# US 8,098,030 B2 · Drive unit for a door or gate, particularly for a garage door, and method for operating such drive unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,098,030 B2 - Document ID: US8098030B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/468,426 - Filed: 2009-05-19 - Published: 2009-10-15 - Granted: 2012-01-17 - Earliest claimed: 2005-08-18 - Assignees: Novoferm tormatic GmbH - Inventors: Ulrich Theile; Christian Dietz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8098030B2 ## CPC - E05F 15/603: using rotary electromotors - E05F 15/668: for overhead wings - E05Y 2400/30: of motors - E05Y 2400/337: Encoder wheels - E05Y 2400/456: for programming, e.g. learning or AI [artificial intelligence] - E05Y 2600/454: in or on the motor - E05Y 2800/00: Details, accessories and auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for - E05Y 2900/00: Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof - E05Y 2900/106: for garages - E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING - E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF ## Abstract A drive unit for a door or a gate includes an electric motor, a detection unit for detecting the position of the door or gate, the detection unit being coupled to the motor and providing an identical pulse sequence with every rotation of the motor, wherein the duration of one pulse in the sequence is different from the duration of the other pulses in the sequence, which are equal. All detected pulses are stored in a non-volatile memory. The drive unit includes an electronic control and regulating circuit including an output stage for the electric motor and at least one memory, in which an operational program is stored providing a programmable learning procedure for an opening and closing movement of the door or gate based on the pulses provided by the detection unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a drive unit for a door or a gate, said drive unit comprising an electric motor, a detection unit for detecting the position of said door or gate, said detection unit being coupled to said motor and providing an identical pulse sequence with every rotation of said motor, wherein the duration of one of the pulses in said sequence is different from the duration of the other pulses in said sequence which have the same duration, a non-volatile memory in which all detected pulses are stored, and an electronic control and regulating circuit including an output stage for the electric motor and at least one memory, in which an operational program is stored, said program providing a programmable learning procedure for an opening and closing movement of said door or gate based on said pulses provided by said detection unit, said program for a programmable learning procedure for an opening and closing movement of the door or gate comprising the steps of: detecting data regarding a first sequence of movement along an overall travel distance between final points “gate closed” and “gate open” of the movement of said door or gate in said detection unit, and memorizing said data regarding said first sequence of movement in said non-volatile memory. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 1, wherein parameters for said final points “gate closed” and “gate open” are detected in a self-learning manner from said travel distance and are memorized. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 1, wherein said overall travel distance is traversed by automatically applying a motive force or by manually displacing said door or gate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 1, wherein said data detected by said detection unit are sampled in form of pulses and are memorized in said non-volatile memory. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 4, wherein various programs are executed simultaneously or in a time-shifted manner. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 4, wherein reference data in form of reference pulses are being filtered out from the detected data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 6, wherein said detected reference pulses are being filtered out via a program for pulse time measurement. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 6, wherein pulse comparison values are detected from said detected reference pulses and are memorized. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 1, wherein said detected data memorized in said non-volatile memory are fed to a pulse counter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 1, wherein during a first start-up of said drive unit the following learning program is automatically executed: automatically approaching a selected position “gate open” or “gate closed”, memorizing a first detected position, automatically approaching an opposite position, memorizing a second detected position, simultaneously counting pulses of the detection unit and measuring their length of time, filtering out reference pulses from the pulses, memorizing said reference pulses and the total number of pulses in a non-volatile memory; detecting pulse comparison values from the reference pulses and memorizing same. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the following program is executed during operation of the door or gate: starting said drive unit by use of a signal, counting the total pulses with said detection unit, measuring the length of time of each pulse, filtering out reference pulses, memorizing same and comparing same with pulse comparison values, comparing current pulses with said memorized pulses, performing a correction of the pulses, if there is a deviation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 1, wherein a programmable program for power measurement or power adjustment at a main closing edge or secondary closing edges of said door or gate provides for a programmable variable power limit control. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 12, wherein said power limit control is automatically set to different values, if said door or gate does not include additional safety devices. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 13, wherein said value of said power limit control is transmitted to said drive unit and is memorized. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 12, wherein said power limit control provides for different values along said overall travel distance of said door or gate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of operating a drive unit according to claim 12, wherein an adjustment of a driving force or driving torque of said drive unit is executed automatically by a programmable matching for power transfer.