SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONFIGURING AND OPERATING A WIRELESS CONTROL SYSTEM IN A VEHICLE FOR ACTIVATION OF A REMOTE DEVICE

• US 20100159846A1
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Klaver, Thomas D., Shearer, Carl, Witkowski, Todd R., Geerlings, Steven L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed

Abstract

Control systems for mounting in a vehicle and for transmitting a signal to a receiver associated with a device for opening or closing a movable barrier when the receiver receives an authorized signal are provided.

Claims

1. A control system for mounting in a vehicle and for transmitting a signal to a receiver associated with a device for opening or closing a movable barrier when the receiver receives an authorized signal, the control system comprising:

a transmitter;

memory storing a first set of messages for including with transmissions to the receiver from the transmitter;

an interface configured to receive a second set of messages from at least one of a portable electronic device and a remote system, wherein the second set of messages comprises a plurality of messages;

a circuit configured to provide the second set of messages to the memory for storage; and

a user input interface configured to receive an indication of user input from a user interface element and to provide the indication to the circuit;

wherein the circuit is configured to provide at least one of the messages stored in memory to the transmitter for transmission to the receiver based on the indication received from the user input interface;

wherein the first and second set of messages comprise at least one of rolling code messages and fixed code messages.

2. The control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving a signal from an original portable transmitter pre-configured to send an authorized signal to the receiver;

wherein the circuit is configured to identify a characteristic associated with the received signal and to use the count to select which of the messages stored in memory to provide to the transmitter when the indication is received from the user input interface.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the interface is a USB interface configured to connect to a portable electronic device with a USB connector.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein the interface is a transceiver configured for wireless communications from the remote system and/or the portable electronic device.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein the transceiver is configured to communicate according to at least one of a Bluetooth specification, an IEEE 802.11 specification, a WiFi specification, a WiMax specification, a cellular phone specification, and a ZigBee specification.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the interface is at least one of a remote keyless entry receiver and an RF receiver associated with a tire pressure monitoring system;

and

wherein the portable electronic device is at least one of a mobile phone, a key fob, and a personal digital assistant.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises memory and a processor, the memory having computer code for execution by the processor and for reprogramming logic of the circuit based on update information received from the interface;

wherein the interface is a memory card reader.

8. A control system for mounting in a vehicle and for transmitting a signal to a receiver associated with a device for opening or closing a movable barrier when the receiver receives an authorized signal, the control system comprising:

an interface configured to exchangably receive different transmitters;

a power supply configured to supply power to the interface;

a user input interface configured to receive user input from a user interface element;

a circuit communicably coupling the user input interface and the interface for receiving a transmitter, the circuit configured to utilize different transmitters received by the interface so that common user input received at the user input interface results in like behavior by the different transmitters.

9. A control system for mounting in a vehicle and for transmitting a signal to a remote receiver associated with a device for opening or closing a movable barrier when the remote receiver receives an authorized signal, the control system comprising:

a transmitter;

memory storing a plurality of identifiers, each identifier associated with a different possible remote receiver manufacturer, each different possible remote control system manufacturer associated with at least one message, an algorithm for generating a message, or at least one message and an algorithm for generating a message;

an interface for receiving an identifier; and

a control circuit configured to compare the received identifier to one or more of the plurality of identifiers stored in memory and to cause the transmitter to transmit, based on the comparison, at least one message associated with the manufacturer based on the at least one message stored in memory, the algorithm for generating a message, or the at least one message and the algorithm for generating the message.

10. The control system of claim 9, wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit a plurality of messages associated with the manufacturer indicated by the received identifier during a process of training the control system to send authenticated transmissions to the remote receiver.

11. The control system of claim 9, wherein the control circuit configures itself for future operation to output a legacy message associated with the manufacturer indicated by the received identifier.

12. The control system of claim 9, wherein the interface is configured to receive input from a user interface at which a user can indicate the manufacturer of their remote control system.

13. The control system of claim 9, wherein the interface comprises receiving circuit configured to receive an indication of the manufacturer of the remote receiver from a remote source, wherein the remote source is at least one of a portable electronic device, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, and a remote server.

14. The control system of claim 13, wherein the remote server is associated with a web site configured to determine the identifier of the remote receiver utilizing a graphical user interface displayed to the user.

15. The control system of claim 9, wherein the interface is a speech recognition system provided in the vehicle, wherein the control circuit is configured to cause a vehicle audio system and/or an electronic display to prompt the user for information regarding the receiver.

16. The control system of claim 9, wherein the interface comprises a user interface;

wherein the interface is configured to receive an indication of a manufacturer via the user interface.

17. The control system of claim 16, wherein the interface further comprises at least one display element configured to provide display output to the user that indicates the user'"'"'s currently selected remote receiver manufacturer and/or model.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein the at least one display element is an LED and the interface is configured to blink the LED to indicate the user'"'"'s currently selected receiver.

19. The control system of claim 9, wherein the interface is at least one of:

(a) a connection to a receiver associated with a vehicle remote keyless entry system,

(b) a connection to a receiver associated with a tire pressure monitoring system,

(c) a connection to a transceiver configured for use with a hands-free communication module,

(d) a connection to a mobile phone module, and

(e) a connection to a transceiver for communicating with a home network.

20. A control system for mounting in a vehicle and for transmitting a signal to a receiving device associated with a device for opening or closing a movable barrier when the receiving device receives an authorized signal, the receiving device associated with an original transmitter, the control system comprising:

a control circuit;

a receiver communicably coupled to the control circuit and configured to receive a first signal from the original transmitter; and

memory storing a plurality of identifiers, each identifier associated with a different possible algorithm, wherein the first signal comprises an identifier;

wherein the control circuit is configured to detect the identifier of the first signal and to use the detected identifier of the first signal and the plurality of identifiers stored in memory to determine which of a plurality of possible algorithms to utilize in order to complete a successful training process with the receiver;

wherein the control circuit is configured to complete the analysis of the first signal without decoding a data portion of the first signal that is used by the receiving device for authentication.

21. A control system for mounting in a vehicle and for transmitting a signal to a receiver associated with a device for opening or closing a movable barrier when the receiving device receives an authorized signal, the receiving device associated with an original transmitter, the control system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive and recognize a discrete identifier message from the original transmitter before or after a data message;

a circuit configured to be provided the discrete identifier message and configured to analyze the discrete identifier message to determine a manufacturer of the remote control system;

an input from a user interface for receiving a command to transmit a control signal to the receiving device;

a transmitter for transmitting control signals to the receiving device;

wherein the circuit is configured to cause the transmitter to transmit a first control signal based on the manufacturer in response to a first command received at the input;

wherein the circuit is configured to cause the transmitter to transmit a second control signal based on the manufacturer in response to a second command received at the input;

wherein the circuit is configured to receive an indication from the user at the input to indicate whether the first control signal or the second control signal caused the device for opening or closing a movable barrier to respond; and

wherein the circuit configured itself for future transmissions to the receiving device based on the received indication.

22. A control system for mounting in a vehicle and for transmitting a signal to a receiver associated with a device for opening or closing a movable barrier when the receiver receives an authorized signal, the control system comprising:

a transmitter;

memory storing a plurality of codes, a first group of the codes compatible with old receiver standards and a second group of the codes associated with new receiver standards;

an input configured to receiving a command from a user interface element;

a circuit configured to cause the transmitter to transmit the first group of codes followed by the second group of codes when the command is received at the input.