Method and arrangement for controlling access

• US 20030194089A1
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lukkaroinen, Mikko, Kansala, Ilkka
• Granted Patent: US 7,251,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0023 with encription of the transmittted data signal
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• 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 9/38 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

The invention describes a method for controlling access in a telecommunication system comprising a first transmitter-receiver unit, a second transmitter-receiver unit and a remote-controllable server. The method comprises establishing a telecommunication connection from the first transmitter-receiver unit to the remote-controllable server; transmitting an electric form from the first transmitter-receiver unit to the remote-controllable server in order to unlock a lock, the form including a digital signature and a certificate indicating the authenticity of a user of the first transmitter-receiver unit; transmitting a message from the remote-controllable server to the second transmitter-receiver unit to indicate that the electric form has been received, the message including the certificate indicating the authenticity of the user of the first transmitter-receiver unit; transmitting a command to unlock the lock from the second transmitter-receiver unit to the remote-controllable server, and unlocking at least one lock.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access in a telecommunication system comprising a first transmitter-receiver unit, a second transmitter-receiver unit and a remote-controllable server, the method comprising:

establishing a telecommunication connection from the first transmitter-receiver unit to the remote-controllable server;

transmitting an electric form from the first transmitter-receiver unit to the remote-controllable server in order to unlock a lock, the form including a digital signature and a certificate indicating the authenticity of a user of the first transmitter-receiver unit;

transmitting a message from the remote-controllable server to the second transmitter-receiver unit to indicate that the electric form has been received, the message including the certificate indicating the authenticity of the user of the first transmitter-receiver unit;

transmitting a command to unlock the lock from the second transmitter-receiver unit to the remote-controllable server, and

unlocking at least one lock by means of the remote-controllable server on the basis of the command to unlock the lock transmitted by the second transmitter-receiver unit.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the telecommunication connection to be established from the first transmitter-receiver unit to the remote-controllable server is a short-range wireless connection.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the short-range wireless connection is a WLAN, Bluetooth or an infrared connection.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the certificate indicating the authenticity of the user includes the user'"'"'s public key.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises confirming the authenticity of the certificate of the user of the first transmitter-receiver unit from a certificate authority.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the electric form from the remote-controllable server to the first transmitter-receiver unit to be filled in.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises transmitting a message to the first transmitter-receiver unit to indicate that the command to unlock the lock has been transmitted, after the command to unlock the lock has been transmitted.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises transmitting a message to the first transmitter-receiver unit to indicate that a request to unlock the lock has been rejected, if no command to unlock the lock is transmitted.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises using public key infrastructure methods in the data transfer between the remote-controllable server and the second transmitter-receiver unit.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises using a time stamp in the data transfer between the remote-controllable server and the second transmitter-receiver unit.

11. An arrangement for controlling access, the arrangement comprising:

a first transmitter-receiver unit which includes means for establishing a telecommunication connection, means for supporting a public key infrastructure;

a second transmitter-receiver unit which includes means for supporting a public key infrastructure, means for establishing a telecommunication connection;

a remote-controllable server to be used as a communications device between the first and the second transmitter-receiver unit, the remote-controllable server including means for establishing telecommunication connections and means for unlocking a lock,

wherein;

the first transmitter-receiver unit is configured to transmit an electric form to the remote-controllable server in order to unlock the lock, the electronic form including a digital signature and a certificate indicating the authenticity of a user of the first transmitter-receiver unit;

the remote-controllable server is configured to transmit a message from the remote-controllable server to the second transmitter-receiver unit to indicate that the electric form has been received, the message including the certificate indicating the authenticity of the user of the first transmitter-receiver unit, and to unlock the lock on the basis of the command to unlock the lock transmitted by the second transmitter-receiver unit;

the second transmitter-receiver unit is configured to transmit the command to unlock the lock to the remote-controllable server.

12. An arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first transmitter-receiver unit includes means for establishing a short-range telecommunication connection.

13. An arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the remote-controllable server is configured to transmit the electronic form to the first transmitter-receiver unit to be filled in.

14. An arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second transmitter-receiver unit is configured to confirm the authenticity of the certificate of the user of the first transmitter-receiver unit from a certificate authority.

15. An arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the remote-controllable server is configured to transmit a message to the first transmitter-receiver unit to indicate that the command to unlock the lock has been transmitted.

16. An arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the remote-controllable server is configured to transmit a message to the first transmitter-receiver unit to indicate that a request to unlock the lock has been rejected, if no command to unlock the lock is transmitted.

17. An arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the remote-controllable server includes means for supporting a public key infrastructure.

18. An arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the remote-controllable server and the second transmitter-receiver unit are configured to use a time stamp in the data transfer between the remote-controllable server and the second transmitter-receiver unit.