Door tracking system and method

• US 9,822,553 B1
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gate Labs Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gate Labs Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Harvey, Saeedi, Ehsan, Ehyaie, Danial
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US15/360,758
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 340 532, 340 57, 187316, 187391, 348143
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0048 Circuits, feeding, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0058 by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0068 Door closed
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0069 bolt position
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0084 Key or electric means; Emergency release
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/0034 actuated by either
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/0041 Key actuation allowing recovery of a lost/forgotten combination
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/0044 with telephone-type dial
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/0048 with changeable combination
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/0062 Operation by feeling, e.g. in darkness using Braille signs
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0001 with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof for vehicles E05B81/04
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/026 the bolt moving rectilinearly
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 49/002 Keys with mechanical characteristics, e.g. notches, perforations, opaque marks
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 63/04 for alternative use on the right-hand or left-hand side of wings
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• 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 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 : operated by interacting with a central unit

Abstract

A locking device that can be mounted into a rotating or swinging door is disclosed. The locking device can have a deadbolt. The locking device can detect the position of the deadbolt and/or whether the door is closed. The locking device can have a camera, microphone and speaker. The locking device can send images detected by the camera and audio detected by the microphones to a remote computer.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a position of a door comprising:

capturing a reference image data with a camera fixed to the door when the door is in a first position;

capturing a second image data with the camera fixed to the door, wherein the capturing of the second image data is after the capturing of the reference image data;

capturing a third image data with the camera fixed to the door, wherein the capturing of the second image data is after the capturing of the reference image data;

comparing the reference image data to the second image data, wherein the comparing is performed at least in part by a processor;

comparing the reference image data to the third image data, wherein the comparing is performed at least in part by a processor;

wherein when the processor resolves that the second image data matches the reference image data within a preset matching threshold, then the processor resolves that the door is in the first position; and

wherein when the processor resolves that the third image data does not match the reference image data within the present matching threshold, the processor then resolves that the door is in a second position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the processor triggering an alert signal when the processor resolves that the door is in the second position.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing of the reference image data to the second image data comprises edge detection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising rotating the door between the first position and a second position.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising emitting a signal from an emitter attached to a door frame adjacent to the door, and detecting the signal from by a detector attached to the door.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching a magnetic element to a door frame adjacent to the door, and measuring the magnetic field at a magnetometer attached to the door.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing the position of the door with an accelerometer attached to the door.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing the position of the door with a gyroscopic sensor attached to the door.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if a human body is visible in the second image data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining if an image of the human body enters through the door.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising tracking a net number of human bodies inside of a doorway defined by tire door.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is directly or indirectly attached to the door.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is remotely positioned from the door.

14. A method for detecting a position of a door comprising:

capturing a reference image data with a camera fixed to the door when the door is in a first position;

capturing a second image data with the camera fixed to the door, wherein the capturing of the second image data is after the capturing of the reference image data;

comparing the reference image data to the second image data, wherein the comparing is performed at least in part by a processor;

determining if an image of the human body enters through the door;

tracking a net number of human bodies inside of a doorway defined by the door, and

sending data to a remote processor based at least partially on when the net number of human bodies inside of the doorway exceeds a preset number for a preset amount of time;

wherein when the processor resolves that the second Image data matches the reference image data within a preset matching threshold, then the processor resolves that the door is in the first position.

15. A system for detecting a position of a door comprising:

a camera fixed to the door, wherein the camera is configured to capture a reference image data when the door is in a first position, and wherein the camera is configured to capture a second image data;

wherein the camera is configured to capture a third image data; and

a processor attached to the door, wherein the camera is in data communication with the processor, and wherein the processor is configured to compare the reference image data to the second image data, wherein the processor is configured to compare the reference image data to the third image data and wherein the processor is configured such that when the processor resolves that the second image data matches the reference image data within a preset matching threshold then the door is in the first position, and wherein the processor is configured such that when the processor resolves that the third image data does not match the reference image data within a preset matching threshold then the door is in a second position.

16. A system for detecting a position of a door comprising:

a camera fixed to the door, wherein tire camera is configured to capture a reference image data when the door is in a first position, and wherein the camera is configured to capture a second image data;

wherein the camera is configured to capture a third image data and

a processor in direct or indirect wireless communication with the camera, and wherein the processor is configured to compare the reference image data to the second image data, wherein the processor is configured to compare the reference image data to the third image data and wherein the processor is configured such that when the processor resolves that the second image data matches the reference image data within a preset matching threshold then the door is in the first position, and wherein the processor is configured such that when the processor resolves that the third image data does not match the reference image data within a preset matching threshold then the door is in a second position.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is in a server in data communication with the camera via a wide area network.