Wireless access control system and related methods

• US 9,336,637 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unikey Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unikey Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Neil, James W., Dumas, Philip C.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US13/415,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20120234058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5155 Door

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 plugin device. The plugin 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

a remote access device remote from said lock and configured to wirelessly communicate with said lock controller for switching said lock between the locked and unlocked positions;

said plugin device 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 switching of said lock between the locked and unlocked positions by said remote access device based upon said remote access device being within the second distance from said lock.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plugin device is configured to determine at least one of the first and second distances based upon a received signal strength from said remote access device by said plugin device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said lock controller is configured to cooperate with said lock wireless communications circuitry to wirelessly communicate with said remote access device;

wherein said remote access device is configured to wirelessly communicate a response to said lock controller; and

wherein said lock controller is configured to determine a position of said remote access device based upon a received signal strength from said remote access device and to enable switching of said lock based upon the determined position.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said plugin device and said remote access device are configured to communicate using Bluetooth;

and wherein said plugin device is configured to wirelessly send the lock communication enable command based upon the Bluetooth communication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote access device comprises a token.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote access device comprises:

a portable housing;

wireless communications circuitry carried by said portable housing;

memory carried by said portable housing for storing at least one application; and

a controller carried by said portable housing and coupled to said memory and said wireless communications circuitry, said controller configured to wirelessly communicate with said lock controller based upon the at least one application.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an access control server remote from said plugin device and configured to communicate access credentials thereto.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said lock controller is switchable between a hibernation state and an awake state;

and wherein said plugin device is configured to wirelessly send an awake command to switch said lock controller from the hibernation state to the awake state based upon said remote access device being within the second distance from the lock.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said lock assembly further comprises an exterior directional antenna facing a exterior direction, and an interior directional antenna facing an interior direction, said lock controller configured to enable switching of said lock based upon a received signal strength at said interior directional antenna being less than a received signal strength at the exterior directional antenna.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote access device comprises a remote access device controller and a geographical position receiver coupled to said remote access device controller;

and wherein said remote access device controller is configured to cooperate with said geographical position receiver to determine a geographical position of said remote access device and disable communications when said remote access device is outside a threshold distance from at least one of said lock assembly and said plugin device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said lock assembly further comprises a motor coupled to said lock controller;

and wherein said lock controller is configured to selectively operate said motor for switching between the locked and unlocked positions based upon communication with said remote access device and said remote access device being less than or equal to the second distance from said lock assembly.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said plugin device is configured to compare a received signal strength of a plurality of signals communicated from said remote access device, determine, based upon the comparison, a range of in-range received signal strength values, and change the first distance based upon the range of in-range received signal strength values.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote access device has an authorized token associated therewith;

and wherein said lock controller is configured to enable switch of said lock based upon at least one of said lock controller and said plugin device recognizing the authorized token.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a second remote access device;

and wherein said remote access device is configured to communicate with said second remote access device to transfer the authorized token to said second remote access device.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a second remote access device;

and wherein said remote access device is configured to communicate with said second remote access device to share the authorized token to said second remote access device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said remote access device comprises a cellular phone, and wherein the authorized token comprises an application stored on the cellular phone.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said remote access device is configured to communicate with said second remote access device across a cellular network.

18. The 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 switch said lock between the locked and unlocked positions based upon touching of said touch sensor by a person associated with said remote access device when said remote access device is at a distance less than or equal to the second distance from said lock.

19. A plugin device for a wireless access control system for a door, the wireless access control system comprising a lock assembly carried by the door and remote from the plugin device and comprising a lock, lock wireless communications circuitry, and a lock controller coupled to the lock and the lock wireless communications circuitry, and configured to switch the lock between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a remote access device remote from the lock and configured to wirelessly communicate with the lock controller for switching the lock between the locked and unlocked positions, the plugin device comprising

plugin device wireless communications circuitry;

and

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

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

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

wirelessly send a lock communication enable command to enable switching of the lock between the locked and unlocked positions by the remote access device based upon the remote access device being within the second distance from the lock.

20. The plugin device of claim 19, wherein said plugin device controller is configured to determine at least one of the first and second distances based upon a received signal strength from said remote access device.

21. The plugin device of claim 19, wherein the lock controller is switchable between a hibernation state and an awake state;

and wherein said plugin device controller is configured to wirelessly send an awake command to switch the lock controller from the hibernation state to the awake state based upon the remote access device being within the second distance from the lock.

22. The plugin device of claim 19 wherein said plugin device wireless communications circuitry and the remote access device are configured to communicate using Bluetooth;

and wherein said plugin device controller is configured to cooperate with said plugin device wireless communications circuitry to wirelessly send the lock communication enable command based upon the Bluetooth communication.

23. The plugin device of claim 19 wherein said plugin device controller is configured to compare a received signal strength of a plurality of signals communicated from the remote access device, determine, based upon the comparison, a range of in-range received signal strength values, and change the first distance based upon the range of in-range received signal strength values.

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

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

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

wirelessly sending, using the plugin device, a lock communication enable command to enable switching of the lock between the locked and unlocked positions by the remote access device based upon the remote access device being within the second distance from the lock.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein at least one of the first and second distances is determined based upon a received signal strength from the remote access device by the plugin device.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising determining whether the remote access device is authorized to operate the lock based upon a unique identifier associated with remote access device.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the remote access device comprises a controller and a memory cooperating therewith, the memory storing at least one application and the processor wirelessly communicating with the lock controller based upon the at least one application.

28. The method of claim 24 further comprising using the remote access device to determine a geographical position of the remote access device based upon a geographical position receiver of the remote access, and disable communications when the remote access device is outside a threshold distance from at least one of the lock and the plugin device.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein the remote access device has a unique identifier associated therewith, and wherein the method further comprises sending, using the remote access device, to a second remote access device for accessing the lock.