Patent Application
20080061948
Elements in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale in order to enhance their clarity and improve understanding of these various elements and embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, elements that are known to be common and well understood to those in the industry are not depicted in order to provide a clear view of these various elements and embodiments of the invention.
In the following discussion that addresses a number of embodiments and applications of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
In the following detailed description, a gate operator can be any system that controls a barrier to an entry, an exit, or a view. The barrier could be a door for a small entity, or a gate for a large entity (i.e. a vehicle), which can swing out, slide open, or even roll upwards. The operator which moves the barrier from an open position to a closed position and vice-versa can be manual or automatic.
Typically master gate operator 101 will communicate with slave gate operator 102 to synchronize operation of a set of gates or barriers blocking a passageway. In one embodiment, master gate operator 101 and slave gate operator 102 are in constant communication with each other as they open or close to ensure an aesthetic, smooth, and synchronized operation where both gates move at the same rate and are the same distance away from a center spot. For example, the synchronization process could ensure that one gate slows down if it is pushed by a person, or by a gust of wind, or that the other gate speeds up. In another example, where two gates overlap each other, one gate could constantly communicate its relative position to the other gate so as to prevent a collision with each other, since one gate has to reach the close position prior than the other. While
Master gate operator 101 and slave gate operator 102 may also communicate with a number of access devices that are normally used in the access control industry through power line 103. These access control devices could be pre-configured to send signals along power line 103, such as PLC device 104, or a device which normally sends or receives signals along other connection channels, such as non-PLC device 106. In the latter instance, non-PLC device 106 can be connected to a PLC translator 105 so as not to require additional wiring or other devices.
PLC translator 105 provides a means of connection for access control of devices without PLC capabilities, and/or can provide power to the access control device without PLC capabilities. For instance, PLC translator 105 can comprise a power outlet for providing power, and a network cable interface for providing an input/output interface (not shown). In another embodiment, PLC translator 105 can perform functions on non-PLC device 106, such as resetting non-PLC device 106 in response to a command sent from master gate operator 101. In yet another embodiment, an entire gate operator system which may have originally necessitated communication wires, is installed with multiple PLC translators to enable the gate operator system to communicate via a power line.
PLC device 104 and non-PLC device 106 can be an input device that sends signals to any master gate operator 101, can be an output device that receives signals from any master gate operator 101, or can be an input/output device that utilizes bidirectional communication with any master gate operator 101. Signals can be propagated from master gate operator 101 to slave gate operator 102, or signals can be sent, received, or sent and received to both master gate operator 101 and slave gate operator 102. In another embodiment, master gate operator 101 only receives input, and acts as a slave gate operator to a device connected to power line 103.
Depending on the embodiment, PLC device 104 and non-PLC device 106 can be a wide variety of modules that connect with a gate operator via power line 103. For example, and in no way limiting the scope of the invention, PLC device 104 or non-PLC device 106 can be:
A button or a coded keypad that, when activated, sends a signal to a gate operator to activate a gate.
A sensor that monitors output signals from a gate operator and reacts to such information, such as displaying statistical information on an output interface, activating a light when the ambient light dims, informing a user of a major status change, or any other method commonly known to persons of ordinary skill in the art.
A control device that will change a status of a gate operator, or another device, such as opening a gate, closing a gate, stopping a gate, reversing a direction of a gate, activating an alarm system for a gate, activating a magnetic lock for a gate, setting a break for a gate, shutting down a gate, powering up a gate, setting a time delay to hold a gate open, setting an overlap timer between two gates, deactivating an inductive loop that normally detects a vehicle in the loop area, setting a code for a coded keypad, setting a time and date, setting a period of time gate is operational, setting an access code, or other status changes commonly known to persons of ordinary skill in the art.
A maintenance device which can perform monitoring, testing, diagnosing, setting, troubleshooting, modifying functionality (i.e. upgrading firmware/software), or perform other maintenance functions commonly known to persons of ordinary skill in the art.
A module which detects objects in the vicinity, such as an inductive loop, an infrared monitor, a video camera, a motion sensor, or other detecting objects commonly known to persons of ordinary skill in the art.
A wireless module which detects signals from a wireless transceiver, such as a radio frequency gate opener, a photobeam gate opener, or other wireless gate openers commonly known to persons of ordinary skill in the art.
A computer system which controls many such gate openers from a single point, or multiple points in a power grid. In one embodiment, a building's fire alarm system could send a command through the power grid to open all emergency doors in a building should the fire alarm be activated.
A separate gate operator, such as a barrier arm designed for an anti tail gating system. In one embodiment of such a system, this barrier arm opens shortly after master gate operator 101 and slave gate operator 102 have recently closed, allowing only one entity to exit/enter at a time.
Many other modules are possible and the above list is provided for illustration purposes only of different embodiments of PLC device 104 and non-PLC device 106. It is foreseeable that there are many opportunities to control, modify, and monitor master gate operator 101 and slave gate operator 102 through a common power grid using a power line to communicate signals between gate operator modules.
Battery charger 204 draws power from power supply 203, and uses that power to charge battery 205. Battery 205 can serve as a back-up device, and may provide power to both a motor drive 206 and CPU 208 should power become unavailable from power supply 203. Generally, however, CPU 208 and motor drive 206 are powered by power supply 203. Motor drive 206 controls motor 207, and can receive and respond to commands from CPU 208. Motor 207 in turn, is monitored by a sensor 210. Alternate embodiments of drawing power from power line 201 in a gate opener system can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, motor drive 206 and motor 207 could comprise the same device, and battery 205 could be eliminated.
CPU 208 controls the actions of gate operator 200 by communicating with motor drive 206, input/output device 209, sensor 210, and PLC circuitry 211. CPU 208 can receive commands sent through power line 201, decoded by PLC circuitry 211, and propagate those commands to other components of gate operator 200. For example, an open command can be sent through power line 201 to be propagated to motor drive 206 to open a gate.
In an exemplary embodiment, CPU 208 receives commands sent from input/output device 209, and propagates these commands to other components of gate operator 200. For example, and in no way limiting the scope of the present invention a command may be sent from input/output device 209 to monitor the speed of motor 207 via sensor 210, and display a speed at which a gate is moving or was moving.
In another embodiment, CPU 208 receives signals from motor drive 206, input/output device 209, sensor 210 and PLC circuitry 211, and sends signals to components of gate operator 200 based on an algorithm or program. For example, and in no way limiting the scope of the present invention, PLC circuitry 211 could receive a signal from power line 201 that a master gate operator had opened a primary gate, send a signal to motor drive 206 to open a secondary gate 2 seconds later, and send a signal to input/output device 209 to display the word “OPENING” on an output screen.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, program settings for CPU 208 can be set and reset through input/output device 209 on a signal through power line 201. For example, and in no way limiting the scope of the present invention, firmware could be updated through a physical port located on input/output device 209, and a gate opening time delay could be set by a master gate operator sending a signal through power line 201.
PLC circuitry 211 acts as a translating device to convert digital signals to and from CPU 208 into communication signals which can be injected into power line 201. When CPU 208 wishes to send or propagate a signal into power line 201, it first sends this signal to PLC circuitry 211, which encodes it into, for example, a frequency-shift key analog signal, and injects this signal into power line 201. When another device wishes to send a signal to gate opener 200, this signal is decoded by PLC circuitry 211, and is sent to CPU 208 for processing. Although PLC circuitry 211 and CPU 208 is shown here as two separate devices, they could be built as one device or several devices without departing the scope of the present invention.
There is more than one method to send communication signals over a power line. Frequencies and encoding schemes greatly influence both efficiency and speed of a signal sent over a power line. Various encoding schemes can be used to send data along power lines. Many techniques impose digital information over the electrical power flowing through the wiring of a house or a building.
Devices may be plugged into regular power outlets in a grid, or permanently wired in place via a common power source. Since carrier signals along a power line may propagate to other pieces of property on the same grid, in an exemplary embodiment, each signal is differentiated. A signal may control one device, or may control many devices in a common class of devices. In one embodiment, signals meant for one gate opening system are transmitted on specific frequencies to differentiate themselves. In another embodiment, signals meant for one gate opening system are prefixed or postfixed with a unique identifier, such as a “house address,”_0 which differentiates them from other signals. In yet another embodiment each device is characterized by a unique identifier or a digital signature to differentiate signals that are meant to be received by it. In an exemplary embodiment, each signal contains a frame that identifies which device sent the signal, which device should receive the signal, a signal, and a checksum.
Typically, once a device powers on, it will poll existing devices for their unique identifier, and will inform the other devices of its own. Commands can be sent mono-directionally from one device to another. In an exemplary embodiment, once a command is received, the receiving device sends an acknowledgment to the sending device. If an acknowledgment is not received by the sending device, the sending device can re-send a command until an acknowledgment is received, or a threshold has been reached, for example a certain amount of time has passed or the signal was sent a certain number of times.
For example and in no way limiting the scope of the invention, some types of commands that may be exchanged between gate operating devices over a power line could be to open a gate, to stop movement of a gate, to close a gate, to reverse movement of a gate, to reset, to activate an alarm, to deactivate an alarm, to power on, to power off, to set a timer delay, to set an overlap delay, read voltage, read a backup battery voltage, read a charging voltage, read an instantaneous motor current, read an instantaneous motor voltage, read a status of all inputs, read a status of all outputs, read a time delay, read an overlap delay, set a code for a keypad, set a master code momentary command, set a master code toggle command, set a time, set a date, send entry codes, set time for operation, read firmware version, and update firmware.
