Fixed location based trainable transceiver for the control of remote devices systems and methods

• US 10,096,188 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2017
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Geerlings, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, TANMAY K
• Application Number:
  US15/593,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20170249790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 340 525
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/0069 actuated in a predetermined sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• 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 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

A system for controlling a remote device from a vehicle includes a control device in the vehicle. The control device includes an operator input device configured to receive a user, input, a control circuit coupled to the operator input device, and a first communications device coupled to the control circuit. The control circuit is configured to transmit a control signal in response to the user input. The system further includes a trainable transceiver remote from the vehicle including a second communications device configured to receive the control signal, a processing circuit coupled to the second communications device, and a transceiver circuit coupled to the processing circuit. The processing circuit configured to format an activation signal in response to the control signal, and the processing circuit is further configured to transmit the activation signal via the transceiver circuit, wherein the activation signal is configured to control the remote device.

Claims

1. A control device mounted in a vehicle for controlling remote devices, comprising:

a control circuit coupled to an operator input device; and

a communications device coupled to the control circuit,

wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit a control signal in response to a user input at the operator input device via the communications device to a trainable transceiver remotely located from the vehicle, receipt of the control signal triggering the trainable transceiver to format an activation signal in response to the control signal and to send the formatted activation signal to control a remote device.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the operator input device comprises a plurality of input buttons, each input button corresponding to one of a plurality of remote devices;

and

wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine the control signal to be transmitted based on the user input at an input button of the plurality of input buttons of the operator input device.

3. The control device of claim 1, wherein the operator input device comprises a plurality of input buttons, each input button associated with a device identifier corresponding to one of a plurality of remote devices;

and

wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit the control signal in response to the user input at an input button of the plurality of input buttons, the control signal including the device identifier associated with the input button, receipt of the control signal triggering the trainable transceiver to format the activation signal based on the device identifier to control the remote device of the plurality of remote devices corresponding to the device identifier.

4. The control device of claim 1, wherein the operator input device comprises a plurality of input buttons, each input button corresponding to a channel identifier;

and

wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit the control signal in response to the user input at an input button of the plurality of input buttons, the control signal including the channel identifier associated with the input button, receipt of the control signal triggering the trainable transceiver to format the activation signal by identify a channel corresponding to the channel identifier received in the control signal.

5. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to format the control signal based on an identifier of the trainable transceiver.

6. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit the control signal via the communications device in a first communications protocol, receipt of the control signal triggering the trainable transceiver to send the formatted activation signal in a second communications protocol.

7. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit the control signal to the trainable transceiver via an intermediate device, a transmission range of the intermediate device greater than a transmission range of the communications device, receipt of the control signal triggering the intermediate device to transmit the control signal to the trainable transceiver.

8. The control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second communication device of a vehicle electronics system coupled to the control circuit, a transmission range of the second communications device greater than a transmission range of the communications device; and

wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit the control signal in response to the user input via the second communications device to the trainable transceiver.

9. The control device of claim 1, wherein the communication device coupled to the control circuit is a part of a vehicle electronics system physically separate from the control circuit.

10. The control device of claim 1, wherein the communications device includes at least one of a radio frequency transceiver, Bluetooth transceiver, cellular transceiver, or internet networking device.

11. A trainable transceiver for controlling remote devices, comprising:

a communications device configured to receive a control signal from a control device of a remotely located vehicle;

a processing circuit coupled to the communications device; and

a transceiver circuit coupled to the processing circuit;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to format an activation signal in response to receipt of the control signal from the remotely located vehicle, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to transmit the activation signal via the transceiver circuit, and wherein the activation signal is formatted to control a remote device.

12. The trainable transceiver of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to format the activation signal based on an input button pressed at the control device of the remotely located vehicle, the input button corresponding to the remote device.

13. The trainable transceiver of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

identify the remote device from a plurality of remote devices based on a device identifier included in the control signal received from the control device of the remotely located vehicle; and

format the activation signal based on the remote device identified using the device identifier of the control signal.

14. The trainable transceiver of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

identify a channel of a plurality of channels based on a channel identifier included in the control signal received from the control device of the remotely located vehicle, each channel trained to control a corresponding remote device of a plurality of remote devices; and

format the activation signal based on the channel identified from the plurality of channels using the channel identifier included in the control signal.

15. The trainable transceiver of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

receive the control signal from the control device of the remotely located vehicle, the control signal formatted in a first communications protocol; and

transmit the activation signal to the remote device, the activation signal formatted in a second communications protocol.

16. The trainable transceiver of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to receive the control signal from the control device via an intermediate device, a transmission range of the intermediate device greater than a transmission range of the communications device.

17. The trainable transceiver of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to transmit the activation signal via the transceiver circuit to the remote device located within a same building.

18. The trainable transceiver of claim 11, further comprising an input/output device coupled to the processing circuit, wherein the input/output device includes a plurality of buttons, each button of the plurality of buttons configured to initiate training of the processing circuit to control a corresponding remote device of a plurality of remote devices.

19. The trainable transceiver of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of channels, each channel configured to be trained to control one or more remote devices.

20. The trainable transceiver of claim 11, wherein the communications device includes at least one of a radio frequency transceiver, Bluetooth transceiver, cellular transceiver, or internet networking device.