EP2497075B1 - Radio sensor for remotely controlling a gate drive; gate drive system comprising said radio sensor, and inheritance and operating method - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a radio transmitter for remote control of a door drive with a transmitting device, which is designed to transmit at least one encoded by a signal code remote control signal for remote control of the door drive and for emitting at least one inheritance signal for inheriting the signal code to a second radio transmitter. The invention further relates to a door drive system having a door drive device, which has a radio receiver and remotely controlled by means of the radio receiver remote control signals encoded by a signal code, and a first radio transmitter for transmitting the coded remote control signals and a second radio transmitter for transmitting the coded Remote control signals, wherein the signal code from the first radio transmitter to the second radio transmitter is inheritable. Finally, the invention relates to an inheritance and operating method for a radio transmitter for remote control of a door drive, with remote control of the door drive by emitting at least one encoded by a signal code remote control signal via a transmitting device and inheriting the signal code to a second radio transmitter by emitting an inheritance signal.

Such a radio transmitter, such a door drive system and such an inheritance and operating method are known from DE 19625588 A1 which is expressly referred to for further details.

Another such transmitter is from the GB 2835773 A1 known.

A door drive system with two radio transmitters whose code is teachable with each other, is also in the US-A-4988992 described.

In US 2007/0008087 A1 a portable radio is described which communicates in different frequency bands with a mobile receiving module.

EP 0 926 648 A2 describes an adaptive radio transmitter that can learn and transmit both AM and FM signals.

The known radio transmitters are bidirectionally equipped as a transceiver. The radio transmitters thus have a transceiver transceiver for transmitting high frequency signals, which are usually frequency modulated. The transceiver is also designed to receive such high frequency signals. To inherit a code, a learning transmitter, ie the radio transmitter, which is to learn the signal code, set in a learning mode. This can be done manually. However, in the prior art it is also described that when a transmit button is pressed, the learning transmitter first interrogates on the corresponding channel by means of the receiving device whether another radio transmitter is transmitting. If a threshold is exceeded, the learning transmitter is put into learning mode, and he learns the transmitted code.

These known radio transmitters are constructed relatively expensive. In addition, inheritance is made possible by switching the learning transmitter to the learning mode. In principle one could, e.g. from a hidden position, then, when someone operates his door drive with his own radio transmitter, put a second radio transmitter in the learning mode, so as to train the foreign signal code. The operator operating their own remote transmitter purely for remote control purposes would have no control over this.

In order to counteract this possibility of manipulation, the known transmitters are equipped with threshold value circuits, so that teaching the code is possible only over short distances. This distance is manufacturer-side is one Setting the threshold value determined. The threshold circuit complicates the radio transmitter.

The object of the invention is to improve a radio transmitter of the type mentioned in such a way that it is simpler and less expensive, yet manipulation possibilities are reduced.

This object is achieved by a radio transmitter with the features of the attached patent claim 1.

An equipped with at least two such radio transmitters door drive system is the subject of a side claim. An inheritance and operating method for operating the radio transmitter is the subject of the additional claim.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

The invention provides a radio transmitter for remote control of a door drive with a transmitting device, which is designed to transmit at least one encoded by a signal code remote control signal for remote control of the door drive and for emitting at least one inheritance signal for inheriting the signal code to a second radio transmitter. According to the invention, the transmitting device is designed to emit the at least one remote control signal in frequency modulation and to emit the at least one transmission signal in amplitude modulation.

Accordingly, according to the invention, the remote control signal and the inheritance signal are transmitted in different modulations. Amplitude modulation can be received with particularly simple technical means. Therefore, no receiving device for receiving frequency-modulated high-frequency signals used, it is sufficient for. B. from, a comparator input of an already existing for control microcontroller with few components for receiving the amplitude modulated inheritance signal form.

The inheritance process can now be initiated with the radio transmitter according to the invention at the transmitting radio transmitter, ie at the teaching or inheriting and not at the learning radio transmitter.

As a result, can achieve a high level of security with a simpler structure.

According to the invention, the radio transmitter is designed both for inheriting and for training the signal code. Thus, the signal codes from each radio transmitter can be transmitted to a similar second radio transmitter and vice versa. For this purpose, the invention provides that the radio transmitter is designed to receive amplitude-modulated inheritance signals.

Preferably, the radio transmitter is provided with a microcontroller or microprocessor for central control, wherein for receiving the amplitude-modulated inheritance signals, an antenna is connected to a comparator input of the microcontroller or microprocessor.

A particularly simple structure is achieved in that the radio transmitter according to the invention is designed only as a unidirectional transmitter only with the transmitting device and has no receiving device for receiving frequency-modulated signals.

Preferably, the transmitting device for initiating an inheritance process between frequency modulation for normal operation and amplitude modulation for the inheritance mode is switchable. For this purpose, a switching device can be provided, which can be actuated by an operator. Preferably, the switching device is switchable by the operator for inheriting the signal code and remains in this mode for a predetermined period of time in which an amplitude modulation is performed. Furthermore, an embodiment is preferred in which the switching device automatically switches back again from the amplitude modulation to the frequency modulation. This can be done in response to a detected event, in particular to an expiration of the predetermined period of time.

According to a further aspect, the invention further provides a door drive system having a door drive device which has a radio receiver and can be controlled remotely by remote control signals received by the radio receiver which are coded by means of a signal code, and to a first radio transmitter Transmitting the coded remote control signals and a second radio transmitter for transmitting the coded remote control signals, wherein the signal code is inheritable from the first radio transmitter to the second radio transmitter. According to the invention, both the first and the second radio transmitter are formed with the transmitting device, which transmits for emitting the at least one remote control signal in frequency modulation and transmits to transmit the at least one inheritance signal in amplitude modulation.

Preferably, the molding device, e.g. designed by appropriate design of the radio receiver to teach the code by receiving an amplitude-modulated signal and to receive the usual remote control in normal mode frequency-modulated remote control signals.

The invention further provides according to a further aspect thereof, an inheritance and operating method for a radio transmitter for remote control of a door drive and / or a remote control system provided with remote control of the door drive by emitting at least one coded by a signal code remote control signal via a transmitting device and inheriting the signal code to a second radio transmitter by emitting an inheritance signal, wherein the remote control signal is frequency modulated and the transmission signal is transmitted amplitude modulated.

Furthermore, in a normal operating mode, the transmitting device is operated solely in frequency modulation. In the normal operating mode, therefore, only the transmission of the frequency-modulated remote control signal takes place. Furthermore, an inheritance mode is provided, in which the emission of the amplitude-modulated transmission signal takes place. In addition, the inheritance signal is received amplitude modulated, while the reception of frequency modulated remote control signals is not provided.

In a preferred embodiment, the switchover from the normal operating mode to the inheritance mode by an operator and the switching from the inheritance mode to the normal operating mode are carried out automatically, in particular to a detected event. Such a detected event could be an acknowledgment signal from the second transmitter. For safety reasons, however, it is preferred that the transmitter automatically returns to the normal operating mode and thus to the frequency modulation after a predetermined period of time.

Fig. 1

ein Blockschaltbild eines grundsätzlichen schaltungstechnischen Aufbaus eines Ausführungsbeispieles eines Funksenders in Form eines Handsenders;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Darstellung eines ersten und eines zweiten Funksenders, die beide der Ausführungsform von Fig. 1 entsprechen, zum Darstellen eines Vererbens von Systemdaten;

Fig. 3

ein Flussdiagramm zur Veranschaulichung eines bei dem Vererbungsvorgang von Fig. 2 in einem vererbenden Funksender durchzuführenden Verfahrens; und

Fig. 4

ein Flussdiagramm zur Veranschaulichung eines bei dem Vererbungsvorgang von Fig. 2 in einem lernenden Funksender durchzuführenden Verfahrens.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows.

Fig. 1

a block diagram of a basic circuit construction of an embodiment of a radio transmitter in the form of a remote control;

Fig. 2

a schematic representation of a first and a second radio transmitter, both of the embodiment of Fig. 1 to represent an inheritance of system data;

Fig. 3

a flowchart illustrating an in the inheritance process of Fig. 2 to be performed in an inheriting radio transmitter procedure; and

Fig. 4

a flowchart illustrating an in the inheritance process of Fig. 2 in a learning radio transmitter to be performed method.

In Fig. 1 the basic structure of a radio transmitter 10 is shown in more detail using the example of a hand-held transmitter 12. The hand-held transmitter 12 has an outer housing 14, in which an electrical circuit 16 and a power supply 18, for example in the form of a battery or a rechargeable accumulator, are housed. The housing 14 is preferably provided on the outside with a plurality of (not shown) control buttons. This type of hand transmitters 12 with control buttons is well known in the field of radio transmitters 10 for remote control of garage door operators and is therefore not further shown one, more or only the control buttons is assigned a fernbedienende function. By way of example, a first operating button is used to remotely control a first automatic gate, and a second operating button is used to remotely control a second automatic gate. Other buttons can be used for remote control of other functions, such as a yard light or the like.

The remote control is carried out by sending frequency modulated remote control signals 20, which are encoded by means of a signal code.

For this purpose, the hand-held transmitter 12 has a microcontroller 22 which is provided or connected to a non-volatile memory (not shown) in which the corresponding signal code is stored. The microcontroller is connected via lines 24 to a transmitting device 26, which can send via a transmitting antenna 28 encoded with the signal code remote control signals 20. The transmitting device 26 is designed such that it can frequency modulate signals and transmit amplitude modulated. The transmitting device 26 has a switching device 30 with which the transmitting device 26 can be switched from a frequency modulation mode FSK into an amplitude modulation mode ASK and back.

Furthermore, the hand-held transmitter 12 has a simple receiving device 32 for amplitude-modulated signals. The receiving device 32 has a receiving antenna 34 and simple components 36 for tuning the receiving device to the transmission frequency of the transmitting device 26, wherein the receiving antenna 34 is connected to a comparator input 38 of the microcontroller 22. Due to the simple structure, the receiving device is only for receiving amplitude modulated signals, but not for receiving frequency-modulated signals.

Transmission data is passed from the microcontroller 22 to the transmission device 26 via the lines 24. In the illustrated example of Fig. 1 the transmitting device 26 is connected in a normal mode in the Frequenzmodulationsmödus FSK. The hand-held transmitter 12 transmits the remote control signal 20 to the door drive (not shown) in the frequency modulation mode, ie it transmits a frequency-modulated remote control signal 20. The transmit antenna 28 is designed both for sending frequency-modulated signals in the frequency modulation mode FSK and for sending amplitude-modulated signals in the amplitude modulation mode ASK. The receiving antenna 34 is designed purely for receiving amplitude-modulated signals.

In Fig. 2 a first hand-held transmitter HSA and a second hand-held transmitter HSB for illustrating an inheritance of system data from a hand-held transmitter to the other hand-held transmitter are shown schematically. Both handheld transmitters HSA, HSB have the same structure as the wireless transmitter 10 of Fig. 1 , The corresponding components bear the same reference numerals, and their description is not repeated.

In the example of Fig. 2 the first hand-held transmitter HSA transmits system data in the form of an inheritance signal 40 to the second hand-held transmitter HSB. The first hand-held transmitter HSA is thus a teaching or inheriting first radio transmitter 10a and the second hand-held transmitter HSB is a second radio transmitter 10b, which in this example is a learning transmitter.

The transmitting device 26 of the first hand-held transmitter HSA is in the in Fig. 2 shown inheritance mode in the amplitude modulation mode ASK, so that the transmission signal 40 is amplitude modulated sent to the second remote control HSB. The second hand-held transmitter HSB receives the amplitude-modulated transmission signal 40 with its receiving device 32 and learns It latches the signal code and stores it in the non-volatile memory associated with the microcontroller 22.

This in Fig. 2 illustrated radio system, which may be part of a gate drive system, not shown, thus operates in a normal mode in a frequency modulation mode FSK. In the method illustrated here, the modulation type in the hand-held transmitter 12 - the first hand-held transmitter HSA - is switched according to the operating mode:

1) Operating mode: inherit / teach-in / copy:

The teaching of a hand transmitter key - more precisely of the remote control signal 20 to be operated with this hand transmitter key - on a receiving device of a door drive or the copying of a remote control signal 20 assigned to a hand transmitter key to another handheld transmitter takes place in amplitude modulation (ASK). Only in this operating mode are the system data transferred. The inheriting hand-held transmitter - first hand-held transmitter HSA - only goes into this operating mode after pressing the corresponding key for a predetermined period of time, for example for a duration of 5 seconds.

2) Operating mode: normal operation

The commands of the remote control keys are transmitted in Frequency Modulation (FSK).

Advantages:

For reception via amplitude modulation, no receiver module is required. The reception can be realized with little additional components via a comparator input of the existing microcontroller 22 in the hand-held transmitter 12. This can be cost-effective unidirectional handheld transmitter 12 develop, but are capable of learning. Due to the simple receiving circuit - receiving device 32 - the sensitivity of the receiver is not very large and limits the distance between the two handheld transmitters HSA, HSB at Inherit to a small distance, for example to a maximum of 10 cm. However, this limitation is a positive point in terms of safety, as a hand-held transmitter function can not be inherited over a greater distance.

In the known bidirectional handhelds, however, a transceiver is used, ie a transceiver. These known hand transmitters are thus bidirectional; the transceiver can be used both for transmission and reception. With such transceivers, the security aspect is removed when copying again, because when receiving the same ranges can be achieved as in normal operation. Since the transmitter basically should be able to remotely control the door drive further away, it is desirable to keep the transmission range relatively large. Therefore, when inheriting further circuits must be provided to artificially reduce the range by setting thresholds.

The following is based on the representation of Fig. 3 a concrete method, which in the first handheld transmitter HSA of Fig. 2 is explained in more detail. Such a method is carried out when the remote control function associated with one of the keys of the second hand-held transmitter HSA is to be copied to a key of the second hand-held transmitter HSB.

For this purpose, in a first step 100, the corresponding key of the first hand-held transmitter HSA is pressed. The hand transmitter function key is pressed and held. A counter CNT is set to 5. A step 102 is used to query whether the frequency at which the handheld transmitters transmit HSA, HSB, is busy. This query 102 - frequency occupied? - Is carried out at the comparator input 38 by means of the simple receiving device 32. It is only queried whether applied to the receiving antenna 34, a field strength or not. If a field strength is present - branch Y -, in a step 104 it is queried whether a preamble of an amplitude-modulated transmission signal 40 is received. If yes - branch Y - the amplitude-modulated inheritance signal 40 is received in step 106 and possibly learned. If no preamble of an amplitude-modulated inheritance signal 40 is received in step 104 - branch N - is written in Step 108 - Time out? - queried whether a preset time has expired. If yes - branch Y - the process is ended in step 110. If not - branch N - will step 102 be repeated - frequency will be assigned? - carried out.

The query initiated by step 102 thus interrogates whether signaling takes place on the frequency channel. One in the Figures 1 and 2 not shown LED 50 indicates the operator to a corresponding signal.

If it is determined in step 102 that the frequency is not busy - branch N - the remote control signal is transmitted in step 112 in frequency modulation mode FSK. This remote control signal 20 has a rolling code RC, which changes every time it is sent, a serial number SN that outputs a specific function, and a button code BC (button code). According to one embodiment, the first hand-held transmitter HSA transmits only the serial number and according to another embodiment a code which is formed from rolling code RC, system data RID and the button code BC.

Further, in step 112, a timer is set to 2 seconds, and the LED 50 lights during transmission, but for at least 1 second. Subsequent to step 112, a query is made in step 114 as to whether the key is still pressed. If no - branch N -, in step 116, the rolling code RC is increased by 1, whereupon the process is terminated in step 118. If the function key is then released, the rolling code is increased and the handheld transmitter HSA switches off.

If, on the other hand, it is determined in step 114 that the key is still pressed - branch Y - a query is made in step 120 as to whether the time in the timer (2 seconds) has elapsed. If no - branch N - a new query according to step 120. If yes - branch Y - the counter set at the beginning to 5 is decremented by 1 and queried whether the count is 0. If not, step 112 is performed again. Thus, as long as the button is pressed, the record is sent again after 2 seconds. If so, in step 122 the rolling code RC is incremented by one. Thus, the RC is increased after four repetitions.

Then, in step 124, a preamble of the amplitude modulated inheritance signal is sent. For this purpose, in the exemplary embodiment, the first hand-held transmitter HSA transmits "high" bits for 5 seconds in the amplitude modulation mode ASK, so that the second hand-held transmitter HSB, upon depressing the key according to step 104, receives. The LED 50 comes on and signals to the operator that she must now press within 5 seconds the function key on the second hand-held transmitter HSB.

Then, the first hand-held transmitter HSA sends a frame of the inheritance signal and the system data with the corresponding signal codes in the step 126 in the amplitude modulation mode. The LED 50 lights up. Thereafter, the transmitter is turned off in step 128. Thus, the first hand-held transmitter transmits the system data in the amplitude modulation mode. Thereafter, the first handheld transmitter HSA turns off.

The following is still with reference to Fig. 4 further explains the method to be performed in the learning second hand-held transmitter HSB.

Should, as before at Fig. 2 and 3 explained, the function assigned to a key of the first hand-held transmitter HSA are copied to a key of the second hand-held transmitter HSB, is in the first hand-held transmitter HSA in Fig. 3 shown method performed. If, within the time in which the preamble of the amplitude-modulated transmission signal is transmitted in accordance with step 124, the corresponding key is pressed on the second hand-held transmitter HSB to which this function is to be assigned, HSB is first of all analogous to step 102 of FIG Fig. 3 in step 202 of FIG Fig. 4 queried whether the frequency is busy. If not, the command of the key stored on the depressed key of the second hand-held transmitter B is transmitted in step 204, as in steps 112 to 118 of FIG Fig. 3 is set forth. If, however, a frequency assignment is detected, a query is made in step 204 as to whether the preamble of the amplitude-modulated transmission signal is received. If not, analogously to steps 108 and 110 according to steps 208 and 210, the query is repeated until a time has passed. Is the time elapsed, what in step 208 - Time out? is queried, then the second handheld transmitter HSB is switched off - step 210: OFF. If, on the other hand, the preamble is received, it is queried in the further step 212 whether the frame of the amplitude-modulated inheritance signal is received. This interrogation step 212 is again repeated over a certain period of time. When the frame has been received, the corresponding copied signal code is stored in a memory associated with the depressed key of the second hand-held transmitter HSB. The reception is acknowledged by the illumination of the LED 50. The step of storing the key is in Fig. 3 designated by the reference numeral 214. Subsequently, the second hand-held transmitter HSB is turned off in step 216.

Reference number list:

10

radio transmitter

10a

first radio transmitter

10b

second radio transmitter

12

transmitter

14

casing

16

circuit

18

power supply

20

remote control signal

22

microcontroller

24

management

26

transmitting device

28

transmitting antenna

30

switching device

32

receiver

34

receiving antenna

36

components

38

comparator

40

inheritance signal

50

LED

100

Press HSA key

102

Frequency occupied?

104

ASK preamble received?

106

Receiving (learning)

108

Time-out?

110

OUT

112

Send remote control signal in frequency modulation mode

114

Button still pressed?

116

Increase rolling code by 1

118

OUT

120

TIMER timeout?

121

Decrease counter by 1; Query: Counter equals 0?

122

Increase rolling code by 1

124

Send ASK preamble

126

Send ASK Frame system data

128

OUT

200

Press HSB key

202

Frequency occupied?

203

Send command of the key

204

ASK preamble received?

208

Time-out?

210

OUT

212

ASK frame received?

214

Save key

216

OUT

Y

Yes

N

No

RC

Rolling code

SN

serial number

BC

Button code

RID

system data

CNT

counter

HSA

first hand-held transmitter

HSB

second remote control

Rated

frequency modulation

ASK

amplitude modulation

TX

Send

Claims (8)

1. Radio transmitter (10, 10a, 10b) for remotely controlling a gate drive having a transmitting device which is configured to transmit at least one remote control signal (20) encoded by means of a signal code, for remotely controlling said gate drive and for transmitting at least one inheritance signal (40) for inheriting the signal code to a second radio transmitter (10b), wherein the transmitting device (26) is configured for transmitting the at least one remote control signal (20) is configured in frequency modulation and for transmitting the at least one inheritance signal (10) in amplitude modulation, wherein the radio transmitter (10, 10a, 10b) is configured for receiving amplitude-modulated inheritance signals (40), characterized in that the radio transmitter (10, 10a, 10b) is configured as a unidirectional transmitter without a receiving device for frequency-modulated signals.
2. Radio transmitter (10, 10a, 10b) according to claim 1,
   characterized in that the radio transmitter (10, 10a, 10b) is provided with a microcontroller (22) for central control, wherein for receiving the amplitude-modulated inheritance signals (40) a receiving antenna (34) is connected to a comparator input (38) of the microcontroller (22).
3. Radio transmitter (10, 10a, 10b) according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that a switching device (30) for switching the transmitting device (26) between frequency modulation (FSK) and amplitude modulation (ASK) is provided.
4. Radio transmitter (10, 10a, 10b) according to claim 3,
   characterized in that for inheriting the signal code, the switching device (30) can be switched by an operator from frequency modulation (FSK) to amplitude modulation (ASK) for a predetermined period of time and after expiration of the predetermined time period automatically returns to frequency modulation (FSK).
5. Gate drive system, comprising
   a gate driving device having a radio transmitter and being remotely controllable by means of remote control signals (20) received by the radio receiver and encoded by means of a signal code; as well as
   a first radio transmitter (10a) for transmitting the encoded remote control signals (20) and a second radio transmitter (10b) for transmitting the encoded remote control signals (20), wherein the signal code can be inherited from the first radio transmitter (10a) to the second radio transmitter (10b),
   characterized in that the first and the second radio transmitters (10b) are transmitters (10) as defined in any of the preceding claims.
6. Inheriting and operating method for a radio transmitter for remotely controlling a gate drive and/or for a gate drive system having two radio transmitters, the method comprising
   remotely controlling the gate drive by transmitting via a transmitting device (26) at least one remote control signal (20) encoded by means of a signal code, and
   inheriting the signal code to a second radio transmitter (10b) by transmitting an inheritance signal (40),
   wherein the remote control signal (20) is transmitted in a frequency-modulated fashion and the inheritance signal (40) is transmitted in an amplitude-modulated fashion, characterized in that
   the transmission of the remote control signal (20) is performed in a normal operation mode and the transmission of the inheritance signal is performed in an inheritance mode,
   wherein the transmitting device (26) transmits in a frequency-modulated fashion in the normal operation mode and in an amplitude-modulated fashion in the inheritance mode,
   that the inheritance signal (40) is received in an amplitude-modulated fashion and that frequency-modulated remote control signals (20) are not received.
7. Inheritance and operating method according to claim 6,
   characterized in that switching from the normal operation mode to the inheritance mode is performed by an operator and switching from the inheritance mode to the normal operation mode takes place automatically upon a detected event.
8. Inheritance and operating method according to claim 7,
   characterized in that the detected event is a time lapse.

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