can also be set during a learn operation upon installation of the unit. The movable barrier operator also includes an ambient temperature sensor which is used to derive a motor temperature signal, which motor temperature signal is measured and is used to inhibit motor operation when further motor operation exceeds or is about to exceed set point temperature limits.

Claims

1. A movable barrier operator comprising:

an electric motor;

a switch operatively coupled to the electric motor for commanding the electric motor to move;

a switch for commanding a learn mode;

a transmission connected to the electric motor to be driven thereby and for connection to a movable barrier to be moved;

means for detecting a quantitative indication of position of the movable barrier;

a pass point signal generator for producing a pass point signal indicative of the barrier moving past a location fixed with respect to a barrier frame;

means for correcting the quantitative indication of position according to the pass point signal;

means for storing a force set point; and

means responsive to the learn mode and to the quantitative indication of position for detecting the force applied to the movable barrier and for changing the force set point when the force needed to move the barrier is greater than the force set point.

2. A movable barrier operator according to claim 1, wherein the force set point comprises an array of force set points as a function of position of the barrier.

3. A movable barrier operator according to claim 1, wherein the means for detecting a quantitative indication of position of the movable barrier includes means for measuring the amount the motor has turned during movement of the barrier.

4. A movable barrier operator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a digital memory for storing a counter value representing the quantitative indication of motion of the movable barrier; and

barrier motion registering means for incrementing and decrementing the counter value in response to barrier motion in a forward direction and a reverse direction, respectively.

5. A movable barrier operator according to claim 4, wherein the correcting means stores a value of zero in the counter in the digital memory when the pass point signal generator provides a pass point signal indication that the fixed location has been detected.

6. A movable barrier operator according to claim 2 wherein the array of force set points comprises force set points for travel in an open direction and force set points for travel in a close direction.

7. A movable barrier operator according to claim 1 wherein the means for changing the force set point comprises closure of the move command switch for a period of time.

9. A movable barrier operator according to claim 4, wherein the force set point comprises an array of force set points as a function of position of the barrier.

10. A movable barrier operator according to claim 5 wherein the array of force set points comprises force set points for travel in an open direction and force set points for travel in a close direction.

11. A movable barrier operator according to claim 4 wherein the input device comprises a switch and changing the force set point comprises closure of the switch for a period of time.

8. A movable barrier operator comprising:

an electric motor;

an input device for commanding a learn mode;

a transmission connected to the electric motor to be driven thereby and for connection to a movable barrier to be moved;

a digital memory for storing a counter value indicative of the absolute position of the barrier with respect to a barrier frame and for storing a force set point;

a position indicator for changing the counter value in the digital memory in response to barrier motion;

a pass point signal generator for producing a pass point signal indicative of the barrier moving past a location fixed with respect to the barrier frame;

wherein a preselected value of the counter in the digital memory is stored in response to the pass point signal; and

a controller responsive to the commanded learn mode and to the counter value for detecting the force applied to the movable barrier and for changing the force set point when the force needed to move the barrier is greater than the force set point.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of changing the force set point comprises closing a switch for a period of time.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of detecting and storing an array of open force set points and down force set points as a function of position of the door within the frame.

12. A method for automatically setting the force set points of a movable barrier operator which moves a barrier within a frame, comprising the steps of:

initiating a learn mode of said operator;

selecting an open force set point for driving the barrier to a desired open limit;

driving the barrier to a desired open limit;

detecting the force applied to the barrier as a function of position of the barrier within the frame;

changing the open force set point when the force needed to move the barrier is greater than the selected open force set point;

storing the open force set point value in a memory of said operator;

selecting a down force set point for driving the barrier to a desired down limit;

driving the barrier down to a position fixed with respect to the frame;

detecting the force applied to the barrier as a function of position of the barrier within the frame;

driving the barrier down to a fully closed position;

changing the down force set point when the force needed to move the barrier is greater than the selected down force set point;

storing the down force set point value in the memory of said operator.

17. A movable barrier operator according to claim 12, further comprising:

a switch operatively coupled to the controller for commanding the electric motor to move; and

wherein continued closure of the switch for a period of time is effective for changing the force set point.

15. A movable barrier operator having automatic force learn capability comprising:

an electric motor;

a transmission connected to the electric motor to be driven thereby and to a movable barrier to be moved;

a controller for generating a move signal to enable the transmission to move the barrier;

a detector for sensing when the barrier moves past a reference pass point and for generating a pass point signal representative thereof, the reference point being effective for enabling the controller to normalize the position of the barrier;

a memory for storing a force set point;

a position indicator, responsive to the pass point signal, for generating a signal indicating the relative position of the barrier with respect to the pass point; and

wherein the controller, in response to the relative position of the barrier, detects the force applied to the movable barrier and changes the force set point when the force needed to move the barrier is greater than the force set point.

16. A movable barrier operator comprising:

an electric motor;

a transmission connected to the electric motor to be driven thereby and for connection to a movable barrier to be moved with respect to a barrier frame;

a barrier position detector for detecting a quantitative indication of position of the movable barrier;

a pass point signal generator for producing a pass point signal indicative of the barrier moving past a location fixed with respect to the barrier frame;

wherein the barrier position detector, responsive to the pass point signal, corrects the quantitative indication of barrier position according to the pass point signal;

a memory for storing a force set point; and

a controller, responsive to the barrier position signal, operable in a learn mode, for detecting the force applied to the movable barrier and for changing the force set point when the force needed to move the barrier is greater than the force set point.

18. A movable barrier operator comprising:

an electric motor;

an input device for commanding a learn mode;

a transmission connected to the electric motor to be driven thereby and for connection to a movable barrier to be moved;

a memory for storing a force set point;

an ambient temperature detector positioned near the electric motor;

a controller, responsive to the commanded learn mode and to the ambient temperature detector, for detecting the force applied to the movable barrier and for changing the force set point when the force needed to move the barrier is greater than the force set point and for applying a temperature offset based on the detected ambient temperature to the force set point.