Method of controlling access to an area

• US 9,082,244 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2006
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Inventors: Gerstenkorn, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US11/460,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20070025314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,275 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.2, 340/5.6, 340/5.72, 340/5.7, 340/5.1, 340/5.21, 340/5.71, 340/5.73, 340/5.74
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00365 in combination with a wake-up circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

A method of controlling access to an area accessible by persons, particularly to a space closed by a door, utilizes a first mobile communications unit on which at least one access code is filed and a receiver unit for receiving the access code. In a first variant of the method, when an activation signal is transmitted by the communications unit within a predetermined range of the receiver unit, the receiver unit is activated and the access code is transmitted from the communications unit to the receiver unit. After a successful check of the access code by the receiver unit the access is freed. In a second variant, when the activation signal is transmitted by the receiver unit within a predetermined range of the communications unit, the receiver unit is activated. The access code is subsequently transmitted from the communications unit to the receiver unit and after a successful check of the access code by the receiver unit the access is freed.

Claims

1. A method of controlling access to an area, comprising the following steps:

a. one of i) automatically transmitting an activation signal to an activation signal receiver directly connected to a mobile communications unit within a predetermined range from a transmitter directly connected to an access code receiver unit, the transmitter being active while the access code receiver unit is in a deactivated state, and ii) receiving the activation signal automatically transmitted from a transmitter directly connected to the mobile communications unit within the predetermined range using the activation signal receiver directly connected to the access code receiver unit, the activation signal receiver being active while the access code receiver unit is in the deactivated state;

b. activating the access code receiver unit to an activated state from the deactivated state with a control signal from the activation signal receiver to an additional circuit of the access code receiver unit to switch on a power supply for freeing access to the area when the mobile communications unit is located within the predetermined range of the activation signal and the activation signal is received, wherein the access code receiver unit in the activated state is powered and the access code receiver unit in the deactivated state is unpowered;

c. receiving at least one access code from the mobile communications unit using the access code receiver unit when the access code receiver unit has been activated;

d. checking the at least one access code with the access code receiver unit; and

e. freeing the access to the area if the check is successful.

2. The method according to claim 1 including, in the case of ii), placing the transmitter at the mobile communications unit and placing the activation signal receiver at the access code receiver unit prior to transmitting the activation signal within the predetermined range from the mobile communications unit.

3. The method according to claim 1 including, in the case of i), placing the transmitter at the access code receiver unit and placing the activation signal receiver at the mobile communications unit prior to transmitting the activation signal within the predetermined range from the receiver unit.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the access code receiver unit is deactivated after freeing the access.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one access code is transmitted only when the mobile communications unit is located within the range.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one access code is transmitted only within a predetermined time period.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the access is freed only within a predetermined time period.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one access code is cancelled after a predetermined number of uses for freeing the access.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein a computer unit generates the at least one access code and communicates the at least one access code to the mobile communications unit.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the at least one access code has at least one attribute which is variable by the computer unit or by the mobile communications unit.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the mobile communications unit comprises one of a mobile telephone and a PDA.

12. A method of controlling access to an area comprising the following steps:

a. receiving an activation signal automatically transmitted from a transmitter directly connected to a mobile communications unit at an activation signal receiver directly connected to an access code receiver unit, the activation signal receiver being active while the access code receiver unit is in a deactivated state, the activation signal causing a generation of a control signal from the activation signal receiver to activate the access code receiver unit to an activated state from the deactivated state for freeing access to the area, wherein the access code receiver unit in the activated state is powered and the access code receiver unit in the deactivated state is unpowered; and

b. transmitting the at least one access code from the mobile communications unit to the access code receiver unit.

13. The method according to claim 12 including a step of switching the access code receiver unit to the deactivated state after performing the step b.

14. The method according to claim 12 including switching on a power supply of the access code receiver unit in the activated state and switching off the power supply in the deactivated state.

15. An elevator system including at least one elevator comprising:

an access code receiver unit having one of i) a transmitter part thereof for automatically transmitting an activation signal to an activation signal receiver directly connected to a mobile communications unit within a predetermined range from the access code receiver unit, the transmitter being active while the access code receiver unit is in a deactivated state, and ii) the activation signal receiver part thereof for receiving the activation signal automatically transmitted from the transmitter directly connected to the mobile communications unit within the predetermined range, the activation signal receiver being active while the access code receiver unit is in the deactivated state;

the access code receiver unit being activated to an activated state from the deactivated state by a control signal from the activation signal receiver to an additional circuit of the access code receiver unit to switch on a power supply when the mobile communications unit is within the predetermined range of the access code receiver unit, wherein the access code receiver unit in the activated state is powered and the access code receiver unit in the deactivated state is unpowered; and

a door lock controlling access to the at least one elevator wherein the access code receiver unit in response to being activated and receiving an access code from the mobile communications unit is configured to actuate the door lock to free access to the at least one elevator.

16. An access-control device for controlling access to an area comprising a mobile communications unit having a transmitter part thereof configured to transmit an activation signal for reception by an activation signal receiver directly connected to an access code receiver unit, the activation signal receiver being active while the access code receiver unit is in a deactivated state, a control signal generated from the activation signal receiver to activate the access code receiver unit to an activated state from the deactivated state by applying power after the activation signal receiver receives the activation signal, wherein the access code receiver unit in the activated state is powered and the access code receiver unit in the deactivated state is unpowered, the mobile communications unit being configured to transmit an access code to the access code receiver unit, wherein the access code receiver unit, when activated, responds to the access code to grant access to an associated area.

17. An access-control device for controlling access to an area comprising:

one of i) a receiver unit having a transmitter part thereof configured to automatically transmit an activation signal to a receiver directly connected to a mobile communications unit, the transmitter being active while the receiver unit is in a deactivated state, and ii) the receiver unit having the receiver part thereof to receive the activation signal automatically transmitted from the transmitter directly connected to the mobile communications unit, the receiver being active while the receiver unit is in the deactivated state;

a control signal generated to an additional circuit of the receiver unit to switch on a power supply to activate the receiver unit to an activated state from the deactivated state after the receiver receives the activation signal, the receiver unit, when activated, being configured to respond to an access code received from the mobile communications unit to generate an other control signal, wherein the receiver unit in the activated state is powered and the receiver unit in the deactivated state is unpowered; and

an electronic door lock connected to the receiver unit and being configured to respond to the other control signal from the receiver unit for freeing access to an associated door.

18. An area access control method comprising:

receiving with an activation signal receiver directly connected to an access code receiver unit an automatically wirelessly transmitted activation signal from a transmitter directly connected to a mobile communications device, the activation signal receiver being active while the access code receiver unit is in a deactivated state;

as a result of receiving the activation signal, activating the access code receiver unit to an activated state from the deactivated state with a control signal from the activation signal receiver, wherein the access code receiver unit in the activated state is powered and the access code receiver unit in the deactivated state is unpowered;

receiving, using the access code receiver unit in the activated state, at least one access code from the mobile communications device; and

granting area access based at least in part on the at least one access code.

19. An access-control device for controlling access to an area comprising a mobile communications unit having an activation signal receiver part thereof configured to receive an activation signal from a transmitter directly connected to an access code receiver unit, the transmitter being active while the access code receiver unit is in the deactivated state, a control signal generated from the activation signal receiver to activate the access code receiver unit to an activated state from the deactivated state by applying power after the activation signal receiver receives the activation signal, wherein the access code receiver unit in the activated state is powered and the access code receiver unit in the deactivated state is unpowered, the mobile communications unit being configured to transmit an access code to the access code receiver unit, wherein the access code receiver unit, when activated, responds to the access code to grant access to an associated area.