System for facilitating access to a secured area

• US 10,713,869 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2018
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Morris, David R., Murray, James Scott, Olmsted, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US16/050,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20190043290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/668 for overhead wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/22 Locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/81 Feedback to user, e.g. tactile
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/814 Sound emitters, e.g. loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/818 Visual
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses

Abstract

A movable barrier operator comprising a motor, communication circuitry configured to receive a control signal and communicate with a door lock associated with a passageway door, and a controller. The controller is configured to authenticate the control signal, wherein authenticating the control signal includes associating the signal with a first level of access or a second level of access. The controller is further configured to communicate with the door lock via the communication circuitry to permit opening of the passageway door in response to associating the control signal with the first level of access and inhibit opening of the passageway door in response to associating the control signal with the second level of access. The controller is configured to cause the motor to open the movable barrier regardless of association of the control signal with the first level of access or the second level of access.

Claims

1. A movable barrier operator comprising:

a motor configured to be coupled to a movable barrier to move the movable barrier;

communication circuitry configured to receive a control signal and communicate with a door lock associated with a passageway door;

a controller operatively coupled to the motor and the communication circuitry, the controller configured to authenticate the control signal, wherein authentication of the control signal includes determining an association of the control signal with a first level of access or a second level of access;

an indicator operably coupled to the controller, the indicator configured to provide a parking indication in response to the controller determining that the control signal is associated with the first level of access, the indicator further configured to provide a delivery indication different from the parking indication in response to the controller determining that the control signal is associated with the second level of access;

the controller further configured to communicate with the door lock via the communication circuitry to cause unlocking of the door lock and permit opening of the passageway door in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the first level of access, and to cause locking of the door lock and inhibit opening of the passageway door in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the second level of access; and

wherein the controller is configured to cause the motor, in response to the authentication and upon causing the unlocking or the locking of the door lock, to open the movable barrier regardless of association of the control signal with the first level of access or the second level of access.

2. The movable barrier operator of claim 1 further comprising a camera operably coupled to the controller, the controller further configured to operate the camera to record an image and/or a video in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the second level of access, the controller further configured to not operate the camera in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the first level of access.

3. The movable barrier operator of claim 1 wherein the indicator includes at least one of a light and a laser to provide the parking indication and the delivery indication;

and

wherein the indicator includes a motor configured to move the at least one of the light and laser from a first orientation to provide the parking indication in a first location and a second orientation to provide to the delivery indication at a second location different from the first location.

4. The movable barrier operator of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to cause the motor to move the movable barrier a first distance in response to the controller determining that the control signal is associated with the first level of access, the controller further configured to cause the motor to move the movable barrier a second distance less than the first distance in response to the controller determining that the control signal is associated with the second level of access.

5. The movable barrier operator of claim 1 further comprising a memory operatively coupled to the controller and configured to store information regarding whether the door lock is in a locked state or an unlocked state, wherein the controller is further configured to:

permit opening of the passageway door in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the first level of access by keeping the door lock in the unlocked state if the door lock is in the unlocked state and changing the door lock to the unlocked state if the door lock is in the locked state; and

inhibit opening of the passageway door in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the second level of access by keeping the door lock in the locked state if the door lock is in the locked state and changing the door lock to the locked state if the door lock is in the unlocked state.

6. The movable barrier operator of claim 1, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to receive the control signal and communicate, via a remote resource, with the door lock associated with the passageway door.

7. The movable barrier operator of claim 1, wherein the movable barrier operator includes the indicator.

8. The movable barrier operator of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause operation of the indicator upon authentication of the control signal.

9. The movable barrier operator of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause the indicator to move the delivery indication upon receiving a user input indicating a different selected delivery location via the communication circuitry.

10. A method of controlling access to a secured area having a movable barrier and a passageway door, the method comprising:

receiving a control signal with information that associates the control signal with a first level of access or a second level of access;

determining an association of the control signal with the first level of access or the second level of access;

selectively controlling movement of the passageway door, wherein selectively controlling includes unlocking a door lock of the passageway door and permitting opening of the passageway door in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the first level of access and locking the door lock of the passageway door and inhibiting opening of the passageway door in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the second level of access;

operating an indicator to provide a parking indication in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the first level of access, and provide a delivery indication different from the parking indication in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the second level of access; and

operating a movable barrier operator to open the movable barrier upon causing the unlocking or the locking of the door lock in response to determining that the control signal is associated with either the first access level or the second access level.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising operating a camera to record at least a portion of the secured area in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the second level of access, and not operating the camera in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the first level of access.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein operating the movable barrier operator comprises moving the movable barrier a first distance in response to determining that the control signal is associated with the first level of access and opening the movable barrier a second distance less than the first distance in response to determining that the signal is associated with the second level of access.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining whether the door lock of the passageway door is in a locked state or an unlocked state;

wherein permitting opening of the passageway door includes allowing the door lock to remain in the unlocked state if the door lock is in the unlocked state or changing the door lock to the unlocked state if the door lock is in the locked state; and

wherein inhibiting opening of the passageway door includes allowing the door lock to remain in the locked state if the door lock is in the locked state or changing the door lock to the locked state if the door lock is in the unlocked state.

14. A system for controlling access to a secured area, the system comprising:

a movable barrier operator coupled to a movable barrier;

a door lock of a passageway door;

an indicator; and

a portable electronic device communicatively coupled to the movable barrier operator and associated with either a first level of access or a second level of access to the secured area, the portable electronic device configured to communicate a control signal to the movable barrier operator to cause the movable barrier operator to open the movable barrier;

wherein the indicator is configured to provide a parking indication in response to communication of the control signal from the portable electronic device and determination that the portable electronic device is associated with the first level of access, the indicator further configured to output a delivery indication different from the parking indication in response to communication of the control signal from the portable electronic device and determination that the portable electronic device is associated with the second level of access;

wherein the door lock is configured to unlock and permit opening of the passageway door in response to communication of the control signal from the portable electronic device and determination that the portable electronic device is associated with the first level of access;

the door lock further configured to lock and inhibit opening of the passageway door in response to communication of the control signal from the portable electronic device and determination that the portable electronic device is associated with the second level of access.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a server computer configured to receive the control signal from the portable electronic device and communicate an actuation signal to the movable barrier operator or the door lock.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the server computer is configured to determine if the portable electronic device is associated with either the first level of access or the second level of access.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the server computer is configured to communicate the actuation signal to the movable barrier operator, and the movable barrier operator is configured to transmit a second actuation signal to the door lock in response to receiving the actuation signal, the second actuation signal configured to cause the door lock to lock or unlock.

18. The system of claim 14 further comprising a camera configured to record an image and/or a video in response to the determination that the portable electronic device is associated with the second level of access.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising a motor of the indicator configured to reconfigure the indicator between a first orientation associated with the parking indication and a second orientation associated with the delivery indication.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the control signal includes information indicating whether the portable electronic device is associated with the first level of access or the second level of access.