Smart Lock Digital Key Delivery and Status Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Hotels and short-term rentals face challenges in managing smart devices due to fragmented, costly, and non-scalable solutions, which result in unreliable real-time status updates, delayed policy application, key code transmission issues, and vulnerability to hacking, leading to inefficient guest experiences and security concerns.

Innovation Solution

A computerized method for guaranteed key delivery to smart locks, adaptive power monitoring, edge control, and secure key notification, utilizing machine learning and localized hubs to manage smart devices, ensuring real-time status updates, instant policy application, secure key delivery, and enhanced security features.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If devices query status frequently to achieve real-time status updates, then status update reliability is improved, but battery life is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestatus update reliabilityVSAvoidbattery life

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by having devices broadcast their status changes proactively rather than waiting for queries. When a device goes offline or online, it automatically notifies the controller, eliminating the need for continuous querying and extending battery life while maintaining real-time status awareness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where devices provide status updates automatically when changes occur. This asymmetric communication pattern (device-initiated feedback rather than controller-initiated queries) maintains real-time status information while minimizing energy consumption from frequent polling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Speed

If codes are transmitted to locks without verification to improve transmission speed, then transmission time is reduced, but code delivery reliability is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission speedVSAvoidcode delivery reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The controller receives feedback from the lock confirming successful code reception. This feedback loop allows the system to verify delivery without requiring repeated transmissions, maintaining both speed and reliability. The lock actively confirms when it has received the code, enabling immediate verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces mechanical retry mechanisms (repeated transmission attempts) with a verification mechanism based on feedback signals from the lock. This substitution allows single-attempt transmissions to be reliable through confirmation rather than repetition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Loss of energy

If hubs set high status query intervals to conserve battery life, then battery consumption is reduced, but real-time status determination capability is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery consumptionVSAvoidreal-time status determination

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Devices perform the preliminary action of broadcasting their own status changes rather than waiting for controller queries. This proactive approach eliminates the need for high-frequency polling while ensuring real-time status awareness, as devices notify the controller immediately when state changes occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The traditional query-response model is inverted to a push-notification model. Instead of the controller querying device status periodically, the devices push their status information to the controller when changes occur. This reversal achieves real-time status determination without energy-intensive frequent queries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Ease of operation

If Wi-Fi connectivity is used for device communication to simplify network setup, then ease of operation is improved, but network security is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork setup simplicityVSAvoidhacking vulnerability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the network into separate communication channels: a public Wi-Fi network for general connectivity and a dedicated secure channel for lock code transmissions. This segmentation allows easy Wi-Fi setup while isolating critical security communications from potential attacks on the public network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The lock itself acts as an intermediary between the controller and the actual code storage. It receives encrypted commands from the controller via Wi-Fi, validates authentication, and only then stores the code. This intermediary function with built-in authentication mechanisms enables simple Wi-Fi connectivity while maintaining security through layered verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20240169775A1Methods and systems of guaranteed digital key code delivery to a smart lock in a smart-device network

Publication Date: 2024.05.23 VISWANATHAN NARAYANASWAMY

AI summary

In one aspect, a computerized method for guaranteed key delivery of a digital key code to a smart lock comprising: providing a plurality of smart locks, wherein the plurality of smart locks are communicatively coupled in a local area network, and wherein a key code; transmitting, via the local area network, a digital key code to a smart lock in the plurality of smart locks; and verifying a presence of the transmitted code in the lock once the transmission is performed.