Usage of GPS on door security

• US 9,508,206 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2013
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• 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): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aziz, Adnan
• Application Number:
  US13/968,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20140049369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00357 and the lock having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0042 the transmitted data signal containing a code which is changed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• 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 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A lock system including an electronic lock and a wireless device having a location determining utility configured to determine a location of the wireless device. The electronic lock and the wireless device communicate wirelessly with one another and send commands to and from one another to perform a specific task when the wireless device is within a specified range of the electronic lock. The location of the wireless device and a speed of the wireless device may be used to calculate an estimated arrival of the wireless device at the electronic lock, and the specific task may be performed substantially at the estimated arrival.

Claims

1. A lock system, comprising:

an electronic lock;

a wireless device having a location determining utility configured to determine a location and a speed of the wireless device and a user associated with the wireless device relative to the electronic lock; and

wherein the electronic lock and the wireless device communicate wirelessly with one another and send commands to and from one another for the electronic lock to perform a specific task when the wireless device and user are within a specified range of the electronic lock, and calculate an estimated arrival time of the wireless device and the associated user at the electronic lock, wherein the specific task includes;

automatically unlocking the electronic lock as the wireless device approaches the electronic lock;

and in response to a first identity of a first user associated with the wireless device, automatically locking the electronic lock behind the wireless device after the wireless device passes through a door associated with the electronic lock and, in response to a second identity of a second user associated with the wireless device, leaving the electronic lock unlocked after the wireless device passes through the door associated with the electronic lock.

2. The lock system of claim 1, wherein the location determining utility comprises a GPS utility.

3. The lock system of claim 1, wherein the specific task includes automatically unlocking the electronic lock at the estimated arrival time, and wherein the specific task further comprises automatically opening or closing a door associated with the electronic lock at the estimated arrival time.

4. The lock system of claim 1, wherein the location determining utility comprises an application that is configured to actively search for one or more of the electronic lock and to know specific ones of the electronic lock the wireless device is permitted to unlock.

5. The lock system of claim 4, wherein the application auto-disables to save battery life if each of the specific ones of the electronic lock are out of range.

6. A lock system, comprising:

an electronic lock; and

a wireless device in wireless communication with the electronic lock and having a location determining utility configured to determine a location of the wireless device and a user associated with the wireless device;

wherein the location of the wireless device relative to the electronic lock and a speed of the wireless device and the associated user are used to calculate an estimated arrival of the wireless device and the associated user at the electronic lock; and

wherein a specific task is performed by the electronic lock substantially at the estimated arrival of the wireless device and the associated user at the electronic lock, wherein the specific task includes;

automatically unlocking the electronic lock as the wireless device approaches the electronic lock; and

in response to a first identity of a first user associated with the wireless device, automatically locking the electronic lock behind the wireless device after the wireless device passes through a door associated with the electronic lock and, in response to a second identity of a second user associated with the wireless device, leaving the electronic lock unlocked after the wireless device passes through the door associated with the electronic lock.

7. The lock system of claim 6, wherein the location determining utility comprises a GPS utility.

8. The lock system of claim 6, wherein the specific task further comprises automatically opening or closing a door associated with the electronic lock at the estimated arrival time.

9. The lock system of claim 6, wherein the location determining utility comprises an application that is configured to actively search for one or more of the electronic lock and to know specific ones of the electronic lock the wireless device is permitted to unlock.

10. A method, comprising:

determining a first location associated with a wireless device and a user of the wireless device;

comparing the first location to a second location associated with an electronic lock;

searching for the electronic lock with the wireless device in response to a first result of the comparing;

determining a speed of the wireless device and the associated user relative to the electronic lock;

calculating an estimated arrival time at which the wireless device and the associated user will arrive at the electronic lock;

automatically unlocking the electronic lock substantially at the estimated arrival time as the wireless device approaches the electronic lock;

in response to a first identity of a first user of the wireless device, automatically locking the electronic lock behind the wireless device after the wireless device passes through a door associated with the electronic lock and, in response to a second identity of a second user of the wireless device, leaving the electronic lock unlocked after the wireless device passes through the door associated with the electronic lock; and

terminating the searching in response to a second result of the comparing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first result indicates the wireless device is in a given range of the electronic lock, and the calculating is performed in response to the first result.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first result indicates the wireless device is in a given range of the lock, and the second result indicates the wireless device is out of range of the lock.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending a command to the electronic lock via the wireless device in response to the first result.