Garage door opener with light control

• US 5,969,637 A
• Filed: 04/24/1996
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J., Doppelt, Loren E., Moravec, John V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asongwed, Anthony A.
• Application Number:
  US08/637,238
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.62, 340/825.53, 340/542, 340/825.56, 340/825.72, 340/825.8, 340/825.31, 340/825.22, 307/141.4, 49/13, 49/14, 49/25, 49/24, 49/30, 49/36
• US Class Current: 340/12.55
• 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: E05Y 2400/822 Light emitters, e.g. LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00261 the keyless data carrier having more than one function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00825 remotely by lines or wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00849 programming by learning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/06 Involving synchronization or resynchronization between transmitter and receiver; reordering of codes
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A garage door operator with light control includes a garage door movement apparatus for moving the garage door in an open and in a close direction within a doorway, a light having an on and an off state, a controller for generating a door movement signal for operating the door movement apparatus and for generating a light enable signal for operating the light in one of a plurality of on and off states and an obstacle detector for detecting the presence of an obstruction in the doorway. The controller responds to the door state (traveling open, traveling closed and stopped open) in order to control operation of the door and activation of the lights. When the door state indicates the door is stopped open and the obstacle detector detects an obstruction in the doorway, the controller generates a light enable signal for enabling the light.

Claims

1. A garage door operator with light control, comprising:

a garage door movement apparatus for moving the garage door in an open and in a close direction within a doorway;

a light having an on and an off state;

a controller for generating a door movement signal for operating the door movement apparatus and for generating a light enable signal for operating the light in one of a plurality of on and off states;

an obstacle detection apparatus for detecting the presence of an obstruction in the doorway;

apparatus for storing a state of the door and for generating a door state signal, wherein a state of the door is selected from the group consisting of traveling open, traveling closed and stopped open;

wherein the controller, responsive to a door state signal indicating traveling open or traveling closed, generates a door movement signal for enabling movement of the door in the commanded direction and generates a light enable signal for enabling the light in an on state for a predetermined period of time;

wherein the controller, responsive to a door state signal indicating traveling close and responsive to the detection of an obstruction in the doorway, generates an auto-reverse signal for enabling movement of the door in the open direction; and

wherein the controller, responsive to a door state signal indicating stopped open and responsive to the detection of an obstruction in the doorway, generates a light enable signal for enabling the light.

2. The garage door operator of claim 1, wherein the controller, responsive to a door state signal indicating stopped open and responsive to the detection of an obstruction in the doorway, generates a light enable signal for enabling the light in an on state for a predetermined period of time when the light is in an off state.

3. The garage door operator of claim 1, wherein the controller, responsive to a door state signal indicating stopped open and responsive to the detection of an obstruction in the doorway, generates a light enable signal for enabling the light in an on state for a predetermined period of time when the light is in an off state and generates a light enable signal for enabling the light in a predetermined pattern of on and off states when the light is in an on state.

4. The garage door operator of claim 1, wherein the obstacle detection apparatus comprises an optical emitter for emitting light across the doorway and an optical detector for receiving at least a portion of the emitted light.

5. The garage door operator of claim 4, wherein the optical emitter comprises an infrared emitter and the optical detector comprises an infrared detector.

6. The garage door operator of claim 1, wherein the state of the door is selected from the group consisting of traveling open, traveling closed, stopped open and stopped closed.

7. A garage door operator with light control, comprising:

a garage door movement apparatus for moving the garage door in an open and in a close direction within a doorway;

a light having an on and an off state;

a controller for generating a door movement signal for operating the door movement apparatus and for generating a light enable signal for operating the light in one of a plurality of on and off states;

an obstacle detection apparatus for detecting the presence of an obstruction in the doorway;

wherein the controller, responsive to a door movement command generates a door movement signal for enabling movement of the door in a commanded direction and generates a light enable signal for enabling the light in an on state for a predetermined period of time;

wherein the controller, subsequent to a door close movement command and responsive to the detection of an obstruction in the doorway, generates an auto-reverse signal for enabling movement of the door in the open direction; and

wherein the controller, when the door is in an open and stopped state and responsive to the detection of an obstruction in the doorway, generates a light enable signal for enabling the light in an on state for a predetermined period of time when the light is in an off state, and generates a light enable signal for enabling the light in a predetermined pattern of on and off states when the light is in an on state.

8. The garage door operator of claim 7, wherein the obstacle detection apparatus comprises an optical emitter for emitting light across the doorway and an optical detector for receiving at least a portion of the emitted light.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein the optical emitter comprises an infrared emitter and the optical detector comprises an infrared detector.

10. A method of operating a garage door operator with light control, the operator having a garage door movement apparatus for moving the garage door in an open and in a close direction within a doorway, a light having an on and an off state and an obstacle detection apparatus for detecting the presence of an obstruction in the doorway, comprising:

responsive to a door movement command, generating a door movement signal for enabling movement of the door in the commanded direction and generating a light enable signal for enabling the light in an on state for a predetermined period of time;

detecting an obstruction in the doorway while the door is moving in a close direction, then generating an auto-reverse signal for enabling movement of the door in the open direction; and

detecting an obstruction in the doorway when the door is in a stopped and open state, then, when the light is in an off state, generating a light enable signal for enabling the light in an on state for a predetermined period of time, and when the light is in an on state, generating a light enable signal for enabling the light in a predetermined pattern of on and off states.