Electronic access control system and method

• US 6,981,142 B1
• Filed: 01/12/2000
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gulcu, Ceki
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Hosuk
• Assistant Examiner(s): Son, Linh LD
• Application Number:
  US09/647,284
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168, 713/155, 713/161, 713/165, 713/172, 109/44, 109/30, 109/50, 340/426, 340/5.2, 340 55- 56, 70262-263, 235381-382
• US Class Current: 713/165
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00849 programming by learning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/21 having a variable access code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807

Abstract

Disclosed is a new and flexible approach for managing physical security in an electronic lock-and-key system. The novel approach does away with cabling or other direct connecting between locks and a system management center. The (physical) keys serve to disseminate access control and other information within the system in a snowball-like way, using an adapted, but simple networking protocol. Whenever appropriate, cryptographic schemes are applied to protect the system.

Claims

1. A method for propagating information in an electronic lock-and-key system, said method comprising:

inserting an original message to be propagated to an n-th lock or key into a memory of a first key or a first lock, respectively,

copying, on any use of said first key or said first lock, said original message into a memory of a second lock or key, respectively, but remains in said first key'"'"'s or first lock'"'"'s, respectively, memory,

copying, on any subsequent use of said first and second key and said first and second lock, said original message into a memory of a next lock or key, respectively, but remains in the memories of said previously used locks and keys, respectively,

propagating said original message until it reaches its destination, and

producing a confirmation message in the n-th lock or key, thereby acknowledging reception of said original message which confirmation message serves to control erasing of the copies of the original message in the memories of the locks and keys.

2. The method for propagating information according to claim 1, further comprising:

propagating the confirmation message through the system in the same way as the original message, when said confirmation message is received by a lock or key whose memory still contains a copy of said original message, erasing said original message.

3. The method for propagating information according to claim 1, further comprising:

selectively or universally erasing copies of said original message after a selective or universal time-out.

4. The method for propagating information according to claim 1, wherein original messages and confirmation messages, especially those concerning the same lock or key, are ordered, in particular sequentially numbered.

5. The method for propagating information according to claim 4, further comprising:

erasing any message of lower order, in particular with a lower sequence number, in the respective memory when a message of higher order, in particular with a higher sequence number, is received by a lock or key during propagation.

6. The method for propagating information according to claim 1, wherein original messages and confirmation messages are fully or partly encrypted, in particular using a shared key encryption scheme and a public key encryption scheme.

7. A computer readable program embodied in a storage media including computer readable program instructions for controlling propagation of information in an electronic lock-and- key system, said storage media comprising:

computer readable program instructions to store an original message to be propagated to an n-th lock or key in a memory of a first lock;

computer readable program instructions to control when a first key is used with said first lock, said original message is copied into said first key'"'"'s memory, but remains in said first lock'"'"'s memory;

computer readable program instructions to control when a first key is used with a second lock, said original message is copied into said second lock'"'"'s memory, but remains in said first key'"'"'s memory;

computer readable program instructions to control when a second key is used with said second lock, said original message is copied into said second key'"'"'s memory, said original message remains in said second lock'"'"'s memory until said original message is propagated to said n-th lock or key; and

computer readable program instructions to control said n-th lock or key to produce a confirmation message acknowledging reception of said original message, said confirmation message serves to control erasing of the original message in the memories of said locks and keys.

8. The storage media of claim 7, further comprising computer readable program instructions to control said confirmation message is propagated through said system the same as said original message.

9. A computer readable program embodied in a storage media including computer readable program instructions for controlling propagation of information in an electronic lock-and- key system, said storage media comprising:

computer readable program instructions to store an original message to be propagated to an n-th lock or key in a memory of a first lock;

computer readable program instructions to control when a first key is used with said first lock, said original message is copied into said first key'"'"'s memory but remains in said first lock'"'"'s memory;

computer readable program instructions to control when a first key is used with a second lock, said original message is copied into said second lock'"'"'s memory, but remains in said first key'"'"'s memory;

computer readable program instructions to control when a second key is used with said second lock said original message is copied into said second key'"'"'s memory said original message remains in said second lock'"'"'s memory until said original message is propagated to said n-th lock or key;

computer readable program instruction for ordering said original messages and confirmation messages; and

computer readable program instruction for erasing a message of a lower order when a message of higher order is received by said lock or key during propagation.

10. A computer readable program embodied in a storage media including computer readable program instructions for controlling propagation of information in an electronic lock-and- key system, said storage media comprising:

computer readable program instructions to store an original message to be propagated to an n-th lock or key in a memory of a first lock;

computer readable program instructions to control when a first key is used with said first lock, said original message is copied into said first key'"'"'s memory, but remains in said first locks memory;

computer readable program instructions to control when a first key is used with a second lock, said original message is copied into said second lock'"'"'s memory, but remains in said first key'"'"'s memory;

computer readable program instructions to control when a second key is used with said second lock, said original message is copied into said second key'"'"'s memory, said original message remains in said second lock'"'"'s memory until said original message is propagated to said n-th lock or key; and

computer readable program instruction for encrypting original messages and confirmation messages using an encryption scheme.