Patent attributes
A movable barrier operator transmits a message to a remote peripheral platform and, upon determining that the remote peripheral platform is presently able to carry out a given functionality, responsively permits a particular function to be carried out by the movable barrier operator. Conversely, upon determining that it cannot be ascertained whether the remote peripheral platform is presently able to carry out the given functionality, the movable barrier operator responsively prevents the movable barrier operator from carrying out the particular function. Also, upon detecting that a targeted remote platform does not acknowledge a previously re-transmitted message and further upon detecting that this same remote platform has also not acknowledged a subsequent wirelessly-transmitted second message, the system can switch to automatically retransmitting that second message a lesser number of times than would otherwise be required.