Command priority levels for an access controller apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9347254-B2
Application number	US-201213464636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2012
Priority date	May 4, 2012
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

An access controller apparatus and method for controlling physical access to an area are provided to determine a current priority level setting of the access controller and to ignore a received command in response to a comparison of the priority level of the received command to the current priority level setting of the access controller. Thus, a prioritized response to commands is provided such that commands of certain priority levels can be acted upon in certain situations. This helps allow for proper responses to multiple conflicting commands and for prioritized responses to commands of greater importance or of universal impact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An access controller apparatus for controlling physical access to an area, the access controller apparatus comprising:
an input device configured to receive a received command comprising one of at least two commands, wherein the at least two commands comprise at least an open command, a close command, a stop command, an open-hold-open command, a close-hold-closed command, a stop-hold-stopped command, or an emergency hold open command, wherein different ones of the at least two commands have different associated priority levels and are configured to cause different operations of the access controller apparatus;
a processing device operatively connected to the input device and configured to:
determine a current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus,
determine the priority level of the received command received by the input device,
compare the priority level of the received command and the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus,
ignore the received command in response to a result of the comparing,
determine whether the priority level of the received command is a higher priority level than the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus, and
set the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus to that of the received command in response to determining that the priority level of the received command is a higher priority level than the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus and perform an operation associated with the received command.

2. The access controller apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing device is further configured to:
compare the priority level of the received command and the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus by determining that the priority level of the received command is a lower priority level than the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus, and
ignore the received command in response to a result of the comparing by ignoring the received command when the priority level of the received command is a lower priority level than the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus.

3. The access controller apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing device is further configured to:
compare the priority level of the received command and the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus by determining that the priority level of received command is at least one of a same priority level as the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus or a lower priority level than the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus, and
ignore the received command in response to a result of the comparing by ignoring the received command when the priority level of the received command is at least one of the same priority level as the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus or a lower priority level than the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus.

4. The access controller apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing device is further configured to ignore the received command in response to a result of the comparing by ignoring the main intent of the command while still performing at least one action associated with the command that is ancillary to the main intent of the command.

5. The access controller apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one memory device operatively connected to the processing device and storing a plurality of stored commands, wherein individual ones of the plurality of stored commands are associated with at least one priority level.

6. The access controller apparatus of claim 5 wherein the processing device is further configured to determine a priority level of the received command received by the input device by determining a priority level associated with at least one matching stored command stored in the memory device.

7. The access controller apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing device is further configured to determine the current priority level of the access controller apparatus by receiving at the input device at least one other command comprising at least one instruction specifying the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus.

8. The access controller apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one other command comprising at least one instruction specifying the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus is associated with a highest available priority level setting of the access controller apparatus.

9. The access controller apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one other command comprising at least one instruction specifying the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus is a lower priority level than the emergency hold open command.

10. The access controller apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing device is further configured to determine the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus by determining a highest priority level of one or more commands of a set of previously received commands.

11. The access controller apparatus of claim 10 wherein the set of previously received commands comprises all commands received since receiving at least one other command comprising at least one instruction specifying a current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus.

12. The access controller apparatus of claim 1 wherein the current priority level setting of the access controller apparatus is a default priority level setting of the access controller apparatus.

13. The access controller apparatus of claim 12 wherein the default priority level setting of the access controller apparatus is a lowest available priority level setting.

14. The access controller apparatus of claim 1 wherein the received command comprises at least one compound command.

15. The access controller apparatus of claim 1 wherein the access controller apparatus comprises a movable barrier operator.

16. A method of operating at least one access controller apparatus for controlling physical access to an area, the method comprising:
receiving a received command comprising one of at least two commands having different associated priority levels, wherein the at least two commands comprise at least an open command, a close command, a stop command, an open-hold-open command, a close-hold-closed command, a stop-hold-stopped command, or an emergency hold open command, wherein different ones of the at least two commands are configured to cause different operations of the at least one access controller apparatus;
determining by a processing device a current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus;
determining by the processing device the priority level of the received command;
comparing the priority level of the received command and the current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus;
ignoring the received command in response to a result of the comparing;
determining by the processing device whether a priority level of the received command is a higher priority level than the current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus; and
setting by the processing device the current priority level setting of the at least one access controller apparatus to that of the received command in response to determining that the priority level of the received command is a higher priori

Assignees

• Sullivan Edward S
• Chamberlain Group Inc

Inventors

• Sullivan Edward S

Classifications

• E05F15/70 Primary

  with automatic actuation · CPC title

• G07C9/32

  in combination with an identity check · CPC title

• G05B2219/2222

  Use of priority levels for gaining access to resources · CPC title

• G05B19/0423

  Input/output · CPC title

• G05B2219/2628

  Door, window · CPC title