Dynamically Authorizing Access to Restricted Areas

• US 20140253285A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Menzel, Martin M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,563,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.7
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/215 the system having a variable access-code, e.g. varied as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/30 not involving the use of a pass

Abstract

A dynamic access server engine on a server may be configured to receive a request for access to a restricted area during a specific time period. If there is no scheduling conflict the engine can schedule the access period. Additionally, the request may be associated with one or more invitees. For each invitee, the engine determines whether the invitee is authorized to temporarily access the restricted area. If authorized, the engine automatically grants to the invitee temporary access to the restricted area during the scheduled period.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions that when executed by a data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive a request from an initiator to schedule access to a restricted area during a time period, wherein the request is associated with one or more invitees;

schedule the access for the requested time period;

determine whether one or more of the invitees is authorized to temporarily access the restricted area; and

grant temporary access to the restricted area during the time period to one or more invitees determined to be authorized.

2. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to receive a request from an initiator comprise instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to receive a request from a scheduling application that automatically generates the request.

3. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 2, wherein the instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to receive a request from an initiator further comprise instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to verify the initiator is authorized to access the restricted area.

4. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to schedule the access comprise instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to schedule the access using a server-based calendar application.

5. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 2, wherein the instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to determine whether one or more of the invitees is authorized to temporarily access the restricted area comprise instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to:

identify an invitee;

determine a value indicative of a probability that the identified invitee is not authorized to temporarily access the restricted area; and

determine the value is less than a specified threshold.

6. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 5, wherein the instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to determine a value indicative of a probability that the identified invitee is not authorized to temporarily access the restricted area comprise instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to determine a value based, at least in part, on a plurality of security data.

7. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 6, wherein the instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to determine a value based, at least in part, on a plurality of security data comprise instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to determine a value indicative of a probability based, at least in part, on a weighted sum of a plurality of security data.

8. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 7, wherein weights for at least one of the plurality of security data are set in accordance with an administrator-defined preference.

9. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 5, wherein the instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to determine a value indicative of a probability that the identified invitee is not authorized to temporarily access the restricted area comprise instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to determine a value indicative of a probability based, at least in part, on one or more of a security level of the restricted area, a security event occurring prior to the scheduled period, a security restriction associated with the initiator, and a security restriction associated with the invitee.

10. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the data processing apparatus to deny temporary access to the restricted area during the time period to one or more invitees not determined to be authorized.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a second value indicative of a probability that a second invitee of the one or more invitees is not authorized to temporarily access the restricted area;

determining the value is greater than or equal to the threshold; and

denying the second invitee temporary access to the restricted area during the specified time period based, at least in part, on having determined the second value is greater than or equal to the threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising notifying the initiator that the second invitee has been denied temporary access to the restricted area.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving a request from an initiator to access a restricted area during a specified time period, wherein the request is associated with one or more invitees;

determining a first value indicative of a probability that a first invitee of the one or more invitees is not authorized to temporarily access the restricted area;

determining the first value is less than a threshold; and

granting, to the first invitee, temporary access to the restricted area during the specified time period based, at least in part, on having determined the first value is less than the threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the threshold comprises a value that changes based, at least in part, on a time of day.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the act of determining a first value comprises determining a first value indicative of a probability based, at least in part, on a weighted sum of a plurality of security data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of security data comprises two or ore of:

a security level of the restricted area, a security event occurring prior to the scheduled period, a security restriction associated with the initiator, and a security restriction associated with the invitee.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

making a first determination that the first invitee looses access to the restricted area between a time the first invitee was granted temporary access and the specified time period; and

denying the first invitee temporary access to the restricted area during the specified time period based, at least in part, on the first determination.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the act of determining a first value comprises determining a first value based, at least in part, on one or more of a security level of the restricted area, a security event occurring prior to the scheduled period, a security restriction associated with the initiator, and a security restriction associated with the invitee.

18. A system, comprising:

a display; and

one or more processors configured to perform operations comprising;

determining a first value indicative of a probability that an invitee of one or more invitees to a restricted area is not authorized to temporarily access the restricted area; and

automatically granting to the invitee temporary access to the restricted area during a time period based, at least in part, on having determined the first value when is less than a threshold.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to grant to the invitee a temporary access key to the restricted area, wherein the access key is only operable during the time period.