Garage Shutter Control System with Dual Sensor Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing garage shutter control systems are unreliable due to varying communicative distances between the vehicle's wireless transmitter and the shutter device, influenced by environmental conditions and positional relationships, leading to inconsistent automatic signal reception and operational inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
An opening and closing device control system that includes a transmitter in the vehicle, inside-garage and outside-garage sensors, and a controller that uses vehicle sensing signals and automatic transmitting signals to control the shutter, along with an obstacle sensing device to improve operability and reliability by ensuring proper opening and closing operations regardless of signal reception variability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If automatic transmitting signal is used for controlling shutter operation, then automation level is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to varying communicative distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces sensors as intermediary devices that detect the vehicle's presence and state independently of wireless signals. These sensors act as mediators between the vehicle and shutter control system, providing a reliable backup detection mechanism that does not depend on the varying communicative distance of automatic transmitting signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements beforehand cushioning by having multiple detection methods (automatic transmitting signal reception and sensor-based vehicle presence detection) ready in advance. This ensures that if the automatic transmitting signal fails due to distance issues, the sensor-based detection is already in place to maintain reliable shutter operation.
2Ease of operation
If wireless communication distance is increased to improve vehicle access flexibility, then ease of operation is improved, but signal reception reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors are deployed as intermediary detection devices that do not rely on wireless communication. These sensors can detect vehicle presence through physical or electromagnetic fields over longer distances without the reliability degradation associated with increased wireless communication distance, thus maintaining ease of operation while ensuring reliable detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves universality by implementing multiple detection functions through different mechanisms. The automatic transmitting signal provides wireless communication capability for ease of operation, while sensor-based detection provides universal presence detection that works reliably regardless of distance, combining both advantages.
3Reliability
If multiple sensors and signals are used to improve reliability, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the controller with logic to handle multiple signal sources and sensor inputs. The controller is designed in advance to process and prioritize signals from automatic transmitting receivers and sensor-based detection systems, managing complexity through pre-established control algorithms rather than ad-hoc processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple detection functions into a unified control system. The controller integrates signals from automatic transmitting receivers and sensor-based detection systems into a single coordinated control mechanism, reducing overall system complexity by combining functions rather than maintaining separate independent systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the operability and reliability of the garage shutter system by ensuring consistent automatic opening and closing operations, even with varying communicative distances, and allows for prompt closure when the vehicle has exited or entered the garage.
Implementation Method 1
an inside-garage sensor which outputs a vehicle sensing signal upon contactlessly sensing the vehicle in the garage
Implementation Method 2
an outside-garage sensor which outputs the vehicle sensing signal upon contactlessly sensing the vehicle in a specified area outside the garage
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
A further improvement is achieved in the operability of a shutter device when opening and closing the shutter device automatically. Provided are an opening and closing device 20 which opens and closes an opening 11 of a garage 10 by an opening and closing body 21, a transmitter 40 which is provided in a vehicle 30 and implements turn on/off to send an automatic transmitting signal in conjunction with turning on/off of a start switch of the vehicle 30, an inside-garage sensor 22e which outputs a vehicle sensing signal upon contactlessly sensing the vehicle 30 in the garage 10, an outside-garage sensor 22f which outputs the vehicle sensing signal upon contactlessly sensing the vehicle in a specified area E outside the garage 10, and a controller 22c which controls the opening and closing device 20, wherein the controller 22c causes the opening and closing device 20 to perform an open operation when either a condition, under which the vehicle sensing signal from the inside-garage sensor 22e and said automatic transmitting signal are present, or a condition, under which the vehicle sensing signal from the outside-garage sensor 22f and the automatic transmitting signal are present, is satisfied.