Patent Publication Number: US-2017372550-A1

Title: Wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function and method for operating the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a wireless door lock system and a method for operating the same and, more particularly, to a wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function and a method for operating the same. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Widespread mobile devices have made smart phones, tablet computers, and the like become daily necessity into the household. Given smart phones as an example, besides making telephone calls, smart phones have more and more features embedded therein to make them very powerful these days. 
     There are chances that inconvenience arises when people have to seek through their pockets or backpacks to find the keys to open or lock their household door locks. To tackle such an issue, wireless door locks and mobile devices with features of locking and unlocking door have brought into play as one of the solutions. However, as far as emergency reporting is concerned, applications combining mobile devices and wireless door locks are not quite mature yet. 
     In the case of developing wireless door locks with an emergency reporting function, it is common for users of the door locks to perform emergency reporting operation on a wireless door lock through a mobile device, such as a smart phone. The smart phone is used to send an alert control signal to the wireless door lock. When receiving the alert control signal, the wireless door lock immediately reports an emergency condition. As the wireless door lock does not authenticate the identity of the mobile device to determine if the mobile device is a paired device of the wireless door lock, any other mobile device capable of activating the emergency reporting function of the wireless door lock can also control the wireless door lock for emergency reporting. As a consequence, the wireless door lock may generate false emergency report, which bothers people who receive the false emergency report or seriously causes delay in taking immediate actions to respond to the emergency. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An objective of the present invention is to provide a wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function and a method for operating the same, which target at preventing non-paired mobile devices capable of accessing the emergency report function of the door lock device from operating the door lock device and making false emergency condition notification under the circumstance that identification authentication of paired device is not available. To achieve the foregoing objective, the wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function includes a user device, a door lock device, a network server and at least one recipient device. 
     The user device has a wireless data transceiving function and a wireless network connection function. 
     The door lock device has the wireless data transceiving function. 
     The at least one recipient device has the wireless network connection function and is connected to the network server through the Internet. 
     When the user device transmits a request signal for reporting an emergency condition to the door lock device by way of wireless communication, the door lock device determines if the user device is a paired device thereof according to the request signal and then sends an emergency condition confirmation signal to the user device, and after receiving the emergency condition confirmation signal, the user device is connected to the network server through the Internet and transmits an emergency condition signal to the network server for the network server to perform a push notification server to send an emergency notification message to the at least one recipient device. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, a wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function performs an application on a user device, communicates with a door lock device with a wireless transceiving function by way of Bluetooth® communication, and is connected to a network server through the Internet for the network server to perform a push notification service to send an emergency notification message to at least one recipient device, and the method for operating the wireless door lock system includes steps of: 
     sending a request signal for reporting an emergency condition from the user device to the door lock device; 
     after the door lock device receives the request signal, determining if the user device is a preset paired device of the door lock device according to the request signal; 
     sending an emergency condition confirmation signal from the door lock device to the user device when the door lock device determines that the user device is a paired device of the door lock device; 
     after the user device receives the emergency condition confirmation signal, making connection to the network server through the Internet and sending out an emergency condition signal; and 
     after the network server receives the emergency condition signal, performing a push notification service to send an emergency condition notification to the at least one preset recipient device. 
     Given the foregoing wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function and the method for operating the same, the door lock device transmits the emergency condition confirmation signal to the user device by way of wireless communication, and determines if the user device is a paired device thereof according to the encrypted identification authentication information contained in the request signal for reporting an emergency condition, thereby achieving the purpose of authenticating identification of the user device and preventing non-paired device from operating the emergency reporting function. 
     Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a first embodiment of a wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing a user interface of an application running on a user device of the wireless door lock system in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing a recipient device of the wireless door lock system receiving an emergency condition notification; 
         FIG. 4  is a sequence diagram showing operation of the wireless door lock system in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a second embodiment of a wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a sequence diagram showing operation of the wireless door lock system in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a third embodiment of a wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a sequence diagram showing operation of the wireless door lock system in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a flow diagram of a method for operating a wireless door lock system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a flow diagram of an embodiment of step S 30  of the method in  FIG. 9 ; and 
         FIG. 11  is a flow diagram of another embodiment of step S 30  of the method in  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of a wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function in accordance with the present invention includes a user device  10 , a door lock device  20 , a network server  30 , and at least one recipient device  40 . The user device  10  is portable, has functions of Bluetooth® data transceiving and wireless network connection, and may be a smart phone or a tablet computer. The wireless data transceiving function may be implemented by a Bluetooth® transceiver module built in the user device  10 . The wireless network connection function of the user device  10  may be implemented by a wireless networking module built in the user device  10  in compliance with communication standards, such as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), ZigBee, 3G, 3.5G, 4G or higher mobile communication standard. 
     The door lock device  20  is mounted on a door at home of a user who is in possession of the user device  10 , and has the wireless data transceiving function, which is implemented by a Bluetooth® transceiver module built in the door lock device  20 . 
     The network server  30  is a remote server in connection with an internal device or equipment through the Internet. The at least one recipient device  40  has the wireless network connection function, and is connected to the network server  30  through the Internet. The at least one recipient device  40  may include but is not limited to a personal computer, a notebook computer, a smart phone, a tablet computer, and the like, as long as the wireless network connection capability is provided. The wireless network connection function of the at least one recipient device  40  may be implemented by a wireless networking module built in each one of the at least one recipient device  40  in compliance with communication standards, such as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), ZigBee, 3G, 3.5G, 4G or higher mobile communication standard. 
     In the present embodiment, the at least one recipient device  40  is designated as the devices receiving emergency condition notifications when the user of the user device  10  encounters an emergency. As an example of a child who has the user device  10 , at least one owner of the at least recipient device  40  may be designated as father, mother, school teacher, neighbor, and the like. Thus, when the child encounters an emergency, the at least one recipient device  40  of the at least one designated owner will receive emergency condition notifications. A unique device identification corresponding to each one of the at least one recipient device  40  of the at least one designated owner is stored in the network server  30  to configure the recipient device  40  with the device identification as a device which receives emergency condition notifications, such that when the network server  30  receives a push notification request for emergency reporting from the user device  10 , the network server  30  performs the push notification service to send the emergency condition notifications to the recipient device  40  with the device identification. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the user device  10  may download an application (APP) associated with Bluetooth® door lock operation, and the user of the user device  10  can open and lock a household door and perform the emergency reporting function upon an emergency by launching the APP. When the user launches the APP through the user device  10 , a user interface  11  is generated on a display screen of the user device  10  with a lock/unlock function and an emergency reporting function displayed on the user interface  11 . Under normal circumstance, the user can select the choice of the lock/unlock function on the user interface  11  to lock or unlock a household door. In case of an emergency, the user can select the choice of the emergency reporting function on the user interface  11  to perform emergency reporting for further actions. The choice of the emergency reporting function displayed on the user interface  11  is just an example and should not be taken as a limitation. The user can also perform emergency reporting by continuously pressing a specific physical button or a virtual item. 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , when the user of the user device  10  activates the emergency reporting function, the recipient device  40  designated beforehand will receive a push message relevant to the emergency condition notification. Therefore, the owner of the designated recipient device  40  can be instantly aware of the emergency condition that the user of the user device  10  encounters, allowing fastest actions to be taken in response to the emergency condition. 
     The following scenario taking place in daily life can be taken as an example for explanation. Suppose that a girl owns the user device  10 , and father, mother and a school teacher are preliminarily designated as the owners of the recipient devices  40 . As the girl constantly feels that someone is stalking her on her way home one day after school, when the girl returns home and approaches a door having the door lock device  20  mounted thereto within an effective detection range, approximately 10 meters in the case of the wireless transceiver module, if the girl realizes that the intention of stalking is still there and there is a likelihood of criminal attempt from that someone, she can launch the APP associated with wireless door lock operation on the user device  10  and select the emergency reporting function or continuously press the specific physical button to activate the emergency reporting function. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , after the girl activates the emergency reporting function, the user device  10  sends out the request signal for reporting an emergency condition by virtue of wireless communication, and the door lock device located within an effective detection range receives the request signal and transmits an emergency condition confirmation signal to the user device  10  by virtue of wireless communication to determine that the user device  10  and the door lock device  20  are paired devices. Specifically, encrypted identification authentication information of the user device  10  is contained in the request signal, such that when the door lock device  20  receives the request signal and further determines whether the encrypted identification authentication information in the request signal matches that of a paired device. When determining that the user device  10  is a correct paired device, the door lock device  20  issues the emergency condition confirmation signal to the user device  10  to confirm that the user device  10  and the door lock device  20  are paired devices. On the other hand, when determining that the user device  10  is not a correct paired device, the door lock device  20  issues no emergency condition confirmation signal to the user device  10 . Hence, the wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function in accordance with the present invention also provides a function of authenticating the user device  10 . The door lock device  20  returns the emergency condition confirmation signal to the user device  10  only when determining that the request signal is transmitted from a paired user device  10 , so as to complete the authentication done by the door lock device  20  and prevent users of non-paired devices from operating the emergency reporting function. 
     After the user device  10  receives the emergency condition confirmation signal from the door lock device  20  in completion of identification authentication for device pairing, the user device  10  is connected to the network server  30  through the Internet and issues an emergency condition signal. After receiving the emergency condition signal, the network server  30  performs a push notification service to send an emergency condition message to the recipient device(s)  40  designated beforehand. The push notification service provided by the network server  30  may be one of Google Cloud Messaging (GCM), Apple Push Notification Service (APNs), Microsoft Push Notification Service (MPNs), or any push notification server developed by technical personnel. 
     The emergency condition message may be preset text information, for example, as shown in  FIG. 3  or a form of display with audio and visual effects on the personal computer, notebook computer, smart phone or tablet computer of the girl&#39;s father, mother, or school teacher for them to instantly acquire the emergency condition message and take immediate action, so that the emergency condition can be obviated, the harm out of the emergency condition can be kept to a minimum, and the life safety protection of the kid can be ensured. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a second embodiment of a wireless door lock system in accordance with the present invention differs from the foregoing embodiment in further including an alert control device  50  and at least one alert device  60 . The alert control device  50  is connected to the door lock device  20  by virtue of wireless communication. The at least one alert device  60  is connected to the alert control device  50  by a wireless or wired means and may include but is not limited to one or a combination of an alert lamp, a security server and a monitor as the measure of providing alert indication of emergency condition, security communication, surveillance, evidence collection and the like. 
     After the door lock device  20  transmits the emergency condition confirmation signal to the user device  10  to complete identification authentication for pairing with the user device  10 , the door lock device  20  further sends an alert signal to the alert control device  50 . After receiving the alert signal, the alert control device  50  sends at least one alert control signal to activate the at least one alert device  60 . The at least one alert control signal corresponds to one of a wireless or wired means for the at least one alert device  60  to be connected to and controlled by the at least one alert device  60 . Thus, while the at least one recipient device  40  receives the emergency condition notification, the alert lamp, the security server or the monitor can be activated at the same time to handle the emergency condition in a more efficient, broadly covered and multi-faceted manner. 
     The wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function is not necessarily operated outside the household door. When the user encounters an emergency condition inside the house, such as elders&#39; indisposition, as dialing a phone call or operating communication equipment may be a challenge to elders, elders can use the wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function to readily press the specific physical button on the user device  10  to activate the emergency reporting function, such that nursing workers or elders&#39; family can rapidly get the hold of the emergency situation and take immediate action. 
     With reference to  FIG. 9 , a method for operating a wireless door lock system with an emergency reporting function in accordance with the present invention includes the following steps. 
     Step S 10 : The user device  10  sends a request signal for reporting an emergency condition to the door lock device  20 . When the user selects the emergency reporting function on the application (APP) associated with Bluetooth® door lock operation running on the user device  10  or continuously presses the physical button on the user device  10 , the user device  10  transmits the request signal for reporting an emergency condition to the door lock device  20  by virtue of Bluetooth® communication. 
     Step S 20 : The door lock device  20  determines if the user device  10  is a preset paired device according to the request signal for reporting an emergency condition after receiving the request signal. If the user device  10  is not a paired device, terminate the process of the method. Otherwise, perform step S 30 . 
     Step S 30 : The door lock device sends an emergency condition confirmation signal to the user device  10  by virtue of wireless communication to confirm that the user device  10  is a paired device of the door lock device  20 . The request signal for reporting an emergency condition contains encrypted identification authentication information of the user device  10 . The door lock device  20  determines if the user device  10  is a paired device according to the encrypted identification authentication information. 
     Step S 40 : After the door lock device  20  transmits the emergency condition confirmation signal to the user device  10  to confirm that the user device  10  is a preset paired device of the door lock device  20 , the user device  10  is connected to the network server  30  through the Internet and sends out an emergency condition signal to the network server  30 . 
     Step S 50 : After receiving the emergency condition signal, the network server  30  performs a push notification service to send an emergency condition notification to preset recipient device(s)  40 . Hence, the foregoing method allows owners of the recipient devices  40  to instantly acquire the emergency condition message and take immediate action, so that the emergency condition can be obviated, the harm out of the emergency condition can be kept to a minimum, and the life safety protection of the users can be ensured. 
     With reference to  FIG. 10 , the wireless door lock system may also include the alert control device  50  and the at least one alert device  60 , and an embodiment of step S 30  in the foregoing method further includes the following steps. 
     Step S 31 ′: The door lock device  20  transmits an alert signal to the alert control device  50 . 
     Step S 32 ′: After receiving the alert signal, the alert control device  50  sends at least one alert control signal to respectively activate the at least one alert device  60 . Thus, while the at least one recipient device  40  receives the emergency condition notification, the alert lamp, the security server or the monitor can be activated at the same time to handle the emergency condition in a more efficient, broadly covered and multi-faceted manner. 
     With reference to  FIG. 11 , another embodiment of step S 30  in the foregoing method further includes the following steps. 
     Step S 31 ″: The user device  10  transmits an alert signal to the alert control device  50 . 
     Step S 32 ″: After receiving the alert signal, the alert control device  50  sends at least one alert control signal to respectively activate the at least one alert device  60 . Thus, while the at least one recipient device  40  receives the emergency condition notification, the alert lamp, the security server or the monitor can be activated at the same time to handle the emergency condition in a more efficient, broadly covered and multi-faceted manner. 
     In sum, the present invention has the following features and advantages. 
     1. In case of an emergency, persons in a dangerous situation sometimes fail to freely seek assistance for the safety concern of life and assets. Given the wireless door lock system, the persons involved can simply and intuitively press a specific physical button or select the emergency reporting function on the APP to activate the emergency condition notification in the form of text information or a display with audio and visual effects on designated recipient device(s)  40  for multiple recipients who receive the emergency condition notification to immediate action, so that the emergency condition can be obviated, the harm out of the emergency condition can be kept to a minimum, and the safety protection of life and assets of the users can be ensured. 
     2. The door lock device  20  transmits an emergency condition confirmation signal to the user device  20  and determine if the user device  10  is a preset paired device of the door lock device  20  according to the encrypted identification authentication information contained in the request signal, thereby achieving the function of authenticating the user device  10  and preventing non-paired user device from operating the emergency reporting function. 
     3. While the emergency condition notification is activated, the at least one alert device  60  can be also activated at the same time to handle the emergency condition in a more efficient, broadly covered and multi-faceted manner. 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.