Command priority levels for an access controller apparatus
AssigneeThe Chamberlain Group, Inc.
InventorEdward S. Sullivan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An access controller apparatus and method for controlling physical access to an area are provided to determine a current priority level setting of the access controller and to ignore a received command in response to a comparison of the priority level of the received command to the current priority level setting of the access controller. Thus, a prioritized response to commands is provided such that commands of certain priority levels can be acted upon in certain situations. This helps allow for proper responses to multiple conflicting commands and for prioritized responses to commands of greater importance or of universal impact.
Claims30
An access controller apparatus for controlling physical access to an area, the access controller apparatus comprising:
- an input device configured to receive a received command comprising one of at least two commands, wherein the at least two commands comprise at least an open command, a close command, a stop command, an open-hold-open command, a close-hold-closed command, a stop-hold-stopped command, or an emergency hold open command, wherein different ones of the at least two commands have different associated priority levels and are configured to cause different operations of the access controller apparatus;
- a processing device operatively connected to the input device and configured to:
- determine a current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus,
- determine the priority level of the received command received by the input device,
- compare the priority level of the received command and the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus,
- ignore the received command in response to a result of the comparing,
- determine whether the priority level of the received command is a higher priority level than the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus, and
- set the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus to that of the received command in response to determining that the priority level of the received command is a higher priority level than the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus and perform an operation associated with the received command.
A method of operating at least one access controller apparatus for controlling physical access to an area, the method comprising:
- receiving a received command comprising one of at least two commands having different associated priority levels, wherein the at least two commands comprise at least an open command, a close command, a stop command, an open-hold-open command, a close-hold-closed command, a stop-hold-stopped command, or an emergency hold open command, wherein different ones of the at least two commands are configured to cause different operations of the at least one access controller apparatus;
- determining by a processing device a current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus;
- determining by the processing device the priority level of the received command;
- comparing the priority level of the received command and the current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus;
- ignoring the received command in response to a result of the comparing;
- determining by the processing device whether a priority level of the received command is a higher priority level than the current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus;
- and
- setting by the processing device the current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus to that of the received command in response to determining that the priority level of the received command is a higher priority level than the current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus and perform an operation associated with the received command.
A method of operating at least one access controller apparatus for controlling physical access to an area, the method comprising:
- receiving a first command to cause an operation of the at least one access controller apparatus, the first command being associated with a first priority level, the first command comprising at least one of an open-hold-open command, a close-hold-closed command, or a stop-hold-stopped command;
- setting by a processing device a current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus to the first priority level in response to receiving the first command and performing an operation associated with the first command;
- receiving a second command to cause an operation of the at least one access controller apparatus, the second command being associated with a second priority level that is lower than the first priority level, the second command comprising at least one of an open command, a close command, or a stop command;
- determining by the processing device that the associated second priority level of the second command is a lower priority level than the current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus;
- and
- ignoring the second command in response to determining by the processing device that the associated second priority level of the second command is a lower priority level than the current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.