Wireless transmit-only apparatus and method

• US 7,610,030 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Wojciak, Bernard J., Keller, Robert Roy Jr., Fitzgibbon, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu; Sanh D
• Application Number:
  US11/555,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20070054644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 455/91, 455/95, 455/260, 455/265, 455/180.3, 375/376, 340/825, 340/825.69, 340/825.722
• US Class Current: 455/260
• 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 wireless transmit-only apparatus comprising:

a controller having a transmission frequency selection output; and

a wireless transmitter having a phase locked loop, which phase locked loop is responsive to the transmission frequency selection output;

wherein;

the wireless transmit-only apparatus can selectively transmit at a plurality of different frequencies as selected by the controller and effected, at least in part, by the phase locked loop; and

the phase locked loop has a PLL control input that operably couples to a plurality of selectively switchable mechanically resonant devices.

2. The wireless transmit-only apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switch for each of the selectively switchable mechanically resonant devices, wherein each such switch is responsive to the transmission frequency selection output of the controller such that the controller can select a particular mechanically resonant device to use with the phase locked loop by controlling each of the switches.

3. The wireless transmit-only apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of selectively switchable mechanically resonant devices comprises at least one of:

a crystal resonator;

a ceramic resonator; and

a surface acoustic wave device.

4. A wireless transmit-only apparatus comprising:

a controller having a transmission frequency selection output; and

a wireless transmitter having a phase locked loop, which phase locked loop is responsive to the transmission frequency selection output;

wherein;

the wireless transmit-only apparatus can selectively transmit at a plurality of different frequencies as selected by the controller and effected, at least in part, by the phase locked loop;

the wireless transmit-only apparatus further comprises a user interface comprising at least one independently assertable input and wherein the controller is operably responsive to the at least one independently assertable input;

the user interface comprises a plurality of independently assertable inputs and wherein the controller is operably responsive to the plurality of independently assertable inputs; and

the phase locked loop has a PLL control input that operably couples to a plurality of selectively switchable mechanically resonant devices.

5. The wireless transmit-only apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a memory operably coupled to the controller and containing a plurality of characterizing transmission parameters wherein at least some of the plurality of characterizing transmission parameters correspond to particular ones of the plurality of selectively switchable mechanically resonant devices.

6. The wireless transmit-only apparatus of claim 5, further comprising correlation data that correlates at least one of the plurality of independently assertable inputs with a corresponding one of the plurality of characterizing transmission parameters that corresponds to a particular one of the plurality of selectively switchable mechanically resonant devices, such that assertion of a given one of the independently assertable inputs will result in selection of a particular corresponding one of the plurality of mechanically resonant devices for use when transmitting.

7. A wireless transmit-only apparatus comprising:

a controller having a transmission frequency selection output; and

a wireless transmitter having a phase locked loop, which phase locked loop is responsive to the transmission frequency selection output;

wherein;

the wireless transmit-only apparatus can selectively transmit at a plurality of different frequencies as selected by the controller and effected, at least in part, by the phase locked loop;

the controller comprises control means for selecting a particular output frequency, from a plurality of available output frequencies, that the phase locked loop will provide;

the control means is further for selecting a particular resonant circuit from amongst a plurality of candidate resonant circuits to couple to a set divide input of the phase locked loop; and

the plurality of candidate resonant circuits comprise a plurality of mechanically resonant devices.

8. The wireless transmit-only apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of mechanically resonant devices include at least one of:

a crystal resonator;

a ceramic resonator; and

a surface acoustic wave device.

9. The wireless transmit-only apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of candidate resonant circuits comprise a least one mechanically resonant device and at least one electrically resonant circuit.

10. A method of selecting a transmission frequency for a transmit-only wireless apparatus, comprising:

providing a transmitter having a phase locked loop that has a plurality of selectable output frequencies;

selecting one of the plurality of selectable output frequencies to provide a selected frequency; and

using the selected frequency as the transmission frequency for the transmit-only wireless apparatus;

wherein;

the method further comprises providing a transmitter having a phase locked loop that has a plurality of selectable output frequencies comprises providing a transmitter having a phase locked loop having a PLL control input;

selecting one of the plurality of selectable output frequencies to provide a selected frequency comprises selecting one of a plurality of resonant elements to operably couple to the PLL control input; and

selecting one of a plurality of resonant elements comprises selecting one of a plurality of resonant elements that include at least one mechanically resonant element.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting one of a plurality of resonant elements that include at least one mechanically resonant element comprises selecting one of a plurality of mechanically resonant elements.

12. A method of selecting a transmission frequency for a transmit-only wireless apparatus, comprising:

providing a transmitter having a phase locked loop that has a plurality of selectable output frequencies;

selecting one of the plurality of selectable output frequencies to provide a selected frequency; and

using the selected frequency as the transmission frequency for the transmit-only wireless apparatus;

wherein;

providing a transmitter having a phase locked loop that has a plurality of selectable output frequencies comprises providing a transmitter having a phase locked loop having a PLL control input;

selecting one of the plurality of selectable output frequencies to provide a selected frequency comprises selecting one of a plurality of oscillators; and

selecting one of a plurality of oscillators comprises selecting one of a plurality of oscillators wherein each of the plurality of oscillators has a different mechanically resonant element.