Robotic door latch unlatching mechanism and method thereof

A door unlatching apparatus, comprising:

• a base plate configured to be mounted to an edge surface of a door, wherein the base plate has a first aperture configured to receive a spring-loaded latch of a door knob therethrough;
• an unlatching plate positioned over at least a portion of the base plate, the unlatching plate having a second aperture configured to align with the first aperture to permit the spring-loaded latch to extend therethrough when the unlatching plate is in a first position;
• a motor assembly coupled to the base plate;
• and
• a linkage assembly having a first end operatively coupled to the motor assembly and a second end coupled to the unlatching plate, wherein the linkage assembly is configured to translate motion from the motor assembly to move the unlatching plate from the first position to a second position;
• wherein, when the unlatching plate is moved to the second position, the unlatching plate engages a sloped portion of the spring-loaded latch to depress the latch and covers the first aperture to prevent the latch from re-engaging a strike plate, thereby permitting the door to be opened.

A smart door system, comprising:

• a door unlatching apparatus comprising:
• a base plate configured to be mounted to a door or door frame;
• an unlatching plate having an aperture configured to receive a spring-loaded latch therethrough in a first position;
• a motor assembly configured to move the unlatching plate from the first position to a second position to depress and cover the spring-loaded latch;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to the motor assembly;
• and
• a smart deadbolt communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to determine a state of the smart deadbolt, wherein the controller is configured to initiate an unlatching sequence only upon confirmation that the smart deadbolt is in an unlocked state.