Secure electronic lock

• US 10,114,938 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrier Fire & Security Americas LLC (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: UTC Fire & Security Americas Corporation, Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Marchiori, Alan, Jonsson, Ulf J., Lakamraju, Vijaya Ramaraju, Soldner, Nicholas Charles, Khire, Ritesh, Zacchio, Joseph, Kuenzi, Adam, Chapin, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Ellen
• Application Number:
  US14/778,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to simulating an operation of a mechanical lock in an electronic context, comprising: applying a contactless wireless credential to a lock, authenticating the credential, unlocking the lock to provide access to a resource protected by the lock based on having authenticated the credential, determining a security level associated with the lock, and conditionally capturing the credential based on the security level.

Claims

1. A method for simulating an operation of a mechanical lock in an electronic context, comprising:

applying a contactless wireless credential to a lock;

authenticating the credential;

unlocking the lock to provide access to a resource protected by the lock based on having authenticated the credential;

determining a security level associated with the lock; and

conditionally capturing the credential based on the security level, wherein conditionally capturing the credential comprises revoking the credential until a re-lock status of the lock is indicated;

wherein conditionally capturing the credential comprises when a low security level is associated with the lock, the credential is not captured;

wherein conditionally capturing the credential comprises when a security level greater than the low security level is associated with the lock, the credential is captured to restrict access to a second resource during a time when the credential is captured;

determining that the lock is relocked subsequent to unlocking the lock;

based on determining that the lock is relocked, releasing the credential when the credential was captured.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the credential comprises a validation of at least one of a key, a username, a password, and a personal identification number (PIN).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential is captured responsive to determining that the security level corresponds to at least one of a medium security level and a high security level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential is captured responsive to determining that the security level corresponds to a medium security level, the method further comprising:

causing a prompt to be presented that requests a response that the lock is relocked;

receiving the response; and

providing access to the second resource based on receiving the response.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential is captured responsive to determining that the security level corresponds to a high security level, the method further comprising:

verifying that the lock is relocked; and

providing access to the second resource based on verifying that the lock is relocked.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the lock is unlocked via a first device associated with a first user, the method further comprising:

relocking the lock via a second device associated with a second user; and

providing access to the first user to a second resource based on verifying that the lock is relocked.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the lock is a physical, electro-mechanical lock.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a security level associated with the lock comprises determining the security level based on an internal security policy associated with the lock and a security policy defined in the credential.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential is captured so that access to subsequent resources is determined using a security policy.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the lock is a removable lock core.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the security level is based on a system-wide security policy, a user'"'"'s credentials, and security policy associated with the lock.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive an electronic credential to be applied to a lock,

receive an indication that the lock has authenticated the credential,

determine a security level associated with the lock,

conditionally capture the credential when the security level is of a pre-defined security level, wherein capturing the credential comprises revoking the credential until a re-lock status of the lock is indicated;

wherein conditionally capturing the credential comprises when a low security level is associated with the lock, the credential is not captured;

wherein conditionally capturing the credential comprises when a security level greater than the low security level is associated with the lock, the credential is captured to restrict access to a second resource during a time when the credential is captured;

determine that the lock is relocked subsequent to unlocking the lock;

based on determining that the lock is relocked, releasing the credential when the credential was captured.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive the electronic credential via a wireless transmission.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the wireless transmission comprises as least one of a near field communication (NFC) and a Bluetooth communication.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile phone, and wherein an application configured to run on the mobile phone simulates the capture of the credential.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a smart card and a phone configured to emulate a smart card to the lock.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive an indication that the lock is relocked, and release the credential when the credential was captured based on the pre-defined security level.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine that a medium security level is used, cause a prompt to be presented based on determining that the medium security level is used, wherein the prompt requests a response that the lock is relocked after a timeout has expired, receive the response, and provide access to the second resource based on receiving the response.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the prompt comprises a pop-up message.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine that a high security level is used, verify that the lock is relocked based on determining that the high security level is used, and provide access to the second resource based on verifying that the lock is relocked.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the lock is a physical, electro-mechanical lock.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus comprises a phone, and wherein the credential comprises a hand gesture.