Access control operator diagnostic control

• US 9,449,449 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (The Chamberlain Group LLC)
• Inventors: Evans, Patrick B., Sullivan, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): AKKI, MUNEAR T
• Application Number:
  US14/473,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.61, 340/5.7, 340/5.71, 455420-4221, 493/57
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24158 Access only for service, hide, forbidden tamperfree keys, program
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00865 remotely by wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A computing device using diagnostic application software described herein allows an owner or operator of a premises to provide a service technician access to operational data from a movable barrier operator so that the technician'"'"'s computing device can troubleshoot for possible issues with the operation of the barrier operator. The owner'"'"'s computing device can send credentials to the technician mobile device so that the technician'"'"'s computing device can then utilize the application to access the operational data. For added security, the application can further give the owner computing device control over the type and duration of access provided to the technician.

Claims

1. A technician device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive one or more transmissions over a communication network at the behest of an owner device, the transmissions including at least application identification information and access rights data to an owner movable barrier operator;

a processor device configured to download, install, and run an application identified by the application identification information;

a user input device, the application configured to receive instruction from the user input device;

a transmitter configured to transmit a signal based on the access rights data, after a determination by the processor device that there are no applicable restrictions in the access rights data, to the owner movable barrier operator in response to instruction from the application to access operational data of the owner movable barrier operator, wherein the operational data consists of one or more of;

times of operation, length of operation, distance traveled, motor rotations per minute, obstacle detections, and age; and

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive, from the owner movable barrier operator in response to transmission of the signal, the operational data of the owner movable barrier operator.

2. The technician device of claim 1 wherein the access rights data comprises movable barrier operator identification information and credentials for authorized communication with the owner movable barrier operator.

3. The technician device of claim 2 wherein the access rights data further comprises restrictions on the use of the credentials.

4. The technician device of claim 2 wherein the credentials indicate one of at least two tiers of access to the owner movable barrier operator.

5. The technician device of claim 4 wherein the at least two tiers of access include a first tier that allows access to the operational data and a second tier that allows access to send a control signal to operate the owner movable barrier operator.

6. The technician device of claim 1 wherein the application identification information comprises a link to download the application.

7. The technician device of claim 1 wherein the receiver and transmitter are configured to communicate with the owner movable barrier operator using a short range communication standard.

8. The technician device of claim 1 further comprising a storage device having the application stored thereon.

9. The technician device of claim 1 wherein the storage device further has the operational data stored thereon.

10. The technician device of claim 1 wherein the receiver and transmitter are further configured to enable two-way communication with an owner device via the application.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, at a receiver of a technician device over a communication network, one or more transmissions triggered by an owner device, the transmissions including at least application identification information and access rights data to provide access to an owner movable barrier operator;

operating the application on the technician device;

determining, by the technician device, whether there are any applicable restrictions in the access rights data;

receiving an instruction signal from a user input device of the technician device;

transmitting a signal with a transmitter of the technician device, in response to the instructional signal and the determining that there are no applicable restrictions in the access rights data, to the owner movable barrier operator via the application to access operational data of the owner movable barrier operator, wherein the operational data consists of one or more of;

times of operation, length of operation, distance traveled, motor rotations per minute, obstacle detections, and age; and

receiving, from the owner movable barrier operator in response to the transmitting the signal, the operational data of the owner movable barrier operator.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein communication with the owner movable barrier operator is performed using a short range communication standard.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein transmitting the signal to the owner movable barrier operator comprises questioning the movable barrier operator about the operational data.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the access rights data comprises receiving owner movable barrier operator identification information and credentials for authorized communication with the owner movable barrier operator.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving the credentials comprises receiving credentials subject to temporal restrictions.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving the credentials comprises receiving a first tier credential that allows access to the operational data.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein receiving the credentials further comprises receiving a second tier credential that allows access to send a control signal to move a movable barrier with the owner movable barrier operator.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising communicating with the owner device via the receiver and transmitter with the application.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising transmitting a self-test signal to determine whether the access rights data were successfully received.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising transmitting a control signal to the owner movable barrier operator to move a movable barrier with the movable barrier operator.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a processor device configured to run an application;

an interface configured to receive input to instruct the application to send a package to a technician device, the package comprising identification information for the application and access rights data for an owner movable barrier operator;

a transmitter configured to send the package to the technician device via the application, the application and the access rights data configured to allow the technician device to send a signal, after a determination by the technician device that there are no applicable restrictions in the access rights data, to the owner movable barrier operator to then prompt receipt, from the owner movable barrier operator, operational data of the owner movable barrier operator, wherein the operational data consists of one or more of;

times of operation, length of operation, distance traveled, motor rotations per minute, obstacle detections, and age;

the processor device further configured to send an authorized control signal via the transmitter to operate the owner movable barrier operator.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a storage device configured to store at least one of the application and the access rights data thereon.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a receiver configured to receive one or more communications from the technician device through the application.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a confirmation signal in response to the technician device successfully receiving the package via the application.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the receiver is further configured to receive the signal from the technician device via the application, and wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the signal to the owner movable barrier operator.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the application is configured to present an option on the interface to deny transmitting the signal to the owner movable barrier operator.

27. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the application is configured to present an option on the interface to temporally restrict the access rights data.

28. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the access rights data configured to allow the technician device to send the signal to the owner movable barrier operator to access the operational data comprises a first tier credential, and the application is configured to present an option on the interface to include a second tier credential to the technician device configured to allow the technician device to send a control signal to move a movable barrier with the owner movable barrier operator.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the transmitter configured to transmit the access rights data comprises the transmitter configured to transmit the first and second tier credentials.

30. A method comprising:

running an application on an owner device;

receiving application identification information and access rights data for accessing operational data of an owner movable barrier operator at the owner device;

transmitting a package to a technician device, the package comprising the application identification information and the access rights data configured to allow the technician device to send a signal, after determination by the technician device that there are no applicable restrictions in the access rights data, to the owner movable barrier operator to then prompt receipt, from owner movable barrier operator, the operational data of the owner movable barrier operator, wherein the owner device is configured to send an authorized control signal via the transmitter to operate the owner movable barrier operator, wherein the operational data consists of one or more of;

times of operation, length of operation, distance traveled, motor rotations per minute, obstacle detections, and age.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising communicating with the technician device via the application.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the application identification information and the access rights data are transmitted via separate transmissions.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein transmitting the package to the technician device comprises transmitting the package to an intermediary server device, with the intermediary server device transmitting the package to the technician device.

34. The method of claim 30 further comprising receiving a confirmation signal from the technician device in response to successful reception of the package.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein receiving the access rights data comprises receiving owner movable barrier operator identification information and credentials for authorized communication with the owner movable barrier operator.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein receiving credentials comprises receiving a first tier credential configured to allow the technician device to send a signal to the owner movable barrier operator to access the operational data and a second tier credential configured to allow the technician device to send a control signal to move a movable barrier with the owner movable barrier operator.

37. The method of claim 35 further comprising receiving temporal restrictions on the use of the credentials via a user input of the owner device.