Device learning mode method

• US 6,756,895 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Rainey, Robert, Study, Robert, Robb, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US10/073,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20030151496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/414.1, 455/420, 455/423, 455/67.11, 455/67.7, 455/66.1, 700/90, 341/173, 340/5.22, 340/5.23, 340/5.25, 340/5.26, 340/5.7, 340/5.71, 340/506, 340/5.8, 340/825.69, 340/825.22, 340/825.72, 340/531, 340/539.1, 340/5.72, 340/10.1, 340/518
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading

Abstract

A learning mode 40 permits a device 11 to register a plurality of transmitters (as part of authorizing such transmitters to act as remote control devices for use with a movable barrier operator 12) without necessitating intervening user tactile inputs (as through a user interface keypad 33) and without unnecessarily creating a security risk with respect to the duration of the learning mode. In one embodiment, duration of the learning mode is extended in response to detecting indicia that the learning mode continues to be used.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

A) detecting a tactile user input that corresponds to initiation of a learning mode;

B) monitoring for both additional tactile user input and reception of a wireless transmission;

D) upon detecting additional tactile user input that comprises identification of an address for a memory location before detecting the received wireless transmission automatically thereafter storing at that memory location identifying information as is contained in a later received compatible wireless transmission;

C) upon detecting a received wireless transmission that comprises a compatible wireless transmission containing identifying information before detecting additional tactile user input that comprises identification of an address for a memory location, automatically thereafter storing at an automatically determined memory location the identifying information as corresponds to the earlier received wireless transmission.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising, subsequent to detecting a tactile user input and prior to monitoring, displaying the automatically determined memory location.

3. The method of claim 2 and further comprising, prior to displaying the automatically determined memory location, automatically identifying a next available memory location.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein identifying a next available memory location comprises identifying an available memory location having a lowest address.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein identifying a next available memory location includes identifying a memory location not already having information stored therein.

6. The method of claim 1 and further comprising providing an audible signal upon successfully storing identifying information at a memory location.

7. The method of claim 1 and further comprising detecting a tactile user input that corresponds to concluding the learning mode and thereafter concluding the learning mode.

8. The method of claim 1 and further comprising comparing received identifying information from wireless transmissions with previously stored identifying information prior to storing the received identifying information at a non-buffer memory location.

9. The method of claim 8 and further comprising not storing any received identifying information at a non-buffer memory location that matches previously stored identifying identification.

10. The method of claim 8 and further comprising, upon determining that a given item of received identifying information matches previously stored identifying information, displaying an address as corresponds to a memory location that retains the matching previously stored identifying information.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein, when the identifying information includes both fixed identifying information and dynamic identifying information, only comparing the fixed identifying information with previously stored identifying information prior to storing the received identifying information at a non-buffer memory location.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring for both additional tactile user input and reception of a wireless transmission includes monitoring for additional tactile user input, reception of a wireless transmission, and conclusion of a monitor window, and further comprising ending the learning mode upon detecting conclusion of the monitor window.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein upon detecting additional tactile user input that comprises identification of an address for a memory location, automatically thereafter storing at that memory location identifying information as is contained in a later received compatible wireless transmission includes, upon detecting additional tactile user input that comprises identification of an address for a memory location, automatically thereafter storing at that memory location identifying information as is contained in a later received compatible wireless transmission and automatically extending duration of the monitor window.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein upon detecting an earlier received wireless transmission that comprises a compatible wireless transmission containing identifying information before detecting additional tactile user input that comprises identification of an address for a memory location, automatically thereafter storing at an automatically determined memory location the identifying information as corresponds to the earlier received wireless transmission includes, upon detecting an earlier received wireless transmission that comprises a compatible wireless transmission containing identifying information before detecting additional tactile user input that comprises identification of an address for a memory location, automatically thereafter storing at an automatically determined memory location the identifying information as corresponds to the earlier received wireless transmission and automatically extending duration of the monitor window.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein:

upon detecting additional tactile user input that comprises identification of an address for a memory location, automatically thereafter storing at that memory location identifying information as is contained in a later received compatible wireless transmission includes, upon detecting additional tactile user input that comprises identification of an address for a memory location, automatically thereafter storing at that memory location identifying information as is contained in a later received compatible wireless transmission and automatically extending duration of the monitor window; and

upon detecting an earlier received wireless transmission that comprises a compatible wireless transmission containing identifying information before detecting additional tactile user input that comprises identification of an address for a memory location, automatically thereafter storing at an automatically determined memory location the identifying information as corresponds to the earlier received wireless transmission includes, upon detecting an earlier received wireless transmission that comprises a compatible wireless transmission containing identifying information before detecting additional tactile user input that comprises identification of an address for a memory location, automatically thereafter storing at an automatically determined memory location the identifying information as corresponds to the earlier received wireless transmission and automatically extending duration of the monitor window.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein extending duration of the monitor window includes extending the duration by a predetermined period of time.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein extending the duration by a predetermined period of time comprises extending the duration by at least 25 seconds.

18. The method of claim 15 and further comprising repeating steps B, C, and D at least until the monitor window concludes, such that multiple items of identifying information can be stored in memory without requiring intervening tactile user inputs.

19. A method comprising:

A) detecting a tactile user input that corresponds to initiation of a learning mode;

B) beginning a monitoring window;

during the monitoring window;

C) monitoring for both additional tactile user inputs and reception of a wireless transmissions;

D) upon detecting additional tactile user inputs that comprise identification of an address for a memory location, automatically thereafter storing at that memory location identifying information as is contained in a later received compatible wireless transmission and automatically extending the monitoring window;

E) upon detecting earlier received wireless transmissions that comprise a compatible wireless transmission containing identifying information before detecting additional tactile user input that comprises identification of an address for a memory location, automatically thereafter storing at an automatically determined memory location the identifying information as corresponds to the earlier received wireless transmission and automatically extending the monitoring window;

wherein when the monitoring window concludes;

F) concluding the learning mode;

such that, during a single learning mode, a plurality of items of identifying information can be stored at memory locations without requiring intervening tactile user inputs.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the monitoring window comprises a window of predetermined duration.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the predetermined duration is about 30 seconds.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein, when the monitoring window is automatically extended, is extended by a predetermined duration.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the predetermined duration is about 30 seconds.