Sensor Device for Movable Barrier Operator Position Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Movable barrier operators, such as jackshaft-style operators, face challenges in accurately determining the position and speed of movable barriers due to changing mechanical advantage throughout the path, and manufacturers struggle to tailor their systems to various drum shapes and profiles, leading to less-than-optimal understanding of the barrier's operation.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a rotatable drive and elongate member sensor device that measures characteristics like position, velocity, and tension of the elongate member independently of the rotatable drive, providing more accurate estimates of the movable barrier's properties by combining these measurements with drive sensor data, and includes a controller to adjust operations based on these enhanced estimates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conical drum is used to provide varying moment arm for different door positions, then the operator can better handle the changing weight distribution, but the position and speed determination becomes difficult due to constantly changing radius
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (encoder or sensor system) that measures the rotational position and speed of the drum independently of its shape. This mediator translates the mechanical rotation into electrical signals that can be accurately processed, bypassing the problem of varying radius by directly measuring angular parameters rather than deriving them from linear cable displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement methods (based on cable length and drum geometry) with electronic sensing systems. Instead of mechanically determining position from cable displacement through a conical drum's varying radius, electronic encoders directly sense rotational position and speed, substituting mechanical derivation with electronic measurement.
2Ease of manufacture
If manufacturers use standard drive systems without tailoring to specific drum profiles, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the understanding and control of barrier operation becomes less optimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback systems where sensors continuously monitor the actual position and speed of the barrier, and this information is fed back to the control system. The controller uses this feedback to adjust its understanding of the barrier's state, compensating for variations in drum profiles and mechanical characteristics without requiring manufacturers to tailor each operator to specific applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal sensor and control system that can accurately measure and adapt to various drum profiles and barrier configurations without requiring custom manufacturing. The electronic sensing and control architecture is designed to be application-agnostic, handling different mechanical arrangements through software algorithms rather than hardware customization.
3Force
If the radial distance between shaft and drum surface varies during cable winding, then mechanical advantage changes to accommodate door weight variations, but the relationship between shaft rotation and door movement becomes non-linear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical calculations required to determine position and speed relationships with direct electronic sensing. Instead of computing the non-linear relationship between shaft rotation and door movement based on varying radial distance, electronic encoders directly measure rotational parameters and the control system uses these measurements with pre-calculated or real-time compensation algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic compensation where the control system continuously adjusts its understanding of the mechanical relationship based on real-time sensor data. The system adapts to the changing geometry during operation, using feedback from position and speed sensors to maintain accurate tracking despite the non-linear relationship caused by varying moment arm.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus having a base portion configured to be secured to a mounting surface and a sensor connected to the base portion that is configured to interface with an elongate member and measure one or more characteristics of the elongate member as the elongate member moves from being wound up on or paid out from a rotatable drive of a movable barrier operator. The one or more characteristics can include, for example, position, velocity, and direction of movement of the elongate member. By measuring the one or more characteristics of the elongate member, corresponding properties of a movable barrier connected to the elongate member can be accurately determined. The apparatus may be also used to supplement an estimate of the properties of the movable barrier obtained from measurement of the rotatable drive and provide a more accurate estimate of the movable barrier properties.