Sensor for automatic doors

• US 6,750,441 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optex Company Limited (OPTEX GROUP Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Optex Company Limited (OPTEX GROUP Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takada, Yasuhiro, Imahori, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Thanh X.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAM, STEPHEN K
• Application Number:
  US10/054,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/222.1, 250/214.5, 49/26--28, 49/25, 340/514, 340/516, 340/545.3, 340/600, 340/644
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/434 with cameras or optical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/436 the beam being parallel to the wing edge
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/437 the beam being perpendicular to the wing edge
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/487 Fault detection of safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/664 by radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/45 in or on the fixed frame
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/21 of identical elements, e.g. of identical compression springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/242 arranged in parallel relationship
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/409 against faulty mounting or coupling
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors

Abstract

In an auxiliary safety sensor 6 which has a first sensor set composed of a first transmitter 61 and a first receiver 63 located opposite to each other and a second sensor set composed of a second transmitter 62 and a second receiver 64 located opposite to each other, a test operation is performed by emitting a light beam only from the first transmitter 61. The state of misconnection is confirmed when a connection point 73 for the first receiver 61 does not receive predetermined light acceptance data for the amount of received light. To solve the misconnection, the light acceptance data based on the signals from the receivers 63, 64 are exchanged between each other, before they are supplied to the data acquisition means 8.

Claims

1. A sensor for use with automatic doors and operable to determine the presence or absence of an object within an object detection area, said sensor comprising:

a plurality of sensor sets, each of said sensor sets comprising a transmission means for transmitting light and a receiving means for receiving light located to oppose each other across the object detection area so that said sensor is operable to determine the presence or absence of an object within the object detection area depending on whether light emitted from each transmission means is received by an opposing receiving means;

data acquisition means for acquiring light acceptance data sent from a first receiving means of said plurality of receiving means of said plurality of sensor sets and light acceptance data sent from a second receiving means of said plurality of receiving means of said plurality of sensor sets; and

data exchange means for exchanging the light acceptance data from said first receiving means with the light acceptance data from said second receiving means, such that said data acquisition means is operable to acquire predetermined light acceptance data based on light emitted from one of said transmission means and that is received by an opposing receiving means,

wherein said data exchange means is operable to exchange light acceptance data when said data acquisition means fails to acquire the predetermined light acceptance data, provided that one of said transmission means emits light in the absence of an object within the object detection area,

wherein said transmission means are operable, one by one, to emit light,

wherein said data exchange means is further operable to exchange light acceptance data sent from a receiving means that receives the greatest amount of light with light acceptance data sent from a receiving means located to oppose a transmission means that emits light, and

wherein said data exchange means is still further operable to exchange light acceptance data when said data acquisition means fails to acquire the predetermined light acceptance data, provided that one of said transmission means emits light in the absence of an object within the object detection area.

2. A sensor for use with automatic doors and operable to determine the presence or absence of an object within an object detection area, said sensor comprising:

a plurality of sensor sets, each of said sensor sets comprising a transmitter operable to transmit light and a receiver operable to receive light located to oppose each other across the object detection area so that said sensor is operable to determine the presence or absence of an object within the object detection area depending on whether light emitted from a transmitter is received by an opposing receiver;

data acquisition means for acquiring light acceptance data sent from a first receiver of said plurality of receivers of said plurality of sensor sets and light acceptance data sent from a second receiver of said plurality of receivers of said plurality of sensor sets; and

a data exchanger operable to exchange the light acceptance data from said first receiver with the light acceptance data from said second receiver, such that said data acquisition means is operable to acquire predetermined light acceptance data based on light emitted from one of said transmitters and that is received by an opposing receiver,

wherein said data exchanger is operable to exchange light acceptance data when said data acquisition means fails to acquire the predetermined light acceptance data, provided that one of said transmitters emits light in the absence of an object within the object detection area,

wherein said transmitters are further operable, one by one, to emit light,

wherein said data exchanger is further operable to exchange light acceptance data sent from a receiver that receives the greatest amount of light, with light acceptance data sent from a receiver located to oppose a transmitter that emits light, and

wherein said data exchanger is operable to exchange the light acceptance data when said data acquisition means fails to acquire the predetermined light acceptance data, provided that one of said transmitters emits light in the absence of an object within the object detection area.