Systems and methods to control a door keypad

• US 9,324,203 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• 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:
  US14/065,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20150116080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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;

a door lock controller in communication with the keypad and the at least one sensor, the door lock controller 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, and receive from the keypad an access code when the keypad is activated; and

a local receiver comprising a first antenna, a second antenna, and a radio frequency (RF) receiver and configured to wake up from an inactive state upon receiving the access code from the door lock controller, transmit with the first antenna a first message encoded with the access code via a first RF signal having a first frequency for propagation through a mesh network to a remotely located hub device which is configured to determine whether the access code is an authorized code, and return to the inactive state after transmitting the access code; and

the local receiver further configured to detect with the second antenna an electromagnetic field generated by a presence of a carrier signal that is added to a powerline waveform, the carrier signal comprising a second RF signal having a second frequency different than the first frequency, the presence of the carrier signal indicating that a second message encoded with a door lock command using the second frequency is modulated onto a powerline the local receiver further configured to wake up the RF receiver from the inactive state upon detecting the electromagnetic field in order to receive with the first antenna a third message comprising correct a door lock command to control a state of the door lock when the access code is the authorized code, the local receiver electrically disconnected from the powerline.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the mesh network is configured to transmit and receive messages using powerline signaling and RF signaling, wherein the powerline signaling comprises message data modulated onto the carrier signal and the modulated carrier signal is added to the powerline waveform, and wherein the RF signaling comprises the message data modulated onto the first 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 door controller is 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 door controller is 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 door controller is 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 door controller is 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 a 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 door controller is 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 via the wireless connection, and wherein the door controller is further configured to locally compare the identifier 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 wherein the local receiver is further configured to modulate the access code onto a first RF waveform having the first frequency, 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 local 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;

waking up a local receiver from an inactive state upon receipt of the access code, the local receiver comprising a first antenna, a second antenna, and a radio frequency (RF) receiver, the local receiver electrically disconnected from a powerline;

transmitting with the first antenna a first message encoded with the access code via a first RF signal having a first frequency for propagation through a mesh network to a remotely located hub device configured to determine whether the access code is an authorized code, the local receiver returning to the inactive state after transmitting the access code;

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

waking up the RF receiver from the inactive state upon detecting the electromagnetic field in order to receive with the first antenna a third message encoded with the door lock command, the third message comprising 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 mesh network is configured to transmit and receive messages using powerline signaling and RF signaling, wherein the powerline signaling comprises message data modulated onto the carrier signal and the modulated carrier signal is added to the powerline waveform, and wherein the RF signaling comprises the message data modulated onto the first 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, the 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 a 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 via the wireless connection, the method further comprising locally comparing the identifier with one or more authorized identifiers of the authorized users and activating the keypad when a match is found.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising modulating 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 transmit 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 a modulated second RF waveform propagated through the mesh network from the remotely located hub device in response to the access code and demodulating the modulated second RF waveform to recover the door lock command.