Service provision method and apparatus in a distributed system

• US 20020186121A1
• Filed: 01/17/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakano, Toshihiko, Yoshikawa, Tatsuya, Kawano, Katsumi, Sameshima, Shigetoshi, Kobayashi, Nobuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,212,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.28
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Access to restricted areas or devices are controlled by based on collecting information about the surrounding environment in connection with those restricted areas or service devices. Generally, one refers to service devices and access to service devices. Area access control can be viewed as being provided by a service device (e.g., an automated door or gate), access to which permits entry to (or exit from) a controlled area. Information about the surrounding environment includes, but is not limited to, the presence or absence of particular individuals, the presence or absence of other service devices, the location and/or proximity of other service devices, the location of the user requesting access to the service device, and so on. Based on knowledge of the surrounding environment, service access to the device can be permitted or denied.

Claims

1. A method for operating a service device to provide a service comprising:

detecting a request from a requesting device to provide said service;

obtaining peripheral information relating to one or more peripheral devices, said peripheral devices being within a predetermined distance of said service device; and

providing said service depending on said peripheral information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said providing said service is further dependent on a time of detection of said request.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said peripheral information includes information relating to positions of said peripheral devices relative to said service device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said peripheral information further includes information relating to whether one of said peripheral devices is within said predetermined distance of said service device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said peripheral information for each of said peripheral devices is obtained from said peripheral device or from a data store separate from said service device.

6. The method of claim 1 further including detecting when one of said peripheral devices makes a transition between a first condition and a second condition, said first condition being a condition where said one of said peripheral devices is within said predetermined distance of said service device, said second condition being condition where said one of said peripheral devices is beyond said predetermined distance of said service device, said step of providing said service further being dependent on detecting said transition.

7. The method of claim 1 further including obtaining second peripheral information relating to positions of one or more second peripheral devices relative to said requesting device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said second peripheral information further includes information relating to whether one of said one or more second peripheral devices is within a second predetermined distance from said requesting device.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said second peripheral information for each of said second peripheral devices is obtained from said each second peripheral device or from a data store separate from said each second peripheral device.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said second peripheral information includes information relating to whether one of said second peripheral devices is within said second predetermined distance from said requesting device.

11. The method of claim 1 further including obtaining at said service device second peripheral information independently of obtaining a request from said requesting device, said second peripheral information relating to one or more second peripheral devices.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said request includes user information indicative of a user of said requesting device, said step of providing further dependent on said user information.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining peripheral information includes transmitting a peripheral information request for said peripheral information.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining peripheral information includes obtaining said peripheral information absent transmitting a request for said peripheral information.

15. The method of claim 1 further including transmitting a request for access information and in response to said transmitting, receiving said access information, said access information contained in a data store separate from said service device and from said peripheral devices, said step of providing further being dependent on said access information.

16. The method of claim 1 further including obtaining history information relating to one or more of said requesting device, a user of said requesting device, and said service device, said step of providing further being dependent on said history information.

18. The method of claim 17 further including obtaining history information relating to one or more of said requesting device, a user of said requesting device, and said service device, said step of providing further being dependent on said history information.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said providing said service is further dependent on a time of detection of said request.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said peripheral information includes information relating to positions of said peripheral devices relative to said requesting device.

21. The method of claim 20 further including obtaining second peripheral information relating to positions of one or more second peripheral devices relative to said service device.

17. A method for operating a service device to provide a service comprising:

detecting a request from a requesting device to provide said service;

obtaining peripheral information relating to one or more peripheral devices, said peripheral devices being within a predetermined distance of said requesting device; and

providing said service depending on said peripheral information.

22. A service device for providing a service comprising:

detector circuitry operable to detect a request from a requesting device to provide said service;

control circuitry operable to obtain peripheral information relating to one or more peripheral devices, said peripheral devices being within a predetermined distance of said service device; and

access control circuitry operatively coupled to said control circuitry, said access control circuitry operable to allow or disallow providing of said service depending on said peripheral information.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein said peripheral information includes information relating to whether one of said peripheral devices is within said predetermined distance of said service device.

24. The device of claim 22 wherein said control circuitry is further operable for communicating with a data store to obtain said peripheral information for some of said peripheral devices, said data store being separate from said service device.

25. The device of claim 22 wherein said detector circuitry is further operable to detect when one of said peripheral devices makes a transition from a condition of being within said predetermined distance of said service device to a condition of being beyond said predetermined distance of said service device, or a transition from a condition of being beyond said predetermined distance of said service device to a condition of being within said predetermined distance of said service device, said access control circuitry further being operatively coupled to said detector circuitry and further being operable to allow or disallow providing of said service depending on detecting said transitions.

26. The device of claim 22 wherein said control circuitry is further operable to obtain second peripheral information relating to one or more second peripheral devices within a second predetermined distance from said requesting device.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein said second peripheral information for each of said second peripheral devices is obtained from said each second peripheral device or from a data store separate from said each second peripheral device.

28. The device of claim 26 said control circuitry is further operable to obtain additional information relating to whether one of said second peripheral devices is within said second predetermined distance from said requesting device.

29. The device of claim 22 wherein said control circuitry is further operable to obtain second peripheral information independently of said detector circuitry, said second peripheral information relating to one or more second peripheral devices.

30. The device of claim 22 wherein said request includes user information indicative of a user of said requesting device, said access control circuitry further being operable to allow or disallow providing of said service dependent on said user information.

31. The device of claim 22 wherein said control circuit includes a communication portion operable to obtain said peripheral information by transmitting a peripheral information request for said peripheral information.

32. The device of claim 22 wherein said control circuitry is further operable to obtain history information relating to one or more of said requesting device, a user of said requesting device, and said service device, said access control circuitry further operable to allow or disallow providing of said service dependent on said history information.

33. An service control system for providing a service comprising:

one or more requesting devices; and

one or more service providing devices in communication with said one or more requesting devices;

each of said service providing devices comprising;

detector circuitry operable to detect a request from one of said requesting devices to provide said service;

control circuitry operable to obtain peripheral information relating to one or more peripheral devices, said peripheral devices being within a predetermined distance of said each service device; and

access control circuitry operatively coupled to said control circuitry, said access control circuitry operable to allow or disallow providing of said service depending on said peripheral information.

34. The system of claim 33 further including one or more data stores, each said data store providing said peripheral information.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein some of said requesting devices have associated peripheral devices, the system further including one or more first data stores and one or more second data stores, each first data store providing said peripheral information for at least one of said peripheral devices, each said second data store providing second peripheral information relating to one or more of said associated peripheral devices.

37. The method of claim 36 further including means for obtaining second peripheral information relating to one or more second peripheral devices within a second predetermined distance from said requesting device.

38. The method of claim 36 further including means for obtaining history information relating to one or more of said requesting device, a user of said requesting device, and said service device, said means for providing further being dependent on said history information.

36. A service device for providing a service comprising:

means for detecting a request from a requesting device to provide said service;

means for obtaining peripheral information relating to one or more peripheral devices, said peripheral devices being within a predetermined distance of said service device; and

means for providing said service depending on said peripheral information.

39. A service device for providing a service comprising:

means for detecting a request from a requesting device to provide said service;

means for obtaining peripheral information relating to one or more peripheral devices, said peripheral devices being within a predetermined distance of said requesting device; and

means for providing said service depending on said peripheral information.