Method and apparatus for memory cloning for a control device

• US 6,941,136 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• 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): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY D
• Application Number:
  US10/073,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20030153306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 455/343.3, 455/127.1, 455/550.1, 455/572, 455/575.1, 455/127.4, 455/343.4, 455/419, 455/420, 340/5.2, 340/500, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.37, 340/426, 49/31
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code

Abstract

A control device 11 for use with another device (such as a movable barrier operator 12) has multiple memory interfaces 26 and 27 to permit the contents of one memory to be copied to another memory to thereby create an effective clone of the first memory. This copied memory is easily removable from the control device 11 and thereafter stored separately as a back-up memory or used as the main memory in another control device 11. This effectively avoids a need for more tedious registration of authorized remote control transmitters in systems where the control device 11 interfaces with a movable barrier operator 12. In one embodiment, blocking information as corresponds to any of the otherwise registered transmitters can also be copied to the new memory when effecting this process.

Claims

1. A movable barrier control device operably coupleable to a movable barrier operator to facilitate control of the movable barrier operator, the movable barrier control device comprising:

a housing;

a processing unit disposed within the housing and providing at least one control signal from time to time to the movable barrier operator;

a first memory physical interface disposed within the housing and being operably coupled to the processing unit;

a second memory physical interface disposed within the housing and being operably coupled to the processing unit;

a cloning program executable at least in part by the processing unit to cause the processing unit to copy the contents of a first memory that is removably coupled to the first memory physical interface to a second memory that is removably coupled to the second memory physical interface wherein a first easily removable memory is removably coupled to the first memory physical interface;

wherein the first easily removable memory has data stored therein comprising identifying information that corresponds to a plurality of radio transmitters;

wherein the plurality of radio transmitters comprise wireless movable barrier remote controllers.

2. The control device of claim 1 wherein the processing unit comprises a microprocessor.

3. The control device of claim 1 wherein the first memory physical interface includes at least one temporary conductive lead socket.

4. The control device of claim 1 wherein the first and second memory physical interface each includes at least one temporary conductive lead socket.

5. The control device of claim 1 and further comprising a user interface operably coupled to the processing unit.

6. The control device of claim 5 wherein the cloning program is responsive to the user interface.

7. The control device of claim 1 wherein the data uniquely identifies no more than 250 individual radio transmitters.

8. The control device of claim 1 wherein the data further includes information identifying individual radio transmitters that are blocked from controlling a corresponding movable barrier.