JP7839388B2 - Door lock control system and mobile terminal - Google Patents

Description

This invention generally relates to a door lock control system for controlling the lock of a door and a portable terminal used in said door lock control system. More specifically, it relates to a door lock control system and a portable terminal used in said door lock control system for automatically releasing a door lock when a portable terminal carried by a user approaches a door lock control device that controls the lock of a door.

Traditionally, unlocking doors in houses and offices and entering the building involved physical keys such as metal keys, RFID-type IC keys (cards, tags, etc.), identification information such as PINs, or biometric information such as fingerprints. In particular, with the recent proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones, door lock control systems that unlock doors based on signals emitted from the user's mobile device have become widespread. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a door lock control system that automatically unlocks an electronic door lock by performing user authentication using signals emitted from the user's mobile device. Such door lock control systems are also referred to as smart lock systems.

In a smart lock system, a door lock control device is installed on the door to control the locking/unlocking of the door. The user performs mutual authentication between the door lock control device and their mobile device, and registers their mobile device. Furthermore, the user's mobile device can detect its entry into and exit from a predetermined area centered on the door (or door lock control device) using its GPS function. This function of detecting the entry and exit of a mobile device within a predetermined area is called geofencing.

The mobile device's geofencing function detects when it enters a predetermined area centered on the door, and when the mobile device approaches a door lock control device attached to the door within a certain distance, a wireless connection (typically a Bluetooth® pairing connection) is established between the mobile device and the door lock control device, and the door lock control device automatically unlocks the door. This provides a hands-free unlocking function that automatically unlocks the door without requiring operation of the mobile device. After the user enters the building, the door can be locked again either by the user or automatically by the door lock control device.

When the door lock is automatically released via the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile device and the user enters the building, the mobile device held by the user detects that the user has unlocked the door and entered the building, and deactivates its own hands-free unlocking function. Therefore, even if the user holding the mobile device approaches the door within a certain distance from inside the building, the door lock control device will not automatically unlock the door. The user inside the building can unlock the door and exit the building by performing a predetermined operation to unlock the door from inside, either via the mobile device or manually to the door lock control device. Subsequently, when the mobile device's geofencing function detects that the mobile device has left a predetermined range centered on the door, the mobile device reactivates its own hands-free unlocking function. With this configuration, the door lock can be automatically unlocked again when the mobile device held by the user approaches the door within a certain distance from outside the building.

However, in cases where the connection between the mobile device and the door lock control device cannot be temporarily established, a user may unlock the door using their physical key or IC key without using the mobile device's hands-free unlocking function, enter the building, and then relock the door, either by themselves or automatically. In this case, the mobile device does not recognize that the user has unlocked the door and entered the building, so the hands-free unlocking function is not deactivated. Therefore, when a user carrying a mobile device approaches the door within a certain distance, the door may be unlocked by the mobile device's hands-free unlocking function at an unintended time. In conventional technology, in such cases, the user is required to manually deactivate the hands-free unlocking function on the mobile device after entering the building. However, deactivating the hands-free unlocking function requires the user to operate the mobile device, thus reducing the usability of the hands-free unlocking function.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-218547

This invention addresses the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its objective is to provide a door lock control system and a mobile terminal used in said door lock control system that can prevent the door from being unlocked at an unintended time by the user, even when the user unlocks the door using their physical key or IC key, etc., without using the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile terminal, and enters the building. This is achieved without requiring the user to deactivate the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile terminal.

Such objectives are achieved by the present invention as defined by any of (1) through ( 4 ) below.

(1) A door lock control device for controlling the lock of the door,
The door lock control device is wirelessly connected to a portable terminal held by the user, and includes the aforementioned door lock control device.
The aforementioned mobile terminal is
Based on the received signal strength of the signal received from the door lock control device, it is determined whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors, separated by the door.
When the aforementioned mobile terminal is located outdoors, it is configured to transmit an unlock signal to the door lock control device to release the lock on the door.
A door lock control system characterized in that the mobile terminal is configured to determine that it has entered the building when the received radio wave intensity of the signal received from the door lock control device is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and the slope per unit time of the received radio wave intensity of the signal received from the door lock control device is equal to or greater than a second threshold .
(2) A door lock control device for controlling the locking of the door,
The door lock control device is wirelessly connected to a portable terminal held by the user, and includes the aforementioned door lock control device.
The aforementioned mobile terminal is
Based on the received signal strength of the signal received from the door lock control device, it is determined whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors, separated by the door.
When the aforementioned mobile terminal is located outdoors, it is configured to transmit an unlock signal to the door lock control device to release the lock on the door.
The aforementioned mobile terminal is equipped with a GPS unit capable of acquiring the location information of the mobile terminal.
The door lock control system is characterized in that the mobile terminal is configured to determine, based on the location information of the mobile terminal, whether the mobile terminal has entered a predetermined area centered on the door lock control device, and if it is determined that the mobile terminal has entered the predetermined area, to determine whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors separated by the door.

( 3 ) A mobile device,
Based on the received signal strength of the signal received from the door lock control device, it is determined whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors, separated by a door.
When the mobile terminal is located outdoors, it is configured to transmit an unlock signal to the door lock control device to unlock the door.
The mobile terminal is configured to determine that it has entered the building when the received radio wave intensity of the signal received from the door lock control device is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and the slope per unit time of the received radio wave intensity of the signal received from the door lock control device is equal to or greater than a second threshold.
(4) A mobile device,
Based on the received signal strength of the signal received from the door lock control device, it is determined whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors, separated by a door.
When the mobile terminal is located outdoors, it is configured to transmit an unlock signal to the door lock control device to unlock the door.
The aforementioned mobile terminal is equipped with a GPS unit capable of acquiring the location information of the mobile terminal.
The mobile terminal is configured to determine, based on the location information of the mobile terminal, whether the mobile terminal has entered a predetermined area centered on the door lock control device, and, if it is determined that the mobile terminal has entered the predetermined area, to determine whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors, separated by the door.

According to this invention, the door lock can be automatically released only when a wireless connection is established between a mobile device carried by the user and the door lock control device, and when it is determined that the mobile device is outdoors. This prevents the door from being unlocked at an unintended time, even if the user enters the building by unlocking the door using a physical key or IC key, rather than using the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile device.

This figure schematically shows a door lock control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is a block diagram of the mobile device shown. This graph shows a typical change in the received BLE signal strength when a user carrying a mobile device approaches a building door from outdoors, opens the door, and then enters the building. Figure 1 is a flowchart of the door lock control method performed by the door lock control system shown.

The following describes in detail the door lock control system and mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the door lock control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the mobile terminal shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a graph showing a typical change in the received radio wave intensity of the BLE signal received by the mobile terminal when a user carrying the mobile terminal approaches a building door from outside, opens the door, and enters the building.

The door lock control system 100 shown in Figure 1 includes a door 2 of building 1, a lock 3 for door 2, a door lock control device 4 for controlling the lock 3, and a portable terminal 5 carried by the user. In the door lock control system 100, when the portable terminal 5 carried by the user approaches the door lock control device 4 from an outside within a certain distance, the portable terminal 5 transmits an unlock signal to the door lock control device 4 to unlock the lock 3 of door 2. This provides a hands-free unlocking function, where the door lock control device 4 automatically unlocks the lock 3 of door 2 when the user carrying the portable terminal 5 approaches the door 2 of building 1 from an outside within a certain distance. The user can use the hands-free unlocking function by first performing mutual authentication between their portable terminal 5 and the door lock control device 4 and registering the portable terminal 5.

Building 1 is any building, such as a house or office. Door 2 is the entrance to Building 1, separating the outdoors (the space outside Building 1) from the indoors (the space inside Building 1). Door 2 may be a hinged door or a sliding door, as shown in Figure 1. Door 2 may also be a manual door, opened and closed manually, or an automatic door, opened and closed automatically by a door drive mechanism (not shown). Lock 3 has the function of restricting the opening and closing of Door 2. When Lock 3 is ON, Door 2 cannot be opened, and only when Lock 3 is OFF can Door 2 be opened. Lock 3 is not particularly limited as long as it can be controlled on/off by the door lock control device 4 and restrict the opening and closing of Door 2. Typically, a thumbturn lock or electronic lock that can lock Door 2 by operation from the door lock control device 4 can be used as Lock 3.

The door lock control device 4 has the function of turning the lock 3 of door 2 on and off. The door lock control device 4 is installed on door 2. Typically, the door lock control device 4 is installed on the inner surface of door 2 (the inner surface of building 1) and is installed in building 1 so that it can be manually operated from inside building 1, i.e., from the indoor side. A user inside building 1 can unlock door 2 and exit building 1 to the outside by performing an operation to release the lock 3 of door 2 via a mobile terminal 5 or directly on the door lock control device 4.

The door lock control device 4 is configured to communicate wirelessly with a user's mobile terminal 5. While the type of wireless communication between the door lock control device 4 and the mobile terminal 5 is not particularly limited, it is preferable that the wireless communication between the door lock control device 4 and the mobile terminal 5 conforms to the BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy) standard. Hereinafter, the wireless communication between the door lock control device 4 and the mobile terminal 5 will be assumed to conform to the BLE standard.

As shown in Figure 1, the door lock control device 4 includes a BLE communication unit 41 for performing wireless communication in accordance with the BLE standard, and a lock control unit 42 for operating the lock 3 of the door 2 and controlling the on/off state of the lock 3.

The BLE communication unit 41 is a unit used to perform wireless communication in accordance with the BLE standard. The BLE communication unit 41 is equipped with components necessary for performing wireless communication in accordance with the BLE standard, such as an antenna, a transmitting/receiving circuit, and a modulation/demodulation circuit, and wirelessly transmits and receives BLE signals in accordance with the BLE standard. The BLE communication unit 41 is not particularly limited as long as it can wirelessly transmit and receive BLE signals in accordance with the BLE standard; any BLE communication unit known in the telecommunications field can be used. The door lock control device 4 uses the BLE communication unit 41 to establish a wireless connection (pairing connection) with the mobile terminal 5, and further transmits BLE signals to the mobile terminal 5 at a predetermined frequency (for example, at least once per second).

The lock control unit 42 operates the lock 3 of the door 2 in response to an unlock signal received from the mobile terminal 5 via the BLE communication unit 41 or a manual operation by the user to the door lock control device 4, and has the function of turning the lock 3 on/off. If the lock 3 is a thumbturn lock, the lock control unit 42 is configured to turn the lock 3 on/off by rotating the knob on the lock 3. If the lock 3 is an electronic lock, the lock control unit 42 is configured to turn the lock 3 on/off by transmitting a control signal to the lock 3.

Furthermore, the lock control unit 42 also releases the lock 3 of door 2 when a user inside the building performs a predetermined operation on the door lock control device 4. This allows the user inside the building to release the lock 3 of door 2 and exit the building 1 to the outside. Additionally, the lock control unit 42 may be configured to automatically turn on the lock 3 of door 2 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the lock 3 of door 2 was released manually by the user or using the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile terminal 5. Such a configuration provides an auto-lock function.

The mobile terminal 5 is an arbitrary information terminal that can wirelessly communicate with the door lock control device 4, such as a tablet computer, smartphone, or PDA, and is portable by the user. As shown in Figure 2, the mobile terminal 5 comprises one or more processors 51 for controlling the mobile terminal 5, an I/O (input/output) interface 52 for input to and output from the mobile terminal 5, a BLE communication unit 53 for performing wireless communication in accordance with the BLE standard, a GPS unit 54 for acquiring the location information and positioning error of the mobile terminal 5 by receiving signals from multiple GPS satellites, an accelerometer 55 for detecting the acceleration of the mobile terminal 5, and one or more memories 56 that store data 57 and modules 58 used to perform processing on the mobile terminal 5.

One or more processors 51 are arithmetic units that perform arithmetic processing such as signal manipulation based on computer-readable instructions, such as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), central processing units (CPUs), memory control units (MCUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), state machines, logic circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or combinations thereof. In particular, the processors 51 are configured to fetch computer-readable instructions (e.g., data, programs, modules, etc.) stored in memory 56 and to perform arithmetic, signal manipulation, and control.

The I/O interface 52 includes various software interfaces and hardware interfaces, such as web interfaces and graphical user interfaces (GUIs). For example, the I/O interface 52 is an interface for peripheral devices such as keyboards, mice, touch panel displays, external memory, printers, and displays. The I/O interface 52 enables input to the mobile terminal 5 using input devices such as keyboards, mice, and touch panel displays, and output from the mobile terminal 5 to displays, printers, and external memory. Furthermore, the I/O interface 52 may enable the mobile terminal 5 to communicate with any external device, such as a web server or data server, via a network such as the Internet.

The BLE communication unit 53 is a unit used to perform wireless communication in accordance with the BLE standard, similar to the BLE communication unit 41 of the door lock control device 4. The mobile terminal 5 uses the BLE communication unit 53 to establish a wireless connection (pairing connection) with the door lock control device 4, and further receives BLE signals from the door lock control device 4 at the predetermined frequency mentioned above.

The GPS unit 54 receives GPS signals from three or more GPS satellites in orbit and performs three-dimensional positioning based on the GPS signals received from each GPS satellite, thereby obtaining the location information (latitude and longitude) and positioning error of the mobile terminal 5. As is well known, the positioning error of the mobile terminal 5 depends on the number of GPS satellites from which the GPS unit 54 was able to receive GPS signals. The more GPS satellites from which the GPS unit 54 was able to receive GPS signals, the smaller the positioning error of the mobile terminal 5.

The accelerometer 55 can detect the acceleration of the mobile device 5. Typically, the accelerometer 55 is a gyroscope capable of detecting acceleration in three axes (x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis), and outputs a composite value of the acceleration in the three axes. The accelerometer 55 outputs the composite value of the acceleration in the three axes of the mobile device 5 at a predetermined frequency (for example, at least once every 0.1 seconds).

The memory 56 is a computer-readable medium including volatile storage media (e.g., RAM, SRAM, DRAM), non-volatile storage media (e.g., ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, hard disk, optical disc, CD-ROM, digital multi-purpose disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk), or a combination thereof.

Memory 56 is communicatively connected to the processor 51 and stores data 57 necessary for the mobile terminal 5 to perform processing, as well as multiple modules 58 that can be executed by the processor 51. Memory 56 also has a function to temporarily store data received, processed, and generated by one or more of the multiple modules 58, and data necessary for executing processing by the multiple modules 58.

The data 57 stored in memory 56 includes an indoor flag 571 indicating whether the mobile terminal 5 is located indoors or outdoors, an indoor/outdoor determination condition 572 used to determine whether the mobile terminal 5, held by the user, is located indoors (inside building 1) or outdoors (outside building 1), separated by door 2, and other data 573 necessary for executing processing of the mobile terminal 5.

The indoor flag 571 indicates whether the mobile device 5 is located indoors or not. If the indoor flag 571 is set to "0", it indicates that the mobile device 5 is located outdoors. Conversely, if the indoor flag 571 is set to "1", it indicates that the mobile device 5 is located indoors.

The indoor/outdoor detection condition 572 is used to determine whether the mobile terminal 5, carried by the user, is located indoors (inside building 1) or outdoors (outside building 1), separated by door 2. More specifically, the indoor/outdoor detection condition 572 is used to determine whether the mobile terminal 5 is located outdoors or indoors based on the received signal strength (RSSI) of the BLE signal received by the mobile terminal 5 from the door lock control device 4. The method for determining whether the mobile terminal 5 is located outdoors or indoors based on the received signal strength of the BLE signal received from the door lock control device 4 will be described in detail below.

The wireless communication by the door lock control device 4 conforms to the BLE standard; therefore, the transmitted BLE signal strength from the door lock control device 4 to the mobile terminal 5 is defined by the BLE standard. On the other hand, the received BLE signal strength transmitted from the door lock control device 4 and received by the mobile terminal 5 changes depending on the distance between the door lock control device 4 and the mobile terminal 5, and the environment between the two. For example, if the distance between the door lock control device 4 and the mobile terminal 5 decreases, the received BLE signal strength received by the mobile terminal 5 increases. Conversely, if the distance between the door lock control device 4 and the mobile terminal 5 increases, the received BLE signal strength received by the mobile terminal 5 decreases. Furthermore, if there is a change in the environment between the door lock control device 4 and the mobile terminal 5, the received BLE signal strength received by the mobile terminal 5 will also change.

Figure 3 is a graph showing a typical change in the received signal strength of the BLE signal received by the mobile terminal 5 from the door lock control device 4 when a user carrying a mobile terminal 5 approaches door 2 of building 1 from outside, opens door 2, and enters the building 1 (indoors). In the graph in Figure 3, the horizontal axis represents time (seconds), and the vertical axis represents the received signal strength (dBm) of the BLE signal received by the mobile terminal 5. Note that in the graph in Figure 3, it is assumed that at time 0 seconds, the user opened door 2 to enter the building.

When a user carrying the mobile device 5 approaches door 2 from outside, the distance between the mobile device 5 and the door lock control device 4 decreases, causing the received BLE signal strength on the mobile device 5 to exceed a certain value. In the graph of Figure 3, when a user carrying the mobile device 5 approaches door 2 from outside within a certain distance (for example, about 1-2 meters), the received BLE signal strength exceeds a predetermined threshold. In the graph of Figure 3, the predetermined threshold is approximately -70 dBm, indicated by the dashed line on the horizontal axis.

Subsequently, when the user opens door 2 and enters building 1 (indoors), the received BLE signal strength repeatedly decreases and increases sharply. This is due to the door lock control device 4 being installed on door 2. In other words, when the user opens or closes door 2, the environment between the user's mobile terminal 5 and door 2 (where the door lock control device 4 is installed) changes significantly. Therefore, the received BLE signal strength received by the mobile terminal 5 also changes significantly, and the absolute value of the slope (amount of change) of the received BLE signal strength per unit time (e.g., milliseconds or 1 second) increases.

The outdoor/indoor discrimination condition 572 is a condition for determining whether the mobile terminal 5, carried by the user, has entered the building from the outside (separated by door 2) by utilizing the aforementioned characteristics of the change in the received signal strength of the BLE signal received by the mobile terminal 5 when the user opens door 2 from the outside and enters the building 1 (indoors). More specifically, the outdoor/indoor discrimination condition 572 includes the aforementioned threshold value for the received signal strength of the BLE signal (in the example in Figure 3, -70 dBm) and a threshold value for the absolute value of the slope per unit time of the received signal strength of the BLE signal received by the mobile terminal 5. The threshold value for the absolute value of the slope per unit time of the received signal strength of the BLE signal is set appropriately according to the structure of door 2 of building 1 and the installation location of the door lock control device 4, and is set, for example, to 4 dBm per unit time (1 second), i.e., 4 dBm/s.

As shown in Figure 3, if the received signal strength of the BLE signal is above a predetermined threshold (approximately -70 dBm in the example in Figure 3), and the absolute value of the slope of the received signal strength of the BLE signal per unit time is above the predetermined threshold, it can be determined that the user has opened door 2 from outside and entered the building. When the mobile terminal 5 determines, using the outdoor/indoor detection condition 572, that the user has opened door 2 from outside and entered the building, it sets the indoor flag 571 in its memory 56 to "1". By referring to the indoor flag 571 in its memory 56, the mobile terminal 5 can determine whether the mobile terminal 5, which is possessed by the user, is located outdoors or indoors.

Returning to Figure 2, the module 58 stored in memory 56 is a computer-readable instruction executable by the processor 51, such as a routine, application, program, algorithm, library, object, component, data structure, or combination thereof.

Module 58 includes a geofence module 581 for detecting the mobile terminal 5 entering or leaving a predetermined area (geofence) centered on the door 2 (or door lock control device 4), an outdoor/indoor determination module 582 for determining whether the mobile terminal 5, carried by the user, is located outdoors or indoors separated by the door 2, and any number of other modules 583 to supplement the functions provided by the mobile terminal 5.

The geofence module 581 is used to detect when a mobile device 5 enters or leaves a predetermined area (geofence) centered on door 2 (or door lock control device 4), based on the location information of the mobile device 5 acquired by the GPS unit 54. The predetermined area is appropriately set to cover building 1 by external signals or operations via the I/O interface 52. In one example, the predetermined area is a 100m diameter area centered on door 2 (or door lock control device 4).

When the geofence module 581 detects that the mobile terminal 5 has entered a predetermined area, it transmits the detection result to the processor 51, which then activates the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile terminal 5. Once the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile terminal 5 is activated, the processor 51 uses the BLE communication unit 53 to begin the process of establishing a wireless connection (pairing connection) with the door lock control device 4. Conversely, when the geofence module 581 detects that the mobile terminal 5 has left the predetermined area, it deactivates the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile terminal 5 and sets the indoor flag 571 stored in the memory 56 to "0".

The outdoor/indoor detection module 582 is used to determine whether the mobile terminal 5, which is carried by the user, is located outdoors or indoors, separated by the door 2. When a wireless connection is established between the mobile terminal 5 and the door lock control device 4, and the mobile terminal 5 receives a BLE signal from the door lock control device 4, the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 determines whether the user has opened the door 2 from outdoors and entered the building 1 (indoors) based on the outdoor/indoor detection conditions 572 stored in the memory 56 and the BLE signal received by the mobile terminal 5. When the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 determines that the user has opened the door 2 from outdoors and entered the building 1 (indoors), it sets the indoor flag 571 stored in the memory 56 to "1". With this configuration, once the mobile terminal 5 enters a predetermined area, and after a wireless connection is established between the mobile terminal 5 and the door lock control device 4, if the user opens door 2 and enters the building 1 (indoors), the indoor flag 571 in memory 56 will be set to "1," even if the user unlocks door 2 using a physical key or IC key, without using the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile terminal 5.

Furthermore, the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 has the function of referring to the indoor flag 571 stored in memory 56 and outputting whether the mobile terminal 5 is located outdoors or indoors. If the indoor flag 571 is set to "0", the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 outputs that the mobile terminal 5 is located outdoors. On the other hand, if the indoor flag 571 is set to "1", the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 outputs that the mobile terminal 5 is located indoors. The detection result from the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 is transmitted to the processor 51. Once a wireless connection is established between the mobile terminal 5 and the door lock control device 4, and the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 determines that the mobile terminal 5 is located outdoors, the processor 51 uses the BLE communication unit 53 to send a release signal to the door lock control device 4 to release the lock 3 of the door 2. Upon receiving the release signal from the mobile terminal 5, the door lock control device 4 releases the lock 3 of the door 2.

Next, with reference to Figure 4, the door lock control method performed by the door lock control system of the present invention will be described in detail. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the door lock control method S100 performed by the door lock control system shown in Figure 1.

In step S110, the processor 51 of the mobile terminal 5 uses the geofence module 581 to determine, based on the location information of the mobile terminal 5 acquired by the GPS unit 54, whether the mobile terminal 5 has entered a predetermined area centered on the door 2 (or door lock control device 4). If it is determined in step S110 that the mobile terminal 5 has entered the predetermined area, the processor 51 activates the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile terminal 5, and the process proceeds to step S120. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S110 that the mobile terminal 5 has not entered the predetermined area, the process of step S110 is repeated. Note that when the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile terminal 5 is activated in step S110, the indoor flag 571 stored in the memory 56 of the mobile terminal 5 is set to "0", and the lock 3 of the door 2 is turned on.

In step S120, the processor 51 establishes a wireless connection (pairing connection) with the door lock control device 4 using the BLE communication unit 53. The wireless connection between the mobile terminal 5 and the door lock control device 4 is established when the mobile terminal 5 approaches the door lock control device 4 within a certain distance (e.g., 3 to 5 m). Once the wireless connection between the mobile terminal 5 and the door lock control device 4 is established, the mobile terminal 5 receives BLE signals from the door lock control device 4 at a predetermined frequency.

In step S130, the processor 51 uses the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 to determine whether the user holding the mobile terminal 5 has opened door 2 and entered the building, based on the outdoor/indoor detection conditions 572 stored in memory 56 and the received signal strength of the BLE signal received by the mobile terminal 5 in step S120. If the processor 51 determines in step S130 that the user has opened door 2 and entered the building, it sets the indoor flag 571 stored in memory 56 to "1".

Furthermore, in step S130, the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 refers to the indoor flag 571 stored in memory 56. If the indoor flag 571 is set to "0", the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 outputs that the mobile terminal 5 is outdoors. The indoor flag 571 being set to "0" means that after the mobile terminal 5 entered the designated area, no event of the user opening door 2 and entering indoors has occurred. Therefore, when the indoor flag 571 is set to "0", the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 can determine that the mobile terminal 5 is outdoors. On the other hand, if the indoor flag 571 is set to "1", the outdoor/indoor detection module 582 outputs that the mobile terminal 5 is located indoors.

In step S120, wireless communication (pairing connection) with the door lock control device 4 is established. Furthermore, in step S130, if it is determined whether the mobile terminal 5 is located outdoors or indoors, the process proceeds to step S140. If it is determined in step S130 that the mobile terminal 5 is located outdoors, the process proceeds to step S150. In step S150, the processor 51 uses the BLE communication unit 53 to send a release signal to the door lock control device 4 to release the lock 3 of the door 2. Upon receiving the release signal from the mobile terminal 5, the door lock control device 4 releases the lock 3 of the door 2. After this, the door lock control method S100 terminates. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S130 that the mobile terminal 5 is located indoors, the door lock control method S100 terminates.

Furthermore, even after the door lock control method S100 has finished, as long as the mobile terminal 5 is activated, the process in step S120 for determining whether the user has opened the door 2 and entered the building is repeatedly executed each time the mobile terminal 5 receives a BLE signal from the door lock control device 4. This ensures that even if the user unlocks the door 2 using their physical key or IC key, etc., and enters the building without using the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile terminal 5, the mobile terminal 5 can appropriately set the indoor flag 571 stored in the memory 56.

Thus, by using the door lock control system 100 of the present invention, wireless communication is established between the mobile terminal 5 held by the user and the door lock control device 4, and the lock 3 of the door 2 can be automatically released only when it is determined that the mobile terminal 5 is outdoors. In particular, in the door lock control system 100 of the present invention, the processor 51 of the mobile terminal 5 can determine, using the outdoor/indoor determination module 582, that the user has opened the door 2 and entered the building. Therefore, even if the user unlocks the door 2 using their own physical key or IC key, etc., without using the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile terminal 5, and enters the building, the indoor flag 571 stored in the memory 56 of the mobile terminal 5 can be appropriately set. As a result, when a user carrying the mobile terminal 5 approaches the door 2 indoors, it is possible to prevent the lock 3 of the door 2 from being released at an unintended time by the user. Therefore, even if a user unlocks door 2 using their physical key or IC key, etc., without using the hands-free unlocking function of the mobile device 5, and enters the building, there is no need to require the user to deactivate the hands-free unlocking function. This improves the usability of the hands-free unlocking function.

The door lock control system 100 and mobile terminal 5 of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The configuration of each component of the present invention can be replaced with any other component that can perform similar functions, or any component can be added to the configuration of the present invention. Furthermore, each component of the door lock control system 100 and mobile terminal 5 may be implemented in hardware, in software, or in a combination thereof.

Furthermore, in this invention, the presence or absence of the mobile terminal 5 is determined based on the received signal strength of the signal received by the mobile terminal 5 from the door lock control device 4. However, the presence or absence of the mobile terminal 5 may be determined comprehensively by combining the received signal strength of the signal received by the mobile terminal 5 from the door lock control device 4 with any other information that the mobile terminal 5 can acquire. This comprehensive determination may be performed based on a majority vote of the determinations made using the information, or on a score obtained by weighting and adding the confidence level (reliability) of each determination.

Those skilled in the art and the field to which this invention belongs will be able to modify the configuration of the door lock control system and mobile terminal described in this invention without significantly departing from the principles, concepts, and scope of this invention, and the door lock control system and mobile terminal having the modified configuration will also be within the scope of this invention.

1…Building 2…Door 3…Lock 4…Door lock control device 41…BLE communication unit 42…Lock control unit 5…Mobile terminal 51…Processor 52…I/O interface 53…BLE communication unit 54…GPS unit 55…Accelerometer 56…Memory 57…Data 571…Indoor flag 572…Outdoor/indoor discrimination condition 573…Other data 58…Module 581…Geofence module 582…Outdoor/indoor discrimination module 583…Other modules 100…Door lock control system S100…Door lock control method S110, S120, S130, S140, S150…Process

Claims (7)

A door lock control device for controlling the locking of the door,
The door lock control device is wirelessly connected to a portable terminal held by the user, and includes the aforementioned door lock control device.
The aforementioned mobile terminal is
Based on the received signal strength of the signal received from the door lock control device, it is determined whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors, separated by the door.
When the aforementioned mobile terminal is located outdoors, it is configured to transmit an unlock signal to the door lock control device to release the lock on the door.
A door lock control system characterized in that the mobile terminal is configured to determine that it has entered the building when the received radio wave intensity of the signal received from the door lock control device is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and the slope per unit time of the received radio wave intensity of the signal received from the door lock control device is equal to or greater than a second threshold . The aforementioned mobile terminal is equipped with a GPS unit capable of acquiring the location information of the mobile terminal.
The door lock control system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to determine, based on the location information of the mobile terminal, whether the mobile terminal has entered a predetermined area centered on the door lock control device, and if it is determined that the mobile terminal has entered the predetermined area , to determine whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors separated by the door. The door lock control system according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the door lock control device is configured to transmit the signal to the mobile terminal at a predetermined frequency. The door lock control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the wireless communication between the door lock control device and the mobile terminal conforms to the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) standard. A door lock control device for controlling the locking of the door,
The door lock control device is wirelessly connected to a portable terminal held by the user, and includes the aforementioned door lock control device.
The aforementioned mobile terminal is
Based on the received signal strength of the signal received from the door lock control device, it is determined whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors, separated by the door.
When the aforementioned mobile terminal is located outdoors, it is configured to transmit an unlock signal to the door lock control device to release the lock on the door.
The aforementioned mobile terminal is equipped with a GPS unit capable of acquiring the location information of the mobile terminal.
The door lock control system is characterized in that the mobile terminal is configured to determine, based on the location information of the mobile terminal, whether the mobile terminal has entered a predetermined area centered on the door lock control device, and if it is determined that the mobile terminal has entered the predetermined area, to determine whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors separated by the door. It is a mobile device,
Based on the received signal strength of the signal received from the door lock control device, it is determined whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors, separated by a door.
When the mobile terminal is located outdoors, it is configured to transmit an unlock signal to the door lock control device to unlock the door.
The mobile terminal is configured to determine that it has entered the building when the received radio wave intensity of the signal received from the door lock control device is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and the slope per unit time of the received radio wave intensity of the signal received from the door lock control device is equal to or greater than a second threshold. It is a mobile device,
Based on the received signal strength of the signal received from the door lock control device, it is determined whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors, separated by a door.
When the mobile terminal is located outdoors, it is configured to transmit an unlock signal to the door lock control device to unlock the door.
The aforementioned mobile terminal is equipped with a GPS unit capable of acquiring the location information of the mobile terminal.
The mobile terminal is configured to determine, based on the location information of the mobile terminal, whether the mobile terminal has entered a predetermined area centered on the door lock control device, and, if it is determined that the mobile terminal has entered the predetermined area, to determine whether the mobile terminal is located outdoors or indoors, separated by the door.