Method and Apparatus Pertaining to the Use of Two Antennas

• US 20120094604A1
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Jenkins, Jeremy Eugene, Keller, Robert R. Jr., Amin, Nirav Hement
• Application Number:
  US12/905,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20120094604A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters

Abstract

A wireless radio-frequency receiver is configured to selectively receive in at least two discrete bands can be operably coupled to at least a first antenna comprising a reception antenna. This reception antenna can be tuned to a first one of at least two discrete bands. In turn, a wireless radio-frequency transmitter can be operably coupled to a transmission antenna, wherein the transmitter is configured to selectively transmit in at least one of the two discrete bands. This transmission antenna is tuned to a second one of the at least two discrete bands that is different from the first one of the at least two discrete bands. By one approach, the wireless radio-frequency transmitter is configured to transmit in only one of the two discrete bands (such as the second one of the at least two discrete bands).

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless radio-frequency receiver configured to selectively receive in at least two discrete bands;

a wireless radio-frequency transmitter configured to selectively transmit in at least one of the two discrete bands;

at least a first antenna comprising a reception antenna that is operably coupled to the wireless radio-frequency receiver, wherein the reception antenna is tuned to a first one of the at least two discrete bands;

at least a second antenna comprising a transmission antenna that is operably coupled to the wireless radio-frequency transmitter, wherein the transmission antenna is tuned to a second one of the at least two discrete bands that is different from the first one of the at least two discrete bands.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless radio-frequency transmitter is configured to transmit using only one of the at least two discrete bands.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the only one of the at least two discrete bands is an industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless radio-frequency receiver and the wireless radio-frequency transmitter are both comprised of a same wireless radio-frequency transceiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first one of the at least two discrete bands comprises a lower-frequency band than the second one of the at least two discrete bands.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first one of the at least two discrete bands comprises an ultra-high frequency (UHF) band and second one of the at least two discrete bands comprises an industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the ISM band comprises a 900 MHz-range ISM band.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first one of the at least two discrete bands comprises one of:

a very-high frequency (VHF) band;

an ultra-high frequency (UHF) band;

a global system for mobile communications—

railway (GSMR) band;

an industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the second one of the at least two discrete bands comprises one of:

a very-high frequency (VHF) band;

an ultra-high frequency (UHF) band;

a global system for mobile communications—

railway (GSMR) band;

an industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band;

that is different from the first one of the at least two discrete bands.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second antenna comprises a whip antenna.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first antenna also comprises a whip antenna.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first antenna is optimized to receive transmission from a mobile transmitter.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the second antenna is optimized for transmitting to a stationary receiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a movable barrier operator.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the wireless radio-frequency receiver is configured to receive movable barrier remote control transmissions.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the wireless radio-frequency receiver is configured to compatibly receive encrypted movable barrier remote control transmissions.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the encrypted movable barrier remote control transmissions are encrypted, at least in part, by a conversion of binary information into trinary information.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the movable barrier remote control transmission requires a reply.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the reply comprises, at least in part, an acknowledgment.

20. A method comprising:

providing a wireless radio-frequency receiver configured to selectively receive in at least two discrete bands;

providing a wireless radio-frequency transmitter configured to selectively transmit in at least one of the two discrete bands;

operably coupling a first antenna comprising a reception antenna to the wireless radio-frequency receiver, wherein the reception antenna is tuned to a first one of the at least two discrete bands;

operably coupling a second antenna comprising a transmission antenna to the wireless radio-frequency transmitter, wherein the transmission antenna is tuned to a second one of the at least two discrete bands that is different from the first one of the at least two discrete bands.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein providing a wireless radio-frequency transmitter configured to selectively transmit in at least one of two discrete bands comprises providing a wireless radio-frequency transmitter configured to selectively transmit in only one of the at least two discrete bands.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the first one of the at least two discrete bands comprises an ultra-high frequency (UHF) band and second one of the at least two discrete bands comprises an industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

receiving movable barrier remote control transmissions via the reception antenna and the wireless radio-frequency receiver.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the movable barrier remote control transmissions comprise encrypted movable barrier remote control transmissions.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the encrypted movable barrier remote control transmissions are encrypted, at least in part, by a conversion of binary information into trinary information.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the movable barrier remote control transmissions require a reply.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the reply comprises, at least in part, an acknowledgment.