System and method for enrollment of a remotely controlled device in a trainable transmitter

• US 9,007,168 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Bos, Jeremy, Shearer, Carl, Blaker, David A., Spencer, John D., Witkowski, Todd R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US12/898,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.72, 340/5.61, 340/4.3, 340/5.7
• US Class Current: 340/4.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control

Abstract

A wireless control system is configured to be trainable to control any number of remotely controlled devices. The system can be configured to gather and learn information relating to a signal transmitted by the original transmitter in a manner that is blind to a user of the system. The system can be designed to learn signals automatically such that fewer steps are necessary for a user to train the system to control a particular remotely controlled device. The system can train to remotely controlled devices in this manner with little or no user action required.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a remotely operated device, the remotely operated device controllable by an original transmitter, the system comprising:

a processing circuit located remotely from the original transmitter and remotely from the remotely operated device, the processing circuit configured to learn a signal transmitted by the original transmitter and received at the processing circuit from the original transmitter without the processing circuit being prompted to learn the signal by a user of the system; and

a transmitter circuit coupled to the processing circuit, the transmitter circuit configured to transmit a wireless control signal having control data based on the signal learned by the processing circuit, wherein the wireless control signal is not based on information received from a wireless transmitter other than the original transmitter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a user is prompted to finalize training of signal based on the information that was learned without prompting by the user, the prompt not occurring while a vehicle is moving.

3. A system for controlling a remotely operated device, the remotely operated device controllable by an original transmitter, the system comprising:

a trainable transmitter, located remotely from the original transmitter and remotely from the remotely operated device, the trainable transceiver having a learning mode initiated by a user in which signals usable to control remotely operated electronic devices are trained to the trainable transmitter, and an operating mode in which signals trained to the trainable transmitter are sent;

wherein the trainable transmitter is configured to receive and learn information from the original transmitter when the trainable transmitter is not in the user initiated learning mode,

and wherein the trainable transmitter does not learn information from a wireless transmitter other than the original transmitter.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the system is installed in a vehicle;

and

wherein the trainable transmitter is configured to learn the information only while the vehicle is in an on state.

5. A system for controlling a remotely operated device, the remotely operated device controllable by an original transmitter, the system comprising:

a receiver located remotely from the original transmitter and remotely from the remotely operated device, the receiver configured to receive a signal transmitted by the original transmitter;

a processing circuit configured to receive a signal from the receiver, the processing circuit configured to automatically learn a wireless control signal to control the remotely operated device by storing a characteristic of the signal from the receiver; and

a transmitter circuit coupled to the processing circuit, the transmitter circuit configured to transmit the wireless control signal having the stored characteristic of the signal from the receiver, and wherein the wireless control signal is not based on information received from a wireless transmitter other than the original transmitter.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a user is prompted to finalize training of the signal that was automatically learned by the processing circuit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the prompt is a voice prompt.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the prompt does not occur when a vehicle is moving.

9. The system of claim 5, further comprising a security feature configured to reduce a chance of learning a wireless control signal not associated with a user of the system.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the processing circuit is configured to automatically learn the wireless control signal only if a power of the signal received from an original transmitter meets pre-determined criteria.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to avoid training, based on the automatically learned wireless control signal, to signals to which the system is currently trained.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the processing circuit is only configured to automatically learn information while a vehicle in which the system is installed is in an on state.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the processing circuit is only configured to automatically learn the wireless control signal when the system is not trained to control any remotely controlled devices.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein the original transmitter is a remote keyless entry transmitter.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein the system is installed in a vehicle having a passenger cabin;

and

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to automatically learn wireless control signals from original transmitters located within the passenger cabin.

16. A method for operating a wireless control system in a vehicle for controlling a remotely operated device, the remotely operated electronic device controllable by an original transmitter, the method comprising:

obtaining, using a receiver of the wireless control system, a data control message from a signal transmitted by the original transmitter, wherein the receiver is located remotely from the original transmitter and remotely from the remotely operated device;

automatically storing the data control message in the wireless control system, the obtaining and storing completed by the wireless control system in a manner that is blind to a user of the system and without the wireless control system being first prompted by the user; and

transmitting, from a transmitter of the wireless control system, a wireless control signal based on the stored data control message and wherein the wireless control signal is not based on a data control message received from a wireless transmitter other than the original transmitter.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

prompting a user to finalize training by retaining the stored data control message.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

preventing the prompt from occurring while the vehicle in which the wireless control system is located is moving;

using security features configured to reduce a chance of learning a wireless control signal not associated with a user of the wireless control system; and

only completing the obtaining and automatic storing steps while the vehicle in which the wireless control system is installed is in an on state.

19. A system for controlling a remotely operated device, the remotely operated device controllable by an original transmitter, the system comprising:

a transmitter circuit;

a receiver circuit;

a control circuit, located remotely from the original transmitter and located remotely from the remotely operated device, the control circuit configured to determine a first location based on received navigation data and to automatically associate the first location with first wireless control signal data received from the original transmitter at the receiver circuit;

wherein the control circuit is configured to store the first location and the received first wireless control signal data as a data pair of a plurality of data pairs, each data pair representing an association between a location and wireless control signal data;

wherein the control circuit is configured to compare newly received navigation data to the locations of the data pairs; and

, in response to a match between the newly received navigation data and a second location of the data pairs, causes the transmitter to transmit a second wireless control signal according to second wireless control signal data associated with the second location;

wherein the control circuit is configured to automatically associate the first location with the first wireless control signal data received from the original transmitter without the control circuit having entered a training mode initiated by user input, and wherein the first wireless control signal data is not received from a wireless transmitter other than the original transmitter.

20. The system of claim 19,

wherein the control circuit is configured to confirm the automatic association with a user via a prompt and subsequent user input.