Vehicle accessory trainable transmitter
DCFirst Claim
1. A transceiver for use in a vehicle comprising:
- an antenna;
a receiver coupled to said antenna for receiving an RF activation signal transmitted from a portable transmitter for actuating a remote device, the RF activation signal having characteristics including a UHF carrier frequency and a data code;
a controller coupled to said receiver for identifying the carrier frequency of the received RF activation signal and for storing signal characteristics data representing the identified carrier frequency and the data code of the received RF activation signal; and
a transmitter coupled to said controller for receiving the stored signal characteristics data and generating a modulated RF signal having the same characteristics as the received RF activation signal, and coupled to said antenna for transmitting the modulated RF signal to the remote device for actuation thereof.
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Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle accessory includes a trainable transmitter for duplicating the signal of an existing remote control. In one embodiment, the system includes a variable frequency generator having a frequency control input and an output. In one embodiment, also, the transmitter includes a switch for selectively disabling the variable frequency generator. According to another embodiment, the transmitter is trained by adjusting the frequency of the signal output by the variable frequency generator until it matches a signal transmitted by an existing remote control for a garage door opening mechanism. According to another embodiment, a variable attenuator is controlled to adjust the magnitude of the output signal of the variable frequency generator in inverse relationship to the duty cycle of output signals therefrom.
235 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A transceiver for use in a vehicle comprising:
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an antenna; a receiver coupled to said antenna for receiving an RF activation signal transmitted from a portable transmitter for actuating a remote device, the RF activation signal having characteristics including a UHF carrier frequency and a data code; a controller coupled to said receiver for identifying the carrier frequency of the received RF activation signal and for storing signal characteristics data representing the identified carrier frequency and the data code of the received RF activation signal; and a transmitter coupled to said controller for receiving the stored signal characteristics data and generating a modulated RF signal having the same characteristics as the received RF activation signal, and coupled to said antenna for transmitting the modulated RF signal to the remote device for actuation thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An RF transmitter for use in controlling at least one garage door opening mechanism, said transmitter trainable to the frequency, modulation format and code of at least one existing garage door opening transmitter, said RF transmitter comprising:
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means for receiving an encoded RF signal from an existing RF remote control transmitter, said RF signal having an RF frequency component in the UHF range; an RF frequency output circuit; a microprocessor programmed to operate in a training mode and an operating mode, said microprocessor coupled to said receiving means and to said RF frequency output circuit and when in a training mode operable to store signals identifying the RF frequency, modulation format, and code of the received encoded RF signals; and an operator actuated switch coupled to said microprocessor for controlling the operational state of said microprocessor between said training and operating modes, said microprocessor coupled to said RF frequency output circuit and responsive to the actuation of said switch and said stored signals to transmit signals corresponding to the received encoded RF frequency signals when in said operating mode when said switch is actuated by an operator. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A trainable transceiver for receiving an activation signal that includes a radio frequency carrier modulated with a code and learning characteristics of the activation signal for subsequently transmitting a signal having the same characteristics for remotely actuating a device, said trainable transceiver comprising:
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a receiver for receiving an activation signal; a signal generator having a frequency control terminal for receiving a frequency control signal and for generating a reference signal having a variable reference frequency related to said frequency control signal; a demodulator coupled to said receiver and to an output of said signal generator for demodulating the received activation signal using said reference signal; and a controller coupled to said demodulator for detecting the presence of a data code at an output of said demodulator, and coupled to said frequency control terminal of said signal generator for supplying said frequency control signal and changing the reference frequency of said reference signal until a data signal having at least a predetermined number of pulses within a predetermined time period is detected at the output of said demodulator, identifying an RF carrier frequency of the received activation signal based upon the reference frequency at which a data signal was detected, and storing the detected data signal and data representing the RF carrier frequency of the received activation signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A trainable transceiver operable in a learning mode for receiving an activation signal that includes a radio frequency carrier modulated with a code and learning characteristics of the activation signal, and operable in an operating mode for subsequently transmitting a signal having the same characteristics for remotely actuating a device, said trainable transceiver comprising:
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a receiver for receiving an activation signal when the trainable transceiver is in a learning mode; a signal generator having a frequency control terminal for receiving a frequency control signal, for generating a reference signal having a variable reference frequency related to a frequency control signal supplied thereto when the trainable transceiver is in the learning mode, and for transmitting a modulated RF output signal having a carrier frequency related to a frequency control signal supplied thereto when the trainable transceiver is in the operating mode; a demodulator coupled to said receiver and to an output of said signal generator for demodulating the received activation signal using said reference signal; and a controller coupled to said demodulator for detecting the presence of a data code at an output of said demodulator, and coupled to said frequency control terminal of said signal generator for supplying said frequency control signal and changing the reference frequency of said reference signal until a data code is detected at the output of said demodulator, said controller identifying an RF carrier frequency of the received activation signal based upon the reference frequency at which a data code was detected, and storing the detected data code and frequency control data representing the RF carrier frequency of the received activation signal when the trainable transceiver is in the learning mode; and
when the trainable transceiver is in an operating mode, said controller supplies the stored data code to a data input terminal of said signal generator and supplies a frequency control signal representing the stored frequency control data to the frequency control terminal of said signal generator such that the carrier frequency of the modulated RF output signal transmitted by said signal generator is the same as that of the activation signal received during the learning mode.
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16. A method of training a transceiver to receive, learn, and subsequently transmit RF signals having identifiable characteristics received from remote control transmitters used to actuate a device having an RF receiver, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an RF signal output from the remote control transmitter, the RF signal having characteristics including a carrier frequency and a data code; identifying the carrier frequency of the received RF signal; demodulating the received RF signal by removing the identified carrier frequency from the data code in the received RF signal; storing the data code of the demodulated RF signal; generating a carrier signal having the carrier frequency of the received RF signal; modulating the carrier signal with the stored data code to produce an output RF signal related to the received RF signal; and transmitting said output RF signal to the RF receiver of the device in order to remotely actuate the device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method of training a vehicle transceiver to learn an RF carrier frequency and data code of an RF control signal received from a remote transmitter, for subsequent transmission of an RF signal having the learned RF carrier frequency and data code of the received RF control signal, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an RF control signal from a remote transmitter; generating a reference signal having a predetermined frequency; comparing the reference signal to the received RF signal to determine whether the frequency of the reference signal has a predetermined relationship to the RF carrier frequency of the received RF control signal; changing the frequency of the reference signal until the frequency of the reference signal has the predetermined relationship to the RF carrier frequency of the received RF control signal; identifying the RF carrier frequency of the received RF control signal based upon the frequency of the reference signal; storing frequency control data representing the RF carrier frequency of the received RF control signal; demodulating the received RF control signal using the generated reference signal having a frequency with the predetermined relationship to the RF carrier frequency to provide the data code of the RF control signal; and storing the data code provided by demodulating the received RF control signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of training a vehicle transceiver to learn an RF carrier frequency and data code of an RF control signal received from a remote transmitter, for subsequent transmission of an RF signal having the learned RF carrier frequency and data code of the received RF control signal, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an RF control signal from a remote transmitter; generating a reference signal having a predetermined frequency; mixing the reference signal with the received RF control signal to provide a mixed output signal including the data code of the received RF signal and having a carrier frequency equal to the difference in frequency of the received RF control signal and the reference signal; filtering the mixed output signal with a bandpass filter having a center frequency and providing a filtered output signal including any data code present in the mixed output signal when the mixed output signal has a carrier frequency equal to the center frequency of the bandpass filter; demodulating the filtered output signal by removing the carrier frequency therefrom; determining whether the demodulated output signal includes a data code; changing the frequency of the reference signal until the demodulated output signal includes a data code; storing the data code included in the demodulated output signal as the data code of the received RF control signal; identifying the RF carrier frequency of the received RF control signal based upon the frequency of the reference signal; storing frequency control data representing the RF carrier frequency of the received RF control signal. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method of training a transceiver having a voltage controlled oscillator, to learn and subsequently reproduce an RF signal received from a remote control transmitter used to actuate a device having an RF receiver, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an RF signal output from the remote control transmitter, the RF signal having characteristics including a carrier frequency and a data code; controlling the voltage controlled oscillator to generate a reference signal having a predetermined frequency; comparing the reference signal to the received RF signal to determine whether the frequency of the reference signal has a predetermined relationship to the RF carrier frequency of the received RF control signal; incrementing the frequency of the reference signal generated by the voltage controlled oscillator until the frequency of the reference signal has the predetermined relationship to the RF carrier frequency of the received RF control signal; identifying the RF carrier frequency of the received RF control signal based upon the frequency of the reference signal; storing frequency control data representing the RF carrier frequency of the received RF control signal; demodulating the received RF control signal using the generated reference signal having a frequency with the predetermined relationship to the RF carrier frequency to provide the data code of the RF control signal; storing the data code provided by demodulating the received RF control signal; controlling the voltage controlled oscillator to generate a carrier signal having the carrier frequency of the received RF signal; modulating the carrier signal with the stored data code to produce an output RF signal related to the received RF signal; and transmitting said output RF signal to the RF receiver of the device in order to remotely actuate the device.
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26. A method of training a transmitter to learn and subsequently reproduce an RF signal output from a remote control transmitter used to actuate a device having an RF receiver, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an RF signal output from the remote control transmitter, the RF signal having characteristics including a carrier frequency, a data code, and a modulation scheme; identifying the carrier frequency of the received RF signal; demodulating the received RF signal by removing the identified carrier frequency from the data code in the received RF signal; identifying the modulation scheme of the data code; encoding and storing the data code of the demodulated RF signal based upon the identified modulation scheme of the data code; generating a carrier signal having the carrier frequency of the received RF signal; modulating the carrier signal with the stored data code to produce an output RF signal related to the received RF signal; and transmitting said output RF signal to the RF receiver of the device in order to remotely actuate the device. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A trainable transceiver for learning and subsequently reproducing an RF signal output from a remote control transmitter used to actuate a device having an RF receiver, the transceiver comprising:
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a receiver for receiving an RF signal output from the remote control transmitter, the RF signal having characteristics including a carrier frequency, a data code, and a modulation scheme; frequency identifying means coupled to said receiver for identifying the carrier frequency of the received RF signal; demodulating means coupled to said receiver for demodulating the received RF signal by removing the identified carrier frequency from the data code in the received RF signal; modulation scheme identifying means coupled to said demodulating means for identifying the modulation scheme of the data code; storing means, coupled to said demodulating means, said modulation scheme identifying means, and said frequency identifying means, for storing frequency data corresponding to the identified carrier frequency and for encoding and storing the data code of the demodulated RF signal based upon the identified modulation scheme of the data code; a signal generator for receiving said frequency data from said storing means and generating a carrier signal having the carrier frequency of the received RF signal; modulating means coupled to said signal generator and said storing means for modulating the carrier signal with the stored data code to produce an output RF signal related to the received RF signal; and an antenna coupled to said modulating means for transmitting said output RF signal to the RF receiver of the device in order to remotely actuate the device.
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31. A trainable transceiver for remotely controlling a device having an RF receiver, comprising:
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a receiver for receiving an RF signal output from an existing remote control transmitter used to actuate the device, the RF signal having characteristics including carrier frequency, a data code, and a modulation scheme; a memory for storing data representing the characteristics of the received RF signal; a signal generator for generating a carrier signal having the carrier frequency of the received RF signal; a modulator, coupled to said signal generator, for modulating the carrier signal with the data code in accordance with the modulation scheme of the received RF signal to produce an output RF signal; an output circuit coupled to said modulator for transmitting said output RF signal to the device in order to remotely actuate the device; and a controller coupled to said receiver, to said memory, to said signal generator, and to said modulator, for storing frequency data representing the carrier frequency of the detected RF signal and for encoding and storing the data code of the detected RF signal in said memory based upon the modulation scheme of the detected RF signal when in a training mode, and for reading the frequency data and the data code from said memory and controlling said signal generator and said modulator in accordance with the frequency data and data code to reproduce the detected RF signal as the output RF signal of said output circuit when in a transmitting mode. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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Specification