Entryway system using proximity-based short-range wireless links

• US 6,434,158 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1999
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Woodard, Ernest Earl, Austin, William Bryan, Muncaster, George William, Harris, Jeffrey Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US09/432,941
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/310, 370/313, 370/338, 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/465, 340/825.54, 340/500, 340/517, 340/528, 340/545, 340/571, 340/572, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 235/435, 235/472, 705/5, 705/13, 705/44
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

An entryway system includes a door entry system (130) located near an entry door (320), and a personal presence identifier (122) carried by a guest and coupled to the door entry system by a short-range wireless link (26). The door entry system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a personal area network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the door entry system. The door entry system is also programmed to determine (80) whether further communications with the personal presence identifier are authorized. The personal presence identifier and the door entry system are also arranged and programmed to exchange (82) needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after the door entry system has determined that further communications with the personal presence identifier are authorized.

Claims

1. An entryway system for an enclosed area having a person designated as an occupant, the entryway system using proximity-based short-range wireless links, the entryway system comprising:

a door entry system located near an entry door; and

a personal presence identifier carried by a guest and coupled to the door entry system by a short-range wireless link;

wherein the door entry system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a personal area network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the door entry system, and

wherein the personal presence identifier and the door entry system are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the personal area network, each needs specification is a list of network needs currently experienced by a broadcasting entity and each capability specification is a list of network capabilities that the broadcasting entity may provide to other peers of the network.

2. The entryway system of claim 1, further comprising

a doorbell coupled to the door entry system for alerting the occupant when the personal presence identifier has indicated a need to ring the doorbell.

3. The entryway system of claim 1, wherein the door entry system is further arranged and programmed to:

log an attempt by the personal presence identifier to establish communications with the door entry system.

4. The entryway system of claim 1,

wherein the door entry system is also programmed to determine, before exchanging needs specifications and capability specifications, whether further communications with the personal presence identifier are authorized.

5. The entryway system of claim 1,

wherein the personal presence identifier is mechanically coupled to an object, and

wherein the personal presence identifier is further arranged and programmed to identify the object to the door entry system.

6. The entryway system of claim 1, further comprising

a door-operating device electrically coupled to the door entry system and mechanically coupled to the entry door for opening and closing the entry door in response to the door entry system,

wherein the door entry system is further arranged and programmed to:

receive a request from the guest through the personal presence identifier to open the entry door; and

open the entry door in response to the request.

7. The entryway system of claim 6, wherein the door entry system is further arranged and programmed to:

determine that the guest is authorized to enter the enclosed area, before opening the entry door.

8. The entryway system of claim 1, further comprising

a service-providing peer available to the occupant and coupled to the door entry system for communicating with the door entry system.

9. The entryway system of claim 8

wherein the service-providing peer includes a display, and

wherein the door entry system is further arranged and programmed to identify the guest to the occupant through the display.

12. The entryway system of claim 1, wherein the list of network needs of one of the personal presence identifier and the door entry system is compared to the list of network capabilities of the other of the personal presence identifier and the door entry system to determine whether there is at least one match between the lists.

14. The entryway system of claim 12, wherein the personal presence identifier is capable initiating a connection with the door entry system, and the door entry system is capable initiating a connection with the personal presence identifier.

10. An entryway system for an enclosed area having a person designated as an occupant, the entryway system using proximity-based short-range wireless links, the entryway system comprising:

a door entry system located near an entry door;

a personal presence identifier carried by a guest and coupled to the door entry system by a short-range wireless link, the personal presence identifier including a keyboard; and

a service-providing peer available to the occupant and coupled to the door entry system for communicating with the door entry system, the service providing peer including a display;

wherein the door entry system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a peer-to-peer communication network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the door entry system,

wherein the personal presence identifier and the door entry system are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the personal area network, and

wherein the door entry system is further arranged and programmed to;

accept a message generated by the guest through the keyboard, the message intended for the occupant; and

display the message to the occupant through the display.

11. An entryway system for an enclosed area having a person designated as an occupant, the entryway system using proximity-based short-range wireless links, the entryway system comprising:

a door entry system located near an entry door;

a personal presence identifier carried by a guest and coupled to the door entry system by a short-range wireless link; and

a service-providing peer available to the occupant and coupled to the door entry system for communicating with the door entry system, the service-providing peer including a keyboard; and

wherein the door entry system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a peer-to-peer communication network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the door entry system,

wherein the personal presence identifier and the door entry system are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the personal area network,

wherein the door entry system is further arranged and programmed to;

accept and store a note generated by the occupant through the keyboard, the note intended for a specifically-identified guest, and

wherein the personal presence identifier carried by the specifically-identified guest includes a display, and

wherein the door entry system is further arranged and programmed to;

determine that the personal presence identifier carried by the specifically-identified guest has established a communication link with the door entry system; and

deliver the note to the specifically-identified guest through the display when the communication link has been established.

13. An entryway system for an enclosed area having a person designated as an occupant, the entryway system using proximity-based short-range wireless links, the entryway system comprising:

a door entry system located near an entry door; and

a personal presence identifier carried by a guest and coupled to the door entry system by a short-range wireless link,

wherein the door entry system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a peer-to-peer communication network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the door entry system, and

wherein the personal presence identifier and the door entry system are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the peer-to-peer communication network.