Lock sensor assembly

Abstract

A covering (200) for an opening in a building and a sensor assembly (500) is disclosed. The covering (200) comprises a panel (201) moveable between an open position and a closed position, and to an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position. The sensor assembly (500) is configured to sense the position of a locking member (205) of the covering and to transmit signals indicating the position of locking member (205). Methods of installing a sensor assembly (500) on a covering (200) of an opening of a building are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A covering for an opening in a building and a sensor assembly, wherein: the covering comprises a panel and a frame member; the sensor assembly comprises a sensor module that houses a sensor; one of the panel or frame member comprises a locking rod; the sensor module and a keep are positioned on the other one of the panel or frame member, the sensor module being spaced apart from the keep along a length of the panel or frame member; a locking member and a pin are mounted to the locking rod, the locking member and the pin being spaced apart along a length of the locking rod and coupled to movement of the locking rod; the panel is moveable relative to the frame member between an open position and a closed position, and the panel is moveable to an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position; the panel is configurable to a first locked configuration by moving the locking rod to move the locking member into the keep when the panel is in the closed position to lock the panel in the closed position, the panel is configurable to a second locked configuration by moving the locking rod to move the locking member into the keep when the panel is in the intermediate position to lock the panel in the intermediate position; the sensor of the sensor module is configured to sense a position of the pin; when the position of the pin is sensed to be in a position corresponding to the first locked configuration of the panel, the sensor assembly is configured to transmit a first signal indicating that the panel is in the first locked configuration; and when the position of the pin is sensed to be in a position corresponding to the second locked configuration of the panel, the sensor assembly is configured to transmit a second signal indicating that the panel is in the second locked configuration.

2. The covering for an opening in a building and a sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor module houses two sensors, wherein both sensors are configured to sense the proximity of the pin to the sensor and to provide a signal indicative of the proximity of the pin to the sensor, and wherein the sensor assembly is configured to determine whether the panel is in the first locked configuration or in the second locked configuration by comparing the signals provided by each of the two sensors to reference values.

3. The covering for an opening in a building and a sensor assembly according to claim 2, wherein the two sensors are arranged along an axis such that, when the panel is moved between the open and closed position, the pin and sensors move relative to one another along the axis.

4. The covering for an opening in a building and a sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is an inductive sensor.

5. The covering for an opening in a building and a sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor module houses a transmitter configured to transmit the signals.

6. The covering for an opening in a building and a sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a hub configured to be positioned remotely of the sensor, and wherein the sensor assembly is configured to transmit signals to the hub indicating the sensed position of the pin, and wherein the hub is configured to transmit the first signal and, optionally, second signal.

7. A sensor module suitable for use in the sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor module comprises a housing containing a sensor configured to sense a position of a pin and a transmitter configured to transmit a signal indicating that the panel is sensed to be in a first locked configuration when the position of the pin is sensed to be in a position corresponding to the first locked configuration; the housing comprises a main body and a lip section that extends from an end of the main body, the main body having a thickness which is greater than the lip section; the sensor is contained in the lip section; and a base of the module comprises formations configured to interlock with a mount to hold the module in place upon the panel or frame via the mount.

8. A sensor module according to claim 7, wherein the formations are mushroom shaped mounting members which project from the base.

9. A sensor module according to claim 7, wherein the main body is formed with an aperture into which a battery can be inserted.

10. A sensor module according to claim 9 wherein the aperture is covered by a lid.

11. A method of installing a sensor assembly on a covering of an opening of a building to form the covering for an opening in a building and sensor assembly of claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: fastening a sensor module to one of a panel or a frame member of the covering, moving the panel to a closed position, moving a locking rod of the other one of the panel or frame member to move a locking member which is coupled to the locking rod into a first locked position, the first locked position corresponding to a position in which the locking member is situated within a keep to lock the panel in the closed position, sensing, using a first sensor of the sensor module, the position of a pin which is coupled to the locking rod when the locking member is in the first locked position, storing the sensor reading as a first calibration reading in a memory of the sensor assembly.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, following the step of storing the first calibration reading, the method comprises the additional steps of: sensing the position of pin to obtain a sensor reading, comparing the sensor reading against the first calibration reading, and if the sensor reading is equal to the calibration reading then using a transmitter of the sensor assembly to transmit a signal indicating that the locking member is sensed to be in the first locked position.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sensor module comprises a second sensor and the method comprises the step of: moving the panel to an intermediate position, between an open position of the panel and the closed position of the panel, moving the locking rod to move the locking member to a second locked position, the second locked position corresponding to a position in which the locking member is situated within the keep to lock the panel in the intermediate position, sensing, using the first sensor and the second sensor, the position of the pin when the locking member is in the second locked position, storing the first and second sensor reading as a second calibration reading in a memory of the sensor assembly.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, following the step of storing the second calibration reading, the method comprises the additional steps of: sensing the position of pin using the first and second sensors, comparing the first and second sensor readings against the second calibration reading, and if the first and second sensor readings are equal to the second calibration reading then using a transmitter of the sensor assembly to transmit a signal indicating that the locking member is sensed to be in the second locked position.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein, if the first and second sensor readings are not equal to the first calibration reading or the second calibration reading, the method comprises the steps of: using a transmitter of the sensor assembly to transmit a signal indicating that the locking member is sensed to be in an unlocked position.

16. A covering for an opening in a building and a sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor module is attached to the panel or frame member via a mount that is fixed to the panel or the frame member, and the sensor module comprises formations which interlock with the mount to hold the module in place upon the mount.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a cut-away view of a known window system with the window in a closed and locked configuration.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the window system of FIG. 1 with the window in a vented and locked configuration;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a sensor module according to an embodiment of the invention which is configured to be able to sense the locked status of a door or window;

(5) FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the sensor module of FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the components of the sensor module;

(7) FIG. 6 shows how the sensor module is mounted to a window frame using a mount that is screw-fixed to the window frame;

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a known window system which has been fitted with a sensor module according to an embodiment of the invention, the window system is shown with the locking member in a locked position;

(9) FIG. 8 corresponds to the diagram of FIG. 7 but with the locking member in an unlocked position;

(10) FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the window system of FIG. 7 in a closed and locked configuration;

(11) FIG. 10 corresponds to FIG. 9 but with the window system in a vented and locked configuration;

(12) FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the process of calibrating the sensor;

(13) FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a lock sensing system;

(14) FIG. 13 is a diagram is illustrating the process of the lock sensing system providing an end user information regarding the locked status of a window.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(15) According to an embodiment of the invention, a window or door can be fitted with the sensor module 500 that is shown in FIG. 3 in order provide a sensing functionality that is able to determine the locked status of the door or window. The sensor module 500 comprises a rectangular circuit board 520 which can be seen in the exploded view of the sensor module 500 that is shown in FIG. 4. At one end, the circuit board comprises a sensor array 528, which is made up of a first inductive sensor 521 and a second inductive sensor 522 positioned adjacent one another across the width of the circuit board 520. The circuit board also comprises battery ports 523 for batteries 524 to power the circuit board 520. The other components of the circuit board 520 are shown schematically in FIG. 5. The sensors 521, 522 and batteries 524 are connected to a processor 525, and the circuit board also comprises a wireless transmitter 526 and memory 527 which are also connected to the processor 525.

(16) The circuit board 520 is contained within a housing 501 having a main body 503 in the form of an elongate box which is dimensioned to contain the part of the circuit board 520 which holds the batteries 524, and which is formed with apertures 504 via which the batteries 524 can be inserted or removed. The apertures 504 are covered by lids 506. The housing 501 also comprises a lip section 505 that extends from an end of the main body 503 and which is dimensioned to contain the part of the circuit board which has the sensor array 528. The housing 501 is sealed by a base 507. The base 507 is formed with two mushroom shaped mounting members 508 which project from the surface of the base as shown in FIG. 6.

(17) The sensor module 500 can be fitted to a window system as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 via a mount 600. A mount 600 is shown as screw-fixed to a window frame 202 in FIG. 6. The mount 600 comprises a rectangular plate 601 formed with apertures 602 configured to interlock with the mushroom shaped mounting members 508 of the sensor module 500. In this case, the module 500 is mounted to the window frame 202 such that is positioned as schematically shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9. That is, such that the first sensor 521 is substantially aligned with the first channel 209 and such that the second sensor 522 is substantially aligned with the second channel 211, the first sensor 521 and second sensor 522 thereby being arranged along an axis X such that, when the panel is moved between the open and closed position, the locking member moves along the axis X relative to the first sensor 521 and the second sensor 522. The axis X is substantially parallel to a thickness direction t of the window frame 202.

(18) FIG. 7 shows a portion of a window system 200 which is substantially identical to the window system 100 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The sensor module 500 is mounted to the window frame 202 such that when the window 201 is in a close or vented position, the sensor module is located directly adjacent the locking rod 203. The locking rod 203 has been fitted with a steel pin 208 at a position on the locking rod 203 such that when the locking member 205 is located within the keep 207, the steel pin is directly adjacent the sensor array 528 of the sensor module 500. When the locking member 205 is moved out of the keep, the steel pin is moved away from the sensor array 528, as shown in FIG. 8.

(19) FIG. 9 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the window system 200 with the window in a fully closed and locked configuration in which the locking member 205 is located within the first channel 209 of the keep 207. In this configuration the steel pin 208 which is attached to the locking member is located directly adjacent the first sensor 521. FIG. 10 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the window system 200 with the window in a vented and locked configuration in which the locking member 205 is located within the second channel 211 of the keep 207. In this configuration the steel pin 208 which is attached to the locking member 203 is located directly adjacent the second sensor 522.

(20) The sensors 521, 522 can sense the proximity of the steel pin 208 and each provide a sensor reading which is determined by the proximity of the steel pin 208 to the respective sensor 521, 522. The sensor module 500 is configured to be able to determine in which locked configuration the window system 200 is in by comparing the instantaneous sensor readings to a set of baseline sensor readings which are obtained during a calibration process which is performed when the sensor module 500 is installed in the window system 200.

(21) The calibration process is shown schematically in FIG. 11. In step 1000, the window 201 is moved to the fully closed position and the window 200 is locked by moving the locking member 205 into the first channel 209. At this stage the window is in the configuration shown in FIG. 9. In step 1001 a set sensor readings corresponding to a closed and locked state are taken and stored in the memory 527 of the sensor module 500. In step 1002 the window 201 is moved to a vented position and the window 200 is locked by moving the locking member into the second channel 211. At this stage the window 200 is in the configuration shown in FIG. 10. In step 1003 a second set sensor readings corresponding to a vented and locked state are taken and stored in the memory 527 of the sensor module 500.

(22) The sensor module 500 forms part of a lock sensing system 400 which is shown schematically in FIG. 12. In this case, the lock sensing system 400 also comprises a central hub 401 to which the sensor module 500 is wirelessly connected. While this embodiment of the invention is being described with reference to a single sensor module 500, the central hub 401 is configured to be connectable to multiple sensor modules so that multiple windows and/or doors of a building can be provided with smart functionality. The central hub is wirelessly connected to the internet via a router 700 so that the central hub can communicate with an electronic device 800 (for example, a smart phone or tablet) of an end user. In other embodiments of the invention, there may not be a central hub, and the sensor module 500 may instead be connected to the internet.

(23) The lock sensing system 400 is configured to provide the electronic device 800 of the end user with information about the locked status of the window system using a process that is shown schematically in FIG. 13. In step 2000 the sensors 521, 522 of the sensor module 500 each provide a sensor reading to the processor 525. In step 2001, the sensor reading is compared to the vented and locked state sensor reading and to the closed and locked state sensor reading, which were stored in the memory 527 of the sensor module 500 during the calibration process. If the sensor readings match the closed and locked state calibration readings, then the window 200 is determined to be in the closed and locked state. If the sensor readings match the vented and locked state calibration readings, then the window 200 is determined to be in the vented and locked state. If the sensor readings do not match either of the calibration readings, then the window is determined to be in an unlocked state. In step 2002, the wireless transmitter 526 transmits the locked state of the window 200 to the central hub 401, and in step 2003, the central hub 401 communicates the locked status of the window 200 to the electronic device 800 of the end user via the router 700 which is connected to the internet.

(24) Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example only, certain possible variations will now be described.

(25) The lock sensing arrangement according the first embodiment of the invention has been described above in the context of a window system. However, it will be understood by the skilled person that the lock sensing arrangement could equally be provided on a door.

(26) While lock sensing arrangement of the first embodiment of the invention comprises a module 500 configured to sense the position a steel pin 208 that is coupled to the locking rod. Other embodiments of the invention may be configured to sense the position of the locking member itself. For example, in some embodiments the sensors may be arranged to sense the position of the bolt itself. Furthermore, while the embodiment of the invention described above functions with a window system comprising a bolt that is transversely moveable into and out of a keep, it will be appreciated that the sensing arrangement can be applied to a variety of other locking arrangements. For example, sensing arrangement may be used in some window systems, or in door systems, where a bolt, paddle, or other locking member is configured to move into and out of a keep in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis X labelled in FIG. 9.

(27) Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.