Trainable transceiver and camera systems and methods

• US 9,922,548 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Geerlings, Steven L., Witkowski, Todd R., Wright, Thomas S., Smeyers, Marc A., Dorst, Jonathan E., Papay, Douglas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US14/690,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20150302737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system for installation in a vehicle and for controlling a remote device including a trainable transceiver, a camera, an output device, and a control circuit coupled to the trainable transceiver and the camera. The control circuit is configured to use data received from the camera to determine if the vehicle is well positioned within a garage, and the control circuit is configured to provide an indication that the vehicle is well positioned using the output device in response to determining that the vehicle is well positioned within a garage.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a remote device, comprising:

a trainable transceiver;

a first camera;

a second camera;

an output device; and

a control circuit coupled to the trainable transceiver, the first camera, and the second camera, the control circuit configured to;

apply a stereo camera distance detection technique on data received from the first camera and the second camera to determine a position of a vehicle within a garage and determine whether the vehicle is well positioned within the garage based on the determined position of the vehicle, vehicle size information, and garage information, such that a garage door will not contact the vehicle upon activation; and

provide an indication that the vehicle is well positioned using the output device to indicate that the garage door will not contact the vehicle upon activation in response to determining that the vehicle is well positioned within the garage.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine, based on the data received from the first camera and from the second camera whether the garage door of the garage is down and the vehicle is approaching the garage door, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to produce, using the output device, at least one of an audible warning or a visual warning.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit an activation signal formatted to control a garage door opener coupled to the garage door in response to determining that the garage is down and the vehicle is approaching the garage door.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine a distance between the vehicle and a wall of the garage based on the data received from the first camera and the second camera.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine a distance between the vehicle and a wall of the garage based on the data received from the first camera and the second camera and using markings included on at least one wall of the garage.

6. The system of claim 1, further including a remote start interface coupled to the control circuit and configured to at least one of (A) receive a wireless remote start signal from a keyfob associated with the vehicle or (B) receive a wireless remote start indication from a system of the vehicle, and wherein in response to a remote start signal or indication being received, the control circuit is configured to at least one of (C) determine whether the garage door of the garage is down based on the data from the first camera and the second camera and (D) transmit, via the trainable transceiver, an activation signal configured to control a garage door opener coupled to the garage door.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to use the data received from the first camera and the second camera to determine whether the vehicle is well positioned within the garage based on determining the position of the vehicle relative to a garage door track in the garage.

7. A method for positioning a vehicle within a garage using a trainable transceiver and cameras coupled to the trainable transceiver, comprising:

receiving, at a control circuit of the trainable transceiver, image data from a plurality of cameras;

determining a position of the vehicle within a garage and determining whether the vehicle is well positioned within the garage based on the determined position of the vehicle, vehicle size information, and garage information, such that a garage door will not contact the vehicle upon activation by applying a stereo camera detection technique to the image data from the plurality of cameras; and

providing an indication that the vehicle is well positioned in the garage using an output device of the trainable transceiver controlled by the control circuit to indicate that the garage door will not contact the vehicle upon activation, in response to determining that the vehicle is well positioned within the garage.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, using the control circuit and the image data, that the garage door of the garage is down and the vehicle is approaching the garage door; and

producing at least one of an audible warning or a visual warning using the control circuit and the output device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting an activation signal formatted to control a garage door opener coupled to the garage door in response to determining that the garage is down and the vehicle is approaching the garage door.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining, using the control circuit and based on the image data, a distance between the vehicle and a wall of the garage.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining, using the control circuit and based on the image data and markings included on at least one wall of the garage, a distance between the vehicle and the wall of the garage.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a wireless remote start indication from a system of the vehicle in communication with the control circuit;

in response to receiving the wireless remote start indication being received determining, using the control circuit and image data whether the garage door of the garage is down; and

in response to determining that the garage door is down transmitting, via the trainable transceiver, an activation signal configured to control a garage door opener coupled to the garage door.

13. A system for controlling a remote device, comprising:

a trainable transceiver;

a camera interface configured to receive images through a wired or wireless connection with a plurality of cameras located in or on a vehicle;

an output device; and

a control circuit coupled to the trainable transceiver and the camera interface, the control circuit configured to;

apply a stereo camera distance detection technique on data received from the plurality of cameras to determine a position of the vehicle within a garage and determine whether the vehicle is well positioned within the garage based on the determined position of the vehicle, vehicle size information, and garage information, such that a garage door will not contact the vehicle upon activation; and

provide an indication via the output device to indicate that the garage door will not contact the vehicle upon activation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine, based on the data received from the camera interface whether the garage door of the garage is down and the vehicle is approaching the garage door, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to produce, using the output device, at least one of an audible warning or a visual warning.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit an activation signal formatted to control a garage door opener coupled to the garage door in response to determining that the garage is down and the vehicle is approaching the garage door.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine a distance between the vehicle and a wall of the garage based on the data received from the camera interface.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine a distance between the vehicle and a wall of the garage based on the data received from the camera interface and using markings included on at least one wall of the garage.

18. The system of claim 13, further including a remote start interface coupled to the control circuit and configured to at least one of (A) receive a wireless remote start signal from a keyfob associated with the vehicle or (B) receive a wireless remote start indication from a system of the vehicle, and wherein in response to a remote start signal or indication being received, the control circuit is configured to at least one of (C) determine whether the garage door of the garage is down based on the data from the plurality of cameras and (D) transmit, via the trainable transceiver, an activation signal configured to control a garage door opener coupled to the garage door.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the camera interface receives the images from a front facing camera and a rear facing camera.