Power connection for smart lock devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11908255-B2
Application number	US-202217947746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2022
Priority date	Jul 19, 2019
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A power connection for a smart lock device including a strike plate that is mounted to a door frame, the strike plate having one or more spring contacts in a recessed portion of the strike plate, a back portion of the strike plate that is connected to a power source, wherein the one or more spring contacts in the recessed portion of the strike plate are connected to the power source via an electrical wiring, and a smart lock device that is mounted to a door, the smart lock device including a deadbolt that is configured to extend from a side portion of the door, where the one or more spring contacts in the recessed portion of the strike plate are configured to align with one or more conductive segments of the deadbolt.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a connected door hinge that is configured to open and close a door, the connected door hinge comprising:
a first plate that is connected to a door frame;
a second plate that is connected to the door; and
a telescopic rod that is connected to the second plate, and that is configured to extend across to the first plate; and

a monitoring control unit that is configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving status data from a smart lock device that has a power connection and is mounted to the door, wherein the status data includes data indicating a power level of the smart lock device and whether the door is opened or closed;
in response to receiving the status data from the smart lock device, comparing the power level of the smart lock device to a threshold power level;
in response to comparing the power level of the smart lock device to the threshold power level, determining that the power level of the smart lock device does not satisfy the threshold power level; and
in response to determining that the power level of the smart lock device does not satisfy the threshold power level, transmitting an instruction to the connected door hinge to cause the telescopic rod to contract to close the door to allow the smart lock device to charge.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise in response to determining that a second power level of the smart lock device does not satisfy a second threshold power level, communicating a notification to a user device indicating that the second power level of the smart lock device does not satisfy the second threshold power level.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise
receiving second status data from the smart lock device;
in response to receiving the second status data from the smart lock device, comparing the power level of the smart lock device to the threshold power level;
in response to comparing the power level of the smart lock device to the threshold power level, determining that the power level satisfies the threshold power level; and
in response to determining that the power level of the smart lock device satisfies the threshold power level, transmitting an instruction to the connected door hinge to cause the telescopic rod to extend to open the door to end charging the smart lock device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise after transmitting the instruction to the connected door hinge to close the door to allow the smart lock device to charge, transmitting an instruction to the smart lock device to cause engaging a lock portion of a deadbolt to lock the smart lock device.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the smart lock device is unlocked by disengaging the lock portion of the deadbolt when the smart lock device is fully charged.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:
receiving data indicating that the smart lock device is locked and is charging; and
in response to receiving the data indicating that the smart lock device is locked and is charging, generating an audible alert.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:
receiving sensor data from a sensor that is located in a room with the door that has the smart lock device mounted on the door;
using the sensor data, determining that a person is likely in the room; and
in response to determining that the person is likely in the room, determining to skip transmitting the instruction to the connected door hinge to close the door.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:
receiving a timing schedule for opening and closing of one or more doors that have a corresponding smart lock device mounted on the one or more doors;
using a current time and the timing schedule, determining a first subset of the one or more doors to open, and a second subset of the one or more doors to close; and
in response to determining the first subset of the one or more door to open and the second subset of the one or more doors to close, transmitting an instruction to a corresponding connected door hinge on each of the one or more doors to open or close the one or more doors.

9. A computer implemented method comprising:
receiving status data from a smart lock device that has a power connection and is mounted to a door, wherein the status data includes data indicating a power level of the smart lock device and whether the door is opened or closed;
in response to receiving the status data from the smart lock device, comparing the power level of the smart lock device to a threshold power level;
in response to comparing the power level of the smart lock device to the threshold power level, determining that the power level of the smart lock device does not satisfy the threshold power level; and
in response to determining that the power level of the smart lock device does not satisfy the threshold power level, transmitting an instruction to a connected door hinge to cause a telescopic rod, that extends across a first plate connected to a door frame and is connected to a second plate connected to the door, to contract to close the door to allow the smart lock device to charge.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
in response to determining that a second power level of the smart lock device does not satisfy a second threshold power level, communicating a notification to a user device indicating that the second power level of the smart lock device does not satisfy the second threshold power level.

11. The method of claim 9 , comprising:
receiving second status data from the smart lock device;
based on receiving the second status data from the smart lock device, comparing the power level of the smart lock device to the threshold power level;
in response to comparing the power level of the smart lock device to the threshold power level, determining that the power level satisfies the threshold power level; and
in response to determining the power level of the smart lock device satisfies the threshold power level, transmitting an instruction to the connected door hinge to cause the telescopic rod to extend to open the door to end charging the smart lock device.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: after transmitting the instruction to the connected door hinge to close the door to allow the smart lock device to charge, transmitting an instruction to the smart lock device to cause engaging a lock portion of a deadbolt to lock the smart lock device.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving third status data from the smart lock device indicating that the smart lock device is fully charged; and
in response to receiving the third status data from the smart lock device indicating that the smart lock device is fully charged, transmitting an instruction to the smart lock device to cause disengaging the lock portion of the deadbolt to unlock the smart lock device.

14. The method of claim 9 , comprising:
receiving data indicating that the smart lock device is locked and is charging; and
in response to receiving the data indicating that the smart lock device is locked and is charging, generating an audible alert.

15. The method of claim 9 , comprising:
receiving sensor data from a sensor that is located in a room with the door that has the smart lock device mounted on the door;
using the sensor data, determining that a person is likely in the room; and
in response to determining that the person is likely in the room, determining to skip transmitting the instruction to the connected door hinge to close the door.

Assignees

• Alarm Com Inc

Inventors

• Varn John
• Constantine Dean
• Madden Donald Gerard

Classifications

• G07C9/00174 Primary

  Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys (mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00) · CPC title

• G05B19/042

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G08B21/182

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title

• H01R13/11

  Resilient sockets (carrying separate resilient parts H01R13/15) · CPC title

• G05B2219/2639

  Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low · CPC title