Methods and apparatus for controlling a barrier movement operator having a timer-to-close feature are disclosed. The methods and apparatus include arrangements for conveniently inhibiting and re-activating the timer-to-close feature and for providing a mid-stop position during movement toward the closed position. Additionally, the embodiments include methods and apparatus for reversing barrier operation.

Patent
   RE44816
Priority
Apr 17 2003
Filed
May 31 2011
Issued
Mar 25 2014
Expiry
Apr 17 2023
Assg.orig
Entity
Large
2
26
all paid
10. A barrier movement operator comprising:
a motor for moving a barrier between open and closed positions when energized;
a controller for selectively energizing the motor to move the barrier from the open position toward the closed position when the barrier has been in the open position for a predetermined period of time and for stopping movement of the barrier at a predetermined mid-travel position between the open and closed positions when the barrier is moving because the barrier was at the open position for the pre-determined period of time.
1. A barrier movement operator comprising:
a motor for connection to a barrier to move the barrier between open and closed positions;
a controller for controlling the energization of the motor, the controller comprising a routine to energize the motor to move the barrier toward the closed position when the barrier has been at the open position for a predetermined period of time;
a timer for identifying the passage of the predetermined period of time; and
inhibiting apparatus for controlling the timer to inhibit the controller from energizing the motor in response to the passage of the predetermined period of time; and
apparatus configured to reset the timer in response to user actuation of the apparatus.
0. 21. A barrier movement operator comprising:
a motor for connection to a barrier to move the barrier between open and closed positions;
a controller for controlling the energization of the motor, the controller comprising a routine to energize the motor to move the barrier toward the closed position when the barrier has been at the open position for a predetermined period of time;
a timer for identifying the passage of the predetermined period of time; and
inhibiting apparatus for controlling the timer to inhibit the controller from energizing the motor in response to the passage of the predetermined period of time, wherein the inhibiting apparatus becomes operative in response to a human interaction via only a switch and without any other required human interaction and becomes inoperative after becoming operative in response to a second human interaction via the switch and wherein human interaction with the switch effects resetting of the timer.
0. 2. The barrier movement operator of claim 1 comprising apparatus for resetting the timer.
3. The barrier movement operator of claim 1 wherein the inhibiting apparatus becomes operative in response to human interaction.
4. The barrier movement operator of claim 3 wherein the inhibiting apparatus is responsive to human interaction for becoming inoperative after becoming operative.
5. The barrier movement operator of claim 1 wherein the timer comprises a timer routine of the controller.
6. The barrier movement operator of claim 5 wherein the controller responds to the inhibiting apparatus by ending execution of the timer routine.
7. The barrier movement operator of claim 5 wherein the controller responds to the inhibiting apparatus by resetting the timer.
8. The barrier movement operator of claim 3 comprising re-activation apparatus for stopping the inhibiting action by the inhibiting apparatus.
9. The barrier movement operator of claim 8 wherein the re-activation apparatus is responsive to human interaction.
11. The barrier movement operator of claim 10 comprising apparatus responsive to user interaction for energizing the motor to move the barrier from the open position to the closed position.
12. The barrier movement operator of claim 11 wherein the controller energizes the motor without stopping at the mid-travel position when operating in response to user interaction.
13. The barrier movement operator of claim 10 comprising mid-stop apparatus for identifying the predetermined mid-travel position.
14. The barrier movement operator of claim 13 comprising an indicator of the predetermined mid-travel position.
15. The barrier movement operator of claim 14 wherein the indicator comprises a physical switch disposed to change state on passage of the barrier thereby.
16. The barrier movement operator of claim 15 wherein the physical switch comprises electrical contact.
17. The barrier movement operator of claim 15 wherein the physical switch comprises a transmitter and receiver of optical signals.
18. The barrier movement operator of claim 14 wherein the indicator of mid-travel position comprises a software representation of barrier position.
19. The barrier movement operator of claim 15 18 comprising apparatus for updating the software representation of barrier position as the barrier moves.
20. The barrier movement operator of claim 10 comprising a timer to initiate barrier movement from the mid-travel position toward the closed position.
0. 22. The barrier movement operator of claim 21 wherein the switch comprises a contact push button.
0. 23. The barrier movement operator of claim 22 wherein the contact push button comprises a momentary contact push button.
0. 24. The barrier movement operator of claim 21 wherein the switch comprises a two position switch.
0. 25. The barrier movement operator of claim 21 wherein the switch is configured to affect only whether the inhibiting apparatus is operative or inoperative.
0. 26. The barrier movement operator of claim 21 wherein the inhibiting apparatus includes an indicator representative of the operational status of the inhibiting apparatus.
0. 27. The barrier movement operator of claim 26 wherein the indicator comprises a light emitting diode, LED.
0. 28. The barrier movement operator of claim 26 wherein the indicator is active when the inhibiting apparatus is operative and is inactive when the inhibiting apparatus is inoperative.

The present application is a 187 137 for a momentary contact to which controller 208 responds by entering a button oriented learn mode. The button oriented learn mode operates with an optional wall control 124′ which is shown in FIG. 6. Wall control 124′ replaces wall control 124 for the present example.

In the button oriented learn mode, controller 208 responds to each press of an open button 135 by adding five seconds to the timer count, to each press of a close button 136 by adding one minute to the timer count and responds to a press of a stop button by clearing the timer count. Accordingly, when the button oriented learn mode is operational a user presses a combination of buttons 135 and 136 to total the desired timer value. The absence of button presses for a predetermined period of time e.g., 20 seconds, allows the controller to leave the learn mode and revert to the operating mode.

A second method of setting the time out period of the timer-to-close timer is a time based learn mode which is entered by holding the timer learn button 187 137 closed for more than five seconds. In the time based learn mode the barrier should be at the open position when button 187 137 is pressed or the first act after entering the time based learn mode should be to move the barrier to the open position. Controller 208 then counts the time that the barrier is in the open position. When the appropriate time has passed e.g., five minutes, the user presses either the close button 136 (FIG. 6) or the timer-to-close button. The time base for the timer-to-close timer then becomes the time that the barrier was in the open position.

Gioia, William, Robb, Eric J., Stafford, David, Study, III, Robert S.

Patent Priority Assignee Title
10096187, Apr 09 2015 Overhead Door Corporation Automatic transmission of a barrier status and change of status over a network
10614647, Apr 09 2015 Overhead Door Corporation Remote transmission of barrier status and change of status over a network
Patent Priority Assignee Title
2287422,
3319696,
4360801, Apr 14 1980 INNOVATIVE HOME PRODUCTS, INC Home security and garage door operator system
4463292, Mar 13 1981 Security timer for automatic garage door opener
5027553, Aug 31 1990 Garage door closing apparatus
5510686,
6046562, Jul 03 1998 Security system for automatic door
6075333, Dec 12 1997 Kit for retrofitting manually operated electric garage door to operate automatically
6133703, Mar 12 1998 CHAMBERLAIN GROUP, INC , THE Bi-directional pass-point system for controlling the operation of movable barriers
6326754, Jan 28 2000 Wayne-Dalton Corp. Wireless operating system utilizing a multi-functional wall station transmitter for a motorized door or gate operator
6346889, Jul 01 2000 Security system for automatic door
6388412, May 09 2000 Overhead Door Corporation Door operator control system and method
6400112, Mar 12 1998 The Chamberlain Group, Inc. Bi-directional pass-point system for controlling the operation of movable barriers
6469464, Aug 31 2000 Automatic safety garage door closer
6563278, Jul 22 1999 NOOSTUFF, INC Automated garage door closer
6819071, Jan 15 2003 YOUSSEF, YASSER Automatic garage door closing system
6828745, Feb 17 1999 CHAMBERLAIN GROUP, INC , THE Method and apparatus for programming a logic board from switching power
6833681, Jun 20 2002 CHAMBERLAIN GROUP, INC , THE Barrier movement control for mid-travel barrier movement start
7034484, Apr 17 2003 The Chamberlain Group, Inc Barrier movement operator including timer to close feature
7109677, May 07 2004 Wayne-Dalton Corp. Motorized barrier operator system for controlling a barrier after an obstruction detection and related methods
7579797, Apr 17 2003 CHAMBERLAIN GROUP, INC , THE Barrier movement operator including direction switch feature
7755223, Aug 23 2002 The Chamberlain Group LLC Movable barrier operator with energy management control and corresponding method
20040227410,
20060012325,
GB2338360,
GB2372866,
/////////////
Executed onAssignorAssigneeConveyanceFrameReelDoc
Jul 15 2003ROBB, ERIC J The Chamberlain Group, IncASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS 0322130612 pdf
Jul 16 2003GIOIA, WILLIAMThe Chamberlain Group, IncASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS 0322130612 pdf
Jul 16 2003STAFFORD, DAVIDThe Chamberlain Group, IncASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS 0322130612 pdf
Jul 21 2003STUDY, ROBERT S , IIIThe Chamberlain Group, IncASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS 0322130612 pdf
May 31 2011The Chamberlain Group, Inc.(assignment on the face of the patent)
Aug 05 2021The Chamberlain Group, IncThe Chamberlain Group LLCCONVERSION0603790207 pdf
Aug 05 2021The Chamberlain Group, IncTHE CHAMBLERLAIN GROUP LLCCONVERSION0587380305 pdf
Nov 03 2021Systems, LLCARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENTSECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT0580150001 pdf
Nov 03 2021The Chamberlain Group LLCARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENTSECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT0580150001 pdf
Nov 03 2021Systems, LLCWELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENTFIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT0580140931 pdf
Nov 03 2021The Chamberlain Group LLCWELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENTFIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT0580140931 pdf
Jan 26 2024ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENTThe Chamberlain Group LLCNOTICE OF TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS0663740749 pdf
Jan 26 2024ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENTSystems, LLCNOTICE OF TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS0663740749 pdf
Date Maintenance Fee Events
Feb 15 2018M1553: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 12th Year, Large Entity.


Date Maintenance Schedule
Mar 25 20174 years fee payment window open
Sep 25 20176 months grace period start (w surcharge)
Mar 25 2018patent expiry (for year 4)
Mar 25 20202 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 4)
Mar 25 20218 years fee payment window open
Sep 25 20216 months grace period start (w surcharge)
Mar 25 2022patent expiry (for year 8)
Mar 25 20242 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 8)
Mar 25 202512 years fee payment window open
Sep 25 20256 months grace period start (w surcharge)
Mar 25 2026patent expiry (for year 12)
Mar 25 20282 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 12)