Wireless access control system and related methods

• US 9,196,104 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unikey Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unikey Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Dumas, Philip C., Bennett, Thomas, Fiske, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US13/654,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20130237193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 340 51- 592
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass

Abstract

A wireless access control system includes a remote access device. A plugin device communicates with the remote access device. A lock controls the ability to lock and unlock a door in which the lock is disposed. The lock is in communication with the plug in device. The plug in device determines a distance between the remote access device and the lock and causes the lock to communicate with the remote access device when the remote access device is at a distance less than or equal to a predetermined distance from the lock to enable the lock to be unlocked.

Claims

1. A wireless access control system for a door, the wireless access control system comprising:

a lock assembly carried by the door and comprising

a lock,

lock wireless communications circuitry, and

a lock controller coupled to said lock and said lock wireless communications circuitry, and configured to switch the lock between a locked position and an unlocked position;

a plugin device remote from said lock and comprising

plugin device wireless communications circuitry, and

a plugin device controller coupled to said plugin device wireless communications circuitry; and

a remote access device remote from said lock and comprising

remote access wireless communications circuitry, and

a remote access controller coupled to said remote access wireless communications circuitry and configured to cooperate with said remote access wireless communications circuitry to wirelessly transmit a remote access command to said plugin device for switching said lock between the locked and unlocked positions;

said plugin device controller configured to

determine a first distance between said remote access device and said lock based upon wireless communication therewith,

determine when said remote access device is within a second distance from said lock, the second distance being closer to said lock than the first distance, and

wirelessly send a lock communication enable command to enable said lock based upon said remote access device being within the second distance from said lock;

said lock controller configured to

communicate with said remote access device independently from said plugin device based upon wirelessly receiving, via said lock wireless communications circuitry, the lock communication enable command from said plugin device, and

switch said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon wirelessly receiving, via said wireless communications circuitry, the remote access command from said remote access device and authentication of said remote access device.

2. The wireless access control system of claim 1, wherein said lock assembly further comprises a visual indicator adjacent said lock, and wherein said lock controller cooperates with said visual indictor to indicate a status of said lock.

3. The wireless access control system of claim 2, wherein said lock controller is configured to selectively change said visual indictor when said remote access device moves across the second distance.

4. The wireless access control system of claim 2, wherein the status of said lock comprises at least one of an awake state, a hibernation state, a lock state, an unlock state, and programming state.

5. The wireless access control system of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises a light emitting diode.

6. The wireless access control system of claim 1, wherein said lock comprises a lock cylinder for receiving a key therein and a lock strike coupled to said lock cylinder, and wherein said visual indicator is carried around said lock cylinder.

7. The wireless access control system of claim 1, wherein said plugin device further comprises a plugin device housing and a plugin device power connector carried by said housing for coupling to a mains power receptacle.

8. The wireless access control system of claim 1, wherein said lock controller is configured to switch said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon wirelessly receiving, via said wireless communications circuitry, the remote access command directly from said remote access device.

9. The wireless access control system of claim 1, wherein said lock assembly comprises at least one antenna coupled to said lock wireless communications circuitry, and wherein said lock controller is configured to enable switching of said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon a received signal strength of the remote access command from said remote access device via said at least one antenna.

10. The wireless access control system of claim 9, wherein said at least one antenna comprises first and second directional antennas, wherein said lock assembly further comprises a touch sensor coupled to said lock controller, and wherein said lock controller is configured to, based upon a sensed touch from said touch sensor, switch to the second directional antenna, determine a received signal strength at each of said first and second directional antennas, and switch said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon the received signal strength at said first directional antenna being greater than the received signal strength at said second directional antenna.

11. The wireless access control system of claim 10, wherein said lock controller is configured to disable switching of said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon the received signal strength at said second directional antenna being greater than the received signal strength at said first directional antenna.

12. The wireless access control system of claim 10, wherein said lock controller is configured to determine a number of touches from said touch sensor within a given time period, and, if said lock is in said unlocked position, switch said lock to the locked position based upon exceeding a threshold number of touches within the given time and without wirelessly receiving, via said wireless communications circuitry, the remote access command from said remote access device.

13. The wireless access control system of claim 10, wherein said lock controller is configured to determine a number of touches from said touch sensor within a given time period, and, if said lock is in said unlocked position, switch said lock to the locked position based upon exceeding a threshold number of touches within the given time and without exceeding a threshold received signal strength at least one of said first and second directional antennas.

14. A lock assembly comprising:

a lock;

lock wireless communications circuitry; and

a lock controller coupled to said lock and said lock wireless communications circuitry, and configured to

switch the lock between a locked position and an unlocked position,

communicate with a remote access device remote from said lock based upon wirelessly receiving, via said lock wireless communications circuitry, a lock communication enable command from a plugin device,

the remote access device wirelessly transmitting a remote access command to the plugin device for switching said lock between the locked and unlocked positions, the plugin device determining a first distance between the remote access device and said lock based upon wireless communication therewith,

determining when the remote access device is within a second distance from said lock, the second distance being closer to said lock than the first distance, and wirelessly send the lock communication enable command to enable said lock based upon the remote access device being within the second distance from said lock,

and switch said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon wirelessly receiving, via said wireless communications circuitry, the remote access command, independent from said plugin device, from said remote access device and authentication of said remote access device.

15. The lock assembly of claim 14, further comprising a visual indicator adjacent said lock and wherein said lock controller cooperates with said visual indictor to indicate a status of said lock.

16. The lock assembly of claim 15, wherein said lock controller is configured to selectively change said visual indictor when the remote access device moves across the second distance.

17. The lock assembly of claim 15, wherein the status of said lock comprises at least one of an awake state, a hibernation state, a lock state, an unlock state, and a programming state.

18. The lock assembly of claim 15, wherein the visual indicator comprises a light emitting diode.

19. The lock assembly of claim 14, wherein said lock comprises a lock cylinder for receiving a key therein and a lock strike coupled to said lock cylinder, and wherein said visual indicator is carried around said lock cylinder.

20. The lock assembly of claim 14, wherein said lock controller is configured to switch said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon wirelessly receiving, via said wireless communications circuitry, the remote access command directly from the remote access device.

21. The lock assembly of claim 14, wherein said lock assembly comprises at least one antenna coupled to said lock wireless communications circuitry, and wherein said lock controller is configured to enable switching of said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon a received signal strength of the remote access command from said remote access device via said at least one antenna.

22. A plugin device for a wireless access control system for a door, the plugin device comprising:

a plugin device housing;

a plugin device power connector carried by said plugin device housing for coupling to a mains power receptacle;

plugin device wireless communications circuitry carried by said plugin device housing; and

a plugin device controller carried by said plugin device housing and coupled to said plugin device wireless communications circuitry, said plugin device controller configured to

determine a first distance between a remote access device remote from a lock of a lock assembly carried by the door based upon wireless communication therewith, the remote access device wirelessly transmitting a remote access command to the plugin device for switching the lock between the locked and unlocked positions,

determine when the remote access device is within a second distance from the lock, the second distance being closer to said lock than the first distance, and

wirelessly send a lock communication enable command to enable the lock, based upon the remote access device being within the second distance from said lock, to switch the lock between a locked position and an unlocked position, the lock communicating independently from said plugin device with the remote access device based upon wirelessly receiving the lock communication enable command from said plugin device, and switching the lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon wirelessly receiving the remote access command from the remote access device and authentication of said remote access device.

23. The plugin device of claim 22, wherein said plugin controller is configured to determine the first distance based upon a receiving signal strength indication (RSSI).

24. A wireless access control system for a door, the wireless access control system comprising:

a lock assembly carried by the door and comprising

a lock,

lock wireless communications circuitry, and

a lock controller coupled to said lock and said lock wireless communications circuitry, and configured to switch the lock between a locked position and an unlocked position;

a plugin device remote from said lock and comprising

plugin device wireless communications circuitry,

and

a plugin device controller coupled to said plugin device wireless communications circuitry; and

a remote access device remote from said lock and comprising

remote access wireless communications circuitry, and

a remote access controller coupled to said remote access wireless communications circuitry and configured to cooperate with said remote access wireless communications circuitry to wirelessly communicate with said plugin device for switching said lock between the locked and unlocked positions;

said plugin device controller configured to determine a first distance between said remote access device and said lock based upon wireless communication therewith, and

determine when said remote access device is within a second distance from said lock, the second distance being closer to said lock than the first distance, and

wirelessly send a lock communication enable command to enable said lock based upon said remote access device being within the second distance from said lock;

said lock controller configured to communicate, independently from said plugin device, with said remote access device and configured to receive authentication of said remote access device based upon wirelessly receiving, via said wireless communications circuitry, the lock communication enable command from said plugin device.

25. The wireless access control system of claim 24, wherein said lock assembly further comprising a visual indicator adjacent said lock, and wherein said lock controller cooperates with said visual indictor to indicate a status of said lock.

26. The wireless access control system of claim 24, wherein said lock controller is configured to selectively change said visual indictor when said remote access device moves across the second distance.

27. The wireless access control system of claim 24, wherein the status of said lock comprises at least one of an 12In re Patent Application of:

DUMAS ET AL. Ser. No. 13/654,132 Filed;

Oct. 17, 2012 awake state, a hibernation state, a lock state, an unlock state, and a programming state.

28. The wireless access control system of claim 24, wherein said plugin device further comprises a plugin device housing and a plugin device power connector carried by said housing for coupling to a mains power receptacle.

29. A method of wireless access control for a door, the wireless access control method comprising:

transmitting, from a remote access device remote from a lock to be controlled, a remote access command to a plugin device for switching the lock carried between the locked and unlocked positions, the lock being carried by the door;

determining, using the plugin device, a first distance between the remote access device and the lock based upon wireless communication therewith;

determining, using the plugin device, when the remote access device is within a second distance from said lock, the second distance being closer to said lock than the first distance;

wirelessly sending, using the plugin device, a lock communication enable command to enable the lock based upon the remote access device being within the second distance from the lock;

communicating, using the lock, with the remote access device based upon wirelessly receiving the lock communication enable command from the plugin device; and

switching the lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon wirelessly receiving the remote access command, independently from said plugin device, from the remote access device and authentication of said remote access device.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising selectively activating a visual indicator adjacent the lock assembly to indicate a status of said lock.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the visual indicator is selectively changed when the remote access device moves across the second distance.