Wireless Infrared Safety Sensor for Garage Door Openers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional infrared safety sensors for garage door openers require complex wiring, making them difficult and time-consuming to install, which can compromise safety and reliability if not properly connected.
Innovation Solution
A wireless safety sensor system with a first wireless communication link to the garage door opener's main control unit and an internal wireless detection link between a master and slave sensor unit, featuring a power management system to conserve power and ensure reliable obstacle detection during door closing cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional wired infrared safety sensors are used, then reliable obstacle detection is achieved, but installation complexity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wiring system with a wireless communication system. The safety sensor communicates with the garage door opener main unit via wireless signals (RF or other wireless protocols), eliminating the need for physical wire connections between the sensor units and the main control unit. This substitution maintains detection reliability while dramatically reducing installation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the wiring requirement from the safety sensor system. By removing the need for physical wire connections between the sensor and main unit, the system becomes a wireless standalone unit that communicates through electromagnetic signals, thereby simplifying installation while preserving safety functionality.
2Ease of operation
If wireless safety sensors are used, then installation ease is improved, but power consumption increases due to continuous operation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by placing the wireless safety sensor in sleep mode during periods when the garage door is not operating, and activating it only when needed (when the door is opening or closing). This periodic operation dramatically reduces power consumption while ensuring the sensor is operational during critical safety monitoring periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor is activated in advance before the door closing operation begins, allowing it to be ready for immediate obstacle detection. The system receives a trigger signal from the garage door opener and activates the sensor proactively before the actual safety-critical moment, ensuring continuous monitoring capability without requiring permanent full-power operation.
3Reliability
If the wireless safety sensor operates continuously, then obstacle detection reliability is maintained, but battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor alternates between active monitoring mode and sleep mode, remaining active only during door operation cycles. This periodic operation extends battery life from what would be required for continuous operation, while ensuring detection reliability is maintained during all door opening and closing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor is activated in advance of each door operation and remains active only for the duration needed to complete the safety monitoring task. After detecting the door operation signal, the sensor activates, performs monitoring during the door cycle, then returns to sleep mode, thereby extending battery life while maintaining reliability during critical periods.
4Device complexity
If wireless communication is used between sensor and main unit, then installation complexity is reduced, but signal quality and interference resistance become concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms to monitor and verify wireless signal quality between the safety sensor and main unit. The sensor and main unit continuously check communication status and can request retransmission or adjust communication parameters to maintain reliable signal exchange, thereby ensuring communication reliability despite using wireless technology.
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
The wireless safety sensor system provides a reliable and easy-to-install solution for detecting obstacles, ensuring safe operation by preventing door closure in case of obstacles and maintaining communication quality through periodic verification and frequency channel adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
the IP transmitter will emit an infrared beam toward the IR receiver
Implementation Method 2
A power management system is provided to place the wireless safety sensor in a sleep mode for conserving power, and to wake up the wireless safety sensor on demand
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates generally to the field of motorized garage door openers. In particular, the invention relates to wireless safety sensors for garage door openers and garage door opener with a wireless safety sensor. The wireless safety sensor has a wireless communication link with a main control unit of the garage door opener. The wireless safety sensor also has an internal wireless link, i.e., a detection beam link, between a master unit and a slave unit. The wireless safety sensor periodically verifies that the wireless communication link has good signal quality and maintains the quality of the wireless communication link.