Mobile device that detects tappings/vibrations which are used to lock or unlock a door

• US 9,447,609 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: August Home, Inc. (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: August Home, Inc. (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Jason, Cheng, Shih Yu Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAI T
• Application Number:
  US14/465,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20160032621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 340/571, 3405721-5724, 340/5.7, 340/5.71, 340/5.85, 340/540, 340/541, 340/542, 702/64, 702/66, 702/75, 703/57
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0083 Sound emitting devices, e.g. loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0087 Sound receiving devices, e.g. microphones
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0095 Mechanical aspects of locks controlled by telephone signals, e.g. by mobile phones electronic locks G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 1/00 Fastening devices with bolts moving rectilinearly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00746 by knocking on a surface for inputting the code, e.g. detecting a series of taps on a surface
• 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

Abstract

An intelligent door lock system is configured to be in communication with a mobile device. The intelligent door lock system includes a drive shaft of a lock device for a door. A circuit is coupled to an engine with a memory. A device is provided that converts energy into mechanical energy and is coupled to the drive shaft. The intelligent door lock system is configured to be in communication with a mobile device that includes a vibration/tapping sensing device. The vibration/tapping sensing device is configured to lock or unlock the door in response to knocking or tapping at the mobile device.

Claims

1. An intelligent door lock system at a dwelling in communication with a mobile device, comprising:

a drive shaft of a lock device for a door;

a circuit coupled to an engine configured to cause a rotation of the drive shaft, the circuit including a memory that stores information relative to the intelligent door lock system;

a device that converts energy from an energy source into mechanical energy that can provide rotational energy to the drive shaft, the device that converts energy being coupled to the drive shaft;

wherein

the intelligent door lock system is in communication with the mobile device that includes a vibration/tapping sensing device that can provide a vibration to a mobile device user indicating a communication to the mobile device user, the mobile device at an interior or exterior of the dwelling configured to provide locking or unlocking of the lock, the intelligent door lock system configured to allow controlled access to the dwelling that includes an occupant of the dwelling as well as a designated third person granted access rights by the occupant.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device and the intelligent door lock system are configured to communicate as a system, and is integrated as a single system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the device that converts energy is coupled to a positioning sensing device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device is an integral part of the intelligent door lock system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device is not an integral part of the intelligent door lock system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a user can give a third person a knock code/pattern to lock or unlock the door.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the knocking/tapping is one that is recognized as having been defined by a user of the door lock system as a means to lock or unlock the door.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the knocking/tapping can have a variety of different patterns, tempos, duration and intensity.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device is selected from at least one of accelerometers, optical devices, electromagnetic and capacitive sensors, contact devices, transducers, displacement transducers, piezoelectric sensors, piezoresistive devices, variable capacitance, servo devices and audio devices where transfer of the vibration can be gas, liquid or solid.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device is an accelerometer selected from at least one of, Piezoelectric (PE);

high-impedance output;

Integral electronics piezoelectric (IEPE);

low-impedance output Piezoresistive (PR);

silicon strain gauge sensor Variable capacitance (VC);

low-level and low-frequency Servo force balance.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device of the mobile device is in communication with a back-end of the intelligent door lock system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device is coupled to a circuit board.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device includes a computation module.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device includes a memory.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein a vibration tapping of the vibration/tapping sensing device is compared to a threshold value.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device includes a computation unit.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device includes a multiplexor.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device includes filter.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device includes a register.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device includes a subtraction circuit.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing device includes a clock circuit.