Networked door closer and auto-operator

• US 10,304,272 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Original Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Inventors: Kvinge, Kenneth A., Tamer, Samir M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blouin, Mark S
• Application Number:
  US16/134,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20190035191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 252 Days
• Field of Search: 340 57
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like

Abstract

An access control system for a plurality of door operators that are each respectively coupled to one of a plurality of doors providing an entrance to or exit from a building. A system controller monitors the status of each of the doors real time and controls the operation of each of the door operators based on the monitored status. The system controller adjusts the status of one or more door operators as a function of the determined status of one or more other door operators. Door operator commands are provided by the system controller to selected door operators to, for example, extend the opening time of one or more doors due to current activity by other door closers. The system controller is configured adjust the status of an entire group of doors or a sub-group group of doors depending on the status of the door operators.

Claims

1. A method of operating a plurality of door operators that are each configured to control a status of a door, the method comprising:

providing a schedule of door operator statuses, wherein the schedule of door operator statuses includes a first scheduled door operator status for a first door operator of the plurality of door operators;

receiving sensor data from a sensor associated with the first door operator, the sensor data indicating a changed status of the first door operator relative to the first scheduled door operator status;

generating an updated schedule for a second door operator of the plurality of door operators based upon the changed status of the first door operator; and

operating the second door operator according to the updated schedule for the second door operator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the schedule of door operator statuses further includes a second scheduled door operator status for the second door operator;

wherein generating the updated schedule comprises updating the second scheduled door operator status based upon the changed status of the first door operator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the updating comprises modifying or maintaining the second scheduled door operator status based upon the changed status of the first door operator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each status is one of a door closed status, a door open status, a door locked status, a door unlocked status, or a door change in direction status.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing, the receiving, and the generating are performed by a central master controller.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting the updated schedule from the central master controller to the second door operator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the providing, the receiving, and the generating is performed by at least one of the plurality of door operators.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one of:

a pressure sensor providing a pressure signal;

an environment sensor providing an environmental signal;

a heat sensor providing a heat signal;

a smoke sensor providing a smoke signal;

a motion sensor providing a motion signal;

an accelerometer providing an acceleration signal;

or

a people counter providing a count of people.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the schedule of door operator statuses includes a plurality of scheduled status changes for each of the plurality of door operators.

10. A method of operating a system comprising a plurality of door operators, the method comprising:

providing a schedule of scheduled door operator statuses, the schedule including a plurality of scheduled status changes scheduled over a period of time for each door operator;

identifying a current status of a first door operator of the plurality of door operators;

identifying a changed status of the first door operator, wherein the changed status of the first door operator does not correspond to any of the plurality of scheduled status changes for the first door operator; and

modifying the current status of a second door operator based upon the changed status of the first door operator.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying a current status of a third door operator of the plurality of door operators; and

identifying a changed status of the third door operator, wherein the changed status of the third door operator does not correspond to any of the plurality of scheduled status changes for the third door operator;

wherein the modifying is further based upon the changed status of the third door operator.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein modifying the current status of the second door operator comprises:

generating an updated schedule for a second door operator of the plurality of door operators based upon the changed status of the first door operator; and

operating the second door operator according to the updated schedule.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each status is one of a door closed status, a door open status, a door locked status, a door unlocked status, or a door change in direction status.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying the current status of the first door operator comprises receiving sensor data from a sensor associated with the first door operator.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a current status of each of the plurality of door operators.

16. A system, comprising:

a first door operator installed to a first door, wherein the first door operator comprises a sensor configured to provide sensor data related to a current status of the first door operator;

a second door operator installed to a second door, wherein the second door operator comprises a controller operable to control a current status of the second door operator;

at least one processing device in communication with the sensor and the controller; and

at least one memory in communication with the processing device, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to;

provide a schedule of door operator statuses, wherein the schedule of door operator statuses includes a first scheduled door operator status for the first door operator;

receive the sensor data from the sensor associated with the first door operator, the sensor data indicating a changed status of the first door operator relative to the first scheduled door operator status;

generate an updated schedule for the second door operator based upon the changed status of the first door operator; and

transmit the updated schedule to the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to operate the second door operator according to the updated schedule in response to receiving the updated schedule.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first door is immediately adjacent a room, and wherein the second door is immediately adjacent the room.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one processing device is provided as a central master controller.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the central master controller is in wireless communication with the first door operator and the second door operator.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the central master controller is in wireless communication with one of the first door operator or the second door operator via the other of the first door operator or the second door operator.