Modular garage door opener

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9978265-B2
Application number	US-201715462305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2017
Priority date	Apr 11, 2016
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 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 system comprising:
an accessory device including a first electronic processor, a first memory, and a load that is controllable by the first electronic processor;
a garage door opener including a motor configured to drive a garage door to open and close, an accessory port, a second memory, and a second electronic processor, the accessory port configured to be removably coupled to the accessory device such that the accessory device is in electrical communication with the accessory port;
wherein the second electronic processor is coupled to the second memory and is configured to execute instructions stored in the second memory 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 and, thereby, control the load of the accessory device.

2. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1 , wherein the second electronic processor is further configured to execute instructions stored in the second memory 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 a remote server, for storage as the accessory data set.

3. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory device is 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 system of claim 1 , wherein the load of the accessory device is 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 system of claim 1 , further comprising a second accessory device that 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,
wherein the second electronic processor is further configured to execute instructions stored in the second memory 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 system of claim 1 , wherein the data set is stored in the first memory of the accessory device.

7. The modular garage door opener system of claim 1 , wherein the garage door opener further includes a second accessory port that removably receives the accessory device, and the second electronic processor is further configured to execute instructions stored in the second memory 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 system of claim 6 , wherein the second electronic processor is further configured to execute instructions stored in the second memory 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. 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, from the accessory device, 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;
sending, by an electronic processor of the garage door opener, the initial data set to a remote server for storage as an accessory data set;
receiving, by the electronic processor, new status data from the accessory device indicating a change in the status of the accessory device to a new status;
sending, by the electronic processor, the new status data to the remote server to update the accessory data set;
receiving, by the electronic processor, new settings data from the remote server indicating a requested change in the setting of the accessory device; and
sending, by the electronic processor, the new settings data to the accessory device to update the setting of the accessory device.

10. The communication method of claim 9 , wherein the unique identifier indicates a type of the accessory device.

11. The communication method 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 communication method of claim 9 , wherein the new settings data is received from the remote server in response to user input received by a peripheral device in communication with the remote server.

13. The communication method of claim 9 , further comprising controlling, by an electronic processor of the accessory device, a load of the accessory device in response to the new settings data.

14. The communication method of claim 9 , further including:
receiving, by the garage door opener, a second accessory device in a second accessory port;
receiving, 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;
sending the second initial data set to the remote server for storage as a second accessory data set;
receiving 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;
sending the second new status data to the remote server to update the second accessory data set;
receiving second new settings data from the remote server indicating a second requested change in the second setti

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