Patent Application
20050242763
The present application claims priority to French Application number 04 03739 filed Apr. 9, 2004 and French Application number 04 06284 filed Jun. 10, 2004.
The invention relates to a method of operating an actuator, in particular for driving openings, moving screens or solar blinds, comprising a motor and an electronic unit controlling the electrical power supply to the motor to provoke the movement of the actuator in a first direction or in a second direction, the actuator being linked to a control module acting on the electronic unit and provided with at least one button controlling the movement of the actuator. It also relates to a device for implementing such a method.
Such actuators are used to operate, through the mechanical energy supplied by the motor, moving closure, privacy or solar protection elements. A user can control the movements of this element by pressing control buttons on the control module.
In cases of very simple control modules with only two buttons associated with the two directions of movement of the element, or even comprising only one button for sequentially controlling the movements of the moving element in the two directions and stopping it, it appears necessary to provide a special tool for configuring the actuator, by defining, for example, a top end-of-travel, a bottom end-of-travel, a preferred intermediate position or even by associating the various buttons of the control module with a direction of rotation of the motor.
These configuration operations can be performed on installing the actuator, but also during the life cycle of the product as part of maintenance operations, for example. Some configuration steps such as registering end-of-travel positions can be performed automatically if the actuators have electronic means enabling this.
It would appear extremely interesting to define an operating method eliminating the need for a special configuration tool. This method must support manual configuration operations or be able to run automatic configuration operations using only the control module of the actuator.
To solve this problem, various modes of operation of the actuator are known, in which the same actions on the control module are interpreted in different ways.
For example, Patent application EP 0 822 315, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses a device for controlling the power supply of an asynchronous electric motor wherein, a short circuit of the phase lines for rotating the motor in a first direction and in a second direction, obtained by simultaneously pressing buttons controlling the rotation of the motor in the first direction and in the second direction, places a control unit in a configuration mode. Such a device can operate only with certain types of control modules. In particular, this device cannot operate with control modules of switch types having fixed position or momentary action with mechanical interlock.
Patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,159, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses a device for operating a closure element. The device comprises a control module provided with two buttons respectively for controlling the movements of a moving element in a first direction and in a second direction. To place this device in a configuration mode, one or the other of the buttons must be actuated at least twice within a predefined time span that is less than the actuation time for controlling the movement of the moving element. Thus, when the movement of the moving element is required, the control button must be actuated for a time exceeding that of the predefined time span. This type of procedure for switching the device to a configuration mode is particularly awkward when the control module is a fixed position switch.
Furthermore, it is particularly hazardous to link the entry into a configuration mode with the appearance of a series of presses of short duration: in practice, power disturbances on the distribution network can be interpreted as a sequence of presses of this type.
Also, patent FR 2 654 229, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses a motor control method, wherein a simultaneous press for longer than four seconds on the buttons controlling the rotation of the motor in the two opposing directions is interpreted as a command to switch to configuration mode. In this mode, a first step consists in disregarding the motor control commands. This device cannot operate with control modules of switch types having fixed position or momentary action with mechanical interlock.
The object of the invention is to implement a method of operating an actuator enhancing the known methods of the prior art and overcoming the problems stated previously. In particular, the operating method according to the invention can easily be implemented by various control devices and, in particular, by those including a control module with mechanical interlock. Thus, existing installations can be equipped with new closure devices without having to replace the old control modules.
One operating method according to the invention is characterized in that a first particular press on the control button causes the electronic unit to switch over to a disabled state in which at least one further press on the button is analyzed but does not give rise to an actuator movement command.
In another aspect, a method of operating an actuator that is coupled to an opening, a moving screen, or a solar blind is disclosed. The actuator has a motor and an electronic unit controlling an electrical power supply to the motor to move the actuator. Also, the actuator is operatively engaged with a control module controlling the electronic unit and provided with at least one button. The method includes generating a first signal when a person presses the control button. The first signal causes the electronic unit to switch over to a disabled state in which at least one further press on the button is analyzed but does not give rise to an actuator movement command.
One device according to the invention comprises a control module provided with at least one control button, and an actuator comprising a motor and an electronic unit controlling the motor power supply linked to the motor and, by wired or by wireless means, to the control module. It is characterized in that it comprises electronic and/or mechanical means of managing presses on the button or buttons of the control module for implementing the method defined above.
In another aspect, a device includes a control module that is provided with at least one control button. The device also includes an actuator with a motor and an electronic unit controlling a motor power supply electrically connected to the motor and communicating, by wired and/or by wireless means, with the control module. The control module processes signals generated when the button is pressed such that a first press causes the electronic unit to assume a disabled state in which at least one further press of the button generates a signal that is analyzed as not being an actuator movement command.
The appended drawing represents, by way of examples, embodiments of the operating method according to the invention.
FIGS. 2 to 5 are timing diagrams explaining the various possible interpretations of a press on a control button of a device implementing the method according to the invention.
a and 6b are flow diagrams of a procedure for adjusting the direction of rotation of the motor generated by a command.
The installation 1 represented in
The module 2 has various buttons. It comprises, in particular, a button 3b enabling the user to control, by its actuation, an opening (or winding) action of the moving element 7 and a button 3a enabling the user to control, by its actuation, a closing (or unwinding) action of the moving element 7.
The actuator 10 comprises a motor 6 and an electronic unit 4 controlling the electrical power supply to this motor. The electronic unit 4 comprises in particular a processing logic unit such as a microcontroller for receiving, via an interface, the electrical signals generated by the control module, and interpreting them. It also includes memories, for example rewriteable memories for storing, for example, values representative of the end-of-travel positions of the moving element and a value associating a direction of rotation of the motor with each of the buttons 3a and 3b. It also includes counters and memories for storing various time delay values, these time delays being triggered following actions on the buttons 3a and 3b and/or following the timing-out of other time delays. The electronic unit also includes power components for powering the motor. It includes switches controlled by the electronic unit and, depending on the type of motor used, it includes a voltage converter.
The motor 6 is used to drive the moving element 7. Because of this, it is kinematically linked to the latter either directly or via a reduction gear.
In a first embodiment of the method of operating the actuator, as represented in
As represented in
The timing-out of the time delay T2 triggers, if one of the control buttons is not pressed during this time delay, the timing-out of the disable period. However, a further press on one of the control buttons before the time delay T2 times out prolongs the disable period and simultaneously triggers a time delay T3 of a duration t3 and a time delay T4 of a duration t4. If the button is pressed for a duration shorter than the duration t3 or longer than the duration t4, the disable period ends as soon as the control button is released, as represented in
Thus, four time delays are used: a time delay T1 to differentiate a short press from a long press, a waiting and disable time delay T2, time delays T3 and T4 for calibrating validation presses.
Each press on a control button, performed while a time delay T2 is running, the duration of which is between a duration t3 and t4, increments a counter or different counters associated with the different buttons. When the counters reach predefined values, configuration commands are sent and they provoke configuration operations which are performed in the actuator. This can, for example, be a permanent storage of an operating parameter of the actuator, such as the value representative of an end-of-travel position or such as the relationship between the control buttons and the directions of movement of the actuator.
The disabled state is prolonged for as long as the time delays are relayed between themselves. On leaving the disable period, any active time delays are cancelled and a new press on a button lasting longer than the duration t1 causes the motor to be activated.
This first embodiment is more particularly intended for actuators in which the electronic control unit is permanently powered. If such is not the case (for example, when the actuator is powered via the control module), a standby power supply for the electronic unit can be provided, based, for example, on the discharging of a capacitor following a particular command. A movement of a few seconds before any very brief press can then be provided for, to charge the power supply capacitor.
A second embodiment of the actuator operating method is more particularly intended for actuators for which the electronic unit is not permanently powered but can, if necessary, be suited to other actuators.
The first embodiment is not suited to this type of actuator since the electronic unit cannot measure the times during which it is not powered.
The second embodiment therefore provides that the disabling concerns at least the first command following a particular action. Each particular action causes a counter to be reset and each new press on one of the control buttons, the duration of which is between the durations t3 and t4, causes this counter to be incremented. The end of the disable period is triggered when the counter reaches a predefined value.
In both embodiments, the presses for incrementing the counters and/or prolonging the disable period, called validation presses, are calibrated, that is, their duration must be between the duration t3 and the duration t4 as diagrammatically represented in
The particular action can be a press on one of the control buttons of a duration less than the duration t1 after which a motor control command is triggered. This particular action could also be a powering up of the actuator or a double-press type action simultaneously on the control buttons.
Furthermore, to limit the time during which the motor does not respond to the control commands, if a particular action (a brief press, for example) is performed unintentionally, a short disable period can be chosen, in which only a part of the confirmation sequence can take place. A part of validation sequence correctly completed in the time period can then cause the disable period to be prolonged (a time delay can, for this purpose, be reset, or a counter can be incremented).
A press outside the time period defined by the timing-out of the time delays T3 and T4 ends the disable period.
Each correctly completed validation press can reset the disable period until the final press of the configuration validation sequence.
To avoid a blockage caused by a brief unintentional press and during which it is not possible to control the actuator, a choice can be made, in the first disable period, to disable only one direction of rotation, for example that corresponding to the control button on which a brief press has been made that counts as a particular press. This then prevents control of the motor being blocked in cases where the user performs a brief inadvertent press in one direction when he wants to rotate the motor of the actuator in the other direction. The disable time delay is then cleared if the first press during the disable period is a press on the button controlling the rotation of the motor in the direction opposite to the direction controlled by the button on which the particular press has been made.
For the second embodiment, two counters can be implemented, respectively incremented by the validation presses made on each of the two control buttons. At the start of the disable period, the press counter associated with the button controlling the activation of the actuator in the direction opposite to the direction controlled by the button on which the particular press has been made can be incremented in such a way that the sum of the values stored in the counters reaches a predefined value causing the disable period to end.
It is also possible to provide for the actuator to generate feedback, such as, for example, by a slight movement of the moving element to inform the installer or the user performing the configuration operations that the latter have been carried out correctly. Preferably, this feedback occurs during the final part of the validation sequence. In the second embodiment, the feedback must be given during a press on one of the buttons, otherwise the actuator is not powered. In this case, the movement of the actuator is allowed, even though it is done during the disable period. In practice, it is not a response to a user control command, but a control command generated in the electronic control unit of the motor.
To secure the configuration operations, it is also possible to use both embodiments of the method in a particular context. In a pre-configuration phase (with the memories containing no records), on first power up, for example, all the brief presses are taken into account, whatever the current position.
In later configuration or reconfiguration phases, the brief presses on the control buttons can be considered for validation of a position only in as much as the current position is a particular position such as, for example, an end-of-travel position or an intermediate position.
The configuration phase can be marked by a configuration indicator. If this indicator is active, that is to say if the device is partially, or preferentially, completely configured, any press on a control button will give rise immediately to an actuation command, unless it is positioned in a particular position. In this case, the control button will have to be pressed during a time period over the predetermined period t1 for this press to be interpreted as a command order. A brief press lasting less than the predetermined period t1 will be considered as a first signal to enter the configuration mode.
Such an interpretation of the presses on the control buttons, which leads to a delay before the actuator starts, can only concern one control button.
If the moving closure is not in a particular position, any press gives immediately rise to a command order and the actuator can start with no perceptible delay for the user.
If the configuration indicator is inactive, and whatever the position of the moving closure may be, a test on the press duration is performed. The actuator automatically starts with a delay equivalent to the predetermined delay t1.
An example of a top end-of-travel position reconfiguration procedure is described below with reference to
In a first step 100, the user moves the moving element to the top position.
He then performs, in a step 110, a validation sequence (ΔΔΔ), the effect of which, in a step 120, is to clear the memory of the value associated with the current top end-of-travel position, this value then being retained in a temporary memory. The validation sequence (ΔΔΔ) corresponds to a brief press on the button 3b (for example, of a duration less than 0.5 seconds) followed by two validation presses on this same button, the validation presses being of a duration between t3 and t4 with, for example, t3=2 seconds and t4=3 seconds. The use of time delays of approximately one second makes it easy for the user to reproduce validation sequences. Furthermore, the durations of the presses needed to reproduce these sequences make it practically impossible for the latter to be reproduced inadvertently.
In a step 130, the user controls the rotation of the motor in one direction or in the other, until the moving element reaches the newly selected top end-of-travel position.
He then performs, in a step 140, a validation sequence (ΔΔΔ), the effect of which, in a step 150, is to store the new value associated with the new top end-of-travel position. The validation sequence (ΔΔΔ) corresponds to a brief press on the button 3b followed by two validation presses on the same button, the validation presses being of a duration between t3 and t4. The number of validation presses for modifying the content of the memory can also be different from two, in particular greater than two to further secure stored values against inadvertent operations.
As long as this new position is not validated by a correct sequence, it is possible to end the disable period. The old end-of-travel value is then restored to the memory associated with the end-of-travel.
During a configuration sequence, the movement controls operate in the same way as the movement controls outside of the configuration sequence.
Preferably, the validation sequences of the different settings all have the same length. It is, however, possible to provide for certain sequences (for example, a sequence for reverting to a default configuration) to be longer in the first embodiment of the method.
If configuring a particular position, the final press of the validation sequence triggers a new time delay T2. When this time delay T2 times out, and if no further press is in progress, the electronic control unit reconfigures the position as described previously.
Conversely, if a new press is made, the electronic control unit measures the duration of the press and restarts a counter of presses held for a duration between t3 and t4. If a certain number of presses is detected, a different configuration, such as a default configuration, is validated.
The table below gives, according to the presses made on the control module, some examples of the reactions of the actuator and of the values of the counters C1 and C2 respectively associated with the buttons 3a and 3b:
Tvalid represents any duration between the duration t3 and the duration t4.
A procedure for configuring the direction of rotation of the motor is described below with reference to
In a first step 200, the user makes a brief press on one of the buttons of the control module. The result of this action is to reset, in a step 210, two counters C1 and C2 respectively associated with the two control buttons 3a and 3b of the control module and to trigger, in a step 220, a disable period. In a step 230, the user presses a button of the control module. This press is tested in a test step 240.
If the press is made on the same control button as that of the step 200, the steps 250 and 260 are used to check that its duration is longer than the duration t3 and shorter than the duration t4. If such is not the case, the disable period is ended in a step 290 and, in a step 300, each of the counters C1 and C2 is incremented beyond a predefined value n. If such is the case, a test 270 is used to check that the sum of the values stored in the counters is not greater than a predefined value. A test 310 is then used to check whether the sum of the values stored in the counters is equal to the predefined value n. If it is, a step 320 is used to validate an operation to adjust the directions of rotation of the actuator associated with the control buttons, the disable period is ended in a step 330 and, in a step 340, each of the counters C1 and C2 is incremented beyond the predefined value n. If, in a test 310, the sum of the values stored in the counters is strictly greater than the predefined value n, the disable period is ended in a step 350 and, in a step 360, each of the counters C1 and C2 is incremented beyond the predefined value n.
If the result of the test 240 is negative, that is, if the press of the step 230 is made on a control button other than that of the step 200, a step 370 is used to test the value of the counter C1. If its value is zero, that is, if, between the brief press of the step 200 and that of the step 230, there has been no validation press enabling incrementation of the counter C1 associated with the button actuated in the step 200, the disable period is ended in a step 430 and the control associated with the button actuated in a step 230 is executed in a step 440. However, if the value of the counter C1 is not zero, steps 380 and 390 are used to check that the duration of the press of the step 230 is longer than the duration t3 and shorter than the duration t4. If it is not, the disable period is ended in a step 450 and, in a step 460, each of the counters C1 and C2 is incremented beyond a predefined value n. If it is, a step 400 is used to validate an operation to adjust the directions of rotation of the actuator associated with the control buttons, the disable period is ended in a step 410 and, in a step 420, each of the counters C1 and C2 is incremented beyond the predefined value n.
In both embodiments, the simple counting of the number of pulses on one or the other of the control buttons is insufficient to differentiate two sequences, such as, for example, aABA and aAAB, in which the characters a and A respectively denote short and long presses on the button 3a and the character B denotes a long press on the button 3b, a long press here being of a duration between t3 and t4.
In this case, a person skilled in the art can use known configuration recognition techniques, for example, by assigning in the memory an indicator or flag relating to each of the pre-stored configurations. This indicator is set to the high state for all the configurations potentially valid at a given time having regard to the presses already made. In the course of the recognition process, certain configurations are eliminated and the corresponding indicators are reset to the low state. When there is no indicator left in the high state, the disabled state is ended. The disabled state is also ended if a single indicator is in the high state, while the information resulting from the duly identified valid sequence is analyzed.
Advantages of the embodiments of the method described above lie in the fact that, unlike the known methods of the prior art, there is no need to perform a particular action for the disable period to be ended. In practice, the disable period is ended if a valid press sequence is recognized. This period can be ended if a press on a control button is not recognized as a validation press, that is, if its duration is shorter than the duration t3 or longer than the duration t4. This period can also be ended if no press is made during a duration t2 beginning at the same time as the disable period. This period also, obviously, potentially being ended by a press on a button unaffected by the disable period.
The method described is of course also applicable using a specific programming tool. Such a tool makes it possible to simulate sequences of presses, in which the presses have very short and/or accurate durations. If it is made use of a programming tool, particular programming sequences not easily manually realizable, could be combined with sequences such as those described in the present specifcation to constitute a whole programming method.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 03739 | Apr 2004 | FR | national |
| 04 06284 | Jun 2004 | FR | national |
