Scenarios
What do residents notice, and what happens when things go wrong? Names and house numbers are made up.
The gate, day to day
1. Coming home in the rain
Situation. The resident of no. 3 comes home in the evening in pouring rain.
What happens. At the corner she presses the button in her car. The light blinks green; the gate is open when she arrives.
What it delivers. Window stays closed, no fumbling for a remote, and the log shows it was her button.
Situation. The resident of no. 3 comes home in the evening in pouring rain.
What happens. At the corner she presses the button in her car. The light blinks green; the gate is open when she arrives.
What it delivers. Window stays closed, no fumbling for a remote, and the log shows it was her button.
2. Two cars in a row
Situation. Morning rush: two neighbours leave shortly after each other.
What happens. Both press their button. The gate opens for the first; the second press does nothing while the gate is open — it simply stays open until the pause time is over.
What it delivers. No gate reversing halfway; both trips are in the log.
Situation. Morning rush: two neighbours leave shortly after each other.
What happens. Both press their button. The gate opens for the first; the second press does nothing while the gate is open — it simply stays open until the pause time is over.
What it delivers. No gate reversing halfway; both trips are in the log.
3. On foot with shopping
Situation. Someone walks home with two full bags.
What happens. “Hey Siri, open the gate.” The phone sends the request over the internet to the portal, which sends it over LoRa to the cabinet.
What it delivers. Hands free; also works for residents without a car.
Situation. Someone walks home with two full bags.
What happens. “Hey Siri, open the gate.” The phone sends the request over the internet to the portal, which sends it over LoRa to the cabinet.
What it delivers. Hands free; also works for residents without a car.
4. Expecting visitors
Situation. The parents of no. 6 come to visit and ring when they are at the gate.
What happens. The resident presses the gate button in the hallway. Done.
What it delivers. No lending out remotes, no internet needed, and the gate never opens “just like that”.
Situation. The parents of no. 6 come to visit and ring when they are at the gate.
What happens. The resident presses the gate button in the hallway. Done.
What it delivers. No lending out remotes, no internet needed, and the gate never opens “just like that”.
5. Parcel or grocery delivery
Situation. A delivery service comes between 14:00 and 16:00; the resident is at work.
What happens. She creates a guest code for that afternoon, valid once, and sends it by WhatsApp to the driver — or opens remotely with her phone when the driver calls.
What it delivers. Access exactly for that one time; afterwards the code no longer works.
Situation. A delivery service comes between 14:00 and 16:00; the resident is at work.
What happens. She creates a guest code for that afternoon, valid once, and sends it by WhatsApp to the driver — or opens remotely with her phone when the driver calls.
What it delivers. Access exactly for that one time; afterwards the code no longer works.
6. Removal company or contractor, several days
Situation. A bathroom renovation takes three days.
What happens. A guest code for three days, sent by e-mail to the contractor. It expires automatically.
What it delivers. Nobody needs to ask for a remote back afterwards; the log shows when the contractor was there.
Situation. A bathroom renovation takes three days.
What happens. A guest code for three days, sent by e-mail to the contractor. It expires automatically.
What it delivers. Nobody needs to ask for a remote back afterwards; the log shows when the contractor was there.
7. New neighbours, departing neighbours
Situation. No. 5 is sold.
What happens. The administrator revokes, in one go, all buttons, phone codes and the gate button of the old residents in the portal, and enrols the new ones.
What it delivers. No “where did the remotes go”; within minutes the old access is gone.
Situation. No. 5 is sold.
What happens. The administrator revokes, in one go, all buttons, phone codes and the gate button of the old residents in the portal, and enrols the new ones.
What it delivers. No “where did the remotes go”; within minutes the old access is gone.
8. Button lost or car sold
Situation. A button is still in a car that was sold.
What happens. Revoke it in the portal; enrol a new button.
What it delivers. A button costs a few tens of euros, a remote twice as much; and a remote is hard to revoke individually.
Situation. A button is still in a car that was sold.
What happens. Revoke it in the portal; enrol a new button.
What it delivers. A button costs a few tens of euros, a remote twice as much; and a remote is hard to revoke individually.
9. Annual maintenance
Situation. The engineer of the maintenance company comes for the annual check.
What happens. He runs through the acceptance test in a quarter of an hour, including “our part unpowered — remote control works”.
What it delivers. Every year, proof that the addition does not affect the installation.
Situation. The engineer of the maintenance company comes for the annual check.
What happens. He runs through the acceptance test in a quarter of an hour, including “our part unpowered — remote control works”.
What it delivers. Every year, proof that the addition does not affect the installation.
The gate, in special circumstances
10. Internet outage in the area
Situation. An outage at the provider: no internet, for hours.
What happens. Buttons, gate buttons, the Wi-Fi route at the cabinet and the remote controls simply keep working. Only remote opening and management wait until the internet is back.
What it delivers. Daily use does not notice it.
Situation. An outage at the provider: no internet, for hours.
What happens. Buttons, gate buttons, the Wi-Fi route at the cabinet and the remote controls simply keep working. Only remote opening and management wait until the internet is back.
What it delivers. Daily use does not notice it.
11. The mobile network is down too
Situation. A bigger outage: no internet and no mobile signal.
What happens. Same as above: nothing in daily use depends on the mobile network. Visitors cannot call — but neighbours can still reach each other over the neighbourhood network (scenario 17).
What it delivers. The gate remains usable.
Situation. A bigger outage: no internet and no mobile signal.
What happens. Same as above: nothing in daily use depends on the mobile network. Visitors cannot call — but neighbours can still reach each other over the neighbourhood network (scenario 17).
What it delivers. The gate remains usable.
12. Ambulance at night
Situation. A neighbour becomes unwell; the ambulance must get into the back alley.
What happens. The neighbour opens the gate with the gate button or the car button while the ambulance arrives. If the mobile network is down, the message “AED needed at no. 4” goes round over the neighbourhood network (scenario 19).
What it delivers. Fast access without anyone having to look for a remote.
Situation. A neighbour becomes unwell; the ambulance must get into the back alley.
What happens. The neighbour opens the gate with the gate button or the car button while the ambulance arrives. If the mobile network is down, the message “AED needed at no. 4” goes round over the neighbourhood network (scenario 19).
What it delivers. Fast access without anyone having to look for a remote.
13. The controller hangs
Situation. A software bug after an update.
What happens. The watchdog restarts the controller; until then the remotes work. If the output were to “stick”, the timer relay breaks the contact within one second.
What it delivers. Inconvenience, no danger and no open gate.
Situation. A software bug after an update.
What happens. The watchdog restarts the controller; until then the remotes work. If the output were to “stick”, the timer relay breaks the contact within one second.
What it delivers. Inconvenience, no danger and no open gate.
14. Someone tries to fool the system
Situation. A passer-by records the radio signal of a button and plays it back later.
What happens. The cabinet refuses: the recorded answer belongs to a one-time number that has already been used. The attempt is logged.
What it delivers. Better than a remote with a fixed code or a UHF tag that can be copied.
Situation. A passer-by records the radio signal of a button and plays it back later.
What happens. The cabinet refuses: the recorded answer belongs to a one-time number that has already been used. The attempt is logged.
What it delivers. Better than a remote with a fixed code or a UHF tag that can be copied.
15. Power cut
Situation. The power fails in the whole area.
What happens. The gate does not work then — just like today; it can be released by hand. When the power returns, our part restarts cleanly and reports to the gateway.
What it delivers. No new weak spot; a clean restart.
Situation. The power fails in the whole area.
What happens. The gate does not work then — just like today; it can be released by hand. When the power returns, our part restarts cleanly and reports to the gateway.
What it delivers. No new weak spot; a clean restart.
Our own neighbourhood network: independent of everything, with a bridge if we want
16. Ordinary neighbourly chat
Situation. “Does anyone have a ladder?” — “Parcel for no. 2 left with me.”
What happens. One neighbour types in Element (Matrix), another in the MeshCore app; the bridge at a home with internet passes messages both ways.
What it delivers. One neighbourhood conversation, whatever app people use. (Assumption: two-way bridging needs a MeshCore bridge that currently only works MeshCore → Matrix.)
Situation. “Does anyone have a ladder?” — “Parcel for no. 2 left with me.”
What happens. One neighbour types in Element (Matrix), another in the MeshCore app; the bridge at a home with internet passes messages both ways.
What it delivers. One neighbourhood conversation, whatever app people use. (Assumption: two-way bridging needs a MeshCore bridge that currently only works MeshCore → Matrix.)
17. Internet and mobile network down
Situation. A major outage; phones have no signal.
What happens. Element no longer works, the MeshCore app does: phone via Bluetooth to its own node, node via LoRa to the neighbours. The conversation continues. When the internet returns, the bridge picks it up again.
What it delivers. Contact with the neighbours when everything is silent.
Situation. A major outage; phones have no signal.
What happens. Element no longer works, the MeshCore app does: phone via Bluetooth to its own node, node via LoRa to the neighbours. The conversation continues. When the internet returns, the bridge picks it up again.
What it delivers. Contact with the neighbours when everything is silent.
18. Power cut in the whole area
Situation. Evening, no power, no internet.
What happens. Nodes with a battery or power bank keep working. “Who still has gas to boil water?” — “I'll pop over to the lady at no. 7.”
What it delivers. Neighbourly help that does not depend on the grid or a provider.
Situation. Evening, no power, no internet.
What happens. Nodes with a battery or power bank keep working. “Who still has gas to boil water?” — “I'll pop over to the lady at no. 7.”
What it delivers. Neighbourly help that does not depend on the grid or a provider.
19. Someone needs help
Situation. A neighbour becomes unwell; calling fails because the mobile network is down.
What happens. “AED needed at no. 4” over the neighbourhood network: everyone sees it at once; whoever is closest to the AED fetches it. 112 remains step one as soon as possible.
What it delivers. Fast help from the immediate surroundings, without waiting for the phone network.
Situation. A neighbour becomes unwell; calling fails because the mobile network is down.
What happens. “AED needed at no. 4” over the neighbourhood network: everyone sees it at once; whoever is closest to the AED fetches it. 112 remains step one as soon as possible.
What it delivers. Fast help from the immediate surroundings, without waiting for the phone network.
20. The gate cabinet reports
Situation. The gate has been open for ten minutes, or the power in the cabinet fails.
What happens. The cabinet posts a short message on the neighbourhood network: “Gate open since 21:14”. Messages only; the neighbourhood network can never operate the gate.
What it delivers. Someone nearby can take a look.
Situation. The gate has been open for ten minutes, or the power in the cabinet fails.
What happens. The cabinet posts a short message on the neighbourhood network: “Gate open since 21:14”. Messages only; the neighbourhood network can never operate the gate.
What it delivers. Someone nearby can take a look.
21. Bridge deliberately off
Situation. The neighbourhood wants no internet link for a while, or the bridge's host is on holiday.
What happens. The bridge is switched off; the network in the alley keeps working unchanged.
What it delivers. The network belongs to the neighbourhood — the internet is an addition, not a foundation.
Situation. The neighbourhood wants no internet link for a while, or the bridge's host is on holiday.
What happens. The bridge is switched off; the network in the alley keeps working unchanged.
What it delivers. The network belongs to the neighbourhood — the internet is an addition, not a foundation.
22. Joining a larger emergency network
Situation. A regional or municipal LoRa emergency network appears.
What happens. A repeater on a high point links the alley to it — if the neighbourhood wants that.
What it delivers. The alley can be a first, small building block of a larger safety net.
Situation. A regional or municipal LoRa emergency network appears.
What happens. A repeater on a high point links the alley to it — if the neighbourhood wants that.
What it delivers. The alley can be a first, small building block of a larger safety net.