Smart lock device and method

• US 10,643,412 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frank Yang
• Original Assignee: Frank Yang
• Inventors: Yang, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Bee, Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US16/506,965
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0083 Sound emitting devices, e.g. loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/00 Operating or controlling locks or other fastening devices by electric or magnetic means electric permutation locks E05B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A smart lock device comprising at least one memory, one or more sensors, for acquiring one or more verification parameters, visual information, or audio information from a surrounding environment of a current user, a processor coupled to the at least one memory, configured to receive from the one or more sensors, a first verification parameter from the current user, wherein the first verification parameter includes biometric information from the current user, and wherein the processor is configured to cause: a first action upon detecting the current user at a first predetermined distance within a first geographical zone, the first action comprising of collecting visual information or audio information from the surrounding environment, and a second action, upon detecting the current user at a second predetermined distance within a second geographical zone, the second action comprising of acquiring the first verification parameter from the current user.

Claims

1. A smart lock device comprising:

at least one memory;

wherein the smart lock is positioned on a moveable barrier for operating and moving a fastener, wherein the fastener secures the moveable barrier to a structure;

wherein the fastener comprises of a latch and a latch bolt, wherein the latch and latch bolt are mechanically and electrically operable to move;

one or more sensors, for acquiring at least one of;

one or more verification parameters, a visual information, or an audio information from a surrounding environment of a current user;

a processor, coupled to the at least one memory, the processor configured to;

receive, from the one or more sensors, a first verification parameter and a second verification parameter from the current user, wherein the first verification parameter includes biometric information collected from the current user located at a first predetermined distance from the moveable barrier, and wherein the second verification parameter includes a touch interaction collected from the current user located at a second predetermined distance from the moveable barrier; and

wherein the processor is configured to cause;

a first action upon detecting the current user at a first predetermined distance within a first geographical zone;

wherein the first action comprises of collecting, as the first verification parameter, visual information or audio information from the current user used for facial recognition technology, image recognition technology, or voice recognition technology;

wherein the first action further includes moving the latch bolt of the fastener to an open position in response to facial recognition verification; and

a second action upon detecting the current user at a second predetermined distance within a second geographical zone;

wherein the second action comprises of moving the latch of the fastener to an open position in response to receiving, as the second verification parameter, the touch interaction.

2. The smart lock device of claim 1, further comprising a network module coupling the smart lock device to a local area network wherein the smart lock device is communicably coupled to at least one of a remote computing device or a server.

3. The smart lock device of claim 2, wherein the second action further includes collecting, as the second verification parameter, a fingerprint, handprint, or palm print from the current user for fingerprint recognition technology or image recognition technology.

4. The smart lock device of claim 2, wherein at least one of user preference or user behavior is evaluated, or the current user is prompted to verify the second verification parameter prior to moving the latch of the fastener to an open position.

5. The smart lock device of claim 2, wherein the second action further includes at least one of sending a notification to the remote computing device, the server, or a smart device;

and wherein the notification includes sending the visual information, the audio information, or both, from the surrounding environment of the current user at the second predetermined distance.

6. The smart lock device of claim 5, wherein the one or more sensors is one of a speaker, a microphone, a camera, a biometric sensor, a motion sensor, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor, and wherein the one or more sensors enable biometric recognition technology, image recognition technology, or voice recognition technology.

7. The smart lock device of claim 6, wherein a combination of image recognition technology, biometric recognition technology, and voice recognition technology and an ability to adjust the sensitivity of the one or more sensors enables the smart lock device to discriminate between the presence of a human being, a package for delivery, and pets or animals in the first geographical zone and the second geographical zone and wherein the discrimination determines the occurrence of collection of verification parameters and the sending of the visual information, the audio information, or both, from the surrounding environment of the current user at the second predetermined distance.

8. The smart lock device of claim 7, wherein the first verification parameter is compared against a database of stored verification parameter information on the server or on at least one memory of the smart lock device.

9. The smart lock device of claim 7, wherein the processor receives from the one or more sensors, a third verification parameter, the third verification parameter comprising of one or more textual information or visual information to designate a service request from the current user or a product delivery from the current user.

10. The smart lock device of claim 9, wherein the third verification parameter is compared against a database of stored verification parameter information on the server or on at least one memory of the smart lock device.

11. A method comprising:

acquiring, by a smart lock, at least one of;

one or more verification parameters, a visual information, or an audio information from a surrounding environment of a current user; and

wherein the smart lock comprising of a latch and a latch bolt, wherein the latch and latch bolt are mechanically and electrically operable to move to secure a moveable barrier to a structure;

receiving by the smart lock a first verification parameter and a second verification parameter from the current user, wherein the first verification parameter includes biometric information collected from the current user located at a first predetermined distance from the moveable barrier, and wherein the second verification parameter includes a touch interaction collected from the current user located at a second predetermined distance from the moveable barrier; and

performing a first action upon detecting the current user at a first predetermined distance within a first geographical zone, wherein the first action comprises of collecting, as the first verification parameter, visual information or audio information from the current user used for facial recognition technology, image recognition technology, or voice recognition technology;

wherein the first action further includes moving the latch bolt of the fastener to an open position in response to facial recognition verification; and

performing a second action upon detecting the current user at a second predetermined distance within a second geographical zone, wherein the second action comprises of moving the latch to an open position in response to receiving, as the second verification parameter, the touch interaction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second action further comprises of collecting, as the second verification parameter, a fingerprint, handprint, or palm print from the current user for fingerprint recognition technology or image recognition technology.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second action further comprises of evaluating at least one of user preference, user behavior, or prompting the current user to verify the second verification parameter prior to moving the latch to an open position.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second action further includes at least one of sending a notification to a remote computing device, a server, or a smart device;

and wherein the notification includes sending the visual information, the audio information, or both, from the surrounding environment of the current user at the second predetermined distance.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the smart lock further comprises of one or more sensors, and wherein a combination of image recognition technology, biometric recognition technology, and voice recognition technology and an ability to adjust the sensitivity of the one or more sensors enables the smart lock device to discriminate between the presence of a human being, a package for delivery, and pets or animals in the first geographical zone and the second geographical zone, and wherein the discrimination determines the occurrence of collection of verification parameters and the sending of the visual information, the audio information, or both, from the surrounding environment of the current user at the second predetermined distance.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising of comparing the first verification parameter against a database of stored verification parameter information on the server or on at least one memory of the smart lock device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising of receiving from the one or more sensors, a third verification parameter, the third verification parameter comprising of one or more textual information or visual information to designate a service request from the current user or a product delivery from the current user.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which, when executed by one or more processors of a processing system cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

acquiring, by a smart lock, at least one of;

one or more verification parameters, a visual information, or an audio information from a surrounding environment of a current user; and

wherein the smart lock comprising of a latch and a latch bolt, wherein the latch and latch bolt are mechanically and electrically operable to move to secure a moveable barrier to a structure;

receiving by the smart lock a first verification parameter and a second verification parameter from the current user, wherein the first verification parameter includes biometric information collected from the current user located at a first predetermined distance from the moveable barrier, and wherein the second verification parameter includes a touch interaction collected from the current user located at a second predetermined distance from the moveable barrier; and

performing a first action upon detecting the current user at a first predetermined distance within a first geographical zone, wherein the first action comprises of collecting, as the first verification parameter, visual information or audio information from the current user used for facial recognition technology, image recognition technology, or voice recognition technology;

wherein the first action further includes moving the latch bolt of the fastener to an open position in response to facial recognition verification; and

performing a second action upon detecting the current user at a second predetermined distance within a second geographical zone, wherein the second action comprises of moving the latch to an open position in response to receiving, as the second verification parameter, the touch interaction.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the second action further comprises of collecting, as the second verification parameter, a fingerprint, handprint, or palm print from the current user for fingerprint recognition technology or image recognition technology, and wherein the second action further includes at least one of sending a notification to a remote computing device, a server, or a smart device;

and wherein the notification includes sending the visual information, the audio information, or both, from the surrounding environment of the current user at the second predetermined distance.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the smart lock further comprises of one or more sensors, and wherein a combination of image recognition technology, biometric recognition technology, and voice recognition technology and an ability to adjust the sensitivity of the one or more sensors enables the smart lock device to discriminate between the presence of a human being, a package for delivery, and pets or animals in the first geographical zone and the second geographical zone, and wherein the discrimination determines the occurrence of collection of verification parameters and the sending of the visual information, the audio information, or both, from the surrounding environment of the current user at the second predetermined distance;

and wherein the second action further comprises of evaluating at least one of user preference, user behavior, or prompting the current user to verify the second verification parameter prior to moving the latch to an open position.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising of comparing the first verification parameter against a database of stored verification parameter information on the server or on at least one memory of the smart lock device;

and receiving from the one or more sensors, a third verification parameter, the third verification parameter comprising of one or more textual information or visual information to designate a service request from the current user or a product delivery from the current user.