Trainable transceiver with hands free image based operation

• US 10,163,337 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Geerlings, Steven L., Wright, Thomas S., Bostrom, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blouin, Mark
• Application Number:
  US15/858,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20180144617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 340 1254
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity

Abstract

A method for automatically transmitting an activation signal from a trainable transceiver to a remote electronic system, includes receiving, at a control circuit of the trainable transceiver, image data from an image data source; determining, using the control circuit, if the received image data matches one or more reference images stored in memory and associated with the remote electronic system; and determining, in response to a match between the received image data and the one or more reference images, if the trainable transceiver is approaching the remote electronic system. The method includes, in response to determining that the trainable transceiver is approaching the remote electronic system, formatting an activation signal to control the remote electronic system and transmitting, using a transceiver circuit, the activation signal formatted to control the remote electronic system.

Claims

1. A trainable transceiver, comprising:

a transceiver circuit configured to receive, from a wireless communication device connected to a camera, a reference image associated with a remote electronic system;

memory configured to store a characteristic of an activation signal for controlling the remote electronic system; and

a control circuit coupled to the transceiver circuit to train the trainable transceiver to control the remote electronic system by associating the reference image associated with the remote electronic system with the characteristic of the activation signal for controlling the remote electronic system.

2. The trainable transceiver of claim 1, wherein the transceiver circuit is further configured to receive a plurality of reference images from the camera via the wireless communication device, each reference image associated with a distance or a location relative to the remote electronic system, and

wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine whether the trainable transceiver is approaching or traveling away from the remote electronic system based on a subsequently received image and the plurality of reference images.

3. The trainable transceiver of claim 1, wherein the transceiver circuit is further configured to receive an image from the camera via the wireless communication device;

and

wherein the control circuit is further configured to send the activation signal to the remote electronic system responsive to determining a match between the image and the reference image.

4. The trainable transceiver of claim 1, wherein the transceiver circuit is further configured to receive a plurality of reference images from a plurality of image data sources including the camera connected to the wireless communication device.

5. The trainable transceiver of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to associate one or more features extracted from the reference image with the characteristic of the activation signal for controlling the remote electronic system.

6. The trainable transceiver of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to initiating automatic operation to transmit the activation signal for controlling the remote electronic system subsequent to the receipt of the reference image from the camera via the mobile communication device.

7. The trainable transceiver of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to associate the reference image with the remote electronic system in response to a user input.

8. A system for training trainable transceivers, comprising:

an imaging sensor configured to obtain a reference image associated with a remote electronic system; and

a wireless communication device in communication with the imaging sensor and a trainable transceiver, configured to send the reference image associated with the remote electronic system to the trainable transceiver,

wherein receipt of the reference image causes the trainable transceiver to train by associating the reference image associated with the remote electronic system with a stored characteristic for formatting an activation signal to control the remote electronic system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the imaging sensor is further configured to obtain a plurality of reference image associated with the remote electronic system, each reference image associated with a distance or a location relative to the remote electronic system;

wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to send the plurality of reference images to the trainable transceiver; and

wherein receipt of the plurality of reference mages causes the trainable transceiver to determine whether the trainable transceiver is approaching or traveling away from the remote electronic system based on a subsequently obtained image and the plurality of reference images.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the imaging sensor is further configured to obtain a plurality of reference image associated with the remote electronic system, each reference image obtained at different times from another reference image;

and

wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to send each reference image of the plurality of reference images to the trainable transceiver; and

wherein receipt of each reference image causes the trainable transceiver to associate the reference image of the plurality of reference images with the stored characteristic for formatting the activation signal.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the imaging sensor is further configured to obtain an image associated with the remote electronic system, subsequent to obtaining the reference image;

wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to send the image to the trainable transceiver; and

wherein receipt of the reference image causes the trainable transceiver to perform automatic operation to transmit the activation signal for controlling the remote electronic system.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein receipt of the reference image causes the trainable transceiver to associate one or more features extracted from the reference image with the stored characteristic of the activation signal for controlling the remote electronic system.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of imaging sensors configured to obtain a plurality of reference images associated with a plurality of remote electronic systems;

wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to send the plurality of reference images obtained by the plurality of imaging sensors to the trainable transceiver.

14. A method of training trainable transceivers, comprising:

receiving, by a trainable transceiver, from a wireless communication device connected to a camera, a reference image associated with a remote electronic system;

storing, by the trainable transceiver, a characteristic of an activation signal for controlling the remote electronic system onto memory; and

associating, by the trainable transceiver, the reference image associated with the remote electronic system with the characteristic of the activation signal for controlling the remote electronic system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the reference image further comprises receiving a plurality of reference images from the camera via the wireless communication device, each reference image associated with a distance or a location relative to the remote electronic system, and further comprising:

determining, by the trainable transceiver, whether the trainable transceiver is approaching or traveling away from the remote electronic system based on a subsequently received image and the plurality of reference images.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, by the trainable transceiver, from the wireless communication device connected to the camera, an image from the camera via the wireless communication device; and

sending, by the trainable transceiver, the activation signal to the remote electronic system responsive to determining a match between the image and the reference image.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the reference image further comprises receiving a plurality of reference images from a plurality of image data sources including the camera connected to the wireless communication device.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein associating the reference image further comprises associating one or more features extracted from the reference image with the characteristic of the activation signal for controlling the remote electronic system.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising initiating, by the trainable transceiver, automatic operation to transmit the activation signal for controlling the remote electronic system subsequent to the receipt of the reference image from the camera via the mobile communication device.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein associating the reference image further comprises associating the reference image in response to a user input.