Patent ID: 7855475
Filing Date: 2010-12-21
Classification: E05F,E05Y

Abstract:
1. A movable barrier operator apparatus comprising: a power supply that operably couples to at least one source of alternating current; and a movable barrier operator comprising a motor, controller, and at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of a radio that is configured to receive instructions from a wireless remote control user device, a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, and combinations thereof, the movable barrier operator coupled to the power supply to receive operating power from the power supply, having at least a first and a second mode of energy consumption operation, and being further configured to: selectively open and close a corresponding movable barrier; and develop an additional component operating mode control signal from the controller as a function of movable barrier operator state information that indicates whether the barrier is open or closed, the additional component operating mode control signal being operable to directly control the energy usage of the additional component, the control signal from the controller developed as a result of the state information, the state information selected from the group consisting of motor state information, time information, transmission state information, voltage state information, switch state information and combinations thereof, the at least one additional component operably coupled to the power supply and to the movable barrier operator, configured to receive operating power from the power supply, and having a plurality of operating modes, wherein at least some of the operating modes have different energy usages, and wherein the additional component is directly responsive to the movable barrier operator additional component operating mode control signal to switch between at least the first mode and the second mode of energy consumption such that: during the first mode of energy consumption operation, the additional component operates using a first energy usage; and during the second mode of energy consumption operation, the additional component operates using a second energy usage, wherein the operating power used in one of the energy usages is less than the power used by the other.