Obstacle Detection in Roller Shutter Drives
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive devices for darkening and safety devices, such as roller shutters, are overly sensitive in detecting obstacles, leading to false blockages due to factors like uneven guide rails or the weight of the closure element, causing unnecessary motor reversal and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a drive device with a magnetoresistive sensor and a drive controller that distinguishes between real obstacles and temporary blockages by allowing the closure element to accumulate weight and overcome blockages through controlled motor movement, detecting a 'sloshing back' motion to confirm obstacle clearance, and using programmable memory to adjust collision elimination routines based on specific areas prone to blockages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the drive device uses a magnetoresistive sensor to detect collision events during motor operation, then obstacle detection capability is improved, but false detection of temporary blockages as real obstacles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the obstacle detection strategy based on the operational phase. During the acceleration phase, the system tolerates temporary blockages by comparing current speed with expected speed profiles, only flagging obstacles after the acceleration phase completes. This dynamic temporal differentiation resolves the contradiction by making detection sensitivity adaptive rather than static.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary acceleration before definitive obstacle detection. The motor first accelerates the closure element through a predetermined acceleration phase, and only after this preliminary action completes does the system definitively determine whether an obstacle is present based on speed comparison. This preliminary action allows temporary blockages to be overcome before detection occurs.
2Productivity
If the motor immediately reverses upon detecting a collision event, then obstacle clearance is achieved, but unnecessary motor reversals occur due to false obstacle detection
Solution Approach 1:
Before executing the obstacle clearance reversal, the system performs a preliminary acceleration phase to overcome temporary blockages. Only after this preliminary action fails to achieve expected speed does the system definitively identify a real obstacle and execute the clearance reversal. This prevents unnecessary reversals caused by temporary blockages while maintaining effective clearance for real obstacles.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from speed sensor measurements during the acceleration phase to determine whether a true obstacle exists. By comparing actual speed with expected speed profiles and considering the completion of the acceleration phase, the system provides feedback that distinguishes temporary blockages from real obstacles, thereby preventing false reversal commands.
3Reliability
If the system allows the closure element to accumulate weight to overcome blockages, then temporary blockages are resolved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure element's own weight serves as the mechanism to overcome temporary blockages. During the acceleration phase, gravity provides the force needed to overcome friction and minor obstructions without requiring additional mechanical components or complex control systems. The system simply allows the natural accumulation of gravitational force during the acceleration period to resolve temporary blockages automatically.
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
Effectively differentiates between real obstacles and temporary blockages, reducing unnecessary motor reversals and potential damage, while allowing for precise adjustment of collision elimination strategies to improve operational reliability and safety.
Implementation Method 1
The drive device (100) features a special arrangement of a magnetoresistive sensor (3) for measuring the displacement of a shutter element
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
The device has a motor (1) i.e. electrical tubular motor, for driving a closure element (2) i.e. roller shutter. A sensor detects a drive state of the closure element and produces a drive detection signal. A drive controller controls the motor and detects collision events based on the drive detection signal during driving the motor. The drive controller executes a collision avoidance routine during detecting the collision events, and decides whether an obstacle freeing routine is executed based on the drive detection signal during the collision avoidance routine. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a method for obstacle detection during driving a shading device and a protection device (2) a computer program comprising instructions for performing a method for obstacle detection during driving a shading device and a protection device.