Granted Patent B2

US 12,371,927 · App. 18/016,818 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Inventors: Edward King (London, GB); Andoni Villarreal (Coulsdon, GB)

Assignee: Glue AB

E05B47/0012E05B47/026E05B2047/002E05B2047/0026E05B2047/0069E05B2047/0094

Abstract

Claims (63)

1. A smart lock for securing a closure, the smart lock comprising:

a drive train for actuating a lock mechanism between a first mechanical end stop and a second mechanical end stop, corresponding to an unlocked position and a locked position or vice-versa, wherein the lock mechanism comprises a bolt for securing the closure;

an electric actuator arranged to drive the drive train to actuate the lock mechanism;

a position sensor arranged to output a location signal indicative of a position of the drive train;

a current sensor arranged to output a current signal indicative of an electrical current flowing through the electric actuator; and

a processor configured to:

a. control the electric actuator to actuate the lock mechanism in a first direction;

b. monitor the current signal;

c. determine a position of the first mechanical end stop for the lock mechanism based upon the current signal;

d. define a first operational end stop for the lock mechanism as a distance from the respective mechanical end stop, the first operational end stop spaced from the first mechanical end stop;

e. control the electric actuator to actuate the lock mechanism to stop at the first operational end stop based upon the location signal;

f. determine a position of engagement between the drive train and the bolt based upon the current signal;

g. define a third operational end stop for the lock mechanism based upon the position of engagement;

h. select one of the first operational end stop or the third operational end stop; and

i. control the electric actuator to actuate the lock mechanism to stop at the selected operational end stop based upon the location signal.

2. The smart lock of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

j. control the electric actuator to actuate the lock mechanism in a second direction, opposite to the first direction;

k. monitor the current signal;

l. determine a position of the second mechanical end stop for the lock mechanism based upon the current signal;

m. define a second operational end stop for the lock mechanism, the lock mechanism spaced from the second mechanical end stop at the second operational end stop and;

n. control the electric actuator to actuate the lock mechanism to stop at the second operational end stop based upon the location signal.

3. The smart lock of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:

carry out steps a then step b then step c such that the lock mechanism is at the first mechanical end stop; then

carry out step j then step k then step 1 such that the lock mechanism is actuated from the first mechanical end stop to the second mechanical end stop.

4. The smart lock of claim 1 , wherein the position of engagement comprises:

an unlocking position of engagement corresponding to a movement of the lock mechanism between the locked position and the unlocked position; and

a locking position of engagement corresponding to a movement of the lock mechanism between the unlocked position and the locked position,

wherein:

the third operational end stop is defined based upon the unlocking position of engagement; and

the second operational end stop is defined based upon the locking position of engagement.

5. The smart lock of claim 1 , wherein a travel pathway is defined as the total length between the first and second mechanical end stops, and each operational end stop defined based on a position of engagement is defined at least X % of the travel pathway from the position of engagement, wherein X is 1.

6. The smart lock of claim 1 , wherein a travel pathway is defined as the total length between the first and second mechanical end stops, and each operational end stop defined as a distance from the respective mechanical end stop is defined at least Y % of the travel pathway from the respective mechanical end stop, wherein Y is 1.

7. The smart lock of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to select one of the first operational end stop or the third operational end stop based upon one or more of:

a time signal;

a user input;

learned user behaviour; and/or

sensed user behaviour.

8. The smart lock of claim 1 , wherein:

the drive train comprises a plurality of gears; and

the position sensor comprises:

a magnet arranged on a sampling gear of the plurality of gears; and

a magnetic detector arranged to detect movement of the sampling gear.

9. The smart lock of claim 8 , further comprising a rotatable manual actuator arranged to drive the drive train to actuate the lock mechanism, wherein one rotation of the manual actuator results in N rotations of the sampling gear, where N is an integer.

10. The smart lock of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

store each operational end stop in volatile memory.

11. The smart lock of claim 1 , wherein the position sensor is an encoder.

12. A method of using a smart lock according to claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a user input to move the smart lock between the locked and unlocked position;

actuating the electric actuator to actuate the lock mechanism;

stopping the electric actuator when the lock mechanism reaches the first operational end stop.

13. A method of calibrating a smart lock, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a smart lock comprising:

an electric actuator for actuating a lock mechanism between a first mechanical end stop and a second mechanical end stop, corresponding to an unlocked position and a locked position or vice-versa, wherein the lock mechanism comprises a bolt for securing the closure;

a position sensor arranged to output a location signal indicative of a position of the drive train;

a current sensor arranged to output a current signal indicative of an electrical current flowing through the electric actuator; and

a processor configured to control actuation of the electric actuator,

actuating the electric actuator to actuate the lock mechanism in a first direction to locate the first mechanical end stop based upon the current signal;

defining a first operational end stop for the lock mechanism based upon the location signal as a distance from the respective mechanical end stop, the lock mechanism spaced from the first mechanical end stop at the first operational end stop;

determine a position of engagement between the drive train and the bolt based upon the current signal

define a third operational end stop for the lock mechanism based upon the position of engagement.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:

actuating the electric actuator to actuate the lock mechanism in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, to locate the second mechanical end stop based upon the current signal;

defining a second operational end stop for the lock mechanism based upon the location signal, the lock mechanism spaced from the second mechanical end stop at the second operational end stop.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (24)