Multi-Unit Access Control Hubs for Rental Maintenance Entry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current home automation systems are inadequate for multi-family housing scenarios, lacking features essential for managing access and control in rental contexts, such as generating access codes for maintenance workers and addressing environmental conditions like leaks or battery depletion.
Innovation Solution
A multi-unit access and control system with a system controller, control hubs, sensors, and effectors, enabling fault condition detection, access code management, and automated responses to environmental conditions, including generating work orders and controlling smart locks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If home automation systems are implemented in multi-family housing, then monitoring and control capabilities are improved, but access control and security management become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the multi-family housing complex into multiple edge networks, each corresponding to a specific housing unit with its own control hub. This segmentation allows independent monitoring and control of each unit while maintaining centralized management through the property management system, resolving the contradiction between improved monitoring capabilities and increased access control complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a property management system as an intermediary that mediates between residents, maintenance workers, and the automation system. This intermediary provides centralized access control, authentication, and coordination, simplifying security management while enabling comprehensive monitoring and control across all housing units.
2Productivity
If access codes are generated for maintenance workers, then maintenance efficiency is improved, but security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically generates access codes with configurable validity periods and revocation capabilities. Access codes can be automatically revoked when maintenance is complete or if security concerns arise, providing flexible security control that adapts to changing conditions while maintaining high maintenance efficiency through automated code generation and distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The property management system implements feedback mechanisms that track access code usage, monitor maintenance activities, and enable real-time revocation of access codes. This feedback loop allows the system to maintain security by detecting and responding to abnormal access patterns while continuing to support efficient maintenance operations through automated access management.
3Loss of time
If automated responses to environmental conditions are implemented, then response time is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system configures automated response rules in advance that trigger specific actions when environmental conditions exceed predetermined thresholds. For example, if a sensor detects a leak or abnormal temperature, pre-configured rules automatically notify relevant parties and can trigger corrective actions without requiring real-time human decision-making, thus reducing response time while keeping the automation logic manageable through pre-planning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements localized automated responses at the edge network level, where control hubs make decisions about immediate local actions based on sensor data. This allows fast local responses to environmental conditions while the property management system handles higher-level coordination, distributing system complexity across multiple levels rather than concentrating it all centrally.
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided for multi-unit automation and access control for multi-family housing. Individual housing units have an associated control hub in communication with a remotely disposed system controller. Various sensors and effectors within the individual housing units may communicate with a corresponding hub, which may provide message regularization to facilitate interoperability of a wide array of sensors and effectors with the system controller. Both management representatives of the multi-family housing operator and residents may access the system controller via electronic devices such as smartphones. Thus, a resident and/or management representative may control effectors such as smart locks and may monitor sensors such as leak sensors or smoke alarms. Corrective maintenance work orders may be automatically generated to maintain an infrastructure of the multi-family housing in a desired condition and permit limited access to housing units for maintenance workers. Remote access by residents may enhance home automation experiences.