"CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ONE OR MORE ACTUATING SYSTEMS"

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a control system for one or more actuating systems, in particular actuating systems for gates or roller shutters. By way of example reference will be made to actuating systems for gates, it being understood, however, that the invention may also be applied in different sectors.

The more advanced gate actuating systems AZ — a block diagram of which is shown in Fig. 1 — consist of intelligent systems which are equipped with a control unit Uaz, usually a microprocessor. The actuating system AZ also comprises an infrared or radio receiver Rx which demodulates/detects a radio code C (for example the gate opening/ closing code) received from a remote control device Tx of a user, which remote control device may be fixed onto a wall or be of the portable battery-powered type. The code C is stored in a memory MR for radio codes C or compared, by means of a known microprocessor, with codes which are already stored in it. A command signal COM contained in a memory MC is univocally associated with each radio code and, in the event of the code received and the code in MR corresponding, the respective command in MC is executed. Consequently, the unit Uaz recovers in a parameter memory MP the parameters (or associated instructions) associated with that particular command signal and executes it. The command signal COM in MC may relate for example to the driving of a motor M for moving the gate. When a radio code C is recognised by the receiver Rx as being among those present in the memory MR, the steps of identification of the corresponding command signal contained in MC and processing in the unit Uaz, which is adapted to implementi the command using parameters contained and encoded in the memory MP, follow. The memory MP may also contain operating parameters of the actuating system AZ (for example the end-of-travel settings of the gate, the torque profiles of the motor to be used as a reference, timing values, etc.), which the unit Uaz uses in order to carry out the commands COM.

The actuating system AZ stores at least three sets of data, one contained in the memory MR, one in the memory MC and one in the memory MP. The first two sets of data are shown schematically in the form of a table in Fig. 2. Respective command signals COMl ... COMn to be executed are associated with the various codes Cl-Cn in the memory MR.

Depending on the command COM which is to be associated with each received code C, a univocal relationship (indicated by the arrows) between the code C and associated command COM is predefined.

The system proves to be sufficiently flexible (see US 5,453,736 for a practical example), but has its limitations, being a closed system, should a system with high-level functions which involve many actuating systems be required. In particular, the structure of

the system prevents the co-ordinated management of one or more actuating systems, especially as regards the centralized recognition of the radio codes — a problem which the invention, as we shall see, solves.

Very frequently (see also Fig. 1) an external service device CC is associated with the actuating system AZ and has the function of interfacing with the actuating system AZ in order to program it during installation or send it commands such as those generated by the end user. The device CC comprises a logic unit Ucc, usually a microprocessor, a display D and a keyboard K.

The actuating system AZ and the device CC communicate with each other by means of respective data communication interfaces Iaz and Ice which may be wired or wireless transmission interfaces.

The device CC allows access to the memories MR, MC and MP of the actuating system AZ during installation so that it is possible both to download radio codes C in the memory MR, commands COM in the memory MC and preset operating parameters in the memory MP, and also to retrieve and save them locally for future use (back-ups) in the device

CC or an external memory.

Still, however, each actuating system AZ is designed to operate independently and the device CC interacts with the actuating system AZ only in order to introduce data into the memories MR, MC and MP once only, upon installation, or give commands equivalent to those which the actuating system AZ would receive from a user via the receiver Rx.

Other known centralized systems for controlling several actuating systems AZ envisage only simultaneous operation or management thereof by a fixed remote control terminal, having a structure similar to that of the device CC. In both cases, however, when the user imparts a command to the control terminal, it interprets it and sends to the given actuating system a command signal which is the same as or similar to that emitted by a portable remote control device Tx. The receiver Rx receives this signal and demodulates/detects from it the code C which is processed as already described.

It is evident that such a system does not allow, for example, centralized and simultaneous control of the radio codes when they are received in the receivers Rx and prevents centralized management thereof performed in real time. Moreover, in a system of this type, the range of a remote control device Tx, even though able to be used for controlling several actuating systems AZ, is limited by the transmission power of its batteries.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a control system for actuating systems, in particular of gates and roller shutters, which does not have the drawbacks of the present state of the art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control system for actuating systems

which allows centralized management, in real time, of the radio codes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control system for actuating systems which allows direct management of the authorization signals (for access) from and to an environment. Another object of the invention is to provide a control system for actuating systems in which the range of the portable remote control devices is greater compared to the state of the art.

These objects are achieved with an actuating system comprising means for receiving a remote signal and extracting a received command code from the remote signal, a code memory containing at least one valid code, processing means for distinguishing whether the code received is among the valid codes, characterized in that it comprises means for sending the received code outside the actuating system.

The invention envisages also a first control method for an actuating system, in particular for roller shutters or movable barriers, comprising the steps of: - receiving a remote signal and extracting from it a received command code;

- checking whether the received code belongs to a valid set of codes;

- sending the received code outside of the actuating system.

The invention also envisages a second control method for a set of actuating systems, in particular for roller shutters or movable barriers, comprising the steps of: - receiving in each actuating system a remote signal and extracting from it a received command code;

- checking in each actuating system that the received code belongs to a valid set of codes;

- if this is not so, sharing the received code outside of the actuating system within a network to which the other actuating systems are connected.

A centralized control device, in particular a remote management device which can be connected to at least one actuating system provided in accordance with the invention, can be advantageously connected to one or more actuating systems, said device comprising an interface for reading and acquiring said received code. This device may also comprise: - a communication interface for receiving and transmitting data from the actuating system;

- a display for displaying information to a user;

- a user interface via which a user may provide commands;

- a processing unit connected to the display and the user interface and able to process said received code.

It is possible to provide a set of (one or) several actuating systems having the

characteristic features of the invention, the data communication interfaces of which are connected to a data communication network in order to share said received code.

An example of embodiment of the invention is described below, in order to explain all the advantages of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 shows an actuating system of the prior art;

Fig. 2 shows the association between received codes and command codes which can be executed in the actuating system according to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a control system according to the invention;

Fig. 4 shows a variant of the system according to Fig. 3. The system according to the invention is shown in Fig. 3 which illustrates, by way of example, three actuating systems AZl, AZ2 and AZ3 with a structure which has already been described and therefore will not be repeated. The same reference numbers are used, except that they have a distinctive numerical suffix.

What changes are the system functions, in particular the data flow. A broken line is used to indicate the path followed by a command signal COM associated with a radio code C detected in real time by the receiver RxI of the actuating system AZl. Instead of terminating at the input of the unit Uazl, said command signal COM (or alternatively even the same received code C) is diverted to the communications interface Iazl.

The diversion of the command signal COM (or radio code C) received, which may also be performed via redirecting means (an electric switch or a logicswitch), is obtained by means of a redefinition of the associations between radio codes C (inside the memory MR) and command signals COM (inside the memory MC), see Fig. 2, which results in a different behaviour of the unit Uazl .

The operating principle of the system according to Fig. 3 is as follows: a user sends via a transmitter Tx a command signal which is received by the actuating system AZl. The latter, via the receiver RxI, detects the radio code in the signal and compares it with the codes present in the memory MR. If the received code is present, and therefore the code belongs to the actuating system AZl, the corresponding command signal COM present in the memory MC is fetched. The command signal COM reaches the unit Uazl which, as already mentioned, will execute it, finding the corresponding parameters in the memory MP. The commands COM executed by the unit Uazl, in accordance with the invention, may relate to at least: i) a known procedure; ii) no operation to be executed, namely a code C received and identified is not followed by any action; iii) sending outside of the actuating system AZl the signal (code) received and

remaining on standby.

Situation i) is that of the prior art.

Situation ii) corresponds to disabling of the particular code received.

Situation iii) gives rise to two variants of the system: the connection to a network NT or common bus of the actuating systems AZl, ..., AZ3 (see two-way connections shown as broken lines) or to assignment of management of the signal (or code) externally, advantageously — as will be described — by a remote centralized management device OP.

For connection to the network NT, the radio code received and not processed by

AZl will be available for AZ2 and AZ3 which, via their interface Iaz and the receiver Rx (or, according to another possible configuration, the unit Uaz) will interpret the radio signal in order to establish whether or not they must be activated and execute any of their associated commands COM. If the radio code received by AZl is shared within the network NT, the processing means in AZ2 and AZ3 are able to access also their own memory MR in order to verify whether this code is among those to which it must react. In all cases the units Uaz will fetch from the memories MP the parameters associated with the commands COM (present in

MC) which are associated with the codes C and stored in MR and with which the code received via the network NT is compared.

If the actuating system AZl is closer to the remote control device Tx, but the receiver

RxI (of the actuating system) does not recognise the code as being valid, the other actuating systems AZ2, AZ3 will be on standby by means of the respective interfaces Iaz communicating from and to the network NT or the bus. The actuating system which recognises the radio code will execute consequently the command COM programmed in its memory MC, despite the fact that it may be located a long way outside the range of the remote control device Tx, and, unlike the prior art, does not remain unresponsive to the command of the latter. It is evident, therefore, that the system according to the invention increases the working range of the transmitter Tx.

The radio code received may also be managed by a remote management device OP according to the invention (see Fig. 4).

The device OP has the function of interfacing with an actuating system AZ in order to program it or operate it as an end user would. The device OP comprises a logic unit Uop, for example a microprocessor, a display D and a keyboard K.

An actuating system AZ and the device OP communicate with each other by means of respective data communication interfaces Iaz and lop which may be wired or wireless interfaces (see two-way arrows shown as broken lines). The device OP allows access to the memories MR, MC and MP of the actuating system AZ, in particular allows to define of the commands COM associated with the radio

codes C. In particular, the device OP allows to insert, in the memory MC, at least the commands COM:

- for sending the radio code received outside of the actuating system AZ (by means of the interface Iaz or other means); - and/or not performing any operation after recognition of a radio code received.

It is clear, therefore, that such a characteristic feature of the device OP allows the behaviour of a unit Uaz to be modified, as desired, in response to a particular radio code or command received, it being sufficient to program using the device OP the associated command COM to be executed in combination with the code C. In addition to this programming function, the device OP may also have management functions. It may receive, if it is connected to the network NT or the interface Iaz also acts as an access node, all the codes received by all the actuating systems AZ. In order to do so, an associated function is programmed for each unit Uaz (and related receiver Rx), said function, via the interface Iaz, causing repetition, outside of the actuating systems AZ, of all the codes received and not envisaging the execution of other operations, apart from, for example, that of assuming standby mode. After the device OP has processed the radio codes, it may send commands directly to the units Uaz (again via lop or Iaz).

The logic unit Uop may then be programmed to manage receiving of the radio codes received by the actuating systems AZl, AZ2, AZ3 and also carry out innovative functions such as:

- directly managing authorization signals in a centralized manner. In each actuating system AZ in real time the radio code C received by Rx does not terminate at the unit Uaz, but is sent via the network NT to the unit Uop which alone can decide whether to authorise and/or execute the commands associated with it; for example, comparing the radio code C acquired by the network NT with the codes in an associated list or database which is internal

(or contained in an external memory), the unit Uop may limit the authorizations for access to a building only to certain persons (each code received by the actuating systems AZ is associated with the remote control device Tx which emitted it and therefore with the person using it) or only during certain periods of the day or only to certain premises; this filter is obtained by enabling only a subset of actuating systems AZ or only a subset of commands in the memories MC or both these options; the functions enabled by the device OP may be executed directly by the unit Uop or by performing independent execution thereof by a unit Uaz by sending commands via the interfaces lop and Iaz; in the first case, the unit Uop also has a memory MRop containing the enabled codes and a memory MCop containing the associated commands to be executed (MRop and MFop shown in broken lines in Fig. 4); alternatively, the device OP displays on the display D the arrival of the radio code received by

an actuating system AZ and/or the associated command request (for example for access or operation of the actuating system); it may be a user who authorises execution of the associated functions by inputting enable commands via the keyboard K;

- ensuring the safety of the entire system, in the event of loss or disabling of a remote control device Tx, in which case it is sufficient to disable, within the respective actuating system AZ, the command COM in the memory MC, associated with the radio codes of the memory MR which relate to that remote control device, or in the local memory MCop of the device OP;

- facilitating change of ownership of remote control devices Tx for all the actuating systems AZ of the system, by means of the corresponding authorized personal operations; this is achieved by suitably modifying the contents of the memories MR and MC in the various actuating systems or of the memories MRop or MCop, said actions being able to be performed by means of the keyboard K and with the aid of the display D.

The unit Uop may be simply and quickly programmed by means of the keyboard K and the display D. With the device OP a user is able to modify and/or replace the radio codes

C in the memory MR and/or the corresponding command signals COM in MC in an actuating system AZ or the contents of the memories MRop and MCop. The outcome is that a set of actuating systems, although complex and extensive, is handled efficiently by means of the device OP and it is possible to program the behaviour of each actuating system AZ simply by modifying the association between the codes in MR and the commands COM in

MC or that between MRop and MCop.

It is not necessary, if the device OP is used, for each actuating system AZ to have its own database of commands COM. It is sufficient that, for each code C in MR, a single command for transferring and sending the code received outside of the actuating system is associated there. The database of the commands COM for all the actuating systems will be contained, as already mentioned, in the memory MCop of the device OP and managed and processed there. The device OP may also comprise means 50 for receiving/ transmitting data from and to a remote transmitter, for example a GSM transceiver, said means being connected so as to cooperate with the unit Uop. It is thus also possible to control the device OP and all its functional features, for example, from the central office of the manufacturers or installation company.

It should be noted how, with the device OP or in general with the teaching of the invention, it is easy to modify an existing set of actuating systems so as to supplement them with the advantageous functional features described, in this case the actuating systems retaining their structure, but only the associations between codes C and commands COM being altered.

Instead of the radio codes it is also possible to repeat or transmit outside of the actuating system AZ a copy of the signal received, for example after sampling.