Automatic barrier operator system

• US 7,600,550 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation (Sanwa Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation (Sanwa Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Mays, Wesley M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson; Blair M.
• Application Number:
  US11/440,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20060254729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 160/188, 160/201, 160/1, 160/7, 49/25, 340/5.71, 341/176, 318/16
• US Class Current: 160/188
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/668 for overhead wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00325 and the lock having only one limited data transmission range
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00373 whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

An automatic barrier operator system for operating a gate or upward acting garage door, for example, includes a controller for operating a reversible motor, a base radio frequency transmitter and a base radio frequency receiver. One or more remote control units include a radio frequency remote receiver and remote transmitter. The controller is operable to automatically close or open the barrier in response to a query signal sent from the base transmitter to the remote receiver and when the remote receiver is within range, returning a signal to effect operation of the barrier. The system is operable to effect operation or maintain the status quo of the barrier depending on the state of the barrier and a particular signal or lack of signal received by the controller from an authorized remote control unit or units. The system provides essentially hands-free automatic operation of opening and closing a garage door and the like.

Claims

1. A method for operating a barrier, such as a gate or garage door, to move between open and closed positions, said barrier being operably connected to an operator system including a controller comprising a base control circuit, said controller being operable to track whether said barrier is automatically or manually moved into position by said controller, a human operator controllable base switch operably connected to said base control circuit, a radio frequency base transmitter, a radio frequency base receiver and first and second remote control units operable to communicate with said base control circuit by way of said base receiver, each of said remote control units including a radio frequency remote transmitter and a radio frequency remote receiver, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a radio frequency query signal to said remote receivers;

receiving an automatic reply signal from a remote transmitter of one of said first and second remote control units at said base receiver in response to said query signal, said reply signal including a signal characteristic identifying said first remote control unit from said second remote control unit; and

causing said base control circuit to effect one of opening and closing said barrier dependent on said base receiver receiving said reply signal from said one remote control unit and dependent on whether said barrier was automatically or manually moved to its present position by said controller.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 including the steps of:

actuating said base switch to effect closing of said barrier;

causing said controller to make a determination whether all of said remote control units are within a range of said controller effective to receive signals from all of said remote transmitters; and

causing said controller to initiate operation of said base transmitter to cease transmitting signals to said remote receivers in response to the determination that all of said remote control units are within said range.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 including the steps of:

actuating said base switch to cause said barrier to move to a closed position;

causing said controller to verify that at least one of said remote control units is out of a range to receive a signal from a remote transmitter of said at least one remote control unit; and

causing said controller to effect operation of said base transmitter to transmit at least periodic signals in search of said at least one remote control unit.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 including the steps of:

causing said barrier to close in response to at least one of said remote control units moving out of range of one of a signal transmission from said base transmitter to said one remote control unit and a signal transmission from said one remote control unit to said base receiver.

5. The method set forth in claim 1 including the steps of:

actuating said base switch to effect opening of said barrier;

causing said base transmitter to transmit a signal; and

causing said controller to maintain said barrier in an open condition as long as said controller receives a signal from at least one remote transmitter.

6. The method set forth in claim 1 including the steps of:

causing said controller to effect closing of said barrier; and

causing said controller to initiate operation of said base transmitter to cease transmission of signals from said base transmitter in response to said base receiver receiving a signal from all of said remote control units.

7. The method set forth in claim 1 including the steps of:

actuating said base switch to effect opening of said barrier; and

causing said controller to operate said base transmitter to transmit signals to said remote control units as long as any one of said remote control units is out of range for receiving a signal from said base transmitter or any one of said remote control units is out of range of said base receiver receiving a signal from said one remote control unit.

8. The method set forth in claim 1 including the step of:

causing said controller to effect closing of said barrier after a predetermined time commencing with opening of said barrier if none of said remote transmitters are within a range to cause said base receiver to receive signals therefrom.

9. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said remote control units each include a human operator controllable remote switch operably connected to a remote transmitter, respectively, and said method includes the steps of;

actuating one of said remote switches to effect closing said barrier;

causing said controller to maintain said barrier in a closed position if at least one of said remote receivers is outside a signal receiving range of a signal from said base transmitter and another one of said remote receivers is in a signal receiving range of said base transmitter.

10. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said remote control units each include a human operator controllable remote switch operably connected to a remote transmitter, respectively, and said method includes the steps of;

actuating one of said remote switches to effect closing said barrier; and

causing said base transmitter to send periodic signals searching for one of said remote control units.

11. The method set forth in claim 1 including the steps of:

causing said controller to open said barrier; and

causing said controller to maintain said barrier in an open position if one of said remote control units is in signal receiving range of said base transmitter.

12. The method set forth in claim 11 including the step of:

causing said controller to close said barrier if said one remote control unit and said controller cease to be in signal receiving range of each other.

13. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said remote control units each include a human operator controlled remote switch operably connected to a remote transmitter, respectively, and said method includes the steps of;

causing said controller to initiate opening of said barrier in response to said base receiver receiving a signal from a remote transmitter; and

causing said controller to close said barrier only ever in response to actuation of one of said switches.

14. A method for operating a barrier, such as a gate or garage door, to move between open and closed positions, said barrier being operably connected to an operator system including a controller comprising a base control circuit, said controller being operable to track whether said barrier is automatically or manually moved into position by said controller, a radio frequency base transmitter and a radio frequency base receiver and first and second remote control units operable to communicate with said base control circuit, said remote control units each including a radio frequency remote transmitter and a radio frequency remote receiver, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a radio frequency query signal to said remote receivers of said first and second remote control units; and

effecting one of opening and closing said barrier depending on whether or not said base receiver receives a reply signal from said remote transmitter of said first remote control unit and depending on whether said barrier was automatically or manually moved to its present position by said controller, said reply signal being automatically generated in response to said query signal and including a signal characteristic identifying said remote transmitter of said first remote control unit from said remote transmitter of said second remote control unit.

15. The method set forth in claim 14 including the step of:

causing said controller to move said barrier from a closed position to an open position in response to a signal from said remote transmitter of said first remote control unit; and

causing said controller to hold said barrier in an open position as long as said first remote control unit is within a radio frequency communication range of said controller.

17. The method set forth in claim 14 wherein:

at least said one remote control unit includes a human operator controllable remote switch, said method further includes the steps of;

causing said base transmitter to transmit a radio frequency signal to said remote receivers;

actuating said remote switch to effect closing said barrier; and

causing said controller to maintain said barrier in a closed position if at least one of said remote receivers is outside a signal receiving range of a signal from said base transmitter and another one of said remote receivers is in signal receiving range of said base transmitter.

18. The method set forth in claim 14 wherein:

said operator system includes a human operator controllable base switch operably connected to said base control circuit, and each of said remote control units including a human operator controllable remote switch operably connected to a remote transmitter, said method further comprising the steps of;

causing said controller to close said barrier in response to actuation of one of said switches;

causing said base transmitter to transmit a radio frequency signal to said remote receivers; and

causing said controller to open said barrier when said base receiver receives a signal from one of said remote transmitters in response to a signal from said base transmitter received by a remote receiver operably connected to said one remote transmitter.

19. The method set forth in claim 18 including the steps of:

actuating one of said switches to cause said operator system to close said barrier;

causing said base transmitter to transmit a radio frequency signal to said remote receivers;

transmitting an acknowledgement signal from any of said remote control units which has received a signal from said base transmitter;

sending an additional signal from said base transmitter to said any one remote control unit to cause a remote transmitter associated with said any one remote control unit to cease responding to a signal from said base transmitter;

causing said base transmitter to continue to send a periodic signal searching for any of said remote units which has not responded to a signal from said base transmitter; and

causing said operator system to move said barrier to an open position in response to receiving a signal by said base receiver from a remote transmitter which has moved into range of signals between said base transmitter and said remote transmitter which has moved into said range.

20. The method set forth in claim 18 including the steps of:

actuating said base switch to cause said operator to open said barrier;

causing said base transmitter to emit signals in response to actuating said base switch to search for said remote control units; and

causing said controller to maintain said barrier in an open position as long as said base receiver receives a signal from at least one of said remote control units in response to said search signal from said base transmitter.

21. The method set forth in claim 18 including the steps of:

actuating one of said switches to cause said operator system to open said barrier;

causing said base transmitter to emit a search signal in response to actuating said one switch to search for said remote control units; and

causing said controller to maintain said barrier in an open position as long as said base receiver fails to receive a signal from one of said remote control units in response to said search signal from said base transmitter.

22. The method set forth in claim 18 including the steps of:

causing said base transmitter to transmit a search signal to said remote control units;

causing said controller to open said barrier if one of said remote control units moves into range of said search signal; and

causing said controller to open said barrier if said one remote control unit then moves out of range of said search signal.

16. The method set forth in Clam 14 wherein:

said operator system includes a human operator controllable base switch operably connected to said base control circuit, and said method further includes the steps of;

causing said base transmitter to transmit a radio frequency signal to said remote receivers;

actuating said base switch to effect opening of said barrier; and

causing said controller to maintain said barrier in an open condition as long as said base receiver receives a signal from at least one said remote transmitter.