SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO CONTROL A DOOR KEYPAD

• US 20150116080A1
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartlabs
• Original Assignee: Smartlabs
• Inventors: Cregg, Daniel Brian, Escobosa, Marcus Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,324,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.54
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/0069 actuated in a predetermined sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A door lock controller receives sensor data from a sensor, such as a motion sensor or an RF envelope sensor, and determines whether to permit operation of a keypad associated with the door lock based at least in part on the sensor data. The door lock controller further sends messages including key pad data to a local receiver, receives messages containing door lock commands from the local receiver, and controls a state of the door lock based at least in part on the door lock commands.

Claims

1. A system to activate a door keypad, the system comprising:

a keypad associated with a door lock in a door, the keypad comprising keypad buttons, the keypad having an active state allowing activation of the keypad buttons and an inactive state prohibiting activation of the keypad buttons;

at least one sensor configured to provide sensor data comprising an identity of a requestor requesting entry through the door;

computer hardware including at least one computer processor; and

computer-readable storage comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer hardware to perform operations defined by the computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions configured to;

receive the sensor data;

locally determine whether the identity is from an authorized user;

activate the keypad buttons when the identity is from the authorized user;

receive from the keypad an access code when the keypad is activated;

transmit the access code to a receiver for propagation through a mesh network to a remotely located hub device configured to determine whether the access code is an authorized code, the mesh network configured to transmit and receive messages using powerline signaling and radio frequency (RF) signaling; and

receive a door lock command to control a state of the door lock through the mesh network from the remotely located hub device when the access code is the authorized code.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the powerline signaling comprises message data modulated onto a carrier signal and the modulated carrier signal is added to a powerline waveform, and wherein the RF signaling comprises the message data modulated onto an RF signal.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a motion detector configured to detect motion, wherein the identity of the requestor comprises an indication of motion, and wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to activate the keypad when the motion is detected.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises an envelope detector configured to detect a signal radiating in free space from a mobile communication device, wherein the signal radiating in free space comprises a mobile phone number of the mobile communication device, wherein the identity of the requestor comprises the mobile phone number, and wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to locally compare the mobile phone number with one or more authorized phone numbers of the authorized users and to activate the keypad when a match is found.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises an image capture device, wherein the identity of the requestor comprises an image of the requestor captured on the image capture device, and wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to locally compare the image of the requestor with one or more authorized images of the authorized users and to activate the keypad when a match is found.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises an email reader, wherein the identity of the requestor comprises at least a portion of an email from the requestor requesting access to the door read by the email reader, and wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to locally compare the at least a portion of the email from the requestor with one or more email attributes of the authorized users and to activate the keypad when a match is found.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a geolocation service configured to detect when a mobile communication device of the requestor is near the door and to identify the mobile phone number of the mobile communication device, wherein the identity of the requestor comprises the mobile phone number of the mobile communication device, and wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to locally compare the mobile phone number of the mobile communication device with one or more authorized phone numbers of the authorized users and to activate the keypad when a match is found.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a cellular modem configured to provide a wireless connection to a cellular carrier, wherein the identity of the requestor comprises an identifier communicated to the computer processor via the wireless connection, and wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to locally compare the identifier communicated to the computer processor via the wireless connection with one or more authorized identifiers of the authorized users and to activate the keypad when a match is found.

9. The system of claim 2 further comprising interface circuitry configured to transmit the access code to the receiver to be modulated onto a first RF waveform, wherein the modulated first RF waveform is propagated through the mesh network to the remotely located hub device, and wherein one or more nodes on the mesh network receive the modulated first RF waveform, and transmit and repeat the access code using the powerline signaling and the RF signaling.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the interface circuitry is further configured to receive the door lock command from the receiver, and wherein the receiver is configured to receive a modulated second RF waveform propagated through the mesh network from the remotely located hub device in response to the access code and to demodulate the modulated second RF waveform to recover the door lock command.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises an email reader, and wherein the identity of the requestor comprises at least a portion of an email from the requestor requesting access to the door read by the email reader, the method further comprising locally comparing the at least a portion of the email from the requestor with one or more email attributes of the authorized users and activating the keypad when a match is found.

11. A method to activate a door keypad, the method comprising:

providing a keypad associated with a door lock in a door, the keypad comprising keypad buttons, the keypad having an active state allowing activation of the keypad buttons and an inactive state prohibiting activation of the keypad buttons;

sensing sensor data comprising an identity of a requestor requesting entry through the door;

locally determining whether the identity is from an authorized user;

activating the keypad buttons when the identity is from the authorized user;

receiving from the keypad an access code when the keypad is activated;

transmitting the access code to a receiver for propagation through a mesh network to a remotely located hub device configured to determine whether the access code is an authorized code, the mesh network configured to transmit and receive messages using powerline signaling and radio frequency (RF) signaling; and

receiving a door lock command to control a state of the door lock through the mesh network from the remotely located hub device when the access code is the authorized code.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the powerline signaling comprises message data modulated onto a carrier signal and the modulated carrier signal is added to a powerline waveform, and wherein the RF signaling comprises the message data modulated onto an RF signal.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a motion detector configured to detect motion, and wherein the identity of the requestor comprises an indication of motion, method further comprising activating the keypad when the motion is detected.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one sensor comprises an envelope detector configured to detect a signal radiating in free space from a mobile communication device, wherein the signal radiating in free space comprises a mobile phone number of the mobile communication device, and wherein the identity of the requestor comprises the mobile phone number, the method further comprising locally comparing the mobile phone number with one or more authorized phone numbers of the authorized users and activating the keypad when a match is found.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one sensor comprises an image capture device, and wherein the identity of the requestor comprises an image of the requestor captured on the image capture device, the method further comprising locally comparing the image of the requestor with one or more authorized images of the authorized users and activating the keypad when a match is found.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a geolocation service configured to detect when a mobile communication device of the requestor is near the door and to identify the mobile phone number of the mobile communication device, and wherein the identity of the requestor comprises the mobile phone number of the mobile communication device, the method further comprising locally comparing the mobile phone number of the mobile communication device with one or more authorized phone numbers of the authorized users and activating the keypad when a match is found.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a cellular modem configured to provide a wireless connection to a cellular carrier, and wherein the identity of the requestor comprises an identifier communicated to the computer processor via the wireless connection, the method further comprising locally comparing the identifier communicated to the computer processor via the wireless connection with one or more authorized identifiers of the authorized users and activating the keypad when a match is found.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising transmitting the access code to the receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to modulate the access code onto a first RF waveform for propagation through the mesh network to the remotely located hub device, and wherein one or more nodes on the mesh network receive the modulated first RF waveform and repeat the access code through the mesh network using the powerline signaling and the RF signaling.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising receiving the door lock command from the receiver, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a modulated second RF waveform propagated through the mesh network from the remotely located hub device in response to the access code and to demodulate the modulated second RF waveform to recover the door lock command.