WIRELESS NETWORK APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LOCK INDICATION

• US 20110285528A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keylockit, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Keylockit, Ltd.
• Inventors: WEINSTEIN, Hillel, Strull, Yeshayahu
• Granted Patent: US 8,334,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 19/22 Keys with devices for indicating whether the last operation was locking or unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/06 by tampering with fastening

Abstract

An apparatus for tracking the status of a lock, comprising: at least one lock tracking device for tracking a status of a lock; and at least one wireless key unit; wherein each of said at least one wireless key unit is connected to one of said at least one lock tracking device, and wherein said at least one wireless key unit includes a transceiver unit for transmitting information obtained from the at least one lock tracking device regarding the status of the lock.

Claims

1. An apparatus for tracking a status of a lock, comprising:

at least one lock tracking device for tracking the status of the lock, wherein said lock tracking device comprises a movement sensing device for sensing movement of a key relative to said lock and providing movement information about said movement;

wherein said movement information enables tracking the movements of the key and determining the direction of rotation of the key relative to the lock; and

at least one wireless key unit;

wherein each of said at least one wireless key unit is connected to one of the at least one lock tracking device, and wherein said at least one wireless key unit includes a transceiver unit for transmitting information obtained from the at least one lock tracking device regarding the status of the lock.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lock tracking device is adapted to be attached to a key used to lock or unlock said lock

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver unit receives information regarding the status of the lock.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lock status control unit for receiving information regarding the status of the lock from the at least one wireless key unit and wherein the lock status control unit is tracking the status of the lock.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the lock status control unit further transmits information regarding the status of the lock to the at least one wireless key unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the information that is transmitted from the lock status control unit and is received by the at least one wireless key unit provides indication about the most recent status of the lock.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a monitoring unit that receives information regarding the status of the lock from the lock status control unit and provides a visual display of the status of the lock.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least one wireless key unit transmits information obtained from the at least one lock tracking device regarding the status of the lock to the lock status control unit via a portable transceiver device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the portable transceiver device is a mobile phone.

10. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the lock status control unit is connected to a wireless network and wherein the lock status control unit receives information regarding the status of the lock from the at least one wireless key unit via said wireless network.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the wireless network is a data network.

12. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the lock status control unit is further keeping updated records of each transmission that were received from each of the at least one wireless key unit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless key unit communicates with a remote controlled device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless key unit communicates with a monitoring device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the remote controlled device is a premises control system.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the remote controlled device is an alarm system.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the at least one wireless key unit activates or deactivates the remote controlled device responsive to detection of a locked or unlocked lock status by the at least one lock tracking device.

18. A method for tracking a status of a lock, comprising

tracking the status of the lock with a lock tracking device that is adapted to be attached to a key that is used for lock or unlock said key;

wherein said lock tracking device comprises a movement sensing device for sensing movement of a key relative to said lock and providing movement information about said movement;

wherein said movement information enables tracking the movements of the key and determining the direction of rotation of the key relative to the lock; and

transmitting information obtained from said lock tracking device by a wireless key unit that is connected to said lock tracking device.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein a transceiver unit receives information regarding the status of the lock.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein a lock status control unit receives information regarding the status of the lock from an at least one wireless key unit and wherein the lock status control unit is tracking the status of the lock.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the lock status control unit further transmits information regarding the status of the lock to the at least one wireless key unit.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein a monitoring unit receives information regarding the status of the lock from the lock status control unit and provides a visual display of the status of the lock.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein the at least one wireless key unit transmits information obtained from the at least one lock tracking device regarding the status of the lock to the lock status control unit via a portable transceiver device.