Wireless transmit-only apparatus and method

• US 7,181,174 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J., Keller, Robert Roy Jr., Wojiak, Bernard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHU, SANH D
• Application Number:
  US10/645,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20050042991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 455/91, 455/95, 340/825.31, 340/825.72, 340/825.69, 375/376
• US Class Current: 455/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/62 Rolling code
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/06 using a reference signal applied to a frequency- or phase-locked loop

Abstract

A wireless transmit-only apparatus (20) has a controller (21) that responds to a user interface 25 by correlating specific user input with a corresponding characterizing transmission parameter(s) as is stored in a memory (35) and by selecting a corresponding resonant device (31 and 32). The latter devices serve to drive the PLL control input of a phase locked loop (23) to thereby influence the transmission carrier frequency of a wireless transmitter (22). In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the resonant devices comprises a mechanically resonant device such as a surface acoustic wave device, a crystal resonator, or a ceramic resonator.

Claims

1. A movable barrier operator remote control transmitter comprising:

at least one assertable user input;

a memory containing a plurality of remote control commands for a plurality of different movable barrier operators, wherein at least some of the remote control commands comprise a corresponding transmission frequency that is different from other of the remote control commands;

correlation data that correlates the at least one assertable user input with a corresponding one of the plurality of remote control commands and hence with a corresponding transmission frequency;

a controller that is operably coupled to the at least one assertable user input, the memory, and the correlation data and having a transmission frequency selection output;

a wireless transmitter that is responsive to the transmission frequency selection output of the controller and having at least one selectively-variable output frequency phase locked loop.

2. The movable barrier operator remote control transmitter of claim 1 wherein the at least one assertable user input comprises a plurality of assertable user inputs.

3. The movable barrier operator remote control transmitter of claim 2 wherein the correlation data correlates each of the plurality of assertable user inputs with a corresponding one of the plurality of remote control commands and hence with a corresponding transmission frequency.

4. The movable barrier operator remote control transmitter of claim 3 wherein the at least one selectively-variable output frequency phase locked loop has a programmable divider value that is responsive to a control signal from the controller.

5. The movable barrier operator remote control transmitter of claim 3 wherein the at least one selectively-variable output frequency phase locked loop includes a PLL control input that is operably coupled to a an oscillator having a plurality of switchably selectable resonant circuits.

6. The movable barrier operator remote control transmitter of claim 5 wherein the plurality of switchably selectable resonant circuits comprise switchably selectable mechanically resonant circuits.

7. The movable barrier operator remote control transmitter of claim 6 wherein the switchably selectable mechanically resonant circuits comprise at least one of:

a crystal resonator;

a ceramic resonator; and

a surface acoustic wave device.

8. The movable barrier operator remote control transmitter of claim 3 wherein the at least one selectively-variable output frequency phase locked loop includes a PLL control input that is operably coupled to a plurality of switchably selectable oscillators.

9. The movable barrier operator remote control transmitter of claim 8 wherein at least one of the plurality of switchably selectable oscillators comprises a mechanically resonant device.

10. The movable barrier operator remote control transmitter of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of switchably selectable oscillators comprises a mechanically resonant device.

11. The movable barrier operator remote control transmitter of claim 3 wherein the at least one selectively-variable output frequency phase locked loop includes a PLL control input that is operably coupled to mechanically resonant means for mechanically resonating at a plurality of selectable characteristic frequencies.