Wireless access control system and related methods

• US 9,218,696 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, MIRZA F
• Application Number:
  US14/681,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.61, 340/5.64, 340/5.71, 340/5.2, 340/426.28, 340/539.11, 340/542, 340/825.31, 340/572.9, 455/414.1, 455/556.1, 70/9, 70/21, 702/77, 702/781, 726/17, 726/19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• 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 9/21 having a variable access code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A wireless access control system includes a remote access device and an electronic lock. The electronic lock communicates with the remote access device. The electronic lock controls the ability to lock and unlock a door in which the electronic lock is disposed. The electronic lock determines 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 defining first and second areas, the wireless access control system comprising:

a lock assembly carried by the door and comprising

a lock,

a first directional antenna directed toward the first area,

a second directional antenna directed toward the second area,

lock wireless communications circuitry coupled to said first and second directional antennas, and

a lock controller coupled to said lock and said lock wireless communications circuitry;

a plugin device remote from said lock assembly in the first area; and

a remote access device remote from said lock and comprising

remote access wireless communications circuitry, and

a remote access controller configured to cooperate with said remote access wireless communications circuitry to wirelessly transmit a remote access command to said plugin device; and

said plugin device comprising

plugin device wireless communications circuitry, and

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

determine whether said remote access device is within the first area or second area based upon communication of said remote access device with said lock assembly, and

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

said lock controller configured to switch said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon wirelessly receiving, via said lock wireless communications circuitry, the remote access command from said remote access device and the lock communication enable command from said plugin device.

2. The wireless access control system of claim 1 wherein the first area comprises an interior area and the second area comprises an exterior area.

3. The wireless access control system of claim 1 wherein said plugin device controller is configured to compare signals from each of said first and second directional antennas to determine whether said remote access device is within the first or second areas.

4. The wireless access control system of claim 1 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 first and second directional antennas.

5. The wireless access control system of claim 1 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 first 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 second directional antenna being greater than the received signal strength at said first directional antenna.

6. The wireless access control system of claim 5 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 first directional antenna being greater than the received signal strength at said second directional antenna.

7. The wireless access control system of claim 5 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 the unlocked position, switch said lock to the locked position based upon exceeding a threshold number of touches within the given time period and without wirelessly receiving, via said lock wireless communications circuitry, the remote access command from said remote access device.

8. The wireless access control system of claim 5 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 the 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 at least one of said first and second directional antennas.

9. A wireless access control system for a door defining interior and exterior areas, the wireless access control system comprising:

a lock assembly carried by the door and comprising

a lock,

an interior directional antenna directed toward the interior area,

an exterior directional antenna directed toward the exterior area,

lock wireless communications circuitry coupled to said interior and exterior directional antennas, and

a lock controller coupled to said lock and said lock wireless communications circuitry;

a plugin device remote from said lock assembly in the interior area; and

a remote access device remote from said lock and comprising

remote access wireless communications circuitry, and

a remote access controller configured to cooperate with said remote access wireless communications circuitry to wirelessly transmit a remote access command to said plugin device; and

said plugin device comprising

plugin device wireless communications circuitry, and

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

determine whether said remote access device is within the interior area or exterior area based upon a comparison of received signals from each of the interior and exterior directional antennas,

wirelessly send a lock communication enable command to said lock assembly based upon said remote access device being within the exterior area;

said lock controller configured to

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

10. The wireless access control system of claim 9 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 interior and exterior directional antennas.

11. The wireless access control system of claim 9 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 interior directional antenna, determine a received signal strength at each of said interior and exterior directional antennas, and switch said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon the received signal strength at said exterior directional antenna being greater than the received signal strength at said interior directional antenna.

12. The wireless access control system of claim 11 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 interior directional antenna being greater than the received signal strength at said exterior directional antenna.

13. The wireless access control system of claim 11 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 the unlocked position, switch said lock to the locked position based upon exceeding a threshold number of touches within the given time period and without wirelessly receiving, via said lock wireless communications circuitry, the remote access command from said remote access device.

14. The wireless access control system of claim 11 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 the 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 at least one of said interior and exterior directional antennas.

15. A lock assembly for wireless access control system for a door defining first and second areas, the wireless access control system comprising a plugin device remote from the lock assembly in the first area and a remote access device remote from the lock, the lock assembly comprising:

a lock;

a first directional antenna directed toward the first area;

a second directional antenna directed toward the second area;

lock wireless communications circuitry coupled to said first and second directional antennas; and

a lock controller coupled to said lock and said lock wireless communications circuitry and configured to switch said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon wirelessly receiving, via said lock wireless communications circuitry, a remote access command wirelessly transmitted from the remote access device and a lock communication enable command wireless received from the plugin device, the lock communication enable command being wirelessly sent by the plugin device based upon a determination of the remote access device being within the second area, the determination being based upon a comparison of signals from each of said first and second directional antennas based upon communication of the remote access device with said lock assembly.

16. The lock assembly of claim 15 wherein the first area comprises an interior area and the second area comprises an exterior area.

17. The lock assembly of claim 15 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 the remote access device via the first and second directional antennas.

18. The lock assembly of claim 15 further comprising 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 first 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 second directional antenna being greater than the received signal strength at said first directional antenna.

19. The lock assembly of claim 18 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 first directional antenna being greater than the received signal strength at said second directional antenna.

20. The lock assembly of claim 18 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 the unlocked position, switch said lock to the locked position based upon exceeding a threshold number of touches within the given time period and without wirelessly receiving, via said lock wireless communications circuitry, the remote access command from the remote access device.

21. The lock assembly of claim 18 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 the 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 at least one of said first and second directional antennas.

22. A plugin device for a wireless access control system for a door defining first and second areas, the wireless access control system comprising a lock assembly carried by the door and comprising a lock, a first directional antenna directed toward the first area, a second directional antenna directed toward the second area, lock wireless communications circuitry coupled to the first and second directional antennas, and a lock controller coupled to the lock and the lock wireless communications circuitry, the plugin device being remote from the lock assembly in the first area and comprising:

plugin device wireless communications circuitry; and

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

compare signals from each of said first and second directional antennas based upon communication of the remote access device with said lock assembly to determine whether a remote access device is within the first area or second area, and

wirelessly send a lock communication enable command to the lock assembly based upon the remote access device being within the second area, the lock controller switching the lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon wirelessly receiving, via the lock wireless communications circuitry, a remote access command from the remote access device and the lock communication enable command.

23. The plugin device of claim 22 wherein the first area comprises an interior area and the second area comprises an exterior area.

24. A method of wireless access control for a door defining first and second areas, the wireless access control system comprising a lock assembly carried by the door and comprising a lock, a first directional antenna directed toward the first area, a second directional antenna directed toward the second area, lock wireless communications circuitry coupled to the first and second directional antennas, and a lock controller coupled to the lock and the lock wireless communications circuitry, the method comprising

using a remote access device remote from the lock to wirelessly transmit a remote access command to a plugin device remote from the lock assembly in the first area;

using the plugin device to

compare signals from each of the first and second directional antennas based upon communication of the remote access device with the lock assembly to determine whether the remote access device is within the first area or second area, and

wirelessly send a lock communication enable command to the lock assembly based upon the remote access device being within the second area; and

using the lock controller to switch the lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon wirelessly receiving the remote access command from the remote access device and the lock communication enable command from the plugin device.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the first area comprises an interior area and the second area comprises an exterior area.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the plugin device is further used to communicate with the lock assembly to disable the lock based upon the remote access device being within the first area.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the lock controller is used to enable switching of the lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon a received signal strength of the remote access command from the remote access device via the first and second directional antennas.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the lock assembly further comprises a touch sensor coupled to the lock controller, and wherein the lock controller is used to, based upon a sensed touch from the touch sensor, switch to the first directional antenna, determine a received signal strength at each of the first and second directional antennas, and switch the lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon the received signal strength at the second directional antenna being greater than the received signal strength at the first directional antenna.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the lock controller is used to disable switching of the lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon the received signal strength at the first directional antenna being greater than the received signal strength at second the directional antenna.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the lock controller is used to determine a number of touches from the touch sensor within a given time period, and, if the lock is in the unlocked position, switch the lock to the locked position based upon exceeding a threshold number of touches within the given time period and without wirelessly receiving, via the lock wireless communications circuitry, the remote access command from the remote access device.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the lock controller is used to determine a number of touches from the touch sensor within a given time period, and, if the lock is in the unlocked position, switch the 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 at least one of the first and second directional antennas.