Monitoring device for monitoring the position of a building element and method for monitoring the position of a building element

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a monitoring device for monitoring the position of a building element, such as a wing, flap, or the like that can be pivoted against a frame, comprising a first sensor and a second sensor, and an evaluation unit for evaluating the signals. The invention further relates to a monitoring method for monitoring the position of a building element, such as a wing, flap, or the like that can be pivoted against a frame, in which signals from a first sensor and a second sensor are detected.

[0002] A status monitoring device and a method for detecting the position of a barrier are known, for example, from EP 3 387 201 B1. This status monitoring device incorporates two different sensors, one of which is, for example, an accelerometer and the other a proximity sensor. This allows one of the sensors to be used, for example, to calibrate the other sensor.

[0003] German patent DE 10 2016 108 846 A1 discloses an angle sensor arrangement with two sensor substrates arranged such that they assume different angular positions with respect to a rotational axis. This design enables particularly high accuracy of the angle sensor arrangement. An externally applied magnetic field causes a change in the detected angle. This allows the detected angle to be easily manipulated.

[0004] US patent 2007 / 0180890 A1 discloses a single magnetic sensor for detecting the functional position of a joint. A magnet and a sensor element are located on different parts of the joint. An externally applied magnetic field can potentially manipulate the signals from the sensor element.

[0005] For buildings where elements such as doors, windows, flaps and hatches need to be monitored for a intended closed state, the reliability and tamper resistance of the sensors is of great importance.

[0006] The invention addresses the problem of further developing a monitoring device of the type mentioned above in such a way that it is particularly tamper-proof and reliably detects a predetermined position of the building element. Furthermore, a particularly reliable and tamper-proof method for monitoring the position of the building element is to be created.

[0007] The first-mentioned problem is solved according to the invention by the fact that the two sensors have the same physical operating principle, wherein the sensors and a sensor-controlling encoder element are provided for mounting on opposite components of the frame and the wing, and that the evaluation unit is designed to compare the signals of the two sensors.

[0008] This design ensures that any manipulation of the magnetic field generated by the sensor element will alter at least one of the sensor signals. For example, if the sensor element is a magnet, handling it with a tampering magnet will result in different sensor signals. Since the signals from both sensors are compared, the manipulation can be easily detected through a plausibility check. Furthermore, the two sensors can be used for redundancy, so that if one sensor fails, the signals from the other sensor are used to monitor the position of the building element during emergency operation of the monitoring system. This enables particularly reliable detection of the building element.Separate recording of both sensor signals by the evaluation unit also enables statistical observations to detect long-term changes such as a sagging of a door leaf or window sash.

[0009] The sensors could, for example, be designed as optical sensors and generate different signals in the event of uneven and therefore unauthorized opening of the wing. However, according to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sensors can be used in a particularly versatile manner if they are designed to measure a magnetic field or magnetic flux density.

[0010] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the monitoring device is particularly simple in design if the sensors are configured to measure the magnetic tunnel resistance or the giant magnetoresistance. Such sensors are also known by their English names "Tunnel Magnetoresistance" (TMR) and "Giant Magnetoresistance" (GMR). These sensors change their electrical resistance value depending on the prevailing magnetic field. The evaluation unit is able to detect a difference in electrical resistance between the two sensors. Preferably, the two sensors are oriented in opposite directions to correspond to the respective magnetic field orientations on both sides.

[0011] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, detecting tampering with a building element is particularly easy when the sensors are spaced apart. This design, for example, detects attempts to replace a main magnetic sensor with an additional magnet. However, this introduces an additional magnetic field, which alters the comparison of the sensor signals. At the very least, generating a plausible signal pattern is significantly more difficult due to the sensor spacing. In the event of an implausible difference between the sensor signals, the evaluation unit will detect a change in the signals of the two sensors, and thus an attempted tampering, even before the actual manipulation of the building element occurs. A permanent magnet is particularly suitable as the sensor element.

[0012] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, interference with the sensor signals can be largely avoided if the sensors are shielded in their spatial orientation outside the encoder element. This design ensures that only signals from the encoder element are detected. In the case of magnetic sensors, the shielding preferably consists of so-called µ-metal.

[0013] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, further simplifying the detection of a manipulation attempt on the building element is achieved if the sensors are provided for arrangement on different spatial sides of the building element.

[0014] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, comparing the signals of the two sensors is particularly easy if the evaluation unit has a Wheatstone bridge circuit and the sensors are elements of the bridge circuit.

[0015] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the Wheatstone bridge circuit is structurally particularly simple if it includes two magnetically shielded auxiliary sensors as additional elements. Preferably, the two auxiliary sensors are identical in construction to the sensors. This allows temperature drift to be compensated for. Effects caused by different temperatures on different sides of the bridge circuit are thus compensated for.

[0016] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, zeroing the Wheatstone bridge circuit is particularly simple if one element of the Wheatstone bridge circuit is connected to at least one variable resistor. The adjustable resistor, preferably a digital potentiometer, can be connected in parallel or in series with the element.

[0017] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the differential signal of the two sensors can be easily amplified if the evaluation unit has an operational amplifier configured as a differential amplifier.

[0018] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the monitoring device can be installed particularly easily if the sensors, the evaluation unit, and at least a portion of the building element are designed as a pre-assembled structural unit. This design allows the sensors and the evaluation unit to form a structural unit with a portion of a sash and frame of a window or door and to monitor the position of the sash as a building element.

[0019] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the installation of the monitoring device for monitoring the building element is particularly simple if the sensors can be arranged on different sides of the lock case or cylinder when forming a structural unit with a lock case or cylinder provided for locking the sash in the frame. This design eliminates the need for mounting the sensors on the building element. Preferably, the evaluation unit is also arranged in the lock case or cylinder.

[0020] The second problem mentioned, namely the creation of a particularly reliable and tamper-proof method for monitoring the position of the building element, is solved according to the invention by the fact that the signals of the two sensors are based on the same operating principle and are compared with each other, and that the position of the building element is deduced depending on the comparison.

[0021] This design allows the monitoring of the building element's position by comparing the signals from two identical sensors. Since the sensor signals change by predictable values ​​depending on their position and the building element's movement, any manipulation leads to unforeseen changes in the sensor readings and is easily detectable. Furthermore, the two sensors provide a high degree of redundancy, thus ensuring the system's reliability.

[0022] The invention allows for numerous embodiments. To further illustrate its basic principle, one of these is shown in the drawing and described below. This shows in Fig. 1 shows a monitoring device arranged on a door for detecting the position of a building element; Fig. 2 shows a magnified section of the door with the monitoring device. Figure 1 in a top view, Fig.3 a circuit diagram of an evaluation unit of the monitoring device, Fig.4 a further embodiment of the monitoring device, Fig.5 a schematic flow diagram of a method for detecting the position of a building element.

[0023] Figure 1Figure 1 shows a door of a building with a leaf 2, designed as a building element, that pivots against a frame 1. A lock 3 is arranged in the leaf 2 for locking the leaf 2 in the frame 1. The lock 3 has a knob cylinder 4, which moves it from a locked position to an unlocked position. The position of the leaf 2 is detected by a monitoring device 5. The monitoring device 5 has a sensor element 6 arranged on the frame and two identical sensors 7, 8 arranged on the leaf 2, which have the same physical operating principle. An evaluation unit 9 arranged on the leaf 2 compares the signals from the two sensors 7, 8 and thereby determines the position of the leaf 2. The evaluation unit 9 can be connected to an electronic locking device of the door (not shown) or to an alarm system (also not shown).

[0024] Figure 2shows enlarged view of monitoring device 5. Figure 1 with adjacent areas of the wing 2 and the frame 1, shown schematically in a top view. It can be seen that the sensors 7, 8 are arranged on the outer sides of a lock case 10 of the lock 3. This results in the sensors 7, 8 being spaced apart from each other. In another embodiment, not shown, the sensors 7, 8 can be arranged in knobs 11, 12 of the knob cylinder 4. The evaluation unit 9 is also integrated in the lock case 10 and can be identified by its circuit diagram in Figure 3 This is explained in more detail below. The sensors 7, 8 and the evaluation unit 9 are designed as a pre-assembled structural unit with the lock case 10 and are mounted together with it on the sash. In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor element 6 is designed as a permanent magnet. The sensors 7, 8 are identical and detect the magnetic field or the magnetic flux density of the sensor element 6.

[0025] Figure 3 shows a circuit diagram of evaluation unit 9. Figure 2 The evaluation unit 9 has a Wheatstone bridge circuit 13. The two sensors 7, 8 are each elements of the bridge circuit 13 and can be shielded against interfering magnetic fields generated outside the sensor element. Two further auxiliary sensors 16, 17, covered by magnetic shields 14, 15, are additional elements of the bridge circuit 13. The auxiliary sensors 16, 17 are similar to the sensors 7, 8 and, due to their shields 14, 15, do not react to external magnetic fields or to the magnetic field of the sensor element 6. One of the auxiliary sensors 17 is connected to a variable resistor 18. The evaluation unit 9 also has an operational amplifier 19 with an interface 20 for outputting the signals from the monitoring device 5, for example, to an alarm system (not shown) or an electric locking device.

[0026] Figure 4 Figure 1 shows a locking cylinder 104 for a lock with a partial section of a further embodiment of the monitoring device 105. The locking cylinder 104 has a sensor 107, 108 of the monitoring device 105 at each of its ends. The sensors 107, 108 are mounted in recesses 121, 122 of the locking cylinder 104. Thus, the locking cylinder 104 and the two sensors 107, 108 form a pre-assembled structural unit that can be easily retrofitted into existing lock cases.

[0027] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a procedure for recording the position of the in Figure 1as a wing 2 of the building element. In a first step S1, the signals from a first sensor 7 are acquired. In a second step S2, the signals from a second sensor 8 are acquired. The two steps S1 and S2 can, of course, run in parallel. The signals are compared with each other in step S3, and the comparison is amplified in step S4 and added to the Figure 3 The described interface 20 was forwarded.

Claims

1. Monitoring device (5, 105) which monitors the position of a leaf (2), flap or the like which can be pivoted against a frame (1), the device comprising a first sensor (7, 107) and a second sensor (8, 108), and comprising an evaluation unit (9) for evaluating the signals, wherein the two sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) have the same physical operating principle, wherein the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) and a transmitter element (6) which controls the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) are intended to be mounted on opposite components of the frame (1) and the leaf (2), flap or the like, and the evaluation unit (9) is designed to compare the signals of the two sensors (7, 8, 107, 108), wherein the leaf (2), flap or the like is a building element.

2. Monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) are designed to measure a magnetic field or magnetic flux density.

3. Monitoring device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) are designed to measure the magnetic tunnel resistance or the giant magnetoresistance.

4. Monitoring device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) are spaced apart from one another.

5. Monitoring device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) are shielded in spatial orientation outside the transmitter element (6).

6. Monitoring device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) are intended to be arranged on different spatial sides of the building element.

7. Monitoring device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the evaluation unit (9) has a Wheatstone bridge circuit (13) and the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) are elements of the bridge circuit (3).

8. Monitoring device according to claim 7, characterized in that the Wheatstone bridge circuit (13) has two magnetically shielded auxiliary sensors (16, 17) as further elements.

9. Monitoring device according to claim 7 or claim 8, characterized in that an element of the Wheatstone bridge circuit (13) is connected to at least one variable resistor (18).

10. Monitoring device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the evaluation unit (9) has an operational amplifier (19) configured as a differential amplifier.

11. Monitoring device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108), the evaluation unit (9) and at least a portion of the building element are designed as a pre-assembled structural unit.

12. Monitoring device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when a structural unit is formed with a lock case (10) or a lock cylinder (104) provided for locking the leaf (2) in the frame (1), the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) can be arranged on different sides of the lock case (10) or the lock cylinder (104).

13. Monitoring method for monitoring the position of a leaf (2), flap or the like which can be pivoted against a frame (1), in which method signals from a first sensor (7, 107) and a second sensor (8, 108) are detected, wherein the leaf (2), flap or the like is a building element, wherein the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) and a transmitter element (6) which controls the sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) are mounted on opposite components of the frame (1) and the leaf (2), flap or the like, and wherein the signals of the two sensors (7, 8, 107, 108) are based on the same operating principle and are compared with one another, and wherein the position of the building element is determined on the basis of the comparison.