Composite sensor for door

• US 7,064,666 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2004
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nabco Ltd. (Nabtesco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nabco Ltd. (Nabtesco Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Shigeaki, Kanda, Yasutaka, Nishigaki, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US10/773,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20040160318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 340/545.3, 340521-523, 340552-557, 250/208.4, 250/22, 49/25, 49 26- 28, 49/31, 49/49, 318452-455, 318/466, 318/480, 318/489
• US Class Current: 340/545.3
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/434 with cameras or optical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/487 Fault detection of safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/765 using optical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders

Abstract

A radio-wave transmitter-receiver section (12) forms a radio-wave detection zone (16) for detecting an object at a location way from a door (4). A light emitter-receiver section (20) forms an optical detection zone (42) for detecting an object at a location along and closer to the door (4). The light emitter-receiver section (20) includes mirrors (28, 36) which are used to increase or decrease the depth dimension of the optical detection zone (42) in the direction perpendicular to the door (4).

Claims

1. A composite sensor for a door, comprising:

a radio-wave transmitter-receiver section for forming a radio-wave detection zone for detecting an object at a location remote from said door; and

a light emitter-receiver section for forming an optical detection zone for detecting an object at a location along and closer to said door;

said light emitter-receiver section including optical detection zone modifying means which fixes the position of an edge closer to said door of said optical detection zone and moves an edge remote from said door of said optical detection zone in a direction perpendicular to said door to thereby increase or decrease a dimension of said optical detection zone in the direction perpendicular to said door.

2. The composite sensor according to claim 1 wherein said light emitter-receiver section comprises a light emitter and a light receiver;

and said optical detection zone modifying means comprises reflecting means for said light emitter for reflecting light beams from said light emitter, reflecting means for said light receiver for reflecting light beams toward said light receiver, light-collecting means for said light emitter for collecting light beams from said light emitter, and light-collecting means for said light receiver for collecting light beams toward said light receiver;

said reflecting means for said light emitter, said reflecting means for said light receiver, said light-collecting means for said light emitter and said light-collecting means for said light receiver being united together;

said reflecting means for said light emitter, said reflecting means for said light receiver, said light-collecting means for said light emitter and said light-collecting means for said light receiver being synchronously rotated to increase or decrease the dimension of said optical detection zone in the direction perpendicular to said door.

3. A composite sensor for a door for forming a first detection zone for detecting an object with a radio wave at a location remote from said door, and a second detection zone for detecting an object with light beams at a location along and closer to said door;

first judging means judging whether an object has been detected in said first detection zone;

second judging means judging whether an object has been detected in said second detection zone;

third judging means judging whether the judgment made by said second judging means is valid; and

fourth judging means judging whether an object is present in accordance with the judgments made by said first and second judging means when said third judging means judges that the judgment made by said second judging means is valid, and judging whether an object is present in accordance with the judgment made by said first judging means when said third judging means judges that the judgment made by said second judging means is invalid.

4. The composite sensor according to claim 3 wherein said third judging means judges that the judgment made by said second judging means is valid when an object is detected in said first detection zone continuously for a first time period.

5. The composite sensor according to claim 3 wherein said third judging means judges that the judgment made by said second judging means is valid for a selected time period after an object is detected in said first detection zone.

6. The composite sensor according to claim 3 wherein said third judging means judges that the judgment made by said second judging means is valid when an object is detected continuously for a time period in said second detection zone.

7. The composite sensor according to claim 3 wherein said third judgment means judges that the judgment made by said second judging means is valid when an object is detected in said first detection zone.

8. A composite sensor for a door for forming a first detection zone for detecting an object with a radio wave at a location remote from said door, and a second detection zone for detecting an object with light beams at a location along and closer to said door;

said composite sensor including an environmental condition sensor for detecting an environmental condition around said door, and invalidating means for making a result of detection in said second detection zone invalid when an environmental condition detection made by said environmental condition sensor is judged to affect said result of detection in said second detection zone.