Cloud-based wireless communication system and method for updating a reader device

• US 10,204,464 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2013
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Original Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Inventors: Eberwine, Todd, Neafsey, Jeffrey Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Orange, David
• Application Number:
  US13/969,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 455420
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00841 by a portable device
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A server may receive information from a computer, store the information in a database at the server, determine a reader device that is configured to receive and/or process credential information and/or a unique identifier and to receive the information based on an analysis of the information, select one or more mobile devices to deliver the information to the reader, and transmit data to the one or more mobile devices where the data includes at least a portion of the information.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for updating a reader device with access control information, comprising:

receiving access control information;

determining a reader device that is to receive the access control information based on an analysis of the access control information;

selecting at least two mobile devices from a plurality of mobile devices having access rights to the reader device to receive the access control information and a firmware update, wherein the at least two selected mobile devices are the mobile devices, from the plurality of mobile devices, that interact with the reader device most frequently;

transmitting, to the at least two selected mobile devices, the access control information and the firmware update for the reader device and the firmware update is stored in each memory of each of the at least two selected mobile devices;

transmitting the firmware update from one mobile device of the at least two selected mobile devices to the reader device;

transmitting a confirmation that the firmware update of the reader device was successful from the reader device to the one of the at least two selected mobile devices;

receiving a notification message at a server from the one of the selected mobile devices, wherein the notification message indicates that the firmware update of the reader device was successful;

transmitting a command from the server to each of the at least two selected mobile devices to delete only the firmware update in response to the notification message received at the server from the one of the at least two selected mobile devices; and

transmitting audit information from the reader device to one or more of the plurality of mobile devices independently of the access control information and the firmware update until the reader device receives a notification that the audit information was received at the server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one of the at least two selected mobile devices and the reader device communicate via near field communication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the audit information in the database at the server.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

downloading at least a portion of the audit information from the database at the server via a computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reader device is an electronic lock.

6. An access control system for updating a reader device, comprising:

a server configured to provide a credential management service;

a plurality of mobile devices;

a reader device, the plurality of mobile devices having access rights to the reader device;

wherein the server is configured to;

receive access control information for the reader device, determine the reader device that is to receive the access control information based on an analysis of the access control information, select at least two mobile devices from the plurality of mobile devices having access rights to the reader device to receive the access control information and a firmware update for the reader device, wherein the at least two mobile devices are selected from the plurality of mobile devices based on a frequency that the at least two mobile devices interact with the reader device, and transmit, to the at least two selected mobile devices, the access control information and the firmware update for the reader device, wherein each of the at least two selected mobile devices are configured to receive the access control information and the firmware update from the server, each of the at least two selected mobile devices are further configured to store the firmware update in each memory of each of the at least two selected mobile devices, and transmit the access control information and the firmware update to the reader device;

wherein the reader device receives the access control information and the firmware update from one of the at least two selected mobile devices;

wherein the reader device is configured to transmit a confirmation that the firmware update of the reader device was successful from the reader device to the one of the at least two selected mobile devices, and the reader device is further configured to transmit audit information independently of the access control information and the firmware update to one or more of the plurality of mobile devices until the reader device receives a notification that the audit information was received at the server; and

wherein the server is configured to receive a notification message from the one of the at least two selected mobile devices, wherein the notification message indicates that the Firmware update of the reader device was successful, and the server is configured to transmit a command from the server to each of the at least two selected mobile devices to delete only the firmware update in response to the notification message received at the server from the one of the at least two selected mobile devices.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one of the at least two selected mobile devices and the reader device communicate via near field communication.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the reader device is an electronic lock.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the server is further configured to store the audit information in the database at the server.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a computer configured to download at least a portion of the audit information from the database at the server.