COMMUNICATION AND PROCESSING OF CREDENTIAL DATA

• US 20150109098A1
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assa Abloy AB
• Original Assignee: Assa Abloy AB
• Inventors: SINGH, Sona
• Granted Patent: US 9,443,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.6
• 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 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

Credential data representing users seeking access to a well-defined space are registered in a reader unit associated with an access-control-related building component. A linked address associates the credential data with a first credential data receiver (EAC1) and/or at least one second credential data receiver (EAC2). The address is stored in a memory at the reader unit or on a portable carrier holding the credential data. If the address identifies the first credential data receiver (EAC1), the reader unit forwards the registered credential data to this unit (EAC1). If the address (A) identifies a particular second credential data receiver (EAC2), the reader unit instead forwards the registered credential data (CD) to this unit (EAC2). When receiving the credential data, the units (EAC1; EAC2) effect at least one decision concerning the well-defined space independently of one another.

Claims

1. A reader unit configured to:

register credential data in respect of users seeking access to a well-defined space,

communicate with an access-control-related building component associated with the well-defined space, and

communicate with a first credential data receiver for causing at least one access decision in respect of the well-defined space to be effected,

wherein the reader unit is further configured to;

communicate with at least one second credential data receiver for causing at least one access decision in respect of the well-defined space to be effected, and

forward each registered piece of credential data to either the first credential data receiver or a particular one of the at least one second credential data receiver based on an address linked to the piece of credential data which address identifies the first credential data receiver or the particular one of the at least one second credential data receiver, the linked address being stored in;

a memory module associated with the reader unit or

on a carrier holding the piece of credential data which carrier is configured to be presented to the reader unit for registering the piece of credential data.

3. The reader unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one access decision involves granting or refusing access to the well-defined space, the access-control-related building component comprises a lock mechanism configured to selectively enable or prevent access to the well-defined space via a door associated with the reader unit, and in response to a received piece of credential data, each of the first and the at least one second credential data receiver is configured to:

check the piece of credential data against a database defining a set of users'"'"' access rights to the well-defined space,

if the piece of credential data is found to designate an authorized user, causing an access grant message to be sent to the lock mechanism ordering the lock mechanism to open the door, and otherwise

refrain from causing the access grant message to be sent to the lock mechanism.

4. The reader unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one access decision involves registering an entry to or exit from the well-defined space, and in response to a received piece of credential data, each of the first and the at least one second credential data receiver is configured to:

register an entry if the piece of credential data is received via a first scanner of the reader unit, and

register an exit the piece of credential data is received via a second scanner of the reader unit.

6. The data communication system according claim 4, wherein the control node is communicatively connected to at least one reader unit in addition to said reader unit, the control node being further configured to

receive credential data from said additional reader unit,

forward the received credential data to a credential data receiver identified by the address linked to the credential data,

receive access grant messages from the first and the at least one second credential data receiver, and

forward the received access grant messages to a lock mechanism in addition to said lock mechanism, each access grant message being configured to order the additional lock mechanism to be opened during a predetermined interval.

17. The data communication system according to claim 6, wherein the linked addresses identifying the first and the at least one second credential data receivers are Internet Protocol addresses.

2. A data communication system comprising:

a reader unit configured to register credential data in respect of users seeking access to a well-defined space,

an access-control-related building component associated with the reader unit and the well-defined space, and

a first credential data receiver configured to receive credential data registered by the reader unit and in response thereto cause at least one access decision in respect of the well-defined space to be effected,

wherein the data communication system comprises at least one second credential data receiver configured to receive credential data registered by the reader unit and in response thereto cause at least one access decision in respect of the well-defined space to be effected, the reader unit is communicatively connected to the first credential data receiver and the at least one second credential data receiver, and the reader unit is further configured to forward a registered piece of credential data to either the first credential data receiver or a particular one of the at least one second credential data receiver based on an address linked to the piece of credential data which address identifies the first credential data receiver or the particular one of the at least one second credential data receiver, the linked address being stored in;

a memory module associated with the reader unit or on a carrier holding the piece of credential data which carrier is configured to be presented to the reader unit for registering the piece of credential data.

5. The data communication system according to claim 2, comprising a control node communicatively connected to the reader unit and each of the first and the at least one second credential data receiver, the control node being configured to:

receive credential data from the reader unit,

forward the received credential data to a credential data receiver identified by the address linked to the credential data,

receive access grant messages from the first and the at least one second credential data receiver, and

forward the received access grant messages to the lock mechanism, each access grant message being configured to order the lock mechanism to be opened during a predetermined interval.

7. The data communication system according to claim 5, wherein the linked addresses identifying the first and the at least one second credential data receivers are Internet Protocol addresses.

15. The reader unit according to claim 2, wherein the at least one access decision involves granting or refusing access to the well-defined space, the access-control-related building component comprises a lock mechanism configured to selectively enable or prevent access to the well-defined space via a door associated with the reader unit, and in response to a received piece of credential data, each of the first and the at least one second credential data receiver is configured to:

check the piece of credential data against a database defining a set of users'"'"' access rights to the well-defined space,

if the piece of credential data is found to designate an authorized user, causing an access grant message to be sent to the lock mechanism ordering the lock mechanism to open the door, and otherwise

refrain from causing the access grant message to be sent to the lock mechanism.

16. The reader unit according to claim 2, wherein the at least one access decision involves registering an entry to or exit from the well-defined space, and in response to a received piece of credential data, each of the first and the at least one second credential data receiver is configured to:

register an entry if the piece of credential data is received via a first scanner of the reader unit, and

register an exit the piece of credential data is received via a second scanner of the reader unit.

8. A method of communicating data in a network comprising:

registering credential data in a reader unit, the credential data representing users seeking access to a well-defined space associated to the reader unit,

forwarding any registered credential data to a credential data receiver and in response thereto

effecting at least one access decision in respect of the well-defined space,

wherein the network comprises a first credential data receiver and at least one second credential data receiver, and the method comprising

forwarding each registered piece of credential data to either the first credential data receiver or a particular one of the at least one second credential data receiver based on an address linked to the piece of credential data which address identifies the first credential data receiver or the particular one of the at least one second credential data receiver, the linked address being stored in;

a memory module associated with the reader unit or

on a carrier holding the piece of credential data which carrier is configured to be presented to the reader unit for registering the piece of credential data.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein in response to a received piece of credential data, in each of the first and the at least one second credential data receiver, the method comprising:

checking the piece of credential data against a database defining a set of users'"'"' access rights to the well-defined space, if the piece of credential data is found to designate an authorized user,

causing an access grant message to be sent to a lock mechanism configured to selectively enable or prevent access to the well-defined space via a door associated with the reader unit, the access grant message being configured to order the lock mechanism to open the door, and otherwise

refraining from causing the access grant message to be sent to the lock mechanism.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein in response to a received piece of credential data, in each of the first and the at least one second credential data receiver, the method comprising:

registering an entry to the well-defined space if the piece of credential data is received via a first scanner of the reader unit, and

registering an exit from the well-defined space the piece of credential data is received via a second scanner of the reader unit.

11. The method according to claim 8, comprising:

receiving credential data from the reader unit in a control node,

forwarding the received credential data from the control node to a credential data receiver identified by the address linked to the credential data,

receiving, in the control node, access grant messages from the first and the at least one second credential data receiver, and

forwarding the received access grant messages from the control node to the lock mechanism, each access grant message ordering the lock mechanism to be opened during a predetermined interval.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the linked addresses identifying the first and second credential data receivers are Internet Protocol addresses.

13. A computer program product loadable into the memory of a computer, the computer program product comprising software, which when executed on a computer:

registers credential data in a reader unit, the credential data representing users seeking access to a well-defined space associated to the reader unit,

forwards each registered piece of credential data to either a first credential data receiver or a particular one of at least one second credential data receiver based on an address linked to the piece of credential data which address identifies the first credential data receiver or the particular one of the at least one second credential data receiver, the linked address being stored in a memory module associated with the reader unit or on a carrier holding the piece of credential data which carrier is configured to be presented to the reader unit for registering the piece of credential data,

wherein each of said credential data receivers is configured to, in response to a piece of credential data, effect at least one access decision in respect of the well-defined space

14. A computer readable medium, containing the computer program product according to claim 13.