Moveable barrier operator feature adjustment system and method

• US 8,416,055 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J., Laird, Edward T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knox, Kaleria
• Application Number:
  US11/951,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.23, 340/5.64, 340/426.3, 340/5.71, 340/825.69, 318/445, 318/466, 318/282, 341/176, 702/69, 365/200
• US Class Current: 340/5.7
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence

Abstract

At a moveable barrier operator, parameters are adjusted. At a first time, the moveable barrier operator is configured with at least one parameter and adjustment of the at least one parameter is disabled until a predetermined identification signal is received. At a second time, the predetermined identification signal is received and the at least one parameter is responsively adjusted.

Claims

1. A method for parameter adjustment of a movable barrier operator with a transmitter comprising:

at a first time, configuring the movable barrier operator with at least one parameter to be adjusted in response to receiving at the movable barrier operator a wireless identification signal comprising an instruction code from the transmitter and disabling adjustment of the at least one parameter until an identification signal is received from the transmitter; and

at a second time, receiving the wireless identification signal at the movable barrier operator, the wireless identification signal being representative of the transmitter and a selected parameter that is identified and selected at the transmitter, the wireless identification signal responsively automatically effecting adjustment of the selected parameter in response to receiving the wireless identification signal from the transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first time occurs during manufacturing of the movable barrier operator.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the instruction code effects adjustment of the selected parameter.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein responsively adjusting the at least one parameter comprises enabling a feature of the movable barrier operator.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein responsively adjusting the at least one parameter comprises modifying an already enabled feature of the movable barrier operator.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the already enabled feature comprises a force limit.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising learning a presence of a secure transmitter device that sends the identification signal and verifying an identity of the secure transmitter device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing adjustment of the at least one parameter for only a time period.

9. A movable barrier operator comprising:

a motor configured and arranged to move a barrier;

a memory configured with at least one parameter that has been disabled from adjustment at a first time until an identification signal has been received by the movable barrier operator, the at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of at least one adjustment parameter and at least one new function parameter that provides the movable barrier operator with a new function that does not operate at the first time;

an interface configured and arranged to receive the identification signal comprising at least one instruction; and

a controller coupled to the motor and the interface, the controller being configured and arranged to;

responsively adjust the adjustment parameter when the identification signal is selected at a transmitter and wirelessly received from the transmitter at the interface at a second time which second time is later than the first time or

responsively add the new feature to allow it to be part of operation of the movable barrier operator when the identification signal selected at the transmitter and is received at the interface at the second time, which second time is later than the first time.

10. The movable barrier operator of claim 9 wherein the first time occurs during manufacturing of the movable barrier operator.

11. The movable barrier operator of claim 9 wherein the identification signal includes code that effects the instruction.

12. The movable barrier operator of claim 9 wherein the at responsive adjustment of the adjustment parameter is associated with modifying an already enabled feature of the movable barrier operator.

13. The movable barrier operator of claim 12 wherein the already enabled feature comprises a force limit.

14. The movable barrier operator of claim 9 wherein the controller is further configured and arranged to learn a presence of a secure transmitter device sending the identification signal and to responsively verify an identity of the secure transmitter device.

15. The movable barrier operator of claim 9 wherein the controller is configured and arranged to allow adjustment of the at least one parameter for only a time period.

16. A method comprising:

at a movable barrier operator;

configuring the movable barrier operator at a first time with respect to at least one parameter, the at least one parameter not adjustable until the movable barrier operator receives a wireless identification signal from a transmitter at a second time after the first time, the wireless identification signal including an indication that the at least one parameter was selected at the transmitter for adjustment;

subsequently receiving the wireless identification signal from the transmitter at the second time;

automatically enabling manual adjustment of the at least one parameter in response to receiving the wireless identification signal from the transmitter responsively.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising allowing manual adjustment of the at least one parameter for only a limited time period.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of a work light feature or a force limit parameter.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the at least one parameter is associated with at least one of enabling a feature of the movable barrier operator or modifying an already enabled feature of the movable barrier operator.

20. A method for parameter adjustment of a movable barrier operator with a transmitter, the method comprising:

at a first time, configuring the movable barrier operator with parameters comprising at least one new parameter configured to effect enabling a new feature at a later second time and at least one adjustment parameter configured to be adjusted at a later second time,

in response to the configuration, disabling the adjustment parameter and at least one new parameter until a selected wireless identification signal is selected at the transmitter and is received and identified at the movable barrier operator at a second time; and

at the second time, receiving the selected wireless identification signal at the movable barrier operator, the selected wireless identification signal being representative of the transmitter and a selected parameter representative of one or more of the at least one new parameter or the at least one adjustment parameter that is selected at the transmitter and identified at the movable barrier operator, the selected wireless identification signal responsively automatically effecting adjustment of the one or more of the at least one adjustable parameter or effecting addition of the new feature in response to receiving the selected wireless identification signal from the transmitter.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first time occurs during manufacturing of the movable barrier operator.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the identification signal includes a code that effects an instruction.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein responsively adjusting the at least one parameter comprises enabling a feature of the movable barrier operator.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein responsively adjusting the at least one parameter comprises modifying an already enabled feature of the movable barrier operator.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the already enabled feature comprises a force limit.