Method for enabling authenticated access of an individual to a security area and security system for implementing the method

• US 20030025588A1
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Winterer, Albert, Knebelkamp, Michael, Meier, Herbert
• Application Number:
  US10/189,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20030025588A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2027 with data signals passing through the human body
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/77 comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10326 the antenna being of the very-near field type, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00373 whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00555 comprising means to detect or avoid relay attacks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body

Abstract

A method for enabling authenticated access of an individual (10) to a security area (12) by means of a transponder (14) carried by the individual which on receiving an interrogation signal outputs an ID code group, and a control unit (18) located in the security area (12) which generates the interrogation signal and checks the ID code group output by the transponder (14) for enabling access of the individual (10) to the security area (12) only when right of access is authenticated, is characterized in that the interrogation signal is relayed by capactive coupling from the control unit (18) via the individual (10) to the transponder (14).

Claims

1. A method for enabling authenticated access of an individual to a security area by means of a transponder carried by the individual which on receiving an interrogation signal outputs an ID code group, and a control unit located in the security area which generates the interrogation signal and checks the ID code group output by the transponder for enabling access of the individual to the security area only when right of access is authenticated, characterized in that said interrogation signal is relayed by capacitive coupling from said control unit (18) via said individual (10) to said transponder.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said control unit (18) prompts output of said interrogation signal when activated by said individual.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said control unit (18) prompts output of said interrogation signal in regular time intervals.

4. The method as set forth in any of the claims 1-3, characterized in that said ID code group is transmitted via an antenna (36) as an RF signal after receiving said interrogation signal from said transponder (14).

5. The method as set forth in any of the claims 1-3, characterized in that said ID code group is relayed by capacitive coupling from said transponder (14) via said individual to said control unit (18) on receiving said interrogation signal.

6. A security system for implementing the method as set forth in any of the preceding claims, whereby said transponder is to be carried in the direct vicinity of the body of said individual, characterized in that a sensor surface area (26) is applied to said security area (12) and connected to an oscillator (24) for generating said interrogation signal and that said transponder (14) is provided with two metal surface areas (28, 30) disposed spaced away from each other between which a potential difference materializes, prompting transmission of said ID code group when said interrogation signal output by said control unit (18) is capacitively coupled via said sensor surface area (26) and said individual (10) to said metal surface areas (28, 30).

7. The security system as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that contained in said transponder (14) is a transmitter (34) which in the presence of said potential difference between said two metal surface areas (28, 30) transmits said ID code group in the form of an RF signal.

8. The security system as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that contained in said transponder (14) is a modulatable oscillator which in the presence of said potential difference between said two metal surface areas (28, 30) applies a LF signal modulated with said ID code group to said metal surface areas (28, 30) for capacitive coupling via said individual (10) to said sensor surface area (26).