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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0001]    Not Applicable  
         CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0002]    Not Applicable  
         REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX  
         [0003]    Not Applicable  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0005]    The present invention relates generally to automatic garage doors, and is more particularly directed to automatic garage door status signaling and indicating apparatus and methods.  
           [0006]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0007]    Automatic garage door openers are used to open and close automatic garage doors. After a vehicle exits the garage, an automatic garage door opener resides inside the vehicle needs to be pressed to close the garage door. However since the driver may get distracted while exiting the garage, he might forget to close the garage door. In some cases, the driver may doubt whether he pressed the garage door opener to close the garage door or not; he may have to go back to the house to make sure that the garage door is closed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,954,810, 5,247,232, 5,883,579, 6,011,648, and 6,166,634 have suggested different solutions to this problem. However, each of these references requires complicated additional circuits to both garage door and openers. Modifications of the automatic garage door opener system are always required.  
           [0008]    Accordingly, it is seen that there exists a need to provide apparatus and methods to signal the status of the garage door to the occupants of a vehicle. It is also seen that there exists a need to provide apparatus and methods to indicate the status of the garage door.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    An automatic garage door controlling apparatus of present invention works with an automatic garage door opener to alert the driver of a vehicle to close the garage door after exiting the garage. The automatic garage door controlling apparatus comprises a vehicle power on means, a push button, a time delay control circuitry, and an alarm warning circuitry. After the driver of a vehicle turns on the power of the vehicle, the automatic garage door controlling apparatus sends out a signal to alert the driver of the vehicle to close the garage door if the time delay control signal expires before the driver presses an automatic garage door opener to close the garage door. Pressing the automatic garage door opener deactivates the automatic garage door controlling apparatus. An deactivator is also provided to deactivate the signal. The driver can also deactivate the garage door controlling apparatus before the indicating signal is activated.  
           [0010]    This apparatus can be a retrofit add-on to an existing garage door opener, or it can be built in device in a garage door opener.  
           [0011]    An automatic garage door status indicating apparatus of present invention works with an automatic garage door opener to provide the driver of a vehicle a measure whether the automatic garage door opener is pressed or not when he exits the garage.  
           [0012]    In one embodiment of the automatic garage door status indicating apparatus, a time log comprising a clock and a memory is provided. When the automatic garage door opener is pressed, the time is stored in the time log to provide the driver a record of time the automatic garage door opener was pressed. From the reading of the time log, the driver can make a judgment whether he closed the garage door or not when he drove away from the garage. Similarly, this apparatus can be a retrofit add-on to an existing garage door opener, or it can be a built in device in a garage door opener.  
           [0013]    In another embodiment of the automatic garage door status indicating apparatus, a timer, which can be simply a clock, is provided. The clock is reset to a predetermined value when the automatic garage door opener is pressed. From the reading of the clock, the driver can make a judgment whether he closed the automatic garage door or not when he drove away from the garage. This apparatus can be a retrofit add-on to an existing garage door opener, or it can be built in device in a garage door opener.  
           [0014]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic garage door controlling apparatus to alert the occupants of a vehicle to close the garage door.  
           [0015]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automatic garage door status indicating apparatus to indicate whether the automatic garage door opener is pressed or not.  
           [0016]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a time log to record the time when the automatic garage door opener was pressed.  
           [0017]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a timer to indicate the time difference between the current time and the time when the automatic garage door opener was pressed.  
           [0018]    Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus with a remotely disposed reset button to measure the time difference of two different moments, the reset button will reset the reading of the apparatus to a predetermined value.  
           [0019]    It is also an object of present invention to provide an automatic garage door opener which comprises an automatic garage door status signaling circuitry.  
           [0020]    It is yet an object of the present invention to provide an automatic garage door opener which comprises a garage door status indicating circuitry.  
           [0021]    It is an advantage of the present invention to provide an external circuitry thereby no modification of current automatic garage door circuitry is needed.  
           [0022]    It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a cheap and reliable means to alert the vehicle occupants to close the garage door.  
           [0023]    It is yet another advantage of the present invention to provide a cheap and reliable means to indicate whether the automatic garage door opener has been pressed or not.  
           [0024]    It is a feature of the present invention that the present automatic garage door controlling and indicating apparatuses and methods implement the principles of time related means.  
           [0025]    These and other objects, advantages, and features will become readily apparent in view of the following detailed description. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]    [0026]FIG. 1A is a flowchart showing the operation principle of an automatic garage door controlling device according to the present invention.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1B is an operation block diagram showing the automatic garage door status signaling device following the operation principle shown in FIG. 1A according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 1C is an operation block diagram showing the automatic garage door status signaling device following the operation principle shown in FIG. 1A according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2A is a flowchart showing the operation principle of an automatic garage door status indicating device according to the present invention.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 2B is an operation block diagram showing the automatic garage door status indicating device following the operation principle shown in FIG. 2A according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 2C is an operation block diagram showing the automatic garage door status indicating device following the operation principle shown in FIG. 2A according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3A is a flowchart showing the operation principle of yet another automatic garage door status indicating device according to the present invention.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 3B is an operation block diagram showing the automatic garage door status indicating device following the operation principle shown in FIG. 3A according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 3C is an operation block diagram showing the automatic garage door status indicating device following the operation principle shown in FIG. 3A according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of an embodiment showing an automatic garage door opener and an add-on push button.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram showing the add-on push button disposed on the top of the automatic garage door opener shown in FIG. 4A.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 4C is a schematic diagram showing the built-in push button of an automatic garage door opener acts as the push button.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 4D is a schematic diagram of another embodiment showing an automatic garage door opener and an add-on push button separately disposed.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 4E is a schematic diagram showing the add-on push button disposed on the top of the automatic garage door opener shown in FIG. 4D.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 4F is a schematic diagram showing the cross-section the un-pressed add-on push button and the automatic garage door opener as shown in FIG. 4D.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 4G is a schematic diagram showing the cross-section of the pressed add-on push button pressing the automatic garage door opener as shown in FIG. 4D.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0042]    Two embodiments of an automatic garage door status signaling device of the present invention are illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and  1 C.  
         [0043]    As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and  1 C, an automatic garage door status signaling device comprises a vehicle power on means  11 , an automatic garage door status signaling circuitry  10 , and an automatic garage door opener  13 . The garage door status signaling circuitry  10  comprises a signal deactivator  12 , a delay timer control circuitry  14 , and a signal indicating circuitry  15 . The automatic garage door opener  13  comprises an automatic garage door opener built-in push button  131  and an automatic garage door opener control circuitry  132 .  
         [0044]    In FIG. 1B, the push button  131  is used to activate both the garage door opener circuitry  132  and the delay timer control circuitry  14 . In FIG. 1C, an add-on push button  133  is utilized. The add-on push button  133  is coupled to the garage door built-in push button  131  so that pressing push button  131  will activate add-on push button  133  and pressing the add-on push button  133  will activate the built-in push button  131 .  
         [0045]    When the driver turns on the ignition, the vehicle power on means  11  actives the delay timer control circuitry  14 , which generates a time delay signal of predetermined length in time.  
         [0046]    If the push button  131  or  133  is pressed before the time delay signal expires, the delay timer control circuitry will disable the automatic garage door close alert device.  
         [0047]    If the time delay signal expires before the push button  131  or  133  is pressed, the delay timer control circuitry will activate the signal indicating circuitry  15 . The signal indicating circuitry  15  will send out an indicating signal such as sound, light, or mechanical signal to signal the driver to press the push button  131  or  133  to close the garage door. Pressing push button  131  or  133  will deactivate the signal indicating circuitry  15  to deactivate the signal.  
         [0048]    Sometimes the driver need to leave the garage without closing the garage door. The deactivator  12  deactivates the delay timer circuitry  14 , so the indicating signal is not activated. The deactivator  12  also deactivates the signal indicating circuitry  15  when the indicating signal is activated.  
         [0049]    The vehicle power on means  11  can be any electrical circuitry that will be turned on when the vehicle electrical power is turn on. The vehicle power on means  11  can be simply an electrical adapter to be plugged in a vehicle cigarette lighter outlet, which will be powered on when electrical power of this vehicle is turned on. The vehicle power on means  11  can also be an indication of the movement of the vehicle, or any other action which can be used to trigger the time delay circuitry  14 .  
         [0050]    The described garage door status signaling circuitry can be implemented in an automatic garage door opener to provide a means to alert the occupants of a vehicle to close the garage door.  
         [0051]    Two embodiments of an automatic garage door status indicating device of the present invention are illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and  2 C.  
         [0052]    As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and  2 C, an automatic garage door status indicating device comprises the automatic garage door opener  13 , and a garage door close indicator  20 . The automatic garage door opener  13  comprises the garage door built-in push button  131  and the garage door opener control circuitry  132 .  
         [0053]    In FIG. 2B, the automatic garage door close indicator  20  comprises a time log  21 . The push button  131  is used to activate both the automatic garage door opener circuitry  132  and the time log  21 . In FIG. 2C, the garage door close indicator  20  comprises a time log  21  and an add-on push button  133 . Similar to FIGS.  1 A, and  1 C, the add-on push button  133  is coupled to the garage door built-in push button  131  in a means pressing push button  131  will activate push button  133  and pressing push button  133  will activate push button  131 .  
         [0054]    When the driver exits the garage, if the driver presses the push button  131  or  133  to close the garage door, the exact time the push button  131  or  133  is pressed is recorded in the time log  21 . By checking the time log  21 , the driver knows when was the last time the push button  131  or  133  was pressed. The driver can then decide whether to go back to the garage or not.  
         [0055]    Another two embodiments of an automatic garage door status indicating device of the present invention are illustrated in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and  3 C.  
         [0056]    As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and  3 C, another automatic garage door status indicating device comprises the automatic garage door opener  13 , and an automatic garage door close indicator  30 . Similarly, the garage door opener  13  comprises the garage door built-in push button  131  and the garage door opener control circuitry  132 .  
         [0057]    In FIG. 3B, the garage door close indicator  30  comprises a timer  31 . The push button  131  is used to activate both the garage door opener circuitry  132  and the timer  31 . In FIG. 3C, the garage door close indicator  30  comprises a timer  31  and an add-on push button  133 . Similar to FIGS.  1 A, and  1 C, the add-on push button  133  is coupled to the garage door built-in push button  131  in a means pressing push button  131  will activate push button  133  and pressing push button  133  will activate push button  131 .  
         [0058]    When the driver exits the garage, if the driver presses the push button  131  or  133  to close the garage door, the timer  31  is reset to a predetermined value. With time passes, the value on the timer will change accordingly. By checking the value of the timer  31 , the driver knows when the push button  131  or  133  was pressed. The driver can then decide whether to go back to the garage or not.  
         [0059]    FIGS.  4 A- 4 B,  4 D- 4 G illustrate several exemplary coupling methods which can be used to couple the add-on push button  133  to garage door built-in push button  131 .  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 4A shows the automatic garage door opener  13 , the garage door built-in push button  131 , and the add-on push button  133 . Here part  40  indicates the garage door status signaling circuitry  10  if shown in FIG. 1C, or the garage door status indicating alert circuitry  20  if shown in FIG. 2C, or the garage door status indicating alert circuitry  30  if shown in FIG. 3C.  
         [0061]    [0061]FIG. 4B shows the add-on push button  131  of FIG. 4A disposed on the top of the built-in push button  131 . So pressing the add-on push button  131  will activate the built-in push button  131 .  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 4C shows the built-in push button of the garage door opener acts as the push button as indicated in FIG. 1B, FIG. 2B, or FIG. 3B. Here part  41  represents the garage door status signaling circuitry  10  if shown in FIG. 1B, or the garage door status indicating alert circuitry  20  if shown in FIG. 2B, or the garage door status indicating alert circuitry  30  if shown in FIG. 3B.  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 4D shows an automatic garage door opener  13 , an add-on push button  133 , and a part  42 . Part  42  is basically the same as part  40  as shown in FIG. 4A or part  41  as shown in FIG. 4C.  
         [0064]    [0064]FIG. 4E shows the automatic garage door opener  13  of FIG. 4D disposed under the add-on push-button  133 .  
         [0065]    The cross-section diagram of the un-pressed add-on push button and the automatic garage door opener of FIG. 4D is shown in FIG. 4F. Here contacts  43  is open, and contacts  44  is also open.  
         [0066]    When the add-on push button  133  of FIG. 4F is pressed, the contacts  43  will be closed. Pressing the add-on push button  133  will activate the built-in push button  131  of the automatic garage door opener  13 . So contacts  44  will be closed. As illustrated in FIG. 4G.  
         [0067]    The above described garage door status indicating circuitry can be implemented in a garage door opener to provide a means to provide the occupants of a vehicle an indication when the garage door is closed or not.  
         [0068]    All above apparatus can be retrofit add-ons to an existing garage door opener, or they can be a built in device in a garage door opener.  
         [0069]    In accordance with the garage door controlling and indicating devices of the present invention, the following unexpected resulting advantages can be achieved.  
         [0070]    It will thus be seen that the present invention does indeed provide new and improved devices for the garage door controlling and indicating system, which is simple and requires minimum modification to the current garage door system.  
         [0071]    Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Summary:
An automatic garage door status signaling apparatus comprises a push button, a garage door opening and closing circuitry, a signal indicating circuitry, and a delay timer control circuitry is provided. An indicating signal is generated if the push button is not pressed within a predetermined time period after the delay timer control circuitry is activated. An automatic garage door status indicating apparatus comprises a push button, a garage door opening and closing circuitry and a garage door status indicating circuitry is also provided. In one embodiment, the garage door status indicating circuitry comprises a time log. In another embodiment, the garage door status indicating circuitry comprises a timer, which can be a clock.