Modular garage door opener

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10157538-B2
Application number	US-201815964962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2018
Priority date	Apr 11, 2016
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A modular garage door opener system includes an accessory device including a first electronic processor, a first memory, and a load, and includes a garage door opener including an accessory port, a second memory, and a second electronic processor. The accessory port is configured to be removably coupled to the accessory device. The second electronic processor receives new status data from the accessory device indicating a change in a status of the accessory device to a new status, sends the new status data to a remote server to update an accessory data set, receives new settings data from the remote server indicating a requested change in a setting of the accessory device, and sends the new settings data to the accessory device to update the setting of the accessory device. The first electronic processor controls the load of the accessory device based on the new settings data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular garage door opener comprising:
a motor configured to drive a garage door to open and close;
an accessory port, the accessory port configured to be removably coupled to an accessory device such that the garage door opener is in electrical communication with the accessory device via the accessory port;
a controller including an electronic processor coupled to a memory having instructions executable by the electronic processor, the controller configured to:
receive new status data from the accessory device indicating a change in a status of the accessory device to a new status;
send the new status data to a remote server to update an accessory data set;
receive new settings data from the remote server indicating a requested change in a setting of the accessory device; and
send the new settings data to the accessory device to update the setting of the accessory device for controlling a load of the accessory device.

2. The modular garage door opener of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive, from the accessory device in response to coupling of the accessory device to the accessory port, an initial data set including a unique identifier for the accessory device, an initial status indicating the status of the accessory device, and an initial setting indicating the setting of the accessory device, and
send the initial data set, to the remote server, for storage as the accessory data set.

3. The modular garage door opener of claim 1 , wherein the accessory device is at least one selected from the group of a speaker, a fan, an extension cord reel, an environmental sensor, a park-assist laser, a light, an inflator, and an inflator cord reel.

4. The modular garage door opener of claim 1 , wherein the load of the accessory device is at least one selected from the group of a speaker circuit, a motor, a power relay, a park-assist laser light, a light, and a compressor.

5. The modular garage door opener of claim 1 , wherein:
a second accessory device is removably coupled to the accessory port in the absence of the accessory device such that the second accessory device is in electrical communication with the accessory port; and
the controller is further configured to:
receive from the second accessory device a second initial data set including a second unique identifier for the second accessory device, a second initial status indicating a second status of the second accessory device, and a second initial setting indicating a second setting of the second accessory device;
send the second initial data set to the remote server for storage as a second accessory data set;
receive second new status data from the second accessory device indicating a change in the second status of the second accessory device to a second new status;
send the second new status data to the remote server to update the second accessory data set;
receive second new settings data from the remote server indicating a second requested change in the second setting of the second accessory device; and
send the second new settings data to the second accessory device to update the second setting of the second accessory device.

6. The modular garage door opener of claim 1 , wherein the initial data set is stored in a memory of the accessory device.

7. The modular garage door opener of claim 1 , wherein the garage door opener further includes a second accessory port that removably receives the accessory device and the controller is further configured to:
receive, from the accessory device via the second accessory port, the initial data set; and
send the initial data set to the remote server.

8. The modular garage door opener of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive, from the accessory device via the second accessory port, a further status data set indicating that the status of the accessory device is a further status;
send the further status data set to the remote server;
receive, from the remote server, a further settings data set; and
send, to the accessory device via the second accessory port, the further settings data set to update the setting of the accessory device and, thereby, control the load of the accessory device.

9. An accessory device for a garage door opener, the accessory device comprising:
a mechanical interface configured to be removably coupled to an accessory port of a garage door opener;
an electrical interface configured to be in electrical communication with the garage door opener via the accessory port, wherein the electrical interface receives power from the garage door opener via the accessory port upon being coupled to the accessory port;
a load;
a controller including an electronic processor and a first memory, the controller being coupled to the load, and wherein the controller is configured to:
send, to the garage door opener via the electrical interface, an initial data set including a unique identifier for the accessory device, an initial status indicating a status of the accessory device, and an initial setting indicating a setting of the accessory device;
receive new settings data from the garage door opener to update the setting of the accessory device;
control the load of the accessory device in response to the new settings data; and
send new status data to the garage door opener, the new status data indicating a change in the status of the accessory device to a new status.

10. The accessory device of claim 9 , wherein:
the electrical interface receives power from a second accessory port of the garage door opener upon being decoupled from the accessory port and coupled to the second accessory port; and
the controller is configured to:
send the initial data set to the garage door opener;
receive second settings data from the garage door opener to update the setting of the accessory device;
control the load of the accessory device in response to the second settings data; and
send second status data to the garage door opener indicating a change in the status of the accessory device to a second status.

11. The accessory device of claim 9 , wherein the accessory device is at least one selected from the group of a speaker, a fan, an extension cord reel, an environmental sensor, a park-assist laser, a light, an inflator, and an inflator cord reel.

12. The accessory device of claim 9 , wherein the load of the accessory device is at least one selected from the group of a speaker circuit, a motor, a power relay, a park-assist laser light, a light, and a compressor.

13. A communication method for a garage door opener including an accessory port configured to receive an accessory device, the method comprising:
receiving, by the garage door opener, the accessory device in the accessory port;
receiving, by an electronic processor of the garage door opener, status data from the accessory device indicating a change in status of the accessory device to a new status;
sending, by the electronic processor, the status data to a remote server to update an accessory data set;
receiving, by the electronic processor, settings data from the remote server indicating a requested change in a setting of the accessory device; and
sending, by the electronic processor, the settings data to the accessory device to update the setting of the accessory device.

14. The communication method of claim 13 , wherein a unique identifier is received, by the electronic processor, with the status data from the accessory device, the unique identifier indicating a type of the accessory device.

15. The communication method of claim 13 ,

Assignees

• Tti Macao Commercial Offshore Ltd

Inventors

• Mcnabb William
• Huggins Mark
• Whitmire J Porter

Classifications

• G07C9/00857

  where the code of the data carrier can be programmed · CPC title

• G07C9/00182

  operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks · CPC title

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• G08C2201/92

  Universal remote control · CPC title