Barrier movement operator having service reminders

• US 7,493,726 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J., Gioia, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): REDMAN, JERRY E
• Application Number:
  US10/145,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20030213177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,477 Days
• Field of Search: 49/13, 49/14, 49/31, 49/29, 318/466
• US Class Current: 49/31
• 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 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/668 for overhead wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/436 the beam being parallel to the wing edge
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/487 Fault detection of safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/458 for generating service signals
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/822 Light emitters, e.g. LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/45 in or on the fixed frame
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages

Abstract

An electronic service reminder to automatically notify a user as to when and what type of maintenance should be performed on the garage door operator, based on a variety of factors, including time, materials and operating environment. The garage door operator is configured to automatically generate an electronic service reminder in the form of an audible or visual alert based on one or more operating parameters of the garage door operator meeting or exceeding a predefined threshold. The predefined threshold is variable based on the values of the operating parameters.

Claims

1. A movable barrier operator, installed at an initial installation time, which opens and closes a barrier, the barrier operator comprising:

a timer measuring an elapsed length of time since the initial installation of the movable barrier operator;

a counter which counts the number of operations that are executed by the movable barrier operator;

a measuring sensor configured to measure an operating condition of the barrier operator; and

a controller coupled to the timer, the sensor and counter, the controller programmed to determine whether an alert condition exists based upon whether the elapsed length of time since the initial installation and a number of movements counted have reached a threshold, and, when the alert condition exists, present service reminder information to a user, the controller configured to dynamically adjust the threshold in response to measurements by the measuring sensor of the operating condition.

2. The movable barrier of claim 1 wherein the measuring sensor comprises a temperature sensor configured to measure an ambient temperature around the movable barrier operator, and wherein the controller is programmed to determine the alert condition based upon the elapsed time since the initial installation of the movable barrier operator, the number of movements and the ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

3. The movable barrier operator of claim 1, wherein the alert condition indicates that the barrier operator requires or soon will require maintenance.

4. The movable barrier operator of claim 1, wherein the alert condition is conveyed to the user via a visual indicator comprising an LED configured to turn off and on.

5. The movable barrier operator of claim 1, wherein the alert condition is conveyed to the user via an LCD configured to display the existence of the alert condition and to display information regarding a required maintenance.

6. The movable barrier operator of claim 1, wherein the alert condition is conveyed to the user via a coded audible sound signal.

7. A movable barrier operator, installed at an initial installation time, which opens and closes a barrier, the barrier operator comprising:

a timer measuring an elapsed length of time since the initial installation of the movable barrier operator;

a measuring sensor configured to measure an operating condition, the measuring sensor selected from the group consisting of the ambient temperature sensor configured to measure the ambient temperature around the movable barrier operator and a force sensor configured to measure the force required to move the barrier;

a counter which counts the number of operations that are executed by the movable barrier operator; and

a controller coupled to the timer, the counter, and the sensor, the controller being programmed to determine whether an alert condition exists based upon whether the elapsed length of time since the initial installation and a number of movements counted have reached a dynamically variable threshold which is a function of the measurements of the measuring sensor and, when the alert condition exists, being programmed to present service reminder information to a user, the controller being programmed to dynamically vary the threshold based upon the operating condition.

8. The movable barrier operator of claim 7, wherein the alert condition indicates that the barrier operator requires or soon will require service.

9. The movable barrier operator of claim 7, wherein the alert condition is conveyed to the user via a visual indicator comprising an LED configured to turn off and on.

10. The movable barrier operator of claim 7, wherein the alert condition is conveyed to the user via an LCD configured to display the existence of the alert condition and to display information regarding a required service.

11. The movable barrier operator of claim 7, wherein the alert condition is conveyed to the user via a coded audible sound signal.

12. A movable barrier operator which opens and closes a barrier, the barrier operator comprising:

a timer measuring an elapsed length of time since a last maintenance of the movable barrier operator;

a measuring sensor configured to measure an operating condition, the measuring sensor selected from the group consisting of the ambient temperature sensor configured to measure the ambient temperature around the movable barrier operator and a force sensor configured to measure the force required to move the barrier;

a counter which counts the number of operations which are executed by the movable barrier operator; and

a controller coupled to the timer, the sensor and the counter, the controller programmed to determine whether an alert condition exists based upon whether the elapsed length of time since the last maintenance and a number of movements counted have reached a dynamically variable threshold which is a function of the measurements of the measuring sensor, and, when the alert condition exists, being programmed to present service reminder information to a user, the controller being programmed to dynamically vary the threshold based upon the operating condition.

13. The movable barrier operator of claim 12, wherein the threshold is dynamically variable.

14. The movable barrier operator of claim 12, wherein the alert condition indicates that the barrier operator requires or soon will require maintenance.