Electronic device for providing access to properties

• US 10,713,740 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2018
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MFTB Holdco Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ShowingTime.com, Inc. (Zillow Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Caputo, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D
• Application Number:
  US16/236,456
• Time in Patent Office: 563 Days
• Field of Search: 235382, 2353825
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A doorbell cam device for controlling access to a listing includes a microprocessor, a video interface, an input interface, a wireless network interface, an audio interface and a special computer program. The doorbell cam device is adapted to scan a machine readable optical label encoding a showing appointment, request a showing appointment management system to validate the showing appointment, receive a validation result, and notify an electronic lock system to open when the showing appointment is validated. The opened electronic lock system provides access to the listing for a user presenting a showing pass scanned by the video interface. The scanning can be triggered by a double-press of the input interface.

Claims

1. A doorbell cam device comprising:

i. a housing;

ii. a microprocessor disposed within said housing;

iii. a user input interface operatively coupled to said microprocessor;

iv. a video interface operatively coupled to said microprocessor and adapted to read machine readable optical labels;

v. a wireless network interface operatively coupled to said microprocessor and disposed within said housing, wherein said wireless network interface is not a Bluetooth®

interface;

vi. an audio interface operatively coupled to said microprocessor and adapted to generate an alarming sound when a first user input is received via said user input interface; and

vii. a specialized computer program running on said microprocessor, said specialized computer program adapted to;

1) receive a second user input via said user input interface;

2) determine that said second user input indicates a scanning request for scanning a machine readable optical label;

3) switch said video interface into a scanning mode to scan said machine readable optical label when said second user input indicates said scanning request;

4) receive said machine readable optical label encoding a showing appointment for showing a real estate property, said machine readable optical label scanned in by said video interface;

5) send a validation request to a showing appointment management system via said wireless network interface, said validation request indicating said showing appointment, said showing appointment management system adapted to manage real estate property showings and accessible via the Internet;

6) receive a validation result from said showing appointment management system via said wireless network interface; and

7) where said validation result is positive, send an open command to an electronic locking system via said wireless network interface, wherein said electronic locking system, in response to said open command, unlocks itself.

2. The doorbell cam device of claim 1 wherein said first user input indicates a single press and said user input indicates a double-press, wherein:

i. said double-press indicates said scanning request; and

ii. said user input includes a first press, a first release and a second press.

3. The doorbell cam device of claim 1 wherein said second user input is detected by a motion sensor of said doorbell cam device.

4. The doorbell cam device of claim 1 wherein said machine readable optical label is one of:

i. a one dimensional barcode;

ii. a two dimensional barcode;

or

iii. a three dimensional barcode.

5. A doorbell cam device comprising:

i. a housing;

ii. a microprocessor disposed in said housing;

iii. an input interface operatively coupled to said microprocessor;

iv. a video interface operatively coupled to said microprocessor and adapted to read machine readable optical labels;

v. a wireless network interface operatively coupled to said microprocessor, disposed in said housing, wherein said wireless network interface is not a Bluetooth®

interface;

vi. an audio interface operatively coupled to said microprocessor; and

vii. a specialized computer program running on said microprocessor, said specialized computer program adapted to;

1) receive a machine readable optical label encoding a showing appointment for showing a real estate property, said machine readable optical label scanned by said video interface;

2) send a validation request to a showing appointment management system via said wireless network interface, said validation request indicating said showing appointment, said showing appointment management system adapted to manage real estate property showings and accessible via the Internet;

3) receive a validation result from said showing appointment management system via said wireless network interface; and

4) where said validation result is positive, send an open command to an electronic locking system via said wireless network interface, wherein said electronic locking system, in response to said open command, unlocks itself.

6. The doorbell cam device of claim 5 wherein said machine readable optical label is one of:

i. a one dimensional barcode;

ii. a two dimensional barcode;

or

iii. a three dimensional barcode.