Web-based structure access

• US 10,121,301 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2017
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ren, Margaret, Kim, Unyoung, Hanson, Kristine Anne, Marappan, Priti, Shah, Jenish, Shrivastava, Rohit, Yu, Tian, Zhu, Jing
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, K
• Application Number:
  US15/628,237
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/215 the system having a variable access-code, e.g. varied as a function of time

Abstract

A first user associated with a structure (e.g., a home, a building, etc.) may authorize a second user to access the structure when the first user is not present. The second user may request to access the structure via a website associated with a URL that was previously provided. The second user may be verified/authenticated based on an access code input via the web site, a proximity of a device to the structure, and/or times in which the second user is authorized to access the structure. The second user may indicate, via the website, a desire to lock/unlock a structure entrance (e.g., a door) to the structure that contains a smart lock. Upon receiving a selection to lock/unlock the structure entrance, a service provider sends an instruction to the smart lock, causing the structure entrance to become locked/unlocked, and allowing the second user to access or secure the structure.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-executable instructions that are stored in the memory and that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

identifying a residence associated with a first user, the residence including a door that is used to access the residence and that includes a smart lock;

receiving, from a first user device of the first user, user information associated with a second user that has been authorized by the first user to access the residence via the door, the user information including a telephone number of a second user device of the second user and access information indicating an extent to which the second user is authorized to access the residence;

generating a user profile for the second user that is to be maintained in the memory, the user profile identifying the telephone number of the second user device, an access schedule that specifies at least one of times or days in which the second user is authorized to access the residence, and a unique short code associated with the second user;

sending, from a dedicated short code associated with a service provider and to the telephone number of the second user device, a text message that includes the unique short code and a unique URL associated with a website;

receiving, at a time and via the website displayed on a display of the second user device, a request to at least one of access or secure the residence via the door, the request including the unique short code;

verifying that the second user is authorized to at least one of access or secure the residence via the door by;

determining that the request includes the unique short code previously provided to the second user;

determining that the time corresponds to the at least one of the times or the days in which the second user is authorized to access the residence;

receiving, from the second user device, GPS data that indicates a current geographic location of the second user device at the time; and

determining that the current geographic location of the second user device is within a threshold distance from a known geographic location of at least one of the residence, the door, or the smart lock;

causing, via the website displayed on the display of the second user device and based on a determination that the second user is authorized to at least one of access or secure the residence at the time, presentation of a first selectable option to unlock the door and a second selectable option to lock the door;

receiving, via the website displayed on the display of the second user device, a selection of the first selectable option or the second selectable option; and

sending, to at least one of one or more components of the smart lock or one or more devices that are communicatively coupled to the smart lock, and based on the selection of the first selectable option or the second selectable option, an access instruction to cause the smart lock to unlock or lock the door.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise sending, to the first user device of the first user, a notification indicating that the door has been unlocked or locked.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein verifying that the second user is authorized to at least one of access or secure the residence via the door further comprises:

searching a plurality of user profiles each associated with a different user to identify the user profile; and

identifying the unique short code, the access schedule, and the known geographic location from the user profile.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the first selectable option and the second selectable option were presented at a second time;

determining that the selection was received at a third time that is subsequent to the second time;

determining that an amount of time from the second time to the third time is less than or equal to a threshold amount of time; and

sending the access instruction based on a determination that the amount of time is less than or equal to the threshold amount of time.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the access instruction causes the smart lock to unlock the door, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a second time at which the door was unlocked;

determining that the door has not been relocked within a threshold amount of time after the second time; and

sending, to the one or more components of the smart lock, a second access instruction to cause the smart lock to lock the door.

6. A method comprising:

determining that a first user has authorized a second user to access a structure via a structure entrance having a lock;

sending, at a first time, a link or a URL and an access code to the second user;

receiving, at a second time that is after the first time and via a website associated with the link or the URL, an access request that includes the access code;

determining that the access code is associated with the second user;

determining a current location of a user device associated with the second user;

determining, based at least partly on the access code and the current location of the user device, that the second user is authorized to at least one of access or secure the structure at the second time; and

sending an access instruction to cause the structure entrance to be locked or unlocked.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, from a first user device of the first user, user information associated with the second user, the user information including a telephone number of the second user and access information indicating an extent to which the second user is authorized to access the structure; and

generating a user profile for the second user, the user profile identifying the telephone number of the second user, an access schedule that specifies at least one of times or days in which the second user is authorized to access the structure, and the access code.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

at least partly in response to receiving the user information, generating the access code; and

sending, from a dedicated short code associated with a service provider and to the telephone number of the second user, a text message that includes the access code.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

determining a known geographic location of at least one of the structure, the structure entrance, or the lock;

determining that the current location of the user device is within a threshold distance from the known geographic location; and

sending the access instruction based at least partly on a determination that the current location of the user device is within the threshold distance from the known geographic location.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

presenting, via the website displayed on the user device and based on a determination that the second user is authorized to at least one of access or secure the structure at the second time, a first selectable option to access the structure and a second selectable option to secure the structure;

receiving, via the website displayed on the user device, a selection of the first selectable option or the second selectable option; and

sending, based at least partly on the selection of the first selectable option or the second selectable option, the access instruction.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising determining the current location of the user device based at least partly on GPS data associated with the user device, an application residing on the user device, or location data input by the second user via the user device.

12. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising sending, to the first user, a notification associated with the structure, the notification indicating that at least one of the second user attempted to access the structure or the structure entrance was locked or unlocked.

13. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the access code is a short code that includes at least one of one or more numbers, one or more letters, or one or more symbols.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, at a time and via a website displayed on a user device, an access request to access or secure a structure associated with a first user via a structure entrance having a lock;

verifying that a second user associated with the user device is authorized to access or secure the structure at the time based at least partly on an access code provided via the website and a determination that a current location of the user device is within a threshold distance from a known geographic location of the structure;

presenting, via the website displayed on the user device, a first selectable option to access the structure and a second selectable option to secure the structure;

receiving, via the website displayed on the user device, a selection of the first selectable option or the second selectable option; and

sending, based at least partly on the selection of the first selectable option or the second selectable option, an access instruction to cause the lock to unlock or lock the structure entrance.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein verifying that the second user is authorized to access or secure the structure comprises:

determining that the access code was previously provided to the second user; and

determining that the time corresponds to at least one of times or days in which the first user authorized the second user to access the structure.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising sending, to a second user device of the first user, a notification indicating that the structure entrance has been unlocked or locked.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, from the first user, user information associated with the second user, the user information including a telephone number of the second user and access information indicating an extent to which the second user is authorized to access the structure; and

generating, at least partly in response to receiving the user information, the access code.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising sending, to a telephone number of the second user, a text message that includes the access code and a link or URL that is associated with the website, and that indicates that the first user has authorized access to the structure by the second user.

19. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising sending, to the user device, a link or URL that is associated with the website and the access code, and wherein the access request corresponds to the second user selecting the link or URL via the user device to cause presentation of the website and inputting the access code via the website.

20. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the structure includes at least one of a residence, a workplace, a building, a vehicle, or a boat, and wherein the structure entrance includes at least one of a door or a window.