METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING VISIBLE LIGHT COMMUNICATIONS FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS TO AN AREA

• US 20140255036A1
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jovicic, Aleksandar, Klimek, Ivan, Richardson, Thomas Joseph, Li, Junyi
• Granted Patent: US 9,520,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00785 by light
• 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: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for controlling access to secure areas are described. Time varying values are generated from access device identifiers, e.g., door identifiers. The time varying value, e.g., a hashed door identifier value, is transmitted as a VLC signal by a luminaire near the door to which the hashed identifier corresponds. A mobile detects the transmitted hashed door identifier value and sends an access request via a wireless signal, e.g., a radio signal. The access request includes a value generated from the received hashed door identifier and a mobile device identifier. A control device determines, from information in the access request and stored information indicating which mobile devices have authority to access which doors, if access should be granted to the door corresponding to the hashed access device identifier from which the received information was generated. The received information may be hash of the mobile identifier and hashed door identifier.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile wireless communications device comprising:

receiving, in a visible light communications signal, identification information corresponding to an access device located in a vicinity of a visible light transmitter emitting said visible light communications signal;

generating a value based on said received identification information and a unique identifier corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device; and

transmitting said generated value to an access authorization device in a control message used to trigger unlocking of said access device associated with the received identification information by said access authorization device.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein said mobile wireless communications device is a cell phone including a camera;

and

wherein receiving, in a visible light communications signal, identification information includes receiving said visible light communications signal via said camera.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said identification information corresponding to said access device is a time varying value generated using a hash function which receives as inputs a time value and a unique identifier corresponding to said access device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting said generated value to said access authorization device in a control message includes:

transmitting said generated value in a radio frequency signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting said generated value to said access authorization device in a control message further includes:

transmitting, with said generated value, said identification information.

6. A mobile wireless communications device, comprising:

means for receiving, in a visible light communications signal, identification information corresponding to an access device located in a vicinity of a visible light transmitter emitting said visible light communications signal;

means for generating a value based on said received identification information and a unique identifier corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device; and

means for transmitting said generated value to an access authorization device in a control message used to trigger unlocking of said access device associated with the received identification information by said access authorization device.

7. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 6,

wherein said mobile wireless communications device is a cell phone including a camera;

and

wherein said means for receiving are included in said camera.

8. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 6, wherein said identification information corresponding to said access device is a time varying value generated using a hash function which receives as inputs a time value and a unique identifier corresponding to said access device.

9. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 8, wherein said means for transmitting said generated value to said access authorization device transmits said generated value in a radio frequency signal.

10. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 9, wherein said means for transmitting said generated value to said access authorization device in a control message further transmits, with said generated value, said identification information.

11. A mobile wireless communications device, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive, in a visible light communications signal, identification information corresponding to an access device located in a vicinity of a visible light transmitter emitting said visible light communications signal;

generate a value based on said received identification information and a unique identifier corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device; and

transmit said generated value to an access authorization device in a control message used to trigger unlocking of said access device associated with the received identification information by said access authorization device; and

a memory coupled to said at least one processor.

12. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11,

wherein said mobile wireless communications device is a cell phone including a camera;

and

wherein said visible light communications signal is received via said camera.

13. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11, wherein said identification information corresponding to said access device is a time varying value generated using a hash function which receives as inputs a time value and a unique identifier corresponding to said access device.

14. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 11, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to transmit, with said generated value in said control message, said identification information.

15. A computer program product for use in a mobile wireless communications device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to receive, in a visible light communications signal, identification information corresponding to an access device located in a vicinity of a visible light transmitter emitting said visible light communications signal;

code for causing said at least one computer to generate a value based on said received identification information and a unique identifier corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device; and

code for causing said at least one computer to transmit said generated value to an access authorization device in a control message used to trigger unlocking of said access device associated with the received identification information by said access authorization device.

16. A method of operating an access authorization device, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control an access device used to control access to an area;

receiving a hashed value from a mobile wireless communications device, said hashed value having been generated from identification information corresponding to said access device and a unique identifier corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device seeking to trigger unlocking of said access device;

determining if the received hashed value was generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device; and

unlocking said access device after determining that the received hashed value was generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

denying access to said area after determining that the received hashed value was not generated from one of said stored plurality of unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating an alert indicating an unauthorized access attempt after determining that the received hashed value was not generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing said identification information corresponding to said access device to a light emitting device via a power line.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating said identification information corresponding to said access device by hashing an identifier corresponding to said access device with a time varying value.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile wireless communications device, identification information corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device used to generate said hashed value received from the mobile wireless communications device; and

wherein said determining if the received hashed value was generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device includes;

hashing the received identification information corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device with an identifier corresponding to said access device and checking if the resulting hash output value matches the received hash value.

22. An access authorization device, comprising:

means for storing a plurality of unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control an access device used to control access to an area;

means for receiving a hashed value from a mobile wireless communications device, said hashed value having been generated from identification information corresponding to said access device and a unique identifier corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device seeking to trigger unlocking of said access device;

means for determining if the received hashed value was generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device; and

means for unlocking said access device after determining that the received hashed value was generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device.

23. The access authorization device of claim 22, further comprising:

means for denying access to said area after said means for determining determines that the received hashed value was not generated from one of said stored plurality of unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device.

24. The access authorization device of claim 23, further comprising:

means for generating an alert indicating an unauthorized access attempt after said means for determining determines that the received hashed value was not generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device.

25. The access authorization device of claim 22, further comprising:

means for generating said identification information corresponding to said access device by hashing an identifier corresponding to said access device with a time varying value.

26. The access authorization device of claim 25, further comprising:

means for receiving, from the mobile wireless communications device, identification information corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device used to generate said hashed value received from the mobile wireless communications device; and

wherein said means for determining if the received hashed value was generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device include;

means for generating a hashed value by hashing the received identification information corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device with an identifier corresponding to said access device; and

means for checking if the resulting hash output value matches the received hash value.

27. An access authorization device, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor configured to;

store, in said memory, a plurality of unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control an access device used to control access to an area;

receive a hashed value from a mobile wireless communications device, said hashed value having been generated from identification information corresponding to said access device and a unique identifier corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device seeking to trigger unlocking of said access device;

determine if the received hashed value was generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device; and

unlock said access device after determining that the received hashed value was generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device.

28. The access authorization device of claim 27, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to deny access to said area after determining that the received hashed value was not generated from one of said stored plurality of unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device.

29. The access authorization device of claim 28, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to generate an alert indicating an unauthorized access attempt after determining that the received hashed value was not generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device.

30. A computer program product for use in an access authorization device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to store a plurality of unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control an access device used to control access to an area;

code for causing said at least one computer to receive a hashed value from a mobile wireless communications device, said hashed value having been generated from identification information corresponding to said access device and a unique identifier corresponding to said mobile wireless communications device seeking to trigger unlocking of said access device;

code for causing said at least one computer to determine if the received hashed value was generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device; and

code for causing said at least one computer to unlock said access device after determining that the received hashed value was generated from one of said plurality of stored unique identifiers corresponding to mobile wireless communications devices authorized to control said access device and identification information corresponding to said access device.