Code responsive radio receiver capable of operation with plural types of code transmitters

• US 5,949,349 A
• Filed: 02/19/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J., Farris, Bradford L., Wanis, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US08/802,135
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.3, 340/825.34, 340/825.31, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.22, 380/23, 380/25, 380/28, 380/21
• US Class Current: 340/5.26
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00253 dynamically, e.g. variable code - rolling code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00261 the keyless data carrier having more than one function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A barrier movement system which is useful in provided barrier movement in environments where a first barrier such as a community gate is commonly controlled by a plurality of different actuators (transmitters) which actuators separately control other barriers such as household garage doors. The controller of the commonly controlled gate receives and contemporaneously analyzes codes in accordance with a plurality of different code format standards and at the same time analyzes the received code to determine which format is actually being received. In an embodiment only a fixed code portion of a rolling code sequence is used for actuation at the commonly controlled barrier.

Claims

1. In an equipment actuation system, a method of responding to sequences of code digits received in a plurality of code word sequence formats including a rolling code format, each format being defined by a code word format standard, comprising the steps of:

receiving and detecting the digits of a transmitted code word sequence in a sequence;

analyzing each detected digit for consistency with each of a plurality of code word format standards digit by digit as the digits are received and recovering code digits as a result of analysis;

registering the recovered digits in a plurality of registers each associated with a different code word sequence format;

identifying the format of the received code word sequence in response to the analyzing step; and

storing a value in the receiver derived from a received code word sequence registered in a register associated with the identified format.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein each code word format comprises at least one synchronizing character definition and the method comprises excluding at least one of the plurality of code word formats during the analyzing step by analyzing the at least one synchronizing character.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of the code word formats relates to a rolling code comprising a rolling portion and a fixed portion and the method comprises storing a value derived from only the fixed code portion when a rolling code format is identified.

4. In an equipment actuation system, a method comprising:

receiving a fixed security code sequence during a learning mode, and storing the received fixed code sequence in a first security code memory location;

receiving a rolling code security sequence during a learning mode, and storing in a second security code memory location a value derived from the received rolling code security sequence;

activating equipment in response to the receipt of a fixed code sequence while in an operate mode; and

activating the same equipment in response to the receipt of a rolling code sequence while in an operate mode.

5. In an equipment actuation system, a method in accordance with claim 4 comprising:

receiving a rolling code security sequence comprising a fixed code portion while in the learning mode; and

storing in second security code memory location a value derived only from the fixed code portion of the received rolling code security sequence.

6. In an equipment actuation system, a method in accordance with claim 5 comprising extracting the fixed code portion from a received rolling code sequence.

7. An equipment actuation system comprising:

a memory storing a fixed security code sequence and a value derived from a rolling security code sequence;

a receiver for receiving transmitted fixed security code sequences and rolling security code sequences;

apparatus responsive to a received fixed security code sequence for comparing the received fixed security code sequence with both the fixed security code sequence and the value derived from a rolling security code sequence stored in the memory; and

means responsive to the apparatus for actuating the equipment.

8. The equipment actuation system of claim 7 comprising apparatus responsive to a received rolling security code sequence for comparing a value derived from the received rolling security code sequence with both the fixed security code sequence and the value derived from a rolling security code sequence stored in the memory.

9. In an equipment actuation system, a method comprising:

receiving a fixed security code sequence during a learning mode, and storing the received fixed code sequence in a first security code memory location;

receiving a rolling code security sequence during a learning mode, and storing in a second security code memory location a value derived from the received rolling code security sequence;

activating equipment in response to the receipt of a fixed code sequence while in an operate mode;

activating the same equipment in response to the receipt of a rolling code sequence while in an operate mode;

receiving a fixed security code sequence while in the operate mode; and

comparing the received fixed security code sequence with the fixed code sequence stored in the first security code memory location and with the value derived from a rolling code stored in the second security code memory location.