Communications: electrical – Continuously variable indicating – With meter reading
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-08
2001-01-30
Holloway, III, Edwin C. (Department: 2735)
Communications: electrical
Continuously variable indicating
With meter reading
C340S870030, C340S870030, C341S176000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181255
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates in general to radio frequency transmitters and, in particular, to code learning capabilities for a radio frequency transmitter.
Presently, garage doors and barrier gates both commonly employ operators which may be remotely controlled from hand-held radio frequency (RF) transmitters. Over the years, there have been a variety of code formats used for RF control of such gates and garage doors. Many of the commonly used code formats employ a fixed code format that may be set with DIP switches, non-volatile memory devices, or the like. More recently, rolling codes have become the industry standard in certain applications, e.g., automobile locks, individual garage door operators, etc. An example of a rolling code generating transmitter of the type described herein is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 446,886, filed May 17, 1995, by Farris et al. for “Rolling Code Security System,” assigned to Applicants' assignee.
In gated applications, however, fixed code RF transmitters are still preferred because while a single or a few number of users may operate a given garage door or automobile, typically it is intended that many users be allowed to operate barrier gates. In such gated applications therefore, the DIP coded (or fixed code) RF transmitters are preferred because additional transmitters may be programmed simply by matching the fixed command code, e.g. 10 or 20 word codes, or the DIP switches with that of other RF transmitters programmed for operating the gate. Simply matching the command codes to program other rolling code RF transmitters however also requires additional receiver memory in order to add valid rolling code RF transmitters. Examples of code generating transmitters of the type described herein for generating 10 and 20 word fixed code formats are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,701 to Heitschel et al. for “Remote Actuating Apparatus Comprising Keypad Controlled Transmitter,” issued Nov. 19, 1996.
The differing hardware and software requirements of the fixed command code transmitters and the rolling command code transmitters, with each having respective advantages, has created problems in providing RF transmitters supporting integrated (multiple) coding schemes for multiple operators wherein the user may want a rolling code transmitter to operate, e.g., the garage door, but a fixed code transmitter to operate, e.g., the barrier gate. It is advantageous to provide a single transmitter unit to each of multiple users having general access to a common barrier gate, and access to a single or specified garage doors or the like beyond the barrier gate. However, such integrated transmitter units for handling multiple codes are complex and a number of problems are encountered in their implementation.
Additionally there are a variety of problems associated with DIP switches, in that they are relatively large, costly, unreliable and users can inadvertently change the fixed command code. Moreover, codes set with DIP switches are visible and can be easily misappropriated or copied to a like transmitter.
What is needed then is a hand-held radio frequency transmitter for generating plural code formats, including code learning capabilities used in the transmission of a fixed code, e.g., for a gate operator, wherein the transmitter also generates pre-programmed codes, e.g., a rolling code format for operating a garage door. Further, it is desirable to provide for the learning of various fixed code formats, e.g., 10 and 20 words, through the use of electrical programming of memory, rather than with the physical setting of DIP switches. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have the hand-held radio frequency transmitter unit capable of generating plural coded radio frequency commands and being programmable responsive to a received radio frequency signal for learning an additional coded radio frequency command corresponding to the received radio frequency signal when a signal is received from a like RF transmitter sending its RF coded signal within the immediate vicinity.
The various manufacturers of code responsive devices use commands transmitted at different RF frequencies. It is desirable not only to learn codes which are received at these various frequencies but to be able to transmit those codes at the received frequencies. Heretofore, complex systems using frequency synthesized oscillator circuitry for reception and transmission of codes have been proposed. These systems are very complicated and costly and what is needed is a system which learns and transmits coded signals at multiple frequencies without the cost and complexity of prior systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hand-held radio frequency transmitter that overcomes the disadvantages and problems of the prior art.
It is an object of the invention to provide a hand-held radio frequency transmitter unit for generating coded commands learned from received coded radio frequency signals.
It is another object of the invention to provide a hand-held radio frequency transmitter unit capable of generating plural coded radio frequency commands and being programmable responsive to a received radio frequency signal for learning an additional coded radio frequency command corresponding to the received radio frequency signal.
It is further object of the invention to provide a method of generating plural coded radio frequency commands with a hand-held radio frequency transmitter unit capable of learning, responsive to a received radio frequency signal, an additional coded radio frequency command corresponding to the received radio frequency signal.
Briefly summarized, the present invention relates to a hand-held radio frequency transmitter for use in generating coded commands learned from received coded radio frequency signals. An oscillator circuit including a switching element and a tunable filter tuning element is coupled to a programmable controller. The programmable controller operates the switching element of said oscillator circuit in either a first or a second mode for receiving or transmitting coded radio frequency signals, respectively via an antenna coupled to the tuning element. The switching element is operable in the first mode to detect demodulate and receive coded radio frequency signals, and the programmable controller learns the received coded radio frequency signals and stores coded commands in memory. In the second mode of operation, the oscillator is modulated by generated coded signals from the programmable controller using the stored coded commands from memory. The generation of plural coded radio frequency commands with the single hand-held radio frequency transmitter unit capable of handling multiple codes facilitates the learning, responsive to a received radio frequency signal, of an additional coded radio frequency command for additional door and gate operators.
The trainable transceiver of the present invention can be used to receive and transmit coded signals at multiple frequencies.
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a trainable transceiver for the reception and programming of the differing code formats for several types of commercially-manufactured radio frequency code transmitters. This embodiment includes a plurality of output stage transmitters, each being tuned to an output frequency of one or more compatible manufactured systems. The trainable transceiver is provided with a learn mode, allowing the receiver to duplicate a target transmitter by the number of different manufacture types for transmitting at fixed code formats. Codes to be learned are received by a receiver of the learning transmitter and are decoded to identify the code of the received signal. The type, e.g., manufacturer, of received signal is also identified by the timing and sequencing of the received code. Once the type of received code is known, the frequency of that type is determined from stored data. The identity of the frequency is then stored in association with the received code for later use a
Crimmins Terence E.
Farris Bradford L.
Wanis Paul E.
Fitch Even Tabin & Flannery
Holloway III Edwin C.
The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
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