Movable barrier operator auto-force setting method and apparatus
US7019478B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 22, 2004 |
| Grant date | Mar 28, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 22, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05B2219/45242
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A movable barrier operator having a motor controller (10) and motor (11) that control selective movement of a movable barrier (12) also has an obstacle detector (14) that utilizes an automatically determined excess force threshold value to permit reliable detection of an obstacle under a wide variety of operational circumstances, including changing physical circumstances, aging components, temperature variations, and motor runtime. In a preferred embodiment, a characteristic force value for the system is frequently updated as a function of actual measured force requirements (and further compensated, pursuant to various embodiments, with respect to other conditions such as temperature and motor runtime). This characteristic force value is then utilized to determine the excess force threshold value.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.