The invention belongs to the PropTech industry especially related to property management software technology.
There are a growing number of smart electronic devices connected to the internet. The rapid adaption of these devices by people to make their homes or apartments smarter is growing exponentially every year. It is important to think about how current property management software could be transformed through smart device integration.
Security is one of the criteria that tenants look for when choosing an apartment. Property owners and managers are aware that the number of thefts and crimes is increasing across apartment communities. Security cameras are smart devices that can help to monitor ongoing activities, but don't prevent access to the property.
Current property management software/portals in the PropTech industry focus more on generic property management features such as rental payments, leasing, move-in/move-out, maintenance tickets, and property listing features but do not provide access control through their software.
Multifamily properties can host numerous smart home devices such as leak detectors, security cameras, thermostats, smart lighting, door locks, and more. Currently, property managers use various vendors to manage each device. Property managers typically also use a variety of property management software platforms to manage rental, maintenance, and other property-related issues.
To solve this problem, we have come up with an all-in-one property management software solution where all smart devices are managed through a single portal along with common property management features like rental payments, leasing, maintenance, and more.
Any vehicle or person access starts with registering the vehicle ID or person's biometrics in the application portals. The portals will then pass through the access gateway, which works as middleware between application portals and access devices.
The device gateway helps to translate the application communication to the format that the access device needs and vice versa. All of the identity data is stored in the access gateway along with the mapping of the access devices with corresponding properties.
Each access device and/or smart lock contains a unique device ID that needs to first be configured or installed on the access gateway, after which it can be managed to control a device. Whenever a device is added to the network, whether by wireless connection, for example over Wi-Fi, or wired connection, it will communicate with the device gateway to register the device.
When a vehicle approaches a vehicle entryway, technology that is deployed on the property premises reads the vehicle ID and sends it to the access gateway. Such technology could be a license plate reader, Bluetooth or RFID reader, or the like. Once the vehicle ID is verified, the access gateway will send a signal back to the necessary deployed access device to grant access to the property via the vehicle entryway. Such access to the property could be allowed or blocked via doors, gates, barricades or the like. It is also contemplated that the system can log pertinent information related to the attempt to gain entry, including the time, date, vehicle entryway, vehicle ID, and whether entry was permitted or denied.
Initially, an individual's authorization information would need to be registered to the access gateway either through the management portal or tenant portal. Such authorization information could include biometrics (such as face, retina or fingerprint), or could include other forms of authorization, such as an ID card or pass (including those utilizing wireless communication, such as Bluetooth or RFID, or scannable communication such as magnetic strips or barcodes/QR codes) or passcode. Upon the individual's approach to an access point, the technology at the access point is deployed to read the person's biometrics or other authorizing information and send it back to the access gateway for verification. Such technology could be a facial recognition device, retinal scanner, fingerprint scanner, or the like. Access is granted based on successful verification. Access could be allowed or blocked with, for example, electric door locks serving as access devices. It is also contemplated that the system can log pertinent information related to the attempt to gain entry, including the time, date, door or access point, biometric or other authorizing information scanned, and whether entry was permitted or denied.