IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,223,785
Granted Patent B2
US 12,223,785 · App. 18/218,807 · Granted Feb 11, 2025

Electric lock control method, electric lock control system, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Inventors: Masashi Hisai (Osaka, JP); Manabu Maeda (Osaka, JP); Ryo Kato (Osaka, JP); Naohisa Nishida (Osaka, JP); Kenji Harada (Osaka, JP); Tomoyuki Haga (Nara, JP); Yuji Unagami (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
G07C9/00309G07C9/00563G07C9/00571G07C9/253G07C9/27G07C2209/63
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,223,785
App. No.
18/218,807
Granted
Feb 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electric lock control method includes: performing a first determination of whether a person is present in a predetermined region surrounding an electric lock, based on first information generated by an electronic device; when it is determined that a first person is present in the predetermined region in the performing of the first determination, performing a second determination of whether the first person is a person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock, based on second information related to movement of the first person; and controlling a state of the electric lock based on a result of the second determination, the state being a locked state or an unlocked state.

Claims (61)

1. An electric lock control method comprising:

performing a first determination of whether a person is present in a predetermined region surrounding an electric lock, based on first information generated by an electronic device;

when it is determined that a first person is present in the predetermined region in the performing of the first determination, performing a second determination of whether the first person is a person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock, based on second information related to movement of the first person; and

controlling a state of the electric lock based on a result of the second determination, the state being a locked state or an unlocked state, wherein

the electric lock is settable to one of at least two security levels,

the at least two security levels include a first security level and a second security level, and

the controlling includes:

when it is determined that the first person is the person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock in the performing of the second determination, putting the electric lock in an unlocked state; and

when it is not determined that the first person is the person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock in the performing of the second determination,

(i) when the electric lock is preset to the first security level, putting the electric lock in the unlocked state, and

(ii) when the electric lock is preset to the second security level: receiving an input indicating whether to permit unlocking of the electric lock;

(ii-i) when the input received indicates that unlocking of the electric lock is permitted, putting the electric lock in the unlocked state; and

(ii-ii) when the input received indicates that unlocking of the electric lock is not permitted, not putting the electric lock in the unlocked state.

2. The electric lock control method according to claim 1 , wherein

the electronic device is an information terminal carried by the first person,

the first information is positional information indicating a position of the information terminal, and

the second information is: acceleration information indicating an acceleration rate detected by an acceleration sensor included in the information terminal; or step count information indicating a step count of the first person counted by the information terminal.

3. The electric lock control method according to claim 1 , wherein

the electronic device is an imaging device,

the first information is an image captured by the imaging device, and

the second information is gait information related to a gait of the first person, the gait information being calculated based on the image captured by the imaging device.

4. The electric lock control method according to claim 1 , wherein

the electric lock is disposed on a door of a doorway of a building,

the electronic device is: a battery charger that charges an electric vehicle and is disposed in the building or within a predetermined range from the building; or a distribution board that supplies power to the battery charger,

the first information is connection information indicating that the electric vehicle has been connected to the battery charger, and

the second information is acceleration information indicating an acceleration rate detected by an acceleration sensor included in an information terminal carried by the first person.

5. The electric lock control method according to claim 1 , wherein

in the performing of the second determination, whether the first person is the person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock is determined using a machine learning model trained in advance to output, in response to the second information being input, a score indicating certainty that the first person is the person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock.

6. The electric lock control method according to claim 1 , wherein

the controlling includes outputting a warning signal when it is not determined that the first person is the person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock in the performing of the second determination.

7. The electric lock control method according to claim 6 , wherein

the electronic device is an information terminal carried by the first person,

the first information is positional information indicating a position of the information terminal, and

the warning signal is of an image indicating an alarm on a map of an area surrounding a position of the information terminal indicated by the positional information.

8. An electric lock control system comprising:

a first determiner that determines whether a person is present in a predetermined region surrounding an electric lock, based on first information generated by an electronic device;

a second determiner that, when the first determiner has determined that a first person is present in the predetermined region, determines whether the first person is a person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock, based on second information related to movement of the first person; and

a controller that controls a state of the electric lock based on a result of the determination by the second determiner, the state being a locked state or an unlocked state, wherein

the electric lock is settable to one of at least two security levels,

the at least two security levels include a first security level and a second security level,

the controller:

when the second determiner has determined that the first person is the person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock, puts the electric lock in an unlocked state; and

when the second determiner has not determined that the first person is the person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock,

(i) when the electric lock is preset to the first security level, puts the electric lock in the unlocked state, and

(ii) when the electric lock is preset to the second security level: receives an input indicating whether to permit unlocking of the electric lock;

(ii-i) when the input received indicates that unlocking of the electric lock is permitted, puts the electric lock in the unlocked state; and

(ii-ii) when the input received indicates that unlocking of the electric lock is not permitted, does not put the electric lock in the unlocked state.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for causing a computer to execute electric lock control processing, wherein

the electric lock control processing includes:

performing a first determination of whether a person is present in a predetermined region surrounding an electric lock, based on first information generated by an electronic device;

when it is determined that a first person is present in the predetermined region in the performing of the first determination, performing a second determination of whether the first person is a person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock, based on second information related to movement of the first person; and

controlling a state of the electric lock based on a result of the second determination, the state being a locked state or an unlocked state,

the electric lock is settable to one of at least two security levels,

the at least two security levels include a first security level and a second security level, and

the controlling includes:

when it is determined that the first person is the person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock in the performing of the second determination, putting the electric lock in an unlocked state; and

when it is not determined that the first person is the person who is permitted to unlock the electric lock in the performing of the second determination,

(i) when the electric lock is preset to the first security level, putting the electric lock in the unlocked state, and

(ii) when the electric lock is preset to the second security level: receiving an input indicating whether to permit unlocking of the electric lock;

(ii-i) when the input received indicates that unlocking of the electric lock is permitted, putting the electric lock in the unlocked state; and

(ii-ii) when the input received indicates that unlocking of the electric lock is not permitted, not putting the electric lock in the unlocked state.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2023
From: HISAI, MASASHI; MAEDA, MANABU; KATO, RYO; NISHIDA, NAOHISA; HARADA, KENJI; HAGA, TOMOYUKI; UNAGAMI, YUJI
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
Reel/Frame 065892/0659 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-125241 · Jul 30, 2021 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation PCTJP2021037479 · Oct 8, 2021
Provisional Application 63139407 · Jan 20, 2021
Related Publication 20230351825A1 · Nov 2, 2023
References Cited (15)
US 10638096B1 · Lin · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10783728B1 · Mhaske · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20020099945A1 · McLintock · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 20020140542A1 · Prokoski · 2002 [cited by examiner]
CN 105976464A · 2016 [cited by examiner]
JP 2006144421 · 2006 [cited by applicant]
JP 2007255094 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
JP 2009101927 · 2009 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011063961 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP 2013140462 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017059178 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018077552 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018077552A · 2018 [cited by examiner]
JP 2019152024 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report (ISR) from International Searching Authority (Japan Patent Office) in International Pat. Appl. No. PCT/JP2021/037479, dated Nov. 16, 2021, together with an English language translation. [cited by applicant]