System and method for illuminating a transmitter

• US 20070236360A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J.
• Application Number:
  US11/393,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20070236360A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.600
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A user is provided with a transmitter, for example, an activated barrier movement operator code transmitter. The transmitter includes an indicator such as an illumination device. A proximity sensor senses the proximity of a portion of a user (e.g., the hand of the user) to the transmitter. Subsequently, the indicator (e.g., the illumination device) is actuated to illuminate a portion of the code transmitter to facilitate the visibility of at least one transmitter function to the user.

Claims

1. A method for operating a transmitter in a movable barrier operator system comprising:

providing a user activated barrier movement operator code transmitter comprising an illumination device;

sensing, by at least one proximity sensor, a proximity of a portion of a user to the code transmitter; and

actuating the illumination device to illuminate a portion of the code transmitter to facilitate the visibility of at least one transmitter function to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensing comprises sensing by more than one sensor a proximity a portion of a user.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising, subsequent to activating the illumination device, actuating the transmitter to send a code.

4. The method of claim 3 comprising teaching the transmitter the code to send upon sensing the proximity of the portion of the user.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein activating the illumination device occurs at a first distance between the portion of the user and the transmitter and activating the transmitter occurs at a second distance between the portion of the user and the transmitter and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing the movement comprises determining an activation location associated with the portion of the user.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising determining a transmitter code based upon the activation location.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing the proximity comprises sensing a capacitance.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing the proximity comprises detecting radio frequency (RF) energy.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing the proximity comprises sensing infrared energy.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing the proximity comprises sensing visible light.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing the proximity of the portion of the user comprises sensing a hand of the user.

13. A user activated barrier movement operator code transmitter for use in a moveable barrier system, comprising:

at least one sensor for sensing a proximity of a portion of a user;

a user interface for accepting commands from the user;

at least one illumination device positioned to illuminate at least a portion of the user interface; and

a controller coupled to the at least one sensor, the user interface, and the at least one illumination device, the controller programmed to receive an indication of the proximity of the portion of the user from the at least one sensor and responsively activate the at least one illumination device in order to illuminate the at least a portion of the user interface.

14. The transmitter of claim 13 wherein the at least one sensor comprises more than one sensor and the at least one illumination device comprises more than one illumination device.

15. The transmitter of claim 14 wherein the more than one illumination devices are illuminated according to the proximity.

16. The transmitter of claim 13 wherein the controller is programmed, subsequent to actuating the at least one illumination device, to actuate the transmitter to transmit a code.

17. The transmitter of claim 16 wherein the controller is programmed to learn the code upon sensing the proximity of the user.

18. The transmitter of claim 16 wherein the controller is programmed to activate the illumination device at a first distance between the portion of the user and transmitter and to activate the transmitter at a second distance between the portion of the user and transmitter, and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

19. The transmitter of claim 13 wherein the controller is programmed to determine an activation location associated with the portion of the user.

20. The transmitter of claim 19 wherein the controller is programmed to determine a code based upon the activation location.

21. The transmitter of claim 13 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a capacitance sensor.

22. The transmitter of claim 13 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a radio frequency (RF) energy detector.

23. The transmitter of claim 13 wherein the at least one sensor comprises an infrared energy sensor.

24. The transmitter of claim 13 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a visible light sensor.

25. The transmitter of claim 13 wherein the user interface comprises at least one actuator that actuates functions of the moveable barrier system, the functions being selected from a group comprising:

opening the barrier, closing the barrier, actuating a light, and actuating a security system.

26. A method for operating a transmitter in a movable barrier operator system comprising:

sensing a proximity of a portion of a user to a transmitter in a moveable barrier operator system; and

when the sensing indicates the proximity of the portion of the user, actuating at least one indicator at the transmitter, the actuating of the at least one indicator facilitating the visibility of at least one transmitter function to a user.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein actuating at least one indicator comprises actuating at least one illumination device.

28. The method of claim 26 comprising proving multiple sensors for the sensing and wherein the sensing comprises sensing multiple proximities and the actuating comprises actuating at least one indicator closest to the portion of the user.

29. The method of claim 26 comprising, subsequent to actuating the at least one indicator, actuating the transmitter.

30. The method of claim 29 comprising learning the code to send upon sensing the proximity of the portion of the user.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein activating the at least one indicator occurs at a first distance between the portion of the user and transmitter and activating the transmitter occurs at a second distance between the portion of the user and transmitter, and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

32. The method of claim 26 wherein sensing the proximity comprises determining an activation location associated with the portion of the user.

33. The method of claim 32 comprising determining a transmitter code based upon the activation location.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein sensing the proximity comprises sensing a capacitance.

35. The method of claim 26 wherein sensing the proximity comprises detecting radio frequency (RF) energy.

36. The method of claim 26 wherein sensing the proximity comprises sensing infrared energy.

37. The method of claim 26 wherein sensing the proximity comprises sensing visible light.

38. A transmitter for use in a moveable barrier system comprising:

at least one sensor for sensing a proximity of a portion of a user;

a user interface for accepting commands from the user;

at least one indicator positioned at the user interface; and

a controller coupled to the at least one sensor, the user interface, and the at least one indicator, the controller programmed to receive an indication of the proximity of the portion of the user from the at least one sensor and responsively actuate the at least one indicator in order to facilitate visibility of the user interface for the user.

39. The transmitter of claim 38 wherein the at least one sensor comprises more than one sensor, the controller programmed to determine a closest user interface to the portion of the user from the indication of proximity received from the more than one sensors.

40. The transmitter of claim 38 wherein the at least one indicator is an illumination device.

41. The transmitter of claim 38 wherein the controller is programmed to, subsequent to actuating the at least one indicator, to actuate the transmitter to transmit a code.

42. The transmitter of claim 41 wherein the controller is programmed to learn the code upon sensing the proximity of the portion of the user.

43. The transmitter of claim 41 wherein the controller is programmed to activate the at least one indicator at a first distance between the portion of the user and transmitter and to activate the transmitter at a second distance between the portion of the user and transmitter, and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

44. The transmitter of claim 38 wherein the controller is programmed to determine an activation location associated with the portion of the user.

45. The transmitter of claim 44 wherein the controller is programmed to determine a code based upon the activation location.

46. The transmitter of claim 38 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a capacitance sensor.

47. The transmitter of claim 38 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a radio frequency (RF) energy detector.

48. The transmitter of claim 38 wherein the at least one sensor comprises an infrared energy sensor.

49. The transmitter of claim 38 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a visible light sensor.

50. The transmitter of claim 38 wherein the user interface comprises at least one actuator that actuates functions of the moveable barrier system, the functions being selected from a group comprising:

opening the barrier, closing the barrier, actuating a light, and actuating a security system.