User-assisted programmable appliance control

• US 7,050,794 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Rudnick, Kenan R., Chuey, Mark D., Harwood, Jody K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US10/662,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20050026602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 340/5.64, 340/48, 340/5.23, 340/5.26, 340/5.28, 380/262, 380/239
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/31 Voice input
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/62 Rolling code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00

Abstract

A universal remote control interacts with a user to assist in training to one or more appliances. If the appliance is activated by a rolling code activation signal, a sequence of different rolling code activation signals is transmitted until the user indicates a successful transmission. If the appliance is activated by a fixed code activation signal, a fixed code word is used to generate and transmit each of a sequence of different fixed code activation signals until the user indicates a successful transmission. At least one of the sequences of activation signals inserts a preset amount of time after each activation signal transmission. If user input is not received within the preset amount of time, the next activation signal in the sequence is transmitted.

Claims

1. A programmable control for an appliance, the appliance responding to one of a plurality of transmission schemes, the programmable control comprising:

a transmitter operative to transmit a radio frequency activation signal based on any of the plurality of transmission schemes;

a user programming input; and

control logic in communication with the transmitter and the user programming input, the control logic implementing a rolling code programming mode, a fixed code programming mode and an operating mode, the control logic in rolling code programming mode generating and transmitting a sequence of rolling code activation signals until user input indicates a successful rolling code transmission scheme, the control logic in fixed code programming mode receiving a fixed code from the user programming input then generating and transmitting a sequence of fixed code activation signals unti user input indicates a successful fixed code transmission scheme, the control logic pausing for a preset amount of time between the transmission of each activation signal in at least one of the sequence of rolling code activation signals and the sequence of fixed code activation signals, the preset amount of time sufficiently long to permit the user to respond and, if the user has not responded by the end of the preset amount of time, the control unit transmitting the next activation signal in the transmitted sequence of activations signals, the user input including selecting one of a plurality of activation inputs, the control unit stores characteristics of the last transmitted activation signal in association with the selected one of the plurality of activation inputs, the control logic in the operating mode determines which one of the plurality of activation inputs has been asserted and transmits an activation signal based on the stored characterstics associated with the asserted activation input.

2. A method of activating an appliance, the appliance controlled by a radio frequency activation signal, the method comprising:

if a user indicates that the appliance is activated by a rolling code activation signal, transmitting a sequence of different rolling code activation signals, each rolling code activation signal in the sequence of rolling code activation signals separated from a next rolling code activation signal in the sequence of rolling code activation signals by a preset amount of time, the sequence of rolling code activation signals transmitted until the user indicates a successful rolling code transmission, then storing data representing a rolling code scheme used to generate the successful rolling code transmission;

if the user indicates that the appliance is activated by a fixed code activation signal, using a fixed code word to generate and transmit each of a sequence of different fixed code activation signals, each fixed code activation signal in the sequence of activation signals separated from a next fixed code activation signal in the sequence of fixed code activation signals by the preset amount of time, the sequence of fixed code activation signals transmitted until the user indicates a successful fixed code transmission, then storing data representing the fixed code word and a fixed code scheme used to generate the successful fixed code transmission; and

in response to an activation input, generating and transmitting an activation signal based on stored data, wherein the activation input is one of a plurality of activation inputs, the user associating data representing one of either the rolling code scheme used to generate the successful rolling code transmission or the fixed code scheme used to generate the successful fixed code transmission associated with one of the plurality of activation inputs.

3. A method of programming a programmable remote control, the remote control programmable to one of a plurality of appliance activation schemes, the method comprising:

receiving user type input specifying activation signal type;

if the user type input specifies variable code type, automatically transmitting variable code activation signals spaced apart by a preset amount of time until receiving user success input indicating a target appliance has been activated;

if the user type input specifies fixed code type, receiving user fixed code input providing a fixed code and transmitting fixed code activation signals spaced apart by the preset amount of time until receiving user success input indicating the target appliance has been activated;

storing information specifying an activation signal for activating the target appliance based on the received user success input; and

associating the stored information with one of the plurality of activation inputs determined by the received user success input;

wherein the preset amount of time is sufficiently long enough to permit a user to generate the user success input.

4. A system for wirelessly activating an appliance, the appliance responding to one of a plurality of transmission schemes, the system comprising:

a radio frequency transmitter;

memory holding data describing the plurality of transmission schemes; and

control logic in communication with the transmitter and the memory, the control logic operative to

(a) store a fixed code,

(b) if a fixed code is stored, transmit a sequence of fixed code activation signals, based on the fixed code and data held in the memory, until input indicating activation of the appliance is received, each transmission of a fixed code activation signal in the sequence of fixed code activation signals followed by a fixed code sequence time period without transmission long enough to permit a user to enter the input indicating activation of the appliance,

(c) if no fixed code is stored, transmit a sequence of rolling code activation signals, based on data held in the memory, until input indicating activation of the appliance is received, each transmission of a rolling code activation signal in the sequence of rolling code activation signals followed by a rolling code time period without transmission long enough to permit the user to enter the input indicating activation of the appliance,

(d) store an indication as to which activation scheme activated the appliance based on the received input indicating activation of the appliance, and

(e) generate an activation signal based on the stored indication and a received activation input.