Automatic door control system

A method for controlling an electric motor of an automatic door system, said motor being operatively connected to a door panel to enable said motor to perform a door moving operation wherein said motor moves said door panel between open and closed positions thereof using an electric power signal delivered to said motor from an electric power supply, said motor being communicated to a motor controller that controls the electric power signal delivered to said motor to control said door moving operation, said door system including a switch connected between said motor and said motor controller, said switch being movable between (a) an open position disabling the delivery of the electric power signal from said motor controller to said motor and (b) a closed position enabling the delivery of the electric power signal from said motor controller to said motor, said method comprising:

• while said motor controller is delivering said electric power signal to said motor to affect said door moving operation, monitoring said door moving operation for an occurrence of a predetermined condition;
• responsive to detecting the occurrence of said predetermined condition, (a) causing said motor controller to terminate the delivery of said electric power signal from said electric power supply to said motor and (b) affecting movement of said switch from said closed position thereof to said open position thereof to ensure termination of the delivery of the electric power signal in the event the electric power signal is not terminated by said controller;
• wherein said monitoring said door moving operation comprises monitoring an amplitude of the current of the electric power signal being delivered to said motor;
• and wherein said predetermined condition is the amplitude of said electric power signal increasing above a predetermined level, thus indicating that movement of said door panel between said open and closed positions thereof is obstructed.

A method for controlling an electric motor of an automatic door system, said motor being operatively connected to a door panel to enable said motor to perform a door moving operation wherein said motor moves said door panel between open and closed positions thereof using an electric power signal delivered to said motor from an electric power supply, said motor being communicated to a motor controller that controls the electric power signal delivered to said motor to control said door moving operation, said door system including a switch connected between said motor and said motor controller, said switch being movable between (a) an open position disabling the delivery of the electric power signal from said motor controller to said motor and (b) a closed position enabling the delivery of the electric power signal from said motor controller to said motor, said method comprising:

• while said motor controller is delivering said electric power signal to said motor to affect said door moving operation, monitoring said door moving operation for an occurrence of a predetermined condition;
• responsive to detecting the occurrence of said predetermined condition, (a) causing said motor controller to terminate the delivery of said electric power signal from said electric power supply to said motor and (b) affecting movement of said switch from said closed position thereof to said open position thereof to ensure termination of the delivery of the electric power signal in the event the electric power signal is not terminated by said controller;
• wherein said monitoring said door moving operation comprises monitoring a speed at which said door panel moves between said open and closed positions thereof;
• and wherein said predetermined condition is when the speed at which said door panel moves between said open and closed positions thereof is greater than a predetermined level.

A method for controlling an electric motor of an automatic door system, said motor being operatively connected to a door panel to enable said motor to perform a door moving operation wherein said motor moves said door panel between open and closed positions thereof using an electric power signal delivered to said motor from an electric power supply, said motor being communicated to a motor controller that controls the electric power signal delivered to said motor to control said door moving operation, said door system including a switch connected between said motor and said motor controller, said switch being movable between (a) an open position disabling the delivery of the electric power signal from said motor controller to said motor and (b) a closed position enabling the delivery of the electric power signal from said motor controller to said motor, said method comprising:

• while said motor controller is delivering said electric power signal to said motor to affect said door moving operation, monitoring said door moving operation for an occurrence of a predetermined condition;
• responsive to detecting the occurrence of said predetermined condition, (a) causing said motor controller to terminate the delivery of said electric power signal from said electric power supply to said motor and (b) affecting movement of said switch from said closed position thereof to said open position thereof to ensure termination of the delivery of the electric power signal in the event the electric power signal is not terminated by said controller;
• wherein said automatic door system further comprises a processor communicated to said motor controller, and wherein said switch is a relay comprising an inductive coil communicated to said processor and a switching element in series between said motor and said motor controller, said switching element being movable between (a) an open position disabling the delivery of the electric power signal from said motor controller to said motor to thereby provide the open position of said switch and (b) a closed position enabling the delivery of the electric power signal from said motor controller to said motor to provide the closed position of said switch, said switching element being biased to said open position thereof and being movable to said closed position thereof by an application of a switch controlling electric power signal to said coil such that applying said switch controlling electric power signal to said coil causes said switching element to move from said open position thereof to said closed position thereof and terminating the application of said electric power signal to said coil causes said switching element to move from said closed position thereof to said open position thereof;
• said monitoring said door moving operation for an occurrence of a predetermined condition being performed by said processor;
• said causing said motor controller to terminate the delivery of said electric power signal from said electric power supply to said motor being performed by said processor instructing said motor controller to terminate delivery of said electric power signal responsive to said processor detecting the occurrence of said predetermined condition;
• said moving said switch from said closed position thereof to said open position thereof to ensure termination of the delivery of electric power signal in the event the electric power signal is not terminated by said controller being performed by said processor terminating the application of the switch controlling electric power signal to the coil of said relay responsive to detecting the occurrence of said predetermined condition, thereby causing said switching element to move to said open position thereof to disable the delivery of the electric power signal from said motor controller to said motor.