Method for causing a change of operating mode

• US 20160275735A1
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Inventors: Eisenhart, Christian, Carstens, Christian, Dautz, Christoph, Jansen, Jochen, Benz, Ramin
• Granted Patent: US 10,580,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/149 with central server link
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/16 Combinations with letter-boxes
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 43/005 Timer devices controlling electrically operated locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0001 with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof for vehicles E05B81/04
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0003 for locking a plurality of wings, e.g. simultaneously E05B65/0017, E05B77/46, E05B65/462, E05C7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0078 Safety means for persons trapped within the safe, e.g. release from inside, venting means by releasing the striker E05B63/246; similar means for refrigerator or cold-room doors E05B65/0053
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/5246 rotating
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 9/08 with a rotary bar for actuating the fastening means E05B83/10 and E05B65/468 take precedence; for a plurality of drawers E05B65/465
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 9/18 Details of fastening means or of fixed retaining means for the ends of bars
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/04 Generating or distributing clock signals or signals derived directly therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/10 Distribution of clock signals , e.g. skew
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/12 Synchronisation of different clock signals provided by a plurality of clock generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/24 Resetting means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00373 whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00412 the transmitted data signal being encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00468 : after n uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00642 : by battery
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 : for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 : With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 : Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 : using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 : Individual registration on entry or exit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 : operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 : operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 : where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 : specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 : for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00912 : for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 : the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 : the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 : the containers being a postal pick-up locker
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 : Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/045 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply hybrid encryption, i.e. combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 : for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0012 : by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 : Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0637 : Modes of operation, e.g. cipher block chaining [CBC], electronic codebook [ECB] or Galois/counter mode [GCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 : Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 : Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/088 : Usage controlling of secret information, e.g. techniques for restricting cryptographic keys to pre-authorized uses, different access levels, validity of crypto-period, different key- or password length, or different strong and weak cryptographic algorithms network architectures or network communication protocols for using time-dependent keys in a packet data network H04L63/068
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 : using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/302 : involving the integer factorization problem, e.g. RSA or quadratic sieve [QS] schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 : involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3249 : using RSA or related signature schemes, e.g. Rabin scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 : using revocation of authorisation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 : Synchronization between nodes

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method including the steps of: detection of a presence of an access authorization verification apparatus in surroundings of an access control apparatus by first communication means of the access control apparatus, and prompting, when the presence of the access authorisation verification apparatus in the surroundings of the access control apparatus is detected, of a change of operating mode for second communication means of the access control apparatus. In addition, the disclosure relates to an access control apparatus, a computer program, a recording apparatus, a system and a use for an access authorisation verification apparatus.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a presence of an access authorization verification apparatus in surroundings of an access control apparatus by first communication means of the access control apparatus, and

causing when the presence of the access authorization verification apparatus in the surroundings of the access control apparatus is detected, a change of an operating mode of second communication means of the access control apparatus, wherein the first communication means are configured to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a first communication technique, and wherein the second communication means are configured to communicate wirelessly in accordance with a second communication technique, which is different than the first communication technique, and wherein the detecting by the first communication means is effected without communication between the access control apparatus and the access authorization verification apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication technique and the second communication technique are communication techniques according to one of the following communication standards:

RFID-specification, NFC-specification or Bluetooth-specification.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the access authorization verification apparatus is at least configured to communicate wirelessly in accordance with the second communication technique.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting is performed at regular intervals of time.

5. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

calibrating the first communication means for detecting a presence of an access authorization verification apparatus in the surroundings of the access control apparatus, wherein the presence of the access authorization verification apparatus in the surroundings of the access control apparatus renders at least one physical quantity that is capturable by the first communication means alterable, and wherein the first communication means capture the physical quantity for calibrating the first communication means in a state, in which the access authorization verification apparatus is not present in the surroundings of the access control apparatus.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one physical quantity is a current strength of a current in an antenna of the first communication means when a signal is sent.

7. The method according to claim 5, the method comprising:

capturing the at least one physical quantity for detecting a presence of an access authorization verification apparatus in the surroundings of the access control apparatus, and

comparing a measured value that represents the at least one physical quantity captured for the detecting with at least one calibration value.

8. The method according to claim 5, the calibrating comprising:

capturing the at least one physical quantity by the first communication means for calibrating the first communication means for the detecting, and

determining the at least one calibration value at least in part on the basis of the physical quantity captured for the calibrating.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the calibrating is performed only once prior to the detecting and/or only once prior to multiple repetitions of the detecting.

10. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

generating, when the presence of the access authorization verification apparatus in the surroundings of the access control apparatus is detected, a piece of information about the presence of the access authorization verification apparatus in the surroundings of the access control apparatus.

11. The method according to claim 10, the method further comprising:

storing the piece of information in a memory of the first communication means, and/or

transmitting the piece of information to control means of the access control apparatus and/or to the second communication means.

12. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

obtaining access authorization information from the access authorization verification apparatus by the first communication means and/or the second communication means,

deciding whether access can be granted, at least in part on the basis of the obtained access authorization information, and

causing unlocking of one or more doors of a receiving apparatus if it has been decided that access can be granted.

13. The method according to claim 12, the method further comprising:

measuring the time since at least one event captured by the access control apparatus has taken place, and

causing, when the door is open and the measured time exceeds a predefined deactivation time threshold value, a locking of the door to be deactivated such that the door is not lockable.

14. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

causing a change of the operating mode of the first communication means, of the second communication means and/or of the access control apparatus from an energy saving mode to an active mode when the presence of the access authorization verification apparatus in the surroundings of the access control apparatus is detected.

15. The method according to claim 14, the method further comprising:

measuring the active time since at least one event captured by the access control apparatus has taken place, and

causing, when the measured active time exceeds a predefined active time threshold value, changing the operating mode of the first communication means, of the second communication means and/or of the access control apparatus from the active mode to the energy saving mode.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the at least one event captured by the access control apparatus is detecting a presence of the access authorization verification apparatus in the surroundings of the access control apparatus, receiving access authorization information from an access authorization verification apparatus, causing unlocking of at least one door and/or opening at least one door.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication means are in a detection mode for the detecting, and wherein the second communication means are in an energy saving mode for the detecting.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program, comprising program instructions that cause a processor to perform and/or control the method according to claim 1 when the computer program runs on the processor.

19. An access control apparatus comprising:

means configured to perform the method according to claim 1 or comprising respective means for performing the steps of the method according to claim 1.

20. A receiving apparatus comprising:

a housing,

at least one door for closing at least one housing opening,

a locking means that is configured to lock and unlock the at least one door, and

an access control apparatus as claimed in claim 19.

21. A system comprising:

a receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 20, and

an access authorization verification apparatus.

22. The use of an access authorization verification apparatus in the surroundings of the access control apparatus according to claim 19 such that a presence of the access authorization verification apparatus in the surroundings of the access control apparatus is detectable by first communication means of the access control apparatus in order to induce a change of an operating mode of second communication means of the access control apparatus to be caused.