System and method for enrollment of a remotely controlled device in a trainable transmitter

• US 7,911,358 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Shearer, Carl, Bos, Jeremy, Blaker, David A., Spencer, John D., Witkowski, Todd R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson; Bradley E
• Application Number:
  US11/511,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20070057810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.22, 340/5.26, 340/525, 455/418
• US Class Current: 340/4.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control

Abstract

A wireless control system is configured to be trainable to control any number of remotely controlled devices. The system can be configured to gather and learn information relating to a signal transmitted by the original transmitter in a manner that is blind to a user of the system. The system can be designed to learn signals automatically such that fewer steps are necessary for a user to train the system to control a particular remotely controlled device. The system can train to remotely controlled devices in this manner with little or no user action required.

Claims

1. A wireless control system for controlling a remotely operated device, the remotely operated electronic device controllable by an original transmitter, the wireless control system comprising:

a trainable transmitter having a learning mode initiated by user input in which signals usable to control remotely operated electronic devices are trained to the trainable transmitter, and an operating mode in which signals trained to the trainable transmitter are sent;

wherein the trainable transmitter is configured to learn information relating to the original transmitter when not in the user initiated learning mode;

wherein the trainable transmitter further comprises;

a transmitter circuit configured to transmit the wireless control signal having control data which will control the remote electronic system;

an interface circuit configured to receive navigation data from a navigation data source; and

a control circuit coupled to the transmitter circuit and the interface circuit configured to receive a transmit command, to receive navigation data, to determine a current location based on the navigation data, and to command the transmitter circuit to transmit a wireless control signal associated with the current location.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle interior element coupled to the transmitter circuit and the control circuit, the vehicle interior element comprising at least one of an overhead console, a visor, and an instrument panel, the wireless control system being configured for mounting in a vehicle interior;

a receiver circuit configured to receive a wireless control signal from the original transmitter;

a memory configured to store a plurality of control data messages and a plurality of locations, each control data message configured to control a different remote electronic system, the memory configured to associate each location with a plurality of control data messages;

an operator input device;

wherein the control circuit is further configured to;

identify and store data of a wireless control signal received from the original transmitter at the receiver, wherein the wireless control signal transmitted by the transmitter circuit includes the stored data;

automatically associate a location with the stored data and to store the location in a data pair with the stored data;

be operable in a training mode to record location data and received wireless control signal data in sets of data pairs, each set of data pairs representing an association between a location proximate to a remote electronic system and the wireless control signal data stored in the data pair;

search a plurality of data pairs to compare the current location to the location proximate to the remote electronic system stored in each data pair, and to command the transmitter to transmit the wireless control signal associated with the current location and according to the stored wireless control signal data from a data pair when a location proximate to the remote electronic system for that data pair is proximate to the current location, proximate to the current location being within a pre-defined distance;

command the transmitter circuit to transmit a plurality of wireless control signals in response to a single event, each wireless control signal containing a different control data message, the single event being the actuation of the operator input device by a vehicle occupant, and being programmable by the user as to which of the wireless control signals are to be transmitted in response to the single event; and

be user-programmable such that actuation of the operator input device causes the transmitter to send a first wireless control signal having a first control data message and automatically send a second wireless control signal having a second control data message different than the first control data message when the control circuit determines that the transmitter is within a predetermined proximity of the remote electronic system;

wherein a request to begin training is received via a pushbutton; and

wherein the navigation data source comprises a vehicle compass.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

identify and store data of a wireless control signal received from the original transmitter at a receiver, wherein the wireless control signal transmitted by the transmitter circuit includes the stored data;

automatically associate a location with the stored data and to store the location in a data pair with the stored data;

be operable in a training mode to record location data and received wireless control signal data in sets of data pairs, each set of data pairs representing an association between a location proximate to a remote electronic system and the wireless control signal data stored in the data pair;

search a plurality of data pairs to compare a current location to the location proximate to the remote electronic system stored in each data pair, and to command the transmitter to transmit wireless control signal associated with the current location and according to the stored wireless control signal data from a data pair when a location proximate to the remote electronic system for that data pair is proximate to the current location, proximate to the current location being within a pre-defined distance.