Modular garage door opener

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10237996-B2
Application number	US-201815976160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2018
Priority date	Apr 11, 2016
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

A modular garage door opener system and method including a garage door opener having a motor that is configured to be coupled to a garage door to open and close the garage door. The garage door opener includes a first accessory port including a first accessory mounting interface and a second accessory port disposed on the garage door opener including a second accessory mounting interface. An accessory device including a first mounting interface engages the first accessory mounting interface to couple the accessory device to the first accessory port. The accessory device may be disengaged from the first accessory mounting interface and then engage the second accessory mounting interface to couple the accessory device to the second accessory port. Additionally, a second accessory device may engage the first accessory port after disengagement of the accessory device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular garage door opener system comprising:
a garage door opener including a motor that is configured to open and close the garage door;
a housing of the garage door opener configured to support the motor, the housing having a top portion, a bottom portion, and at least one sidewall;
an accessory port configured to receive and support an accessory device, the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing, the accessory port comprising a communication interface that includes at least one electrical connector disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing to facilitate data communication between the accessory device and the garage door opener.

2. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sidewall includes a second accessory port.

3. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sidewall includes a first sidewall including the accessory port, and includes a second sidewall including a second accessory port.

4. The modular garage door opener system of claim 3 ,
wherein the at least one sidewall further includes a third sidewall including a third accessory port, and includes a fourth sidewall including a fourth accessory port, and
wherein the first sidewall, second sidewall, third sidewall, and fourth sidewall connect the top portion of the housing to the bottom portion of the housing.

5. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical connector is configured to provide power and facilitate data communication between the accessory device disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing and the garage door opener.

6. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing includes a coupling interface configured to receive a portion of the accessory device and mechanically couple and align the accessory device with the housing.

7. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1 , wherein the garage door opener includes a controller having an electronic processor and a memory, the electronic processor configured to execute instructions to control functions of the garage door opener, communicate with the accessory device, and control power to the accessory device via the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing.

8. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing is configured to receive an accessory device comprising a battery pack and a battery charger, wherein the garage door opener transfers electrical charge to the battery charger to charge the battery pack and the battery pack supplies power to the garage door opener during power outages via the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing.

9. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory device received and supported by the accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing includes at least one selected from the group consisting 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.

10. A modular garage door opener system comprising:
a garage door opener including a motor that is configured to open and close the garage door;
a housing of the garage door opener configured to support the motor, the housing having a top portion, a bottom portion, and at least one sidewall;
a first accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing, the first accessory port including a first accessory mounting interface having a first electrical connector;
a second accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing, the second accessory port including a second accessory mounting interface having a second electrical connector; and
an accessory device including a first mounting interface that is configured to engage the first accessory mounting interface disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing to couple the accessory device to the first accessory port on the at least one sidewall of the housing, and that is configured to engage the second accessory mounting interface disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing to couple the accessory device to the second accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing.

11. The modular garage door opener system of claim 10 , wherein the accessory device is at least one selected from the group consisting 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 modular garage door opener system of claim 10 , wherein the accessory device further includes a mechanical mounting interface and an electrical mounting interface.

13. The modular garage door opener system of claim 12 , wherein the first accessory mounting interface disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing includes:
a first coupling interface that is configured to engage the mechanical mounting interface on the accessory device such that the accessory device is mechanically supported on the first coupling interface, and
a first communication interface having the first electrical connector that is configured to engage the electrical mounting interface on the accessory device such that the accessory device is electrically coupled to the first communication interface.

14. The modular garage door opener system of claim 12 , wherein the second accessory mounting interface disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing includes:
a second coupling interface that is configured to engage the mechanical mounting interface on the accessory device such that the accessory device is mechanically supported on the second coupling interface, and
a second communication interface having the second electrical connector that is configured to engage the electrical mounting interface on the accessory device such that the accessory device is electrically coupled to the second communication interface.

15. The modular garage door opener system of claim 10 , wherein the accessory device comprises a battery charger configured to receive a battery pack and the first accessory mounting interface disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing is configured to receive the battery charger, wherein the garage door opener transfers electrical charge to the battery charger to charge the battery pack and the battery pack supplies power to the garage door opener during power outages via the first accessory port disposed on the at least one sidewall of the housing.

16. A method of operating a modular garage door opener system comprising:
receiving, by an accessory port disposed on a sidewall of a garage door opener, a first accessory device, wherein receiving the first accessory device includes engaging a first mounting interface of the first accessory device to a communication interface that includes at least one electrical connector in the accessory port disposed on the sidewall of the garage door opener;
disengaging, by the accessory port disposed on the sidewall of the garage door opener, from the first accessory device, wherein disengaging from the first accessory device includes decoupling of the first mounting interface of the first accessory device from the communication interface that includes the at least one electrical connector in the accessory port disposed on the sidewall of the garage door opener; and
receiving, by the ac

Assignees

• Tti Macao Commercial Offshore Ltd
• Mccracken Susan L

Inventors

• Whitmire J Porter
• Zimmerman Todd
• Huggins Mark
• Preus Michael
• Pleasants Parke
• Jenkins J Luke
• Mccracken Robert E
• Brazell Kenneth M
• Ohi Taku
• Lagman C Eric

Classifications

• E05Y2800/20

  Combinations of elements · CPC title

• E05Y2800/106

  Lighting · CPC title

• E05Y2400/614

  charging thereof · CPC title

• E05Y2400/612

  Batteries · CPC title

• E05Y2400/61

  Power supply · CPC title