Movable barrier apparatus and methods for responding to barrier travel obstructions and abnormalities

A movable barrier opener system, comprising:

• a motor for moving a movable barrier along a defined travel path;
• a jack shaft motor drive assembly for rotating a jack shaft and one or more cable drums rigidly attached to the jack shaft, with one or more cables disposed about the drums with the free end of each cable attached near the bottom of the movable barrier, the rotation of the jack shaft in a defined direction configured to lower the movable barrier;
• a movable barrier operator controller configured to:
• compare a first movable barrier behavioral profile, corresponding to motor current and motor shaft position, and indicative of a successful door run, without door travel interruption, along the defined travel path, with a second movable barrier behavioral profile, also corresponding to motor current and motor shaft position, indicative of a currently monitored movable barrier run along the defined travel path, wherein the currently monitored movable barrier run includes periodically braking the motor using momentary reversal pulses;
• and
• stop the motor when the comparison of the second movable barrier behavioral profile with the first movable barrier behavioral profile indicates a loss of tension in the one or more cables.

A movable barrier opener system, comprising:

• a motor for moving a barrier along a defined travel path;
• a movable barrier operator controller for controlling the operation of the motor, the controller configured to:
• define and store a first movable barrier behavioral profile indicative of a successful barrier run, without motor interruption, along at least a portion of the defined travel path;
• generate a second movable barrier behavioral profile indicative of a subsequent monitored barrier run along the same portion of the defined travel path, wherein the controller is configured to provide momentary reversal pulses to periodically brake the motor during the subsequent monitored barrier run;
• compare the second movable barrier behavioral profile with the first movable barrier behavioral profile to determine whether an accumulated door position discrepancy satisfies a pre-set acceptable deviation criteria;
• and
• compare the accumulated door position discrepancy to the pre-set acceptable deviation criteria programmed into the controller, the controller also configured to stop the motor when the accumulated door position discrepancy is not within the pre-set acceptable deviation criteria.

A method of operating a movable barrier opener system, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) directing a motor to move a barrier substantially along a defined travel path;
• b) sensing current drawn by the motor during the movement of the barrier substantially along the defined travel path;
• c) providing momentary reversal pulses to periodically brake the motor during the movement of the barrier substantially along the defined travel path and determining the motor shaft position associated with corresponding peaks in the current;
• d) calculating a door position discrepancy measurement comprising a difference between at least one motor shaft position associated with at least one of the corresponding peaks in the current and at least one motor shaft position associated with at least one peak in the sensed current of at least one past good run of the barrier;
• and
• e) directing the motor to cease movement, or cease and reverse movement, of the barrier upon the door position discrepancy measurement being outside of pre-set acceptable deviation criteria.

A method of operating a movable barrier opener system, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) directing a motor to move a barrier substantially along a defined travel path;
• b) sensing current drawn by the motor during the movement of the barrier substantially along the defined travel path;
• c) providing momentary reversal pulses to periodically brake the motor during the movement of the barrier substantially along the defined travel path and determining the motor shaft position associated with corresponding peaks in the current;
• d) measuring at least one of the corresponding peaks in the current;
• e) calculating a difference between the measured at least one of the corresponding peaks in the current and at least one previously measured peak in current of at least one past good run of the barrier;
• and
• f) directing the motor to cease movement, or cease and reverse movement, of the barrier upon the difference being outside of pre-set acceptable deviation criteria.