Systems and methods to control locking and unlocking of doors using powerline and radio frequency communications

• US 9,317,984 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartlabs
• Original Assignee: Smartlabs
• Inventors: Cregg, Daniel Brian, Escobosa, Marcus Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foxx, Chico A
• Application Number:
  US14/065,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20150116082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/00 Alarm locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00365 in combination with a wake-up circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

An electronic door lock system automatically controls locking and unlocking of a door. A door lock controller interfaces with an electronic door lock, sends messages including door lock data to a local receiver, and receives messages including door lock commands from the local receiver. In turn, the local receiver interfaces with a hub device through a mesh network. The hub receives the door lock data, applies a rule set to make lock operation decisions, and sends messages, which may comprise commands to operate the door lock, through the mesh network to the local receiver. The local receiver decodes the messages and passes the commands to the door lock controller to automatically control the electronic door lock.

Claims

1. A battery-powered door lock control system operating remotely from a powerline and configured to interface with a mesh network, the system comprising:

a door lock controller configured to receive a door lock command, the door lock controller in communication with a door lock associated with an entry to a building to automatically move the door lock between a first locked position and a second unlocked position based at least in part on the door lock command, wherein the door lock controller is electrically disconnected from a powerline;

a local receiver comprising a first antenna and a second antenna, the local receiver configured to wirelessly detect with the first antenna a presence an electromagnetic field generated by a presence of a carrier signal that is added to a powerline waveform, the carrier signal comprising a first radio frequency (RF) signal having a first frequency, the presence of the carrier signal indicating that a first message encoded with said door lock command using said first frequency is modulated onto the powerline, wherein the local receiver is electrically disconnected from the powerline; and

the local receiver further comprising a RF receiver configured to wake up from an inactive state upon detecting the electromagnetic field generated by the presence of the carrier signal on the powerline in order to receive with the second antenna a second message encoded with said door lock command via a second RF signal having a second RF frequency different from the first RF frequency, the local receiver further configured to determine whether a device address of the second message is an assigned address, the local receiver returning to an inactive state when the device address of the second message is not the assigned address, the second message comprising a correct door lock command when the device address is the assigned address, the local receiver sending the correct door lock command to the door lock controller.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a mesh network configured to transmit and receive messages using one or more of powerline signaling and RF signaling, the powerline signaling comprising message data modulated onto the carrier signal and the modulated carrier signal added to the powerline waveform, the RF signaling comprising the message data modulated onto the second RF signal.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a hub device in communication with the mesh network and configured to receive sensor data and to generate the door lock command based at least in part on the sensor data.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the hub device is further configured to receive an identifier associated with a user and to determine if the user is authorized based at least in part on the identifier.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the hub device is further configured to generate the door lock command when the user is authorized.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the identifier is one of a cell phone number, at least a portion of an email, and at least a portion of a text message.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor, wherein the door lock controller is further configured to receive sensor data from the at least one sensor.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the local receiver is further configured to receive the sensor data from the door lock controller, to modulate the sensor data onto the second RF signal having the second frequency, and to transmit the modulated RF signal comprising the sensor data over the mesh network.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a hub device in communication with the mesh network and configured to receive the modulated RF signal comprising the sensor data from the mesh network, to recover the sensor data, and to generate the door lock command based at least in part of the sensor data.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a power supply comprising a battery configured to supply power, the power supply in communication with the door lock controller and the local receiver.

11. A method to control a door lock, the method comprising:

detecting with a first antenna an electromagnetic field generated by a presence of a carrier signal that is added to a powerline waveform, the carrier signal comprising a first radio frequency (RF) signal having a first frequency, the presence of the carrier signal indicating that a first message encoded with a door lock command using the first frequency is modulated onto a powerline;

waking up a local receiver comprising an RF receiver from an inactive state upon detecting the electromagnetic field generated by the presence of the carrier signal on the powerline in order to receive with a second antenna a second message encoded with the door lock command via a second RF signal having a second RF frequency different from the first RF frequency, wherein the local receiver is electrically disconnected from the powerline;

determining whether a device address of the second message is an assigned address, the second message comprising a door lock command when the device address is the assigned address;

returning the local receiver to an inactive state when the device address of the second message is not the assigned address;

sending to a door lock controller the correct door lock command when the device address of the second message is the assigned address; and

automatically moving a door lock associated with an entry to a building between a first locked position and a second unlocked position based at least in part on the correct door lock command, wherein the door lock controller is electrically disconnected from the powerline.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising propagating the door lock command to control the door lock through a mesh network configured to use one or more of powerline signaling and radio frequency (RF) signaling, the powerline signaling comprising message data modulated onto the carrier signal and the modulated carrier signal added to the powerline waveform, the RF signaling comprising the message data modulated onto the second RF signal.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising propagating sensor data through the mesh network and generating the door lock command based at least in part on the sensor data.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving an identifier associated with a user and determining if the user is authorized based at least in part on the identifier.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising generating the door lock command when the user is authorized.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the identifier is one of a cell phone number, at least a portion of an email, and at least a portion of a text message.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving with the door lock controller sensor data from at least one sensor.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving with the local receiver the sensor data from the door lock controller, modulating the sensor data onto the second RF signal having the second RF frequency, and transmitting the modulated RF signal comprising the sensor data over the mesh network.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving the modulated RF signal comprising the sensor data from the mesh network, recovering the sensor data, and generating the door lock command based at least in part of the sensor data.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising supplying operating power to the door lock controller and the local receiver from a battery-operated power supply and not supplying operating power from the powerline.