Entry technology for building automation
View Patent ↗A computer system accesses identity data providing unique biometric identifications and associated names for respective people. Roles are stored and associating ones of the roles are associated with ones of the people. Rules are stored, wherein each rule is configured to define one of the roles or people and define a condition and an action. The computer system receives from a device at an entryway, biometric data for a person. A named person is indicated for the received biometric data by the identity data accessed by the computer system. The computer system selects a rule corresponding to the identified person or to one of the defined roles for the identified person. The computer system performs the defined action for the selected rule when a current condition satisfies the defined condition for the selected rule.
1. A method for managing an entryway for a building, the method comprising:
accessing, by a computer system, identity data providing unique biometric identifications and associated names for respective people, so that different persons are identifiable by biometric data received from the respective different persons;
storing roles and associating ones of the roles with ones of the people;
storing rules, wherein each rule is configured to define one of the roles or people and define a condition and an action;
receiving biometric data for a person at the entryway, by the computer system from a device for receiving biometric data, wherein the device is located at the entryway;
identifying a named person indicated for the received biometric data by the identity data accessed by the computer system, wherein one of the defined roles is associated with the identified person;
selecting, by the computer system, an announcement rule corresponding to the defined role for the identified person, wherein the announcement rule's action includes audibly announcing predefined instructions; and
performing, by the computer system, the defined action for the selected announcement rule when a current condition satisfies the defined condition for the selected announcement rule, wherein performing the defined action for the selected announcement rule includes the computer system transmitting the predefined instructions to an audio speaker device at the entryway, wherein the selecting includes selecting different announcement rules having different predefined instructions for announcement for different identifiable persons who have different ones of the stored roles.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing a rule comprises storing a rule configured to define that presence of a person in the building is a condition for the rule and wherein the method further comprises:
detecting whether a person is present in the building responsive to a sensor in the building, wherein the person detected by the sensor in the building is at a different location than the person who is located at the entryway.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing a rule comprises storing a rule configured to define at least a first condition that determines when the rule is active and a second condition that determines when the rule is invoked when the rule is active.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing a rule comprises storing a rule configured to be active by default and to be inactive only when configured with a non-default condition.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing identity data providing unique biometric identifications and associated names for respective people comprises:
accessing, by the computer system via a network, a database of a service provider defining names, biometric data and roles for respective people acting as agents of the service provider.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identity data providing unique biometric identifications and associated names for respective people comprises local identity data and remote identity data, wherein the computer system accesses the identity data responsive to the computer system receiving biometric data for a person from the device at the entryway, and wherein for identifying a named person indicated for the received biometric data the computer system accesses the remote identity data when the local identity data does not identify a named person for the received biometric data.
7. A system for managing an entryway for a building, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a computer-readable storage media connected to the at least one computing processor, wherein the computer-readable storage media has stored thereon a program for a rule-and-role-based smart doorbell program controlling the at least one processor, and wherein the at least one processor is operative with the program to execute the program to:
access, by the system, identity data providing unique biometric identifications and associated names for respective people, so that different persons are identifiable by biometric data received from the respective different persons;
store roles and associating ones of the roles with ones of the people;
store rules, wherein each rule is configured to define one of the roles or people and define a condition and an action;
receive biometric data for a person at the entryway, by the system from a device for receiving biometric data, wherein the device is located at the entryway;
identify a named person indicated for the received biometric data by the identity data accessed by the system, wherein one of the defined roles is associated with the identified person;
select, by the system, an announcement rule corresponding to the defined role for the identified person, wherein the announcement rule's action includes audibly announcing predefined instructions; and
perform, by the system, the defined action for the selected announcement rule when a current condition satisfies the defined condition for the selected announcement rule, wherein performing the defined action for the selected announcement rule includes the computer system transmitting the predefined instructions to an audio speaker device at the entryway, wherein the selecting includes selecting different announcement rules having different predefined instructions for announcement for different identifiable persons who have different ones of the stored roles.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein storing a rule comprises storing a rule configured to define that presence of a person in the building is a condition for the rule and wherein the at least one processor is operative with the program to execute the program to:
detect whether a person is present in the building responsive to a sensor in the building, wherein the person detected by the sensor in the building is at a different location than the person who is located at the entryway.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein storing a rule comprises storing a rule configured to define at least a first condition that determines when the rule is active and a second condition that determines when the rule is invoked when the rule is active.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein accessing identity data providing unique biometric identifications and associated names for respective people comprises:
accessing, by the system via a network, a database of a service provider defining names, biometric data and roles for respective people acting as agents of the service provider.
11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the identity data providing unique biometric identifications and associated names for respective people comprises local identity data and remote identity data, wherein the system accesses the identity data responsive to the system receiving biometric data for a person from the device at the entryway, and wherein for identifying a named person indicated for the received biometric data the system accesses the remote identity data when the local identity data does not identify a named person for the received biometric data.
12. A computer program product for managing an entryway for a building, wherein the computer program product is encoded on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising:
a computer-readable storage medium; and
computer-readable program code embodied in the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to cause a computer system to:
access identity data providing unique biometric identifications and associated names for respective people, so that different persons are identifiable by biometric data received from the respective different persons;
store roles and associating ones of the roles with ones of the people;
store rules, wherein each rule is configured to define one of the roles or people and define a condition and an action;
receive biometric data for a person at the entryway, by the computer system from a device for receiving biometric data, wherein the device is located at the entryway;
identify a named person indicated for the received biometric data by the identity data accessed by the computer system, wherein one of the defined roles is associated with the identified person;
select, by the computer system, an announcement rule corresponding to the defined role for the identified person, wherein the announcement rule's action includes audibly announcing predefined instructions; and
perform, by the computer system, the defined action for the selected announcement rule when a current condition satisfies the defined condition for the selected announcement rule, wherein performing the defined action for the selected announcement rule includes the computer system transmitting the predefined instructions to an audio speaker device at the entryway, wherein the selecting includes selecting different announcement rules having different predefined instructions for announcement for different identifiable persons who have different ones of the stored roles.
13. The computer program product of claim 12 , storing a rule comprises storing a rule configured to define that presence of a person in the building is a condition for the rule and wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to cause the computer system to:
detect whether a person is present in the building responsive to a sensor in the building, wherein the person detected by the sensor in the building is at a different location than the person who is located at the entryway.
14. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein storing a rule comprises storing a rule configured to define at least a first condition that determines when the rule is active and a second condition that determines when the rule is invoked when the rule is active.
15. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein storing a rule comprises storing a rule configured to be active by default and to be inactive only when configured with a non-default condition.
16. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein accessing the identity data providing unique biometric identifications and associated names for respective people comprises accessing a database of a service provider defining names, biometric data and roles for respective people acting as agents of the service provider.
17. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the identity data providing unique biometric identifications and associated names for respective people comprises local identity data and remote identity data, wherein accessing the identity data is responsive to the system receiving biometric data for a person from the device at the entryway, and wherein for identifying a named person indicated for the received biometric data the computer-readable program code is configured to cause the computer system to access the remote identity data when the local identity data does not identify a named person for the received biometric data.