METHOD FOR MOBILE-KEY SERVICE

• US 20140120905A1
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRevo, Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: iRevo, Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: KIM, Seok Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 8,787,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• 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 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for mobile-key service, in which user authentication is performed through NFC between an SE and a door lock. Herein, a mobile phone periodically checks a call service areas of a mobile radio communication network, and the mobile phone enables the NFC function based on a result of the call service area checking operation, and if the mobile phone approaches the door lock, the mobile-key is transmitted to the door lock through the NFC function, and thus the user authentication can be performed.

Claims

1. A method for mobile-key service using a mobile phone having a NFC (Near Field Communication) function and equipped with SE (Secured Element) storing a mobile-key, a door lock which performs user authentication based on the mobile-key transmitted through the NFC function, and a server which communicated with the mobile phone through a mobile radio communication network, comprising:

running the security program transmitted from the server so as to be synchronized with the server;

storing a unique Endpoint ID (Identification) in a storing means of the mobile phone and the SE, wherein the Endpoint ID is generated and transmitted by the server;

periodically checking whether the mobile phone can communicate with the server through the mobile radio communication network so that the mobile phone is within a call service area;

enabling the NFC function of the mobile phone when the mobile phone is within the call service area;

transmitting the mobile-key from the SE to the door lock through the NFC function when the mobile phone approaches the door lock; and

receiving the mobile-key and locking or unlocking a door by the door lock according to a result of the user authentication using the mobile-key.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile-key is encrypted by a secret key generated by the door lock.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the enabling of the NFC function of the mobile phone further comprises:

comparing the Endpoint ID stored in the storing means and the Endpoint ID stored in the SE by the mobile phone; and

disabling the NFC function by the mobile phone when the Endpoint IDs are different from each other.

5. The method according to claim 1, before the processes, further comprising a process of registering a master phone, in which the door lock and the mobile phone run menus for initially registering each other, when the mobile phone approaches the door lock, the door lock generates a secret key and transmits the generated secret key and a door lock ID to the SE of the mobile phone, and the mobile phone transmits the secret key and the door lock ID to the server, and the server stores the secret key and the door lock ID.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the server allows only one master phone to be registered with respect to one door lock, and allows one mobile phone to be registered as the master phone with respect to multiple door locks.

7. The method according to claim 5, after the process of registering the master phone, further comprising a process of providing a mobile-key, in which the master phone transmits to the server a phone number of an object mobile phone to be authenticated in the door lock, the server generates the mobile-key and transmits the mobile-key to the object mobile phone, and the object mobile phone stores the mobile-key in the SE.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the mobile-keys of the master phone and the object mobile phone are encrypted by the same secret key.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a process of deleting the mobile-key, in which the master phone transmits to the server a command of deleting the mobile-key and a phone number of the object mobile phone of which the mobile-key will be deleted, the server instructs the object mobile phone to delete the mobile-key, the object mobile phone deletes the mobile-key stored in the SE and then report completion of the deleting to the server, and the server informs the master phone about the completion of the deleting.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, in case that the server does not receive a completion notice of the deleting from the object mobile phone, the deleting command is postponed, and when the object mobile phone is connected with the server through the mobile radio communication network, the server retransmits the postponed deleting command to the object mobile phone.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the checking of whether the mobile phone is within the call service areas, when the mobile phone is out of the call service area, the mobile phone blocks the NFC function.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the enabling of the NFC function of the mobile phone, the mobile phone checks whether the mobile-key stored in the SE has a available period of time, and if the available period of time is preset, the mobile phone connects with the server periodically and asks present time, and if the present time is within the preset available period of time, the mobile-key is determined as valid, and otherwise the mobile-key is deleted.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the number of already-used times of the mobile-key in the SE when the user authentication is performed,

wherein, in the enabling of the NFC function of the mobile phone, the mobile phone checks whether a number of usable times of the mobile-key is preset, and if the number of usable times of the mobile-key is preset, the mobile phone requests the number of already-used times to the SE, and if the number of already-used times is less than the number of usable times, the mobile-key is determined as valid, and otherwise the mobile-key is deleted.

14. The method according to claim 5, further comprising storing the number of usable times of the mobile-key in the SE when the user authentication is performed,

wherein, in case of limiting a object mobile phone to be used only once in performing the user authentication with respect to the door lock, the master phone transmits a phone number of the object mobile phone to the server, the server generates a mobile-key of which the number of usable times is preset to 1 and then transmits the mobile-key to the mobile phone, the object mobile phone stores the mobile-key in the SE, and when the object mobile phone approaches the door lock, the SE of the object mobile phone transmits the mobile-key to the door lock so as to perform the user authentication, and then since the number of already-used times becomes equal to the usable times, the object mobile phone immediately deletes the mobile-key.

15. The method according to claim 5, wherein the door lock comprises a counter of indicating the number of already-used times of a one-time password when the one-time password is input manually to the door lock;

wherein, the master phone transmits to the server a phone number of a object mobile phone to which the one-time password is issued, and the server generates the one-time password which has a counter value of indicating issuing order and transmits the one-time password to the object mobile phone in the form of an SMS (Short Message Service) message,

and when a user of the object mobile phone inputs the one-time password from the SMS to the door lock, the door lock performs the user authentication only when the counter value of the inputted one-time password is larger than a counter value stored in the door lock.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing an OTP (One Time Password) program relating to the server to the mobile phone;

installing the OTP program in the mobile phone and then synchronizing the OTP program with the server; and

performing authentication using the OTP program when the mobile phone is connected with the server.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a smart guide process in which the door lock transmits information indicating a state of the door lock to the SE of the mobile phone when the user authentication is succeeded, the SE stores the state information, and the mobile phone periodically performs polling to the SE so as to read the stored state information and then displays the state information.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing whether the user authentication with respect to the door lock is succeeded in the SE; and

checking whether the user authentication is succeeded by periodically polling the SE, and informing whether the user authentication is succeeded in the form of an SMS message.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing in the door lock with time at least a part of information included in the mobile-key, when the user authentication is succeeded;

controlling the SE to request transmission of the stored information from the door lock;

requesting the information stored in the door lock by the SE; and

obtaining the stored information from the door lock to the SE.

20. The method according to claim 7, wherein the server stores a issuing history of the mobile-key, and the master phone runs a mobile-key issuing menu so as to request the issuing history to the server, and the server provides the issuing history through a mobile radio communication network, and when the master phone displays the issuing history and terminates the mobile-key issuing menu, the master phone deletes the issuing history.

3. (canceled)