Hospitality systems

• US 10,015,653 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Lang, Michael, Purdue, Adam, Switzer, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON, BLANE J
• Application Number:
  US15/317,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00317 keyless data carrier having only one limited data transmission range
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00412 the transmitted data signal being encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00642 by battery
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/30 using constraints in the total amount of available transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A locking device for providing access to a structure includes a locking mechanism configured to selectively switch between a locked state and an unlocked state. A wireless interface is operatively connected to the locking mechanism to control change between the locked and unlocked states. The wireless interface is configured to periodically beacon a data packet providing information to listening devices in a local area without requiring a bi-directional connection and to support bi-directional connections as needed to transfer data to the locking device.

Claims

1. A locking device for providing access to a structure comprising:

a locking mechanism configured to selectively switch between a locked state and an unlocked state;

a wireless interface operatively connected to the locking mechanism to control change between the locked and unlocked states, wherein the wireless interface is configured to periodically beacon a data packet providing information to listening devices in a local area without requiring a bi-directional connection, and wherein the wireless interface is configured to support bi-directional connections as needed to transfer data to the locking device; and

a battery operatively connected to power the locking mechanism and wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface is configured to vary beacon rate depending on at least one of reservation status, time of day, day of the week, and/or occupancy status, as needed to conserve power in the battery.

2. A locking device for providing access to a structure comprising:

a locking mechanism configured to selectively switch between a locked state and an unlocked state;

a wireless interface operatively connected to the locking mechanism to control change between the locked and unlocked states, wherein the wireless interface is configured to periodically beacon a data packet providing information to listening devices in a local area without requiring a bi-directional connection, and wherein the wireless interface is configured to support bi-directional connections as needed to transfer data to the locking device, wherein the data packet includes at least one of a privacy indicator for indicating dead bolt locked or unlocked status, a room occupancy status indicator, and/or an indicator of most recent maintenance or maid service status.

3. A locking device as recited in claim 2, wherein the data packet is at least partially encrypted.

4. A locking device as recited in claim 2, wherein the wireless interface includes a Bluetooth Smart radio configured to beacon the data packet to Bluetooth Smart Ready devices.

5. A locking device as recited in claim 2, further comprising a battery operatively connected to power the locking mechanism and wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface is configured to vary transmit power depending on type of target device and desired communications range to conserve power in the battery and control user proximity.

6. A locking device as recited in claim 2, wherein the data packet includes an indication of lock status including whether the lock has been accessed or tampered.

7. A locking device as recited in claim 2, wherein the data packet includes a universally unique identifier (UUID) identifying a lock vendor.

8. A locking device as recited in claim 2, wherein the data packet includes a universally unique identifier (UUID) identifying a hotel vendor.

9. A locking device as recited in claim 2, wherein the data packet includes a universally unique identifier (UUID) identifying a locking solutions vendor.

10. A locking device as recited in claim 2, wherein the data packet includes a unique door identifier.

11. A locking device as recited in claim 2, wherein the data packet includes a battery status indicator.

12. A locking device as recited in claim 2, wherein the data packet includes an indicator of open or closed door status.

13. A locking device as recited in claim 2, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to lock and unlock a hotel room door.

14. A locking device as recited in claim 2, wherein the locking device is configured to accept at least one additional form of media having user credentials including magnetic stripe cards and/or RFID cards.

15. A method of providing access for a user to a structure comprising:

beaconing a data packet providing information to listening devices in a local area without requiring a bi-directional connection to identify a locking device to a wireless device for authentication to provide access, wherein the data packet includes at least one of a privacy indicator for indicating dead bolt locked or unlocked status, a room occupancy status indicator, and/or an indicator of most recent maintenance or maid service status.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the wireless device is a smart phone.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein beaconing a data packet includes using a Bluetooth Smart radio to beacon the data packet, wherein the wireless device is a Bluetooth Smart or Bluetooth Smart Ready device.