Garage Door Automation via Vehicle Gear Shift and GPS Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicular garage door systems require manual operation via remote control and lack automation based on gear shifts and spatial position, failing to integrate gear changes with position determining devices for fully automated operation.
Innovation Solution
An electronic control unit (ECU) with a GPS system and a gear status indicator, coupled with a garage door remote control, processes signals to automatically open or close the garage door when the vehicle is within the garage and shifting gears, ensuring the door is in the correct position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If manual operation via remote control is used, then the garage door can be opened and closed, but the system requires user intervention and lacks automation
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation by using the vehicle's own gear shift mechanism and GPS position data to automatically trigger garage door opening without requiring manual remote control operation. The vehicle's transmission state and location automatically serve as the control signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual operation system with an automated control system that uses electronic sensors (GPS, gear position sensors) and electronic control units to automatically open the garage door, substituting mechanical user interaction with electronic automation.
2Extent of automation
If gear shift changes are integrated with position determining devices, then fully automated operation is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple existing vehicle systems (GPS positioning, gear position sensing, and garage door control) into a single integrated automated operation system. By combining these pre-existing components, the system achieves full automation without requiring entirely new complex technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it processes GPS position data, monitors gear shift changes, determines when the vehicle is approaching the garage, and automatically triggers the garage door opening. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems for each function.
3Reliability
If multiple criteria (spatial position, gear shift, door status) are processed, then accurate automated control is achieved, but the control logic complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring GPS position and gear shift state before the actual garage door opening event. By pre-determining the vehicle's approach to the garage and detecting gear shift changes in advance, the system can reliably trigger the door opening at the appropriate moment.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system uses feedback from multiple sensors (GPS position feedback, gear position feedback, and door status feedback) to continuously adjust and verify the automated control logic, ensuring accurate and reliable operation based on real-time vehicle state information.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular garage door operating assembly, a vehicle and a method of opening or closing a garage door. The assembly includes an electronic control unit, a receiver, a garage door remote control, and a gear status indicator. Upon receipt of at least a signal pertaining to a spatial position of the vehicle, a signal pertaining to a positional status of the garage door and a signal indicating that a change in vehicular gear selection, the garage door remote control selectively transmits an instruction signal for automatic opening or closing the garage door without manual intervention by the driver. In this way, when an egress maneuver by the vehicle relative to the garage is being initiated such as by a shift in gears, this is detected along with whether the vehicle is situated within the garage and whether the garage door is closed, the garage door may be automatically moved to an open position to permit egress of the vehicle from the garage. In one exemplary form, the garage door can be made to automatically open when the vehicle is situated within a garage and the vehicular gear selection is changed from PARK to REVERSE once the vehicle has been started.