Adaptive ultrasound detecting system for a door assembly

• US 8,875,441 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensotech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sensotech, Inc.
• Inventors: Agam, Uri, Marcovecchio, Pino
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Katherine
• Assistant Examiner(s): REPHANN, JUSTIN B
• Application Number:
  US13/907,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20130263511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 49 26- 28, 491/16, 491/18, 493/66, 318264-266, 318/272, 318/275, 318/277, 318/282, 318/286, 318466-469, 318/626
• US Class Current: 49/28
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/04 Systems determining presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/527 Extracting wanted echo signals Doppler systems G01S15/50

Abstract

Embodiments of an adaptive ultrasound detecting system for a door assembly include an ultrasound transducer assembly mounted to the door assembly and a controller coupled to the ultrasound transducer assembly. The ultrasound transducer assembly is adapted to emit ultrasound detecting beams within the door path, and to trigger a detecting signal indicative of a body located within the door path when the body intersects at least one of the ultrasound detecting beams. The controller is adapted to receive information indicative of a position of the door along the path, and to vary emitting at least one detecting beam in accordance to the position of the door relative to the ultrasound detecting beams.

Claims

1. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system for a door assembly, the door assembly being for closing a door entrance and including a door movable along a path;

the system comprising;

an ultrasound transducer assembly including a plurality of ultrasound transducers mounted to the door assembly adapted to emit at least one ultrasound detecting beam within the door path, to receive an echo indicative of a body located within the door path when the body intersects one of the at least one ultrasound detecting beam, and to trigger a detecting signal indicative of the body within the door path;

a controller coupled to the ultrasound transducer assembly adapted for receiving information indicative of a position of the door along the path, and for varying the emission of at least one ultrasound detecting beam in accordance to the position of the door relative to the at least one detecting beam;

wherein varying the emission of at least one ultrasound detecting beam includes temporarily triggering off at least one of the plurality of ultrasound transducers;

wherein temporarily triggering off at least one of the plurality of ultrasound transducers includes sequentially triggering off each of the at least one of the plurality of ultrasound transducers before the door penetrates the corresponding one of the at least one ultrasound detecting beam.

2. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of ultrasound transducers acts as both an ultrasound emitter and receiver.

3. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of ultrasound transducers acts as an ultrasound emitter and at least another one of the plurality of ultrasound transducers act as an ultrasound receiver.

4. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the door assembly includes a door frame and the door;

at least one of the plurality of ultrasound transducers being mounted to the frame and at least another one of the plurality of ultrasound transducers being mounted to the door.

5. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein varying the emitting at least one detecting beam includes modifying the role of at least one of the ultrasound transducers to one of an ultrasound emitter, an ultrasound receiver and to alternating between being an ultrasound emitter and receiver.

6. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one ultrasound detecting beam has a path defined by at least one of the plurality of ultrasound transducers;

varying the emission of at least one ultrasound detecting beam includes modifying at least one of the path.

7. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein varying the emission of at least one ultrasound detecting beam includes modifying at least one dimension of the detecting beam.

8. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least one dimension of the detecting beam is a length or a diameter thereof.

9. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the information indicative of a position of the door is obtained from a device including at least one of an encoder, an accelerometer, a magnet, and an electronic gyro.

10. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the information indicative of a position of the door results from a detection by the ultrasound transducer assembly.

11. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one ultrasound detecting beam is slanted towards the door.

12. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 11, wherein varying the emitting at least one detecting beam includes modifying a length of thereof.

13. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one ultrasound detecting beam is cone shaped.

14. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transducer assembly is adapted to emit at least two ultrasound detecting beam, one on each side of the entrance.

15. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the door assembly is selected from the group consisting of a pivoting door, a sliding door, and a swing door.

16. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the door assembly includes a door which is automatically movable along the path.

17. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to implement at least one of a dynamic adaptive threshold technique and a windowing technique.

18. An adaptive ultrasound detecting system for a door assembly, the door assembly being for closing a door entrance and including a door movable along a path;

the system comprising;

an ultrasound transducer assembly including a plurality of ultrasound transducers mounted to the door assembly, adapted i) for an emission of at least one ultrasound detecting beam within the door path, ii) to receive an echo indicative of a body located within the door path when the body intersects one of the at least one ultrasound detecting beam, and iii) to trigger a detecting signal indicative of the body within the door path;

a controller coupled to the ultrasound transducer assembly adapted for receiving information indicative of a position of the door along the path for varying the emission of at least one ultrasound detecting beam in accordance to the position of the door relative to the at least one detecting beam, for recognising a signature of the door and for removing the signature of the door from each received echo from one of the plurality of ultrasound detecting beam that is at least partially penetrated by the door;

wherein varying the emission of at least one ultrasound detecting beam further includes triggering of each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers that produces a detecting beam that has been penetrated by the door after the detecting beam is completely passed by the door.