Feed protocol used to report status and event information in physical access control system

• US 8,203,426 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Precision Edge Access Control, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Precision Edge Access Control, Inc.
• Inventors: Hirschfeld, Robert A., Klobe, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US11/776,356
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/5.7
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5155 Door

Abstract

A physical access control system is disclosed which includes a network, at least one access controller, a producer device, and a consumer device. Each access controller generates status and event information associated with a controlled physical barrier. The producer device includes producer logic which collects and stores the status and event information. The consumer device includes consumer logic which periodically polls the producer logic via the network to retrieve the status and event information from the producer device. The producer logic and the consumer logic communicate via the network according to a commonly accepted message syndication protocol, such as the RSS protocol or the Atom Publishing Protocol or the like. The use of a commonly accepted message syndication protocol simplifies communications, avoids proprietary configurations and facilitates integration, such as combining systems or adding new devices and the like.

Claims

1. A physical access control system, comprising:

a network;

at least one access controller coupled to said network, each said access controller generating status and event information associated with at least one controlled physical barrier;

a producer device, coupled to said network, including producer logic which collects and stores said status and event information;

a consumer device, coupled to said network, including consumer logic which periodically polls said producer logic via said network to retrieve said status and event information from said producer device;

wherein said producer logic and said consumer logic communicate via said network according to a commonly accepted message syndication protocol; and

wherein said producer logic comprises;

a message processor which aggregates said status and event information into a status and event document; and

tickle logic, coupled to said message processor, which detects new information added to said status and event document and which sends a tickle information message via said network to said consumer logic in response.

2. The physical access control system of claim 1, wherein said commonly accepted message syndication protocol comprises the really simple syndication (RSS) protocol.

3. The physical access control system of claim 1, wherein said commonly accepted message syndication protocol comprises the Atom Publishing Protocol.

4. The physical access control system of claim 1, wherein said status and event information is communicated as an extensible markup language (XML) document.

5. The physical access control system of claim 1, wherein said consumer logic periodically sends a request message via said network to poll said producer logic, and wherein said producer logic responds via said network with a status and event message incorporating said status and event information.

6. The physical access control system of claim 5, wherein said status and event information comprises temporal information, and wherein said consumer logic inserts a temporal parameter into said request message to identify and retrieve updated information.

7. The physical access control system of claim 1, wherein said consumer logic responds to said tickle information message by sending a request message via said network to poll said producer logic for said new information.

8. The physical access control system of claim 1, wherein said consumer logic comprise trigger logic which sends a tickle message via said network to said producer logic to activate said tickle logic.

9. The physical access control system of claim 8, wherein said status and event information comprises a plurality of different event types, and wherein said trigger logic incorporates an event type value into said tickle message to identify at least one of said plurality of event types for said tickle logic to monitor.

10. A physical access control system, comprising:

a network;

at least one access controller coupled to said network, each said access controller generating status and event information associated with at least one controlled physical barrier;

a producer device, coupled to said network, including producer logic which collects and stores said status and event information;

a consumer device, coupled to said network, including consumer logic which periodically polls said producer logic via said network to retrieve said status and event information from said producer device;

wherein said producer logic and said consumer logic communicate via said network according to a commonly accepted message syndication protocol; and

wherein said producer logic comprises;

a message processor which aggregates said status and event information; and

return feed list logic, coupled to said message processor, which receives a request message from said consumer logic and which instructs said message processor to respond with a status and event message via said network incorporating said status and event information.

11. The physical access control system of claim 10, wherein said return feed list logic comprises session tracker logic which tracks communication sessions and corresponding consumer devices sending request messages, and wherein said return feed list logic instructs said message processor to send complete status and event information via said network to a consumer device during a new session and instructs said message processor to send updated status and event information via said network to a consumer device during an existing session.

12. A physical access control system, comprising:

a network;

at least one access controller coupled to said network, each said access controller generating status and event information associated with at least one controlled physical barrier;

a producer device, coupled to said network, including producer logic which collects and stores said status and event information;

a consumer device, coupled to said network, including consumer logic which periodically polls said producer logic via said network to retrieve said status and event information from said producer device;

wherein said producer logic and said consumer logic communicate via said network according to a commonly accepted message syndication protocol;

wherein said consumer logic comprises;

a consumer message processor which aggregates said status and event information; and

request new event feed list logic, coupled to said consumer message processor, which sends a request new message via said network to said producer logic for requesting new information; and

wherein said producer logic comprises;

a producer message processor which aggregates said status and event information;

return feed list logic, coupled to said producer message processor, which instructs said message processor to send status and event messages via said network incorporating said status and event information to said consumer logic; and

new event detection logic, coupled to said producer message processor and said return feed list logic, which receives said request new message, which monitors said producer message processor for said new information, and which instructs said return feed list logic to cause a status and event message to be sent via said network from said producer message processor incorporating said new information.

13. Consumer logic for coupling to a communication network of a physical access control system, wherein the physical access control system comprises a controlled physical barrier, wherein the consumer logic comprises:

retrieve logic which periodically sends a request message via the communication network to request status and event information associated with the controlled physical barrier;

processor logic, coupled to said retrieve logic, which receives a status and event message sent via the communication network incorporating said status and event information;

wherein said retrieve logic and said processor logic communicate via said communication network according to a commonly accepted message syndication protocol; and

trigger logic, coupled to said processor logic, which sends a tickle request message via the communication network for requesting updated status and event information, and which informs said processor logic that said updated status and event information is available upon receipt of a tickle information message received via the communication network.

14. The consumer logic of claim 13, wherein said commonly accepted message syndication protocol comprises the really simple syndication (RSS) protocol.

15. The consumer logic of claim 13, wherein said commonly accepted message syndication protocol comprises the Atom Publishing Protocol.

16. The consumer logic of claim 13, further comprising polling logic, coupled to said retrieve logic, wherein said polling logic is configurable to establish a polling time period for sending said request message.

17. The consumer logic of claim 13, the status and event information comprising temporal information, wherein said retrieve logic inserts a temporal parameter into said request message to request updated status and event information.

18. The consumer logic of claim 17, wherein said processor logic receives a temporal value from said status and event message used to determine said temporal parameter.

19. The consumer logic of claim 13, the status and event information comprising temporal information, wherein said retrieve logic inserts a temporal parameter into said request message to request said updated status and event information.

20. The consumer logic of claim 13, further comprising request logic, coupled to said processor logic, which sends a request new message via the communication network to request updated status and event information.

21. The consumer logic of claim 13, further comprising producer logic, coupled to said processor logic, which sends said status and event information via the communication network in response to a request message received via the communication network.

22. Producer logic for coupling to a communication network of a physical access control system, wherein the physical access control system comprises a controlled physical barrier, wherein the producer logic comprises:

a document storing status and event information associated with the controlled physical barrier;

return logic which receives a request message via the communication network to request said status and event information;

processor logic, coupled to said return logic and said document, which sends a status and event message via the communication network incorporating said status and event information in response to said request message;

wherein said return logic and said processor logic communicate via the communication network according to a commonly accepted message syndication protocol; and

tickle logic, coupled to said processor logic, which receives a tickle request message via the communication network for requesting updated status and event information, which monitors said processor logic, and which sends a tickle information message via the communication network when said updated status and event information is available.

23. The producer logic of claim 22, wherein said commonly accepted message syndication protocol comprises the really simple syndication (RSS) protocol.

24. The producer logic of claim 22, wherein said commonly accepted message syndication protocol comprises the Atom Publishing Protocol.

25. The producer logic of claim 22, said status and event information comprising temporal information, wherein said return logic detects a temporal parameter within said request message and instructs said processor logic to filter said status and event information based on said temporal parameter.

26. The producer logic of claim 22, wherein said tickle logic inserts differential information into said tickle information message providing information about said updated status and event information.

27. The producer logic of claim 22, further comprising monitor and detection logic which senses said status and event information of the controlled physical barrier.

28. The producer logic of claim 22, further comprising consumer logic, coupled to said processor logic, which periodically requests said status and event information via the communication network.

29. Producer logic for coupling to a communication network of a physical access control system, wherein the physical access control system comprises a controlled physical barrier, wherein the producer logic comprises:

a document storing status and event information associated with the controlled physical barrier;

return logic which receives a request message via the communication network to request said status and event information;

processor logic, coupled to said return logic and said document which sends a status and event message via the communication network incorporating said status and event information in response to said request message;

wherein said return logic and said processor logic communicate via the communication network according to a commonly accepted message syndication protocol; and

new event detection logic, coupled to said processor logic, which receives a request new message via the communication network, which monitors said processor logic for updated status and event information, and which instructs said processor logic to send said status and event message incorporating said updated status and event information.