Patents Assigned to The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
  • Patent number: 10837216
    Abstract: A garage door security system includes a camera configured to capture images of vehicles that are in proximity of a garage door of a garage. A database stores identification information for a plurality of vehicles. The identification information includes at least one of make, model, color, license plate number. An image and data analytic controller analyzes the images of vehicles captured by the camera using the identification information for the plurality of vehicles stored in the local database in order to identify vehicles authorized to enter the garage. A motor control opens the garage door for vehicles authorized to enter the garage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred T. Cheng, Herman Yau
  • Patent number: 10832543
    Abstract: An activity sensor system includes a library that stores image information. A low power artificial intelligence based image sensor captures images from a first location at a first image resolution. The sensor has access to the library that stores image information. The sensor is able to recognize images based on the image information in the image library.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred Cheng, Herman Yau
  • Patent number: 10823879
    Abstract: An obstacle detection system includes a first light emitter that emits a light signal and a first light detector configured to receive a portion of the light signal reflected back from an object. The obstacle detection system includes a second light emitter configured to emit a test signal toward the first light detector, and a second light detector configured to detect the light signal emitted by the first light emitter. The obstacle detection system includes a processor to determine, based on the light signal, whether an obstruction is detected and whether, by use of the second light emitter and the second light detector, the first light emitter and the first light detector are operable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Fitzgibbon
  • Patent number: 10810817
    Abstract: Generally speaking, and pursuant to these various embodiments, a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium is provided that allows a guest to contact an owner or operator of a secured premises or area to gain access to the secured premises. An access control device initiates contact with a guest device and provides a resource to contact an owner device. If the owner decides to grant access to the guest, the owner selects a suitable input on the owner device so that the owner device sends an authorized signal to the guest device. The guest device acts as a gateway and forwards the authorized signal to the access control device. The access control device operates in response to reception of the authorized signal to grant the guest access to the secured premises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Daniel-Wayman, James Scott Murray, Cory Jon Sorice
  • Patent number: 10801247
    Abstract: A barrier operator feature enhancement device is designed to provide one or more features found in modern barrier operator devices and to incorporate those features into a previously installed barrier operator system. To facilitate ease of use, the barrier operator feature enhancement device can communicate with a large variety of barrier operators. Such communication may be wireless or wired, depending on the communication protocol implemented by a particular previously installed barrier operator. To facilitate the ease of installation, the device is designed to configure itself to operate with the communication protocol of the previously installed barrier operator. Once configured to be able to communicate with the previously installed barrier operator, the feature enhancement device works with the barrier operator to provide one or more additional features to enhance the capabilities of the previously installed barrier operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: James Joseph Fitzgibbon, Robert R. Keller, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10739762
    Abstract: An apparatus for use with an auxiliary device for commanding a movable barrier operator, the apparatus having a first communication interface, a processor device, and a second communication interface. The first communication interface being configured to receive a status change request from the auxiliary device. The processor device runs a movable barrier controller application and is configured to generate a control signal for the movable barrier operator in response to receiving the status change request. The second communication interface is configured to send the control signal to the movable barrier operator through a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Fitzgibbon
  • Publication number: 20200236552
    Abstract: Electronic systems are provided for secure actuation of a remote device such as a moveable barrier operator. The systems address the “man in the middle” problem of persons intercepting and duplicating radio frequency signals from a control device by introducing timing parameters into a bidirectional communication sequence between at least two devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Fitzgibbon
  • Patent number: 10713869
    Abstract: A movable barrier operator comprising a motor, communication circuitry configured to receive a control signal and communicate with a door lock associated with a passageway door, and a controller. The controller is configured to authenticate the control signal, wherein authenticating the control signal includes associating the signal with a first level of access or a second level of access. The controller is further configured to communicate with the door lock via the communication circuitry to permit opening of the passageway door in response to associating the control signal with the first level of access and inhibit opening of the passageway door in response to associating the control signal with the second level of access. The controller is configured to cause the motor to open the movable barrier regardless of association of the control signal with the first level of access or the second level of access.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Morris, James Scott Murray, Robert J. Olmsted
  • Patent number: 10708410
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for operating a remotely operable lock. In an example embodiment, a method comprises receiving credentials at a web service from a portable electronic device, authenticating the credentials, and based on a successful authentication, issuing a command for receipt by the lock from the web service or the portable electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Michael Gerhardt, Charles Cameron Robertson
  • Patent number: 10679476
    Abstract: A motion detector camera is configured to differentiate between an object or objects passing through the field of view of the camera and an object or objects approaching the sensor. In one example, motion is detected with a camera configured to identify and selectively filter specific directions of motion. The motion detector compares pixel changes, corresponding to the basic area or size of the object, from frame to frame, and detects the amount of increase in change or decrease in change. An increasing change in the area or size of an object indicates that an object is approaching, and a decreasing change in the area or size of an object indicates that an object that is receding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric C. Bretschneider, James J. Fitzgibbon
  • Patent number: 10652743
    Abstract: Electronic systems are provided for secure actuation of a remote device such as a moveable barrier operator. The systems address the “man in the middle” problem of persons intercepting and duplicating radio frequency signals from a control device by introducing timing parameters into a bidirectional communication sequence between at least two devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Fitzgibbon
  • Patent number: 10636236
    Abstract: In one aspect, a universal receiver is provided for being operably coupled to a movable barrier operator. The universal receiver includes at least one radio antenna adapted to receive signals transmitted at different frequencies and a controller operably coupled to the at least one radio antenna. The controller is adapted to determine a code of a signal received by the at least one radio antenna at any one of the different frequencies. The controller being further adapted to learn the code in response to a user-independent learning condition being met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Burroughs, Thomas J. Grinter, Christopher J. Staub
  • Patent number: 10597928
    Abstract: A barrier operator feature enhancement device is designed to provide one or more features found in modern barrier operator devices and to incorporate those features into a previously installed barrier operator system. To facilitate ease of use, the barrier operator feature enhancement device can communicate with a large variety of barrier operators. Such communication may be wireless or wired, depending on the communication protocol implemented by a particular previously installed barrier operator. To facilitate the ease of installation, the device is designed to configure itself to operate with the communication protocol of the previously installed barrier operator. Once configured to be able to communicate with the previously installed barrier operator, the feature enhancement device works with the barrier operator to provide one or more additional features to enhance the capabilities of the previously installed barrier operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Casparus Cate, James Joseph Fitzgibbon, Robert R. Keller, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10563456
    Abstract: An apparatus controls the operation of multiple barriers at a common location. The apparatus includes a controller that determines which particular barrier operator among a group of several barrier operators should execute functionality based on certain operating conditions (e.g., location, speed, direction, orientation, etc.) relative to a controller or another component of the apparatus. In response to a user operating an interface in a manner intended to effect a barrier operator function, the apparatus causes the particular barrier operator to execute the function without affecting the other barrier operators among the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex Bodurka, Casparus Cate, Mark L. Karasek
  • Patent number: 10551871
    Abstract: An interactive multimedia assistant device (IMAD) includes an interactive core component (ICC) and a swappable personality customizable skin (SPCS) for performing interactive communication and control actions based on multimedia inputs. The ICC includes multimedia sensors for recognizing multimedia inputs; a storage medium for storing the multimedia inputs and media content; a controller for processing the multimedia inputs, modulating an audio output, and performing control actions based on the multimedia inputs; output devices for rendering outputs of the controller, and one or more communication interfaces for communicating with the SPCS. The SPCS is operably coupled on and activated by the ICC. The SPCS is programmed with a unique identifier that identifies a personality of the SPCS. The SPCS directs and programs behavior of the ICC based on the unique identifier, thereby allowing the ICC to assume the personality for performing interactive communication and control actions based on the multimedia inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred Cheng, Herman Yau
  • Patent number: D868835
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Sapta Gireesh Pudipeddi
  • Patent number: D872150
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy Abel, Matthew James Baer, Mark Edward Miller, Sapta Gireesh Pudipeddi
  • Patent number: D877775
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Maurien Alamin
  • Patent number: D890107
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Edward Miller
  • Patent number: D898684
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth F. Tomerlin, Darryl P. De Wind