Electronic lock system

A system is provided including a smartphone configured to wirelessly communication with an electronic lock. The smartphone wirelessly transmits data relating to a personalized user interface configuration, and the electronic lock receives the data from the smartphone, implements the personalized user interface configuration, receives additional information from the smartphone, and performs at least one function based on the additional information and the personalized user interface configuration. A method is also provided including personalizing a user interface configuration, transmitting the personalized user interface configuration from a smartphone to an electronic lock, implementing the personalized user interface configuration to the electronic lock, and performing via the electronic lock a function based upon the personalized user interface configuration.

BACKGROUND

The present invention generally relates to a lock system, and more particularly, but not exclusively, relates to an electronic lock system.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the present application is a unique electronic lock system. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for an electronic lock system. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1illustrates a system100includes a cloud102, a smartphone104, and an electronic lock106, and may also include one or more devices108. The cloud102may provide certain services related to access control, credentials, and other information and/or functions related to the electronic lock106such as statuses, configurations for user interfaces, updates, key management, credential management, tracking, notifications, etc. as discussed below. In addition, the cloud102may include one or more servers and/or databases (not shown) that host and store the services and information.

The smartphone104may be any type of smartphone that can communicate with the electronic lock106using a wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth as one example. The smartphone104also includes software and hardware such that the smartphone104can communicate with the cloud102such as over the Internet as one example. The smartphone104may communicate user interface configurations to the electronic lock106based on selections made by a user. The user may make the selections using the user interface on the smartphone104.

The electronic lock106may be used, for example, to lock a door at a residential property or a commercial property. The electronic lock106may be an online lock or an offline lock. The electronic lock106includes software and hardware such that the lock106can communicate wirelessly with the smartphone104to exchange information and the like. For example, the electronic lock104may include software and hardware to receive and implement user interface configurations from the smartphone104, which the smartphone104may have received from the cloud102.

The one or more devices108may include devices such as fobs, readers, bridges, and the like. The devices108also include software and/or hardware such that the devices108can communicate information wirelessly with the smartphone104or the lock106or other devices108using Bluetooth as one example. At least one device108, such as a bridge, may have a wired connection to the cloud102for communicating with the cloud102over the Internet for example. The devices108are also capable of receiving configuration changes their user interfaces.

In the present application, the configuration of the user interface (UI) of the lock106may be personalized by the individual user rather than the user interface being set to a common, population wide set of characteristics. A user may personalize their UI experience through a combination of cloud102and smartphone104based services. Moreover, a credential user may personalize their experience with a lock106while maintaining the system administration rules and security. In addition, an administrator of the system100may also be able to uniquely customize the UI of locks106in the system100.

In the present application, configuration options may be allowed and/or disallowed by a cloud-based access control services (ACS) center on the cloud102as a “Policy.” The configuration of user options may be stored on the smartphone104. For example, an electronic lock102on a door may be set to unlock immediately so that input from a user is minimal, as in the case when a user's hands and/or arms are full of groceries so that the user can gain entrance with ease as they approach a specific door.

Configuration policy settings can be unique to the user and unique for each of the locks106on doors to which they may have access. In enterprise environments, Policy on Cloud can allow single sign-on in harmony with Windows and Active Directory and other enterprise user log-in services. Policy on Cloud based control of Cache mode on the lock106may be pushed to a lock106through a smartphone104.

Individual user Policies may be dynamically set by an administrator and pushed by the ACS center at the cloud102to the user's smartphone104and then to all or a sub-set of the Policies or configurations may be configurable by the user.

Access may be dynamically decided by a Policy Wisp retained on a smartphone104, in which the Policy Wisp has been previously pushed to the smartphone104from the cloud102. The Policy Wisp may determine what zone/building/door access rights a user has for offline zones/buildings/doors.

A user's smartphone may select when to store (hold) information, send information to the cloud102or to send information to a lock106. This may be used to optimize data transfer for frequently connected locks106and may be used to store and forward information to locks106that are connected infrequently or outside the range of a “real-time” or frequent data connection to the cloud102.

The user configuration options for a non-online credential, such as a wireless fob, may be managed by a compatible personal computer (not shown) if there is no ACS on cloud102or by some other compatible communicating device, such as an IP to wireless bridge108that is connected to the ACS in the cloud102.

Manual programming of offline locks may be accomplished by the user via their smartphone104. The user interface is used as a master programming credential/master programming device for locks106such as residential locks.

Americans with Disability Act settings may be configured by the user. Disabled individuals will have varying levels of ability. This provides options for a disabled user to select their comfort/challenge level for interacting with the door lock106and user interface device such as a fob or smartphone or other device.

A user may choose to use gestures, in smartphones106and fobs108that support them. Gestures may vary from a simple strong tap on the device's housing to a gesture such as rotating the device to emulate turning a door handle to be used as a verification to unlock a door. Custom user defined gestures may be allowed to perform verification tasks.

FIG. 2is a schematic diagram of a computer200. Examples of the computer200include the server and/or database at the cloud102, the smartphone104, the electronic lock106, and/or the devices108shown inFIG. 1. Computer200includes a processing device202, an input/output device204, memory206, and operating logic208. Furthermore, computer200communicates with one or more external devices210.

The input/output device204may be any type of device that allows the computer200to communicate with the external device210. For example, the input/output device may be a network adapter, network card, or a port (e.g., a USB port, serial port, parallel port, VGA, DVI, HDMI, FireWire, CAT 5, or any other type of port). The input/output device204may be comprised of hardware, software, and/or firmware. It is contemplated that the input/output device204includes more than one of these adapters, cards, or ports.

The external device210may be any type of device that allows data to be inputted or outputted from the computer200. For example, the external device210may be a computer, a server, a database, the cloud102, the smartphone104, the electronic lock106, the devices108, a printer, a display, an alarm, an illuminated indicator, a keyboard, a mouse, mouse button, or a touch screen display. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the external device210may be integrated into the computer200. For example, the computer200may be a smartphone, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer in which case the display would be an external device210, but the display is integrated with the computer200as one unit, which consistent with the general design of smartphones, laptop computers, tablet computers, and the like. It is further contemplated that there may be more than one external device in communication with the computer200.

Processing device202can be of a programmable type, a dedicated, hardwired state machine, or a combination of these; and can further include multiple processors, Arithmetic-Logic Units (ALUs), Central Processing Units (CPUs), or the like. For forms of processing device202with multiple processing units, distributed, pipelined, and/or parallel processing can be utilized as appropriate. Processing device202may be dedicated to performance of just the operations described herein or may be utilized in one or more additional applications. In the depicted form, processing device202is of a programmable variety that executes algorithms and processes data in accordance with operating logic208as defined by programming instructions (such as software or firmware) stored in memory206. Alternatively or additionally, operating logic208for processing device202is at least partially defined by hardwired logic or other hardware. Processing device202can be comprised of one or more components of any type suitable to process the signals received from input/output device204or elsewhere, and provide desired output signals. Such components may include digital circuitry, analog circuitry, or a combination of both.

Memory206may be of one or more types, such as a solid-state variety, electromagnetic variety, optical variety, or a combination of these forms. Furthermore, memory206can be volatile, nonvolatile, or a mixture of these types, and some or all of memory206can be of a portable variety, such as a disk, tape, memory stick, cartridge, or the like. In addition, memory206can store data that is manipulated by the operating logic208of processing device202, such as data representative of signals received from and/or sent to input/output device204in addition to or in lieu of storing programming instructions defining operating logic208, just to name one example. As shown inFIG. 2, memory206may be included with processing device202and/or coupled to the processing device202.