System and method for accurately sensing user location in an IoT system

• US 9,704,318 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Inventors: Zakaria, Omar
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US14/673,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20160292938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 340 521
• 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 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass

Abstract

A system and method are described for implementing a wireless IoT lock. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an IoT lock configured to unlock a door in response to a wireless signal; a system calibration module to collect signal strength data indicating signal strength between a wireless device and the IoT lock and signal strength between the wireless device and one or more Internet of Things (IoT) devices and/or IoT hubs when the user is known to be outside of the door, the system calibration module to associate the signal strength data with the user location outside of the door in a location database; and a signal strength analysis module to determine whether the user is outside of the door by comparing the signal strength data in the location database with current signal strength data indicating signal strength between the wireless device and the IoT lock and the one or more of the plurality of IoT devices and/or IoT hubs; wherein the IoT lock is to be unlocked responsive to determining that the user is located outside of the door.

Claims

1. A wireless lock system comprising:

an IoT lock configured to unlock a door in response to a wireless signal;

a system calibration module to collect signal strength data indicating signal strength between a wireless device and the IoT lock and signal strength between the wireless device and one or more Internet of Things (IoT) devices or IoT hubs when a user is known to be outside of the door, the system calibration module to associate the signal strength data with the user location outside of the door in a location database; and

a signal strength analysis module to determine whether the user is outside of the door by comparing the signal strength data in the location database with current signal strength data indicating signal strength between the wireless device and the IoT lock and the one or more of the plurality of IoT devices or the IoT hubs;

wherein the IoT lock is to be unlocked responsive to determining that the user is located outside of the door.

2. The system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a calibration app installed on the wireless device, the calibration app to communicate with the system calibration module when collecting the signal strength data, the calibration app to instruct the user to move to a position outside of the door when collecting the signal strength data and to further instruct the user to provide an indication when outside of the door.

3. The system as in claim 2 wherein the system calibration module is to further collect signal strength data indicating signal strength between the wireless device and the IoT lock and signal strength between the wireless device and one or more Internet of Things (IoT) devices or IoT hubs when the user is known to be inside of the door, the system calibration module to associate the signal strength data with the user location inside of the door in the location database.

4. The system as in claim 2 wherein the calibration app is to transmit current signal strength data between the wireless device and the IoT lock and each of the plurality of IoT devices or IoT hubs upon providing the indication.

5. The system as in claim 1 further comprising:

an IoT hub on which the system calibration module and signal strength analysis module are executed.

6. The system as in claim 3 wherein the location database comprises an identity of each location inside and outside the door and a plurality of signal strength values associated with each location.

7. The system as in claim 6 wherein the plurality of signal strength values comprise received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values measured between the wireless device and the IoT lock and the wireless device and the one or more IoT devices or IoT hubs at each location.

8. The system as in claim 7 wherein the signal strength analysis module is to receive a current set of signal strength values and compare those values with the signal strength data in the location database to determine whether the user is inside or outside of the door.

9. The system as in claim 8 wherein the signal strength analysis module is to determine that the wireless device is outside of the door if the current signal strength values are within a specified range of the signal strength values specified in the location database for the user being outside of the door.

10. The system as in claim 9 wherein the signal strength analysis module is to transmit an unlock command to cause the IoT lock to unlock the door responsive to the determination that the wireless device is outside the door.

11. The system as in claim 10 wherein the signal strength analysis module is to perform triangulation techniques to determine whether the wireless device is inside the door or outside the door.

12. The system as in claim 11 wherein the triangulation techniques comprise measuring signal strength values between the wireless device and the IoT lock, the wireless device and an IoT device or hub, and signal strength between the IoT device or hub and the IoT lock.

13. The system as in claim 1 wherein the signal strength measurements are collected by the wireless device and transmitted to the IoT hub.

14. The system as in claim 13 wherein the signal strength values are collected for wireless communication channels using a short distance wireless communication standard and wherein the signal strength values are transmitted from the wireless device to the IoT hub using a different wireless communication standard.

15. The system as in claim 14 wherein the short distance wireless communication standard comprises Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) and the different wireless communication standard comprises a Wifi standard.

16. A method for implementing a wireless IoT lock comprising:

collecting signal strength data indicating signal strength between a wireless device and the IoT lock and signal strength between the wireless device and one or more Internet of Things (IoT) devices or IoT hubs when a user is known to be outside of the door;

associating the signal strength data with the user location outside of the door in a location database; and

determining whether the user is outside of the door by comparing the signal strength data in the location database with current signal strength data indicating signal strength between the wireless device and the IoT lock and the one or more of the plurality of IoT devices or the IoT hubs;

wherein the IoT lock is to be unlocked responsive to determining that the user is located outside of the door.

17. The method as in claim 16 wherein collecting signal strength data further comprises:

establishing communication with a calibration app installed on the wireless device, the calibration app to instruct the user to move to a position outside of the door when collecting the signal strength data and to further instruct the user to provide an indication when outside of the door.

18. The method as in claim 17 wherein collecting signal strength data further comprises:

collecting signal strength data indicating signal strength between the wireless device and the IoT lock and signal strength between the wireless device and one or more Internet of Things (IoT) devices or IoT hubs when the user is known to be inside of the door, and wherein associating further comprises associating the signal strength data with the user location inside of the door in the location database.

19. The method as in claim 18 wherein the calibration app is to transmit current signal strength data between the wireless device and the IoT lock and each of the plurality of IoT devices and/or IoT hubs upon providing the indication.

20. The method as in claim 16 wherein the location database comprises an identity of each location inside and outside the door and a plurality of signal strength values associated with each location.

21. The method as in claim 20 wherein the plurality of signal strength values comprise received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values measured between the wireless device and the IoT lock and the wireless device and the one or more IoT devices or IoT hubs at each location.

22. The method as in claim 21 wherein determining further comprises:

receiving a current set of signal strength values and comparing those values with the signal strength data in the location database to determine whether the user is inside or outside of the door.

23. The method as in claim 22 further comprising:

determining that the wireless device is outside of the door if the current signal strength values are within a specified range of the signal strength values specified in the location database for the user being outside of the door.

24. The method as in claim 23 further comprising:

transmitting an unlock command to cause the IoT lock to unlock the door responsive to the determination that the wireless device is outside the door.

25. The method as in claim 24 further comprising:

performing triangulation techniques to determine whether the wireless device is inside the door or outside the door.

26. The method as in claim 25 wherein the triangulation techniques comprise measuring signal strength values between the wireless device and the IoT lock, the wireless device and an IoT device or hub, and signal strength between the IoT device or hub and the IoT lock.