Transient asset management systems and methods

• US 10,380,815 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Incorporated
• Inventors: Robinson, Kylan T., Smith, Rhett, Masters, George W., Bradetich, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Negron, Daniell L
• Application Number:
  US15/491,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20170221287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• 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 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/0069 actuated in a predetermined sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/32 in combination with an identity check
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• 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 63/102 Entity profiles
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that provide for managing transient assets used in connection with an access-controlled area of a distribution site of an electric power delivery system. In some embodiments, one or more users entering and access-controlled area may be identified via physical access control credentials provided to an associated access control system. Transient assets brought within an access-controlled area may be detected via one or more wired and/or wireless communication channels and may be associated with the one or more identified users located within the access-controlled area.

Claims

1. An access control system associated with an access-controlled area of a distributed site of an electric power delivery system, the system comprising:

a credential input interface configured to receive authentication credentials from one or more users;

a communications interface configured to receive identification information from one or more proximately-located transient assets;

a processor communicatively coupled to the credential input interface and the communications interface;

a computer-readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the processor, the computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

determine whether the authentication credentials received by the credential input interface are associated with one or more users having physical access rights to the access-controlled area;

generate, based on the determination, a control signal configured to implement an access control action by an access control device associated with the access-controlled area allowing physical access to the one or more users; and

receive, in response to a first transient asset discovery process performed by the processor, identification information from the one or more proximately-located transient assets;

determining a probability of association between the one or more transient assets and the one or more users;

generate transient asset association information associating the one or more transient assets with the one or more users based on the identification information, the authentication credentials, and the probability of association;

storing the transient asset association information on the computer-readable storage medium.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the instructions further cause the processor to determine historical associative information comprising prior identified association between the one or more transient assets and the one or more users;

and,

the transient asset association information is further based on the historical associative information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the credential input interface is further configured to receive an indication that the one or more users have exited the access-controlled area and the computer-readable storage medium further stores instructions that when executed by the process cause the processor to:

initiate a second transient asset discovery process based on receiving the indication; and

receive, in response to the second transient asset discovery process, the identification information from the one or more proximately located transient assets; and

determine that the one or more transient assets are unattended.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further stores instructions that when executed by the process cause the processor to:

generate a notification that the one or more transient assets are unattended;

transmit the notification to one or more mobile devices associated with the one or more users.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further stores instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

generate a notification that the one or more transient assets are unattended; and

transmit the notification to a system associated with a supervisor of the one or more users.

6. A method for managing transient assets brought within an access-controlled area of a distributed site of an electric power delivery system, the system comprising:

receiving, at a credential input interface, authentication credentials from one or more users;

determining that the received authentication credentials are associated with one or more users having physical access rights to the access-controlled area;

generating, based on the determination, a control signal configured to allow the one or more users physical access to the access-controlled area;

performing a first transient asset discovery process to identify one or more proximately-located transient assets;

receiving, in response to the first transient asset discovery process, identification information from the one or more proximately located transient assets;

determining a probability of association between the one or more transient assets and the one or more users;

generating transient asset association information associating the one or more transient assets with the one or more users based on the identification information, the authentication credentials, and the probability of association; and

storing the transient asset association information on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.