Patent ID: 8284018

Claim:
An improved apparatus for automatically opening, closing, locking, and unlocking a swinging door, the improved apparatus comprising: a first proximity sensor array comprising at least three linearly disposed sensors, each sensor further including a light-emitting-diode display device consisting of at least two colors, the first proximity sensor array arranging on a first side of the swinging door; a second proximity sensor array comprising three linearly disposed sensors, each sensor further including a light-emitting-diode display device consisting of at least two colors, the first proximity sensor array arranging on a second side of the swinging door; a first actuator in electrical communication with the first and second proximity sensor arrays and coupled to a locking mechanism, a second actuator in electrical communication with the first and second proximity sensor arrays and coupled to a door opening/closing mechanism; a controller in electrical communication with the first and second proximity sensor arrays, the controller comprising a control logic sequence programming that enables a first sequence of signals received from at least one of the proximity sensor arrays to open the swinging door, a second sequence of signals to close the swinging door, a third sequence of signals to lock the door and a fourth sequence of signals to unlock the door; and whereby the corresponding associated light-emitting-diode display device displays at least one color corresponding to the sequence of signals received by the controller; and a housing comprising a first shell segment arranged on the first or interior face of the door, the first shell segment encapsulating at least a portion of the controller, at least a portion of the locking mechanism and at least a portion of the first proximity sensor array, the housing further comprising a second shell segment, a portion of which nests inside the first shell segment to provide a horizontally extendable housing.