# US 10,246,930 B2 · System and method for remotely controlling and determining a status of a barrier

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- Number: US 10,246,930 B2
- Document ID: US10246930B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/713,782
- Filed: 2017-09-25
- Published: 2019-02-14
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-08
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Brian K. Lickfelt; Kevin Lamm
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246930B2

## CPC

- E05F 15/77: using wireless control
- E04H 6/02: Small garages, e.g. for one or two cars (attached to, or supported by, the vehicle B62D)
- E04H 6/42: Devices or arrangements peculiar to garages, not covered elsewhere, e.g. securing devices, safety devices {, monitoring and operating schemes; centering devices}
- E05F 15/40: Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
- E05F 15/73: responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
- G01S 17/04: Systems determining the presence of a target
- G01S 19/41: Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
- G01S 19/51: Relative positioning
- G05B 15/02: electric
- G07C 9/20: involving the use of a pass
- H04L 12/2829: {involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered}
- H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
- E05F 15/668: for overhead wings
- E05F 2015/763: {using acoustical sensors}
- E05F 2015/767: {using cameras}
- E05Y 2400/45: Control modes
- E05Y 2400/818: Visual
- E05Y 2900/106: for garages
- E05Y 2900/40: for gates
- G07C 2009/00928: {for garage doors}
- E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING
- E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF

## Abstract

A system and method for remotely controlling and determining a status of a barrier that include determining that a vehicle is parked at a predetermined vicinity of the barrier. The system and method also include sending at least one barrier control signal to remotely control movement of the barrier based on the initial state of the barrier. The system and method additionally include determining a current state of the barrier. The system and method further include presenting the current state of the barrier, wherein the current state of the barrier is presented to display if the current state of the barrier is a closed state based on the at least one barrier control signal sent to remotely control movement of the barrier.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for remotely controlling and determining a status of a barrier, comprising:
determining that a vehicle is parked at a predetermined vicinity of the barrier, wherein an initial state of the barrier is determined upon determining that the vehicle is parked at the predetermined vicinity of the barrier;
determining that the vehicle is departing away from the barrier and sending at least one barrier control signal to remotely control movement of the barrier, wherein the at least one barrier control signal is sent to a barrier controller associated with the barrier to traverse the barrier to a closed state when it is determined that the initial state of the barrier is an opened state or a partially opened state;
determining a current state of the barrier, wherein the current state of the barrier is determined based on a wireless internet communication that occurs upon determining that the barrier has not traversed to the closed state based on RF communication that occurs immediately prior to the vehicle being located outside of a RF communication range with the barrier controller, wherein the wireless internet communication occurs upon determining that the vehicle is located outside of the RF communication range with the barrier controller; and
presenting the current state of the barrier, wherein the current state of the barrier is presented to display if the current state of the barrier is the closed state based on the at least one barrier control signal sent to remotely control movement of the barrier.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current state of the barrier is determined based on RF communication that occurs immediately prior to the vehicle being located outside of a RF communication range with the barrier controller.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining if the vehicle is parked at the predetermined vicinity of the barrier includes creating and storing a data flag that indicates that the vehicle is parked within the predetermined vicinity of the barrier, wherein the data flag is populated within a barrier profile that is associated with the barrier and stored on a storage of the vehicle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining if the vehicle is parked at the predetermined vicinity of the barrier includes determining that a battery/ACC mode of the vehicle is activated, wherein it is determined if the vehicle is parked within the predetermined vicinity of the barrier if the data flag is populated within the barrier profile upon retrieving the data flag from the barrier profile.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including determining that the vehicle is parked within an area enclosed by the barrier and determining the initial state of the barrier, wherein at least one barrier control signal is sent to the barrier control to traverse the barrier to the opened state when the initial state of the barrier is determined to be in the closed state or the partially opened state.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further including determining an updated state of the barrier upon determining that the vehicle is departing away from the barrier and that the vehicle exits an inner departure status zone that is located at a predetermined distance of the barrier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein sending the at least one barrier control signal to remotely control movement of the barrier includes sending the at least one barrier control signal to the barrier controller to traverse the barrier to the closed state when it is determined that the updated state of the barrier is the opened state or the partially opened state.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the current state of the barrier includes determining that the vehicle is located a predetermined distance from exiting an outer departure status zone, wherein the outer departure status zone is located at a predetermined distance from the barrier and is utilized to provide the current status of the barrier at a last possible point in time prior to the vehicle being located outside of the RF communication range with the barrier controller as the vehicle is departing away from the barrier.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein determining the current state of the barrier includes determining that the current state of the barrier is the opened state or the partially opened state before the vehicle exits the outer departure status zone, wherein the wireless internet communication occurs between the vehicle and an external server infrastructure to determine the current state of the barrier upon determining that the vehicle has exited the outer departure zone and is located outside of the RF communication range with the barrier controller.

### Claim 10

A system for remotely controlling and determining a status of a barrier, comprising:
a memory storing instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
determine that a vehicle is parked at a predetermined vicinity of the barrier, wherein an initial state of the barrier is determined upon determining that the vehicle is parked at the predetermined vicinity of the barrier;
determine that the vehicle is departing away from the barrier and send at least one barrier control signal to remotely control movement of the barrier, wherein the at least one barrier control signal is sent to a barrier controller associated with the barrier to traverse the barrier to a closed state when it is determined that the initial state of the barrier is an opened state or a partially opened state;
determine a current state of the barrier, wherein the current state of the barrier is determined based on a wireless internet communication that occurs upon determining that the barrier has not traversed to the closed state based on RF communication that occurs immediately prior to the vehicle being located outside of a RF communication range with the barrier controller, wherein the wireless internet communication occurs upon determining that the vehicle is located outside of the RF communication range with the barrier controller; and
present the current state of the barrier, wherein the current state of the barrier is presented to display if the current state of the barrier is the closed state based on the at least one barrier control signal sent to remotely control movement of the barrier.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the current state of the barrier is determined based on RF communication that occurs immediately prior to the vehicle being located outside of a RF communication range with the barrier controller.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein determining if the vehicle is parked at the predetermined vicinity of the barrier includes creating and storing a data flag that indicates that the vehicle is parked within the predetermined vicinity of the barrier, wherein the data flag is populated within a barrier profile that is associated with the barrier and stored on a storage of the vehicle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein determining if the vehicle is parked at the predetermined vicinity of the barrier includes determining that a battery/ACC mode of the vehicle is activated, wherein it is determined if the vehicle is parked within the predetermined vicinity of the barrier if the data flag is populated within the barrier profile upon retrieving the data flag from the barrier profile.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, further including determining that the vehicle is parked within an area enclosed by the barrier and determining the initial state of the barrier, wherein at least one barrier control signal is sent to the barrier control to traverse the barrier to the opened state when the initial state of the barrier is determined to be in the closed state or the partially opened state.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, further including determining an updated state of the barrier upon determining that the vehicle is departing away from the barrier and that the vehicle exits an inner departure status zone that is located at a predetermined distance of the barrier.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein sending the at least one barrier control signal to remotely control movement of the barrier includes sending the at least one barrier control signal to the barrier controller to traverse the barrier to the closed state when it is determined that the updated state of the barrier is the opened state or the partially opened state.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein determining the current state of the barrier includes determining that the vehicle is located a predetermined distance from exiting an outer departure status zone, wherein the outer departure status zone is located at a predetermined distance from the barrier and is utilized to provide the current status of the barrier at a last possible point in time prior to the vehicle being located outside of the RF communication range with the barrier controller as the vehicle is departing away from the barrier.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein determining the current state of the barrier includes determining that the current state of the barrier is the opened state or the partially opened state before the vehicle exits the outer departure status zone, wherein the wireless internet communication occurs between the vehicle and an external server infrastructure to determine the current state of the barrier upon determining that the vehicle has exited the outer departure zone and is located outside of the RF communication range with the barrier controller.

### Claim 19

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer, which includes a processor, perform a method, the method comprising:
determining that a vehicle is parked at a predetermined vicinity of a barrier, wherein an initial state of the barrier is determined upon determining that the vehicle is parked at the predetermined vicinity of the barrier;
determining that the vehicle is departing away from the barrier and sending at least one barrier control signal to remotely control movement of the barrier, wherein the at least one barrier control signal is sent to a barrier controller associated with the barrier to traverse the barrier to a closed state when it is determined that the initial state of the barrier is an opened state or a partially opened state;
determining a current state of the barrier, wherein the current state of the barrier is determined based on a wireless internet communication that occurs upon determining that the barrier has not traversed to the closed state based on RF communication that occurs immediately prior to the vehicle being located outside of a RF communication range with the barrier controller, wherein the wireless internet communication occurs upon determining that the vehicle is located outside of the RF communication range with the barrier controller; and
presenting the current state of the barrier, wherein the current state of the barrier is presented to display if the current state of the barrier is the closed state based on the at least one barrier control signal sent to remotely control movement of the barrier.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein determining the current state of the barrier includes determining that the vehicle is located a predetermined distance from exiting an outer departure status zone, wherein the outer departure status zone is located at a predetermined distance from the barrier and is utilized to provide the current status of the barrier at a last possible point in time prior to the vehicle being located outside of the RF communication range with the barrier controller as the vehicle is departing away from the barrier.