# US 12,217,560 B2 · Ultra-wideband technologies for seamless access control

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- Number: US 12,217,560 B2
- Document ID: US12217560B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/203,386
- Filed: 2023-05-30
- Published: 2024-03-28
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-27
- Assignees: Schlage Lock Company LLC
- Applicants: Schlage Lock Company LLC
- Inventors: Ryan C. Kincaid; Robert Prostko; Robert Martens; Benjamin J. Hopkins; David M. Baty; Srikanth Venkateswaran; Christopher R. Baker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12217560B2

## CPC

- G07C 9/00182: {operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks}
- G01S 5/0289: {of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks}
- G01S 5/12: by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
- G07C 9/00309: {operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks}
- G07C 9/28: the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
- H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
- H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds}
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- H04W 12/63: Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
- H04W 52/0229: {where the received signal is a wanted signal}
- H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup
- H04W 76/27: Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
- E05B 47/00: Operating or controlling locks or other fastening devices by electric or magnetic means (electric permutation locks E05B49/00)
- G07C 2009/00793: {by Hertzian waves}
- G07C 2209/63: Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
- H04W 4/33: for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
- H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals}
- H04W 12/06: Authentication
- H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
- H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS

## Abstract

A system according to one embodiment includes a first computing device comprising ultra-wideband communication circuitry, and a second computing device comprising ultra-wideband communication circuitry configured to communicate with the ultra-wideband communication circuitry of the first computing device to determine the angle and distance of the first computing device relative to the second computing device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
communicating, via a Bluetooth communication circuitry of a first computing device associated with an access control device that controls access to a passageway, with a second computing device over a Bluetooth communication connection established between the first computing device and the second computing device to determine that the second computing device includes ultra-wideband (UWB) communication circuitry for UWB-based communication;
waking the UWB communication circuitry of the second computing device from a low power state in response to the Bluetooth communication;
determining, by the first computing device based on at least one UWB communication signal received from the second computing device, a location of the second computing device relative to the first computing device;
determining a location of the second computing device within a building based on the location of the second computing device relative to the first computing device; and
directing, via an interface of the second computing device, a user of the second computing device to an exit of the building based on the location of the second computing device within the building.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the second computing device over the Bluetooth communication connection further comprises receiving access credentials from the second computing device with respect to access to the access control device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising communicating, from the first computing device, an alert to the second computing device in response to determining that the second computing device is approaching an area that a user of the second computing device is unauthorized to access.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device comprises the access control device.

### Claim 5

A system, comprising:
an access control device configured to control access to a passageway;
a first computing device associated with the access control device, the first computing device comprising a first Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication circuitry and a first ultra-wideband (UWB) communication circuitry; and
a second computing device comprising a second BLE communication circuitry and a second UWB circuitry;
wherein the first computing device is configured to communicate with the second computing device over a BLE communication connection established between the first computing device and the second computing device to determine that the second computing device is capable of UWB-based communication;
wherein the second computing device is configured to wake the second UWB communication circuitry from a low power state in response to the BLE communication;
wherein the first computing device is further configured to determine a location of the second computing device relative to the first computing device based on at least one UWB communication signal received from the second computing device;
wherein the first computing device is further configured to determine a location of the second computing device within a building based on the location of the second computing device relative to the first computing device; and
wherein the first computing device is further configured to direct a user of the second computing device, via an interface of the second computing device, to an exit of the building based on the location of the second computing device within the building.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein to communicate with the second computing device over the BLE communication connection further comprises to receive access credentials from the second computing device with respect to access to the access control device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the first computing device comprises the access control device.

### Claim 8

A first computing device, comprising:
a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication circuitry;
an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication circuitry;
a processor; and
a memory comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, causes the first computing device to:
communicate with a second computing device over a BLE communication connection established between the first computing device and the second computing device to determine that the second computing device is capable of UWB-based communication;
determine a location of the second computing device relative to the first computing device based on at least one UWB communication signal received from the second computing device in response to UWB communication circuitry of the second computing device being awaken based on the BLE communication with the first computing device;
determine a location of the second computing device within a building based on the location of the second computing device relative to the first computing device; and
direct a user of the second computing device, via an interface of the second computing device, to an exit of the building based on the location of the second computing device within the building.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the second computing device within the building comprises determining a three-dimensional location of the second computing device within the building.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein directing the user of the second computing device to the exit of the building comprises directing the user of the second computing device to a nearest exit of the building based on the location of the second computing device within the building.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein directing the user of the second computing device to the nearest exit of the building comprises directing the user of the second computing device to the nearest exit of the building in response to determining that an emergency situation exists.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a count of a plurality of mobile computing devices within the building prior to an emergency alert indicative of an emergency situation, wherein the plurality of mobile computing devices comprises the second computing device; and
tracking the count of the plurality of mobile computing devices remaining within the building during the emergency situation.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a respective location within the building of each mobile computing device of a plurality of mobile computing devices within the building in response to determining that an emergency situation exists, wherein the plurality of mobile computing devices comprises the second computing device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising unlocking a lock mechanism of the access control device during the emergency situation.

### Claim 15 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein to determine the location of the second computing device within the building comprises to determine a three-dimensional location of the second computing device within the building.

### Claim 16 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein to direct the user of the second computing device to the exit of the building comprises to direct the user of the second computing device to a nearest exit of the building based on the location of the second computing device within the building.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein to direct the user of the second computing device to the nearest exit of the building comprises to direct the user of the second computing device to the nearest exit of the building in response to a determination that an emergency situation exists.

### Claim 18 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:
determine a count of a plurality of mobile computing devices within the building prior to an emergency alert indicative of an emergency situation, wherein the plurality of mobile computing devices comprises the second computing device; and
track the count of the plurality of mobile computing devices remaining within the building during the emergency situation.

### Claim 19 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the first computing device is further configured to monitor a respective location within the building of each mobile computing device of a plurality of mobile computing devices within the building in response to a determination that an emergency situation exists, wherein the plurality of mobile computing devices comprises the second computing device.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the access control device is configured to unlock a lock mechanism of the access control device during the emergency situation.