\ AFIXED 36A 2o_\ /— 22 /_
Contents
1. controller Referring now to FIG 2 it can be seen that the bridge device 10 includes a housing designated generally by the numeral 20 The housing provides a standard power outlet plug 22 that fits in any receptacle The plug may receive power directly from the residential power source such as 120V AC or it may receive power from any transformed power source that is grounded and complies with the appro priate safety standards The housing 20 provides at least one learn switch 24 that is used to learn various components within the home network and the transmitter The housing 20 also provides a status light 26 which may facilitate the US 7 266 344 B2 5 learning of the bridge device with components within the home network and the transmitters The housing 20 may also provide a power receptacle 28 which allows for a switched component to be associated with the bridge device Referring now to FIG 3 it can be seen that an interface system is designated generally by the numeral 30 The interface system includes the bridge device 10 and at least one transmitter designated generally by the numeral 11 Also included within the system is the home network designated generally by the numeral 12 Various types of transmitters may be employed in the interface system although it is believed that in the preferred embodiment the transmitters are associated with a garage door operator that moves a barrier between predetermined limit positions The2. may be received by the learning transmitter 11D as required by the end use A network transceiver designated generally by the numeral 70 is connected to the controller and memory system 50 and functions to communicate directly with the network world 12 by generating a network radio frequency signal 74 that is emitted by an antenna 72 Alternatively a wired interface 76 may be connected to the network trans ceiver 70 to allow for direct communications to the network world 12 The bridge device has three modes of operation The first mode of operation is active whenever the external power is not connected and as such the device is powered by the battery 56 The second mode of operation is active as soon as the device is plugged into the external source of power 60 And the third mode of operation is activated whenever power is received from the external power source and a valid code is received from a non network transmitter or device In other words the third mode is the normal operation mode wherein the bridge device receives signals from a transmitter appropriately programmed to communicate with the bridge device and converts signals received from these transmitters into a format that is acceptable by the network This mode also allows receipt of signals from the network 12 Referring now to FIG 4 an operational flow chart illus trating the steps implemented in the first mode of operation is designated generally by the numeral 100 The
3. Next at step 112 the teach function module 62 transmits the code generated in step 108 for receipt by the learning transmitter 11D At step 114 it is determined whether the learn teach button is still being pressed and the controller investigates as to whether the timer has expired or not If it has then the process proceeds to step 118 and the bridge is powered down However if the timer has not expired at step 116 the 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 process returns to step 112 In any event the code generated by the controller 50 is transmitted by the teach function module and is received and stored by the learning transmit ter 11D Subsequent activations of the learning transmitter result in the transmission of the original code generated by the bridge device Accordingly the bridge device 10 now automatically recognizes any transmissions generated by the learning transmitter 11D It will be appreciated that the learning transmitter may employ a rolling or fixed code if required Referring now to FIG 5 a second mode of operation for the purpose of learning other types of transmitters 11A 11B and 11C and the network 12 to the bridge device is designated generally by the numeral 200 In this mode the bridge device 10 is connected to the external supply 60 at step 202 Following this at step 204 the controller 50 deactivates the teach function module and turns on the RF receiver 54 and the network
4. another The user perceives the action of pressing a trans mitter button with the reaction of a network function such as the opening of a door turning lights on or off the unlocking of a door the activating or deactivating of an alarm system and the like From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the code generated by the bridge device in the first mode of operation is used to teach learning transmitters such as a HomeLink device and can be extended to teach multiple learning transmitters Accordingly with every press of the learn teach switch the bridge device 10 generates a unique code By sending out a different code with every key or button actuation in this mode the system 10 ensures that every learning transmitter learns a unique code These unique codes may then be passed through the bridge device to the network during the normal mode of operation Moreover by transmitting unique codes the master controller or network administrator which may be implemented on a personal computer that coordinates the operations for the home network may set up different functions for different trans mitters For example a first transmitter may open a door and turn on the lights in the home while a second transmitter may be assigned to open a door and deactivate an alarm The power outlet control 28 can be programmed to work directly from valid coded signals generated by non network trans mitters In other words the network may send sign
5. generates a code that is received by both the garage door operator to control movement of the door and related features and by the bridge device which passes along the code to the home network Indeed the transmitters may have more than one button wherein each button is assigned a specific function in the home network And the bridge device may be configured to process transmitter codes solely for the operator or solely for the home network or for both the operator and the home network The transmitter may employ fixed or rolling codes in order to provide security features related to the opening and closing of the garage door and the network Any one of the transmitters may be a hands free transmitter which initiates a preset command based upon the proximity or direction of travel of the transmitter with respect to the garage door operator and or the bridge device 10 The home network 12 is connected either via wires or by wireless communication devices to appliances 18 such as air conditioners furnaces lights contained throughout the facil ity entertainment systems refrigerators scales personal computers plumbing fixtures and the like And the home network 12 may be linked to other home networks contained within a community or within a facility Control of the home network may be implemented by a personal computer designated as PC in the drawing or a personal digital assistant either of which may be referred to as a master
6. master controller assigns new functions for each ID code Whenever a transmitter signal is received by the bridge device 10 the power outlet may be energized thus turning on any appliance connected to the switch outlet The network user may choose to provide a scene controlled to the power outlet thus assigning the function it will do with a specific transmitter code In this embodiment one transmit ter may turn on the power outlet and another may turn the power on for five minutes and yet another transmitter may do nothing at all It will further be appreciated that the same functions can be performed backwards from the network world In other words since the network devices have access to the controller the power outlet can be controlled to perform the specific functions Based upon the foregoing the advantages of the invention over the known prior art are readily apparent The bridge device contains all the circuit elements required to learn and teach transmitters to the bridge device and also for the bridge device to join a home network or any network connected to a plurality of appliances or electronic devices The bridge device has a built in battery operated transmitter which has the sole purpose of teaching a coded signal to a learning transmitter without the need for a third handheld transmitter As such HomeLink devices which are primarily utilized for opening and closing garage doors wherein the garage door operators ar
7. numeral 40 The switch 40 allows the user to 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 set the controller 32C to the garage door operator s manu facturer s code In other words a plurality of manufacturer s codes are pre stored in the controller 32C and selected by positioning of the switch as needed This allows the vehicle mounted transmitter to specifically communicate with both the garage door opener and the bridge device Accordingly the bridge device is compatible with virtually all types of transmitters used with movable barriers Still another type of transmitter is a learning transmitter designated generally by the numeral 11D The transmitter 11D includes a controller 32D that has the necessary hard ware software and memory for operation in the system 30 The controller 32D is also operatively connected to an antenna 34D which emits an RF signal 36D And the controller generates an RF signal when actuated In some instances though actuation of the button 38D places the transmitter in a learn mode so that an RF signal can be received learned and stored by the controller Such a learning function is embodied in the HomeLink system provided by Johnson Controls Inc and which is incorpo rated in some automobiles Such a system allows for the user to program the HomeLink button contained within their automobile to control and operate the garage door opener This eliminates the need for keeping a hand
8. the acquire button on the master controller at step 402 The bridge device then dumps all the id codes of all the transmitters currently programmed into the bridge at step 404 At step 406 the master controller identifies all the network appliances associated with the bridge device and if available any particular functionality associated with the appliance For example lights associated with the network US 7 266 344 B2 1 may have different lighting levels In any event the user may at step 408 re configure the default turn all on command for each ID code stored and re assign a different function For example a user may program two buttons from his HomeLink vehicle into the bridge Then he acquires the button ID s from the bridge device into his master controller At that point he may set one of his HomeLink buttons to lock house which will turn all lights off in the house set the alarm system on and close the garage door The second button can then be assigned to open house which will open the garage door turn on the lights in the garage deactivate the burglar alarm and unlock the front door All of the manipulations are preformed by pressing menu buttons on the master controller When the assignment step s are complete the process is exited at step 410 The bridge device will not have master controller functions but it has the capability of transmitting the proper signal to the network once the
9. transceiver 72 Next at step 206 a reset button timer is actuated Following this the controller awaits actuation of the learn teach button 24 If the button is not activated at step 208 then the process continues on to step 210 to await receipt of a radio frequency signal If no signal is received within the timer period then the process returns to step 206 and step 208 is repeated accordingly If however at step 210 a radio frequency signal is received then the process continues for the bridge opera tion mode which is designated generally by the numeral 300 and shown in FIG 6 Returning now to step 208 if the learn teach button 24 is activated then the controller 50 determines whether the button 24 has been actuated once or more than once If the button has only been actuated once preferably within a time period of four seconds then at step 214 the receiver 54 monitors for a valid transmitter code for the next 30 seconds Of course other durations could be employed for the 4 and 30 second periods of time In any event at step 216 the controller determines whether the radio frequency signal received from any of the transmitters 11 is valid or not If the signal is invalid then the process automatically returns to step 206 If the radio frequency signal is valid then the radio frequency code is stored in the controller s non volatile memory at step 218 and the process is then returned to step 206 Accordingly steps 212 218 are
10. use with different types of home network standards as they are adopted by the industry When the device is used with the proper transmitters and network codes the interfacing con version are automatically performed by the bridge device without the need to perform any additional acts or inter facing programming functions by the user Thus it can be seen that the objects of the invention have been satisfied by the structure and its method for use presented above While in accordance with the Patent Stat utes only the best mode and preferred embodiment has been presented and described in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby Accordingly for an appreciation of the true scope and breadth of the invention reference should be made to the following claims What is claimed is 1 A bridge device linking at least one transmitter to a home network comprising a transmitter signal receiver adapted to receive transmitter signals in a transmitter format from the at least one transmitter a network signal transceiver adapted to transmit and receive network signals in a network format to and from the network a bridge controller connected to said transmitter signal receiver and said network signal transceiver said bridge controller converting said signals between said formats a power supply system connected to said bridge control ler and a teach function module connected to said bridge con t
11. 09 YILLINSNYYL TI 35793 amp SQNOO3S NI M SNOILYAILOY NOLLN 3 amp SQNOO3S NI M SNOILVALLOV amp NOILVALLOV 35 135318 3J3Al39SNV31 MYOMLAN HONOYHL Dess ONVAWOO JOML3N USAISOSNVUL eN 1 QN3S 3 ONY 343234 ONIGVSY 90883 38 NO NYAL ONY YSLLINSNVYL NOILONAS HOv3L 31VALLOY3Q AlddNS YIMOd NIVN VIA df 33MOd AYOMLIN ONY SYSLLIWSNVYL YSHLO U S Patent Sep 4 2007 Sheet 5 of 6 US 7 266 344 B2 BRIDGE OPERATION FROM FIG 5 POWER UP VIA EXTERNAL 302 POWER SUPPLY DEACTIVATE TEACH FUNCTION FIG 6 TRANSMITTER AND TURN ON RF 304 RECEIVER AND NETWORK TRANSCEIVER 306 CHECK CODE AGAINST RF SIGNAL STORED CODES CONFIRM RECEIVED IN NON SIGNAL VOLATILE RECEIVE ELSE MEMORY SEND AGAIN NETWORK SIGNAL RECEIVED PERFORM REQUESTED FUNCTION ON CONVERT CODE TO NETWORK PROTOCOL AND TRANSMIT SIGNAL VIA NETWORK TRANSCEIVER POWER OUTLET CONTROL U S Patent Sep 4 2007 Sheet 6 of 6 US 7 266 344 B2 400 402 ENABLE MASTER CONTROLLER LINK TO BRIDGE DEVICE IDENTIFY TRANSMITTER BUTTON CODES IN BRIDGE IDENTIFY NETWORK APPLIANCES 406 IN BRIDGE DEVICE AND THEIR SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS 404 ASSIGN TRANSMITTER BUTTON CODES TO NETWORK APPLIANCE FUNCTIONS 408 410 FIG 7 US 7 266 344 B2 1 REMOTELY ACTIVATED BRIDGE DEVICE FOR USE WITH A HOME NE
12. 4 further compris ing 16 learning said transmitter signal to said bridge controller and learning said network signal transceiver to the home network wherein said learning steps occur prior to said converting step 26 The method according to claim 25 further compris ing switching a power outlet control between on and off states upon receipt of said transmitter signal 27 The method according to claim 25 further compris ing switching a power outlet control between on and off states upon receipt of a network command signal received by said network signal transceiver 28 The method according to claim 24 further compris ing learning said transmitter signal to said bridge controller and learning said network signal transceiver to the home network wherein said converting step occurs prior to said learning steps
13. TWORK AND METHODS FOR PROGRAMMING AND USING THE SAME TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention is generally related to a home network In particular the present invention is related to a home network that allows for communications between non network transmitters and home appliances which may or may not be controlled by a personal computer Specifi cally the present invention is related to a bridge device that allows for transfer of signals between various electronic transmitters not normally part of a home network such as those used for garage door openers and a home network BACKGROUND ART The home networking field has been increasing in popu larity the last few years The digital home as referred to by industry insiders will supposedly enable consumers to network and interface various types of appliances and devices throughout the home For example it is believed that the network will allow linking of such home appliances as alarm clocks stereo equipment televisions and kitchen appliances For example after an alarm clock has sounded and the network detects activity in the bathroom in the morning then the network can alert the coffee maker in the kitchen to begin preparation of a pot of coffee Or the bathroom scale can be continually monitored and provide input data upon each weighing to exercise software on a home computer linked to home exercise equipment Manufacturers from a wide variety of industries have been dev
14. United States Patent US007266344B2 12 10 Patent No US 7 266 344 B2 Rodriguez 45 Date of Patent Sep 4 2007 54 REMOTELY ACTIVATED BRIDGE DEVICE 6 481 013 B1 11 2002 Dinwiddie et al 725 80 FOR USE WITH A HOME NETWORK AND 7 027 945 B2 4 2006 Kelly 702 107 METHODS FOR PROGRAMMING AND 7 183 940 B2 2 2007 Chuey 340 825 69 2003 0210126 11 2003 Kanazawa 340 5 5 USING THE SAME 2004 0002367 1 2004 Chanut 455 574 2004 0198251 Al 10 2004 Fitzgibbon e 455 91 75 Inventor Yan Rodriguez Canton OH US 2004 0203387 10 2004 Grannan 455 41 2 2004 0239496 Al 12 2004 Fitzgibbon 340 539 1 73 Assignee Wayne Dalton Corp Mt Hope OH 2005 0026603 A9 2 2005 hee 455 419 US 2005 0245245 Al 11 2005 Sorvari et al 455 418 2006 0181428 A1 8 2006 Blaker et al 340 825 22 Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this 2006 0187034 Al 8 2006 Styers et al 340 545 1 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 2006 0192685 Al 8 2006 Chuey 340 825 72 U S C 154 b by 409 days 2006 0217850 9 2006 Geerlings et al 701 2 nc 21 Appl No 10 859 806 Primary Examiner Edward F Urban 22 Filed Jun 2 2004 Assistant Examiner Blane J Jackson I x 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Renner Kenner Greive 65 Prior Pu
15. aid network signal trans ceiver and generating a network join signal that is formatted to be received by a home network 16 The method according to claim 13 further compris ing actuating a learn teach switch which is connected to said controller determining a number of actuations of said learn teach switch in a predetermined period of time 20 30 35 40 45 50 60 65 14 enabling said transmitter signal receiver if only a single actuation of said learn teach switch in said predeter mined period of time so as to enter a transmitter learn mode enabling said network signal transceiver if more than one actuation of said learn teach switch in said predeter mined period of time is detected so as to enter a network join mode receiving transmitter signals if in said transmitter learn mode and storing a code contained within said trans mitter signal and generating a network join signal by said network signal transceiver if in said network join mode 17 The method according to claim 16 further compris ing entering a normal mode of operation after said network join mode and said transmitter learn mode have lapsed receiving said code in said transmitter signal receiver transferring said code to said controller converting said code into a network signal and emitting said network signal via said network signal transceiver 18 The method according to claim 17 further compris ing enabling said network
16. als directly to the bridge device so as to allow for switching on of an appliance or other powered device connected to the power outlet control As such the bridge device may also function to directly control an appliance on the network As noted previously the network administrator may set up different functions for different transmitters with the use of a master controller By default once a hand held trans mitter or a HomeLink transceiver is programmed into the bridge device the bridge device simply confirms the valid transmitter signal and re transmits the signal using the home network protocol In this case the signal always says turn on all devices in my group The group is assigned by the device identified as a master controller This device may be a hand held remote control with a small LCD display such as a personal digital assistant or even a properly programmed cell phone With this device a user can set multiple groups a series of controllable devices such as lights and scenes within the group set all lights in group to 50 scene one set half of the lights off and the other half to full on scene 2 etc Referring now to FIG 7 it can be seen that a methodol ogy for assigning particular functions to a transmitter is designated generally by the numeral 400 Once a series of transmitters are programmed into the bridge a user with a master controller incorporates the bridge device into a group by pressing
17. blication Data Bobak Taylor amp Weber US 2005 0272372 Al Dec 8 2005 57 ABSTRACT 81 Int CL A bridge device linking transmitters to a home network H04B 7 00 2006 01 4 i i includes a transmitter signal receiver adapted to receive 92 2 526 455 41 3 NBI 455 344 transmitter signals in a transmitter format from at least one 340 825 69 340 5 71 transmitter and a network signal transceiver adapted to 58 Field of Classification Search 455 41 1 transmit and receive network signals in a network format to 455 41 2 418 41 3 88 66 1 344 343 1 and from a home network A bridge controller is connected Ha 455 343 5 340 825 69 5 71 to the transmitter signal receiver and the network signal See application file for complete search history transceiver for the purpose of converting the signals between 56 References Cited the formats The bridge device is able to learn various U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 6 120 262 A 9 2000 McDonough et al 417 424 1 6 155 160 A 12 2000 Hochbrueckner 99 331 6 243 000 B1 6 2001 Tsui 340 5 21 6 374 079 B1 4 2002 Hsu 455 11 1 11A PERMANENTLY AFFIXED TRANSMITTER CONTR R L OLLE HAND HELD TRANSMITTER VEHICLE MOUNTED TRANSMITTER LEARNING TRANSMITTER transmitter type for conversion to a learned home network standard A master controller may be used to assign spe
18. bridge device 10 is preferably shipped from a factory without any transmitter codes programmed into the controller s memory In other words the bridge device is a clean slate and requires the programming of transmitters in order to func tion with the home network This particular mode is spe cifically utilized to teach a code generated by the teach function module 62 to the learning transmitter 11D In other words for this mode the end user teaches a factory preset code from the bridge to the learning transmitter In order to implement this operation the user must place an unplugged no external power supply present bridge device in close proximity to the transmitter unit 11D The process is initiated at step 101 when the user places the transmitter 11D in its learn state by actuating the button 38D or with other steps indicated in the user manual of the learning transmitter Next at step 102 the user activates the learn teach switch 24 provided by the bridge device 10 which starts a timer At this time the controller 50 is powered at step 104 via the internal battery 56 At step 106 the controller 50 reads a code pointer provided in the controller s non volatile memory At step 108 the controller generates a new code and updates the code pointer At step 110 the timer which was started upon actuation of the switch at step 102 is reset In the preferred embodiment the timer has a predetermined time period of 40 seconds
19. bridge device 20 30 35 40 45 50 60 65 4 FIG 6 is an operational flow chart illustrating the opera tional steps of the bridge device so as to allow communi cation between transmitters or the like and the home net work and FIG 7 is an operational flow chart illustrating the opera tional steps for assigning functions in the home network to a transmitter BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG 1 it can be seen that a bridge device implemented within a home network scheme is designated generally by the numeral 10 Generally the bridge device 10 functions as an interface between a transmitter 11 employed in the opening and closing of movable barriers such as a garage door gate or other related device and a home network designated generally by the numeral 12 It will be appreciated that the home network 12 refers to any appliance type network maintained in a building warehouse or similar structure The bridge device 10 as will become apparent as the description proceeds receives signals and communicates with at least one transmitter 11 designated as a T in the drawing which may be carried by an automobile or other moving object The transmitter is typically utilized with a garage door operator designated as GDO in FIG 1 but could be some other type of wired or wireless transmitter In other words actuation of a button on the transmitter 11
20. ceiving a transmitter signal in a transmitter format con verting the transmitter signal into a network signal in a network mode format and emitting the network signal from the network signal transceiver for receipt by the home network system which controls operation of at least one appliance These and other objects of the present invention as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms which will become apparent from the description to follow are accomplished by the improvements hereinafter described and claimed BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a complete understanding of the objects techniques and structure of the invention reference should be made to the following detailed description and accompanying draw ings wherein FIG 1 is a schematic diagram of a home network employ ing a bridge device in accordance with the concepts of the present invention FIG 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary bridge device made in accordance with the concepts of the present invention FIG 3 is a schematic diagram of the exemplary bridge device employed in conjunction with transmitters utilized to move a barrier and initiate commands implemented by the home network FIG 4 is an operational flow chart illustrating the steps implemented in teaching a bridge device to one type of transmitter FIG 5 is an operational flow chart illustrating the steps implemented to learn other transmitters and a home network to the
21. cific transmitter button actuations to control specific appliance functions 28 Claims 6 Drawing Sheets EXTERNAL POWER 120V LINE OR TRANSFORMER 60 OUTPUT WIRED INTERFACE ETHERNET U S Patent Sep 4 2007 Sheet 1 of 6 US 7 266 344 B2 US 7 266 344 B2 Sheet 2 of 6 Sep 4 2007 U S Patent YSLLUINSNVYL SNIN3V31 JINGOW NOILONNS Y3JLLINSNYYL Q31NDnON 319IH3A OF HO LIMS 2313 OMINOO 131100 I J3MOd ve W31SAS L3N33H13 JXOWSN Hams SPE gge JOVINALNI ONY HOV31 Q33M YATIONLNOD 31 V a 390148 M31LINSNVML Q13H ONVH 95 Andino 2d YYE vee vegg 09 YSWNYOISNVUL AlddNs Ayauya MO INN AOZ M3MOd b EEO YIMOd 3 1 N M3LIINSNVML 02 13XI34V U S Patent Sep 4 2007 Sheet 3 of 6 US 7 266 344 B2 TEACH FUNCTION TRANSMITTER OPERATION ENABLE LEARNING 101 100 TRANSMITTER 7 LEARN TEACH SWITCH 102 ACTIVATION START TIMER SYSTEM POWER UP VIA 104 BATTERY SYSTEM READ CODE POINTER IN 106 NON VOLATILE MEMORY GENERATE NEW CODE AND 108 UPDATE CODE POINTER 110 RESET TIMER 112 TRANSMIT CODE VIA TEACH FUNCTION TRANSMITTER FIG 4 HAS TIMER EXPIRED YES POWER DOWN US 7 266 344 B2 Sheet 4 of 6 Sep 4 2007 U S Patent 9 5 AAS 490 396188 8Te AMOW3N 3 NON NI 38015 SQNOO3S OF 13A3934 ANOW3W 3llV 10A a pas hier 4 26 NON NI 530
22. d memory for commu nicating with the bridge device The handheld transmitter may be in the form of a hands free transmitter wherein the signals received by the bridge device and garage door operator system may be initiated when the automobile or like movable object carrying the transmitter moves within a predetermined distance of the bridge device For example if the handheld transmitter is a hands free device and moves a distance of 300 feet to 100 feet from the operator it will be presumed that the device is moving toward the garage and causes the operator to move the barrier from a closed position to an open position Other related movements of the transmitter may also effect the operation of the garage door operator and or the components connected to the home network as programmed by the end user Another type of transmitter may be a vehicle mounted transmitter designated generally by the numeral 11C The transmitter 11C is provided with a controller 32C that has the necessary hardware software and memory for implementing the concepts of the present invention The controller 32C is connected to an antenna 34C for emitting a radio frequency signal 36C as deemed appropriate A button 38C is con nected to the controller 32C for emitting an appropriate signal when actuated to control operation of the garage door and bridge device The vehicle mounted transmitter 11C includes a learning function selector switch designated gen erally by the
23. e receptive to HomeLink signals can also be employed to directly communicate with the bridge device Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the bridge 10 can generate a multitude of unique coded signals so that a unique code can be taught to every transmitter joining the network Additionally the teaching of the learn ing transmitter to the bridge device enables the learning of standard transmitters such as those found in association with garage door openers thus making the system compatible with more devices Still yet another advantage of the present invention is that bridge device is capable of recognizing a multitude of modes by monitoring the external power supply and the learn teach button thus simplifying the user interface Still yet another advantage of the present invention is that the bridge device is equipped with all the elements necessary to join a home network Accordingly it can convert signals received from non network devices automatically without user interven tion thus making the non network devices act as if they were a part of the network The bridge device is also advantageous in that it may be programmed out of the factory to respond to specific types of transmitter codes such as those found in garage door openers The bridge may also be equipped to respond to specific types of coded network an 5 20 40 45 50 55 60 65 12 standards Accordingly the devices are adaptable for
24. eloping networked products to meet this emerg ing market Due to lack of industry standards manufacturers have engaged in developing their own proprietary network protocols and hardware in order to connect devices As a response to the network incompatibility issue some industry groups have been formed in order to create standards so that manufacturers following these standards are able to create compatible devices adhering to a specific protocol in software and hardware Groups such as WI FI which adhere to the 802 11xIEEE standards are producing products today to allow fast con nection between computer and multi media systems This particular standard is designed for transferring a large amount of data across a wireless network Other groups such as the Powerline group have developed fast data transfer networks using the existing home electrical wiring Yet other groups have formed standards such as HomeRF When fast data rates are required the aforementioned standards work very well However in cases where simple control signals such as on off and status are required a fast data network becomes overkill for these simple applica tions Manufacturers requiring a simpler type of network for control applications have developed standards such as Zig bee and Z wave in an effort to keep their overall systems price competitive These control networks add yet another level of complexity to the home in
25. employed for learning the transmitters 11A C to the bridge device Returning to step 212 if there is more than one button activation within the predetermined period of time of four seconds then the process proceeds to step 220 to determine whether there have been two button activations within four seconds If this is the case then the process continues to step 222 and the network transceiver 70 generates a network join command at step 222 This signal is received by the network world 12 and allows for communication of the bridge device to join with the network world 12 and in turn any of the transmitters programmed to the bridge device Upon completion of step 222 the process returns to step 206 If there is ever a need to delete all of the codes maintained by the bridge device then the process at step 220 allows for this occurrence In particular if there is more than two button actuations within four seconds then the process continues to step 224 to determine if the teach learn switch is held in for a predetermined period of time such as 10 seconds If for some reason the button is released before the 10 second time period then the process continues to step 226 and the process is reset at step 228 and continues to step 202 If however it is determined that the teach learn button 24 is held for at least 10 seconds at step 224 then at step 228 the US 7 266 344 B2 9 controller 50 in the bridge device erases all stored transmit
26. held remote transmitter within the automobile It will be appreciated that other types of transmitter devices may be usable with the bridge device In other words any transmitting device that does not directly communicate with appliances in the home network may be associated with the bridge device which can receive signals generated by the transmitter for conver sion to the necessary format and convey the appropriate instructions to the network world 12 The bridge device 10 includes the plug 22 that is mateable with any standard electrical outlet providing residential or facility power And the device 10 also includes the learn teach switch 24 the status light 26 and an appropriate power outlet control 28 The bridge device 10 also includes a bridge controller and memory system designated generally by the numeral 50 The controller 50 is connected to all of the components men tioned above such as the plug 22 the switch 24 the status light 26 and the power receptacle 28 The controller and memory system 50 includes the necessary hardware soft ware and memory to facilitate communications between the bridge s internal components and to facilitate communica tions between the transmitters 11 and the network world 12 The bridge includes an antenna 52 that receives radio frequency or other types of wireless signals generated by the transmitters for transfer to an appropriate receiver 54 The receiver 54 is connected to the controller and rece
27. ives at least signals 36A D The signals received by the receiver 54 are submitted to the controller and memory system 50 for validation and confirmation Contained within the housing 20 is an internal battery 56 which is preferably a long life battery of about 3 volts Of course other battery voltages could be used if appropriate The battery 56 is connected to a power supply control system 58 which is directly linked to the controller 50 Also connected to the power supply system is the plug 22 which receives external AC DC power 60 which may either be 120V line or transformer output regulated power The con troller and memory system 50 defaults to the external power source 60 if connected It will be appreciated as the detailed description proceeds that the type of power employed by the bridge device dictates the bridge s mode of operation which is employed for the learning of the various devices to the bridge and for the general operation of the bridge US 7 266 344 B2 7 A teach function module 62 is connected to the controller 50 and undertakes various functions upon actuation of the learn teach switch 24 and depending upon the power supply utilized by the controller 50 As will become apparent as the detailed description proceeds actuation of the learn teach switch causes the controller and the teach function module to generate a code that is emitted by an antenna 64 prefer ably in the form of a radio frequency code 66 This code 66
28. nces controlled by a home network SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore there is a need in the art for remotely activated bridge device for use with a home network and methods for programming and using the same Another object of the present invention which shall become apparent as the detailed description proceeds is achieved by a bridge device linking transmitters to a home network comprising a transmitter signal receiver adapted to receive transmitter signals in a transmitter format from at least one transmitter a network signal transceiver adapted to transmit and receive network signals in a network format to and from a network a controller connected to the transmitter signal receiver and the network signal transceiver the con troller converting the signals between the formats A further object of the invention is to provide a method for enabling a home network bridge device including providing a controller linked to a transmitter signal receiver a network signal transceiver and a power supply system detecting a type of power source connected to the power supply system and selectively enabling a teach function module connected to the controller depending upon the type of power source detected Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a method for operating appliances connected to a home network system including providing a bridge controller linked to a transmitter signal receiver and a network signal transceiver re
29. net work 11 The device according to claim 10 wherein said network transceiver is linked to the home network and facilitates association of the transmitters with appliances connected to the home network 12 The device according to claim 1 further comprising a master controller in communication with said bridge controller said master controller linking specific trans mitter signals to specific network signals 13 A method for enabling a home network bridge device comprising providing a controller linked to a transmitter signal receiver a network signal transceiver and a power supply system detecting a type of power source connected to said power supply system selectively enabling a teach function module connected to said controller depending upon said type of power source detected and disabling said teach function module if an external power source is detected by said controller 14 The method according to claim 13 further compris ing actuating a learn teach switch which is connected to said controller and which enables said transmitter signal receiver receiving a transmitter signal generated by at least one type of transmitter said transmitter signal containing a code associated with the at least one transmitter and storing said code in said controller 15 The method according to claim 13 further compris ing actuating a learn teach switch which is connected to said controller and which enables s
30. r depending upon said type of power source detected enabling said teach function module if an internal power source is detected by said controller activating a learn state for a transmitter to be associated with the bridge device US 7 266 344 B2 15 actuating a learn teach switch connected to said controller while said transmitter learn state is active generating a code by said teach function module and receiving and storing said code in the transmitter 24 A method for operating appliances connected to a home network system comprising providing a bridge controller linked to a transmitter signal receiver and a network signal transceiver receiving a transmitter signal in a transmitter format said transmitter signal sent from a non network transmitter converting said transmitter signal into a network signal in a network mode format emitting said network signal from said network signal transceiver for receipt by the home network system which controls operation of at least one appliance linking a master controller to said bridge controller dumping at least one button ID code associated with said non network transmitter to said master controller identifying at least two functions maintained by said at least one appliance and reassigning said at least one button ID code identified at said dumping step with one of said at least two func tions identified at said identifying step 25 The method according to claim 2
31. roller said teach function module disabled when said power supply receives power from an external power source 2 The device according to claim 1 further comprising an internal power source connected to said power supply system and said bridge controller implementing different modes depending upon said power supply system s source of power 3 The device according to claim 2 further comprising a learn teach switch connected to said bridge controller wherein actuation of said learn teach switch when said teach function module is enabled causes said module to generate a code receivable by the at least one trans mitter which is a learning transmitter which is adapted to receive and store said code 4 The device according to claim 3 wherein the learning transmitter is adapted to emit said code upon receipt of a predesignated stimulus and said code is received by said transmitter signal receiver 5 The device according to claim 4 wherein said predes ignated stimulus is one of a button actuation on the at least one learning transmitter and entry of the at least one learning transmitter into a proximity range with respect to said transmitter signal receiver 6 The device according to claim 2 further comprising a teach function module connected to said bridge con troller wherein said teach function module is disabled and said transmitter signal receiver and said network signal receiver are enabled when said power supply s
32. ron ment or remotely For example the microprocessor may include a so called embedded web server to communicate sensed conditions and to respond to received commands or requests for information Of course the controller need not itself implement these protocols and may communicate with a translation or bridge device using another protocol Therefore the device may be integrated with other domestic electronics systems and communicate therewith Various known physical link layers may be employed such as 10 Base T 10 Base 2 phone line networking AC power line networking RF communications e g 24 MHz 49 MHz 900 MHz or 2 4 GHz infrared communications e g IRdA acoustic communications or the like In order to reduce power consumption a wireless communication sys tem preferably provides at least two modes of operation an active mode wherein the communications latencies are short and a low power mode wherein the communications are shut down or operated with long latencies The system may switch between modes automatically or on external command Although the aforementioned devices are effective in their stated purpose they do not address the incompatibility of different non network components In other words there is a need in the art for a device that facilitates communication US 7 266 344 B2 3 between remote transmitters or transmitters that control the operation of the movable barrier or the like with the applia
33. ry and assigned a particular network code As will be discussed in further detail the master controller assigns specific func tions to each network code and thus each transmitter button The network transceiver then at step 326 awaits a confir mation signal from the network and if received the process returns to step 306 If the confirmation signal is not received then the network code signal is re generated It will be appreciated that if a confirmation signal is not received after a predetermined period of time the process eventually returns to step 306 The normal mode of operation allows for the bridge to become active whenever a valid code is received through the built in radio frequency receiver In this mode the bridge device is plugged into a permanent external power supply and the controller continuously monitors the RF receiver for 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 signals Whenever a valid signal is received either from the permanently affixed transmitter a handheld transmitter a vehicle mounted transmitter or a learning transmitter then the bridge device converts this received transmitter code into a network code compatible with the home network protocol provided by the network world 12 and this signal is output via the network transceiver In essence the bridge device 10 is transparent to the user and simply functions as a pipe passing information through the system from one format to
34. signal is being received or not If a signal is not being received from the any of the transmitters 11 then the process continues to step 314 to determine whether a network signal is being received via the transceiver 70 If not then the process is automatically returned to step 306 If however at step 314 a signal 74 generated by the network 12 is received and the requested function is performed by the power outlet control 28 Thus it will be appreciated that the network world 12 may generate signals that are received by the bridge device to toggle on and off any appliance that is connected to the output control 28 In this manner added functionality is provided by the bridge device Returning now to step 312 if the receiver detects the presence of a transmitter RF signal then the process con tinues to step 320 and the received signal is analyzed to determine its particular code and is checked against stored codes in the non volatile memory maintained by the con troller 50 At step 322 if it is determined that the code is invalid then the process is returned to step 306 and the timer is reinitiated If however at step 322 it is determined that the received code is valid then at step 324 the transmitter code is converted to a network code protocol or proper format and this signal is transmitted via the network trans ceiver 70 to the network world 12 It will be appreciated that the transmitter codes are stored in the controller s memo
35. signal to control operation of at least one appliance 19 The method according to claim 17 further compris ing assigning a unique code to each said transmitter signal learned by said controller and converting each said unique code into a unique network signal controlling operation of at least one appliance with said unique network signal 20 The method according to claim 17 further compris ing providing a power outlet control connected to said con troller and enabling said network signal to control operation of said power outlet control 21 The method according to claim 17 further compris ing providing a power outlet control connected to said con troller and enabling said transmitter signal to control operation of said power outlet control 22 The method according to claim 13 further compris ing actuating a learn teach switch that is connected to said controller and enabling said network signal transceiver to enter a net work join mode if more than one actuation of said learn teach switch in said predetermined period of time is detected so as to enable the network bridge to join a network 23 A method for enabling a home network bridge device comprising providing a controller linked to a transmitter signal receiver a network signal transceiver and a power supply system detecting a type of power source connected to said power supply system selectively enabling a teach function module connected to said controlle
36. tegrator whose job 1s to make all of these systems work together seamlessly In addition different standards are being developed which presumably link the internet and cell phone communications systems with the home network It is also believed that the home network may be extended into devices maintained in the garage or barriers that are accessible by the operator controlling the barrier but the communication standards 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 utilized by the garage door operator and the home network are not at all compatible Since the goal of the home network is to connect all devices together and to offer consumers easy to use interfaces it is necessary to develop interfaces capable of bridging devices utilizing incompatible com munication protocols One example of a home network system is disclosed in U S Pat No 6 481 013 to Dinwiddie et al This patent discloses an apparatus for distributing radio frequency RF modulated broadcast television signals from a broadcast signal source to networked appliances connected to the source through a plurality of single conductor coaxial cables simultaneously with distributing un modulated digi tal signals and RF modulated video signals exchanged between the networked appliances over the same network coaxial cables The apparatus provides bi directional signal transmission over a single conductor coaxial cable and a network capable of conducting sim
37. ter codes and the process returns to step 202 In summary by pressing the teach learn switch device 24 within a short predetermined period of time such as four seconds the bridge device is linked to the transmitters that are normally used for moving movable barriers The net work transceiver 70 is linked to the network 12 via the antenna 72 by emitting or receiving a radio frequency signal 74 or by a wired interface 76 which may utilize an ethernet connection 76 Once all of the appropriate transmitters have been learned to the bridge device and the bridge device has been linked with the home network the normal operation of the bridge may be implemented Accordingly referring now to FIG 6 it can be seen that a method of operation is designated generally by the numeral 300 In this mode of operation the bridge device is required to receive power from the external power source at step 302 And at step 304 the controller 50 deactivates the teach function module 62 and turns on the RF transceiver and the network transceiver Following this at step 306 the reset button press timer is initiated At step 308 the methodology determines whether the learn teach button 24 has been activated or not If so then the process is returned to step 200 at step 310 and the methodology described in FIG 5 is implemented If however at step 308 there is not a learn teach button activation then at step 312 the controller determines whether a radio frequency
38. transmitters are designated generally by the numeral 11 wherein each different type of transmitter is provided with a different alphabetic suffix Likewise each component with a particular transmitter is provided with corresponding alphabetic suffixes Accordingly a perma nently affixed transmitter is designated generally by the numeral 11A and is attached to a wall or other surface and is commonly referred to in the art as a wall station or sometimes as a keyless entry device The transmitter 11A includes a controller 32A which provides the necessary hardware software and memory needed to communicate with the garage door operator and the bridge device 10 The controller 32A is connected to an antenna 34A for the purpose of transmitting and receiving a radio frequency signal designed generally by the numeral 36A These signals may be generated upon actuation of a button 38A that is connected to the controller 32A Although it is preferred that a radio frequency signal be employed it will be appreciated that other signals such as an infrared signal may be employed and it will be appreciated that the permanently affixed transmitter may transmit or receive signals via a wired connection A handheld transmitter 11B may also be employed in the present invention and it includes a controller 32B that generates signals that are transmitted by an antenna 34B upon actuation of a button 38B The controller 32B includes the necessary hardware software an
39. ultaneous bi directional signal transmission of un modulated digital signals and radio frequency RF modulated signals over a single con ductor coaxial cable The apparatus also provides a network capable of providing bi directional signal transmission of broadband baseband and infrared signals over a single conductor coaxial cable And the apparatus provides bi directional transmission of high bandwidth broadband sig nals over a low bandwidth single conductor coaxial cable Another example of an interface device is provided by U S Pat No 6 155 160 to Hochbrueckner which discloses an electronic control for a grill providing enhanced func tionality and safety features One of the features is a hydro carbon detector system that provides an intermittently oper ated electro optic device emitting photons at a wavelength which selectively interacts with hydrocarbon as compared to air associated with a detector for detecting the selective interaction and an alarm monitor for detecting an alarm state Another feature is a food temperature sensor that is employed to proportionately control combustible fuel flow rate and thereby control a food temperature profile Still another feature is a communications network interface is provided to allow remote control and monitoring In one embodiment the electronic systems include a networking device for example a TCP IP based communications inter face for communicating with other devices in the envi
40. ystem is connected to said external power source 7 The device according to claim 6 further comprising a learn teach switch connected to said bridge controller wherein actuation of said learn teach switch places said bridge controller in a transmitter learn mode and wherein generation of said transmitter signal by the at US 7 266 344 B2 13 least one transmitter while said bridge controller is in said transmitter learn mode enables storing of said transmitter code contained within said transmitter sig nal in said controller 8 The device according to claim 6 further comprising a learn teach switch connected to said bridge controller wherein actuation of said learn teach switch generates a join network signal by said network signal transceiver which is receivable by the home network 9 The device according to claim 8 wherein said join network signal is generated upon multiple actuations of said learn teach switch in a predetermined period of time 10 The device according to claim 6 further comprises a learn teach switch connected to said bridge controller wherein a solitary actuation of said learn teach switch places said bridge controller in a transmitter learn mode which stores subsequently received transmitter signals in said controller and wherein multiple actua tions of said learn teach switch places said bridge controller in a join network mode which enables com munication between said controller and the home
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