Transmitter and method for transmitting an RF control signal

• US 8,384,513 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Witkowski, Todd R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US11/324,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20070152798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,611 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.2, 340/5.21, 340/5.26, 340/5.71, 340/5.73, 340/5.1, 340/5.22, 340/5.23, 340/5.24, 340/5.25, 340/5.72
• US Class Current: 340/5.26
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/62 Rolling code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/63 Redundant transmissions

Abstract

A transmitter for transmitting an RF control signal to a remote system includes a user input device, a memory and a transmitter circuit. The memory includes control data associated with the remote device. The control data includes a first frequency and a second frequency. The transmitter circuit is coupled to the user input device and memory. In response to a single user input, the transmitter circuit generates a rolling code signal, transmits the rolling code signal at the first frequency for a predetermined amount of time, and, upon expiration of the predetermined about of time, transmits the rolling code signal at the second frequency.

Claims

1. A method for training a vehicle-based trainable transmitter to send an authenticated transmission to a receiver for a garage door opener using a data code from an original hand-held transmitter, the method comprising:

transmitting, from the original hand-held transmitter and in response to a single user input, the data code at a first frequency and separately at a second frequency, wherein the first frequency is configured for reception by the receiver for the garage door opener and the second frequency is configured for reception by the vehicle-based trainable transmitter;

receiving, at the receiver for the garage door opener, the data code at the first frequency and causing the garage door opener to actuate in response to the reception;

receiving, at the vehicle-based trainable transmitter, the data code from the hand-held transmitter at the second frequency, but not at the first frequency;

identifying, by the vehicle-based trainable transmitter, the data code at the second frequency;

storing, by the vehicle-based trainable transmitter, the identified data code;

associating, by the vehicle-based trainable transmitter, the stored data code with a particular user input device of the trainable transmitter;

transmitting the data code to the garage door opener and causing the garage door opener to actuate in response to the reception; and

wherein the receiver is configured to recognize the data code transmitted at both the first frequency and the second frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data code is transmitted at the first frequency for a period of time prior to transmitting the data code at the second frequency.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the period of time is four seconds.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first frequency is 315 MHz and the second frequency is 390 MHz.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the hand-held transmitter is not configured as a trainable transmitter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hand-held transmitter does not include a receiver.

7. A system comprising:

a receiver for a garage door opener configured to cause the garage door opener to actuate in response to a received and authenticated transmission at a first frequency; and

a original hand-held transmitter configured for operation with the receiver at the first frequency;

a vehicle-based trainable transmitter configured to recognize data codes transmitted from the original hand-held transmitter at a second frequency but not at the first frequency;

wherein the original hand-held transmitter is configured to transmit, in response to a single button press for a single normal authenticated transmission to the receiver, a data code at the first frequency and wherein the hand-held transmitter is configured to separately transmit the data code at the second frequency configured for recognition by the vehicle-based trainable transmitter;

wherein the vehicle-based trainable transmitter stores the recognized data code, associates the stored data code with a particular user input device of the trainable transmitter, and transmits the stored data code to the garage door opener and causing the garage door opener to actuate in response to the reception; and

wherein the receiver is configured to recognize the data code transmitted at both the first frequency and the second frequency.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the vehicle-based trainable transmitter is at least partially integrated with a vehicle interior element.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the vehicle-based trainable transmitter is configured to learn the data code transmitted at the second frequency but cannot learn the data code transmitted at the first frequency.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the data code is transmitted at the first frequency for a period of time prior to transmitting the data code at the second frequency.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the period of time is four seconds.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first frequency is 315 MHz and the second frequency is 390 MHz.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the original hand-held transmitter is not configured as a trainable transmitter.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the hand-held transmitter does not include a receiver.