ELECTRONIC LOCKING SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUS

• US 20130271261A1
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digilock Asia Limited
• Original Assignee: Bielet Inc.
• Inventors: Ribas, Gabriel Bestard, Bakondi, Steven Thomas, Seliber, Lloyd
• Granted Patent: US 9,626,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.65
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00412 the transmitted data signal being encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00753 operated by active electrical keys
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00825 remotely by lines or wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00865 remotely by wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

Electronic locking devices, systems, and methods may require the utilization of an electronic key generated by an electronic key generation device. The electronic key may be generated using a data payload received from server and/or an administrative device. The administrative device is enabled to remotely manage the locking device and locking system via, for example, a software application running on the administrative device and/or a website.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of an electronic key generation device, a data payload from at least one of an administrative device and a server;

receiving, by the processor, a request from a user of the electronic key generation device to generate an electronic key to a locking device;

generating, by the processor, the electronic key using the data payload responsively to the received request; and

transmitting, by the processor, the electronic key from the electronic key generation device to the locking device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic key generation device is at least one of a mobile telephone, a key fob, a mobile communication device, and a portable computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received from the user via a software application running on the electronic key generation device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data payload is specific to at least one of the user of the electronic key generation device and the electronic key generation device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generation of the electronic key includes encrypting the data payload.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one administrative device and server are wirelessly coupled to the processor via a communication network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein electronic key is transmitted from the electronic key generation device to the locking device via a wireless electromagnetic signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless electromagnetic signal is at least one of a cellular signal, a radio signal, an ultrasonic signal, an infrared signal, a short-wavelength radio signal, a telecommunication signal, a cellular communication signal, a near-field radio signal, a Bluetooth™

signal, a Bluetooth™

low energy signal, and a Wi-Fi signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein electronic key includes instructions to enable the locking or unlocking of the locking device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein electronic key further includes instructions to enable the automatic locking of an unlocked locking device after expiration of a duration of time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data payload cannot be transferred from the electronic key generation device to another device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a message at the electronic key generation device from the locking device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the message is one of a personalized greeting, a status of the locking device, a graphic, a uniform resource locator (URL), and an indication of recent activity at the locking device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the personalized greeting includes an image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the image comprises an image of a last individual to lock or unlock the locking device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the image comprises an image of a user associated with the electronic key.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the data payload and the electronic key is unique to the electronic key generation device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising sharing at least one of the data payload and the electronic key with another electronic key generation device.

19. A method comprising:

receiving an encrypted electronic key from an electronic key generation device at a processor included within a locking device;

decrypting, by the processor, the electronic key;

extracting, by the processor, a data payload from the decrypted electronic key;

determining, by the processor, whether the data payload is included within a list of permissible data payloads stored on a memory in communication with the locking device; and

instructing, by the processor, a locking mechanism communicatively coupled to the processor and included within the locking device to translate from at least one of a closed position to an open position and from the open position to the closed position responsively to the determination.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

recording, by the processor, at least one of the received encrypted electronic key, the decrypted electronic key, the extracted data payload, whether the extracted data payload was included within the list of permissible data payloads, a translation of locking device, and an action taken when the data payload was not included within the list of permissible data payloads.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating, by the processor, an alarm when the data payload is not included within the list of permissible data payloads.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

transmitting, by the processor, the alarm to at least one of a law enforcement agency, an administrator of the locking device, a user of the key generation device, and a private security agency.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a modification of the list of permissible data payloads from the administrator;

updating, by the processor, the list of permissible data payloads responsively to the received modification; and

storing, by the processor, the updated list on the memory.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein electronic key is received from the electronic key generation device via a wireless electromagnetic signal.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the wireless electromagnetic signal is at least one of a cellular signal, a radio signal, an ultrasonic signal, an infrared signal, a short-wavelength radio signal, a telecommunication signal, a cellular communication signal, a near-field communication signal, a Bluetooth™

signal, a Bluetooth™

low energy signal, and a Wi-Fi signal.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the data payload and the electronic key is unique to the electronic key generation device.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein electronic key further includes instructions to enable the automatic translation of the locking mechanism from the open position to the closed position or from the closed position to an open position after the expiration of a time period.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting, by the processor, a message to the electronic key generation device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the message deactivates the electronic key generation device.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the message is one of a personalized greeting, a status of the locking device, and an indication of recent activity at the locking device.

31. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying on a display of the locking device a personalized greeting for a user associated with the electronic key.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the personalized greeting includes an image.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the image comprises an image of a last individual to lock or unlock the locking device.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the image comprises an image of a user associated with the electronic key.

35. A method comprising:

receiving an encrypted electronic key from an electronic key generation device at a processor included within a locking device;

determining, by the processor, whether the electronic key is valid for the locking device and, if so, issuing signals to lock or unlock the locking mechanism, as appropriate; and

displaying, on a display of the locking device, a personalized message for a user associated with the electronic key.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the personalized message includes an image.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the image comprises an image of a last individual to lock or unlock the locking device.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the image comprises an image of the user associated with the electronic key.

39. A method comprising:

transmitting, by an administrative device, a request for a data payload to a server, the request including information specific to an electronic key generation device;

receiving the requested data payload from the server by the administrative device, the requested data payload enabling a receiving electronic key generation device to generate an electronic key; and

transmitting the received data payload from the administrative device to the electronic key generation device.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

receiving, at the administrative device, an indication of a state of the locking device from the locking device.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

transmitting a request for an indication of a state of the locking device from the administrative device to the locking device; and

receiving, at the administrative device, the indication of the state of the locking device from the locking device responsively to the request.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the locking device records attempts to activate the locking device and a result of the attempt and communicates the recording to the server, the method further comprising:

accessing, by the administrative device, the recordings at the server via a website provided by the server.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the administrative device communicates with the server via a website provided by the server.

44. The method of claim 39, further comprising reconfiguring the locking device by the administrative device.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the reconfiguration is performed via a website provided by the server.

46. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

notifying, by the administrative device, at least one of the server and the locking device of a revocation of access privileges for at least one of the electronic key generation device and electronic key associated with the data payload.

47. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

setting a time duration of validity for at least one of the data payload and the electronic key by the administrative device.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the duration of validity is set on a periodic or as-needed basis.

49. A system comprising:

a server configured to receive a request for the data payload from an administrator and transmit the data payload to the administrator, the request including account information associated with the administrator;

an administrative device, configured to communicate the request to the server, receive the data payload from a server, and transmit the data payload to a mobile communication device;

an electronic key generation device configured to receive the data payload, generate an electronic key with the received data payload, and communicate the electronic key to a locking device; and

the locking device configured to receive the electronic key, verify the received electronic key, and perform at least one of opening the locking device and closing locking device upon verification of the electronic key.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the electronic key generation device is at least one of a mobile telephone, a key fob, a mobile communication device, and a portable computer.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein the server and the administrative device are communicatively coupled via a website facilitated by a communication network.

52. The system of claim 49, wherein the system includes a plurality of locking devices.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein when an action is performed on one of the locking devices, the remainder of the plurality of locking devices remains unchanged.

54. The system of claim 52, wherein when an action is performed on one of the locking devices, the action is performed on the remainder of the plurality of locking devices.

55. The system of claim 49, wherein one or more operations performed by the locking device is user configurable.

56. The system of claim 49, wherein at least one of the data payload and the electronic key is unique to the electronic key generation device.