Universal Secure Mobile Device Entry Upgrade Electronics Unit for Electronic Locks and Method of Use Thereof

Abstract

A universal secure mobile device entry upgrade for electronic locks adds a wireless unlocking functionality to an existing host lock assembly. An electronics unit having a processing unit, a wireless communication device, a lock input, and a lock output is installed between a host motor output and host motor of a host lock. The original unlocking functionality of the host lock is maintained by either repeating an unlock signal from the host motor output to the host motor using the processing unit, or through a two-position switch that passes a host unlock signal to the host motor by default, but switches to a second position that allows an unlock signal to be sent to the host motor when a wireless unlocking is signaled from a mobile unlocking device such as a smartphone or the like. An integrated security chip and real-time clock may be included to increase security.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks comprises:
 a processing unit;   a wireless communication device;   a power input;   a lock input;   a lock output;   the processing unit being electronically connected to the wireless communication device; and   the processing unit being electrically connected to the power input, the lock input, and the lock output.   
     
     
         2 . The universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 1  comprises:
 the wireless communication device comprising an NFC module. 
 
     
     
         3 . The universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 1  comprises:
 a two-position switch; 
 the two-position switch being electrically connected to the processing unit; 
 the two-position switch being configured to stably occupy either a host key position or a digital key position, 
 the lock input being electrically connected to the lock output through the two-position switch in the host key position, and 
 the lock input and the lock output are being electrically connected to the processing unit through the two-position switch in the digital key position. 
 
     
     
         4 . The universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 1  comprises:
 the wireless communication device comprising a Bluetooth module. 
 
     
     
         5 . The universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 1  comprises:
 a real-time clock (RTC) module; and 
 the RTC module being electronically connected to the processing unit. 
 
     
     
         6 . The universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 1  comprises:
 a non-volatile memory; and 
 the non-volatile memory being electronically connected to the processing unit. 
 
     
     
         7 . The universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 1  comprises:
 a buzzer output; and 
 the buzzer output being electrically connected to the processing unit. 
 
     
     
         8 . A method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks comprising the steps of:
 providing a host lock assembly comprising a host motor output, a host motor, and a host power source;   providing a processing unit, a wireless communication device, a power input, a lock input, and a lock output,   wherein the host power source is electrically connected to the power input,   wherein the host motor output is electrically connected to the lock input,   wherein the lock output is electrically connected to the host motor,   wherein the processing unit is electronically connected to the wireless communication device, and   wherein the processing unit is electrically connected to the power input, the lock input, and the lock output;   providing at least one validation parameter;   providing a mobile unlocking device;   (A) continuously monitoring the lock input with the processing unit in order to detect a host unlock signal;   (B) sending an unlock signal to the host motor through the lock output with the processing unit, if the host unlock signal is detected;   (C) receiving a digital key payload from the mobile unlocking device with the processing unit through the wireless communication device, wherein the digital key payload comprises at least one payload validation attribute;   (D) validating the at least one payload validation attribute of the digital key payload against the at least one validation parameter with the processing unit; and   (E) sending the unlock signal to the host motor through the lock output with the processing unit, if the digital key payload is validated.   
     
     
         9 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 8  comprises the steps of:
 establishing wireless communication between the processing unit and the mobile unlocking device through the wireless communication device, if a pairing request is received by the processing unit from the mobile unlocking device through the wireless communication device, wherein the mobile unlocking device is a mobile computing device. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 9  comprises the steps of:
 providing a security authentication module, wherein the security authentication module is electronically connected to the processing unit; 
 broadcasting a pairing signal through the wireless communication device; 
 receiving the pairing request from the mobile computing device through the wireless communication device; 
 authenticating the mobile computing device with the security authentication module; and 
 establishing the wireless communication with the mobile unlocking device through the wireless communication device, if the pairing request is received, and if the mobile unlocking device is authenticated. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 8  comprises the steps of:
 providing a real-time clock (RTC) module, wherein the RTC module is electronically connected to the processing unit; and 
 validating the digital key payload with the RTC module, wherein the RTC module provides a start time and an end time for the validation. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 10  comprises the steps of:
 providing a real-time clock (RTC) module, wherein the RTC module is electronically connected to the processing unit; and 
 authenticating the mobile computing device with the security authentication module and the RTC module, wherein the RTC module provides a start time and an end time for the authentication. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the wireless communication device comprises a near-field communication (NFC) module. 
     
     
         14 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 8  comprises the steps of:
 providing a two-position switch, wherein the two-position switch is configured to stably occupy either a host key position or a digital key position, 
 wherein the two-position switch is electrically connected to the processing unit, 
 wherein the lock input is electrically connected to the lock output through the two-position switch in the host key position, and 
 wherein the lock input and the lock output are each electrically connected to the processing unit through the two-position switch in the digital key position; 
 continuously maintaining the two-position switch in the host key position with the processing unit; and 
 actuating the two-position switch from the host key position to the digital key position with the processing unit, if the digital key payload is validated in step (D). 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the at least one payload validation parameter comprises a digital signature, a start time, an end time, and a serialized key identifier. 
     
     
         16 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 8  comprises the steps of:
 providing a non-volatile memory, wherein the non-volatile memory is electronically connected to the processing unit; and 
 logging the digital key payload in the non-volatile memory with the processing unit. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 8  comprises the steps of:
 wherein the host power source is a power storage device; 
 measuring an input voltage from the power storage device with the processing unit; 
 calculating a remaining power value from the input voltage with the processing unit; and 
 sending the remaining power value to the mobile unlocking device with the processing unit through the wireless communication device. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 8  comprises the steps of:
 providing a lock input voltage threshold; and 
 continuously monitoring a lock input voltage of the lock input with the processing unit in order to detect the host unlock signal, wherein the host unlock signal is detected if the lock input voltage is greater than the lock input voltage threshold. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 8  comprises the step of:
 decrypting the digital key payload with the processing unit, if the digital key payload is encrypted. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of method of using a universal secure mobile device entry upgrade electronics unit for electronic locks as claimed in  claim 8  comprises the steps of:
 providing a buzzer output, wherein the buzzer output is electrically connected to the processing unit; and 
 sending a buzzer signal through the buzzer output with the processing unit, if the unlock signal is sent to the host motor.