Method and apparatus for memory cloning for a control device

• US 20030153306A1
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Rainey, Robert, Study, Robert, Robb, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 6,941,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code

Abstract

A control device 11 for use with another device (such as a movable barrier operator 12) has multiple memory interfaces 26 and 27 to permit the contents of one memory to be copied to another memory to thereby create an effective clone of the first memory. This copied memory is easily removable from the control device 11 and thereafter stored separately as a back-up memory or used as the main memory in another control device 11. This effectively avoids a need for more tedious registration of authorized remote control transmitters in systems where the control device 11 interfaces with a movable barrier operator 12. In one embodiment, blocking information as corresponds to any of the otherwise registered transmitters can also be copied to the new memory when effecting this process.

Claims

1. A control device operably coupleable to a second device to facilitate control of the second device, the control device comprising:

a housing;

a processing unit disposed within the housing and providing at least one control signal from time to time to the second device;

a first memory physical interface disposed within the housing and being operably coupled to the processing unit;

a second memory physical interface disposed within the housing and being operably coupled to the processing unit;

a cloning program executable at least in part by the processing unit to cause the processing unit to copy the contents of a first memory that is removably coupled to the first memory physical interface to a second memory that is removably coupled to the second memory physical interface.

2. The control device of claim 1 wherein the control device comprises a movable barrier control device and the second device comprises a movable barrier operator.

3. The control device of claim 1 wherein the processing unit comprises a microprocessor.

4. The control device of claim 1 wherein the first memory physical interface includes at least one temporary conductive lead socket.

5. The control device of claim 1 wherein the first and second memory physical interface each includes at least one temporary conductive lead socket.

6. The control device of claim 1 and further comprising a user interface operably coupled to the processing unit.

7. The control device of claim 6 wherein the cloning program is responsive to the user interface.

8. The control device of claim 1 and further comprising a first easily removable memory removably coupled to the first memory physical interface, wherein the first easily removable memory comprises the first memory.

9. The control device of claim 8 wherein the first easily removable memory has data stored therein comprising identifying information that corresponds to a plurality of radio transmitters.

10. The control device of claim 9 wherein the plurality of radio transmitters comprise wireless movable barrier remote controllers.

11. The control device of claim 10 wherein the data uniquely identifies no more than 250 individual radio transmitters.

12. The control device of claim 10 wherein the data further includes information identifying individual radio transmitters that are blocked from controlling a corresponding movable barrier.

13. A control unit for use with a movable barrier operator, the control unit comprising:

a housing;

a processing unit disposed within the housing and providing at least one control signal from time to time to the movable barrier operator;

a user interface operably coupled to the processing unit;

a wireless receiver having an input to receive wireless control signals from a plurality of transmitters and having an output operably coupled to the processing unit, wherein the transmitters are each identifiable by a corresponding indentifier;

a first memory physical interface disposed within the housing and being operably coupled to the processing unit;

a second memory physical interface disposed within the housing and being operably coupled to the processing unit;

a cloning program executable at least in part by the processing unit to cause the processing unit to copy the transmitter identifier contents of a first memory that is removably coupled to the first memory physical interface to a second memory that is removably coupled to the second memory physcial interface to thereby create with the second memory a clone of the first memory.

14. The control unit of claim 13 wherein the cloning program is responsive to the user interface.

15. The control unit of claim 13 wherein the transmitter identifier content at least includes identifiers that correspond to transmitters that are registered with respect to a movable barrier as controlled by the movable barrier operator.

16. The control unit of claim 15 wherein the transmitter identifier content further includes information regarding specific transmitters that are presently blocked from interacting with the movable barrier operator.

17. A method comprising:

providing a control device having at least a first and second memory socket, the control device being operably coupled to a movable barrier operator;

placing a first memory in the first memory socket, which first memory includes identifying information regarding transmitters that are authorized to use at least one movable barrier operator;

placing a second memory in the second memory socket;

copying at least part of the identifying information from the first memory to the second memory;

removing the second memory from the second memory socket.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein copying includes responding to a copying instruction.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein providing a control device includes providing a control device having a user interface and wherein responding to a copying instruction includes responding to a copying instruction as input through the user interface.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein placing a first memory in the first memory socket includes placing a first memory in the first memory socket, which first memory includes identifying information regarding up to 250 transmitters that are authorized to use at least one movable barrier operator.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein placing a first memory in the first memory socket includes placing a first memory in the first memory socket, which first memory includes information regarding transmitters that are blocked from using the at least one movable barrier operator.

22. The method of claim 17 and further comprising:

placing the second memory in a memory socket of a second control device, which second control device is operably coupled to another movable barrier operator such that the another movable barrier operator has access to the identifying information regarding the transmitters.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein placing the second memory in a memory socket of a second control device comprises placing the second memory in a memory socket of a second control device having at least a first and second memory socket.

24. A control device comprising:

processing means for providing control signals to a movable barrier operator;

user interface means for providing user instructions to the processing means;

wireless receiver means for receiving wireless control signals from a plurality of transmitters and providing information regarding at least some of the wireless control signals to the processing unit, wherein at least some of the wireless control signals include indentifying information that uniquely identifies a transmitter that sourced the corresponding identifying information;

first memory interface means for coupling a first removable memory to the processing means;

second memory interface means for coupling a second removable memory to the processing unit;

cloning means for copying transmitter identifier contents of a first memory that is removably coupled to the first memory means to a second memory that is removably coupled to the second memory means to thereby create with the second memory a clone of the first memory.

25. A radio receiver comprising:

a housing;

a processing unit disposed within the housing and providing at least one control signal from time to time;

a user interface operably coupled to the processing unit;

a wireless receiver having an input to receive wireless control signals from a plurality of transmitters and having an output operably coupled to the processing unit, wherein the transmitters are each identifiable by a corresponding indentifier;

a first memory physical interface disposed within the housing and being operably coupled to the processing unit;

a second memory physical interface disposed within the housing and being operably coupled to the processing unit;

a cloning program executable at least in part by the processing unit to cause the processing unit to copy the transmitter identifier contents of a first memory that is removably coupled to the first memory physical interface to a second memory that is removably coupled to the second memory physcial interface to thereby create with the second memory a clone of the first memory.