Method and system for mobile device localization-based access

• US 10,249,116 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2018
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mapsted Corp.
• Original Assignee: Mapsted Corp.
• Inventors: Nagpal, Paramvir Singh, Bavand, Majid, Hamidifar, Saeedeh
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, James J
• Application Number:
  US15/944,407
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02523 Details of interaction of receiver with radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 : the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 : Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 : using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 : wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 : for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and system for facilitating an access request. The method may be executed in the processor of a server computing device and comprises receiving, at a memory of the server computing device, the request for access, the request for access performed using a security device at an access point device communicatively coupled to the server computing device, localizing a mobile computing device having a preestablished association with the security device, and enabling the request for access when a position of the mobile computing device as determined from the localizing is within a predetermined threshold distance from a location of the access point device.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating a request for access, the method executed in a processor of a server computing device and comprising:

receiving, at a memory of the server computing device, the request for access, the request for access performed using a security device at an access point device communicatively coupled to the server computing device, wherein the access point device induces a characteristic magnetic signature unique to a location of the access point device, the characteristic magnetic signature including a magnetic spatial derivative signature calculated based on a plurality of magnetic field measurements corresponding to a sequence of positions along a trajectory of a mobile computing device proximate the access point device, and wherein magnetic spatial derivative signature captures the relative changes in magnetic field as the mobile device traverses a route proximate access point device;

localizing the mobile computing device having a preestablished association with the security device, based on the characteristic magnetic signature; and

enabling the request for access when a position of the mobile computing device as determined from the localizing is within a predetermined threshold distance from the location of the access point device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the security device comprises at least one of a magnetic and a near field communication (NFC) portable security card.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the access point device is one of a magnetic access point and a near field communication (NFC) access point device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the localizing is based on at least one of an orientation, a magnetic field strength and direction, a received wireless communication signal strength, a wireless connectivity indication and a barometric pressure in accordance with fingerprint data of an indoor facility.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the fingerprint data includes respective time-stamps whereby the orientation, the magnetic field strength and direction, the magnetic field spatial derivative signature, the received wireless signal strength, the wireless connectivity indication and the barometric pressure are correlated in accordance with the respective time-stamps.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the access point device is located at a pedestrian access entrance to an indoor facility.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the position of the mobile device comprises a probabilistic estimate associated with a confidence level.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the threshold distance is dynamically adjusted as one of lower and higher based on the confidence level.

9. A server computing system for facilitating a request for access, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including instructions executable in the processor to;

receive, at a memory of the server computing device, the request for access, the request for access performed using a security device at an access point device communicatively coupled to the server computing device, wherein the access point device induces a characteristic magnetic signature unique to a location of the access point device, the characteristic magnetic signature including a magnetic spatial derivative signature calculated based on a plurality of magnetic field measurements corresponding to a sequence of positions along a trajectory of a mobile computing device proximate the access point device, and wherein magnetic spatial derivative signature captures the relative changes in magnetic field as the mobile device traverses a route proximate access point device;

localize the mobile computing device having a preestablished association with the security device, based on the characteristic magnetic signature; and

enable the request for access when a position of the mobile computing device as determined from the localizing is within a predetermined threshold distance from the location of the access point device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the security device comprises at least one of a magnetic and a near field communication (NFC) portable security card.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the access point device is one of a magnetic access point and a near field communication (NFC) access point device.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the localizing is based on at least one of an orientation, a magnetic field strength and direction, a received wireless communication signal strength, a wireless connectivity indication and a barometric pressure in conjunction with the fingerprint data.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the fingerprint data includes respective time-stamps whereby the orientation, the magnetic field strength and direction, the magnetic spatial derivative signature, the received wireless signal strength, the wireless connectivity indication and the barometric pressure are correlated in accordance with the respective time-stamps.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the access point device is located at a pedestrian access entrance to an indoor facility.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the position of the mobile device as localized comprises a probabilistic estimate associated with a confidence level, and the threshold distance is dynamically adjusted as one of lower and higher based on the confidence level.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions being executable in one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a memory of a server computing device, a request for access performed using a security device at an access point device communicatively coupled to the server computing device, wherein the access point device induces a characteristic magnetic signature unique to a location of the access point device, the characteristic magnetic signature including a magnetic spatial derivative signature calculated based on a plurality of magnetic field measurements corresponding to a sequence of positions along a trajectory of a mobile computing device proximate the access point device, and wherein magnetic spatial derivative signature captures the relative changes in magnetic field as the mobile device traverses a route proximate access point device;

localizing the mobile computing device having a preestablished association with the security device, based on the characteristic magnetic signature; and

enabling the request for access when a position of the mobile computing device as determined from the localizing is within a predetermined threshold distance from the location of the access point device.