METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING A DECISION ON A CARD

• US 20150213247A1
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assa Abloy AB
• Original Assignee: Assa Abloy AB
• Inventors: Wamsley, Robert, Hulusi, Tam, Davis, Michael L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,760,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]

Abstract

Method and devices for making access decisions in a secure access network are provided. The access decisions are made by a portable credential using data and algorithms stored on the credential. Since access decisions are made by the portable credential non-networked hosts or local hosts can be employed that do not necessarily need to be connected to a central access controller or database thereby reducing the cost of building and maintaining the secure access network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

communicating a status of a stand-alone reader to a mobile device;

storing the status of the stand-alone reader on the mobile device; and

using the mobile device to communicate the status of the stand-alone reader to at least one server that is not connected to the stand-alone reader by a communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the status includes an active or inactive status.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the status includes a locked or unlocked status.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the status includes additional information stored on the stand-alone reader.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional information includes a list of devices and/or users that are allowed to access an asset protected by the stand-alone reader.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the stand-alone reader is battery powered.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the status includes a list of devices that have access an asset protected by the stand-alone reader.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining location information for the mobile device;

communicating the location information for the mobile device to the reader; and

enabling the reader to use the location information in connection with determining whether to permit or deny a holder of the mobile device access to an asset protected by the reader.

9. An access control system, comprising:

a reader configured to protect one or more assets;

a mobile device capable of communicating with the reader;

a blacklist containing information related to at least one of;

(i) readers to which the mobile device is not allowed to obtain access and (ii) mobile devices to which the reader is not allowed to grant access; and

wherein the blacklist is stored on at least one of the reader and the mobile device.

10. The access control system of claim 9, wherein the blacklist is stored on the mobile device and contains information related to readers that the mobile device is not allowed to obtain access.

11. The access control system of claim 9, wherein the blacklist is stored on the reader and contains information related to mobile devices that the reader is not allowed to grant access.

12. The access control system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is configured make an access control decision for itself based on information obtained from the reader.

13. The access control system of claim 12, wherein additional authentication rules are maintained on the mobile device.

14. The access control system of claim 9, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile phone.

15. The access control system of claim 9, wherein the blacklist is updated periodically.

16. The access control system of claim 15, wherein the blacklist is updated in response to the detection of one or more events.

17. A phone, comprising:

a communication interface enabling the phone to communicate with a reader and obtain status information for the reader;

memory configured to store the status information for the reader; and

a controller configured to enable the phone to communicate the status of the reader to at least one server that is not connected to the reader by a communication network.

18. The phone of claim 17, wherein the status includes an active or inactive status.

19. The phone of claim 17, wherein the status includes a locked or unlocked status.

20. The phone of claim 17, wherein the reader is a stand-alone reader.