Movable barrier operator having force and position learning capability

• US 6,566,828 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): Masih, Karen
• Application Number:
  US09/973,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20020084759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 318/283, 318/266, 318/282, 318/469, 318/470, 318/434, 318/445, 318/471
• US Class Current: 318/283
• 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 operatively connected to open and close a movable barrier;

a temperature sensor in thermal communication with the electric motor;

apparatus for energizing the electric motor to open and close the barrier;

a controller responsive to commands to move the barrier, the temperature sensor for estimating whether the command can be executed without exceeding predetermined thermal conditions at the motor and for inhibiting energization of the motor when the predetermined thermal condition would be exceeded.

3. The movable barrier operator of claim 1, further comprising an indicator for providing notice indicate an energization state based on the estimated thermal condition of the motor.

5. The movable barrier operator of claim 1, further comprising a predetermined constant indicative of the speed at which the motor is moving.

6. The movable barrier operator of claim 5, further comprising a count value generated by the controller when the motor is operated.

7. The movable barrier operator of claim 6, wherein a product of the constant and the count value is indicative of the rise in temperature when the motor has been operated.

8. The movable barrier operator of claim 7, wherein the product of the constant and the count value is summed over time.

9. The movable barrier operator of claim 6, further comprising:

means for determining a temperature of the motor, comprising subtracting from the sum a difference between a simulated temperature and an ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor, subtracting an amount of time the motor has been off and multiplying the difference by a predetermined constant.

2. A movable barrier operator in accordance with claim , wherein the controller is responsive to a past operation history.

4. The movable barrier operator of claim 2, wherein the indicator is a light emitting diode for providing visual notice.

10. A method for inhibiting energization of a motor in a barrier movement operator, the method comprising the steps of:

reading temperature data from a thermal sensor;

predicting, based on past data, the temperature of the motor if the motor were to be energized; and

preventing the motor from being energized if the predicted motor temperature is outside a predetermined range of temperatures.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of activating an alarm state if the predicted motor temperature exceeds the predetermined thermal condition.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the predicting step further comprises the step of determining the intended direction of movement of the barrier operator.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of setting a threshold thermal condition based on the direction of movement of the barrier operator.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the alarm is a visual indicator.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

measuring an ambient temperature within the movable barrier operator; and

determining the speed at which the motor is operated when the movable barrier operator is in motion;

determining the rise in temperature of the motor when the motor is being operated;

measuring the elapsed time that motor has been non-operational;

determining the temperature of the motor based on the determined speed, determined rise in temperature and the elapsed time.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of predicting the additional temperature applied to the motor prior to the motor being operated.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of generating a count value representative of the temperature of the motor.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the count value is based on the predicted temperature, ambient temperature and the elapsed time that the motor has been non-operational.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

determining a constant representative of the motor speed;

calculating a product of the constant and the count value; and

subtracting from the product a difference between a simulated temperature and the ambient temperature, subtracting the amount of time the motor has been non-operational and multiplying the difference by a predetermined constant.