A remote door lock control management system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of remote door lock control management systems, belong to safety control technical field.The system aims at solving the problem that battery-powered door lock cannot realize effective remote management due to power consumption limit.The system includes server, external power supply gateway and battery-powered door lock configured as periodic wake-up.The core is that: the control instruction issued by server is cached by gateway first;Door lock in sleep state is awakened, initiatively initiates query request to gateway;Gateway responds to query, and issues cached instruction to door lock to execute.The utility model is combined with the asynchronous communication structure of the periodic wake-up query of door lock and the instruction cache of gateway, under the premise of not significantly increasing the power consumption of door lock, guaranteeing its long-lasting endurance, endows offline door lock with remote manageable ability, effectively balances the contradiction between remote management demand and low-power operation, improves management efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of access control system technology, and more specifically, to a remote door lock control and management system. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic door locks are widely used in places such as hotels, apartments, and dormitories where access control for a large number of rooms is required. Due to installation limitations, such as the difficulty and cost of wiring the door itself, most door locks in these places use batteries as their independent power source. To maximize battery life, door locks are typically designed as offline devices, not connected to any network in real time.

[0003] Currently, managers typically rely on authorization cards (such as NFC cards) or temporary passwords to manage these offline door locks. For example, a time-limited room card is created at the front desk and given to the user using a card issuer. While this method solves basic access authorization issues, its "offline" nature brings many management inconveniences. First, managers cannot obtain real-time information about the door lock's status, such as whether the battery is low, whether there are mechanical or electronic malfunctions in the lock body, or whether the internal clock is accurate. Anomalies are often only discovered passively when users are unable to open the door, impacting the user experience. Second, when maintenance operations such as configuring the door lock, calibrating the time, and reading opening records are required, managers must carry specialized equipment to each door lock individually. With a large number of rooms, this is undoubtedly a labor-intensive and time-consuming task, resulting in low management efficiency and high costs.

[0004] To address these issues, networked door locks have emerged on the market. These locks connect directly to the internet via built-in Wi-Fi or 4G communication modules, allowing administrators to easily perform all remote operations from a backend computer. However, Wi-Fi and 4G technologies consume significant power; if applied to battery-powered locks, this would lead to rapid battery depletion and frequent replacements, which is unacceptable in practical applications.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide a remote door lock control and management system that can effectively manage battery-powered door locks remotely and maintain their long-term low-power operation has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a remote door lock control and management system, which aims to resolve the contradiction between the remote management requirements and low power consumption requirements of battery-powered door locks in the prior art.

[0007] This utility model provides a remote door lock control and management system, comprising: at least one battery-powered door lock configured to be in a dormant state most of the time and to be woken up periodically according to a preset cycle; at least one externally powered gateway connected to the door lock via wireless communication, the gateway including a storage unit for caching instructions; and a server connected to the gateway via wired or wireless connection; wherein, the server is used to receive control instructions for a specific door lock sent by a user terminal and send the control instructions to the gateway corresponding to that specific door lock; the gateway is used to receive and cache the control instructions from the server in the storage unit; the door lock is used to initiate a query request to the gateway after being woken up periodically to obtain control instructions for itself; and, in response to the query request from the door lock, the gateway retrieves the corresponding control instructions from the storage unit and sends them to the door lock so that the door lock executes the control instructions.

[0008] As can be seen, by constructing a three-layer architecture of "server-gateway-lock" and designing an asynchronous communication structure that combines periodic lock wake-up queries with gateway command caching, administrators can perform fine-grained operations on any lock remotely, freeing them from the constraints of on-site maintenance and greatly improving management efficiency. At the same time, the system cleverly maintains the ultra-low power consumption characteristics of the locks, with the locks communicating only during brief periodic wake-up windows and remaining in deep sleep for the vast majority of the time, thus ensuring long battery life and making the solution practically feasible for large-scale deployment.

[0009] Optionally, after executing the control command, the door lock sends the execution result to the gateway, which then forwards the execution result to the server.

[0010] It is evident that by establishing a closed-loop communication between instruction issuance and result feedback, managers can confirm whether instructions have been successfully executed, thereby improving the reliability and manageability of the system.

[0011] Optionally, the wireless communication between the door lock and the gateway is Zigbee communication.

[0012] It is evident that by adopting Zigbee technology and leveraging its low power consumption and self-organizing network characteristics, the battery life of door locks can be further ensured, and a stable and reliable networking solution can be provided for a large number of devices, making it particularly suitable for large-scale deployment scenarios such as hotels and apartments.

[0013] Optionally, the control commands include at least one of the following: remote unlocking command, unlocking record reading command, door lock time calibration command, and door lock status query command.

[0014] This demonstrates that the system possesses diverse remote management capabilities, providing administrators with comprehensive remote control solutions rather than being limited to a single function, thus greatly enhancing operational convenience.

[0015] Optionally, the gateway also includes a gateway main control unit, a first wireless communication module that communicates with the door lock, and a network interface module that communicates with the server; the gateway main control unit is connected to the storage unit, the first wireless communication module, and the network interface module respectively, and is used to control the gateway's data reception, buffering, and forwarding.

[0016] Optionally, the door lock also includes a door lock main control unit, a second wireless communication module that communicates with the gateway, a battery, and a lock body drive module; the door lock main control unit is connected to the second wireless communication module, the battery, and the lock body drive module respectively, and is used to control the door lock's communication, sleep mode, wake-up mode, and lock body operation.

[0017] Optionally, the server may also be used to store the execution results received from the gateway.

[0018] Optionally, the query request initiated by the door lock includes its device identifier, and the gateway extracts the corresponding control command from the storage unit based on the device identifier.

[0019] As can be seen, this mechanism can ensure the accurate delivery of instructions. In the complex environment of multiple locks, it ensures that every instruction can be accurately sent to the target lock, avoids misoperation, and enhances the security of the system.

[0020] Optionally, the door lock returns to sleep mode after executing the control command or failing to obtain the control command from the gateway.

[0021] As can be seen, this design is one of the core mechanisms for achieving low power consumption in the system, ensuring that the door lock consumes energy only during the necessary communication window, thereby maximizing battery life.

[0022] Optionally, the door lock also includes at least one module for local unlocking, which may be a near-field communication module or a Bluetooth module.

[0023] As can be seen, this design provides redundant unlocking methods, ensuring that users can still open the door using conventional methods such as swiping a card or using a mobile phone in special circumstances such as network failures, thereby improving the overall reliability of the system and the user experience.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a remote door lock control and management system provided in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a structural block diagram of the gateway provided in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a structural block diagram of the door lock provided in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1. User terminal; 2. Server; 3. Gateway; 4. Door lock; 31. Gateway main control unit; 32. First wireless communication module; 33. Network interface module; 34. Storage unit; 35. Power supply module; 41. Door lock main control unit; 42. Second wireless communication module; 43. Battery; 44. Lock body drive module; 45. Near field communication module; 46. Bluetooth module. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0031] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or use.

[0032] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, they should be considered part of the specification.

[0033] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0034] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures. Example

[0035] Please see Figure 1 This embodiment provides a remote door lock control and management system. Logically, the system can be divided into three layers: from top to bottom, the management layer, the relay layer, and the device layer.

[0036] The management layer can include client 1 and server 2. Client 1 is the interface for administrators to interact with the system, such as management software installed on the hotel front desk computer. Server 2 is the backend hub of the entire system, responsible for processing business logic, storing data, and forwarding instructions. It can be deployed on a local area network or a cloud server.

[0037] The relay layer acts as a bridge connecting devices and the management network, and consists of one or more gateways 3. Gateways 3 are typically installed in locations such as corridor ceilings where power supply and signal coverage are easily accessible, and are stably connected to the network where server 2 resides via wired connections such as Ethernet. Simultaneously, each gateway 3 communicates with multiple door locks within a certain range using low-power wireless communication technology.

[0038] The equipment layer consists of a large number of door locks 4, each of which is installed on its own room door and is independently powered by a built-in battery.

[0039] Please refer to the following: Figure 2 Gateway 3 includes a gateway control unit 31 (MCU), and a power module 35 (POWER), a network interface module 33 (NET), a first wireless communication module 32, and a storage unit 34 (FLASH) connected to the gateway control unit 31. The power module 35 is connected to an external power source to provide continuous and stable power to the entire gateway. The network interface module 33, such as an RJ45 Ethernet port, is responsible for data communication between the gateway and server 2. The first wireless communication module 32, such as a Zigbee module, is responsible for establishing and maintaining a wireless network and managing the door locks 4 within the network. The storage unit 34, such as a Flash memory chip, plays a crucial role in caching control commands issued by server 2 to be sent to door locks 4. The gateway control unit 31, as the brain of the gateway, coordinates the work of each module, realizing the transmission and reception of network data and the caching and forwarding of commands.

[0040] See Figure 3 The door lock 4 includes a door lock main control unit 41 (MCU), and a battery 43 (BAT), a second wireless communication module 42, and a lock body drive module 44 (MOTORCONTROL) connected to the door lock main control unit 41. The battery 43 provides all the power to the door lock. The second wireless communication module 42, such as a Zigbee module, is responsible for joining and communicating with the wireless network established by the gateway 3. The lock body drive module 44 is used to drive the motor or electromagnet of the bolt to realize the unlocking and locking actions. The door lock main control unit 41 is responsible for controlling all the logic of the door lock, including processing unlocking commands, controlling the motor, managing power consumption (such as entering and waking from sleep mode), and communicating with the gateway 3. In a preferred embodiment, the door lock 4 can also integrate other local unlocking methods, such as a near-field communication module 45 (NFC) for card swiping and a Bluetooth module 46 (BLE) for mobile phone Bluetooth unlocking. Example

[0041] This embodiment describes Figure 1 The specific workflow of the system shown.

[0042] First, the administrator initiates a control command on client 1 for a specific door lock 4 (e.g., the lock on room 101). This command can be varied, such as "remotely unlock," "read the 10 most recent door opening records," "calibrate the door lock time," or "query the current status of the door lock." This command is sent to server 2. Upon receiving the command, server 2 performs permission verification and, based on pre-stored topology relationships, determines which gateway 3 is responsible for managing the lock on room 101. Subsequently, server 2 packages the control command and sends it over the network to the corresponding gateway 3.

[0043] Next, the gateway master control unit 31 of gateway 3 receives the control command from server 2, parses the command and identifies the unique ID of the target door lock, and then stores the command together with the target ID in the internal storage unit 34 for caching.

[0044] Meanwhile, the target door lock 4 is in a low-power sleep state, and its main control unit 41 only maintains a low-frequency internal timer. When the sleep time reaches a preset period (e.g., 1 minute, which can be configured according to actual needs), the internal timer triggers an interrupt, waking up the main control unit 41. After being woken up, the main control unit 41 immediately controls the second wireless communication module 42 to power on and sends a query request containing its own device ID to its paired gateway 3, intending to ask "whether there are any instructions for me".

[0045] After receiving the query request, gateway 3 searches for a cached corresponding instruction in storage unit 34 based on the device ID. If found, gateway 3 sends the instruction to door lock 4 via the first wireless communication module 32; if not found, it returns an empty message.

[0046] After receiving the command, the main control unit 41 of the door lock 4 will parse and execute the corresponding action: If it is a remote unlocking command, the lock body drive module 44 is controlled to perform the unlocking action.

[0047] If it is a door lock time calibration command, then the internal clock is updated according to the time data in the command.

[0048] If it is a door lock status query command, the system reads the internally stored information such as battery level and lock status, and prepares to return it as the execution result.

[0049] If it is a lock unlock record read instruction, the specified door unlock record data is retrieved from memory and prepared for return.

[0050] Finally, after executing the command, door lock 4 generates an execution result (such as "unlock successful," specific door opening record data, current door lock status information, or "time calibration completed"), which is sent to gateway 3 via the second wireless communication module 42. Upon receiving the execution result, gateway 3 forwards it to server 2, which then stores and presents the result to user terminal 1, thus completing a closed-loop operation. After completing this communication, door lock 4's main control unit 41 immediately enters a sleep state again, awaiting the next wake-up cycle.

[0051] In summary, this utility model successfully addresses the industry pain point of battery-powered door locks, which struggle to achieve effective remote management while maintaining low power consumption and long battery life, by constructing a remote control and management system comprising a user terminal, server, gateway, and door lock, and employing an asynchronous communication strategy involving periodic door lock wake-up, active querying, and gateway caching commands. The embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit its scope of protection. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within its scope of protection.

[0052] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A remote door lock control management system, characterized by, include: At least one battery-powered door lock, the door lock being configured to be in a sleep state most of the time and to be woken up periodically according to a preset cycle; At least one externally powered gateway, the gateway being connected to the door lock wirelessly, the gateway including a storage unit for caching instructions; The server is connected to the gateway via wired or wireless connection; the gateway further includes a gateway main control unit; the door lock further includes a door lock main control unit, which is equipped with a low-frequency internal timer. The server is used to receive control commands sent by the user terminal for a specific door lock, and send the control commands to the gateway corresponding to the specific door lock; The gateway is used to receive and cache control commands from the server in the storage unit; wherein, the gateway main control unit is configured to extract the control commands and the unique ID of the specific door lock, and store the control commands and the unique ID in the internal storage unit; The door lock is configured to initiate a query request to the gateway after a timed wake-up to obtain control commands for itself; wherein, the low-frequency internal timer is electrically connected to the door lock main control unit and is configured to trigger an interrupt to wake up the door lock main control unit after the sleep time reaches a preset period; the door lock main control unit is configured to send the query request containing its own device ID after being woken up; Furthermore, in response to the query request from the door lock, the gateway extracts the corresponding control command from the storage unit and sends it to the door lock so that the door lock executes the control command.

2. The remote door lock control management system of claim 1, wherein, After executing the control command, the door lock sends the execution result to the gateway, which then forwards the execution result to the server.

3. The remote door lock control management system of claim 1, wherein, The wireless communication between the door lock and the gateway is Zigbee communication.

4. The remote door lock control and management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control commands include at least one of the following: remote unlocking command, unlocking record reading command, door lock time calibration command, and door lock status query command.

5. The remote door lock control and management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gateway further includes a first wireless communication module that communicates with the door lock and a network interface module that communicates with the server; the gateway main control unit is connected to the storage unit, the first wireless communication module and the network interface module respectively, and is used to control the gateway's data reception, caching and forwarding.

6. The remote door lock control management system of claim 1, wherein, The door lock also includes a second wireless communication module that communicates with the gateway, a battery, and a lock body drive module; the door lock main control unit is connected to the second wireless communication module, the battery, and the lock body drive module respectively, and is used to control the door lock's communication, sleep mode, wake-up mode, and lock body operation.

7. The remote door lock control management system of claim 2, wherein, The server is also used to store the execution results received from the gateway.

8. The remote door lock control management system of claim 1, wherein, The query request initiated by the door lock includes its device identifier, and the gateway extracts the corresponding control command from the storage unit based on the device identifier.

9. The remote door lock control management system of claim 1, wherein, After executing the control command or failing to obtain a control command from the gateway, the door lock returns to the sleep state.

10. The remote door lock control management system of claim 6, wherein, The door lock also includes at least one module for local unlocking, which is a near-field communication module or a Bluetooth module.

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