ELECTRONIC LOCKING SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUS

• US 20150287254A1
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digilock Asia Limited
• Original Assignee: Bielet Inc.
• Inventors: Ribas, Gabriel Bestard, Bakondi, Steven Thomas, Seliber, Lloyd
• Granted Patent: US 9,697,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00825 remotely by lines or wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00865 remotely by wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed

Abstract

Electronic locking devices, systems, and methods may employ an accelerometer to detect an acceleration associated with displacement of a portion of an electronic locking device, for example, displacement of a housing that includes a display of the electronic locking device. Responsive to such an acceleration being detected, a message is transmitted to a device remote from the locking device. The message may include a photograph and or audio signal. Concurrently with the transmission of the message, a greeting may be played and/or displayed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by an accelerometer, an acceleration associated with displacement of a portion of a locking device;

transmitting, by the accelerometer, an indication of the acceleration to a processor communicably coupled to the accelerometer;

initiating, by the processor, transmission of a message to a device remote from the locking device, said message providing information regarding the acceleration associated with the displacement and said transmission being by a transceiver associated with the locking device and communicably coupled to the processor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing, by the processor, the indication of the acceleration to determine a characteristic of the acceleration associated with the displacement;

determining, by the processor, an action, other than an opening or closing of the locking device, to be executed by the locking device responsively to the determined characteristic;

instructing, by the processor, the locking device to perform the determined action; and

performing, by the locking device, the determined action responsively to the received instruction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content of the message is user configurable.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes at least one of:

a photograph of an area proximate to the locking device taken at a time corresponding to the detected acceleration and an audio recording of an area proximate to the locking device taken at a time corresponding to the detected acceleration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content of the message includes an indication of a likely cause of the detected acceleration.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing, by the processor, the locking device to issue a greeting; and

providing, by the locking device, the greeting.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the greeting is provided via at least one of a display of the locking device and a speaker associated with the locking device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the displacement of the portion of the locking device corresponds to displacement of a display of the locking device.

9. An electronic locking device, comprising:

a bolt;

a housing configured to translate between a first position and a second position;

an accelerometer configured to detect an acceleration associated with displacement of the display between the first position and the second position; and

a processor communicably coupled to receive an input from the accelerometers and configured to initiate transmission of a message to a device remote from the locking device by a transceiver communicably coupled to the processor.

10. The electronic locking device of claim 9, wherein the housing includes a display.