Intelligent door lock system and vibration/tapping sensing device to lock or unlock a door

• US 9,695,616 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: August Home, Inc. (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: August Home, Inc. (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Jason, Cheng, Shih Yu Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton, Kristina
• Assistant Examiner(s): AHMAD, FARIA F
• Application Number:
  US14/465,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20160047145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 345156, 345173, 292144, 292200, 292201, 292DIG 21, 340 564, 340 572, 340 585, 340540, 340541, 340542
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0083 Sound emitting devices, e.g. loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0087 Sound receiving devices, e.g. microphones
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0095 Mechanical aspects of locks controlled by telephone signals, e.g. by mobile phones electronic locks G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00634 Power supply for the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00746 by knocking on a surface for inputting the code, e.g. detecting a series of taps on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit

Abstract

An intelligent door lock system includes a drive shaft of a lock device and a circuit coupled to an engine with a memory. A vibration/tapping sensing device is configured to be coupled to the lock device to lock or unlock the door. A device converts energy into mechanical energy coupled to the drive shaft.

Claims

1. An intelligent door lock system at a dwelling of a user with a door, comprising:

a position sensing apparatus configured to be coupled to a drive shaft of a lock apparatus, the position sensing apparatus sensing position of the drive shaft to assist in locking and unlocking a lock of a lock apparatus;

a circuit coupled to an engine with a memory;

an optional vibration /tapping sensing configured to be coupled to the lock apparatus to lock or unlock the door by the user when the user is at the door;

a wireless communication device coupled to the position sensing apparatus, the wireless communication device in communication with a server, the server configured to provide for a communication session between a mobile device and the intelligent door lock system, and when the mobile device is within a selected proximity of the intelligent door look system the mobile detects an advertisement from the intelligent door lock system;

an apparatus that converts energy into mechanical energy coupled to the drive shaft;

wherein following detection of the advertisement a mobile device of a user occupant of the dwelling is configured to be in communication with the door lock mechanism to provide locking or unlocking of the door; and

a non-user occupant third party is allowed controlled access to the dwelling when the user occupant grants access rights to the non-user occupant third party.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus that converts energy is configured to be coupled to the positioning sensing apparatus.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing apparatus is an integral part of the intelligent door lock system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing apparatus is not an integral part of the intelligent door lock system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing apparatus detects vibration or knocking applied following programming of the intelligent door lock system of a user'"'"'s vibration code or pattern.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a user can give a third person a knock code/pattern to lock or unlock the door.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the knocking/tapping is one that is recognized as having been defined by a user of the door lock system as a means to lock or unlock the door.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the knocking/tapping can have a variety of different patterns, tempos, duration and intensity.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing apparatus in operation detects oscillatory motion resulting from the application of oscillatory or varying forces to the door.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing apparatus is selected from at least one of accelerometers, optical devices, electromagnetic and capacitive sensors, contact devices, transducers, displacement transducers, piezoelectric sensors, piezoresistive devices, variable capacitance, servo devices and audio devices where transfer of the vibration can be gas, liquid or solid.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing apparatus is an accelerometer selected from at least one of, Piezoelectric (PE);

high-impedance output;

Integral electronics piezoelectric (IEPE);

low-impedance output Piezoresistive (PR);

silicon strain gauge sensor Variable capacitance (VC);

low-level and low-frequency Servo force balance.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing apparatus is in communication with a server coupled to the intelligent door lock system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing apparatus is coupled to a circuit board.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing apparatus includes a subtraction circuit.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing apparatus includes a clock circuit.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration/tapping sensing apparatus is coupled to an intelligent door lock system circuit and to an engine with a memory.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein a processing delay is provided to determine if the vibration or tapping is intended to lock or unlock the door.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration or tapping only expresses an intention to lock or unlock the lock.