INTERNET-CONNECTED GARAGE DOOR CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20150137941A1
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Bauer, Frederick T., Turnbull, Robert R., Ivaturi, Uma
• Granted Patent: US 9,715,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00206 the keyless data carrier being hand operated
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00253 dynamically, e.g. variable code - rolling code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass

Abstract

An internet-connected garage door control system is disclosed that includes a garage door opener for opening and closing a garage door in response to signals received through the internet, and an in-vehicle remote garage door opener integrated into a vehicle for transmitting the signals through the internet to the garage door opener. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener includes an interface configured to communicate with an internet-connected device, a trainable RF transceiver for transmitting an RF signal to the garage door opener, a user-actuated input, an interface configured to communicate with an internet-connected device, and a controller, wherein, upon actuation of the user-actuated input, the controller is configured to at least one of (a) request a signal to be transmitted by the internet-connected device through the internet to the garage door opener, and (b) cause the trainable RF transceiver to transmit the RF signal to the garage door opener.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle remote garage door opener integrated into a vehicle for transmitting signals through the internet to a garage door opener, the remote garage door opener comprising:

a trainable RF transceiver for receiving an RF signal during a training mode and transmitting an RF signal to the garage door opener in an operating mode;

a user-actuated input;

an interface configured to communicate with an internet-connected device; and

a controller coupled to said user-actuated input, said trainable RF transceiver, and said interface, wherein, upon actuation of said user-actuated input, said controller is configured to at least one of (a) request a signal to be transmitted by the internet-connected device through the internet to the garage door opener that responds to the signal by opening/closing a garage door, and (b) cause said trainable RF transceiver to transmit the RF signal to the garage door opener that responds to the signals by opening/closing the garage door.

2. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 1, wherein said interface is a transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the internet-connected device.

3. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 2, wherein said transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver.

4. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 1, wherein said interface is a vehicle bus interface coupled to a vehicle bus, and wherein the internet-connected device is connected to the vehicle bus.

5. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to receive signals via said interface that are sent through the internet from the garage door opener that indicates an open or closed status of the garage door.

6. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 5 and further comprising an indicator coupled to said controller for indicating the status of the garage door to an occupant of the vehicle.

7. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 1, wherein said in-vehicle remote garage door opener receives power from one of a vehicle battery and vehicle ignition.

8. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 1, wherein said in-vehicle remote garage door opener is integrated into a rearview assembly of the vehicle.

9. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 1, wherein said controller causes the internet-connected device to initiate an internet connection with the garage door opener in response to a trigger signal.

10. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 9, wherein the internet-connected device is an internet-connected mobile device and wherein said trigger signal is received from the internet-connected mobile device.

11. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 10, wherein said trigger signal is received from the internet-connected mobile device in response to one of an image recognition system, a fingerprint reader, and a navigation system of the internet-connected mobile device.

12. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 9, wherein said trigger signal is received from a navigation system of the vehicle.

13. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 9, wherein said trigger signal is received from a vehicle bus.

14. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 9, wherein said trigger signal is generated in response to a recognition of a particular WiFi SSID.

15. The in-vehicle remote garage door opener of claim 1, wherein the signals transmitted through the internet to the garage door opener are rolling code signals.

16. An internet-connected garage door control system comprising:

a garage door opener for opening and closing a garage door in response to signals received through the internet and in response to RF signals; and

an in-vehicle remote garage door opener integrated into a vehicle, said in-vehicle remote garage door opener comprising;

a trainable RF transceiver for receiving an RF signal during a training mode and transmitting an RF signal to the garage door opener in an operating mode;

a user-actuated input;

an interface configured to communicate with an internet-connected device; and

a controller coupled to said user-actuated input, said trainable RF transceiver, and said interface, wherein, upon actuation of said user-actuated input, said controller is configured to at least one of (a) request a signal to be transmitted by the internet-connected device through the internet to the garage door opener that responds to the signals by opening/closing a garage door, and (b) cause said trainable RF transceiver to transmit the RF signal to the garage door opener that responds to the signals by opening/closing the garage door.

17. The internet-connected garage door control system of claim 16, wherein said in-vehicle remote garage door opener receives power from one of a vehicle battery and vehicle ignition.

18. The internet-connected garage door control system of claim 16, wherein said in-vehicle remote garage door opener is integrated into a rearview assembly of the vehicle.

19. The internet-connected garage door control system of claim 16, wherein said in-vehicle remote garage door opener comprises a transceiver for communicating with an internet-connected mobile device and wherein said in-vehicle remote garage door opener transmits and receives signals to and from said garage door opener through said internet-connected mobile device.

20. The internet-connected garage door control system of claim 19, wherein, when in communication with the internet-connected mobile device, said in-vehicle remote garage door opener transmits rolling code signals to said garage door opener, and said garage door opener does not require a password from the internet-connected mobile device, wherein, when said in-vehicle remote garage door opener is not in communication with the internet-connected mobile device, said garage door opener requires a password from the internet-connected mobile device.

21. The internet-connected garage door control system of claim 16, wherein said in-vehicle remote garage door opener is configured to receive signals sent through the internet from said garage door opener that indicates an open or closed status of the garage door.