System and method for using operator as a repeater

• US 20060290467A1
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,561,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.7
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0019 the keyless data carrier having only one limited data transmission rangs
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A moveable barrier operator that is used as a repeater includes a receiver device having an input, a transmitter device having an output, an apparatus responsive to predetermined signals received by the receiver for controlling the position of a barrier; and a controller. The controller is coupled to the receiver device and the transmitter device and controller is programmed to receive a signal from a signaling actuation device at the input of the receiver device. The controller is programmed to responsively re-transmit the signal to at least one other moveable barrier operator from the output of the transmitter device when indicated by the signal.

Claims

1. A moveable barrier operator comprising:

a receiver device having an input;

a transmitter device having an output;

apparatus responsive to predetermined signals received by the receiver for controlling the position of a barrier; and

a controller coupled to the receiver device and the transmitter device, the controller being programmed to receive a signal from a signaling actuation device at the input of the receiver device and being programmed to responsively re-transmit the signal to at least one other moveable barrier operator from the output of the transmitter device when indicated by the signal.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the signal comprises a signal content and a carrier frequency and the controller is programmed to re-transmit the signal content from the transmitter device using substantially the same carrier frequency as the signal.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the signal comprises a signal content and a carrier frequency and the controller is programmed to re-transmit the signal content from the transmitter device with a carrier frequency different from the carrier frequency of the signal.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is programmed to halt the re-transmission of the signal when a count representing signal re-transmissions reaches a predetermined threshold.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the signal includes a marker in the signal, the marker indicating the count of re-transmissions.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is programmed to delay the re-transmitting for a time period related to a signal strength of the signal.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is programmed to re-transmit the signal after a delay period from when the signal has been entirely received.

8. The device of claim 7 where the delay period is determined by a characteristic selected from a group comprising:

a fixed length time interval;

a signal strength;

information contained within the transmission.

9. A method of operating a moveable barrier operator as a signal repeater comprising:

receiving a signal at a first moveable barrier operator from a barrier actuating device; and

responsively, re-transmitting the signal from the first moveable barrier operator to a second moveable barrier operator.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein re-transmitting the signal comprises re-transmitting the signal without using the signal to actuate the first moveable barrier operator.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein re-transmitting the signal comprises re-transmitting the signal and using the signal to actuate the first moveable barrier operator.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein re-transmitting the signal comprises re-transmitting the signal without substantially altering a carrier frequency of the signal.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein re-transmitting the signal comprises re-transmitting the signal with a carrier frequency different than a carrier frequency of the received signal.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein receiving the signal comprises receiving a signal having a frequency selected from a group comprising:

315 MHz and 390 MHz.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein re-transmitting the signal comprises re-transmitting a signal having a frequency selected from a group comprising:

315 MHz and 390 MHz.

16. The method of claim 9 comprising placing a marker in the signal, the marker representing a count of re-transmissions of the signal.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising halting the re-transmitting of the signal when the count reaches a predetermined threshold.

18. The method of claim 9 comprising delaying the re-transmitting for a time period related to a signal strength of the signal.

19. The method of claim 9 wherein the re-transmitting comprises re-transmitting the signal a time period after the signal has been entirely received.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the time period is determined by a characteristic selected from a group comprising:

a fixed length time interval;

a signal strength;

information contained within the transmission.

21. A method for operating a movable barrier operator comprising:

receiving a signal from a barrier actuating device at a first moveable barrier operator;

determining whether the signal indicates that the first moveable barrier should be actuated;

when the signal indicates the first moveable barrier should be actuated, actuating the first moveable barrier; and

when the signal indicates the first moveable barrier should not be actuated, placing information in the signal indicating the signal is being re-transmitted and re-transmitting the signal to a second moveable barrier operator.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein re-transmitting the signal comprises re-transmitting the signal without substantially altering a carrier frequency of the signal.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein re-transmitting the signal comprises re-transmitting the signal with a different carrier frequency than a carrier frequency of the received signal.

24. The method of claim 21 comprising delaying the re-transmitting for a time period related to a signal strength of the signal.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the re-transmitting comprises re-transmitting the signal a time period after the signal is entirely received.

26. The method of claim 25 where the time period is determined by a characteristic selected from a group comprising:

a fixed length time interval;

a signal strength;

information contained within the transmission.