LOCKING MECHANISMS FOR ENABLING OR DISABLING THE OPERATIONS OF TRAINABLE TRANSCEIVERS

• US 20190311609A1
• Filed: 04/10/2018
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Schueler, Kevin A., Geerlings, Steven L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,424,193 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/60 Security, fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of enabling and disabling a functionality of a trainable transceiver. The trainable transceiver may include a plurality of buttons, a control circuit, and a locking mechanism. The plurality of buttons may cause the control circuit to control one or more functions of a remote device. The control circuit may compare a sequence of inputs on the plurality of buttons to a predetermined sequence. The control circuit may acquire a sensor reading and compare the sensor reading to predetermined data. The locking mechanism may enable or disable operation of the control circuit in controlling the one or more functions of the remote device, responsive to a determination that the sequence of inputs matches the predetermined sequence and the sensor reading matches the predetermined data.

Claims

1. A trainable transceiver for controlling remote devices, comprising:

a control circuit

a plurality of buttons configured to cause the control circuit to control one or more functions of a remote device;

an input authenticator module executed on the control circuit, configured to compare a sequence of inputs on the plurality of buttons to a predetermined sequence; and

a locking mechanism configured to enable or disable operation of the control circuit to control the one or more functions of the remote device, in response to the comparison by the input authenticator and a determination that the sequence of inputs on the plurality of buttons matches the predetermined sequence.

2. The trainable transceiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor validator module executed on the control circuit, configured to identify a sensor reading acquired by a sensor and to compare the sensor reading to a predetermined data; and

wherein the locking mechanism is further configured to enable or disable the operation of the control circuit, responsive to a determination that the sensor reading substantially matches the predetermined data and to the determination the sequence of inputs on the plurality of buttons matches the predetermined sequence.

3. The trainable transceiver of claim 2, wherein the sensor validator module is configured to use at least one of an image recognition algorithm on an image captured at the sensor or a signal comparison algorithm on a radiofrequency signal taken at the sensor.

4. The trainable transceiver of claim 1, wherein the input authenticator module is configured to:

determine that a time elapsed between a first time for a first input of the sequence of inputs and a second time of a second input of the sequence of inputs is within a predefined time window; and

compare, in responsive to the determination that the time elapsed between the first time and the second time is within the predefined time window, the second input of the sequence of inputs to a specified input in the predetermined sequence.

5. The trainable transceiver of claim 1, wherein the input authenticator module is configured to compare the sequence of inputs on the plurality of buttons and determine whether it matches one of a lock sequence or an unlock sequence.

6. The trainable transceiver of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to preserve or erase training information from memory of the control circuit to control the one or more functions of the remote device based on the determination that the sequence of inputs on the plurality of buttons matches the predetermined sequence.

7. The trainable transceiver of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism includes a mechanical switch configured to enable or disable the operation of a transceiver of the control circuit for transmitting control signals to control the one or more functions of the remote device based on the determination that the sequence of inputs on the plurality of buttons matches the predetermined sequence.

8. A system for controlling remote devices, comprising:

a control circuit

a plurality of buttons configured to receive a plurality of inputs and to cause the control circuit of a trainable transceiver to control one or more functions of a remote device using training information;

a sensor coupled to the control circuit configured to acquire sensor data and to relay the sensor data to the control circuit; and

a locking mechanism of the trainable transceiver configured to enable or disable operation of the control circuit in response to the plurality of inputs matching a predetermined sequence and the acquired sensor data substantially matching predetermined data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor is further configured to acquire the sensor data in response to the plurality of inputs at the plurality of buttons matching the predetermined sequence.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the locking mechanism is further configured to cause a user interface element to display a status of the trainable transceiver in response to the plurality of inputs matching the predetermined sequence and the acquired sensor data substantially matching predetermined data.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the locking mechanism is further configured to enable or disable the operation of the control circuit in response to the plurality of inputs on a subset of the plurality of buttons matching the predetermined sequence.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the locking mechanism is further configured to maintain or delete the training information from the control circuit in response to the plurality of inputs matching the predetermined sequence and the acquired sensor data substantially matching the predetermined data.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the locking mechanism is further configured to connect a power source to a transceiver circuit of the control circuit to enable transmission of a control signal to the remote device or to disconnect the power source from the transceiver of the control circuit to disable the transmission of the control signal to the remote device, responsive to the plurality of inputs matching the predetermined sequence and the acquired sensor data substantially matching the predetermined data.

14. A method for controlling remote devices, comprising:

receiving, by a trainable transceiver, a sequence of inputs on a plurality of buttons;

comparing, by the trainable transceiver, the sequence of inputs received from the plurality of buttons to a predetermined sequence; and

setting, by the trainable transceiver, responsive to determining that the sequence of inputs on the plurality of buttons matches the predetermined sequence, an operation mode of the trainable transceiver to enabled or disabled for controlling one or more functions of a remote device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

acquiring, by the trainable transceiver, via a sensor, a sensor reading; and

comparing, by the trainable transceiver, the sensor reading to predetermined data; and

wherein setting the operation mode of the trainable transceiver further comprises setting the operation mode to enabled or disabled, responsive to determining that the sensor reading substantially matches the predetermined data.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying, by the trainable transceiver, responsive to receiving an input of the sequence of inputs, the operation mode of the trainable transceiver;

comparing, by the trainable transceiver, the sequence of inputs on the plurality of buttons to one of a lock sequence or an unlock sequence based on identifying the operation mode of the trainable transceiver.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining, by the trainable transceiver, that a time elapsed between a first time for a first input of the sequence of inputs and a second time of a second input of the sequence of inputs is within a predefined time window; and

comparing, by the trainable transceiver, responsive to determining that the time elapsed between the first time and the second time is within the predefined time window, the second input of the sequence of inputs to a specified input in the predetermined sequence.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying, by the trainable transceiver, on a user interface element, the operation mode of the trainable transceiver, responsive to setting the operation mode to enabled or disabled.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein setting the operation mode further comprises :

erasing, responsive to determining that the sequence of inputs on the plurality of buttons matches the predetermined sequence, training information from memory of the trainable transceiver for controlling the one or more functions of the remote device.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein setting the operation mode further comprises:

setting, using a mechanical switch connected to a power supply coupled to the trainable transceiver, the operation mode of the trainable transceiver.