Wireless reader system

• US 9,443,365 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2013
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Original Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Inventors: Ahearn, John Robert, Baumgarte, Joseph Wayne, Focke, Gabriel Daniel, Henney, Michael Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US13/969,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20140049361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas

Abstract

An electronic system including a mobile device that communicates with a reader device. In one embodiment, the mobile device may be configured as a mobile phone and the reader device may be configured as an electronic reader associated with an electronic lock. One or more devices in the system may determine the position of the mobile device in relation to the reader device, and cause an electronic lock or another type of access control device to perform a selected function based at least in part on the position of the mobile device in relation to the reader device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a connection with Bluetooth communication between a mobile device and a reader device in response to the mobile device being in a connection zone relative to the reader device, wherein the reader device includes an electronic lock and the mobile device and the reader device are configured to communicate via Bluetooth communication, wherein the mobile device is further configured to sense a velocity and an acceleration of the mobile device;

receiving via the reader device location information from the mobile device, wherein the location information includes GPS information indicative of a location of the mobile device;

determining from the location information a received signal strength indication (RSSI) information associated with the Bluetooth communication;

verifying credential information from the mobile device after establishing the connection;

after verifying the credential information, determining the mobile device is in an activation zone relative to the reader device, wherein the activation zone is in closer proximity to the reader device than the connection zone;

determining via the reader device an automatic function to perform based at least in part upon the location information indicating the mobile device is in the activation zone, wherein the determining of the automatic function is further based upon the RSSI information and a speed and direction of movement of the mobile device from the velocity and the acceleration of the mobile device; and

performing via the reader device the automatic function, wherein the automatic function includes locking the electronic lock in response to a first location information indicating a first directional acceleration away from the electronic lock and automatically unlocking the electronic lock in response to a second location information indicating a second directional acceleration toward the electronic lock.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location information indicates the mobile device is positioned within an access-controlled region to which the electronic lock controls access, and the second location information indicates the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the electronic lock.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second location information further indicates the mobile device is not within the access-controlled region.

4. A system, comprising:

a mobile device having a GPS receiver;

a lock in wireless communication with the mobile device, the lock including a transceiver, wherein the mobile device is configured to communicate with the lock wirelessly via Bluetooth;

wherein the mobile device is configured to determine location information of the mobile device based on an output from the GPS receiver and to selectively wirelessly transmit the location information to the lock via Bluetooth communication in response to the mobile device being in a connection zone relative to the reader device, wherein the location information includes a received signal strength indication (RSSI) information associated with the Bluetooth communication and a velocity and an acceleration of the mobile device sensed by the mobile device; and

wherein the lock is configured to wirelessly receive the location information from the mobile device and to process the location information in response to the mobile device being in the connection zone, wherein when the mobile device is in the connection zone relative to the lock and the lock establishes a connection with the mobile device to automatically verify credentials from the mobile device and in response to the credentials being verified and in response to the location information indicating the mobile device is in an activation zone, the lock is configured to determine and automatically perform an action based upon the RSSI information and a speed and direction of movement of the mobile device from the velocity and the acceleration of the mobile device, wherein the action includes unlocking the lock in response to a directional acceleration of the mobile device being toward the lock and locking the lock in response to the directional acceleration of the mobile device being away from the lock.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile device is a smartphone.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the action further includes at least one of:

wirelessly transmitting a message to a wireless device, opening a door, closing a door, and ringing a doorbell.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile device is configured to wirelessly transmit the location information to the lock only when the location information is within a predetermined distance of the lock.