IP Library Granted Patent US 11,436,879
Granted Patent B2
US 11,436,879 · App. 17/101,526 · Granted Sep 6, 2022

Wireless access control system and methods for intelligent door lock system

Inventors: Shih Yu Thomas Cheng (San Francisco, CA); Jason Johnson (San Francisco, CA); Christopher Kim (San Francisco, CA); Joseph Aranda (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: August Home, Inc.
G07C9/00309G07C9/00904G07C2009/00769G07C2009/00865
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,436,879
App. No.
17/101,526
Granted
Sep 6, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wireless access control system is provided to lock or unlock a first door at a dwelling of a user. A user remote access device accepts input based on haptic feedback or motion. The user remote access device includes a vibration mode provides an alert to the user of the remote access device. The user remote access device is configured to be in communication with an intelligent door lock system at the dwelling with the first door. The intelligent door lock system includes: a drive shaft, a circuit coupled to an engine configured to cause a rotation of the drive shaft, and an energy source coupled to the drive shaft. In response to the user remote access device accepting input based on haptic feedback or motion the bolt is caused to move and the first lock is locked or unlocked.

Claims (47)

1. A method of operating a door lock device to communicate with a mobile device, the method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a communication from the door lock device to the mobile device at a first interval;

monitoring, with the door lock device, for whether a current time satisfies one or more criteria; and

in response to determining that the current time satisfies the one or more criteria, wirelessly transmitting the communication to the mobile device from the door lock device at a second interval, the second interval being shorter than the first interval.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the mobile device is a phone;

the door lock device is mounted on a door to operate a lock of the door; and

wirelessly transmitting the communication from the door lock device to the mobile device comprises wirelessly transmitting the communication according to a wireless personal area network (WPAN) protocol.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the WPAN protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein wirelessly transmitting the communication to the mobile device comprises wirelessly transmitting the communication to a mobile device configured to, in response to receiving the communication from the door lock device, transmit an instruction to the door lock device to unlock a lock of the door lock device.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

in response to receiving the instruction from the mobile device, unlocking the lock of the door lock device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying at least one pattern in a time of day at which lock operations are performed; and

configuring the door lock device to use the time of day associated with the at least one pattern as at least some of the one or more criteria.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying at least one pattern in a time of day at which the communication from the door lock device is received by the mobile device; and

configuring the door lock device to use the time of day associated with the at least one pattern as at least some of the one or more criteria.

8. A system comprising:

a door lock device mounted on a door to operate a lock of the door, wherein the door lock device is configured to perform a method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a communication from the door lock device to a mobile device at a first interval; and

monitoring for whether a current time satisfies one or more criteria; and

in response to determining that the current time satisfies the one or more criteria, wirelessly transmitting the communication from the door lock device to the mobile device at a second interval, the second interval being shorter than the first interval.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

wirelessly transmitting the communication from the door lock device to the mobile device comprises wirelessly transmitting the communication according to a wireless personal area network (WPAN) protocol.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the WPAN protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein, in response to receiving the communication from the door lock device, the mobile device is configured to transmit an instruction to the door lock device to unlock the lock of the door.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the door lock device is configured to unlock the lock in response to receiving the instruction from the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the method performed by the door lock device further comprises:

identifying at least one pattern in a time of day at which lock operations are performed; and

using the time of day associated with the at least one pattern as at least some of the one or more criteria.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the method performed by the door lock device further comprises:

identifying at least one pattern in a time of day at which the communication from the door lock device is received by the mobile device; and

using the time of day associated with the at least one pattern as at least some of the one or more criteria.

15. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method of operating a door lock device to communicate with a mobile device, the method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a communication from the door lock device to the mobile device at a first interval;

monitoring, with the door lock device, for whether a current time satisfies one or more criteria; and

in response to determining that the current time satisfies the one or more criteria, wirelessly transmitting the communication from the door lock device to the mobile device at a second interval, the second interval being shorter than the first interval.

16. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein wirelessly transmitting the communication from the door lock device to the mobile device comprises wirelessly transmitting the communication according to a wireless personal area network (WPAN) protocol.

17. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein wirelessly transmitting the communication to the mobile device comprises wirelessly transmitting the communication to a mobile device configured to, in response to receiving the communication from the door lock device, transmit an instruction to the door lock device to unlock a lock of the door lock device.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the door lock device is configured to unlock the lock in response to receiving the instruction from the mobile device.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

identifying at least one pattern in a time of day at which lock operations are performed; and

configuring the door lock device to use the time of day associated with the at least one pattern as at least some of the one or more criteria.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

identifying at least one pattern in a time of day at which the communication from the door lock device is received by the mobile device; and

configuring the door lock device to use the time of day associated with the at least one pattern as at least some of the one or more criteria.

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Mar 26, 2025
From: AUGUST HOME, INC.
To: MASTER LOCK COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 070646/0243 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2022
From: KIM, CHRISTOPHER
To: AUGUST HOME, INC.
Reel/Frame 059743/0886 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 8, 2022
From: JOHNSON, JASON; CHENG, SHIH YU THOMAS; ARANDA, JOSEPH
To: AUGUST HOME, INC.
Reel/Frame 059198/0613 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16197518 · Nov 21, 2018
Continuation 15227761 · Aug 3, 2016
Related Publication 20210074096A1 · Mar 11, 2021