Gate operator with remote diagnostic capability

US6218956A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The Chamberlain Group LLC · US

Inventors

• William R. Davis · Spartanburg, US
• John M. Hansen · Chula Vista, US
• John F. Ahlstrom · Calabasas, US
• Ronald A. Wray · Burbank, US
• Richard P. Greenthal · Los Angeles, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 27, 1997
• Grant date: Apr 17, 2001
• Expiry date: Aug 27, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07B15/04
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A movable barrier operator system includes a barrier-motor electrical driver, a first input device for receiving operating commands, a second input device for developing system status and a controller for storing a record of all input commands received and a record of all events occurring to the movable barrier and for enabling operation of the electrical driver in response to an input command. The first input device may be a DTMF receiver or a telephone entry system. Events stored include barrier obstructions and barrier operator failures. The controller, responsive to a stored event, enable the telephone entry system to contact a service provider. For facilities with multiple barriers and a DTMF receiver at each operator, a special circuit normalizes the amplitude of a transient analog tone burst (such as from a DTMF transmission) without any transient level overshoot.