ELECTRONIC LOCK BOX PROXIMITY ACCESS CONTROL
First Claim
1. A method for operating an electronic lock box system, said method comprising:
- (a) providing an electronic lock box having a first processing circuit, a first memory circuit, a first short range wireless communications device, a secure compartment having a movable opening element that is under the control of said first processing circuit, and a first data input device;
(i) periodically inspecting said first data input device to determine if it has been activated, and if so, determining a first input data value that is entered thereon by a user;
(ii) retrieving data stored in said first memory circuit, including a unique to lockbox identifier value;
(iii) constructing a hail message from said unique lockbox identifier value and from said first input data value, and transmitting said hail message using said first short range wireless communications device; and
(b) providing a portable transponder having a second processing circuit, a second memory circuit, and a second short range wireless communications device;
(i) retrieving data stored in said second memory circuit, including a user identifier data value; and
(ii) determining if said second short range wireless communications device has received said hail message from said electronic lock box; and
if so, based upon said user identifier data value, determining if said hail message contains information corresponding to the identity of said user.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic lock box system includes a wireless portable transponder that communicates with an electronic lock box using a low power radio link. The portable transponder includes: a wide area network radio to communicate to a central clearinghouse computer, a motion sensor to activate its wide area network radio, and a connector to communicate with a secure memory device. The electronic lock box sends a hail message that is intercepted by the portable transponder; the hail message includes identification information. The portable transponder responds with a message that includes a time sensitive encryption key; the lock box authenticates this response message using its own time sensitive encryption key. If the messages are authenticated, the lock box sends an access event record to the portable transponder, and this access event record is stored in the secure memory device. If a wide area network is available, the portable transponder sends the access event record to the central clearinghouse computer.
123 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for operating an electronic lock box system, said method comprising:
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(a) providing an electronic lock box having a first processing circuit, a first memory circuit, a first short range wireless communications device, a secure compartment having a movable opening element that is under the control of said first processing circuit, and a first data input device; (i) periodically inspecting said first data input device to determine if it has been activated, and if so, determining a first input data value that is entered thereon by a user; (ii) retrieving data stored in said first memory circuit, including a unique to lockbox identifier value; (iii) constructing a hail message from said unique lockbox identifier value and from said first input data value, and transmitting said hail message using said first short range wireless communications device; and (b) providing a portable transponder having a second processing circuit, a second memory circuit, and a second short range wireless communications device; (i) retrieving data stored in said second memory circuit, including a user identifier data value; and (ii) determining if said second short range wireless communications device has received said hail message from said electronic lock box; and
if so, based upon said user identifier data value, determining if said hail message contains information corresponding to the identity of said user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for operating an electronic lock box system, said method comprising:
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(a) providing a central computer that includes a first processing circuit, a first memory circuit, a system database, and a first wireless data link; and (b) providing a portable transponder having a second processing circuit, a second memory circuit, a motion sensor, and a wide area network wireless communications device that acts as a second wireless data link; (i) maintaining said wide area network wireless communications device in a low power state during inactive periods when a user is not handling said portable transponder; (ii) activating said wide area network wireless communications device if said motion sensor provides an input state indicating that said portable transponder is being handled by said user; and (iii) determining if said portable transponder has a need to communicate with said central computer, and if so, transmitting identification data to said central computer using said wide area network wireless communications device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for operating an electronic lock box system, said method comprising:
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(a) providing an electronic lock box having a first communications circuit; (b) providing a first portable computer having a second communications circuit for communicating with said electronic lock box, and having a third communications circuit for communicating with a wide area network; (c) providing a second portable computer having a fourth communications circuit; (d) providing a central computer having a fifth communications circuit and a network server; (e) sending to said first portable computer, using said first communications circuit and said second communications circuit, access event data from said electronic lock box, in response to an access attempt of said electronic lock box by a user; (f) sending to said central computer, using said third communications circuit and said fifth communications circuit, said access event data from said first portable computer; (g) sending to said central computer, using said third communications circuit and said fifth communications circuit, identifying information pertaining to said lockbox and identifying information pertaining to said user; (h) creating an information data set at said central computer, in response to receiving said identifying information pertaining to said lockbox and identifying information pertaining to said user; and (i) sending to said second portable computer, using said fifth communications circuit and said fourth communications circuit, said information data set. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. An electronic lock box system, comprising:
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(a) an electronic lock box having a first processing circuit, a first memory circuit, a first short range wireless communications device, a secure compartment having a movable opening element that is under the control of said first processing circuit, and a first data input device, wherein said electronic lock box generally maintains said first short range wireless communications device in a sleep mode until becoming activated by user manipulation of said first data input device, and once activated, said first short range wireless communications device transmits a hail message; and (b) a portable transponder having a second processing circuit, a second memory circuit, a second short range wireless communications device, a second data input device for use by said user, and a motion sensor, wherein said portable transponder generally maintains said second short range wireless communications device in a sleep mode until becoming activated by said motion sensor undergoing a change in state indicating that said portable transponder is being handled by said user, and once activated, said second short range wireless communications device receives said hail message and acts upon it. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An electronic lock box system, comprising:
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(a) a first electronic lock box having a first processing circuit, a first memory circuit, a first short range wireless communications device, and a secure compartment having a movable opening element that is under the control of said first processing circuit, wherein once said first electronic lock box becomes activated, said first short range wireless communications device transmits a first hail message; and (b) a portable transponder having a second processing circuit, a second memory circuit, and a second short range wireless communications device, wherein once said second short range wireless communications device receives said first hail message, said portable transponder sends a response message to authenticate itself to said first electronic lock box; (c) after said first electronic lock box receives said response message, and verifies that it is authentic, said first short range wireless communications device begins to periodically transmit a PROMPT message at predetermined intervals; (d) if said portable transponder is within range, said second short range wireless communications device transmits an ACK message each time said portable transponder receives said periodic PROMPT message; (e) thereafter, said portable transponder, under control of said second processing circuit, waits for N seconds, and if no further periodic PROMPT message is received during said N seconds waiting interval, then said second processing circuit determines that a “
missing PROMPT”
status is in effect; and(f) said first electronic lock box, under control of said first processing circuit, waits for M seconds, and if no ACK message is received during said M seconds waiting interval, then said first processing circuit determines that a “
missing ACK”
status is in effect. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification