Movable Barrier Safety Sensor Override

• US 20150096693A1
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J., Jankovsky, Thomas Jason, Strait, Larry, Lorch, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,970,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 160/7
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/42 Detection using safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/487 Fault detection of safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/57 Disabling thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages

Abstract

Controlling movable barrier movement with respect to selectively overriding a safety system includes determining whether a safety system is in an operation failure or misalignment state, the safety system being configured to detect obstruction in a path of movement of a movable barrier, receiving a state change request for the movable barrier while the safety system is in the operation failure or misalignment state, determining whether a safety override condition exists, and overriding the safety system and actuating the movable barrier if the safety system is in the operation failure or misalignment state and the safety override condition exists.

Claims

1. A method of controlling movable barrier movement, the method comprising:

determining whether a safety system is in an operation failure or misalignment state, the safety system being configured to detect obstruction in a path of movement of a movable barrier;

receiving a state change request for the movable barrier while the safety system is in the operation failure or misalignment state;

determining whether a safety override condition exists; and

overriding the safety system and actuating the movable barrier if the safety system is in the operation failure or misalignment state and the safety override condition exists.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the safety system is in the operation failure or misalignment state comprises determining whether the safety system indicates an obstruction for a period of time exceeding a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the safety override condition comprises a proximity of a portable transmitter utilized by a human operator within a prescribed distance from the movable barrier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the proximity of the portable transmitter utilized by the human operator is determined by using one or more of a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor, a magnetic field sensor, a loop detector, a toll pass sensor, an ultrasonic distance sensor, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor, an acoustic sensor, a microphone, a camera, a reflective optical sensor, a tasker light sensor, a weight pressure sensor, an air pressure sensor, a network adapter receiving a GPS coordinate of the portable transmitter, or measuring a signal strength of the portable transmitter'"'"'s signal including the state change request and determining whether the signal strength is greater than a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the safety override condition comprises detecting a user input to override the safety system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting the user input to override the safety system comprises detecting one or more of flashing a vehicle headlight, sounding of a car horn, receiving a signal indicating a holding down of two or more buttons on a transmitter, receiving a signal indicating a pressing of two or more buttons on the transmitter in a select pattern, or receiving a pass code.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating a warning system comprising one or more of an audible alarm and a flashing light while actuating the movable barrier if the safety system is in the operation failure or misalignment state and the safety override condition exists.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the safety system comprises two or more safety sensors, and wherein only safety sensors that have failed or are misaligned are overridden when the safety override condition exists.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication to a user that safety override is enabled when the safety override condition exists.

10. A movable barrier operator apparatus comprising:

a safety system configured to detect obstruction in a path of movement of a movable barrier;

a movable barrier operator configured to;

determine whether the safety system is in an operation failure or misalignment state, the safety system being configured to detect obstruction in the path of movement of the movable barrier;

receive a state change request for the movable barrier while the safety system is in the operation failure or misalignment state;

determine whether a safety override condition exists; and

override the safety system and actuating the movable barrier if the safety system is in the operation failure or misalignment state and the safety override condition exists.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the movable barrier operator is configured to determine whether the safety system is in the operation failure or misalignment state by determining whether the safety system indicates an obstruction for a period of time exceeding a threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the movable barrier operator is configured to determine the safety override condition by detecting a proximity of a portable transmitter utilized by a human operator within a prescribed distance from the movable barrier.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the proximity of the portable transmitter utilized by the human operator is determined by using one or more of a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor, a magnetic field sensor, a loop detector, a toll pass sensor, an ultrasonic distance sensor, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor, an acoustic sensor, a microphone, a camera, a reflective optical sensor, a tasker light sensor, a weight pressure sensor, an air pressure sensor, a network adapter receiving a GPS coordinate of the portable transmitter, or measuring a signal strength of the portable transmitter'"'"'s signal including the state change request and determining whether the signal strength is greater than a threshold value.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the movable barrier operator is configured to determine the safety override condition by detecting a user input to override the safety system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the movable barrier operator is configured to detect the user input to override the safety system by detecting one or more of flashing a vehicle headlight, sounding of a car horn, receiving a signal indicating a holding down of two or more buttons on a transmitter, receiving a signal indicating a pressing of two or more buttons on the transmitter in a select pattern, or receiving a pass code.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the movable barrier operator is configured to activate a warning system comprising one or more of an audible alarm or a flashing light while actuating the movable barrier if the safety system is in the operation failure or misalignment state and the safety override condition exists.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the safety system comprises two or more safety sensors, and wherein only safety sensors that have failed or are misaligned are overridden when the safety override condition exists.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the movable barrier operator is further configured to provide an indication to a user that safety override is enabled when the safety override condition exists.

19. A method of controlling movable barrier movement, the method comprising:

receiving a state change request for a movable barrier;

determining whether a safety system indicates an obstruction in response to receiving the state change request;

activating a warning system in response to the safety system indicating the obstruction; and

actuating the movable barrier in response to the state change request during the activating of the warning system.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a proximity of a portable transmitter based on a signal strength of a signal transmitting the state change request;

wherein the movable barrier is actuated only if the portable transmitter is within a prescribed distance from the movable barrier.

21. A method of controlling movable barrier movement, the method comprising:

receiving a state change request for a movable barrier from a portable transmitter;

determining whether a safety system indicates an obstruction;

receiving a user input from the portable transmitter to override the safety system; and

actuating the movable barrier in response to receiving the user input to override the safety system.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the user input to override the safety system comprises one or more of holding down two or more buttons on the portable transmitter and pressing two or more buttons on the portable transmitter in a select pattern.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a proximity of the portable transmitter based on a signal strength of a signal transmitting one of the state change request and the user input to override the safety system;

wherein the movable barrier is actuated only if the portable transmitter is within a prescribed distance from the movable barrier.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

activating a warning system while actuating the movable barrier in response to the user input to override the safety system.