Door sensor system

Claim 2

A sensor system for an automatic door system comprising: a plurality of sensor units, each said sensor unit comprising: transmitter means for emitting infrared radiation so as to define a detection zone Zd; receiver means for receiving reflected radiation from zone Zd; presence zone means for defining a presence zone Zp in said zone Zd; motion zone means for defining a motion zone Zm in said zone Zd; detection logic means responsive to said receiver means for detecting the presence of a foreign object in zone Zp and the motion of a foreign object in zone Zm and generating a detection signal indicative thereof; hold open output means responsive to said detection output signal for generating a hold open output signal for a pre-established time interval; synchronization means for synchronizing the operation of said sensor units; and mounting means for mounting said sensor units so that at least a pair of said zones Zp intersect.

Claim 3

The sensor system of claim 1 and further comprising housing means for housing said sensor units.

Claim 4

The sensor system of claim 2 and further comprising a sliding door system, including a pair of sliding doors moveable across a doorway and wherein said housing means is mounted generally above the doorway.

Claim 5

The sensor system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter means comprises an array of light emitting diodes, each said diode being oriented at a distinct directional angle.

Claim 6

The sensor system of claim 1 wherein each sensor unit further comprises means for pulsing said transmitter means.

Claim 7

The sensor system of claim 1 further comprising an infra-red receiver and an array of infra-red emitters and optical barrier means interposed between said receiver and emitters for preventing direct impingement of radiation from said emitters on said receiver.

Claim 8

The sensor system of claim 1 further comprising zone adjust means for selectively varying the dimensions of said presence zone Zp.

Claim 9

The sensor system of claim 1 comprising three sensor units and circuit means for connecting said hold open output signals in parallel.

Claim 10

The sensor system of claim 1 wherein each said sensor unit further comprises selector means for selecting either a continuous mode or a trigger mode of operation of said sensor unit, said trigger mode operation being responsive to a trigger input for selectively controlling the transmission of the hold open output signal.

Claim 11

The sensor system of claim 5 wherein said sensor units comprise pulse selector means for selectively setting the pulsing of said transmitter means of said sensor units at different phase intervals.

Claim 12

The sensor system of claim 1 wherein said output means further comprises a timer means and wherein said detection signal is applied to said timer means for generating a hold-open output signal for a pre-established time interval.

Claim 13

The sensor system of claim 11 further comprising means for increasing the time interval of the timer means as a subject approaches closer to the sensor units.

Claim 14

The sensor system of claim 11 wherein said detection logic means produces a presence signal and a motion signal, and said presence and motion signals are summed to provide said detection signal.

Claim 15

The sensor system of claim 13 wherein each said sensor unit further comprises mode selector means for selecting either a continuous mode or a trigger mode of operation, said mode selector means controlling the transmission of said detection signal to said hold open means.

Claim 16

The sensor system of claim 14 wherein said trigger mode of operation is responsive to a trigger input signal, said input signal being responsive to the hold open output signal of another sensor unit.

Claim 17

The sensor system of claim 1 further comprising parallel circuit means for connecting said hold open output signals in parallel.

Claim 18

The sensor system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter means further comprises an array of infra-red emitters and further comprising zone select means for varying the number of operable emitters.

Claim 19

A sensor system for a sliding door system comprising: a plurality of sensor units, each said sensor unit comprising: transmitter means comprising an array of emitters for emitting infrared radiation so as to define a detection zone Zd; receiver means for receiving reflected radiation from zone Zd; presence zone means for defining a presence zone Zp in said zone Zd; motion zone means for defining a motion zone Zm in said zone Zd; detection logic means responsive to said receiver means for detecting the presence of a foreign object in zone Zp and the motion of a foreign object in zone Zm and generating a detection signal indicative thereof; hold open output means selectively responsive to said detection output signal for generating a hold open output signal; and selector means for selecting a continuous mode or trigger mode of operation of said sensor unit, said trigger mode operation being responsive to a trigger input for selectively controlling the transmission of the detection signal; synchronization means for synchronizing the operation of said sensor units; and connector means comprising a parallel circuit for combining said hold open output signals.

Claim 20

A sensor system for a sliding door system comprising: a plurality of sensor units, each said sensor unit comprising: transmitter means comprising an array of emitters for emitting infrared radiation so as to define a detection zone Zd; receiver means for receiving reflected radiation from zone Zd; presence zone means for defining a presence zone Zp in said zone Zd; motion zone means for defining a motion zone Zm in said zone Zd; detection logic means responsive to said receiver means for detecting the presence of a foreign object in zone Zp and the motion of a foreign object in zone Zm and generating a detection signal indicative thereof; hold open output means selectively responsive to said detection output signal for generating a hold open output signal; and selector means for selecting a continuous mode or trigger mode of operation of said sensor unit, said trigger mode operation being responsive to a trigger input for selectively controlling the transmission of the detection signal; synchronization means for synchronizing the operation of said sensor units; and connector means comprising a parallel circuit for combining said hold open output signals.

Claim 21

The sensor system of claim 18 wherein said trigger input of one sensor unit is responsive to the hold open output signal of another sensor unit.

Claim 22

The sensor system of claim 18 wherein each said sensor unit comprises pulsing means for pulsing said emitters and pulse selector means for selectively setting the phase intervals of said pulsing means.

Claim 23

The sensor system of claim 18 further comprising means for selectively varying the number of operable emitters.

Claim 24

A sensor system for an automatic door system of a type wherein at least one sliding door is moveable across the threshold comprising: a plurality of sensor units, each said sensor unit comprising: transmitter means for emitting infrared radiation so as to define a detection zone Zd; receiver means for receiving reflected radiation from zone Zd; presence zone means for defining a presence zone Zp in said zone Zd; motion zone means for defining a motion zone Zm in said zone Zd; detection logic means responsive to said receiver means for detecting the presence of a foreign object in zone Zp and the motion of a foreign object in zone Zm and generating a detection signal indicative thereof; hold open output means responsive to said detection output signal for generating a hold open output signal; synchronization means for synchronizing the operation of said sensor units; and mounting means for mounting said sensor units generally above the threshold so that at least a pair of said zones Zp intersect.

Claim 25

A sensor system for an automatic door system of a type wherein at least one sliding door is moveable across the threshold comprising: a plurality of sensor units, each said sensor unit comprising: transmitter means for emitting infrared radiation so as to define a detection zone Zd; receiver means for receiving reflected radiation from zone Zd; presence zone means for defining a presence zone Zp in said zone Zd; motion zone means for defining a motion zone Zm in said zone Zd; detection logic means responsive to said receiver means for detecting the presence of a foreign object in zone Zp and the motion of a foreign object in zone Zm and generating a detection signal indicative thereof; hold open output means responsive to said detection output signal for generating a hold open output signal; synchronization means for synchronizing the operation of said sensor units; and mounting means for mounting said sensor units generally above the threshold so that at least a pair of said zones Zp intersect.

Claim 26

The sensor system of claim 22 wherein said transmitter means comprises an array of light emitting diodes, each said diode being oriented at a distinct directional angle.

Claim 27

The sensor system of claim 1 further comprising an infra-red receiver and an array of infra-red emitters and optical barrier means interposed between said receiver and emitters for preventing direct impingement of radiation from said emitters on said receiver.

Claim 28

The sensor system of claim 22 wherein each said sensor unit further comprises presence zone adjustment means for varying the dimensions of said presence zone Zp.

Claim 29

The sensor system of claim 22 comprising three sensor units.

Claim 30

The sensor system of claim 22 comprising pulsing means for pulsing said transmitters and pulse selector means for selectively setting the pulsing of said transmitter means of said sensor units at different phase intervals.

Claim 31

The sensor system of claim 22 further comprising parallel circuit means for connecting said hold open output signals in parallel.

Claim 32

The sensor system of claim 22 wherein at least one sensor unit is operable in a continuous scan mode and at least one other sensor unit is operable in a trigger mode, said trigger mode being activated in response to the hold open output signal of continuous scan mode sensor unit.