System Having Key Fob Operable to Remotely Control a Garage Door Via Remote Keyless Entry Receiver and Garage Door Opener Transmitter Interconnected by Vehicle Bus

• US 20080291047A1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Fawaz, Mike, Summerford, Jason T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,841,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.71
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00888 programming by learning
• 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 garage door opener (GDO) system and method include a remote keyless entry (RKE) receiver and a GDO system interconnected by a vehicle bus. Upon receiving a RKE GDO request signal from a key fob, the RKE receiver forwards a command signal over the vehicle bus to the GDO transmitter. Upon receiving the command signal from the RKE receiver, the GDO transmitter transmits a garage door signal to a GDO receiver of a garage to control a garage door.

Claims

1. A garage door opener system comprising:

a portable key fob for wirelessly transmitting a remote keyless entry (RKE) garage door opener (GDO) request signal upon a user actuating the key fob;

a RKE receiver for wirelessly receiving the RKE GDO request signal;

a GDO transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a garage door signal to a GDO receiver of a garage to control a garage door; and

a vehicle bus connecting the RKE receiver and the GDO transmitter;

wherein upon receiving the RKE GDO request signal from the key fob the RKE receiver forwards a command signal over the vehicle bus to the GDO transmitter, wherein upon receiving the command signal the GDO transmitter transmits the garage door signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the vehicle bus includes at least one of a Local Interconnect Network and a Controller Area Network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the RKE receiver, the GDO transmitter, and the vehicle bus are integrated into a vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein:

the RKE receiver is part of a RKE system of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the key fob includes a user activation input and is programmable in a learn mode;

wherein the key fob associates the user activation input with the transmission of the RKE GDO request signal from the key fob upon receiving the garage door signal from the GDO transmitter while the key fob is in the learn mode such that the key fob subsequently transmits the RKE GDO request signal in response to a user actuating the user activation input.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the key fob is operable to transmit a plurality of different RKE signals including the RKE GDO request signal and is programmable in a learn mode;

wherein while in the learn mode the key fob sequentially transmits the different RKE signals until user feedback indicates transmission of the RKE GDO request signal by the key fob such that the key fob is made aware of which of the different RKE signals corresponds to the RKE GDO request signal, wherein the key fob subsequently transmits the RKE GDO request signal without transmitting any of the remaining RKE signals in response to a user actuating the key fob.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a portable transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the garage door signal upon actuation by a user.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the GDO transmitter is programmable in a learn mode;

wherein while the GDO transmitter is the learn mode the portable transmitter is actuated to transmit the garage door signal, wherein upon reception of the garage door signal by the RKE receiver from the portable transmitter the RKE receiver forwards the garage door signal over the vehicle bus to the GDO transmitter for the GDO transmitter to learn, wherein the GDO transmitter subsequently transmits the garage door signal in response to receiving the command signal from the RKE receiver.

9. A garage door opener system comprising:

a remote keyless entry (RKE) receiver;

a garage door opener (GDO) transmitter for transmitting a garage door signal to a GDO receiver of a garage to control a garage door;

a vehicle bus connecting the RKE receiver and the GDO transmitter;

wherein upon receiving a RKE GDO request signal from a key fob the RKE receiver forwards a command signal over the vehicle bus to the GDO transmitter, wherein upon receiving the command signal the GDO transmitter transmits the garage door signal.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the vehicle bus includes at least one of a Local Interconnect Network and a Controller Area Network.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the RKE receiver, the GDO transmitter, and the vehicle bus are integrated into a vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the RKE receiver is part of a RKE system of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a portable transmitter for transmitting the garage door signal upon actuation by a user;

wherein GDO transmitter is programmable in a learn mode, wherein while the GDO transmitter is the learn mode the portable transmitter is actuated to transmit the garage door signal, wherein upon reception of the garage door signal by the RKE receiver from the portable transmitter the RKE receiver forwards the garage door signal over the vehicle bus to the GDO transmitter for the GDO transmitter to learn, wherein the GDO transmitter subsequently transmits the garage door signal in response to receiving the command signal from the RKE receiver.

14. A garage door opener method comprising:

transmitting a remote keyless entry (RKE) garage door opener (GDO) request signal from a key fob;

receiving the RKE GDO request signal at a RKE receiver;

communicating a command signal from the RKE receiver onto a vehicle bus connected to the RKE receiver in response to the RKE receiver receiving the RKE GDO request signal;

receiving the command signal from the vehicle bus at a GDO transmitter connected to the vehicle bus; and

transmitting a garage door signal from the GDO transmitter for reception of a GDO receiver of a garage in order to control a garage door in response to the GDO transmitter receiving the command signal.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of transmitting a RKE GDO request signal from a key fob occurs in response to a user actuating the key fob.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the RKE receiver, the GDO transmitter, and the vehicle bus are integrated into a vehicle.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the key fob includes a user activation input and is programmable in a learn mode, the method further comprising:

prior to transmitting the RKE GDO request signal from the key fob and while the key fob is in the learn mode, transmitting the garage door signal from the GDO transmitter, receiving the garage door signal at the key fob, and associating the user activation input with the transmission of the RKE GDO request signal from the key fob upon receiving the garage door signal from the GDO transmitter such that the key fob subsequently transmits the RKE GDO request signal in response to a user actuating the user activation input.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the key fob is operable to transmit a plurality of different RKE signals including the RKE GDO request signal and is programmable in a learn mode, the method further comprising:

prior to transmitting the RKE GDO request signal from the key fob and while the key fob is in the learn mode, sequentially transmitting the different RKE signals from the key fob until user feedback indicates transmission of the RKE GDO request signal by the key fob such that the key fob is made aware of which of the different RKE signals corresponds to the RKE GDO request signal, and subsequently transmitting the RKE GDO request signal without transmitting any of the remaining RKE signals from the key fob in response to a user actuating the key fob.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting the garage door signal from a portable transmitter upon actuation of the portable transmitter by a user.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the GDO transmitter is programmable in a learn mode, the method further comprising:

prior to transmitting the RKE GDO request signal from the key fob and while the GDO transmitter is the learn mode, actuating the portable transmitter to transmit the garage door signal, receiving the garage door signal from the portable transmitter at the RKE receiver, and forwarding the garage door signal over the vehicle bus to the GDO transmitter for the GDO transmitter to learn such that the GDO transmitter subsequently transmits the garage door signal in response to receiving the command signal from the RKE receiver.