Wirelessly charged electronic lock with open/closed status reporting

• US 10,049,517 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FP Wireless LLC
• Original Assignee: FP Wireless LLC
• Inventors: Geiszler, Theodore D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/844,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20180114389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 242 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320108, 320114, 320115, 70 1, 70262, 70271, 70277, 340 56, 340 561, 340 565
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00603 by power transmission from lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00642 by battery
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A wirelessly charged battery powered electronic door locking system utilizes a first radio frequency to wirelessly transmit a wireless charging signal from an electronic control module to an electronic lock module mounted with the door. A rechargeable battery associated with the electronic lock module powers the electronic lock module and is recharged thereby. An RFID reader may be coupled to the electronic lock module, powered by the battery and mounted with the door.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an electronic lock module configured to control the state of a door lock for a door mounted in a door frame; and

an electronic control module physically separate from the electronic lock module and configured to communicate with the electronic lock module,

wherein the electronic control module is configured to generate a wireless signal and communicate the wireless signal to the electronic lock module,

wherein the electronic lock module is configured to receive the wireless signal and measure a strength of the wireless signal, and

wherein the electronic lock module is configured to determine whether the door is open based on a measured strength of the wireless signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a rechargeable battery electrically coupled to the electronic lock module;

wherein the electronic control module is configured to transmit a wireless charging signal to the electronic lock module using a first antenna coupled to the electronic control module and a second antenna coupled to the electronic lock module, and

wherein the electronic lock module is configured to use the wireless charging signal to charge the rechargeable battery.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first antenna comprises a ferrite pot core preform and a solenoid disposed around a spindle of the ferrite pot core preform.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second antenna comprises a ferrite pot core preform and a solenoid disposed around a spindle of the ferrite pot core preform.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and the second antenna each comprise a ferrite pot core preform and a solenoid disposed around a spindle of the ferrite pot core preform.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic lock module is configured to determine that the door is open when a measured strength of the wireless signal is below a predetermined threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic lock module is configured to generate a wireless data signal between the electronic lock module and the electronic control module.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a notification corresponding to the door being open is transmitted from the electronic lock module to the electronic control module via the wireless data signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic lock module is configured to operate a lock associated with the door between an activated state and a deactivated state.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a door open condition is realized after the lock is set to the deactivated state by the electronic lock module.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the electronic lock module is configured to set the lock to the activated state after a predetermined time interval.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the electronic lock module is configured to set the lock to the activated state after a measured strength of the wireless signal increases to a level that is above a predetermined threshold wireless signal level associated with the door being closed.

13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the electronic lock module is configured to determine that the door is open when a measured strength of the wireless signal is below a predetermined threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the electronic lock module is configured to generate a wireless data signal between the electronic lock module and the electronic control module.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a notification corresponding to the door being open is transmitted from the electronic lock module to the electronic control module via the wireless data signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the electronic lock module is configured to operate a lock associated with the door.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a notification corresponding to the door being open is transmitted from the electronic lock module to the electronic control module via the wireless data signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a door open condition is realized after the lock is deactivated by the electronic lock module.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the electronic lock module is configured to set the lock to an activated state after a measured strength of the wireless signal increases to a level that is above a predetermined threshold wireless signal level associated with the door being closed.

20. A method comprising:

generating, with an electronic control module associated with a door, a wireless signal;

receiving the wireless signal with an electronic lock module associated with the door;

measuring, with the electronic lock module, a strength of the received wireless signal; and

determining, with the electronic lock module, whether the door is open based on the measured strength of the received wireless signal;

using a wireless charging signal transmitted by the electronic control module to charge a battery coupled to the electronic lock module; and

using the battery to power the electronic lock module.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

using an RFID reader coupled to the electronic lock module to control a state of the electronic lock module, the available states of the electronic lock module including locked and unlocked.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

powering the RFID reader with the battery.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting the wireless charging signal from the electronic control module using a pot core antenna.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving the wireless charging signal at the electronic lock module using a pot core antenna.