Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Combined with disparate device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-09
2001-08-28
Miska, Vit (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Combined with disparate device
C340S870030, C340S870030, C370S313000, C455S151200, C455S151400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282152
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to methods and an apparatus for controlling or activating a device and, in particular, to methods and an apparatus for transmitting coded signals to control or to activate preprogrammed features of a device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wireless security and control systems have been included as features in many products. For example, automobiles and homes often have security systems which allow a user to control an aspect of the security system with a wireless transmitter. The user, for example, employs a wireless transmitter to activate or to deactivate a security and control system to unlock doors, to activate an audible alarm, or to activate a remote vehicle starter, just to name a few. These wireless transmitters may be in the form of a key FOB. The wireless transmitter may include, for example, a radio transmitter, an encoder and a battery disposed in a housing that the user attaches to a key chain. The user operates the wireless transmitter to transmit coded signals to the security and control system which activates or deactivates preprogrammed features of the system.
Systems which employ the above described wireless transmitter have gained broad acceptance and it is not uncommon for a user to have multiple wireless transmitters to activate or to control many different systems. For example, users may use a wireless transmitter to control a security system in each car they own and use another wireless transmitter to control a security system installed in their homes. As can be appreciated, it is inconvenient and often burdensome for users to carry multiple wireless transmitters to control the many security and control systems they use.
In view of the undesired necessity of multiple transmitters to control multiple systems, it would be desirable to provide a universal, wireless controller which would allow a single device to emulate the transmissions of multiple wireless transmitters and, thus, overcome the disadvantages described above.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object and advantage of this invention to provide an electronic timepiece having a universal, wireless controller that overcomes the foregoing disadvantages.
It is another object and advantage of this invention to provide an electronic timepiece having a universal, wireless controller operating in a learning mode in which transmissions of a conventional, wireless transmitter are received and decoded by the wireless controller to enable the timepiece to emulate the transmissions of the wireless transmitter.
It is a further object and advantage of this invention to provide an electronic timepiece having a universal, wireless controller operating in a learning mode in which transmissions of a conventional, wireless transmitter are received, decoded, stored in memory and subsequently retrieved from memory thereby to enable the timepiece to emulate the transmissions of the conventional wireless transmitter as needed.
It is a still further object and advantage of this invention to provide an electronic timepiece having a universal, wireless controller which includes a preprogrammed storage device in which coded sequences which would otherwise be transmitted by a plurality of conventional, wireless transmitters are stored and subsequently retrieved to enable the timepiece to selectively emulate the transmissions of the wireless transmitters as needed.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing and other problems are overcome and the objects and advantages are realized by methods and apparatus in accordance with embodiments of this invention.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a control device, which may include a controller which transmits wireless signals that control features of a plurality of systems, is provided. In one embodiment, the control device includes timekeeping functions and may be a watch, by way of example. In this embodiment, the timepiece may include a data store which contains a library of control signals. Each of the control signals emulate a coded message which controls features of a corresponding one of the plurality of systems. The timepiece also includes a device for selectively retrieving a control signal for a target system from the library. In one embodiment, the selective retrieving is performed in response to an input entered through a programmable interface. For example, the programmable interface may include a menu-based selection wherein various ones of the plurality of systems and associated features are presented to the user. The timepiece also includes a transmitter for transmitting the retrieved control signal to the target system to control one of the features of the target system.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the timepiece may be a multiple operating mode device where, in a first operating mode, the timepiece displays a time of day and other timepiece-related information and, when in a second mode, the timepiece transmits the control signals to control preprogrammed features of a selected one of the plurality of systems.
In another embodiment, the control device, again, which may be a timepiece, further includes a receiver for receiving coded messages, a decoder for decoding the received coded messages and for extracting control signals received therein, and a device for storing the control signals in the library of control signals. In one aspect of this embodiment, the library of control signals may be detached from the timepiece so that an alternative library of control signals representing, for example, new embodiments of wireless transmitters may be added.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a control device, which may be an electronic timepiece having a universal, wireless controller, emulates transmissions of wireless transmitters to control features of a plurality of systems. The universal, wireless controller of the timepiece operates in a learning operating mode and an emulation operating mode. In the learning operating mode the universal, wireless controller may display a list of wireless transmitters a user may wish to emulate. The user selects a wireless transmitter to be emulated from the list. In response to the selection of a transmitter, the controller prompts the user to activate the wireless transmitter for the selected system. Coded messages are then received by the timepiece from the activated transmitter. The controller of the timepiece then extracts digital sequences of bits encoded within the received coded message. The digital sequences of bits include command instructions and security sequence information (e.g., seeds, encryption keys or security codes) to operate preprogrammed features of the system the user selected for emulation. The extracted command instructions and security sequence information are decoded and the decoded command instructions and security sequence information are stored in a memory location corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of systems. In one embodiment, the memory location is a location within a library of decoded command instructions and security sequence information for each of the plurality of system to be emulated. The learning operating mode is then completed and the selected transmitter and corresponding system are available for emulation.
In the emulation operating mode the electronic timepiece or other control device displays, for user selection, a list of wireless transmitters available for emulation. In response to the selection of an available system, stored, decoded command instructions and security sequence information are retrieved from the memory location corresponding to the selected system. The retrieved command instructions and security sequence information can then be transmitted to emulate the wireless transmitter and to control the preprogrammed features of the selected system. In one embodiment, the retrieved command
Carmody & Torrance LLP
Miska Vit
Timex Corporation
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