APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REMOTE ADMINISTRATION AND RECURRENT UPDATING OF CREDENTIALS IN AN ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20150287256A1
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Videx Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Videx Incorporated
• Inventors: Davis, Paul R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,841,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00476 dynamically
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00587 by battery
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00865 remotely by wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0088 centrally
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A portable electronic key for use with an electronic locking device comprises a wireless communications module, a processor, and a software application configured to transmit, receive, and respond to electronic messages related to access control information. The electronic messages are formatted according to a request-response protocol. The wireless communications module is configured to use a standardized communication protocol to establish a wireless communications link with a networking device operably associated with a remote administration device located away from the portable electronic key. The software application periodically exchanges, via the wireless communications link, request-response messages related to access control information with a server application of the remote administration device. The processor responds to the exchange of request-response messages by performing at least one of modifying access control information of the portable electronic key or providing access control information of the portable electronic key to the remote administration device.

Claims

1. A portable electronic key configured to mechanically couple with, energize circuitry of, and electronically communicate an access credential to an electronic locking device so as to cause an occurrence of an access event in an access control system supporting administration of multiple portable electronic keys, the portable electronic key comprising:

a first application configured to use a request-response protocol for exchanging of messages related to access control information, the exchanging of messages being configured to occur at periodic intervals between the first application and a second application of a remote administration device located away from the portable electronic key, the access control information including at least one of information for modification of the access credential or details of previous access events;

wireless communication circuitry configured to use a wireless networking standardized communication protocol, the wireless communication circuitry for transmitting the messages related to access control information through a wireless communications link between the portable electronic key and a networking device operably associated with the remote administration device located away from the portable electronic key; and

a processor configured to respond to the exchanging of messages related to access control information by performing at least one of modifying the access credential or providing the details of previous access events to the wireless communication circuitry for transmission to the remote administration device, and to thereby facilitate, at the remote administration device located away from the portable electronic key and independently of a key holder'"'"'s influence over the portable electronic key, remote monitoring of and control over the multiple portable electronic keys of the access control system.

2. The portable electronic key of claim 1, wherein the request-response protocol is a layer 7 application protocol in accordance with an Open System Interconnection (OSI) model.

3. The portable electronic key of claim 1, wherein the request-response protocol is selected from the group consisting of a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), a hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS), a file transfer protocol (FTP), and a secure file transfer protocol (SFTP).

4. The portable electronic key of claim 1, wherein the wireless networking standardized communication protocol is selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth protocol, an IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) protocol, an IEEE 802.16 (WiMax) protocol, an IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee) protocol, a 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) protocol, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocol, and a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol.

5. The portable electronic key of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications link is established over a network selected from the group consisting of a wireless local area network, a wireless personal area network, a wireless mesh network, a wireless wide area network, a wireless ad hoc network, a cellular network, and Internet.

6. The portable electronic key of claim 1, wherein the first application is a credential-management and access-event reporting application, and wherein the credential-management and event-reporting application is further configured to operate in a client-server relationship with the second application.

7. The portable electronic key of claim 6, wherein the second application is a server application, and wherein the server application is selected from the group consisting of a web server, a database server, an application server, and a file server.

8. The portable electronic key of claim 1, wherein the second application is an access-event querying application, and wherein the access-event querying application is further configured to operate in a client-server relationship with the first application.

9. The portable electronic key of claim 1, wherein either the first application or the second application is a web browser.

10. The portable electronic key of claim 1, wherein the remote administration device includes a display screen, and wherein the display screen is configured to present an access control system interface for a user viewing the display screen, the access control system interface including access control information communicated by the exchanging of messages.

11. The portable electronic key of claim 1, wherein the first application is further configured to enter a sleep mode during intervals between the periodic intervals, and wherein the sleep mode is characterized by the wireless communication circuitry being in a non-transmitting state while the first application is in a sleep mode so as to reduce power consumption of the portable electronic key.

12. A method for remotely managing access control information of a portable electronic key configured to couple with, energize circuitry of, and electrically communicate an access credential to an electronic locking device so as to initiate an access event in an access control system, the method comprising:

maintaining in memory sites of the portable electronic key the access credential and details of previous access events;

establishing, based on a wireless networking standardized communication protocol, a wireless communications link between the portable electronic key and a networking device operably associated with a remote administration device located away from the portable electronic key;

receiving at the portable electronic key, through the wireless communications link, a message formatted according to a request-response protocol and including an instruction for exchanging access control information between a first application of the portable electronic key and a second application of the remote administration device located away from the portable electronic key, the access control information including at least one of information for modification of the access credential or details of previous access events; and

in response to receiving the message, accessing the memory sites for performing at least one of writing the access credential in accordance with the instruction or reading the details of previous access events for reporting them to the second application to thereby facilitate, at the remote administration device located away from the portable electronic key, administration of the access control system by exchanging messages with the portable electronic key to distribute access control information between the remote administration device and the portable electronic key.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless networking standardized communication protocol is selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth protocol, an IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) protocol, an IEEE 802.16 (WiMax) protocol, an IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee) protocol, a 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) protocol, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocol, and a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless communications link is established over a network selected from the group consisting of a wireless local area network, a wireless personal area network, a wireless mesh network, a wireless wide area network, a wireless ad hoc network, a cellular network, and Internet.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the message is formatted according to a layer 7 application protocol in accordance with an Open System Interconnection (OSI) model.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the message is formatted according to a protocol selected from the group consisting of a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), a hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS), a file transfer protocol (FTP), and a secure file transfer protocol (SFTP).

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first application is a credential management and event reporting application, and wherein the credential management and event reporting application is further configured to operate in a client-server relationship with the second application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second application is a server application, and wherein the server application is selected from the group consisting of a web server, a database server, an application server, and a file server.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the second application is access event querying application, and wherein the access event querying application is further configured to operate in a client-server relationship with the first application.