Trainable transceiver and camera systems and methods

• US 10,176,708 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Geerlings, Steven L., Witkowski, Todd R., Wright, Thomas S., Smeyers, Marc A., Dorst, Jonathan E., Papay, Douglas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US15/855,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20180122225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• 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 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system for installation in a vehicle and for controlling a remote device including a trainable transceiver, a camera, and a control circuit coupled to the trainable transceiver and the camera. The control circuit is configured to use the camera to identify the remote device by comparing information received via the camera to information stored in memory, and the control circuit is configured to automatically transmit an activation signal formatted to control the remote device in response to identifying the remote device.

Claims

1. A mobile device for configuring trainable transceivers to control remote devices, comprising:

a processor;

a camera configured to obtain an image related to a remote device of a plurality of remote devices, the image encoded with training information related to the remote device; and

a transceiver coupled to the processor and to the camera, configured to send image data comprising the training information encoded in the image obtained from the camera to a trainable transceiver,

wherein receipt of the image data causes the trainable transceiver to use the image data to identify the remote device from the plurality of remote devices to which to send a signal to the remote device and to transmit the signal to the remote device in response to an input on a user interface element of the trainable transceiver.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the camera is further configured to obtain a machine readable image including the image encoded with the training information associated with the remote device.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the camera is further configured to obtain the image including an optical signal from a light source associated with the remote device, the optical signal including the training information related to the remote device.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, the transceiver is further configured to send the image data to the trainable transceiver to cause the trainable transceiver to:

extract the training information encoded in the image from the image data; and

store the image data as comparison data to match with the remote device and the training information for formatting the signal for transmission to the remote device.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, the transceiver is further configured to send the image data to the trainable transceiver to cause the trainable transceiver to train to operate with the remote device based on the training information encoded in the image.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to send the image data to the trainable transceiver to cause the trainable transceiver to automatically transmit the signal to the remote device in response to the identification of the remote device from the image data.

7. A trainable transceiver for controlling remote devices, comprising:

a user interface element;

a transceiver circuit; and

a control circuit coupled to the transceiver circuit in communication with a camera, configured to;

use information received from the camera to identify a remote device of a plurality of remote devices to which to send a signal to the remote device; and

transmit, in response to receipt of an input at the user interface element, the signal based on the identification of the remote device.

8. The trainable transceiver of claim 7, further comprising a camera interface in communication with the camera, wherein the camera interface is configured to receive the information from the camera.

9. The trainable transceiver of claim 7, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive the information associated with the remote device from the camera; and

train to operate with the remote device based on the information received from the camera.

10. The trainable transceiver of claim 9, where in the control circuit is further configured to receive the image data encoded with the information via the camera from at least one of a home electronic device, a mobile communications device, and a network-connected device.

11. The trainable transceiver of claim 7, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive a machine readable image encoded with the information from the camera; and

decode the machine readable image received from the camera to extract the information for identifying the remote device of the plurality of remote devices.

12. The trainable transceiver of claim 7, wherein the control circuit is further configured to use a location information of the trainable transceiver to identify a subset of the plurality of the remote devices to which to send the signal.

13. The trainable transceiver of claim 7, wherein the user interface element is further configured to control transmission of signals to operate with the plurality of remote devices.

14. A method of controlling remote devices, comprising:

receiving, by a trainable transceiver, an input on a user interface element for operating a plurality of remote devices;

receiving, by the trainable transceiver via a camera interface, image data comprising information related to a remote device;

identifying, by the trainable transceiver, the remote device of the plurality of remote devices to which to send a signal based on the image data received via the camera interface; and

transmitting, by the trainable transceiver, the signal to the remote device based on the image data received via the camera interface responsive to the input on the user interface element.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

training, by the trainable transceiver, to operate with the remote device based on the information included in the image data received via the camera interface; and

associating, by the trainable transceiver, the plurality of remote devices with the user interface element based on the training with the remote device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein training to operate with the remote device further comprises:

decoding the image data received via the camera interface to extract the information; and

storing the image data as associated with the remote device and the information for formatting the signal to operate with the remote device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the image data further comprises receiving the image data encoded with the information via the camera interface from at least one of a home electronic device, a mobile communications device, and a network-connected device.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the image data further comprises receiving the image data corresponding to at least one of an image, an optical signal from a light source, and a machine readable image related to the remote device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the remote device further comprises determining a match between the image data received via the camera interface and comparison image data for the remote device of the plurality of remote devices.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein identifying the remote device further comprises accessing a storage in communication with the trainable transceiver for the comparison image data.