Techniques and apparatus for controlling access to components of a personal communication structure (PCS)

• US 10,051,097 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CityBridge LLC
• Original Assignee: Civiq Smartscapes, LLC
• Inventors: Bowers, Kyle R., Lee, Benjamin P., Shah, Parag N., Gray, Kenneth J., Lawler, Benjamin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US15/240,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20170111486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 340541, 340 561, 340 551, 340 591, 340 58, 340 57, 705 711, 705 1437, 705 11
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 1/1222 Sales kiosks
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 1/14 Telephone cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/04 Restaurants or shops having arrangements for self-service
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00753 operated by active electrical keys
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Techniques and apparatus for controlling access to a personal communication structure (PCS) are described. The PCS may include independently accessible compartments at least partially enclosing respective subsystems of the PCS. The independently accessible compartments include an electronics compartment, a communications compartment, and a display compartment. The electronics, communications, and display compartments at least partially enclose a power distribution subsystem, a communications subsystem, and a display subsystem, respectively. The PCS also includes an access controller operable to provide access independently to respective interiors of at least a subset of the compartments to authorized users.

Claims

1. A personal communication structure (PCS) comprising:

an air intake compartment at least partially enclosing an air intake subsystem; and

a plurality of independently accessible compartments at least partially enclosing respective subsystems of the PCS, wherein an interior of each of the independently accessible compartments is accessible without accessing the interior of any other independently accessible compartment, the plurality of independently accessible compartments comprising;

an electronics compartment disposed along a lower portion of the PCS, the electronics compartment at least partially enclosing a power distribution subsystem,

a communications compartment located proximate a top of the PCS, the communications compartment at least partially enclosing a communications subsystem, and

a display compartment disposed along an upper portion of the PCS, the display compartment at least partially enclosing a display subsystem,

wherein the air intake compartment is disposed below the display compartment and above the electronics compartment.

2. The PCS of claim 1, wherein the communications subsystem comprises at least one communication device selected from the group consisting of a wireless access point, a radio access node, and an antenna.

3. The PCS of claim 2, wherein the radio access node comprises a small cell operable to communicate with at least one mobile network selected from the group consisting of 3G mobile networks, 4G mobile networks, and LTE mobile networks.

4. The PCS of claim 1, further comprising an access control system operable to provide access independently to respective interiors of at least a subset of the independently accessible compartments.

5. The PCS of claim 4, wherein the electronics compartment comprises an access panel movable between an open position and a closed position, and a lock operable to lock the access panel in the closed position.

6. The PCS of claim 5, wherein the access control system is operable to provide access to the interior of the electronics compartment by performing at least one operation selected from the group consisting of disengaging the lock and moving the access panel to the open position.

7. The PCS of claim 5, wherein the lock comprises a cyber lock.

8. The PCS of claim 4, wherein the display subsystem comprises a display panel operable to display images.

9. The PCS of claim 8, wherein the display compartment comprises an access member movable between an open position and a closed position, and a lock operable to lock the access member in the closed position.

10. The PCS of claim 9, wherein the lock comprises a connector coupled to the access member and a mating interlocking connector coupled to a frame of the PCS, wherein the access member comprises a housing, wherein the housing comprises a frame, a transparent covering secured to the frame, and a cavity formed by the frame and the transparent covering, and wherein the display panel is secured to the frame and disposed within the cavity.

11. The PCS of claim 9, wherein the access control system is operable to provide access to the interior of the display compartment by performing at least one operation selected from the group consisting of disengaging the lock and moving the access member to the open position.

12. The PCS of claim 4, wherein the access control system comprises a processing device, wherein the subset of the independently accessible compartments comprise respective locks, and wherein the processing device is configured to independently disengage the respective locks.

13. The PCS of claim 12, wherein the processing device is configured to receive authentication data and to disengage at least one of the locks based on the authentication data meeting authentication requirements associated with the locks.

14. The PCS of claim 13, wherein the air intake compartment further at least partially encloses a security interface of the access control system, wherein the security interface is adapted to provide the authentication data to the processing device.

15. The PCS of claim 14, wherein the access control system further includes a dedicated communication link between the security interface and the processing device, and wherein the security interface is adapted to provide the authentication data to the processing device via the dedicated communication link.

16. An access-control method for a personal communication structure (PCS), the method comprising:

performing, by one or more processing devices;

receiving authentication data via an interface of the PCS, wherein the PCS includes (1) an air intake compartment at least partially enclosing an air intake subsystem and (2) a plurality of independently accessible compartments at least partially enclosing respective subsystems of the PCS, and wherein the plurality of independently accessible compartments includes an electronics compartment disposed along a lower portion of the PCS, the electronics compartment at least partially enclosing a power distribution subsystem, a communications compartment located proximate a top of the PCS, the communications compartment at least partially enclosing a communications subsystem, and a display compartment disposed along an upper portion of the PCS, the display compartment at least partially enclosing a display subsystem, wherein the air intake compartment is disposed below the display compartment and above the electronics compartment; and

based, at least in part, on a determination that the authentication data meets authentication requirements associated with a first of the independently accessible compartments, providing access to an interior of the first compartment without providing access to interiors of the other independently accessible compartments.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing access to the interior of the first compartment comprises performing at least one operation selected from the group consisting of moving an access panel of the first compartment from a closed position to an open position and disengaging a lock coupled to the access panel.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the access panel of the first compartment is moved to the open position without moving access panels of the other independently accessible compartments.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the lock of the first compartment is disengaged without disengaging locks of the other independently accessible compartments.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving permission to provide authorized access to the interior of the first compartment, wherein the access to the interior of the first compartment is provided based, at least in part, on the receipt of the permission to provide authorized access to the interior of the first compartment and on the determination that the authentication data meets the authentication requirements associated with the first compartment.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the permission to provide authorized access to the interior of the first compartment is received from a remote entity through a communication network.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving a revocation of the permission to provide authorized access to the interior of the first compartment, wherein the revocation is received from a remote entity through a communication network.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the permission to provide authorized access to the interior of the first compartment is limited to a specified time period.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the specified time period is based, at least in part, on at least one schedule selected from the group consisting of a repair schedule and a maintenance schedule.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising requesting the permission to provide authorized access to the interior of the first compartment, prior to receiving the permission.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of requesting permission is based on a maintenance subsystem of the PCS recommending servicing of a component of the PCS accessible via the first compartment.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of requesting the permission to provide authorized access to the interior of the first compartment comprises transmitting a code to at least one of an address and a phone number associated with a security provider.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing an indication that authorized access to the interior of the first compartment is permitted.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the authentication data is first authentication data, the method further comprising:

receiving second authentication data;

based, at least in part, on a determination that the second authentication data meets authentication requirements associated with a second of the independently accessible compartments, providing access to an interior of the second compartment without providing access to interiors of the other independently accessible compartments,

wherein the first authentication data does not meet the authentication requirements associated with the second compartment, and wherein the second authentication data does not meet the authentication requirements associated with the first compartment.