Garage door operator with motor control circuit fault detection

Apparatus for opening and closing a garage door comprising:

• a motor having a rotatable member for rotating in a first direction to open the garage door and in a second direction to close the garage door;
• control means for selectively generating ones of a plurality of motor control commands, said motor control commands specifying one of at least rotation of said rotatable member in said first direction, rotation of said rotatable member in said second direction, and no rotation of said rotatable member;
• motor control circuitry comprising a plurality of control relays including a first control relay responsive to said motor control commands for selectively connecting electrical power to energize said motor for upward movement of said door or connecting said electrical power to the electrical contacts of a second of said plurality of control relays, which second control relay responds to said motor control commands to control the connection of electrical power to energize downward movement of said door;
• and
• said control means being responsive to a malfunction in the operation of said control circuitry, motor operation differing from generated motor control commands, for generating a motor control command specifying rotation of said rotatable member in said first direction to reverse a closing door.

Apparatus for opening and closing a garage door comprising:

• a motor having a rotatable member for rotating in a first direction to open the garage door and in a second direction to close the garage door;
• control means for selectively generating ones of a plurality of motor control commands, said motor control commands specifying one of at least rotation of said rotatable member in said first direction, rotation of said rotatable member in said second direction, and no rotation of said rotatable member;
• motor control circuitry responsive to said motor control commands for selectively connecting electrical power to said motor to cause rotation of said rotatable member, thereby opening and closing said garage door;
• means for sensing motor operation differing from generated motor control commands as a malfunction in the response by said motor control circuitry to said motor control commands;
• and
• means responsive to said sensing means for reversing the direction of garage door travel when said garage door is closing due to malfunction of said motor control circuitry.

Apparatus for raising and lowering a door comprising:

• a source of motor driving voltage;
• a motor having an up winding which, when energized by said motor driving voltage, raises said door and a down winding which when energized by said motor driving voltage lowers said door;
• control means for generating control signals defining door movement;
• first switching means responsive to said control signals during fault free operation for selectively connecting said motor driving voltage to said up winding or to an intermediate conductor;
• second switching means responsive to said control signals during fault free operation for selectively connecting said intermediate conductor from said first switching means to said down winding;
• and
• means responsive to motor operation differing from generated motor control commands as a fault in the operation of said second switching means for controlling said first switching means to disconnect said motor driving voltage from the intermediate conductor and to connect said motor driving voltage to said up winding.

Apparatus for raising and lowering a door comprising:

• a source of motor driving voltage;
• a motor having an up winding which, when energized by said motor driving voltage, raises said door and a down winding which, when energized by said motor driving voltage, lowers said door;
• control means for selectively generating one of a plurality of motor control commands, said motor control commands specifying one of at least energizing said motor for upward movement of said door or for downward movement of said door;
• motor control circuitry responsive to said motor control commands for selectively connecting said motor driving voltage to said up winding or connecting said motor driving voltage to said down winding;
• and
• said control means being responsive to motor operation differing from generated motor control commands as a malfunction in the operation of said motor control circuitry for generating a motor control command specifying energizing said motor for upward movement to raise a closing door.

Apparatus for raising and lowering a door comprising:

• a source of motor driving voltage;
• a motor having an up winding which, when energized by said motor driving voltage, raises said door and a down winding which, when energized by said motor driving voltage, lowers said door;
• control means for selectively generating one of a plurality of motor control commands, said motor control commands specifying one of at least energizing said motor for upward movement of said door or for downward movement of said door, or specifying de-energizing said motor for stopping movement of said door;
• motor control circuitry responsive to said motor control commands for selectively connecting said motor driving voltage to said up winding or connecting said motor driving voltage to said down winding;
• a sensing element for sensing motor operation differing from the specified motor control command responsive to said motor driving voltage being applied to said down winding for downward movement of said door, responsive to said motor driving voltage being applied to said up winding for upward movement of said door, and responsive to the de-energizing said motor for stopping movement of said door;
• and
• said control means being responsive to said sensing element for generating a motor control command specifying energizing said motor for upward movement when said sensing element responsive to said motor driving voltage senses motor operation differing from the specified motor control command.

Apparatus for raising and lowering a door comprising:

• a source of motor driving voltage;
• a motor having an up winding which, when energized by said motor driving voltage, raises said door and a down winding which, when energized by said motor driving voltage, lowers said door;
• control means for selectively generating one of a plurality of motor control commands, said motor control commands specifying one of at least energizing said motor for upward movement of said door or for downward movement of said door, or specifying de-energizing said motor for stopping movement of said door;
• motor control circuitry responsive to said motor control commands for selectively connecting said motor driving voltage to said up winding or connecting said motor driving voltage to said down winding;
• a sensing element for sensing motor operation differing from the specified motor control command responsive to said motor driving voltage being applied to said down winding for downward movement of said door, responsive to said motor driving voltage being applied to said up winding for upward movement of said door, and responsive to the de-energizing said motor for stopping movement of said door;
• and
• said control means being responsive to said sensing element sensing downward movement of said door, where said motor control command specified de-energizing said motor for stopping movement of said door, for generating a motor control command specifying energizing said motor for upward movement to raise the closing door.

Apparatus for opening and closing a garage door comprising:

• a motor having a rotatable member for rotating in a first direction to open the garage door and in a second direction to close the garage door;
• control means for selectively generating ones of a plurality of motor control commands, said motor control commands specifying one of at least rotation of said rotatable member in said first direction, rotation of said rotatable member in said second direction, and no rotation of said rotatable member;
• motor control circuitry responsive to said motor control command specifying no rotation for selectively stopping rotation of said rotatable member to stop garage door movement;
• means for sensing garage door movement while the motor control circuitry is stopping rotation of the rotatable member;
• and
• means responsive to said sensing means sensing garage door movement, when no rotation was specified, for rotating said rotatable member in said first direction to open the garage door.

Apparatus for opening and closing a garage door comprising:

• a motor having a rotatable member for rotating in a first direction to open the garage door and in a second direction to close the garage door;
• control means for selectively generating ones of a plurality of motor control commands, said motor control commands specifying one of at least rotation of said rotatable member in said first direction, rotation of said rotatable member in said second direction, and no rotation of said rotatable member;
• motor control circuitry for selectively connecting electrical power to energize said motor for upward movement of said door, for connecting said electrical power to energize said motor for downward movement of said door and for removing electrical power from said motor;
• said motor control circuitry being responsive to said motor control command specifying no rotation of said control means for stopping rotation of said rotatable member;
• means for sensing garage door movement when no rotation is specified;
• and
• means responsive to said sensing means for controlling the motor control circuitry to disconnect the electrical power from said motor for stopping upward or downward movement of said door when no rotation is specified.