Smart lock systems and methods
View Patent ↗A lock can receive electricity from a transformer of a doorbell chime while the lock is mounted on a door. The lock can be electrically coupled to the face plate. The face plate can be electrically coupled to the strike plate of the door frame. The strike plate of the doorframe can be electrically coupled to the transformer of the doorbell chime.
1. A lock system for a building door comprising a lock configured to couple to the building door, wherein the lock is configured to receive electricity from a transformer that is located remotely relative to the building door, wherein the transformer is configured to provide electrical energy to a doorbell chime, the lock system comprising:
an outer housing;
a bolt configured to protrude from the outer housing and past a face plate to secure the building door by entering a hole in a door frame, wherein the bolt comprises a throw distance;
an electrical control system configured to adjust the throw distance; and
a conduction receiver coupled to the face plate, wherein the conduction receiver comprises an electrical contact, wherein the electrical contact of the conduction receiver is configured to conductively receive the electricity from a conductive tab of a conduction transmitter.
2. The lock system of claim 1 , wherein the conduction transmitter is coupled to a strike plate, wherein the strike plate is configured to be coupled to the door frame, wherein the conduction transmitter is configured to receive the electricity from the transformer, wherein the conduction receiver is electrically coupled to the electrical control system such that the conduction receiver is configured to provide the electricity to the electrical control system such that the electrical control system is capable of operating the bolt.
3. The lock system of claim 2 , wherein the conduction receiver is a wireless conduction receiver and the conduction transmitter is a wireless conduction transmitter.
4. The lock system of claim 3 , wherein the conduction receiver is configured to receive the electricity from an conduction transmitter that is coupled to the strike plate, wherein the electrical contact of the conduction receiver comprises a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact.
5. The lock system of claim 2 , wherein the lock system further comprises a solenoid coupled to the outer housing, wherein the solenoid is configured to control the throw distance of the bolt.
6. The lock system of claim 5 , wherein the solenoid is electrically coupled to the electrical control system, and wherein the solenoid is electrically coupled to the conduction receiver that is coupled to the face plate such that the lock system is capable of providing the electricity from the transformer to the conduction receiver that is coupled to the face plate, and then the conduction receiver is capable of providing the electricity to the solenoid.
7. The lock system of claim 5 , wherein the lock system further comprises a spring configured to apply a force on the bolt that pushes the bolt outward relative to the face plate such that the lock is configured to remain in a locked position when the solenoid receives insufficient electrical power to overcome the force.
8. The lock system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a keyhole configured to enable a key to adjust the throw distance to unlock the lock;
a camera coupled to the outer housing, wherein the camera is configured to face outward from the building door;
a speaker coupled to the outer housing;
a microphone coupled to the outer housing, wherein the camera is configured to take a picture of a visitor to the lock, wherein the speaker is configured to enable communication with a user of a remote computing device, and wherein the microphone is configured to record sounds from the visitor for transmission to the remote computing device; and
a wireless data transmission system configured to receive lock commands from the remote computing device and configured to wirelessly transmit the picture and the sounds to the remote computing device.
9. A lock system comprising a lock configured to couple to a door, wherein the lock is configured to receive electricity from a transformer that is located remotely relative to the door, wherein the transformer is configured to provide electrical energy to a doorbell chime, the lock system comprising:
the lock comprising an outer housing, an electrical control system, a face plate, and a bolt, wherein the bolt and the face plate are coupled to the outer housing such that the bolt is arranged and configured to protrude from the outer housing and past the face plate to secure the door by entering a first hole in a door frame, wherein the bolt comprises a throw distance, and wherein the electrical control system is configured to adjust the throw distance;
a conduction receiver coupled to the face plate of the lock, wherein the conduction receiver comprises an electrical contact, wherein the conduction receiver is electrically coupled to the electrical control system of the lock;
a strike plate configured to be coupled to the door frame, wherein the strike plate faces towards the face plate such that the bolt protrudes from the face plate and past the strike plate; and
a conduction transmitter coupled to the strike plate, wherein the conduction transmitter comprises a conductive tab, wherein the conduction transmitter is configured to be electrically coupled to the transformer to receive the electricity from the transformer while the transformer is electrically coupled to a power source of a building and while the transformer is electrically coupled to the doorbell chime,
wherein the conduction transmitter is configured to conductively transmit the electricity from the conductive tab of the conduction transmitter to the electrical contact of the conduction receiver to thereby enable the lock to receive the electricity from the transformer.
10. The lock system of claim 9 , wherein the conductive tab of the conduction transmitter comprises a pair of conductive tabs, wherein the electrical contact of the conduction receiver comprises a pair of electrical contacts, and wherein the face plate is aligned with the strike plate such that the pair of conductive tabs is conductively coupled with the pair of electrical contacts.
11. The lock system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a keyhole configured to enable a key to adjust the throw distance to unlock the lock;
a camera coupled to the outer housing, wherein the camera is configured to face outward from the door;
a speaker coupled to the outer housing;
a microphone coupled to the outer housing, wherein the camera is configured to take a picture of a visitor to the lock, wherein the speaker is configured to emit a first sound from a user of a remote computing device, and wherein the microphone is configured to record a second sound from the visitor for transmission to the remote computing device; and
a wireless data transmission system configured to receive lock commands from the remote computing device and configured to wirelessly transmit the picture and the second sound to the remote computing device.
12. The lock system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a junction assembly;
a first wire and a second wire, wherein the first wire and the second wire are electrically coupled to the transformer; and
a third wire and a fourth wire, wherein the third wire and the fourth wire are electrically coupled to the conduction transmitter,
wherein the junction assembly electrically couples the first wire to the third wire, and wherein the junction assembly electrically couples the second wire to the fourth wire.
13. The lock system of claim 12 , further comprising a doorbell, wherein the doorbell is coupled to the junction assembly.
14. The lock system of claim 12 , wherein
the strike plate is coupled to the door frame,
the face plate is coupled to a side of the door such that the strike plate faces towards the face plate,
the conductive tab of the conduction transmitter comprises a pair of conductive tabs,
the electrical contact of the conduction receiver comprises a pair of electrical contacts, wherein the face plate is oriented relative to the strike plate such that the pair of conductive tabs is conductively coupled with the pair of electrical contacts,
the second wire is electrically coupled to the transformer via the chime,
the first wire and the second wire are electrically coupled to the transformer while the transformer is located inside of the building, and
the first wire and the second wire protrude into a second hole that leads to an area outside of the building.
15. The lock system of claim 9 , wherein the electrical control system is communicatively coupled to the conduction transmitter, and the conduction transmitter is communicatively coupled to a network connection module that is electrically coupled to a power outlet of the building such that the network connection module is configured to transmit data to the lock.
16. The lock system of claim 4 , wherein the conductive tab of the conduction transmitter comprises a first conductive tab and a second conductive tab, and wherein the first and second electrical contacts of the conduction receiver physically touch the first and second conductive tabs of the conduction transmitter.
17. The lock system of claim 10 , wherein the pair of electrical contacts physically touches the pair of conductive tabs.