Patent Application
20210134092
The present invention relates generally to electronic locks. More particularly, the present invention relates to upgrading existing electronic locks to include unlocking functionality through wireless communication with mobile devices.
A lock is a mechanical or electronic fastening device that is released by a physical object (such as a key, keycard, fingerprint, RFID card, security token, coin etc.), by supplying secret information (such as a number or letter permutation or password), or by a combination thereof or only being able to be opened from one side such as a door chain. Locks are most commonly used to secure doors or other apertures against opening, such as the front door to a home, apartment, or hotel room, or gates, safes, or the like.
One area where locks are integral is in hotels, where each room is secured against entry by anyone but the occupant or other individual in possession of the appropriate key or other unlocking device. Recent years have seen rapid advancement in technology, and as such hotels may desire to upgrade their locks to reflect modern standards. Upgrades over traditional physical locks requiring a physical key, such as pin tumbler locks, include the integration of electronically based technology such as magnetic stripe card readers and near-field communication (NFC) or radio frequency identifier (RFID) readers, which upon receiving the appropriate electronic signal, actuate a motor in order to unlock the lock. While these are relatively modern technologies, further improvements in technology have provided the means to upgrade locking apparatuses even further.
The smartphone is nearly ubiquitous in modern society, and with its modern processing and communication capabilities enables electronic interfacing with and control over a broad range of devices. Such control requires relatively simple hardware and software to be implemented in the device with which it is desired to enable such interfacing. A hotel or other entity desiring to upgrade its currently installed electronically-controlled locking systems, instead of purchasing an entirely new model of lock, may elect to save money on upgrading their current locks by installing the present invention, providing additional wireless unlocking functionality over Bluetooth or similar wireless communication protocols using a smartphone or similar device.
Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Additional advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the detailed description of the invention section. Further benefits and advantages of the embodiments of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which specify and show preferred embodiments of the present invention.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention is to be described in detail and is provided in a manner that establishes a thorough understanding of the present invention. There may be aspects of the present invention that may be practiced or utilized without the implementation of some features as they are described. It should be understood that some details have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure focus of the invention. References herein to “the preferred embodiment”, “one embodiment”, “some embodiments”, or “alternative embodiments” should be considered to be illustrating aspects of the present invention that may potentially vary in some instances, and should not be considered to be limiting to the scope of the present invention as a whole.
The present invention is a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for existing electronic locks. The present invention may be integrated into an existing electronic lock, or host lock in order to upgrade its functionality to include unlocking via mobile computing devices such as cell phones or other suitable devices. The present invention provides the capability to securely receive digital keys from mobile devices through wireless communication and unlock the host lock without disrupting the host lock's existing functionality, which may include unlock via key card, for example. In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention has a small form factor (approximately 1 inch by 1.5 inches by 0.25 inches) and so may be installed within the existing housing of the host lock, inside a cutout in the door to which the host lock is attached, or in a separate housing compartment attached to the host lock or door.
In general, the apparatus of the present invention is a singular electronics unit comprising one or more electronic components such as, but not limited to, printed circuit boards (PCBs), microcontrollers, integrated circuits, resistors, capacitors, diodes, voltage regulators, or any other electrical or electronic components suitable for achieving the purpose of the present invention.
Referring to
Referring to
In some embodiments, the apparatus of the present invention further comprises a real-time clock (RTC) module 7 that is electronically connected to the processing unit 1. The RTC module 7 may be used to authenticate digital key payloads in some embodiments. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the apparatus of the present invention may comprise a non-volatile memory 8 electronically connected to the processing unit 1, which may be used to log digital key payloads. Additionally, in some embodiments, the apparatus of the present invention may comprise a buzzer output 9 electronically connected to the processing unit 1, which may be used to actuate a buzzer or other sound-producing device in order to provide auditory feedback to the user upon successfully unlocking the host lock using the present invention.
In the method of the present invention, a host lock assembly 100 is provided comprising a host motor output 101, a host motor 102, and a host power source 103. The processing unit 1, wireless communication device 2, power input, lock input 4, and lock output 5 are further provided, wherein the host power source 103 is electrically connected to the power input, the host motor output 101 is electrically connected to the lock input 4, the lock output 5 is electrically connected to the host motor 102, the processing unit 1 is electronically connected to the wireless communication device 2, and the processing unit 1 is electrically connected to the power input, the lock input 4, and the lock output 5. The host motor 102 is the original motor included with the host lock assembly 100 that, when actuated, unlocks the host lock assembly 100 and allows its corresponding door to be opened. The host motor output 101 represents the electrical output from an on-board processing unit of the host lock to the host motor 102, wherein the host lock is originally designed to actuate the host motor 102 by sending an unlock signal through the host motor output 101 to the host motor 102 in order to unlock the host lock. The host power source 103 may vary in nature, but is understood to be whatever source of electrical power originally used to power the host lock assembly 100, whether the host power source 103 be a battery, a capacitor, or a wired connection to an external source of electrical energy.
Furthermore, at least one validation parameter is provided for validating digital key payloads, and a mobile unlocking device 10 is provided, wherein the mobile unlocking device 10 may be a mobile computing device such as, but not limited to, a smart phone or the like, or in some embodiments the mobile unlocking device 10 may be an NFC unlocking device. In some embodiments, the at least one validation parameter may comprise one or more of a digital signature, a start time, an end time, and a serialized key identifier as shown in
In the general method of the present invention as shown in
In order to facilitate the added wireless unlocking functionality of the present invention, a digital key payload may be received from the mobile unlocking device 10 with the processing unit 1 through the wireless communication device 2, wherein the digital key payload comprises at least one payload validation attribute (step C). Furthermore, the digital key payload is decrypted with the processing unit 1, if the digital key payload is encrypted, as shown in
In some embodiments wherein the mobile unlocking device 10 is a mobile computing device such as a smartphone or the like, before the digital key payload is received, wireless communication may be established between the processing unit 1 and the mobile computing device through the wireless communication device 2, if a pairing request is received by the processing unit 1 from the mobile computing device through the wireless communication device 2 as shown in
Furthermore, in some embodiments, a security authentication module 11 may be provided, wherein the security authentication module 11 is electronically connected to the wireless communication device 2. A pairing signal may be broadcast through the wireless communication device 2, and the pairing request may be received from the mobile computing device through the wireless communication device 2. Subsequently, the mobile computing device may be authenticated with the security authentication module 11, and the wireless communication may be established with the mobile unlocking device 10 through the wireless communication device 2, if the pairing request is received, and if the mobile unlocking device 10 is authenticated.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, a real-time clock (RTC) module may be provided, wherein the RTC module 7 is electronically connected to the processing unit 1. As such, the digital key payload may be validated with the RTC module 7 as shown in
As previously discussed, it is desirable to facilitate the original unlocking functionality of the host lock. Since the apparatus of the present invention is inserted into the circuit between the host motor output 101 and the host motor 102, the present invention must accommodate unlocking signals produced by the on-board processing unit of the host lock, and correspondingly carry out the intended functionality of said signals.
In one embodiment, which may be referred to as a repeater embodiment, the present invention simply acts as a repeater for the host unlocking signal. Given that the host unlocking signal corresponds to the host motor output 101, when a host unlocking signal is received by the processing unit 1 of the present invention through the host motor output 101, the processing unit 1 simply “repeats” the host unlocking signal by sending the unlocking signal to the host motor 102 through the lock output 5 of the present invention, as in steps A and B. In some embodiments as shown in
In another embodiment, which may be referred to as a switch embodiment, the present invention is further provided with a two-position switch 6, wherein the two-position switch 6 is configured to stably occupy either a host key position 60 or a digital key position 61. The two-position switch 6 is electrically connected to the processing unit 1 such that the lock input 4 is electrically connected to the lock output 5 through the two-position switch 6 in the host key position 60, and the lock output 5 is electrically connected to the processing unit 1 through the two-position switch 6 in the digital key position 61. The host key position 60 connects the lock input 4 and the lock output 5, cutting off the processing unit 1 from the lock output 5 so that the processing unit 1 doesn't interfere with the operation of the host lock. The digital key position 61 connects the processing unit 1 and the lock output 5, cutting off the lock input so that the host lock is unaware of the operation of the present invention. In the switch embodiment, the repeater functionality is not possible because the lock input 4 is cut off from the processing unit 1 by the two-position switch 6, but the repeater functionality is also unnecessary in the switch embodiment because the host lock signal is passed directly through from the lock input 4 to the lock output 5. In the switch embodiment, as described in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
