Combined garage door and keyless entry fob

A method for operating a wireless fob having keyless vehicle entry functions and garage door (GD) activation functions, comprising:

• determining whether the fob has entered a GD learn mode, and if NO (FALSE), continuing or resuming normal operation, and if YES (TRUE), then;
• maintaining the fob in the GD learn mode up to a predetermined learn mode time interval T2 while waiting for receipt of a GD activate signal directly from a GD opener;
• determining whether the fob has received the GD activate signal during learn mode time interval T2, and if NO (FALSE), exiting the learn mode, and if YES (TRUE), then;
• analyzing the received GD activate signal to determine parameters characterizing the GD activate signal to permit later replication of the signal by the fob;
• then
• storing the parameters characterizing the GD activate signal in memory;
• and
• exiting the GD learn mode and resuming normal operation of the fob.

A combined vehicle keyless entry and garage door (GD) opener fob, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive GD activate signals directly from a GD opener during a GD function learn mode of the fob;
• a processor coupled to the receiver configured to analyze the GD activate signals received by the receiver directly from the GD opener, to obtain the GD activate signal parameters;
• a memory coupled to the processor configured to store the GD activate signal parameters determined by the processor;
• a transmitter coupled to the processor configured to transmit in response to a user command a replica of the received GD activate signal based on the parameters stored in the memory;
• and
• a user activated function switch configured to place the fob in the GD function learn mode and thereafter to cause the fob to transmit the replica of the GD activate signal.

A method of operating a self-contained combined vehicle keyless entry and garage door (GD) opener fob, comprising:

• in a learning mode, receiving a GD activate signal directly from a nearby GD opener;
• analyzing the received GD activate signal in the fob to determine its parameters so as to permit subsequent replication thereof by the fob;
• storing the GD activate signal parameters in memory in the fob thereby completing the learning mode;
• and
• thereafter using the stored parameters on user command to cause the fob to transmit a replica of the GD activate signal.