Automatic emergency door unlock system

• US 10,679,442 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rogers, Thomas, Hutz, David James, Weingart, Noah Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Brian
• Application Number:
  US16/106,489
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00333 and the lock having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• 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 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen

Abstract

In some implementations, systems and techniques are described to automatically unlock a front door of a property in response to detecting an alarm signal indicating an emergency at or near a property. Data indicating occurrence of an emergency condition at a property is initially obtained. A lock configuration for an electronic lock of the property is determined. An unlock instruction is generated for the electronic lock based on the determined lock configuration for the electronic lock. The unlock instruction is transmitted to the electronic lock such that, when the unlock instruction is received by the electronic lock, the electronic lock is unlocked according to the unlock instruction.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more computers, the method comprising:

obtaining data indicating occurrence of an emergency condition at a property;

determining an emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property;

selecting, from among multiple unlock instructions for unlocking an electronic lock that are each associated with a different emergency classification and specify a different time period for unlocking the electronic lock, a particular unlock instruction corresponding to the emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property, the particular unlock instruction specifying a time period during which the electronic lock is unlocked; and

transmitting the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock such that, when the particular unlock instruction is received by the electronic lock, the electronic lock is unlocked according to the particular unlock instruction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the particular unlock instruction corresponding to the emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property comprises:

determining a severity level for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property; and

determining the time period specified by the particular unlock instruction based on the severity level for the occurrence of the emergency condition.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property indicates that the emergency condition is a fire emergency at the property; and

determining the severity level for the fire emergency at the property comprises;

obtaining sensor data indicating a room temperature within the property, and

determining the severity level for the fire emergency at the property based on the room temperature within the property.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property is determined by an application server associated with a monitoring system of the property; and

the particular unlock instruction for the electronic lock is remotely generated by the application server; and

transmitting the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock comprises transmitting, by the application server, the particular unlock instruction to a control unit of the monitoring system of the property.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property is determined by a monitoring system of the property;

the particular unlock instruction is locally generated by the monitoring system of the property; and

transmitting the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock comprises, transmitting, by the monitoring system, the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock of the property.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property is determined by a third-party electronic device that is distinct from a monitoring system of the property.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property has terminated; and

in response to determining that the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property has terminated, transmitting a lock instruction to the electronic lock such that, when the lock instruction is received by the electronic lock, the electronic lock is locked according to the lock instruction.

8. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

obtaining data indicating occurrence of an emergency condition at a property;

determining an emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property;

selecting, from among multiple unlock instructions for unlocking an electronic lock that are each associated with a different emergency classification and specify a different time period for unlocking the electronic lock, a particular unlock instruction corresponding to the emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property, the particular unlock instruction specifying a time period during which the electronic lock is unlocked; and

transmitting the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock such that, when the particular unlock instruction is received by the electronic lock, the electronic lock is unlocked according to the particular unlock instruction.

9. The system of claim 8, selecting the particular unlock instruction corresponding to the emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property comprises:

determining a severity level for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property; and

determining the time period specified by the particular unlock instruction based on the severity level for the occurrence of the emergency condition.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property indicates that the emergency condition is a fire emergency at the property; and

determining the severity level for the fire emergency at the property comprises;

obtaining sensor data indicating a room temperature within the property, and

determining the severity level for the fire emergency at the property based on the room temperature within the property.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property is determined by an application server associated with a monitoring system of the property; and

the particular unlock instruction for the electronic lock is remotely generated by the application server; and

transmitting the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock comprises transmitting, by the application server, the particular unlock instruction to a control unit of the monitoring system of the property.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property is determined by a monitoring system of the property;

the particular unlock instruction is locally generated by the monitoring system of the property; and

transmitting the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock comprises, transmitting, by the monitoring system, the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock of the property.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property is determined by a third-party electronic device that is distinct from a monitoring system of the property.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property has terminated; and

in response to determining that the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property has terminated, transmitting a lock instruction to the electronic lock such that, when the lock instruction is received by the electronic lock, the electronic lock is locked according to the lock instruction.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device encoded with computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

obtaining data indicating occurrence of an emergency condition at a property;

determining an emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property;

selecting, based on the emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property from among multiple unlock instructions for unlocking an electronic lock that are each associated with a different emergency classification and specify a different time period for unlocking the electronic lock, a particular unlock instruction corresponding to the emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property for unlocking the electronic lock, the particular unlock instruction specifying a time period during which the electronic lock is unlocked; and

transmitting the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock such that, when the particular unlock instruction is received by the electronic lock, the electronic lock is unlocked according to the particular unlock instruction.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein selecting the particular unlock instruction corresponding to the emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property comprises:

determining a severity level for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property; and

determining the time period specified by the particular unlock instruction based on the severity level for the occurrence of the emergency condition.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the emergency classification for the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property indicates that the emergency condition is a fire emergency at the property; and

determining the severity level for the fire emergency at the property comprises;

obtaining sensor data indicating a room temperature within the property, and determining the severity level for the fire emergency at the property based on the room temperature within the property.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein:

the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property is determined by an application server associated with a monitoring system of the property; and

the particular unlock instruction for the electronic lock is remotely generated by the application server; and

transmitting the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock comprises transmitting, by the application server, the particular unlock instruction to a control unit of the monitoring system of the property.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein:

the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property is determined by a monitoring system of the property;

the particular unlock instruction is locally generated by the monitoring system of the property; and

transmitting the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock comprises, transmitting, by the monitoring system, the particular unlock instruction to the electronic lock of the property.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the occurrence of the emergency condition at the property is determined by a third-party electronic device that is distinct from a monitoring system of the property.