IP Library › Granted Patent US 12692723
Granted Patent B2
US 12692723 · App. 18/643,605 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Status-indicating lock assembly

Inventors: Subbiah Gopalakrishnan (Trivandrum, IN); Kevin E. David (Monument, CO); Kenton H. Barker (Colorado Springs, CO); Shell Bieker (Colorado Springs, CO); Daniel J. Compton (Colorado Springs, CO); Brandon Robinson (Colorado Springs, CO); Snehill Solanki (Colorado Springs, CO); Greg Hebner (Colorado Springs, CO); Bill Massey (Yoder, CO); Samir Tamer (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC
E05B55/005E05B15/00E05B27/0003E05B41/00E05B63/06E05C1/16Y10T70/7486
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12692723
App. No.
18/643,605
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An exemplary status-indicating locking assembly includes a cylindrical lock assembly and a status-indicating assembly. The status-indicating assembly includes a sensor configured to sense the status of the cylindrical lock assembly, a transmission configured to communicate the lock status to at least one side of a door, and an indicator configured to display indicia relating to the lock status on the at least one side of the door. In certain forms, the sensor, transmission, and indicator may be electronic, mechanical, hydraulic, magnetic, or combinations thereof.

Claims (52)

1 . A lock apparatus having a locked state and an unlocked state, the lock apparatus comprising:

a lock control assembly operable to move the lock apparatus between the locked state and the unlocked state, the lock control assembly comprising a movable element;

a handle configured for mounting to a door and operable to open the door when the locked/unlocked state of the lock apparatus is an unlocked state;

a sensor associated with the lock control assembly and operable to distinguish between the locked state and the unlocked state based on a position of the movable element;

an electronic paper display (EPD); and

a controller in communication with the sensor and the EPD, wherein the controller is configured to cause the EPD to display a locked indicium when the sensor indicates that the lock apparatus is in the locked state and to cause the EPD to display an unlocked indicium when the sensor indicates that the lock apparatus is in the unlocked state.

2 . The lock apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an escutcheon configured for mounting to the door, and wherein the EPD is mounted in the escutcheon such that at least a portion of the EPD is visible via an opening in the escutcheon.

3 . The lock apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is connected with a power source and is further configured to cause the EPD to display an additional indicium based upon a status of the power source.

4 . A lock apparatus having a locked state and an unlocked state, the lock apparatus comprising:

a lock control assembly operable to move the lock apparatus between the locked state and the unlocked state, the lock control assembly comprising a movable element;

a sensor associated with the lock control assembly and operable to distinguish between the locked state and the unlocked state based on a position of the movable element;

an electronic paper display (EPD);

a controller in communication with the sensor and the EPD, wherein the controller is configured to cause the EPD to display a locked indicium when the sensor indicates that the lock apparatus is in the locked state and to cause the EPD to display an unlocked indicium when the sensor indicates that the lock apparatus is in the unlocked state; and

an onboard power supply operable to supply electrical power to the EPD.

5 . The lock apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the EPD to display a low power indicium based upon a charge level of the onboard power supply.

6 . The lock apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the EPD to display an error indicium in response to detecting improper installation and/or failure of a component of the lock apparatus.

7 . The lock apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a removable module operable to be removed from the lock apparatus as a unit, the removable module comprising the controller and the EPD.

8 . The lock apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the EPD includes a convex viewing surface that facilitates viewing of the locked indicium and/or unlocked indicium across a viewing angle of at least 180°.

9 . A lock apparatus having a locked state and an unlocked state, the lock apparatus comprising:

a lock control assembly operable to move the lock apparatus between the locked state and the unlocked state, the lock control assembly comprising a movable element;

a sensor associated with the lock control assembly and operable to distinguish between the locked state and the unlocked state based on a position of the movable element;

an electronic paper display (EPD);

a controller in communication with the sensor and the EPD, wherein the controller is configured to cause the EPD to display a locked indicium when the sensor indicates that the lock apparatus is in the locked state and to cause the EPD to display an unlocked indicium when the sensor indicates that the lock apparatus is in the unlocked state; and

an additional EPD configured to display the locked indicium and the unlocked indicium under control of the controller; and

wherein the EPD and the additional EPD are arranged to be visible from different viewing angles.

10 . The lock apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the locked indicium and the unlocked indicium comprises text and/or a padlock icon.

11 . An access control device having a locked/unlocked state, the access control device comprising:

an escutcheon configured for mounting to a door;

a handle mounted for rotation relative to the escutcheon, wherein the handle is operable to retract a latch when the locked/unlocked state is an unlocked state, and wherein the handle is inoperable to retract the latch when the locked/unlocked state is a locked state;

a sensor configured to generate locked/unlocked information related to the locked/unlocked state;

an electronic indicator mounted to the escutcheon, the electronic indicator comprising:

at least one electronic paper display (EPD) operable to display each of a plurality of indicia; and

a controller in communication with the sensor and the at least one EPD;

wherein the controller is configured to cause the at least one EPD to display a locked indicium of the plurality of indicia in response to the locked/unlocked information indicating that the locked/unlocked state is the locked state; and

wherein the controller is configured to cause the at least one EPD to display an unlocked indicium of the plurality of indicia in response to the locked/unlocked information indicating that the locked/unlocked state is the unlocked state.

12 . The access control device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one EPD is configured to display each of the plurality of indicia for viewing throughout a viewing angle of at least 180°.

13 . The access control device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one EPD comprises a plurality of EPDs arranged at different angles relative to the escutcheon.

14 . The access control device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one EPD comprises a convex viewing surface.

15 . The access control device of claim 14 , wherein the convex viewing surface protrudes from the escutcheon.

16 . The access control device of claim 11 , further comprising an onboard power supply including one or more batteries; and

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the at least one EPD to selectively display a low battery indicium based on a charge level of the onboard power supply.

17 . The access control device of claim 11 , further comprising a protective window mounted to the escutcheon and covering the at least one EPD.

18 . The access control device of claim 11 , wherein the indicator is removably mounted to the escutcheon such that the at least one EPD and the controller are operable to be removed as a modular unit.

19 . The access control device of claim 11 , wherein each of the locked indicium and the unlocked indicium comprises text and/or a padlock icon.

20 . The access control device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the EPD to display an error indicium in response to detecting improper installation and/or failure of a component of the lock apparatus.

21 . A lock apparatus having a locked state and an unlocked state, the lock apparatus comprising:

a lock control assembly operable to move the lock apparatus between the locked state and the unlocked state, the lock control assembly comprising a movable element;

a first handle configured for mounting to a first side of a door;

a second handle configured for mounting to a second side of the door opposite the first side;

a sensor associated with the lock control assembly and operable to distinguish between the locked state and the unlocked state based on a position of the movable element;

an electronic paper display (EPD); and

a controller in communication with the sensor and the EPD, wherein the controller is configured to cause the EPD to display a locked indicium when the sensor indicates that the lock apparatus is in the locked state and to cause the EPD to display an unlocked indicium when the sensor indicates that the lock apparatus is in the unlocked state.