Patents by Inventor Philip C. Dumas

Philip C. Dumas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220135082
    Abstract: A user can request, via an electronic communication, an autonomous vehicle, such as a taxi, using a mobile device. Once the autonomous vehicle arrives at a pickup location, a wireless electronic communication connection is established between the autonomous vehicle and the mobile device. The autonomous vehicle then generates an audible or visual cue to the user. The mobile direct generates a corresponding audible, visual, or tactile cue as directed via the established wireless electronic communication connection. In this way, the user is able to readily identify which autonomous vehicle is the one requested. In further embodiments the mobile device cue duplicates a pattern of the autonomous vehicle cue or the autonomous vehicle cue and the mobile device cue operate in a call and response fashion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Philip C. Dumas, E. Patrick Hanavan, III
  • Patent number: 9978195
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access wireless device that includes a magnetic field generator and a remote controller coupled to remote access wireless device wireless communications circuitry and the magnetic field generator. The system may also include a lock assembly for a door and that includes a magnetic sensor and a lock controller coupled to a lock, lock wireless communications circuitry, and the magnetic sensor. The remote controller may communicate a magnetic field characteristic with the lock wireless communications circuitry, and cooperate with the magnetic field generator to generate a magnetic field based upon the magnetic field characteristic. The lock controller may cooperate with the magnetic sensor to sense the magnetic field, compare the sensed magnetic field to the magnetic field characteristic, and enable lock unlocking when the sensed magnetic field has a sensed magnetic field characteristic that matches the magnetic field characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: UNIKEY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Justin Handville, Philip C. Dumas
  • Patent number: 9972151
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access wireless device that includes a magnetic sensor and a remote controller coupled to remote wireless communications circuitry and the magnetic sensor. The system may also include a lock assembly for a door that includes a magnetic field generator and a lock controller coupled to a lock, lock wireless communications circuitry, and the magnetic field generator. The lock controller may communicate a magnetic field characteristic with the remote wireless communications circuitry, and cooperate with the magnetic field generator to generate a magnetic field based upon the magnetic field characteristic. The remote controller may cooperate with the magnetic sensor to sense the magnetic field, compare the sensed magnetic field to the magnetic field characteristic, and communicate to enable lock unlocking when the sensed magnetic field has a sensed magnetic field characteristic that matches the magnetic field characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: UNIKEY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Justin Handville, Philip C. Dumas
  • Patent number: 9852561
    Abstract: A wireless access control system for a door may include a lock assembly carried by the door that may include a lock, lock wireless communications circuitry, a proximity detector directed toward an interior area, interior and exterior antennas, and a lock controller. The lock controller may determine if the user is in the interior or exterior area based upon the proximity detector and a received signal strength at the interior and exterior antennas based upon wireless communication with a remote access device, enable lock switching based upon the received signal strength at the exterior antenna being greater than at the interior antenna, disable lock switching when the user is in the interior area and a difference between the received signal strength at the interior and exterior antennas is below a threshold, and switch the lock based upon communication with the remote access device and switching of the lock being enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: UNIKEY TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Philip C. Dumas, William Holderness, Stephen Jablonski, Thomas Bennett
  • Patent number: 9721413
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access device and a lock assembly. The lock assembly may include a lock, a door position sensor, interior and exterior directional antennas, wireless communications circuitry, a touch sensor, and a lock controller. The lock controller may unlock the lock based upon the touch sensor, determine when the door is closed after being opened based upon the door position sensor, and determine whether the remote access device is in an interior or exterior based upon the directional antennas. The lock controller may also lock the lock when the door is closed and when the remote device is in the interior. The controller may operate in an automatic calibration mode to generate adjusted interior and exterior received signal values and, based upon the adjusted received signal values, enable and disable unlocking when the remote access device is in the exterior and interior, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: UNIKEY TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Philip C. Dumas, William Holderness, Justin Handville
  • Patent number: 9697661
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access wireless communications device and a lock assembly to be mounted on a door. The lock assembly may include a lock, a door position sensor, interior and exterior directional antennas, lock wireless communications circuitry, and a lock controller. The lock controller determine whether the lock is manually unlocked, determine when the door is closed after being opened based upon the door position sensor, and determine whether the remote access wireless device is in an interior or an exterior based upon the directional antennas. The lock controller may also switch the lock to the locked position when the door is closed and when the remote access wireless device is in the exterior, and not switch the lock to the locked position when the door is closed and when the remote access wireless device is in the interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: UNIKEY TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Philip C. Dumas, David Mascenik, Dirk Wyckoff
  • Patent number: 9697658
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access wireless communications device and a lock assembly to be mounted on a door. The lock assembly may include a lock, a door position sensor, interior and exterior directional antennas, lock wireless communications circuitry, a touch sensor, and a lock controller. The lock controller may be configured to unlock the lock based upon the touch sensor, determine when the door is closed after being opened based upon the door position sensor, determine whether the remote access wireless device is in an interior or an exterior based upon the directional antennas, switch the lock to the locked position when the door is closed and when the remote access wireless device is in the interior, and not switch the lock to the locked position when the door is closed and when the remote access wireless device is in the exterior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: UNIKEY TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Philip C. Dumas, Dirk Wyckoff
  • Publication number: 20170186256
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access wireless communications device and a lock assembly to be mounted on a door. The lock assembly may include a lock, a door position sensor, interior and exterior directional antennas, lock wireless communications circuitry, and a lock controller. The lock controller determine whether the lock is manually unlocked, determine when the door is closed after being opened based upon the door position sensor, and determine whether the remote access wireless device is in an interior or an exterior based upon the directional antennas. The lock controller may also switch the lock to the locked position when the door is closed and when the remote access wireless device is in the exterior, and not switch the lock to the locked position when the door is closed and when the remote access wireless device is in the interior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Philip C. DUMAS, David MASCENIK, Dirk WYCKOFF
  • Publication number: 20170186254
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access wireless communications device and a lock assembly to be mounted on a door. The lock assembly may include a lock, a door position sensor, interior and exterior directional antennas, lock wireless communications circuitry, a touch sensor, and a lock controller. The lock controller may be configured to unlock the lock based upon the touch sensor, determine when the door is closed after being opened based upon the door position sensor, determine whether the remote access wireless device is in an interior or an exterior based upon the directional antennas, switch the lock to the locked position when the door is closed and when the remote access wireless device is in the interior, and not switch the lock to the locked position when the door is closed and when the remote access wireless device is in the exterior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Philip C. DUMAS, Dirk WYCKOFF
  • Publication number: 20170154485
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access device and a lock assembly. The lock assembly may include a lock, a door position sensor, interior and exterior directional antennas, wireless communications circuitry, a touch sensor, and a lock controller. The lock controller may unlock the lock based upon the touch sensor, determine when the door is closed after being opened based upon the door position sensor, and determine whether the remote access device is in an interior or exterior based upon the directional antennas. The lock controller may also lock the lock when the door is closed and when the remote device is in the interior. The controller may operate in an automatic calibration mode to generate adjusted interior and exterior received signal values and, based upon the adjusted received signal values, enable and disable unlocking when the remote access device is in the exterior and interior, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Philip C. DUMAS, William HOLDERNESS, Justin HANDVILLE
  • Publication number: 20170116799
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access wireless device that includes a magnetic sensor and a remote controller coupled to remote wireless communications circuitry and the magnetic sensor. The system may also include a lock assembly for a door that includes a magnetic field generator and a lock controller coupled to a lock, lock wireless communications circuitry, and the magnetic field generator. The lock controller may communicate a magnetic field characteristic with the remote wireless communications circuitry, and cooperate with the magnetic field generator to generate a magnetic field based upon the magnetic field characteristic. The remote controller may cooperate with the magnetic sensor to sense the magnetic field, compare the sensed magnetic field to the magnetic field characteristic, and communicate to enable lock unlocking when the sensed magnetic field has a sensed magnetic field characteristic that matches the magnetic field characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Justin Handville, Philip C. Dumas
  • Publication number: 20170116802
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access wireless device that includes a magnetic field generator and a remote controller coupled to remote access wireless device wireless communications circuitry and the magnetic field generator. The system may also include a lock assembly for a door and that includes a magnetic sensor and a lock controller coupled to a lock, lock wireless communications circuitry, and the magnetic sensor. The remote controller may communicate a magnetic field characteristic with the lock wireless communications circuitry, and cooperate with the magnetic field generator to generate a magnetic field based upon the magnetic field characteristic. The lock controller may cooperate with the magnetic sensor to sense the magnetic field, compare the sensed magnetic field to the magnetic field characteristic, and enable lock unlocking when the sensed magnetic field has a sensed magnetic field characteristic that matches the magnetic field characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Justin Handville, Philip C. Dumas
  • Publication number: 20170103596
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access wireless device to be carried by a user, and a lock assembly to be mounted on a door and that may include a lock, inside and outside directional antennas, lock wireless communications circuitry coupled to the directional antennas, and a lock controller coupled to the lock and the lock wireless communications circuitry. The lock controller may be configured to operate in an automatic calibration mode to generate adjusted inside and outside received signal values based upon signals received respectively by the inside and outside directional antennas responsive to transmissions from the remote access wireless device. The lock controller may also be configured to enable lock unlocking when the adjusted received signal values indicate the remote access wireless device is outside, and disable lock unlocking when the adjusted received signal values indicate the remote access wireless device is inside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: William Holderness, Justin Handville, Philip C. Dumas
  • Patent number: 9613478
    Abstract: A wireless access control system for a door may include a lock assembly carried by the door. The lock assembly may include a lock, lock wireless communications circuitry, a door position determining device, a touch sensor to sense touching by a user, and a lock controller. A remote access device may be remote from the lock assembly and may to communicate with the lock wireless communications circuitry. The lock controller may be configured to determine when the door is moved in a pattern based upon the door position determining device, perform an authentication of the remote access device based upon determining the door being moved in the pattern, and switch the lock from the unlocked position to the locked position based upon the authentication and the user touching the touch sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: UNIKEY TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Philip C. Dumas, William Holderness, Stephen Jablonski, Thomas Bennett
  • Patent number: 9524601
    Abstract: A wireless access control system may include a remote access wireless communications device and a lock assembly. The lock assembly may include a lock switchable between locked and unlocked positions, a door position sensor, interior and exterior directional antennas, lock wireless communications circuitry coupled to the interior and exterior directional antennas, a touch sensor, and a lock controller. The lock controller may unlock the lock based upon the touch sensor, determine when the door is closed after being opened based upon the door position sensor, and determine whether the remote access wireless device is in an interior or an exterior area based upon directional antennas. The lock controller may also switch the lock to the locked position when the door is closed and when the remote access wireless device is in the interior area, and not switch the lock to the locked position when the door is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: UNIKEY TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Philip C. Dumas
  • Publication number: 20160343183
    Abstract: A wireless access control system for a door may include a lock assembly carried by the door. The lock assembly may include a lock, lock wireless communications circuitry, a proximity detector to detect a proximity of a user to the door, a touch sensor, and a lock controller. The system also includes a remote access device remote from the lock that includes remote access wireless communications circuitry to communicate with the lock wireless communications circuitry. The lock controller determines when the user is approaching the door based upon the proximity detector, performs an authentication of the remote access device, via the lock wireless communications circuitry and the remote access wireless communications circuitry, and based upon the user approaching the door, and switches the lock from a locked position to an unlocked position based upon the authentication and the user touching the touch sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Philip C. Dumas, William Holderness, Stephen Jablonski, Thomas Bennett
  • Publication number: 20160343185
    Abstract: A wireless access control system for a door may include a lock assembly carried by the door. The lock assembly may include a lock switchable between unlocked and locked positions, lock wireless communications circuitry, a first sensor having a first sensing range, and a second sensor having a second sensing range less than the first sensing range. The lock assembly may also include a lock controller configured to perform an authentication of a remote access device remote from the lock, via the lock wireless communications circuitry, when the user approaches the door within the first sensing range, and switch the lock from the locked position to the unlocked position based upon the authentication and when the user further approaches the door within the second sensing range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventor: Philip C. DUMAS
  • Publication number: 20160343184
    Abstract: A wireless access control system for a door may include a lock assembly carried by the door. The lock assembly may include a lock, lock wireless communications circuitry, a touch sensor, and a lock controller. The system may also include a plugin device remote from the lock assembly. The system may also include a remote access device remote from the lock. The plugin device may wirelessly send a lock communication enable command to enable the lock based upon wireless communication with the remote access device. The lock controller may communicate with the remote access device based upon wirelessly receiving the lock communication enable command, perform an authentication of the remote access device based upon the lock communication enable command, and switch the lock between locked and unlocked positions based upon the authentication and the user touching the touch sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Philip C. Dumas, William Holderness, Stephen Jablonski, Thomas Bennett
  • Publication number: 20160343189
    Abstract: A wireless access control system for a door may include a lock assembly carried by the door that may include a lock, lock wireless communications circuitry, a proximity detector directed toward an interior area, interior and exterior antennas, and a lock controller. The lock controller may determine if the user is in the interior or exterior area based upon the proximity detector and a received signal strength at the interior and exterior antennas based upon wireless communication with a remote access device, enable lock switching based upon the received signal strength at the exterior antenna being greater than at the interior antenna, disable lock switching when the user is in the interior area and a difference between the received signal strength at the interior and exterior antennas is below a threshold, and switch the lock based upon communication with the remote access device and switching of the lock being enabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Philip C. Dumas, William Holderness, Stephen Jablonski, Thomas Bennett
  • Publication number: 20160343182
    Abstract: A wireless access control system for a door may include a lock assembly carried by the door. The lock assembly may include a lock, lock wireless communications circuitry, a door position determining device, a touch sensor to sense touching by a user, and a lock controller. A remote access device may be remote from the lock assembly and may to communicate with the lock wireless communications circuitry. The lock controller may be configured to determine when the door is moved in a pattern based upon the door position determining device, perform an authentication of the remote access device based upon determining the door being moved in the pattern, and switch the lock from the unlocked position to the locked position based upon the authentication and the user touching the touch sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Philip C. Dumas, William Holderness, Stephen Jablonski, Thomas Bennett