Channel-switching remote controlled barrier opening system

• US 8,581,695 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation (Sanwa Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation (Sanwa Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Grant B., Reed, Brett A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US12/473,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20100301999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.7, 340/5.1, 340/5.61, 340/5.64, 340/5.26, 340/5.22, 375132-136
• US Class Current: 340/5.71
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

An improved barrier door one way wireless communication system for operating a barrier, such as a garage door, includes the transmission and reception of multibit code hopping data packets in combination with automatic RF channel switching. Packet data is transmitted automatically on more than one RF channels in a switching style while sending two or more redundant multibit code hopping data packets on each of the RF channels. The system also provides for the learning of a transmitter to a receiver where two or more code hopping data packets must be received and decoded by the receiver on all RF channels before a transmitter can be learned to a receiver. Once the transmitter is learned, actuation of the transmitter during a learn mode can open a window for learning of a single channel transmitter.

Claims

1. A channel switching remote controlled barrier opening system, comprising:

a transmitter operatively connected to;

(a) perform iterative, sequential setting of an output frequency of a transmitter to multiple channels; and

(b) on each of the channels, perform transmission of multiple copies of a message before tuning of the transmitter, at a transmitter-switching rate, to a next one of the multiple channels;

a receiver operatively connected to;

(a) perform iterative, sequential setting of a reception frequency of the receiver to the multiple channels at a receiver scan rate that is faster than the transmitter-switching rate; and

(b) over each of the multiple channels, receive data for a period of time greater than that required for transmission of exactly one copy of the message; and

(c) learn said transmitter by requiring successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels; and

(d) respond to receipt of packets from said transmitter during a learn mode by determining whether said transmitter is already learned and, if so, opening a window of time during which another type of transmitter can be learned by temporarily lifting the requirement for successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels; and

a barrier operator operatively connected to operate a device at least in part in response to receipt of a copy of the message on any of the multiple channels.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein another period of time required by said receiver to receive the data over all of the channels is briefer than that required by said transmitter to perform the transmission of the multiple copies of the message on one of the multiple channels.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter and said receiver are operated to iteratively, sequentially switch between exactly two channels.

4. A channel switching remote controlled barrier opening apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter operatively connected to transmit copies of a message while iteratively cycling through multiple channels at a transmitter-cycling rate, wherein cycling to a next channel in a sequence of the multiple channels is triggered by transmission of a predetermined number of at least two copies of the message on a current one of the multiple channels;

a receiver operatively connected to iteratively cycle through the multiple channels at a scan rate calculated to ensure capability of the receiver to receive at least two copies of the message on each one of the multiple channels, wherein the scan rate is faster than the transmitter-cycling rate;

a remotely controlled barrier operator operatively connected to be responsive to receipt of at least one copy of the message by the receiver to trigger an operation of the barrier operator;

wherein the receiver is operatively connected to learn the transmitter to the receiver by requiring successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels; and

respond to receipt of packets from said transmitter during a learn mode by determining whether said transmitter is already learned and, if so, opening a window of time during which another type of transmitter can be learned by temporarily lifting the requirement for successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said receiver cycles through all of the multiple channels at a rate faster than said transmitter cycles from the current one of the multiple channels to the next one of the multiple channels.

6. A system comprising remote control transmitter for use with a channel switching remote controlled barrier opening system including a receiver,

the transmitter comprising:

a modulator operatively connected to initially set an output frequency to a first channel;

a controller operatively connected to transmit multiple copies of a message containing a rolling code over the first channel; and

a channel switching control circuit operatively connected to make a first determination whether a predetermined number of the multiple copies of the message have been transmitted over the first channel, and, in response to the first determination, cause said modulator to switch the output frequency to a second channel;

wherein said controller is operatively connected to transmit the multiple copies of the message over the second channel, and said channel switching control circuit is operatively connected to make a second determination whether the predetermined number of the multiple copies of the message have been transmitted over the second channel, and, in response to the second determination, cause said modulator to tune to the first channel;

the receiver is operatively connected to;

learn said transmitter by requiring successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels; and

respond to receipt of packets from said transmitter during a learn mode by determining whether said transmitter is already learned and, if so, opening a window of time during which another type of transmitter can be learned by temporarily lifting the requirement for successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels.

7. The transmitter of claim 6, wherein said controller is operatively connected to transmit more than two copies of the message over each of the first channel and the second channel before said frequency switching control circuit completes the second determination.

8. A receiver for use with a channel switching remote control barrier opening system, the receiver comprising:

a modulator operatively connected to initially set a reception frequency to a first channel;

a controller operatively connected to receive data over the first channel; and

a channel switching control circuit operatively connected to make a first determination whether a predetermined amount of time has passed since setting of the reception frequency to the first channel, wherein the predetermined amount of time is long enough to ensure opportunity to receive at least two copies of a packet transmittable over the first channel by remote control transmitter devices of a target category, and is less than to an amount of time required by the remote control transmitter devices of the target category to transmit a predetermined number of copies of the packet on a channel before switching to another channel,

wherein said channel switching control circuit is operatively connected to cause said modulator to switch, in response to the first determination, to a second channel, said controller is operatively connected to receive data over the second channel, said channel switching control circuit is operatively connected to make a second determination whether the predetermined amount of time has passed since switching to the second channel, and, in response to the second determination, cause said modulator to switch to the first channel, and said controller is operatively connected to make a validity determination whether a valid rolling code has been received in a packet arriving over either the first channel or the second channel, and, in response to the validity determination, trigger an operation of a barrier operator of the channel switching remote controlled barrier opening system;

wherein the controller is operatively connected to learn a particular one of the remote control transmitter devices by requiring successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the first channel and the second channel, and

respond to receipt of packets from the transmitter device during a learn mode by determining whether the transmitter device is already learned and, if so, opening a window of time during which another type of transmitter device can be learned by temporarily lifting the requirement for successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels.

9. The receiver of claim 8, wherein the predetermined amount of time is further briefer than the amount of time required by the remote control transmitter devices of the target category to transmit the predetermined number of copies of the packet on the channel before switching to the other channel.

10. A method of operation for use with a channel switching remote controlled barrier opening system, the method comprising:

operating a transmitter, including;

(a) perform iterative, sequential setting of an output frequency of a transmitter to multiple channels; and

(b) on each of the channels, performing transmission of multiple copies of a message before switching of the transmitter to a next one of the multiple channels at a transmitter-switching rate;

operating a receiver, including;

(a) performing iterative, sequential switching of a receiver to the multiple channels in a manner that is asynchronous with the switching of the transmitter at a receiver scan rate that is faster than the transmitter-switching rate; and

(b) over each of the multiple channels, receive data for a period of time greater than that required for transmission of exactly one copy of the message; and

(c) learning the transmitter to the receiver by requiring successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels; and

(d) responding to receipt of packets from said transmitter during a learn mode by determining whether the transmitter is already learned and, if so, opening a window of time during which another type of transmitter can be learned by temporarily lifting the requirement for successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels; and

operating a device at least in part in response to receipt of a copy of the message on any of the multiple channels.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein another period of time for receiving the data over all of the channels is briefer than that required for performing the transmission of the multiple copies of the message on one of the multiple channels.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are operated to iteratively, sequentially switch between exactly two channels.

13. A method of operation of a remote control transmitter for use with a channel switching remote controlled barrier opening system including a receiver, the method comprising:

initially setting an output frequency to a first channel;

transmitting multiple copies of a message containing a rolling code over the first channel;

making a first determination whether a predetermined number of the multiple copies of the message have been transmitted over the first channel;

in response to the first determination, switching to a second channel;

transmitting the multiple copies of the message over the second channel;

making a second determination whether the predetermined number of the multiple copies of the message has been transmitted over the second channel; and

in response to the second determination, switching to the first channel,

the receiver learn said transmitter by requiring successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels; and

respond to receipt of packets from said transmitter during a learn mode by determining whether said transmitter is already learned and, if so, opening a window of time during which another type of transmitter can be learned by temporarily lifting the requirement for successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the multiple copies of the message over the first channel and the second channel includes transmitting more than two copies of the message over each of the first channel and the second channel.

15. A method of operation of a receiver for use with a channel switching remote control barrier opening system, the method comprising:

initially setting a reception frequency to a first channel;

receiving data over the first channel;

making a first determination whether a predetermined amount of time has passed since setting of the reception frequency to the first channel, wherein the predetermined amount of time is long enough to ensure opportunity to receive at least two copies of a packet transmittable over the first channel by remote control transmitter devices of a target category, and is less than an amount of time required by the remote control transmitter devices of the target category to transmit a predetermined number of copies of the packet on a channel before switching to another channel;

in response to the first determination, switching to a second channel;

receiving data over the second channel;

making a second determination whether the predetermined amount of time has passed since switching to the second channel;

in response to the second determination, switching to the first channel;

making a validity determination whether a valid rolling code has been received in a packet arriving over either the first channel or the second channel;

in response to the validity determination, triggering an operation of a barrier operator of the channel switching remote controlled barrier opening system;

learning a particular one of the remote control transmitter devices by requiring successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the first channel and the second channel; and

responding to receipt of packets from the transmitter device during a learn mode by determining whether the transmitter device is already learned and, if so, opening a window of time during which another type of transmitter device can be learned by temporarily lifting the requirement for successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the predetermined amount of time is further briefer than the amount of time required by the remote control transmitter devices of the target category to transmit the predetermined number of copies of the packet on the channel before switching to the other channel.