Access control method, corresponding device and computer program product

• US 9,013,270 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Banks And Acquirers International Holding
• Original Assignee: Compagnie Industrielle et Financiere D'Ingenierie "Ingenico"
• Inventors: Naccache, David, Dolique, Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Obiniyi, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/370,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20090224872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/10.1, 340/4.6, 340/4.61, 340/5.2, 340/5.21, 340/927, 340/932.1, 705/5, 705/6, 705/13, 705/19
• US Class Current: 340/5.7
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit

Abstract

A method is provided for controlling access by a series of users to a space and/or particular service. The method includes the following steps for each of the users: requesting access to the space and/or service by the user, issuing an access authorization or denial; opening of an access to the space or the service, if an access authorization was issued; estimating a waiting period prior to accessing the space and/or service when the opening is delayed; and issuing to the user at least one piece of information representative of the waiting period. The estimation step takes account of a number of users having already passed through the access and still waiting in the space and/or the service.

Claims

1. A method of controlling access by a user to at least one of a space or particular service, comprising the following steps for said user:

receiving a request for access to said space or particular service from said user by an access control device, including a step of reading an access ticket with a ticket reader device, said access control device issuing an access authorization or denial based on validity of said access ticket;

opening an access barrier to said space or said particular service, if an access authorization was issued;

estimation, by the access control device, of a waiting period prior to accessing said space or particular service when said opening is delayed by taking account of at least one piece of information read on said access ticket, which is selected from the group consisting of;

a piece of transport information, which is selected from the group consisting of a flight number, a day of departure, a departure time, a boarding gate;

and personal information of the user,

said estimation step taking also account of a number of other users having already passed through said access barrier and still waiting in said space or said particular service;

issuing to said user at least one piece of information representative of said waiting period, and

transmitting an alert message to a portable communication device of said user requesting said user to access to said space or particular service when said waiting period is about to end.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said estimation step takes account of at least one piece of information representative of a current context.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said issuing step includes a step of displaying said information on a display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes a step of periodically updating said information representative of said waiting period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of information comprises personal information of the user, which comprises a name of the user.

5. A device for controlling access by a user to at least one of a space or particular service, comprising:

an access ticket reader, which is configured to receive a request for access to said space or said particular service by a user by reading an access ticket and to issue an access authorization or denial based on validity of said access ticket;

means for opening an access barrier to said space or said particular service, if an access authorization was issued;

means for delaying said opening, comprising;

means for estimating a waiting period before accessing said space or said particular service when said opening is delayed by taking account of at least one piece of information read on said access ticket, which is selected from the group consisting of;

a piece of transport information, which is selected from the group consisting of a flight number, a day of departure, a departure time, a boarding gate;

and personal information of the user,

said means for estimating a waiting period takes also account of a number of other users having already passed through said access barrier and still waiting in said space or said particular service;

means for delivering to said user at least one piece of information representative of said waiting period, and

means for transmitting an alert message to a portable communication device of said user requesting said user to access to said space or particular service when said waiting period is about to end.

6. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon and executable by a microprocessor, the instructions implementing a method of controlling access by a user to at least one of a space or particular service when executed by the microprocessor, wherein the method comprises the following steps for said user:

receiving a request for access to said space or particular service by said user, including reading an access ticket with a ticket reader device, and issuing an access authorization or denial based on validity of said access ticket;

opening an access barrier to said space or said particular service, if an access authorization was issued;

estimation of a waiting period prior to accessing said space or particular service when said opening is delayed by taking account of at least one piece of information read on said access ticket, which is selected from the group consisting of;

a piece of transport information, which is selected from the group consisting of a flight number, a day of departure, a departure time, a boarding gate;

and personal information of the user,

said estimation step taking also account of a number of other users having already passed through said access barrier and still waiting in said space or said particular service;

issuing to said user at least one piece of information representative of said waiting period, through said access barrier and still waiting in said space or said particular service, and

transmitting an alert message to a portable communication device of said user requesting said user to access to said space or particular service when said waiting period is about to end.