Ring-Connected Door Switches for Individual Proximity Status
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing non-contact door switch systems cannot individually determine the open/closed state of each door, as all sensor units must detect proximity for a signal to be input to the high-function unit, failing to provide status information for individual switches.
Innovation Solution
A switch system with a controller and multiple switches connected in series via a signal line, where each switch includes a detection unit, reception unit, control unit, and transmission unit, allowing the controller to receive proximity information from each switch, enabling individual determination of the operating body's proximity and door state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensor units of all non-contact door switches are connected in series to a high-function unit, then the system can determine whether all doors are closed, but it cannot determine the open/closed state of each door individually
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the collective door status detection into individual switch status detections. Each non-contact door switch is equipped with its own contactless communication module that can independently communicate with the controller. This segmentation allows the controller to receive and process status information from each switch separately, enabling individual door state determination while maintaining the series connection architecture for the detection units.
2Reliability
If a signal including a predetermined pattern is input to the high-function unit only when all sensor units detect proximity, then the system can detect when all doors are closed, but individual switch status cannot be determined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where each non-contact door switch's contactless communication module continuously transmits its individual detection status to the controller. The controller receives feedback from each switch independently, allowing it to determine both the overall door closure state (when all switches report closed) and the individual status of each door. This feedback loop preserves individual proximity detection data while maintaining reliable overall detection.
Data Source
AI summary
In a switch system, a controller and a plurality of switches are annularly connected by a signal line, and a signal transmitted from the controller to a first switch is passed through the plurality of switches sequentially and is returned from a second switch to the controller. Each of the plurality of switches includes an operating body, a detection unit configured to detect proximity of the operating body, a reception unit configured to receive the signal via the signal line, a control unit configured to include, in the signal, proximity information indicating whether the operating body is in proximity to the detection unit, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the signal including the proximity information via the signal line. The signal that the controller receives from the second switch includes the proximity information of each of the plurality of switches.