ELECTRONIC LOCK HAVING HARDWARE BASED MULTI-WIRELESS PROFILE DETECTION AND SETTING

• US 20140113563A1
• Filed: 10/22/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASSA Abloy Americas Residential Incorporated (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Kwikset Corporation (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: MARIDAKIS, MICHAEL, ALMOMANI, NEDAL
• Granted Patent: US 11,060,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• 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 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00833 by code input from switches
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/625 Operation and control

Abstract

An electronic lock with a wireless module configured to communicate wirelessly using a selected wireless communication protocol. The lock includes a hardware profile selector, such as a plurality of switches, which can be configured to set the wireless protocol used by the wireless module. For example, the hardware profile selector can be adjusted to change the wireless protocol used by the lock.

Claims

1. An electronic lock comprising:

a latch assembly including a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position;

a circuit configured to control movement of the bolt between the extended and retracted positions, wherein the circuit includes a processing unit, a memory unit having stored a plurality of wireless profiles each corresponding to a wireless communications protocol, a wireless module configured to communicate wirelessly using a selected wireless communication protocol, and a hardware profile selector configured to set the selected wireless communication protocol from the plurality of wireless profiles stored in the memory unit.

2. The electronic lock as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the wireless profiles stored in the memory unit correspond with multiple profiles corresponding with the Zigbee wireless protocol or multiple profiles corresponding with the Z-wave wireless protocol.

3. The electronic lock as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless profiles include profiles codes corresponding to a respective wireless protocol.

4. The electronic lock as recited in claim 3, wherein the processing unit is programmed to set the selected protocol of the wireless module responsive to the hardware profile selector.

5. The electronic lock as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is a microprocessor with a plurality of input pins electronically connected with the hardware profile selector.

6. The electronic lock as recited in claim 5, wherein the hardware profile selector includes a plurality of switches configurable to set the selected wireless protocol.

7. The electronic lock as recited in claim 6, wherein the plurality of switches includes one or more user-actuatable switches.

8. The electronic lock as recited in claim 6, wherein the plurality of switches includes one or more dip switches.

9. The electronic lock as recited in claim 6, wherein the plurality of switches includes one or more momentary switches.

10. The electronic lock as recited in claim 6, wherein the plurality of switches includes one or more slide switches.

11. The electronic lock as recited in claim 6, wherein the plurality of switches includes a digital switch set by another processing unit.

12. A method of selecting a wireless protocol for an electronic lock, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic lock with a wireless module configured to facilitate wireless communications, wherein the electronic lock includes a hardware profile selector configured to set a selected wireless protocol used by the wireless module between a first wireless protocol and a second wireless protocol; and

adjusting the hardware profile selector to change the selected wireless protocol used by the wireless module between the first wireless protocol and the second wireless protocol.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the adjusting step changes the wireless protocol between multiple profiles of the Zigbee wireless protocol or multiple profiles of the Z-wave wireless protocol.

14. The electronic lock as recited in claim 12, wherein the hardware profile selector includes a plurality of switches configurable to set the selected wireless protocol.

15. The electronic lock as recited in claim 14, wherein the adjusting step includes changing a position of one or more of the plurality of switches.

16. The electronic lock as recited in claim 15, wherein the plurality of switches includes one or more of dip switches, momentary switches, or slide switches.

17. An electronic lock comprising:

a latch assembly including a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position;

a circuit configured to control movement of the bolt between the extended and retracted positions;

a wireless module configured to communicate wirelessly using a selected wireless communication protocol;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having wireless profile data including a plurality of wireless profile codes and a computer program code stored thereon;

a hardware profile selector configured to set the selected wireless communication protocol;

a processor in communication with the computer-readable memory configured to carry out instructions in accordance with the computer program code, wherein the computer program code, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

detecting switch conditions of the hardware profile selector;

identifying a selected wireless profile code stored in the computer-readable medium corresponding to the switch conditions of the hardware profile selector; and

responsive to identification of the selected wireless profile code, configuring the wireless module to communicate using a wireless protocol corresponding to the selected wireless profile code.

18. The electronic lock of claim 17, wherein the wireless profile data includes a first wireless profile code corresponding to a first implementation of the Zigbee wireless protocol and a second wireless profile code corresponding to a second implementation of the Zigbee wireless protocol.

19. The electronic lock of claim 18, wherein the hardware profile selector is configured to switch the wireless module between multiple profiles of the Zigbee wireless protocol or multiple profiles of the Z-wave wireless protocol.

20. The electronic lock of claim 19, wherein the hardware profile selector is one or more of dip switches, momentary switches, or slide switches.

21. The electronic lock of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer program code responsive to boot up of the electronic lock.