Patent ID: 7679301

Claim:
A movable barrier operator for use with a movable barrier, which movable barrier is selectively moved through selective application of force via the movable barrier operator, the movable barrier operator comprising: at least one force sensor; a movable barrier obstacle detector that is at least partially responsive to the at least one force sensor and to at least one automatically determined excess force threshold value; a motor controller operably coupled and responsive to the movable barrier obstacle detector; an automatic characteristic force value indicator responsive to the at least one force sensor and having a characteristic force value output that is substantially dependent on a difference between at least one previous characteristic force value output and a substantially present force value that is based, at least in part, on the at least one force sensor, and wherein the at least one automatically determined excess force threshold value is based, at least in part, on the characteristic force value output; wherein the movable barrier operator has no user-initiable dedicated learning mode of operation.