WO2021110861A1

WO2021110861A1 - Electronic lock configured to receive power from a mobile phone

Info

Publication number: WO2021110861A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/084514
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olle Bliding; Teodor JOHNSSON; Eric Wiebols
Original assignee: Assa Abloy Ab
Priority date: 2019-12-04
Filing date: 2020-12-03
Publication date: 2021-06-10
Also published as: SE545352C2; SE1951396A1

Abstract

It is provided an electronic lock for controlling access to a physical space secured by a barrier. The electronic lock comprises: a processor; a connector configured to receive power from a connected mobile phone, to thereby power the electronic lock; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic lock to: communicate with a credential to evaluate whether access to the physical space is to be granted wherein the electronic lock is configured to perform a hard reset when a power source connects to the connector.

Description

ELECTRONIC LOCK CONFIGURED TO RECEIVE POWER FROM A MOBILE

PHONE

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of electronic locks and in particular to an electronic lock configured to receive power from a mobile phone.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Locks and keys are evolving from the traditional pure mechanical locks.

These days, electronic locks are becoming increasingly common. For electronic locks, no mechanical key profile is needed for authentication of a user. The electronic locks can be opened using an electronic key stored on a dedicated carrier (fob, card, etc.) or in a smartphone. The electronic key and electronic lock can e.g. communicate over a wireless interface. Such electronic locks provide a number of benefits, including improved flexibility in management of access rights, audit trails, key management, etc.

[0003] However, unlike mechanical locks, electronic locks require a power source. Electronic locks can be powered over from a mains power supply, but this implies large requirements on the installation, in terms of cost, time, installer skill and physical appearance. Alternatively, electronic locks can be battery powered, but batteries only hold a limited amount of power and run out of power after a certain period of time, which requires timely battery replacement in order to ensure continuous operation of the electronic lock. Energy harvesting solutions have also been presented, where electrical energy is obtained by converting mechanical energy (e.g. from physical movement of door, handle or physical key) to electric energy and storing the electric energy in the electronic lock for the next usage. However, energy harvesting solutions might not be reliable enough, especially for electronic locks that are only occasionally used.

SUMMARY

[0004] One object is to improve reliability of the electronic lock. [0005] According to a first aspect, it is provided an electronic lock for controlling access to a physical space secured by a barrier. The electronic lock comprises: a processor; a connector configured to receive power from a connected mobile phone, to thereby power the electronic lock; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic lock to: communicate with a credential to evaluate whether access to the physical space is to be granted, wherein the electronic lock is configured to perform a hard reset when a power source connects to the connector.

[0006] The electronic lock may further comprise a battery for powering the electronic lock, whereby the connector is usable to receive power for the electronic lock when the battery is unable to power the electronic lock.

[0007] The connector may be the only power path for the electronic lock. In other words, the only way is then to supply power to the electronic lock is by supplying power via the connector.

[0008] The connector may be configured to enable communication between the electronic lock and the connected mobile phone.

[0009] The electronic lock may be configured to only perform access control when communication with the connected mobile phone occurs over the connector.

[0010] The electronic lock may be configured to receive software upgrades from the connected mobile phone through the connector.

[0011] The electronic lock may further comprise an intermediary section configured to be provided between the barrier and an outside barrier actuator on an accessible side of the barrier, wherein the intermediary section houses the connector.

[0012] The electronic lock may further comprise an inside part comprising all of the electronic lock except the intermediary section, the connector and cabling to the connector, wherein the inside part is configured to be provided on a restricted side of the barrier. [0013] The inside part may be configured to be provided between the barrier and an inside barrier actuator on the restricted side of the barrier.

[0014] The electronic lock may further comprise a motor configured to control a lock state of a connected mechanical lock. This allows the electronic lock to be retrofitted to an existing mechanical lock.

[0015] The electronic lock may further comprise a secondary cell battery, wherein the electronic lock is configured to charge the secondary cell battery with power received via the connector.

[0016] Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to "a/an/the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc." are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Aspects and embodiments are now described, by way of example, with refer ence to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Fig 1 is a schematic diagram showing an environment in which embodiments presented herein can be applied;

[0019] Fig 2 is a schematic drawing illustrating details in the vicinity of the barrier actuator of Fig 1, provided on the accessible side of the barrier, according to one embodiment;

[0020] Fig 3 is a schematic drawing illustrating an inside part of the electronic lock of Fig 1, provided on the restricted side of the barrier 15, according to one embodiment;

[0021] Fig 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating components of the electronic lock 1 of Fig 1; and [0022] Fig 5 is a schematic drawing illustrating an embodiment of a dedicated key device that can be used for interacting with the electronic lock of Fig 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The aspects of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. These aspects may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limiting; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of all aspects of invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

[0024] Fig 1 is a schematic diagram showing an environment in which embodiments presented herein can be applied. Access to a physical space 16 is restricted by a physical barrier 15 which is selectively unlockable. The physical barrier 15 stands between the restricted physical space 16 and an accessible physical space 14. Note that the accessible physical space 14 can be a restricted physical space in itself, but in relation to this physical barrier 15, the accessible physical space 14 is accessible. The accessible physical space 14 is also here referred to as ‘the outside’ and the restricted physical space 16 is also here referred to as ‘the inside’. These terms are to be construed in relation to the physical barrier 15 between these two physical spaces 14, 16. The barrier 15 can be a door (including car door), gate, hatch, cabinet door, drawer, window, etc. It is to be noted that while Fig 1 is depicted in the context of the restricted physical space 16 being a building, the restricted physical space 16 can be any restricted physical space secured by an electronic lock, such as a vehicle, a cabinet, drawer, etc.

[0025] In order to control access to the physical space 16, by selectively unlocking the barrier 15, an electronic lock 1 is provided.

[0026] A barrier actuator 5a, e.g. in the form of a handle, knob, etc., is provided to allow a person to open the barrier 15 when the electronic lock 1 is in an unlocked state.

[0027] The electronic lock 1 can be provided on the inside of the barrier 15 (as shown) or in the structure 17 surrounding the barrier 15 (not shown). Alternatively, the electronic lock 1 can be provided in the barrier 15 itself (not shown). The electronic lock 1 is controllable to be in a locked state or in an unlocked state, based on communication with a credential for evaluating whether access to the physical space is to be granted.

[0028] When the electronic lock 1 is in an unlocked state, the barrier 15 can be opened and when the electronic lock 1 is in a locked state, the barrier 15 cannot be opened. In this way, access to a restricted physical space 16 is controlled by the electronic lock 1.

[0029] According to embodiments presented herein, the electronic lock comprises a connector which is configured to receive power from a connected mobile phone 2, to thereby power the electronic lock 1. The mobile phone 2 is any mobile phone comprising a port to which a cable 4 can be connected to supply power to the electronic lock 1. For instance, the mobile phone 2 can be a smartphone. In this way, the electronic lock 1 can be powered by the mobile phone 2.

[0030] In one embodiment, the connector of the electronic lock 1 is also used for the communication with the mobile phone 2. In other words, the connector is configured to enable communication between the electronic lock 1 and the connected mobile phone 2. The mobile phone 2 is then the credential with which the electronic lock 1 communicates to evaluate access. In this embodiment, the electronic lock 1 does not need any other power source and can be powered solely by connecting a mobile phone (via the cable 4) to the connector of the electronic lock 1. In other words, the connector is here the only power path for the electronic lock. Furthermore, this embodiment provides an intuitive an unambiguous way to express intent to open the electronic lock 1. For instance, consider a case where a user has access to a number of electronic locks provided to different restricted physical spaces from a single corridor. Several electronic locks may be in range for a credential if only wireless communication is used. But, as is the case of this embodiment, when communication occurs over the cable 4, it is unambiguous indicated which one of the several electronic locks that the user would like to unlock. In other words, the electronic lock is then configured to only start access control when the cable 4 is connected to the connector. [0031] In one embodiment, the electronic lock 1 communicates wirelessly with a credential, e.g. in the form of a fob, card, or even wirelessly with the mobile phone 2. In this case, the electronic lock comprises a battery for powering the electronic lock when wireless communication occurs. Still, the connector of the electronic lock is usable to receive power for the electronic lock when the battery is unable to power the electronic lock, e.g. if the battery has run out or is malfunctioning. In this embodiment, the connector is used to supply backup power or emergency power when needed, thus improving availability of the electronic lock 1.

[0032] According to embodiments presented herein, the electronic lock 1 is configured to perform a hard reset when a mobile phone connects to the connector. This hard reset is performed without any other user action than connecting the mobile phone to the connector. A hard reset can thus be triggered from the outside (by the mobile phone), since the connector is provided on the outside. The hard reset refreshes the electronic lock operation and minimises a risk of software problems. This can be particularly useful when the electronic lock 1 controls access to a restricted physical space 16 where no person is normally present, e.g. a storage space or even the inside of a locked cabinet. In such locations of electronic locks, there can be long periods of time between instances of use. During such long periods of inactivity, there is a risk that software can freeze, a condition that is remedied with the hard reset. Hence, reliability of the electronic lock is significantly improved.

[0033] In one embodiment, the electronic lock 1 is configured to receive software upgrades from the connected mobile phone 2 through the connector 20.

Communication over a wired interface and the connector is typically faster and more reliable (less susceptible to varying or poor radio conditions) than communication over a wireless interface. This allows the software upgrade to be performed in a fast and reliable way.

[0034] In one embodiment, the electronic lock comprises a secondary cell battery. In this case, the electronic lock is configured to charge the secondary cell battery with power received via the connector. In other words, the mobile phone supplies power to the electronic lock which thus charges the secondary cell battery. [0035] Fig 2 is a schematic drawing illustrating details in the vicinity of the barrier actuator 5a of Fig 1, provided on the accessible side of the barrier 15, according to one embodiment.

[0036] The barrier actuator 5a is here depicted as a handle, but can be any suitable barrier actuator. As known in the art, a protective plate 6 can be provided by the barrier 15. Furthermore, there is here an intermediary section 22 configured to be provided between the barrier 15 and the barrier actuator 5a on the accessible side of the barrier 15. The intermediary section 22 forms part of the electronic lock 1 and the intermediary section 22 houses the connector 20. As explained above, a cable 4 can be connected between the connector 20 and a mobile phone to transfer power from the mobile phone to the electronic lock which is used to (at least part of the time) supply power to the electronic lock. It is to be noted that the connector can also be connected via a cable 4 to a portable battery pack, whereby the battery pack powers the electronic lock. In this case, the electronic lock communicates with the credential for access control in another way than through the connector 20.

[0037] The intermediate section 22 can have the same shape (perpendicular to the barrier 15) as the protective plate 6 to make it difficult for an attacker to remove the intermediate section.

[0038] The connector 20 can be of any suitable type that allows it to receive power from the mobile phone. For instance, the connector can be of a type USB(Universal Serial Bus)-C, USB-A or lightning. In one embodiment, one or more magnets (not shown) are provided in at least one of the connector 20 and the cable 4 to be connected with the connector, to simplify connection and disconnection of the cable 4 in the connector.

[0039] Cabling 24 is connected between the connector 20 and the rest of the electronic lock (not shown) to allow power to flow from the connector 20 to the rest of the electronic lock. This cabling 24 is internal to the electronic lock and is not exposed. For instance, the cabling can be provided through an existing lock case or otherwise through the barrier 15. [0040] Fig 3 is a schematic drawing illustrating an inside part 25 of the electronic lock of Fig 1, provided on the restricted side of the barrier 15, according to one embodiment. 8. The inside part 25 of the electronic lock 1 comprising all of the electronic lock 1 except the intermediary section 22 (see Fig 2), the connector 20 (see Fig 2) and cabling 24 to the connector 20. The inside part 25 is configured to be provided on the restricted side 16 of the barrier 15.

[0041] An inside barrier actuator 5b is provided, here depicted as a handle, but can be any suitable barrier actuator. In this embodiment, the inside part 25 is configured to be provided between the barrier 15 and the inside barrier actuator 15b, on the restricted side of the barrier 15.

[0042] A thumb turn 7 can be provided which allows a user to mechanically unlock and/or lock the electronic lock by turning the thumb turn 7.

[0043] Optionally, the electronic lock 1 is configured to be retrofitted to an existing mechanical lock. The inside part 25 then comprises a motor which, by interacting with the mechanics of the mechanical lock, controls a lock state of the connected mechanical lock. The motor can control a state of a locking bolt of the mechanical lock, which requires a significant amount of energy. Since the energy is received from the connected mobile phone, this energy is sufficient to power the motor.

[0044] Fig 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating components of the electronic lock 1 of Fig 1. A processor 60 is provided using any combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit (CPU), multiprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), etc., capable of executing software instructions 67 stored in a memory 64, which can thus be a computer program product. The processor 60 could alternatively be implemented using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.

[0045] The memory 64 can be any combination of random-access memory (RAM) and/or read-only memory (ROM). The memory 64 also comprises persistent storage, which, for example, can be any single one or combination of magnetic memory, optical memory, solid-state memory or even remotely mounted memory. [0046] A data memory 66 is also provided for reading and/ or storing data during execution of software instructions in the processor 60. The data memory 66 can be any combination of RAM and/or ROM.

[0047] The connector 20, as explained above, is configured to receive power from a mobile phone. Optionally, a battery 69 is also provided, in which case the connector 20 can be used as a supplementary or emergency power path.

[0048] The electronic lock 1 further comprises an I/O module 62 for communicating with external and/or internal entities, such as with a credential. The communication with the credential can occur over a wireless interface, e.g. using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Bluetooth, ZigBee, or any of the IEEE 802. nx standards (also known as WiFi), etc. Alternatively or additionally, the communication with the credential can occur over a wired interface via the connector 20.

[0049] Other components of the electronic lock 1 are omitted in order not to obscure the concepts presented herein.

[0050] Fig 5 is a schematic drawing illustrating an embodiment of a dedicated key device 30 that can be used for interacting with the electronic lock 1 of Fig 1.

[0051] The key device 30 comprises one or more batteries 31 and a user interface 32a, 32b. The one or more batteries 31 can be primary cell batteries, which can be conveniently replaced at need. Alternatively, the one or more batteries are secondary cell batteries which can be charged when the key device 30 is not in use. The key device does not need to perform any other functions than interacting with the electronic lock and the key device does not necessarily have the same strict physical size restrictions as a mobile phone. This provides more freedom on dimensioning the size, and thus capacity, of the one more batteries.

[0052] The user interface 32a, 32b can be used to indicate a desire to unlock and lock a connected electronic lock. In one embodiment, the user interface comprises only two push buttons, a first (e.g. green) push button 32a for unlocking a connected electronic lock and a second (e.g. red) push button 32b for locking a connected electronic lock. The key device 30 contains a memory for storing credentials for unlocking a connected electronic lock, and an interface for connecting with the electronic lock, via a cable 4. The key device 30 further comprises circuitry (e.g. processor, etc.) for authenticating itself when communicating with the electronic lock.

[0053] The key device 30 operates the same way as described above for the mobile phone. By providing the dedicated key device 30, an intuitive and simple user interface can be used for unlocking and locking electronic locks. From the electronic lock perspective, the interface with the key device 30 and the mobile phone can be identical.

[0054] The aspects of the present disclosure have mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims. Thus, while various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. An electronic lock (l) for controlling access to a physical space (16) secured by a barrier (15), the electronic lock (1) comprising: a processor (60); a connector (20) configured to receive power from a connected mobile phone (2), to thereby power the electronic lock (1); and a memory (64) storing instructions (67) that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic lock (1) to: communicate with a credential to evaluate whether access to the physical space is to be granted; wherein the electronic lock (1) is configured to perform a hard reset when a power source connects to the connector (20).

2. The electronic lock (1) according to claim 1, wherein the electronic lock (1) further comprises a battery (69) for powering the electronic lock (1), whereby the connector (20) is usable to receive power for the electronic lock (1) when the battery (69) is unable to power the electronic lock.

3. The electronic lock (1) according to claim 1, wherein the connector (20) is the only power path for the electronic lock (1).

4. The electronic lock (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector (20) is configured to enable communication between the electronic lock (1) and the connected mobile phone (2).

5. The electronic lock (1) according to claim 4, wherein the electronic lock (1) is configured to only perform access control when communication with the connected mobile phone (2) occurs over the connector (20).

6. The electronic lock (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the electronic lock (1) is configured to receive software upgrades from the connected mobile phone (2) through the connector (20).

7. The electronic lock (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an intermediary section (22) configured to be provided between the barrier (15) and an outside barrier actuator (5a) on an accessible side of the barrier (15), wherein the intermediary section (22) houses the connector (20).

8. The electronic lock (1) according to claim 7, further comprising an inside part (25) comprising all of the electronic lock (1) except the intermediary section (22), the connector (20) and cabling (24) to the connector (20), wherein the inside part (25) is configured to be provided on a restricted side of the barrier (15).

9. The electronic lock (1) according to claim 8, wherein the inside part (25) is configured to be provided between the barrier (15) and an inside barrier actuator (5b) on the restricted side of the barrier (15).

10. The electronic lock (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a motor configured to control a lock state of a connected mechanical lock.

11. The electronic lock (1) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 to 10, further comprising a secondary cell battery, wherein the electronic lock (1) is configured to charge the secondary cell battery with power received via the connector (20).