Methods and systems are described for communicating action instructions between a home automation system and a mobile robotic device. In some embodiments, the action instructions may be communicated by receiving, at the home automation system, input data, and processing the input data to obtain action instructions. In some embodiments, the action instructions may be communicated to the mobile robotic device, and the mobile robotic device may execute the received action instructions.

A drive unit for closing a leaf of a door or a window comprises an energy accumulator for providing a closing force for closing the leaf, a damping device which counteracts the closing force and has an electric motor which can be operated as a generator and can be coupled to an actuating element of the drive unit, and a control device for controlling the electric motor. The control device is designed to determine a nominal path curve which indicates a position of the leaf or a closing speed of the leaf in dependence upon time, and to perform the control of the electric motor in order to damp the closing movement of the leaf on the basis of the established target path curve.

A protection arrangement for a current collector arranged on a vehicle having a rechargeable energy storage includes a first protective state in which the current collector is covered by the protection arrangement and a second open state in which the protection arrangement allows contact between the current collector and a corresponding current supply during charging of the energy storage and where the protection arrangement is automatically opened from the protective state to the open state when the vehicle has reached a predefined charging position. The current collector can be enclosed when the vehicle is not charged and the protection arrangement can open automatically when a charging position is reached. This can improve the safety of the vehicle and obviate the need of a specific circuit breaker that can disconnect the current collector from the electric energy storage. The charging of the vehicle can also be simplified.

A door closer having a closer body 1 housing an electrical actuator 20 connected to one or more electrical connectors, such as plugs 24, each of which may be located in two or more different positions on the closer body to facilitate connection of the closer to an electrical circuit when the closer is mounted in different orientations, without providing a greater number of electrical connectors. The closer body may have a rotary shaft 7 connected to a door control arm 9, a first latch member 6 mounted relative to the closer body and a second latch member 29 mounted relative to the rotary shaft, the second latch member being arranged to engage with the first latch member to arrest rotation of the rotary shaft to latch the rotary shaft in a desired position. A mounting structure 8 connects the control arm and enables the angle between the control arm and the second latch member to be varied between 0 and at least 90 degrees.

A control device for a vehicle closure body includes an electronic control unit configured to measure a position of the body, measure a speed of the body, determine an opening or closing direction in which the body is operated by a user, and move the body in the determined opening or closing direction with use of a drive unit when the speed of the body measured at the measured position of the body is equal to or higher than a speed threshold at the measured position of the body.

A method of controlling a tailgate using a rear-view camera in a vehicle includes: supplying power to an electric device or an accessory of the vehicle, switching the rear-view camera to a switch mode if the vehicle is in a predetermined state, confirming whether or not brightness of an image captured by the rear-view camera becomes lower than a predetermined range for a predetermined time, confirming a change of brightness of the image using at least one tail lamp or another lamp installed adjacent to the rear-view camera if the brightness of the image becomes lower than the predetermined range for the predetermined time, and opening the tailgate if there is no change of brightness of the image.

A cage-type animal trap with two opposed animal access openings that can operate in a one-door-opening configuration or a two-door-opening configuration. The trap has a set mechanism for holding one or both doors open to allow access through the corresponding trap access openings. The set mechanism includes a set lever that is movable from a set position to a tripped position and that is coupled to the doors of the trap by an actuating member. Upon actuation, the set lever moves from the set to the tripped position to allow movement of the actuating member which enables one of the doors to move from an opened position to a closed position when the trap is operating in a one-door-opening configuration, and both of the doors to move from the opened position to the closed position when the trap is operating in the two-door-opening configuration.

In a method for operating a vehicle barrier (1) having a barrier column (2), a barrier arm (4) and a drive mechanism for pivoting the barrier arm (4) between a blocking position and an open position, a camera (7) is used for vehicle recognition, for the license plate recognition, for recognizing a following vehicle and for monitoring for vandalism, and the images thereof are evaluated by an electronic evaluation logic that is coupled to control of the vehicle barrier (1).

A gear assembly comprises a housing, a first gear shaft in the housing, a first spiral gear coupled to the first gear shaft in the housing, a second gear shaft in the housing, a second spiral gear coupled to the second gear shaft in the housing, and a fluid connection between a first chamber and a second chamber. The first spiral gear and the second spiral gear couple to define the first chamber and the second chamber within the housing.

A motorized tilting window operator including one or more motorized drive units and a cover. A motorized tilting window including the motorized tilting window operator.