Method and apparatus to facilitate transmission of an encrypted rolling code

• US 8,422,667 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2006
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Fitzgibbon, James J., Gregori, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier, Benjamin E
• Application Number:
  US11/501,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20070058811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,442 Days
• Field of Search: 380 28- 30, 380 42- 47
• US Class Current: 380/28
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/1048 SELEX
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/115 Aptamers, i.e. nucleic acids binding a target molecule specifically and with high affinity without hybridising therewith ; Nucleic acids binding to non-nucleic acids, e.g. aptamers
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2310/16 Aptamers
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2310/321 2'-O-R Modification
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2310/3521 Methyl
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2330/30 chemically synthesised
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/1247 DNA-directed RNA polymerase (2.7.7.6)
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6846 Common amplification features
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6865 Promoter-based amplification, e.g. nucleic acid sequence amplification [NASBA], self-sustained sequence replication [3SR] or transcription-based amplification system [TAS]
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2521/119 RNA polymerase
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2525/117 incorporating modified base
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/9125 with a definite EC number (2.7.7.-)
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00253 dynamically, e.g. variable code - rolling code
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

An encrypted rolling code (11), a plurality of differing data bit order patterns (13), and a plurality of differing data inversion patterns 14) are provided. One then selects (15) a particular one of each of these patterns and uses those selected patterns as transmission characteristics when transmitting (16) at least part of the encrypted rolling code.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an encrypted rolling code;

providing a plurality of differing data bit order patterns;

providing a plurality of differing data inversion patterns;

selecting a particular one of each of the data bit order patterns and the data inversion patterns to provide selected patterns;

transmitting at least a part of the encrypted rolling code using the selected patterns as transmission characteristics,

wherein selecting a particular one of each of the data bit order patterns and the data inversion patterns to provide selected patterns comprises using the rolling code to select the particular data bit order pattern and data inversion pattern to provide the selected patterns.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the encrypted rolling code comprises a plurality of bit pairs.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the differing data bit order patterns each comprise a pattern for exactly three bits.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the differing data inversion patterns each comprise a pattern for exactly three bits.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

providing a plurality of differing data bit order patterns comprises providing at least six different bit order patterns; and

providing a plurality of differing data inversion patterns comprises providing at least eight different data inversion patterns.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein using the encrypted rolling code to select the particular data bit order pattern and data inversion pattern to provide the selected patterns comprises using a predetermined portion of the encrypted rolling code to select the particular data bit order pattern and data inversion pattern to provide the selected patterns.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein using a predetermined portion of the encrypted rolling code to select the particular data bit order pattern and data inversion pattern to provide the selected patterns comprises using a predetermined four bit pairs of the encrypted rolling code to select the particular data bit order pattern and data inversion pattern to provide the selected patterns.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein using a predetermined portion of the encrypted rolling code to select the particular data bit order pattern and data inversion pattern to provide the selected patterns further comprises:

using a first predetermined portion of the encrypted rolling code to select a first particular data bit order pattern and a first data inversion pattern to provide first selected patterns; and

using a second predetermined portion of the encrypted rolling code to select a second particular data bit order pattern and a second data inversion pattern to provide second selected patterns;

wherein the first and second predetermined portions of the encrypted rolling code are discrete from one another.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a fixed code;

and wherein transmitting at least a part of the encrypted rolling code using the selected patterns as transmission characteristics further comprises transmitting at least a part of the encrypted rolling code and the fixed code using the selected patterns as transmission characteristics.

10. A method to facilitate transmitting a remote control message comprising:

providing a fixed message having at least a first and second part;

providing an encrypted rolling code having at least a first, second, third, and fourth part;

providing a plurality of differing data bit order patterns;

providing a plurality of differing data inversion patterns;

using the first part of the encrypted rolling code to select a particular one of each of the data bit order patterns and the data inversion patterns to provide first selected patterns;

using the second part of the encrypted rolling code to select a particular one of each of the data bit order patterns and the data inversion patterns to provide second selected patterns;

transmitting;

the first part of the fixed message and the third part of the encrypted rolling code using the first selected patterns as transmission characteristics;

the second part of the fixed message and the fourth part of the encrypted rolling code using the second selected patterns as transmission characteristics.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein transmitting further comprises:

transmitting the first and second parts of the encrypted rolling code without using either the first or second selected patterns as transmission characteristics to thereby provide recovery identifiers to be used when recovering at a receiver the first and second parts of the fixed message and the third and fourth parts of the encrypted rolling code.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first and second parts of the encrypted rolling code each comprise four bit pairs.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein

using the first part of the encrypted rolling code to select a particular one of each of the data bit order patterns and the data inversion patterns to provide first selected patterns comprises using two bit pairs of the four bit pairs as comprise the first part of the encrypted rolling code and a first lookup table to correlate the two bit pairs to a corresponding data bit order pattern and using a different two bit pairs of the four bit pairs as comprise the first part of the encrypted rolling code and a second lookup table to correlate the different two bit pairs to a corresponding data inversion pattern;

using the second part of the encrypted rolling code to select a particular one of each of the data bit order patterns and the data inversion patterns to provide second selected patterns comprises using two bit pairs of the four bit pairs as comprise the second part of the encrypted rolling code and the first lookup table to correlate the two bit pairs to a corresponding data bit order pattern and using a different two bit pairs of the four bit pairs as comprise the second part of the encrypted rolling code and the second lookup table to correlate the different two bit pairs to a corresponding data inversion pattern.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting using Manchester encoding.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein transmitting further comprises:

transmitting the second part of the fixed message and the fourth part of the encrypted rolling code using the second selected patterns as transmission characteristics only after not transmitting for at least a predetermined period of time following transmission of the first part of the fixed message and the third part of the encrypted rolling code using the first selected patterns as transmission characteristics.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined period of time comprises about 75 milliseconds.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the fixed message comprises a value that is substantially unique to a given transmitter and therefore serves to identify the given transmitter.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing a data payload that is not substantially unique to the given transmitter; and

wherein transmitting;

the first part of the fixed message and the third part of the encrypted rolling code using the first selected patterns as transmission characteristics;

the second part of the fixed message and the fourth part of the encrypted rolling code using the second selected patterns as transmission characteristics;

further comprises;

transmitting;

the first part of the fixed message, the third part of the encrypted rolling code, and a first part of the data payload using the first selected patterns as transmission characteristics;

the second part of the fixed message, the fourth part of the encrypted rolling code, and a second part of the data payload using the second selected patterns as transmission characteristics.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the data payload comprises a movable barrier operator remote control signal.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein transmitting further comprises transmitting a remaining part of the data payload using one of the selected patterns as transmission characteristics.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a first memory having a fixed value stored therein;

a second memory having an encrypted rolling code stored therein;

a first lookup table that correlates a first plurality of different encrypted rolling code values with corresponding differing data bit order patterns;

a second lookup table that correlates a second plurality of different encrypted rolling code values with corresponding differing data inversion patterns;

a processor that is operably coupled to the first and second memory and the first and second lookup table and that is configured and arranged to use the encrypted rolling code to select ones of the particular data bit order patterns and data inversion patterns to provide selected patterns;

a transmitter operably coupled to the first and second memory and to the processor and being configured and arranged to transmit at least a part of the encrypted rolling code and the fixed value using the selected patterns as transmission characteristics.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the apparatus comprises a movable barrier operator wireless remote control.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the processor is further configured and arranged to use:

a first part of the encrypted rolling code to select a data bit order pattern and a data inversion pattern to use when transmitting a first part of the encrypted rolling code and the fixed value; and

a second, different part of the encrypted rolling code to select a data bit order pattern and a data inversion pattern to use when transmitting a second, different part of the encrypted rolling code and the fixed value.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the fixed value comprises at least one of:

a substantially unique identifier for the apparatus;

a remote control signal that is not specific to the apparatus.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the fixed value comprises both of the substantially unique identifier for the apparatus and the remote control signal that is not specific to the apparatus.

26. A method for use with a receiver that is configured and arranged to compatibly receive and process a transmitted encrypted rolling code, wherein:

the transmitted encrypted rolling code comprises at least a part thereof that was transmitted using selected patterns of transmission characteristics selected based at least in part on a rolling code, wherein a first one of the selected patterns comprises a selected particular one of a plurality of differing data bit order patterns and wherein a second one of the selected patterns comprises a selected particular one of a plurality of differing data inversion patterns;

the method comprising;

at a transmitter;

providing a message that will be compatibly received and processed by the receiver as the transmitted encrypted rolling code;

transmitting the message to the receiver.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein providing a message comprises providing a message that comprises, at least in part, a representation of the selected patterns of transmission characteristics.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein transmitting the message to the receiver comprises transmitting the message to the receiver via a wireless connection.