Garage door communication systems and methods

• US 10,733,823 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyBell Technologies Ip, LLC
• Original Assignee: SkyBell Technologies Ip, LLC
• Inventors: Scalisi, Joseph Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Walker, Jared
• Application Number:
  US15/060,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20160258202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 348143
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/06 Involving synchronization or resynchronization between transmitter and receiver; reordering of codes
• 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 9/00944 Details of construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass

Abstract

Methods for replacing a first garage door controller with a second garage door controller can include electrically decoupling the first garage door controller from a first wire that is electrically coupled to the garage door opener. Methods can include electrically decoupling the first garage door controller from a second wire that is electrically coupled to the garage door opener. Methods can also include electrically coupling the second garage door controller to the first wire and electrically coupling the second garage door controller to the second wire. Methods can even include communicatively coupling the second garage door controller to an Internet router to thereby communicatively couple the second garage door controller to a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of using a garage door controller electrically coupled to a first wire and a second wire that are electrically coupled to a garage door opener, wherein the garage door controller is configured to receive a user input via a button configured to open and close a circuit between a power supply and the garage door opener to enable a garage door to move to one of an open position, partially open position, and closed position with respect to a garage door frame, wherein the garage door controller comprises a camera for detecting whether an object enters a space between the garage door frame, and wherein the garage door controller further includes a wireless communication module configured to communicatively couple to the garage door opener and a remote computing device configured to communicate via at least one of a cellular network and a WiFi network, the method comprising:

receiving, by the garage door controller, a transmission from the remote computing device, wherein the transmission is sent directly from the remote computing device to the garage door controller, wherein the transmission includes a command to move the garage door to one of the open position, partially open position, and closed position; and

in response to receiving the transmission, moving the garage door to one of the open position, partially open position, and closed position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to moving the garage door to one of the open position, partially open position, and closed position, the method further comprising transmitting a notification to the remote computing device, wherein the notification comprises a status of whether the garage door is in one of the open position, partially open position, and closed position.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the garage door frame defines a first vertical inner surface, a second vertical inner surface that faces the first vertical inner surface, and a first horizontal inner surface that faces a ground surface whereby the first horizontal inner surface extends between the first vertical inner surface and the second vertical inner surface, wherein the space is a plane that is parallel to the garage door when the garage door is in the closed position, wherein the plane is located between the garage door opener and the garage door when the garage door is in the closed position, the method further comprising:

detecting, by the camera, whether an object breaks a portion of the plane in a location between the first vertical inner surface, the second vertical inner surface, the first horizontal inner surface, and the ground surface;

in response to detecting that an object has entered a portion of the plane, terminating movement of the garage door opener; and

in response to detecting that no object has entered a portion of the plane, moving the garage door to one of the open position, partially open position, and closed position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the space is a line that extends between a first point and a second point adjacent the garage door frame, wherein the first point is coordinated at a first vertical location and a first horizontal location, wherein the second point is substantially coordinated at the first vertical location and a second horizontal location, wherein the first vertical location is located along a lower portion of the garage door frame, wherein the first horizontal location is horizontally spaced from the second horizontal location such that the first and second horizontal locations are disposed at opposite sides of the garage door frame, the method further comprising:

detecting, by the camera, whether an object breaks a portion of the line;

in response to detecting that an object has entered a portion of the line, terminating movement of the garage door opener; and

in response to detecting that no object has entered a portion of the line, moving the garage door to one of the open position, partially open position, and closed position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote computing device is at least one mile away from the garage door opener.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the garage door controller comprises an outer housing defining an internal portion that is substantially enclosed, wherein the garage door controller comprises a speaker located within the internal portion of the outer housing, whereby the speaker is configured transmit an audible message, and wherein the garage door controller comprises a microphone located within the internal portion of the outer housing, whereby the microphone is configured to receive an audible message, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the microphone, a first audible message, wherein the first audible message comprises an instruction to one of open the garage door, close the garage door, and stop the garage door;

in response to receiving the first audible message to open the garage door, moving the garage door to the open position;

in response to receiving the first audible message to close the garage door, moving the garage door to the closed position;

in response to receiving the first audible message to stop the garage door, terminating movement of the garage door; and

emitting, by the speaker, a second audible message comprising an indication of a garage door status.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the garage door controller comprises a motion detector configured to detect a predetermined motion, the method further comprising:

detecting, by the motion detector, the predetermined motion; and

in response to detecting the predetermined motion, performing, by the garage door controller, a predetermined action.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined action is selected from a group consisting of closing the garage door, opening the garage door, terminating movement of the garage door, illuminating a light, and deactivating the light.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined motion is a first predetermined motion and the predetermined action is a first predetermined action, wherein the motion detector is configured to detect a second predetermined motion, and wherein the second predetermined motion is different than the first predetermined motion, the method comprising:

detecting, by the motion detector, the second predetermined motion; and

in response to detecting the second predetermined motion, performing, by the garage door controller, a second predetermined action, wherein the second predetermined action is different than the first predetermined action.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording, by the camera, at least one of a portion of the space and an area adjacent the space.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein recording, by the camera, at least one of the portion of the space and the area adjacent the space occurs in response to determining that the object has entered the space.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein recording, by the camera, at least one of the portion of the space and the area adjacent the space occurs in response to determining that the object is about to enter the space.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting, by the camera, whether the object is about to enter the space.

18. The method of claim 17, in response to detecting that the object is about to enter the space, the method further comprising terminating movement of the garage door opener.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote computing device comprises at least one of a smartphone, a tablet, and a laptop.

10. A garage door control system configured to cause a garage door opener to move between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein when the garage door opener is in the extended position, a garage door is in a closed position with respect to a garage door frame, and wherein when the garage door opener is in the retracted position, the garage door is in an open position with respect to the garage door frame, the garage door control system including a garage door controller, the garage door controller comprising:

an outer housing comprising an internal portion that is substantially enclosed and an outer surface opposite the internal portion, wherein the outer housing includes a camera for detecting whether an object enters a space between the garage door frame and a button configured to receive a user input;

a communication module located within the internal portion of the outer housing, wherein the communication module is configured to connect to a wireless communication network, and wherein the communication module is configured to receive a first wireless transmission directly from a remote computing device configured to communicate via at least one of a cellular network and a WiFi network; and

a transmitter communicatively coupled to the communication module, wherein the transmitter is configured to send a second wireless transmission to the garage door opener, and wherein the second wireless transmission commands the garage door opener to move between the retracted position and the extended position.

11. The garage door control system of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is a radio frequency transmitter, the garage door control system further comprising an antenna electrically coupled to the radio frequency transmitter, wherein the antenna is configured to convert electricity into a radio frequency transmission, and wherein the second wireless transmission is the radio frequency transmission.

12. The garage door control system of claim 10, further comprising a router communicatively coupled to both the garage door controller and the remote computing device, wherein the garage door controller is communicatively coupled to the remote computing device via the router.

13. The garage door control system of claim 12, further comprising the garage door opener communicatively coupled to the garage door controller.

19. The garage door control system of claim 10, wherein the camera is configurable to detect whether an object enters a space between the garage door frame and thereby record at least one of a portion of the space and an area adjacent the space.