SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENABLING ACCESS CONTROL VIA MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20140375421A1
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Morrison, John David, ROY, Sanjay
• Granted Patent: US 10,395,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• 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

Described herein are systems and methods for enabling access control via mobile devices. Embodiments of the invention have been particularly developed for allowing a user to gain access to a controlled functionality (for example the unlocking of a door) using a smartphone or the like. These leverage short-range wireless communications, such as Bluetooth Low Energy or Near Field Communications.

Claims

1. A method, performed at an access control server, for selectively granting access to a controlled functionality, the method including:

receiving, via networked communications from a mobile device, data indicative of (i);

an identifier read by the mobile device using short-range wireless communications and (ii) a mobile device identity;

determining, based on the data indicative of the device identity, a specific access control functionality;

determining, based on at least the data indicative of the mobile device identity, whether or not access to the specific access control functionality is to be granted; and

in the case that the specific access control functionality is to be granted, sending a signal to a network location associated with the specific access control functionality, thereby to control a hardware component that is configured to grant access to the specific access control functionality.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein (i) additionally includes receiving, from the mobile device, biometric data captured by the mobile device, and wherein (iii) includes determining, based on at least the data indicative of the mobile device identity and the biometric data, whether or not access to the specific access control functionality is to be granted.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the specific access control functionality is the unlocking of a specific door.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the identifier is read from a readable token positioned proximal the specific door.

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein locking/unlocking of the specific door is controlled by an electrical actuator.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the electrical actuator is configured to receive a control signal via a network.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the electrical actuator is configured to connect to a local wireless network.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the identifier is read from a readable token positioned proximal a door, wherein locking of the door is controlled by an electrical actuator, wherein unlocking of the door defines the access control functionality, and wherein the signal causes the electrical actuator to unlock the door.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the server is configured to perform an authentication and authorisation process based on the device identity.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the identifier read by the mobile device using short-range wireless communications is an identifier read from a Bluetooth Low Energy token using Bluetooth communications.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the identifier read by the mobile device using short-range wireless communications is an RFIF read from a RFID tag token using RF communications.

19. A non-transitive carrier medium carrying computer executable code that, when executed on a processor, causes the processor to perform a method according to claim 1.

12. A method, performed by a mobile device, for requesting access to a controlled functionality, the method including:

reading an identifier using short range wireless communications;

defining an access request, the access request being indicative of (i);

the identifier read by the mobile device; and

(ii) identity data carried by the mobile device;

transmitting the access request to a specific server device, thereby to request access to a controlled functionality associated with the read identifier.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the server device is configured to selectively grant access to the controlled functionality via a signal that is not provided to the mobile device.

14. A method according to claim 12 including determining, based on interaction with a user of the mobile device, biometric data, and wherein (ii) additionally includes adding the biometric data to the access request.

15. A method according to claim 12 wherein the controlled functionality is the unlocking of a specific door.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the identifier is read from a readable token positioned proximal the specific door.

17. A method according to claim 15 wherein the mobile device provides an interface that enables a user to associate a selected default functionality with the reading of a specific identifier.

18. A method according to claim 12 wherein a software application configured to perform steps (ii) and (iii) launches automatically in response to (i).

20. A non-transitive carrier medium carrying computer executable code that, when executed on a processor, causes the processor to perform a method according to claim 12.