Systems and methods for adding a trainable transceiver to a vehicle

• US 10,339,741 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2018
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Geerlings, Steven L., Wright, Thomas S., Witkowski, Todd R., Hamlin, Bradley R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Syed, Nabil H
• Application Number:
  US15/952,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20180232981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00849 programming by learning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00888 programming by learning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/30 not 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

Abstract

A system for installation in a vehicle and for controlling a remote device includes a trainable transceiver and a remote button module. The trainable transceiver base station configured to be mounted in the vehicle at a first location and the remote button module separated from the base station and configured to be mounted in the vehicle at a second location. The remote button module is configured to wirelessly transmit a command signal to the base station in response to receiving a user input at a user input device, and the base station responds to receiving the command signal by transmitting an activation signal to the remote device, wherein the activation signal is formatted to control the remote device.

Claims

1. A remote button module for controlling remote devices, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a control circuit configured to;

receive control information for controlling a remote device for storage onto memory;

pair with a mobile communications device;

transmit the control information to a trainable transceiver base station for training;

receive, via the pairing, a first control signal for activating the remote device from the mobile communications device;

transmit, responsive to the receipt of the first control signal, a second control signal to the trainable transceiver base station to cause the trainable transceiver base station to transmit a third control signal to activate the remote device, wherein the third control signal is formatted based on the control information and the second signal.

2. The remote button module of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive, subsequent to the transmission of the second control signal, a confirmation message from the remote device via the trainable transceiver base station, wherein the confirmation message is transmitted by the remote device responsive to the receipt of the third control signal; and

transmit, to the mobile communications device for display, the confirmation message received from the remote device.

3. The remote button module of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to be enabled to control the remote device, responsive to a determination that the remote button module is communicatively connected to the mobile communications device.

4. The remote button module of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive, via the pairing with the mobile communications device from a remote source, the control information for controlling the remote device, wherein the mobile communications device retrieves the control information from the remote source.

5. The remote button module of claim 1, further comprising an input device, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive, on the input device, a user input for operating the mobile communications device; and

transmit, responsive to the receipt of the user input, a fourth control signal to the mobile communications, wherein the receipt of the fourth control signal triggers a function at the mobile communications device.

6. The remote button module of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

analyze a fourth control signal from a wireless transmitter to determine the control information for controlling the remote device; and

store the control information onto the memory of the remote button module.

7. The remote button module of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to display information received from an application executing on the mobile communications device.

8. A trainable transceiver base station for controlling remote devices, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a control circuit configured to;

receive, from a remote button module, a first control signal and control information for controlling a remote device, wherein the first control signal is transmitted by the remote button module responsive to receipt of a second control signal via pairing with a mobile communications device;

train to control the remote device using the control information;

format a third control signal to control the remote device based on the first control signal received from the remote button module and on the control information; and

transmit the third control signal to the remote device formatted based on the first control signal and the control information.

9. The trainable transceiver base station of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive, subsequent to the transmission of the third control signal, a confirmation message from the remote device via the trainable transceiver base station, wherein the confirmation message is transmitted by the remote device responsive to the receipt of the third control signal; and

transmit, to the remote button module, the confirmation message received from the remote device, receipt of the confirmation message causing the remote button module to transmit the confirmation message to the mobile communications device for display.

10. The trainable transceiver base station of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is further configured to be enabled to control the remote device, responsive to a determination that the remote button module is communicatively connected to the mobile communications device.

11. The trainable transceiver base station of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

pair with the mobile communications device; and

receive, via the pairing with the mobile communications device from a remote source, the control information for controlling the remote device, wherein the mobile communications device retrieves the control information from the remote source.

12. The trainable transceiver base station of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is further configured to display information received from an application executing on the mobile communications device.

13. A system for controlling remote devices, comprising:

an application executable on a mobile communications device, configured to;

pair the mobile communications device with a remote button module;

transmit, via the pairing to the remote button module, control information for controlling a remote device;

receive, from the mobile communications device, an input for controlling the remote device;

transmit, responsive to the receipt of the input, a first control signal to the remote button module, the first control signal causing the remote button module to transmit a second control signal to a trainable transceiver base station, the second control signal causing the trainable transceiver base station to transmit a third control signal to control the remote device using the control information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the application is further configured to:

pair the mobile communications device with the trainable transceiver base station; and

transmit, via the pairing to the trainable transceiver base station, the control information for controlling the remote device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the application is further configured to receive, subsequent to the transmission of the first control signal, a confirmation message from the remote device through the remote button module and the trainable transceiver base station, wherein the confirmation message is transmitted by the remote device responsive to receipt of the third control signal from the trainable transceiver base station.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the application is further configured to:

receive, from the remote button module, a fourth control signal generated responsive to a second input on an input device of the remote button module; and

trigger, responsive to receipt of the fourth control signal, a function at the mobile communications device.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the application is further configured to:

receive, from at least one of the remote button module and the trainable transceiver base station, a fourth control signal generated responsive to a second input; and

generate, responsive to the receipt of the fourth control signal, the first control signal for controlling the remote device.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the application is further configured to:

display a prompt for inputting an identifier for the remote device to be controlled via the application; and

retrieve, using the identifier for the remote device received via the prompt, the control information for controlling the remote device from a remote source.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the application is further configured to display, subsequent to launching of the application, a prompt to pair with at least one of the remote button module and the trainable transceiver base station.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the application is further configured to transmit the control information and the first control signal to the remote button module via a near field communications connection.