Reteachable switching circuit with ability for locking

• US 8,970,343 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Foster, Wayne R., Vavra, Joshua D., Tambeau, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US13/936,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 340 51- 592
• US Class Current: 340/5.6
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/00 Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking gated amplifiers H03F3/72; switching arrangements for exchange systems using static devices H04Q3/52
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94089 Wireless transmission

Abstract

A method for teaching a switching circuit is provided. The method includes presenting a target within a sensing range of a sensor of the switching circuit for a pre-determined duration and acquiring an identification code of the target via the sensor. The method also includes storing the acquired identification code for operating the switching circuit and locking the switching circuit against learning identification codes of any other target prior to reaching an allowed number of reteaching attempts.

Claims

1. A method for teaching a switching circuit, comprising:

acquiring an identification code of a target via a sensor when the target is presented within a sensing range of the sensor for a pre-determined duration;

storing the acquired identification code for operating the switching circuit; and

locking the switching circuit against learning identification codes of any other target, wherein locking the switching circuit against learning comprises moving the target outside the sensing range of the sensor and re-presenting the target within the sensing range of the sensor within a pre-determined period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed on a stationary component and the target comprises an actuator disposed on a movable component within the sensing range of the sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-determined duration is about 15 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising detecting the target within the sensing range of the sensor through radio-frequency identification.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving and re-presenting steps are performed at least once within the pre-determined period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-determined period is about 15 seconds.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the switching circuit with the acquired identification code of the target presented.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein moving the target comprises opening the movable component to move the target outside the sensing range of the sensor and re-presenting the target comprises closing the movable component to re-present the target within the sensing range of the sensor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the opening and closing steps are performed at least once within the pre-determined period.

10. A reteachable switching circuit, comprising:

a non-contact sensor configured to be disposed on a frame of an access door configured to provide access to at least one electrically driven device for an industrial application, the sensor having a sensing range;

a target configured to be disposed on the access door, wherein the target is located within the sensing range of the sensor when the access door is closed, and the target is located outside of the sensing range of the sensor when the access door is open; and

a processor configured to reprogram the switching circuit for operation of the switching circuit based upon an identification code of the target sensed by the sensor and to prevent the switching circuit from learning any other identification code of any other target sensed by the sensor, wherein the processor is configured to prevent the switching circuit from learning any other identification code when the target moves outside the sensing range of the sensor and is re-presented the target within the sensing range within a pre-determined period.

11. The reteachable switching circuit of claim 10, further comprising a memory configured to store the identification code of the target.

12. The reteachable switching circuit of claim 10, wherein the sensor generates a radio frequency field at approximately 125 kHz, and the target is a passive resonant circuit that responds to excitation by the radio frequency field.

13. The reteachable switching circuit of claim 10, wherein the identification code of the target comprises a 16 bit word.

14. The reteachable switching circuit of claim 10, wherein the identification code of the target is sensed within about 15 seconds.

15. The reteachable switching circuit of claim 10, further comprising one or more light emitting diodes configured to indicate a status of the switching circuit, the sensor, the target, or any combination thereof.

16. The reteachable switching circuit of claim 15, wherein the status is indicated by:

illuminating a first light emitting diode of the one or more light emitting diodes;

oscillating an illumination of the first light emitting diode;

illuminating a second light emitting diode of the one or more light emitting diodes;

or

any combination of the above.

17. The reteachable switching circuit of claim 16 wherein illuminating the first light emitting diode of the one or more light emitting diodes corresponds to the target being within the sensing range of the sensor, wherein oscillating the illumination of the first light emitting diode corresponds to the target being outside of the sensing range of the sensor, and wherein illuminating the second light emitting diode of the one or more light emitting diodes corresponds to the switching circuit not functioning properly.