Abstract: Generally speaking, and pursuant to these various embodiments, a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium is provided that allows a guest to contact an owner or operator of a secured premises or area to gain access to the secured premises. An access control device initiates contact with a guest device and provides a resource to contact an owner device. If the owner decides to grant access to the guest, the owner selects a suitable input on the owner device so that the owner device sends an authorized signal to the guest device. The guest device acts as a gateway and forwards the authorized signal to the access control device. The access control device operates in response to reception of the authorized signal to grant the guest access to the secured premises.

Abstract: Generally speaking, and pursuant to these various embodiments, a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium is provided that allows a guest to contact an owner or operator of a secured premises or area to gain access to the secured premises. An access control device initiates contact with a guest device and provides a resource to contact an owner device. If the owner decides to grant access to the guest, the owner selects a suitable input on the owner device so that the owner device sends an authorized signal to the guest device. The guest device acts as a gateway and forwards the authorized signal to the access control device. The access control device operates in response to reception of the authorized signal to grant the guest access to the secured premises.

Abstract: Generally speaking, and pursuant to these various embodiments, a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium is provided that allows a guest to contact an owner or operator of a secured premises or area to gain access to the secured premises. An access control device initiates contact with a guest device and provides a resource to contact an owner device. If the owner decides to grant access to the guest, the owner selects a suitable input on the owner device so that the owner device sends an authorized signal to the guest device. The guest device acts as a gateway and forwards the authorized signal to the access control device. The access control device operates in response to reception of the authorized signal to grant the guest access to the secured premises.

Abstract: A movable barrier system allows for varying a linear actuator speed to account for speed variances caused by the physical configuration of the system. An example system includes a processor configured to variably control an operation speed of the linear actuator as the linear actuator moves the movable barrier between a first position of the movable barrier and a second position of the movable barrier as a function of a location of a movable barrier pivot connection relative to a linear actuator pivot connection. The function may be a function of a ratio of a distance from the linear actuator pivot connection to a fixed point and a distance from the movable barrier pivot connection to the fixed point. The function may be calculated by the processor or accessed by the processor according to information about the physical configuration of the system.

Abstract: A movable barrier system allows for varying the linear actuator speed to account for speed variances caused by the physical configuration of the system. An example system includes a processor configured to variably control operation speed of the linear actuator when it moves a movable barrier between a first position of the movable barrier and a second position of the movable barrier as a function of location of the movable barrier pivot connection relative to the linear actuator pivot connection. The function may be a function of a ratio of a distance from the linear actuator pivot connection to a fixed point and a distance from the movable barrier pivot connection to the fixed point. The function may be calculated by the processor or accessed by the processor according to information about the physical configuration of the system.

Abstract: A movable barrier system allows for varying the linear actuator speed to account for speed variances caused by the physical configuration of the system. An example system includes a processor configured to variably control operation speed of the linear actuator when it moves a movable barrier between a first position of the movable barrier and a second position of the movable barrier as a function of location of the movable barrier pivot connection relative to the linear actuator pivot connection. The function may be a function of a ratio of a distance from the linear actuator pivot connection to a fixed point and a distance from the movable barrier pivot connection to the fixed point. The function may be calculated by the processor or accessed by the processor according to information about the physical configuration of the system.

Abstract: Application software for a mobile utilizes a functionality of the mobile device to determine a location and determine whether the location is within a predetermined area surrounding an access control device that controls access to the secured premises. In response to determining that the mobile device is located within the predetermined area, the application software can display identification information for owners or tenants of the secured premises. Upon receipt of a selection received from a user input of the mobile device, the mobile device can communicate with a device of the owner over any suitable communication network in order to be granted access to the secured premises by operation of the access control device.

Abstract: Application software for a mobile utilizes a functionality of the mobile device to determine a location and determine whether the location is within a predetermined area surrounding an access control device that controls access to the secured premises. In response to determining that the mobile device is located within the predetermined area, the application software can display identification information for owners or tenants of the secured premises. Upon receipt of a selection received from a user input of the mobile device, the mobile device can communicate with a device of the owner over any suitable communication network in order to be granted access to the secured premises by operation of the access control device.

Abstract: Generally speaking, and pursuant to these various embodiments, a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium is provided that allows a guest to contact an owner or operator of a secured premises or area to gain access to the secured premises. An access control device initiates contact with a guest device and provides a resource to contact an owner device. If the owner decides to grant access to the guest, the owner selects a suitable input on the owner device so that the owner device sends an authorized signal to the guest device. The guest device acts as a gateway and forwards the authorized signal to the access control device. The access control device operates in response to reception of the authorized signal to grant the guest access to the secured premises.

Abstract: An automated movable barrier control system component (11) as comprises a part of a movable barrier control system (10) has an audible speech output device (21) operably coupled thereto. These elements can share a common housing (22). The audible speech output device (21) can audiblize one or more items of stored speech content relating to one or more aspects of the component itself, other components within the system, and/or the system itself.

Abstract: A control circuit, upon detecting a condition of interest, automatically forwards information regarding a recently-captured image to a predetermined recipient. Upon then later receiving an instruction (which instruction was prompted at least on behalf of the predetermined recipient), the control circuit then wirelessly transmits a movable barrier remote control signal to a corresponding barrier movement controller.

Abstract: A movable barrier operator system operational component includes an integral display comprising at least one of a numeric display, an alphanumeric display, and a graphics display. The display can comprise an active display or an active interactive display and can further operate in conjunction with adjacent user-input interface opportunities. So configured, numerous user interface events can be highly leveraged to contribute to ease of installation and ease and reliability of use.

Abstract: A control circuit, upon detecting a condition of interest, automatically forwards information regarding a recently-captured image to a predetermined recipient. Upon then later receiving an instruction (which instruction was prompted at least on behalf of the predetermined recipient), the control circuit then wirelessly transmits a movable barrier remote control signal to a corresponding barrier movement controller.

Abstract: A barrier operator comprises a current limit portion and a barrier operator portion. The current limit portion is coupled to a mains supply and the barrier operator position is coupled to the mains supply and the current limit portion. The barrier operator portion actuates a movable barrier. The current limit portion regulates electrical current to at least one additional device.

Abstract: A movable barrier operator system operational component includes an integral display comprising at least one of a numeric display, an alphanumeric display, and a graphics display. The display can comprise an active display or an active interactive display and can further operate in conjunction with adjacent user-input interface opportunities. So configured, numerous user interface events can be highly leveraged to contribute to ease of installation and ease and reliability of use.

Abstract: A movable barrier system allows for varying the linear actuator speed to account for speed variances caused by the physical configuration of the system. An example system includes a processor configured to variably control operation speed of the linear actuator during operation between a first position of the movable barrier and a second position of the movable barrier as a function of location of the movable barrier pivot connection relative to the linear actuator pivot connection. The function may be a function of a ratio of a distance from the linear actuator pivot connection to a fixed point and a distance from the movable barrier pivot connection to the fixed point. The function may be calculated by the processor or accessed by the processor according to information about the physical configuration of the system.

Abstract: A movable barrier operator system operational component includes an integral display comprising at least one of a numeric display, an alphanumeric display, and a graphics display. The display can comprise an active display or an active interactive display and can further operate in conjunction with adjacent user-input interface opportunities. So configured, numerous user interface events can be highly leveraged to contribute to ease of installation and ease and reliability of use.

Abstract: A central facility automatically receives status information regarding at least three different kinds of system elements and processes that status information to provide a corresponding status report. These teachings will readily accommodate a wide variety of system elements including, but not limited to, area lights, security cameras, overlooks, movable barrier status detectors, point-of-entry elements, sensors of various kinds, data communication paths, and so forth.

Abstract: A self-storage facility having a variety of differing facility components (that utilize electricity) can couple those components to an electric mains to provide operating power. Upon sensing a lack of electrical power to that electric mains, however, these teachings can provide for actuating a back-up generator to provide back-up electrical power for some or all of those components. These teachings will also accommodate, if desired, using a renewable electrical source to provide the aforementioned electrical power to a disparate grouping of facility components. These teachings will also further accommodate, as desired, providing a source of direct current electrical power (such as a 48 volt direct current electrical power source) and then coupling that source to this disparate grouping of facility components to provide their required electrical power.

Abstract: Upon automatically detecting a predetermined event (such as, but not limited to, detecting a particular end user of the self-storage facility, public-safety personnel, or other authorized person), these teachings provide for responsively automatically identifying a particular one of the self-storage units and then automatically controlling lighting at the self-storage facility to uniquely denote a particular path, from amongst a plurality of candidate paths, to thereby direct the person to the identified self-storage unit.