Secondary short-range wireless assist for wireless-based access control

• US 10,320,447 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2018
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Horton, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Terrell, Emily C
• Application Number:
  US15/909,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20180191405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 340 561, 340 57, 340 55, 340 101- 1052, 340 125, 340 1325
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00388 code verification carried out according to the challenge/response method
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to secondary short-range wireless assist for wireless-based access control. According to one aspect, a method can include receiving, at an access control system, a first identifier via a near-field communications (“NFC”) reader associated with an entryway to an area. The NFC reader can receive the first identifier from an NFC component of a mobile device. The method can include receiving, at the access control system, a second identifier via a wireless transceiver associated with the area. The wireless transceiver associated with the area can receive the second identifier from a wireless communication component of the mobile device after the mobile device has entered the area through the entryway. The method can also include determining, by the access control system, that the first identifier and the second identifier constitute an authentication pair that identifies the mobile device as being authenticated to access the area.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an access control system comprising a processor, from a device associated with an entryway that provides access to an area, a first identifier received by the device from a first mobile device associated with a first user;

determining, by the access control system, based on the first identifier, whether the first user is allowed to physically access the area;

in response to determining that the first user is allowed to physically access the area, causing, by the access control system, the entryway to be traversable by the first user to allow the first user and the first mobile device associated with the first user entry to the area through the entryway to physically access the area; and

after the first user and the first mobile device have entered the area through the entryway,

causing, by the access control system, a wireless transceiver located within the area to send a wireless component activation signal, wherein the wireless component activation signal causes a wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver and further causes a wireless communication component of a second mobile device associated with a second user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver,

receiving, by the access control system, from the wireless transceiver located within the area, a second identifier and a third identifier, wherein the second identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting a request for an additional identifier after the first mobile device has entered the area through the entryway, and wherein the third identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting the request for an additional identifier,

determining, by the access control system, that the first identifier received by the device associated with the entryway from the first mobile device associated with the first user and the second identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user constitute a first authentication pair, wherein the first authentication pair identifies the first user of the first mobile device as being authenticated to access the area,

determining, by the access control system, that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user, which along with the third identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user constitute a second authentication pair, was not received from the device associated with the entryway, and

in response to determining that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user was not received from the device associated with the entryway, flagging, by the access control system, the second user and the second mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device associated with the entryway comprises a near field communication reader.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein flagging the second user and the second mobile device comprises storing, in a user database, a flag in association with the second user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the wireless transceiver located within the area to send the wireless component activation signal is triggered by output received from a sensor located within the area.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a camera.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a proximity sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first authentication pair is stored in a user database in association with the first user.

8. An access control system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving, from a device associated with an entryway that provides access to an area, a first identifier received by the device from a first mobile device associated with a first user,

determining, based on the first identifier, whether the first user is allowed to physically access the area,

in response to determining that the first user is allowed to physically access the area, causing the entryway to be traversable by the first user to allow the first user and the first mobile device associated with the first user entry to the area through the entryway to physically access the area, and

after the first user and the first mobile device have entered the area through the entryway,

causing a wireless transceiver located within the area to send a wireless component activation signal, wherein the wireless component activation signal causes a wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver and further causes a wireless communication component of a second mobile device associated with a second user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver,

receiving, from the wireless transceiver located within the area, a second identifier and a third identifier, wherein the second identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting a request for an additional identifier after the first mobile device has entered the area through the entryway, and wherein the third identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting the request for an additional identifier,

determining that the first identifier received by the device associated with the entryway from the first mobile device associated with the first user and the second identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user constitute a first authentication pair, wherein the first authentication pair identifies the first user of the first mobile device as being authenticated to access the area,

determining that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user, which along with the third identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user constitute a second authentication pair, was not received from the device associated with the entryway, and

in response to determining that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user was not received from the device associated with the entryway, flagging the second user and the second mobile device.

9. The access control system of claim 8, wherein the device associated with the entryway comprises a near field communication reader.

10. The access control system of claim 8, wherein flagging the second user and the second mobile device comprises storing, in a user database, a flag in association with the second user.

11. The access control system of claim 8, wherein causing the wireless transceiver located within the area to send the wireless component activation signal is triggered by output received from a sensor located within the area.

12. The access control system of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a camera.

13. The access control system of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a proximity sensor.

14. The access control system of claim 8, wherein the first authentication pair is stored in a user database in association with the first user.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of an access control system, cause the access control system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a device associated with an entryway that provides access to an area, a first identifier received by the device from a first mobile device associated with a first user;

determining, based on the first identifier, whether the first user is allowed to physically access the area;

in response to determining that the first user is allowed to physically access the area, causing the entryway to be traversable by the first user to allow the first user and the first mobile device associated with the first user entry to the area through the entryway to physically access the area; and

after the first user and the first mobile device have entered the area through the entryway,

causing a wireless transceiver located within the area to send a wireless component activation signal, wherein the wireless component activation signal causes a wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver and further causes a wireless communication component of a second mobile device associated with a second user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver,

receiving, from the wireless transceiver located within the area, a second identifier and a third identifier, wherein the second identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting a request for an additional identifier after the first mobile device has entered the area through the entryway, and wherein the third identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting the request for an additional identifier,

determining that the first identifier received by the device associated with the entryway from the first mobile device associated with the first user and the second identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user constitute a first authentication pair, wherein the first authentication pair identifies the first user of the first mobile device as being authenticated to access the area,

determining that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user, which along with the third identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user constitute a second authentication pair, was not received from the device associated with the entryway, and

in response to determining that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user was not received from the device associated with the entryway, flagging the second user and the second mobile device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the device associated with the entryway comprises a near field communication reader.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein flagging the second user and the second mobile device comprises storing, in a user database, a flag in association with the second user.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein causing the wireless transceiver located within the area to send the wireless component activation signal is triggered by output received from a sensor located within the area.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the sensor comprises one of a camera or a proximity sensor.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first authentication pair is stored in a user database in association with the first user.