Channel-switching remote controlled barrier opening system

• US 9,483,935 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• 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): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US14/615,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20150179059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 remote controlled barrier opening system, comprising:

a transmitter configured to;

(a) switch an output frequency to different channels, the switching being performed at a transmitter-switching rate, and

(b) on each of the channels, transmit multiple copies of a message;

a receiver configured to;

(a) switch a reception frequency to the different channels at a receiver scan rate that is different from the transmitter-switching rate, and

(b) on each of the channels, receive data for a period of time greater than a transmission time of one copy of the message; and

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

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said receiver is configured to learn said transmitter by requiring successful receipt of at least two transmitted copies of the message on each of the multiple channels.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said receiver is configured to 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.

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

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

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit copies of a message while cycling between first and second channels at a transmitter-cycling rate, wherein cycling between the first and second channels is triggered by transmission of a predetermined number of copies of the message on a current one of the channels;

a receiver configured to cycle through the first and second channels at a scan rate enabling the receiver to receive at least two copies of the message on the first and second channels, wherein the scan rate is greater than the transmitter-cycling rate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said receiver is configured 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 first and second channels.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said receiver is configured to 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.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said receiver cycles the first channel to the second channel and back to the first channel at a rate faster than said transmitter cycles from the first channel to the second channel.

10. A remote control transmitter comprising:

a modulator configured to set an output frequency to a first channel;

a controller configured to transmit multiple copies of a message over the first channel; and

a channel switching control circuit configured to make a first determination of whether a predetermined number of 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 at a first scanning rate,

wherein said controller is configured to transmit the multiple copies of the message over the second channel, and said channel switching control circuit is configured to make a second determination of 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 set the output frequency to the first channel at a second scanning rate different than the first scanning rate.

11. The transmitter of claim 10, 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.

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

a modulator operatively configured to set a reception frequency to a first channel;

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

channel switching control circuit operatively configured to cause said modulator to switch to a second channel in response to passage of a predetermined amount of time, receive data over the second channel, cause said modulator to switch back to the first channel in response to passage of the predetermined amount of time since switching to the second channel,

wherein the predetermined amount of time is at least sufficient to permit reception of two copies of a packet transmitted over the first channel;

wherein said controller is operatively configured to make a validity determination of 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.

13. The receiver of claim 12, wherein said controller is operatively configured 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.

14. The receiver of claim 13, wherein said controller is operatively configured to 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.

15. The receiver of claim 12, wherein the predetermined amount of time is less than an 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.

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

operating a transmitter, including;

(a) switching a transmitter to different channels, the switching being performed at a transmitter-switching rate, and

(b) on each of the channels, transmitting multiple copies of a message;

operating a receiver, including;

(a) switching a receiver to the different channels in a manner that is asynchronous with the switching of the transmitter at a receiver scan rate that is different than the transmitter-switching rate, and

(b) on each of the different channels, receiving data for a period of time greater than a transmission time of one copy of the message; and

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

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising learning the transmitter to the receiver by requiring successful receipt of at least two sequentially transmitted copies of the message on each of the different channels.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising 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.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein another period of time for receiving the data over all of the different channels is briefer than that required for performing the transmission of the multiple copies of the message on one of the channels.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are operated to iteratively, sequentially switch between exactly two channels.

21. A method of operation of a remote control transmitter, the method comprising:

setting an output frequency to a first channel;

transmitting multiple copies of a message over the first channel;

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

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

transmitting multiple copies of the message over the second channel;

making a second determination of 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 at a second scanning rate different than the first scanning rate.

22. The method of claim 21, 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.

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

setting a reception frequency to a first channel;

receiving data over the first channel;

switching to a second channel in response to passage of a predetermined amount of time;

receiving data over the second channel;

switching back to the first channel in response to passage of the predetermined amount of time since switching to the second channel;

wherein the predetermined amount of time is at least sufficient to permit reception of two copies of a packet transmitted over 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; and

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

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising 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.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising 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.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the predetermined amount of time is less than an 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.