System and method for controlling locks

1. A system for controlling a door lock comprising:

a 3-dimensional barcode scanner in communication with a processor, said processor having access to memory, said memory storing a current date and time, said processor in communication with a door lock mechanism adapted to open said door lock;

a set of executable instructions executing in said processor;

a table stored in said memory, said table containing at least one particular 3-dimensional barcode currently valid for said door lock;

said one particular 3-dimensional barcode including at least a check-in date, a check-out date, and a lock ID;

said executable instructions configured to compare a 3-dimensional barcodes received at said scanner with 3-dimensional barcodes stored in said table, 3-dimensional barcodes received at the 3-dimensional barcode scanner displayed on a handheld device by a user, said user having received at least one 3-dimensional barcode on said handheld device by email or photographing it, and upon finding a match between a 3-dimensional barcode received at the 3-dimensional barcode scanner and said one particular 3-dimensional barcode, verifying that the current date and time are between the check-in date and the check-out date, and that the lock ID matches a stored lock ID for said door lock, said processor upon successfully performing said verifying, configured to sends a command to said door lock mechanism to open said door lock; and

said executable instructions also configured to verify that said lock has opened, and to send a command to said door lock mechanism to re-lock after a predetermined period.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said table contains valid 3-dimensional barcodes based on check-in dates and check-out dates.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a network interface.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said 3-dimensional barcodes stored in the table can be updated from a remote location via said network interface.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor is a microcontroller.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said scanner and said processor are a single unit.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said scanner is adapted to scan a 3-dimensional barcode from a handheld mobile device.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said handheld mobile device receives the 3-dimensional barcode by email.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said handheld mobile device receives the 3-dimensional barcode by photographing it using an internal camera.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a special master code recognized by a plurality of door locks and a plurality of maid 3-dimensional barcodes assignable to a plurality of individuals, wherein said processor further executes instructions configured to recognize the master 3-dimensional barcode and the maid 3-dimensional barcodes ignoring the lock ID field in said master and maid 3-dimensional barcodes.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a special master 3-dimensional barcode recognized by a plurality of door locks and a plurality of maid 3-dimensional barcodes assignable to a plurality of individuals, wherein said processor further executes instructions configured to recognize the master 3-dimensional barcode and the maid 3-dimensional barcodes allowing access if the lock ID belongs to a predetermined set of locks.

12. A method for controlling door locks comprising:

sending a guest 3-dimensional barcode to a guest handheld mobile device by email or by allowing the guest handheld mobile device to photograph the guest 3-dimensional barcode;

sending a particular maid 3-dimensional barcode to a maid handheld mobile device either by email or by allowing maid handheld mobile device to photograph the maid 3-dimensional barcode;

allowing the guest or maid handheld mobile device to display said 3-dimensional barcode to a 3-dimensional barcode scanner located in proximity to a lock;

causing said lock to open by recognizing the guest 3-dimensional barcode and comparing a stored check-in date, a check-out date, and a lock ID with a check-in date, check-out date, and lock ID coded into said 3-dimensional bar code;

causing the lock to open by recognizing the particular maid 3-dimensional barcode and comparing a stored valid date to a current calendar date; and

causing said lock to re-lock a predetermined period of time after it unlocks.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising sending a master 3-dimensional barcode to a master handheld mobile device either by email or by allowing the master handheld mobile device to photograph the master 3-dimensional barcode;

allowing the master handheld mobile device to display said 3-dimensional code to a 3-dimensional barcode scanner located in proximity to a lock; and

causing the lock to open by recognizing the master 3-dimensional code.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said scanner includes a processor adapted to look up stored 3-dimensional barcodes from a table.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising causing said lock to re-lock a predetermined period of time after is unlocks.