Garage door status and control via a security system

• US 9,767,631 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nye, James Ellis, Child, Michael D., Thomas, Jeffrey G., Warren, Jeremy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALUNKAL, THOMAS D
• Application Number:
  US14/179,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 340 57, 340 571, 340474, 340 761, 340 762
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/30 not involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described that are directed to status and control of a garage door system via an alarm system controller. A garage door system may include one or more garage doors and at least one sensor configured to sense data indicative of a status of a garage door of the one or more garage doors. The at least one sensor may further be configured to convey the sensed data to an alarm system controller.

Claims

1. A centralized garage door control and management method, comprising:

receiving, at a control panel of an automation and security system, a current state of a garage door from a sensor directly coupled with the control panel, wherein the control panel is communicatively coupled to a garage door control peripheral and one or more security sensors;

determining, at the control panel, direct instructions to change a state of the garage door based at least in part on a change of state request and the current state of the garage door;

receiving, at the garage door control peripheral, a garage control command comprising the direct instructions from the control panel;

converting, at the garage door control peripheral, the garage control command to facilitate communication between the control panel and a legacy garage door opener coupled to the garage door control peripheral;

transmitting, by the garage door control peripheral, the direct instructions to the legacy garage door opener; and

conveying, by the garage door control peripheral, an audible alert adjacent to the garage door at least one of prior to, during, or after a garage door change of state based at least in part on the garage control command.

2. The centralized garage door control and management method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step comprises:

transmitting the garage door status to the control panel at pre-defined intervals.

3. The centralized garage door control and management method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the garage door control peripheral with the legacy garage door opener.

4. The centralized garage door control and management method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing a change of state of the garage door.

5. The centralized garage door control and management method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting a signal indicative of a garage door status change; and

toggling a relay control device from a first position to a second position in response to the detected signal.

6. The centralized garage door control and management method of claim 1, further comprising:

conveying a visual alert adjacent to the garage door at least one of prior to, during, or after the garage door change of state based at least in part on the garage control command.

7. A centralized garage door control and management system comprising:

a garage door control peripheral communicatively coupled to a legacy garage door opener; and

a control panel of an automation and security system communicatively coupled to the garage door control peripheral and one or more security sensors, the control panel configured to;

receive a current state of a garage door from a sensor directly coupled with the control panel;

determine direct instructions to change a state of the garage door based at least in part on the a change of state request and the current state of the garage door; and

transmit the direct instructions to the garage door control peripheral;

the garage door control peripheral configured to;

receive the direct instructions;

convert the direct instructions to facilitate communication between the legacy garage door opener and the control panel;

transmit the direct instructions to the legacy garage door opener; and

convey an audible alert adjacent to the garage door at least one of prior to, during, or after a garage door change of state based at least in part on the garage door command.

8. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 7, wherein the garage door control peripheral is further configured to:

associate with a legacy garage door opener.

9. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 7, wherein the garage door control peripheral is further configured to:

communicate wirelessly with the control panel; and

receive at least one of a garage control command or a signal indicative of a status of one or more garage doors.

10. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 9, wherein the garage door control peripheral is further configured to:

send the garage door status to the control panel at pre-defined intervals.

11. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 7, wherein the garage door control peripheral is communicatively coupled with the legacy garage door opener via a hard-wired serial interface.

12. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 7, wherein the garage door control peripheral comprises a relay control device.

13. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 12, wherein the relay control device is configured to:

detect a signal indicative of a garage door status change; and

toggle from a first position to a second position in response to the detected signal.

14. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 7, further comprising:

a user interface configured to convey a status of the garage door.

15. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 7, further comprising:

a user interface configured to convey an alert prior to, during, or after a garage door status change.

16. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 7, further comprising:

a camera for capturing one of a video and an image of an area proximate one or more garage doors.

17. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 7, further comprising:

an alert device for conveying the audible alert prior to, during, or after a change of state of the garage door.

18. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 17, wherein the alert device further comprises a visual alert device.

19. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 7, wherein the control panel comprises at least one of an automation system controller or a security system controller.

20. A computer program product for a centralized garage door control and management system, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor to:

receive, at a control panel of an automation and security system, a current state of a garage door from a sensor directly coupled with the control panel, wherein the control panel is communicatively coupled to a garage door control peripheral and one or more security sensors;

determine, at the control panel, direct instructions to change a state of the garage door based at least in part on a change of state request and the current state of the garage door;

receiving, at the garage door control peripheral, a garage control command comprising the direct instructions from the control panel;

convert, at the garage door control peripheral, the garage control command to facilitate communication between the control panel and a legacy garage door opener coupled to the garage door control peripheral;

transmit, by the garage door control peripheral, the direct instructions to the legacy garage door opener; and

convey, by the garage door control peripheral, an audible alert adjacent to the garage door at least one of prior to, during, or after a garage door change of state based at least in part on the garage control command.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

transmit a garage door status to the control panel at pre-defined intervals.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

associate the garage door control peripheral with the legacy garage door opener.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

sense a change of state of one or more garage doors.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

detect a signal indicative of a garage door status change; and

toggle a relay control device from a first position to a second position in response to the detected signal.

25. A centralized garage door control and management system comprising:

means for receiving, at a control panel of an automation and security system, a current state of a garage door from a sensor directly coupled with the control panel, wherein the control panel is communicatively coupled to a garage door control peripheral and one or more security sensors;

means for determining, at the control panel, direct instructions to change a state of the garage door based at least in part on a change of state request and the current state of the garage door;

means for receiving, at the garage door control peripheral, a garage control command comprising the direct instructions from the control panel;

means for converting, at the garage door control peripheral, the garage control command to facilitate communication between the control panel and a legacy garage door opener coupled to the garage door control peripheral;

means for transmitting, by the garage door control peripheral, the direct instructions to the legacy garage door opener; and

means for conveying, by the garage door control peripheral, an audible alert adjacent to the garage door at least one of prior to, during, or after a garage door change of state based at least in part on the garage control command.

26. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for associating the garage door control peripheral with the legacy garage door opener.

27. The centralized garage door control and management system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for sensing a change of state of one or more garage doors.