Smart system for remote opening and closing a door or window
View Patent ↗A smart window/door opening-closing device that can easily be installed for use with an existing door or window or can be built-in by the door or window manufacturer, can be programmed to activate the opening or closing of the door or window either (a) remotely, (b) automatically by a pet and/or (c) automatically by a voice command, is easily disengaged when use is not desired, provides safety and security to prevent unwanted opening or closing of the door or window, and is integrated with a wireless communication network to enable smart and remote control of the window/door actuator.
1. An opening-closing system for opening a door or window, the opening-closing system comprising:
an actuator motor;
an actuator screw that is rotated by the actuator motor;
an actuator rod that is threaded onto the actuator screw; and
a base that is attached to and between (a) a moving portion of the door or window and (b) the actuator rod,
wherein to open the door or window, the actuator motor rotates the actuator screw in a first rotational direction, causing the actuator rod to move to a retracted position, pulling the base attached to the moving portion of the door or window toward an opened position, and
wherein to close the door or window, the actuator motor rotates the actuator screw in a second rotational direction, causing the actuator rod to move to an extended position, pushing the base attached to the moving portion of the door or window toward a closed position.
2. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , further comprising an adaptor connected to the actuator rod, the adaptor configured to:
(a) extend the actuator rod in effective length to reach the base; and
(b) selectively latch the actuator rod to the base, wherein the actuator rod is engaged to the base when latched and disengaged from the base when disengaged.
3. The opening-closing system of claim 2 , wherein the base is configured to be attached to the moving portion of the door or window when the opening-closing system is retrofitted to operate with the door or window.
4. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , further comprising multiple adaptors each configured to be selectively attached to the actuator rod, each of the adaptors having a different length for effectively extending the actuator rod to different lengths respectively.
5. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , wherein the base includes a catch for catching a latch provided on the actuator rod.
6. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , wherein the base is attached to the moving portion of the door or window using one of the following:
double-stick tape;
screws; or
bolts.
7. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , further comprising a second base configured to be attached to a non-moving portion of the door or window, wherein the non-moving portion of the door or window is a door or window frame respectively.
8. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , further comprising a housing containing the actuator motor and at least a portion of the actuator screw.
9. The opening-closing system of claim 8 , further comprising a connector connecting the housing to a second base attached to a non-moving portion of the door or window, the connector enabling the housing and the actuator rod to be selectively positioned in an operable position or an inoperable position.
10. The opening-closing system of claim 9 , wherein the connector is a rotating connector selected from the group including:
a hinge; or
a rotating pin.
11. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to sense a presence of a person or a pet in a vicinity of the door or window.
12. The opening-closing system of claim 11 , further comprising an adjustable shutter arranged to work in cooperation with the sensor, the adjustable shutter enabling an adjustment in a size of the space sensed by the sensor.
13. The opening-closing system of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is selected from one of the following:
a camera;
a Passive Infrared Sensor (PIR); or
a RFID tag or other interacting with blue tooth receiver.
14. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , further comprising a position sensor for determining if the opening-closing system has been placed in either an operable position or an inoperable position.
15. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller and a network interface that enables the controller to be identified on a wireless data communication network including the Internet, share credentials with a remote communication device, and to be controlled by the remote communication device over the wireless data communication network including the Internet,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
(a) generate and send a notice to the remote communication device over the wireless data communication network including the Internet when a pet is sensed near or adjacent the sliding door;
(b) receive an open or close command from the remote communication device over the wireless data communication network including the Internet; and
(c) control the actuator motor and the actuator rod to either open or close the sliding frame in response to the received open or close command.
16. The opening-closing system of claim 1 further comprising a wireless network interface that enable wireless communication between the opening-closing system and one or more of the following:
an application running on one of a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a desktop computer or a laptop computer,
a voice activated personal assistant;
an RFID tag worn by a pet or person; or
a wireless data communication tag associated with the pet or person.
17. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , wherein the opening-closing system is activated to either close or open the door or window in response to activation by a pet.
18. The opening-closing system of claim 17 , wherein activation by the pet occurs by one of the following:
triggering a sensor when the pet enters a sensed space in a vicinity of the door or window;
sensing an RFID tag worn by the pet in the vicinity of the door or window; or
receiving data from a wireless data communication tag worn by the pet.
19. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , wherein a voice command received from a voice-activated personal digital assistant is used to command the opening-closing system to open or close the door or window.
20. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , wherein the opening or closing of the door or window is remotely activated by an application running on a computing device in response to a notice that a person or a pet is sensed in a vicinity of the door or window.
21. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , further configured to:
be programmed to visibly recognize a pet;
assign open privileges for the pet; and
operate in cooperation with a visual recognition system including a video camera, the video recognition system recognizing the pet when in a vicinity of the door or window and, in accordance with the assigned open privileges, opening the door or window.
22. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , further configured to:
be programmed to visibly recognize a pet;
assign no open or close privileges for the pet; and
operate in cooperation with a visual recognition system including a video camera, the video recognition system recognizing the pet in a vicinity of the door or window and, in accordance with the no open or close privileges, not opening the door or window.
23. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , further configured to operate in cooperation with a visual recognition system including a video camera, the video recognition system determining a size of a package being delivered by a delivery person by either (a) digital analysis of an image of the package or (b) from a barcode associated with the package, and:
(c) opening the door or window an amount sufficient for the package to be placed through the door or window based on the determined sized of the package; and
(d) closing the door or window after the package has been delivered.
24. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , further configured to be retrofitted and attached onto a frame of the door or window after the door or window has been installed.
25. The opening-closing system of claim 24 , further configured to be retrofitted by:
attaching the base to the moving portion of the door or window;
attaching the opening-closing system to a fixed portion of the door or window; and
engaging the actuator rod to the base.
26. The opening-closing system of claim 1 , wherein the door or window is a sliding door or window.