Method and apparatus for facilitating control of a movable barrier operator
AssigneeThe Chamberlain Group, Inc.
InventorsRobert S. Study, Terence E. Crimmins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A movable barrier operator (11) receives movement sensing signals from a sensor (13) and calculates corresponding speed of movement of a movable barrier. Such speed measurements lead to development of a median speed value over a monitoring window. The median speed value is used in a subsequent monitoring window to facilitate determining when speed of movement for the movable barrier has slowed in a way that likely corresponds to the movable barrier having encountered an obstacle.
Claims34
A method for facilitating control of a movable barrier operator, comprising:
- during movement of a movable barrier from a first position to a second position by the movable barrier operator:
- repeatedly sensing present speed of the movable barrier over a first interval of time and determining, using in combination at least two sensed speed values, at least one representative value as corresponds to the speed of the movable barrier over the first interval of time;
- in a subsequent interval of time, using the at least one representative value to determine a threshold value;
- comparing a first value that corresponds to a present speed of the movable barrier with the threshold value;
- and
- when the first value is within a predetermined range of values with respect to the threshold value, taking at least one predetermined action with respect to subsequent movement of the movable barrier.
A movable barrier operator comprising:
- a motor control output;
- a movable barrier speed sensor input;
- a control platform configured and arranged to:
- during movement of the movable barrier from a first position to a second position:
- repeatedly sense present speed of the movable barrier via input from the movable barrier speed sensor input over a first interval of time and determine at least representative values as correspond to the speed of the movable barrier over the first interval of time;
- in a subsequent interval of time, use the at least two representative values in combination to determine a threshold value;
- compare a first value that corresponds to a present speed of the movable barrier with the threshold value;
- when the first value is within a predetermined range of values with respect to the threshold value, take at least one predetermined action with respect to subsequent movement of the movable barrier.
A method for facilitating control of a movable barrier operator, comprising:
- during movement of a movable barrier from a first position to a second position by the movable barrier operator:
- repeatedly sensing a first parameter representing forces applied to the movable barrier over a first interval of time and determining at least two representative values as correspond to the sensed forces on the movable barrier over the first interval of time;
- in a subsequent interval of time, using the at least two representative values in combination to determine a threshold value;
- comparing a first value that represents forces presently applied to the barrier with the threshold value;
- and
- when the first value is within a predetermined range of values with respect to the threshold value, taking at least one predetermined action with respect to subsequent movement of the movable barrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.