Remote access authentication and authorization

• US 10,565,813 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2019
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Unyoung, Chiu, David T., Crane, Michael, Nguyen, Calvin, Shrivastava, Rohit
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US16/389,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20190244455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 340 51, 340 52, 340 553, 340 57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• 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: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

Features are disclosed for accurately authenticating a delivery agent for unattended delivery of an item. The systems and methods described confirm the location of the delivery agent and proximity to the delivery location using short range wireless communications between a monitoring device at the delivery location and a communication device associated with the delivery agent. Access may also be conditioned on user specified “do not disturb” rules indicating when remote access is authorized. The authentication may be dynamically assessed such as based on a type of item being delivered.

Claims

1. A monitoring device for controlling access to a physical location, the device comprising:

a sensor;

one or more computer processors in communication with the sensor; and

a data store storing specific computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the monitoring device to at least;

transmit, to a delivery device, a unique identifier associated with the monitoring device;

configure the sensor for data collection in response to receiving, from a remote access server, a control message to initiate data collection, wherein said control message is generated in response to confirming, via the remote access server, that an identifier detected by the delivery device corresponds to the unique identifier associated with the monitoring device;

confirm that the sensor is properly configured for data collection; and

in response to confirming that the sensor is properly configured for data collection, transmit, to an access control device, a release message to permit access to the physical location.

2. The monitoring device of claim 1,

wherein the sensor comprises a camera, and

wherein the data store stores further specific computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the monitoring system to at least confirm that the sensor is properly configured for data collection by:

receiving, from the sensor, an image of the physical location;

transmitting, to the remote access server, the image of the physical location; and

receiving, from the remote access server, a determination that the sensor is properly configured for data collection.

3. The monitoring device of claim 2, wherein the determination that the monitoring device is properly configured for data collection is based at least on a color analysis of the image of the physical location.

4. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the data store stores further specific computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the monitoring device to at least adjust a field of monitoring of the sensor in response to receiving, via a first network from the remote access server, the control message to initiate data collection.

5. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the data store stores further specific computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the monitoring device to at least activate an illuminator in response to receiving, from the remote access server, the control message to initiate data collection.

6. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the data store stores further specific computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the monitoring device to at least:

suspend data collection via the sensor in response to receiving, from the remote access server via a first network, a confirmation that the access to the physical location has been secured.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting, from a monitoring device at a physical location to a delivery device, a unique access identifier;

receiving, by the monitoring device, a control message from a remote access server, wherein the control message is generated in response to determining, by the remote access server, that an access identifier detected by the delivery device corresponds to the unique access identifier;

configuring the sensor of the monitoring device according to the control message;

confirming that the sensor is properly configured according to the control message; and

in response to confirming that the sensor is properly configured according to the control message, transmitting, to an access control device, a release message to permit access to the physical location.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7,

wherein the sensor comprises a camera, and

wherein confirming that the sensor is properly configured according to the control message comprises:

transmitting, by the monitoring device to the remote access server, an image of the physical location captured by the sensor; and

receiving, by the monitoring device from the remote access server, a determination that the monitoring device is properly configured according to the control message.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the determination that the monitoring device is properly configured according to the control message is based at least on a color analysis of the image of the physical location.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7,

wherein the sensor comprises a camera and an illuminator, and

wherein confirming that that the sensor is properly configured according to the control message comprises:

causing the illuminator to emit a unique pattern of light at the physical location;

receiving an image of the physical location captured by the sensor;

detecting the unique pattern of light in the image; and

determining that the sensor is properly configured according to the control message.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein configuring the sensor according to the control message comprises adjusting a field of monitoring of the sensor.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein configuring the sensor according to the control message comprises activating an illuminator.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

initiating data collection via the sensor in response to confirming that the sensor is properly configured according to the control message; and

suspending data collection via the sensor in response to receiving, from the remote access server, a confirmation that the access to the physical location has been secured.

14. A monitoring system comprising:

a sensor;

an access control device;

one or more computer processors in communication with the sensor and the access control device; and

a data store storing specific computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the monitoring system to at least;

transmit a unique access identifier to a delivery device;

receive, from a remote access server, a control message to configure the sensor, wherein said control message is generated in response to determining, by the remote server, that the access identifier received by the delivery device corresponds to the unique access identifier;

configure the sensor according to the control message; and

transmit, to the access control device, a release message to permit access to the physical location.

15. The monitoring system of claim 14,

wherein the sensor comprises a camera, and

wherein the data store stores further specific computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the monitoring system to at least:

prior to causing the monitoring system to transmit the release message,

receive, from the sensor, an image of the physical location;

transmit, to the remote access server, the image of the physical location; and

receive, from the remote access server, a determination that the monitoring device is properly configured.

16. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the determination that the monitoring device is properly configured is based at least on a color analysis of the image of the physical location.

17. The monitoring system of claim 14,

wherein the sensor comprises a camera and an illuminator, and

wherein the data store stores further specific computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the monitoring system to at least:

prior to causing the monitoring system to transmit the release message,

cause the illuminator to emit a unique pattern of light at the physical location;

receive, from the camera, an image of the physical location;

detect the unique pattern of light in the image received from the camera; and

determine that the monitoring device is properly configured.

18. The monitoring system of claim 14, wherein configuring the sensor according to the control message comprises adjusting a field of monitoring of the sensor.

19. The monitoring system of claim 14, wherein configuring the sensor according to the control message comprises activating an illuminator.

20. The monitoring system of claim 14,

wherein the data store stores further specific computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, further cause the monitoring system to at least:

configure the sensor according to the control message;

initiate data collection via the sensor in response to confirming that the sensor is properly configured according to the control message;

transmit to the access control device a lock message to secure access to the physical location; and

suspend data collection via the sensor in response to receiving, from the remote access server, a confirmation that the access to the physical location is secured.