Electronic lock system having proximity mobile device

• US 10,240,365 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASSA Abloy Americas Residential Incorporated (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Spectrum Brands, Inc. (Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Almomani, Nedal, Nguyen, Thuan, Gorkovenko, Elena, Hsu, Wei, Singtoroj, Yos
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Vernal U
• Application Number:
  US14/102,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20140157842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 340 572
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0001 with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof for vehicles E05B81/04
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/65 using means for sensing the user's hand
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7062 Electrical type [e.g., solenoid]

Abstract

An electronic lock, such as a deadbolt, with a locking device movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The lock includes a key fob including a RFID circuit indicative of a valid access code for the locking device. A circuit is provided that is configured to control movement of the locking device between the locked position and the unlocked position. The circuit includes a sensor, such as a contract sensor or a proximity sensor, which detects when a user is within range of a RFID device. When this happens, the sensor is configured to generate an electrical signal, which is used to activate the RFID device for a predetermined period of time. If the RFID device reads a valid access code, the device is unlocked.

Claims

1. An electronic lock for mounting on a door including an interior side, an exterior side and an edge extending between the interior side and the exterior side, the door defining a bore extending between the interior side and the exterior side and including a side bore extending through the edge, the electronic lock comprising:

a strike attached to the edge of the door, wherein the strike defines an opening aligned with the side bore;

a latch assembly including a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein the bolt extends through the opening in the strike in the extended position;

an interior chassis mounted to the interior side of the door, the interior chassis including at least one circuit board and a manual turnpiece movable to actuate the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position;

an exterior chassis mounted to the exterior side of the door, the exterior chassis having a locking device including a keyway and being movable to actuate the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position, the exterior chassis including a sensor configured to generate an electrical signal responsive to detecting either;

(1) the presence of a user within a range of the locking device without any physical contact of the sensor;

or (2) physical contact with a contact region of the sensor;

a circular-shaped adapter dimensioned to adapt at least a portion of the exterior chassis for a particular sized opening in the bore in the door, wherein the sensor is electrically connected to the circuit board in the interior chassis using an electrical cable extending through the adapter;

wherein the circuit board is configured to control movement of the bolt between the extended and retracted positions, wherein the circuit board includes;

a RFID device configured to wirelessly read an access code from a mobile device;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a valid access code and a computer program code stored thereon;

a processing unit in communication with the proximity sensor, RFID device, and the computer-readable memory, wherein the processing unit is configured to carry out instructions in accordance with the computer program code, wherein the computer program code, when executed by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to perform operations comprising;

receiving an electrical signal from the sensor;

activating the RFID device for a predetermined time period responsive to receiving the electrical signal from the sensor;

receiving an access code from the RFID device;

determining whether the access code received from the RFID device is the valid access code;

determining whether the key fob is on the exterior side of a door by performing RF triangulation with the RFID device; and

initiating the actuation of the bolt to the retracted position responsive to determining the access code is the valid access code and determining that the key fob is on the exterior side of the door.

2. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor.

3. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an inductive sensor.

4. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor.

5. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor.

6. The electronic lock of claim 1, further comprising an interior escutcheon operatively associated with the latch assembly, wherein a second sensor is incorporated into the interior escutcheon.

7. The electronic lock of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time period is between approximately 5 to 20 seconds.