Trainable RF transmitter having expanded learning capabilities

• US 6,091,343 A
• Filed: 12/18/1997
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Prince (Wellman Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zurawski, Kenneth R., Matlin, Mark D., Dykema, Kurt A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Howard L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEANGLAUDE, JEAN BRUNER
• Application Number:
  US08/993,420
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.22, 340/825.2, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/525, 364/188, 375/347, 375/202, 382/100, 343/700, 343/790, 455/101
• US Class Current: 340/13.21
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00849 programming by learning
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/62 Rolling code

Abstract

A trainable transmitter is described that is capable of learning and replicating both AM and FM signals. The trainable transmitter also has the capacity to learn and replicate RF signals in both the 27 MHz to 40 MHz and the 250 MHz to 450 MHz frequency bands commonly used in European garage door openers. The trainable transmitter allows an individual to input an identification of the country in which the trainable transmitter will be operated such that the trainable transmitter may then transmit the learned signals at the maximum levels permitted for the identified county.

Claims

1. A trainable transmitter for learning the characteristics of a received RF signal and for transmitting a modulated RF signal having the learned characteristics to a remote device, said trainable transmitter comprising:

a receiver for receiving an RF signal;

a controller coupled to said receiver for determining whether the received RF signal is FM or amplitude modulated, identifying the characteristics of the received RF signal including an RF carrier frequency and data code as well as an indication whether the received RF signal is frequency or amplitude modulated, and storing the identified signal characteristics; and

a transmitting circuit coupled to said controller for receiving the stored signal characteristics and for generating and transmitting a modulated RF signal having the learned signal characteristics.

2. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller determines whether the received RF signal is frequency or amplitude modulated based upon the peak amplitude and peak/peak amplitude variation of an RSSI signal derived from said received RF signal.

3. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 1, wherein said transmitting circuit includes:

a frequency control circuit coupled to said controller for generating frequency control signals in response to frequency control data received from said controller; and

a signal generating circuit coupled to said frequency control circuit for generating an RF carrier signal having a carrier frequency selected in response to the frequency control signal supplied from said frequency control circuit.

4. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 3, wherein said signal generating circuit includes:

a VCO coupled to said frequency control circuit for generating an RF signal having a carrier frequency corresponding to a voltage level of the frequency control signal supplied thereto from said frequency control circuit, the carrier frequency falling within a first frequency band;

a frequency divider circuit coupled to said VCO for receiving the RF signal generated thereby and for outputting an RF signal having a carrier frequency that is a fraction of that of the RF signal output from said signal generator, the carrier frequency of the RF signal output from said frequency divider circuit falling within a second frequency band; and

a signal selecting switch coupled to said controller for selecting the RF signal generated by either of said VCO or said frequency divider in response to a frequency band select signal received from said controller.

5. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 3, wherein said frequency control circuit includes a frequency modulator coupled to said controller for varying the frequency control signal supplied to said signal generating circuit in response to the data code supplied by said controller, and wherein said signal generating circuit responds to the variance in the frequency control signal by deviating the frequency of the generated RF signal.

6. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 3, wherein said transmitting circuit further includes an amplitude modulator coupled to said signal generating circuit and to said controller for selectively modulating the amplitude of the RF carrier signal generated by said signal generating circuit in accordance with the data code supplied from said controller.

7. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 3, wherein said transmitting circuit further includes an amplitude control circuit coupled to said controller and to said signal generating circuit for adjusting the amplitude of the RF carrier signal generated by said signal generating circuit in accordance with amplitude control data supplied by said controller.

8. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 3, wherein said transmitting circuit further includes:

a first antenna for transmitting signals having carrier frequencies within a first frequency band;

a second antenna for transmitting signals having carrier frequencies within a second frequency band; and

an antenna select switch coupled between said signal generating circuit and said first and second antennas and coupled to said controller for selectively applying the generated RF signal to one of said antennas as selected by said controller,

wherein said controller selects said first antenna if the carrier frequency of the generated RF signal is within the first frequency band, and selects said second antenna if the carrier frequency of the generated RF signal is within the second frequency band.

9. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 1, wherein said receiver includes:

a reference signal generator coupled to said controller for generating a reference signal;

an antenna for receiving an RF signal from a remote transmitter; and

a mixer coupled to said antenna and said reference signal generator for receiving and mixing the received RF signal and said reference signal to output a signal modulated with any data code present in the received RF signal and having a carrier frequency corresponding to a difference in carrier frequencies of the received RF signal and the reference signal.

10. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 9, wherein said receiver further includes:

a first bandpass filter coupled to said mixer for blocking signals output from said mixer that have carrier frequencies outside a first frequency pass band;

a second bandpass filter coupled to said first bandpass filter for blocking signals output from said first bandpass filter that have carrier frequencies outside a narrower second frequency pass band; and

a bypass switch coupled to said first bandpass filter and to said controller for selectively bypassing said second bandpass filter in response to a filter select signal generated by said controller.

11. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 9, wherein said receiver further includes:

a frequency discriminator coupled to said mixer for generating a binary signal corresponding to deviations in frequency of a received FM RF signal; and

an FM data slicer coupled to said frequency discriminator and said controller for digitizing the binary signal and supplying the digitized signal to said controller.

12. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 9, wherein said receiver further includes an AM data slicer coupled to mixer and said controller for digitizing a data code contained in a received amplitude modulated signal and supplying the digitized data code to said controller.

13. A trainable transmitter for learning the characteristics of a received RF signal and for subsequently transmitting a modulated RF signal having the learned characteristics to a remote device, said trainable transmitter comprising:

a receiver for receiving an FM RF signal;

a controller coupled to said receiver for identifying and storing signal characteristics including the RF carrier frequency and code of the received FM RF signal; and

a transmitting circuit coupled to said controller for receiving the stored signal characteristics and for generating and transmitting an FM RF signal having the learned signal characteristics.

14. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 13, wherein said transmitting circuit includes:

a frequency control circuit coupled to said controller for generating frequency control signals in response to frequency control data received from said controller; and

a signal generating circuit coupled to said frequency control circuit for generating an RF carrier signal having a carrier frequency selected in response to the frequency control signal supplied from said frequency control circuit.

15. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 14, wherein said signal generating circuit includes:

a VCO coupled to said frequency control circuit for generating an RF signal having a carrier frequency corresponding to a voltage level of the frequency control signal supplied thereto from said frequency control circuit, the carrier frequency falling within a first frequency band;

a frequency divider circuit coupled to said VCO for receiving the RF signal generated thereby and for outputting an RF signal having a carrier frequency that is a fraction of that of the RF signal output from said signal generator, the carrier frequency of the RF signal output from said frequency divider circuit falling within a second frequency band; and

a signal selecting switch coupled to said controller for selecting the RF signal generated by either of said VCO or said frequency divider in response to a frequency band select signal received from said controller.

16. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 14, wherein said frequency control circuit includes a frequency modulator coupled to said controller for varying the frequency control signal supplied to said signal generating circuit in response to the data code supplied by said controller, and wherein said signal generating circuit responds to the variance in the frequency control signal by deviating the frequency of the generated RF signal.

17. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 14, wherein said transmitting circuit further includes an amplitude control circuit coupled to said controller and to said signal generating circuit for adjusting the amplitude of the RF carrier signal generated by said signal generating circuit in accordance with amplitude control data supplied by said controller.

18. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 13, wherein said receiver includes:

a reference signal generator coupled to said controller for generating a reference signal;

an antenna for receiving an RF signal from a remote transmitter; and

a mixer coupled to said antenna and said reference signal generator for receiving and mixing the received RF signal and said reference signal to output a signal modulated with any data code present in the received RF signal and having a carrier frequency corresponding to a difference in carrier frequencies of the received RF signal and the reference signal.

19. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 18, wherein said receiver further includes:

a frequency discriminator coupled to said mixer for generating a binary signal corresponding to deviations in frequency of a received FM RF signal; and

an FM data slicer coupled to said frequency discriminator and said controller for digitizing the binary signal and supplying the digitized signal to said controller.

20. A trainable transmitter for learning and transmitting an activation signal that includes an RF carrier frequency modulated with a code, said trainable transmitter comprising:

a receiver for receiving an activation signal;

a memory having a plurality of sets of amplitude control data stored therein, each set of amplitude control data including amplitude control data representing different permissible amplitude levels for one of a plurality of different countries;

means for selecting one of said sets of amplitude control data based upon the country in which the trainable transmitter is to be operated;

a controller operable in a learning and an operating mode, said controller coupled to said receiver for generating and storing data corresponding to the RF carrier frequency and code of the received activation signal when in the learning mode, and, when in the operating mode, said controller provides output data which identifies the RF carrier frequency and code of the received activation signal and amplitude control data read from the selected set of amplitude control data stored in said memory;

a signal generator coupled to said controller for receiving output data and generating a modulated RF carrier signal representing the received activation signal; and

an amplitude control circuit coupled to said signal generator and to said controller for receiving amplitude control data from said controller to selectively control the amplitude of the modulated RF carrier signal received from said signal generator at an amplitude level indicated by the received amplitude control data, and for transmitting an amplitude-controlled output signal.

21. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 20, wherein said controller determines the amplitude level based upon signal characteristics of the received activation signal.

22. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 21, wherein said controller determines the amplitude level based upon the detected RF carrier frequency of the received activation signal.

23. A trainable transmitter for learning the characteristics of a received RF signal and for transmitting a modulated RF signal having the learned characteristics to a remote device, said trainable transmitter comprising:

a receiver for receiving an RF signal having an RF carrier frequency within one of a first frequency band and a second frequency band, said second frequency band having lower frequencies than said first frequency band;

a controller coupled to said receiver for determining whether the RF carrier frequency of the received RF signal is within said first frequency band or said second frequency band, and for identifying and storing the characteristics of the received RF signal including the RF carrier frequency and code; and

a signal generating circuit coupled to said controller for receiving the stored signal characteristics and for generating and transmitting from an output terminal thereof, a modulated RF signal having the learned signal characteristics, said signal generating circuit including;

a variable frequency oscillator for generating a carrier signal having a selected frequency within said first frequency band, and

a frequency divider coupled between an output of said oscillator and said output terminal of said signal generating circuit for selectively dividing the frequency of the carrier signal generated by said oscillator to provide a carrier signal having a selected frequency within said second frequency band.

24. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 23, wherein said signal generating circuit further includes a signal selecting switch coupled to said controller for selecting the RF signal generated by either of said VCO or said frequency divider in response to a frequency band select signal received from said controller.

25. The trainable transmitter as defined in claim 23, wherein said VCO generates an RF signal having a carrier frequency selected from within a range of 250 MHz to 450 MHz and said frequency divider outputs an RF signal having a carrier frequency selected from within a range of 25 MHz to 45 MHz.