Garage door system and method

• US 8,866,583 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GMI Holdings Incorporated (Sanwa Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: GMI Holdings Incorporated (Sanwa Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ordaz, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBINIYI, PAULSON IDOWU
• Application Number:
  US13/494,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20130328663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.62, 340/5.7, 340/5.71, 340/3.1, 340/12.54, 340/309.16, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/505, 340/545.1, 340/546, 340/686.1, 340/686.6
• US Class Current: 340/5.62
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25168 Domotique, access through internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25187 Transmission of signals, medium, ultrasonic, radio
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2628 Door, window
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass

Abstract

A universal system and method for controlling existing garage doors via existing garage door openers. The system includes a module operable both manually and automatically to control the existing garage door, Wifi communication circuitry to receive instructions wirelessly from a remote, circuitry for automatic and remote control of the garage door and circuitry for pushing garage door status information.

Claims

1. A universal system comprising:

a remote garage door server communicably coupled to a plurality of existing garage doors via one or more Internet routers and communicably coupled to corresponding user computing devices configured to operate said existing garage doors;

a module that replaces integrates

     1) a manual switch and

     2) a Wifi communication circuitry coupled to an Internet router within a home interior;

upon removal of a garage switch for controlling an existing garage door, the manual switch being configured to replace the garage switch and to open or close the existing garage door when said manual switch is depressed by a user;

for controlling an existing garage door, said module operable both manually and automatically to control the existing garage door, said Wifi communication circuitry configured to use the Internet router within the home interior to receive instructions-from a remote user via the Internet while said remote user is away from home, said user employing a user computing device and the remote garage door server to control the existing garage door, said module having logic circuitry to direct the garage door opener to open or close the existing garage door based upon said instructions received from said remote user, said module having circuitry to direct the garage door opener to close or open the existing garage door when said module is manually operated by a user, and said module having a push logic circuitry timed at intermitted intervals to automatically send without request to automatically send garage door status information to a remotely located server via the Internet so the remote user can access said remotely located server using a computing device to obtain garage door status information while the user is away from home.

2. The universal system of claim 1 wherein the module is remotely accessible to the user via a mobile device communicably coupled to the server.

3. The universal system of claim 1, wherein the module is remotely accessible to the user via a mobile device communicably coupled to the server.