Dynamic electronic door lock control system

Abstract

A method of controlling access to a real estate property includes installing a dynamic electronically-controlled lockset on an exterior door of a real estate property, maintaining, at a remote location, a reference device adapted to present a value of a second dynamic access code to one or more users located in the real estate office, receiving, at the real estate agent location, a request from a user for a current value of the second dynamic access code, examining the reference device to determine the current value of the second dynamic access code, and providing the current value of the second dynamic access code to the user for input into the electronically-controlled lockset. The lockset is adapted to unlock upon receiving a value corresponding to a first dynamic access code programmed therein. The second dynamic access code is time-synchronized with the first dynamic access code programmed in the electronically-controlled lockset.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling access to a building, comprising:
 installing an electronically-controlled lockset on an exterior door of a building, wherein a locking mechanism of the electronically-controlled lockset is disposed in an operable relationship with a door frame in which the exterior door is installed and the state of the locking mechanism controls whether the exterior door may be opened, wherein the electronically-controlled lockset is configured to release the locking mechanism upon an access code being entered into the electronically-controlled lockset, wherein the access code is valid for releasing the locking mechanism for a predetermined window of time;   maintaining a reference device at a separate location that is located remotely from the building, the reference device being configured to generate a current value of the access code, wherein the current value of the access code is time-synchronized with the electronically-controlled lockset; and   providing the current value of the access code to a user in response to a request from the user for the access code to access the building.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronically-controlled lockset is configured to receive the access code via a near field communication (NFC) transmission. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the access code is based at least in part on an output of a pseudorandom number generator function. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the access code is based at least in part on a current time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the access code comprises a numeric code. 
     
     
         6 . A system for controlling access to a building, comprising:
 a computing device;   an application executable on the computing device, wherein the application comprises:
 logic that generates an access token for the building in response to receiving a request for the access token from a client device; and 
 logic that transmits the access token to the client device. 
   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the request for the access token comprises an identifier of the building and the logic that generates the access token further comprises:
 logic that determines whether the identifier is valid; and   logic that, in response to a determination that the identifier is valid, generates the access token based at least in part on the identifier, wherein the access token is limited to the building.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the request for the access token comprises a timestamp of the request and the logic that generates the access token further generates the access token based at least in part on the timestamp, wherein the access token is valid for a predefined window of time subsequent to a time specified by the timestamp. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the application further comprises:
 logic that determines that the building has been accessed based upon an electronic message sent from an electronic lock, wherein the electronic message specifies that the electronic lock has received the access token; and   logic that records that the building has been accessed.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the application further comprises logic that authenticates the client device, wherein the access token is generated in response to a determination that the client device is approved to receive the access token. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the access token is a currently valid access token; and   the logic that generates the access token for the building in response to receiving the request for the access token from a client device further comprises logic that periodically generates a new access token, wherein the new access token replaces a previously generated access token as the currently valid access token.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the request from the client device comprises a client identifier and the application further comprises logic that determines that the client device corresponds to a registered client device based at least in part on the client identifier included in the request. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for controlling access to a building, comprising:
 an input mechanism configured to receive an access token;   an electronically-controlled locking mechanism communicatively coupled to the input mechanism, wherein the electronically-controlled locking mechanism is configured to enter an unlocked state in response to the input mechanism receiving a valid access token; and   token validation circuitry communicatively coupled to the input mechanism and the electronically-controlled locking mechanism, wherein the token validation circuitry is configured to periodically generate a reference access token and the token validation circuitry is configured to compare the access token received via the input mechanism to the reference access token to determine whether the access token is valid.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the input mechanism comprises a keypad. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the input mechanism comprises a near field communication (NFC) receiver. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the input mechanism comprises a BLUETOOTH receiver. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the reference access token is based at least in part on a time at which the reference access token is generated. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a unique identifier and the reference access token is based at least in part on the unique identifier. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the valid access token is valid for a predefined period of time. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising network communication circuitry, wherein the network communication circuitry is configured to report to a remote computing device at a time that the electronically-controlled locking mechanism enters the unlocked state and the access token used when the electronically-controlled locking mechanism enters the unlocked state.