Method and Apparatus to Facilitate Use of Background Noise When Providing Secure Access to Equipment

• US 20090103739A1
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Coates, Steve, STRAIT, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/56
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/33 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/20 Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech G10L21/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A user interface device provides secure access to equipment. An audio reception device is adapted to receive an audio input comprising background noise and to receive an audio user code from a user. A user input device receives a manual input comprising a manual user code from the user. A control unit stores one or more target user codes and receives an audio input and determines a noise level of the background noise. An instruction message is generated to inform the user to enter the manual user code in response to the noise level of the background noise exceeding a predetermined threshold level. An output device provides the instruction message to the user. A control unit provides secure access to the equipment in response to at least one of the audio user code and the manual user code.

Claims

1. A method for providing secure access to equipment, the method comprising:

receiving an audio input comprising background noise;

determining a noise level of the background noise from the audio input and instructing the user to manually enter a manual user code with a user input device in response to the noise level exceeding a predetermined threshold level; and

providing secure access to the equipment in response to the manual user code entered by the user matching a predetermined code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving an audio input comprising background noise and an audio user code, and the providing comprises providing secure access to the equipment in response to the audio user code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructing is performed audibly via a speaker.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructing is performed visually via a display that displays an instruction message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment comprises a movable barrier operator in communication with a movable barrier and wherein the providing step comprises generating a control signal to instruct the movable barrier operator to perform at least one movable barrier function.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a presence of the user and enabling an audio reception device to receive the audio input and the audio user code in response to a detection of the presence of the user.

7. A user interface device for providing secure access to equipment, comprising:

an audio reception device to receive an audio input comprising background noise;

a user input device to receive a manual input comprising a manual user code from a user;

a control unit storing one or more target user codes to receive the audio input and determine a noise level of the background noise, wherein in response to the noise level of the background noise exceeding a predetermined threshold level, an instruction message is generated to inform the user to enter the manual user code;

an output device to provide the instruction message to the user; and

a control unit to provide secure access to the equipment in response to the manual user code matching the one or more target user codes.

8. The user interface device of claim 7, wherein the audio reception device is adapted to receive an audio user code, and the control unit is adapted to provide secure access to the equipment in response to the audio user code matching the one or more target user codes.

9. The user interface device of claim 7, wherein the output device comprises a display to visually display the instruction message.

10. The user interface device of claim 7, wherein the output device comprises a speaker to audibly render the instruction message.

11. The user interface device of claim 7, further comprising a memory to store the one or more target user codes.

12. The user interface device of claim 7, wherein the equipment is a movable barrier operator in communication with a movable barrier and the processor is adapted to generate a control signal to instruct the movable barrier operator to perform at least one movable barrier function.

13. The user interface device of claim 7, further comprising a motion detector to detect a presence of the user, wherein in response to a detection of the presence of the user, the audio reception device is enabled to receive the audio input.

14. The user interface device of claim 7, wherein the user input device is at least one of a keypad, at least one button, and at least one rolling switch.

15. A system for providing secure access to a movable barrier, comprising:

a barrier movement operator for controlling the movable barrier to perform movable barrier functions;

a user interface device for;

receiving an audio input comprising background noise;

determining a noise level of the background noise from the audio input and instructing the user to manually enter a manual user code with a user input device in response to the noise level exceeding a predetermined threshold level; and

providing secure access to the equipment in response to the manual user code entered by the user matching a predetermined code.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface device comprises a display to visually display an instruction message to instruct the user to enter the manual user code via a manual input.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface device comprises a speaker to audibly render an instruction message to instruct the user to enter the manual user code via a manual input.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface device further comprises a motion detector to detect a presence of the user, wherein in response to a detection of the presence of the user, an audio reception device is enabled to receive the audio input and the audio user code.

19. A method of programming a user interface device with a target audio code that provides secure access to equipment in response to receiving an audio input comprising an audio user code that matches the target audio code when a background noise level is below a predetermined threshold noise level, the method comprising:

initiating a learning mode in response to a user input;

receiving the target audio code from a user;

determining a background noise level; and

storing the target audio code in a memory in response to the background noise level being below the predetermined threshold level.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the user input comprises an assertion of a designated learn button.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises initiating a manual learning mode to program a manual user code into the memory when the background noise level exceeds the predetermined threshold level.