Wireless control system and method

• US 8,634,888 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Witkowski, Todd R., Dykema, Kurt A., Geerlings, Steven L., Zeinstra, Mark L., Buege, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US13/152,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20110227698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/68, 455/345, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 340/5.71, 340/825.69, 340/825.71, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 455/575.9
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2609 Arrangements for range control, e.g. by using remote antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A wireless control system for use in a vehicle and for use with a remote electronic system is provided. The wireless control system includes a transceiver for mounting in the vehicle. The transceiver is configured to communicate according to a Bluetooth communications standard. The transceiver is further configured to provide a control signal to the remote electronic system. The transceiver is also trainable to provide a carrier frequency and control information for the control signal.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a device located outside a vehicle using a portable electronic device and a wireless control system mounted to the vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a code from the portable electronic device at the wireless control system via a wireless communications link according to a first communication protocol, wherein the portable electronic device is a cellular phone, a notebook computer, or a hand-held PDA; and

transmitting a wireless control signal according to a second communication protocol from the wireless control system to the device located outside the vehicle in response to the received code, wherein the device is one of a lighting system, a security system, or a garage door opener.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

training the wireless control system to transmit the wireless control signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless control signal is an ultra-high frequency (UHF) signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless control signal is a rolling code signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the wireless control signal using the device and transmitting a second wireless control signal to another device based on the wireless control signal received from the wireless control system mounted to the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the device is a garage door opener and the another home device is a lighting system.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the another home device is one of a home PC or a home appliance.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a control circuit of the wireless control system to format the wireless control signal according to a stored carrier frequency and stored control information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the carrier frequency and control information are stored in memory of the wireless control system during a training process.