SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTERACTING WITH ACCESS CONTROL DEVICES

• US 20120096131A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Bhandari, Neelendra, Morrison, John David, Reddy, Chandrakantha C., Hussain, Mushabbar, McDonnell, Neil
• Granted Patent: US 9,704,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00865 remotely by wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for interacting with access control devices. In overview, a human user physically identifies an access control device with which he/she wishes to interact, for example in the context of providing commissioning and/or configuration data. The user then makes a physical local interaction with the device, for example by way of a smartcard having predefined characteristics. This causes the access control device to enable a wireless communications protocol, thereby to allow the user to discover the device using a portable device which implements a complementary wireless communications protocol. Commissioning information is then provided by way of the portable device to the access control device in a wireless manner. Once this is complete, the access control device disables the wireless communications protocol.

Claims

1. A method for operating an access control device, the method including the steps of:

(a) receiving data indicative of a physical local interaction with the device;

(b) responsive to the data received at (a), selectively enabling a wireless communications protocol;

(c) accepting commissioning and/or configuration information via the wireless communications protocol; and

(d) disabling the wireless communications protocol.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the physical local interaction with the device is defined by the presentation of a physical token.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the physical token is carried by a carrier substrate.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the carrier substrate is a smartcard.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the access control device is additionally configured to receive data indicative of a physical local interaction with the device and, in response, selectively grant access.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein step (d) is performed responsive to a further physical local interaction with the device.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein step (c) includes accepting commissioning information, and wherein configuration information is later accepted from a central server via a network.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein step (c) includes accepting configuration information, and wherein a prioritising protocol is implemented to determine whether configuration information accepted via the wireless communications protocol should be preferentially applied over configuration information available from a central server via a network.

10. An access control device according to claim 9 that is configured to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

9. An access control device including:

an interface for allowing a physical local interaction with the device;

a processor that is responsive to the physical local interaction with the device for selectively enabling a wireless communications protocol;

a wireless communication module for accepting commissioning and/or configuration information via the wireless communications protocol; and

a processor responsive to predefined conditions for disabling the wireless communications protocol.