User-assisted programmable appliance control
First Claim
1. A programmable control for an appliance, the appliance responding to one of a plurality of transmission schemes, the programmable control comprising:
- a transmitter operative to transmit a radio frequency activation signal based on any of the plurality of transmission schemes;
a user programming input; and
control logic in communication with the transmitter and the user programming input, the control logic implementing a rolling code programming mode, a fixed code programming mode, and an operating mode, the control logic in rolling code programming mode generating and transmitting a sequence of rolling code activation signals until user input indicates a successful rolling code transmission scheme, the control logic in fixed code programming mode receiving a fixed code from the user programming input then generating and transmitting a sequence of fixed code activation signals until user input indicates a successful fixed code transmission scheme, the control logic pausing for a preset amount of time between the transmission of each activation signal in at least one of the sequence of rolling code activation signals and the sequence of fixed code activation signals, the preset amount of time sufficiently long to permit the user to respond and, if the user has not responded by the end of the preset amount of time, the control unit transmitting the next activation signal in the transmitted sequence of activations signals.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A universal remote control interacts with a user to assist in training to one or more appliances. If the appliance is activated by a rolling code activation signal, a sequence of different rolling code activation signals is transmitted until the user indicates a successful transmission. If the appliance is activated by a fixed code activation signal, a fixed code word is used to generate and transmit each of a sequence of different fixed code activation signals until the user indicates a successful transmission. At least one of the sequences of activation signals inserts a preset amount of time after each activation signal transmission. If user input is not received within the preset amount of time, the next activation signal in the sequence is transmitted.
93 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A programmable control for an appliance, the appliance responding to one of a plurality of transmission schemes, the programmable control comprising:
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a transmitter operative to transmit a radio frequency activation signal based on any of the plurality of transmission schemes;
a user programming input; and
control logic in communication with the transmitter and the user programming input, the control logic implementing a rolling code programming mode, a fixed code programming mode, and an operating mode, the control logic in rolling code programming mode generating and transmitting a sequence of rolling code activation signals until user input indicates a successful rolling code transmission scheme, the control logic in fixed code programming mode receiving a fixed code from the user programming input then generating and transmitting a sequence of fixed code activation signals until user input indicates a successful fixed code transmission scheme, the control logic pausing for a preset amount of time between the transmission of each activation signal in at least one of the sequence of rolling code activation signals and the sequence of fixed code activation signals, the preset amount of time sufficiently long to permit the user to respond and, if the user has not responded by the end of the preset amount of time, the control unit transmitting the next activation signal in the transmitted sequence of activations signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of activating an appliance, the appliance controlled by a radio frequency activation signal, the method comprising:
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if a user indicates that the appliance is activated by a rolling code activation signal, transmitting a sequence of different rolling code activation signals, each rolling code activation signal in the sequence of rolling code activation signals separated from a next rolling code activation signal in the sequence of rolling code activation signals by a preset amount of time, the sequence of rolling code activation signals transmitted until the user indicates a successful rolling code transmission, then storing data representing a rolling code scheme used to generate the successful rolling code transmission;
if the user indicates that the appliance is activated by a fixed code activation signal, using a fixed code word to generate and transmit each of a sequence of different fixed code activation signals, each fixed code activation signal in the sequence of activation signals separated from a next fixed code activation signal in the sequence of fixed code activation signals by the preset amount of time, the sequence of fixed code activation signals transmitted until the user indicates a successful fixed code transmission, then storing data representing the fixed code word and a fixed code scheme used to generate the successful fixed code transmission; and
in response to an activation input, generating and transmitting an activation signal based on stored data. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of programming a programmable remote control, the remote control programmable to one of a plurality of appliance activation schemes, the method comprising:
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receiving user type input specifying activation signal type;
if the user type input specifies variable code type, automatically transmitting variable code activation signals spaced apart by a preset amount of time until receiving user success input indicating a target appliance has been activated;
if the user type input specifies fixed code type, receiving user fixed code input providing a fixed code and automatically transmitting fixed code activation signals spaced apart by the preset amount of time until receiving user success input indicating the target appliance has been activated; and
storing information specifying an activation signal for activating the target appliance based on the received user success input;
wherein the preset amount of time is sufficiently long enough to permit a user to generate the user success input. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method of programming a programmable remote control, the remote control programmable to one of a plurality of appliance activation schemes, the method comprising:
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transmitting a test activation signal based on one of the plurality of appliance activation schemes;
if user input indicating appliance activation is received during a preset amount of time following transmission of the test activation signal, storing characteristics of the activation scheme used to transmit the test activation signal;
otherwise, transmitting a different activation signal as the test activation signal based on another of the plurality of appliance activation schemes if any of the activation schemes in the plurality of activation signals has not been used to transmit an activation signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification