Universal wireless trainable transceiver unit with integrated bidirectional wireless interface for vehicles

• US 10,360,791 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Pilat, Horia Eduard, Vuyst, Chris H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, James J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US15/478,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20170206780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

The invention relates to a universal wireless trainable transceiver unit with integrated bidirectional wireless interface functionality, and a method for same. Using a scan, push button or untrained channel mode, a user may enter into a wireless bidirectional interface mode of a trainable transceiver. The interface mode allows a user to select a sub-set of modes that include diagnostics, flash and vehicle interface. Each mode provides the trainable transceiver to communicate wirelessly in a bidirectional manner with another remote device.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication and interfacing between trainable transceivers and remote devices, comprising:

receiving, by a trainable transceiver, a request command from a remote device via a bi-directional communications link between the trainable transceiver and the remote device;

determining, by the trainable transceiver, whether the request command from the remote device is valid;

entering, by the trainable transceiver, upon determining that the request command is valid, into one of a first mode to communicate a first signal with the remote device via the bi-directional communications link or a second mode to communicate a second signal with the remote device via the bi-directional communications link based on the request command; and

entering, by the trainable transceiver, upon determining that the request command is invalid, into the second mode to communicate the second signal with the remote device via the bi-directional communications link;

wherein the first mode is a diagnostic mode; and

wherein the second mode is a training mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein entering into one of the first mode or the second mode further comprises:

identifying, upon determining that the request command is valid, which one of the first mode or the second mode of a plurality of modes of operations is specified by the request command;

upon identifying the first mode as specified by the request command, entering into the first mode; and

upon identifying the second mode as specified by the request command, entering into the second mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the trainable transceiver, one of a plurality of remote devices;

determining, by the trainable transceiver, a device type of the remote device detected; and

identifying, by the trainable transceiver, which one of a plurality of modes of operations

to enter based on the device type of the remote device detected, each mode of operation associated with the one of a plurality of device types.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the trainable transceiver, a plurality of inputs on an input operator device to enter into one of a plurality of modes of operation, subsequent to entering into a current mode including one of the first mode or the second mode;

exiting, by the trainable transceiver, from the current mode of operation; and

entering, by the trainable transceiver, a new mode of operation selected from the plurality of modes of operation based on the plurality of inputs on the input operator device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

waiting, by the trainable transceiver, for receipt of the request command from the remote device via the bidirectional communications link;

determining, by the trainable transceiver, whether the request command is received within a predetermined amount of time;

upon determining that the request command is not received within the predetermined amount of time, ending, by the trainable transceiver, the bidirectional communications link; and

upon determining that the request command is received within the predetermined amount of time, proceeding, by the trainable transceiver, to determine whether the request command is valid.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, upon determining that the request command is valid, whether the request command is for normal operation or for diagnostic mode based on the request command;

wherein entering the first mode comprises entering, responsive to determining that the request command is for the normal operation, into the first mode comprising a training mode; and

wherein entering the second mode comprises entering, responsive to determining that the request command is for the diagnostic mode, into the second mode comprising a wireless diagnostic mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the request command from the remote device is valid further comprises determining whether one or more packets received from the remote device are valid.

8. A system for wireless communication and interfacing between trainable transceivers and remote devices, comprising:

an operator input device configured to receive a sequence of inputs;

a transceiver circuit in wireless bidirectional communications with a remote device;

a control circuit coupled to the operator input device and to the transceiver circuit, configured to;

determine whether the sequence of inputs received at the operator input device is valid or invalid;

enter, responsive to the determination that the sequence of inputs is invalid, into a normal operation mode;

wait, responsive to the determination that the sequence of inputs is valid, for a command from the remote device via the wireless bidirectional communications,

determine, responsive to receipt of the command, whether the command is valid;

enter, responsive to the determination that the command is valid, into one of a

first mode to communicate a first signal with the remote device via the bi-directional communications or a second mode to communicate a second signal with the remote device via the bi-directional communications as specified by the command; and

enter, responsive to the determination that the command is invalid, into the second mode to communicate the second signal with the remote device via the bi-directional communications.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

detect, via the transceiver circuit, one of a plurality of remote devices, each remote

device associated with a device identifier;

determine a device type of the detected remote device based on the device identifier;

identify which one of a plurality of modes of operation to enter into based on the

determined device type of the remote device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive the sequence of inputs on an input operator device to enter into one of a plurality of modes of operation, subsequent to entering into a current mode including one of the first mode or the second mode;

exit, responsive to the receipt of the sequence of inputs, from the current mode of operation; and

enter a new mode of operation selected from the plurality of modes of operation based on the sequence of inputs on the input operator device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

identify, responsive to the determination that the request command is valid, which one of the first mode or the second mode of a plurality of modes of operations is specified by the request command;

responsive to the identification of the first mode as specified by the request command, enter into the first mode; and

responsive to the identification of the second mode as specified by the request command, enter into the second mode.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

wait, for receipt of the command from the remote device via the bidirectional communications link;

determining whether the command is received within a predetermined amount of time;

responsive to the determination that the command is not received within the

predetermined amount of time, end the bidirectional communications link and enter into the second mode; and

responsive to the determination that the request command is received within the predetermined amount of time, determine whether the request command is valid.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is further configured to enter one of a plurality of modes based on the command from the remote device of the sequence of inputs, the plurality of modes comprising a training mode, a wireless diagnostic mode, a wireless flash mode, a wireless vehicle interface mode, a transmit mode, a default mode, and a clear mode.

14. A trainable transceiver, comprising:

a transceiver circuit in wireless bidirectional communications with a remote device; and

a control circuit coupled to the transceiver circuit, configured to;

receive a request command from a remote device via the bi-directional communications with the remote device;

determine whether the request command from the remote device is valid;

enter, upon determining that the request command is valid, one of a first mode to communicate a first signal with the remote device via the bi-directional communications or a second mode to communicate a second signal with the remote device via the bi-directional communications based on the request command; and

enter, upon determining that the request command is invalid, the second mode to communicate a second signal with the remote device via the bi-directional communications;

wherein the first mode is a diagnostic mode; and

wherein the second mode is a training mode.

15. The trainable transceiver of claim 14, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

identify, upon determining that the request command is valid, which one of the first mode or the second mode of a plurality of modes of operations is specified by the request command;

upon identifying the first mode as specified by the request command, enter into the first mode; and

upon identifying the second mode as specified by the request command, enter into the second mode.

16. The trainable transceiver of claim 14, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

detect one of a plurality of remote devices;

determine a device type of the remote device detected, and

identify which one of a plurality of modes of operations to enter based on the device type of the remote device detected, each mode of operation associated with the one of a plurality of device types.

17. The trainable transceiver of claim 14, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive a plurality of inputs on an input operator device to enter into one of a plurality of modes of operation, subsequent to entering into a current mode including one of the first mode or the second mode;

exit from the current mode of operation; and

enter a new mode of operation selected from the plurality of modes of operation based on the plurality of inputs on the input operator device.

18. The trainable transceiver of claim 14, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

wait for receipt of the request command from the remote device via the bidirectional communications link;

determine whether the request command is received within a predetermined amount of time;

upon determining that the request command is not received within the predetermined amount of time, end the bidirectional communications link; and

upon determining that the request command is received within the predetermined amount of time, determine whether the request command is valid.

19. The trainable transceiver of claim 14, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine, upon determining that the request command is valid, whether the request command is for normal operation or for diagnostic mode based on the request command;

enter, responsive to determining that the request command is for the normal operation, into the first mode comprising a training mode; and

enter, responsive to determining that the request command is for the diagnostic mode, into the second mode comprising a wireless diagnostic mode.

20. The trainable transceiver of claim 14, wherein the control circuit is further configured to enter one of a plurality of modes based on the command from the remote device of the sequence of inputs, the plurality of modes comprising a training mode, a wireless diagnostic mode, a wireless flash mode, a wireless vehicle interface mode, a transmit mode, a default mode, and a clear mode.