Access management and reporting technology

• US 9,230,374 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2015
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Earnshaw, Stanley Reed, Burge, Gregory Le
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US14/622,209
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.53, 340/5.54, 340/5.1, 340/5.23, 340/5.25, 340/5.33, 340/5.61, 340/5.64, 70/63, 379/100.05, 379/100.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00325 and the lock having only one limited data transmission range
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00825 remotely by lines or wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00936 for key cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/0069 actuated in a predetermined sequence
• 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 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/33 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0846 using time-dependent-passwords, e.g. periodically changing passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time

Abstract

An access management and reporting system includes a keysafe that is located outside of a building and a communication system that is located within the building. The communication system is configured to perform, over a short-range wireless communication protocol, two-way communication with a communication module of the keysafe. The system also includes a server that is located remote from the building and the keysafe. The server is configured to perform, over a long-range communication protocol, two-way communication with the communication system located within the building, is configured to manage access to the keysafe, and is configured to handle reporting related to access of the keysafe.

Claims

1. An access management and reporting system comprising:

a keysafe that is located outside of a building, the keysafe comprising;

a user input device configured to receive user input of a passcode;

a housing configured to secure a physical key that unlocks and locks a physical door of an entrance to the building;

a communication module configured to perform two-way communication over a short-range wireless communication protocol; and

a processor that is configured to control the housing to allow access to the physical key secured within the housing based on entry of a proper passcode through the user input device;

a security system configured to monitor the building;

a communication system that is located within the building, that is configured to perform, over the short-range wireless communication protocol, two-way communication with the communication module of the keysafe, and that is configured to perform two-way communication over a long-range communication protocol; and

a server that is located remote from the building and the keysafe, that is configured to perform, over the long-range communication protocol, two-way communication with the communication system located within the building, that is configured to manage access to the keysafe, and that is configured to handle reporting related to access of the keysafe,

wherein the processor of the keysafe is configured to control the housing to allow access to the physical key secured within the housing based on entry of a proper passcode through the user input device;

wherein the communication system is configured to;

detect that the proper passcode has been entered through the user input device to open the keysafe, and

based on the detection that the proper passcode has been entered through the user input device to open the keysafe;

control the security system to perform an operation related to a valid keysafe opening; and

send, over the long-range communication protocol to the server, a report that indicates the keysafe has been opened and that indicates the proper passcode used to open the keysafe;

wherein the security system is configured to perform the operation related to the valid keysafe opening based on the controlling; and

wherein the server is configured to;

receive, from the communication system over the long-range communication protocol, the report that indicates the keysafe has been opened and that indicates the new passcode used to open the keysafe, and

store, in electronic storage, the report received from the communication system.

2. The access management and reporting system of claim 1:

wherein the communication system further comprises a storage device configured to store one or more proper passcodes for the keysafe;

wherein the communication system is configured to cause storage of a new passcode for the keysafe by storing, within the storage device, the new passcode;

wherein the processor of the keysafe is configured to control the housing to allow access to the physical key secured within the housing based on entry of the new passcode through the user input device by;

accessing passcode input received through the user input device,

sending, over the short-range wireless communication protocol to the communication system, the accessed passcode input;

receiving, from the communication system over the short-range wireless communication protocol, a confirmation message that confirms a proper passcode has been entered, the communication system sending the confirmation message based on verifying that the accessed passcode input matches the new passcode stored in the storage device; and

controlling the housing to allow access to the physical key secured within the housing based on receipt of the confirmation message.

3. The access management and reporting system of claim 1:

wherein the communication system is configured to perform, over a long-range wireless communication protocol, two-way communication with the server; and

wherein the server is configured to perform, over the long-range wireless communication protocol, two-way communication with the communication system located within the building.

4. The access management and reporting system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the communication system is part of the security system.

5. The access management and reporting system of claim 1:

wherein the communication system is configured to control the security system to perform the operation related to the valid keysafe opening by controlling, based on the detection that the proper passcode has been entered through the user input device to open the keysafe, the security system to change from an armed state in which opening of the physical door of the entrance to the building requires entry of a proper password for the security system to stop the security system from sending an alarm signal that results in a monitoring station dispatching emergency services to a disarmed state in which opening of the physical door of the entrance to the building does not require entry of the proper password; and

wherein the security system is configured to perform the operation related to the valid keysafe opening by changing from the armed state to the disarmed state based on the controlling.

6. The access management and reporting system of claim 1:

wherein the communication system is configured to control the security system to perform the operation related to the valid keysafe opening by controlling the security system to turn on a light located within the building based on the detection that the proper passcode has been entered through the user input device to open the keysafe; and

wherein the security system is configured to perform the operation related to the valid keysafe opening by turning on the light located within the building based on the controlling.

7. The access management and reporting system of claim 1:

wherein the security system is configured to send, to the server, sensor data collected by the security system; and

wherein the server is configured to link sensor data from the security system with the report that indicates the keysafe has been opened and that indicates the proper passcode used to open the keysafe.

8. The access management and reporting system of claim 7, wherein the server is configured to analyze the sensor data from the security system linked with the report and verify whether access using the keysafe was proper based on the analysis.

9. The access management and reporting system of claim 7:

wherein the security system is configured to send, to the server, image data captured by an image sensor of the security system; and

wherein the server is configured to link the image data captured the image sensor of the security system with the report.

10. The access management and reporting system of claim 7:

wherein the security system is configured to send, to the server, sensor data captured by at least one door sensor and at least one motion sensor; and

wherein the server is configured to link the sensor data captured by the at least one door sensor and the at least one motion sensor with the report.

11. The access management and reporting system of claim 1, further comprising multiple keysafes for multiple buildings,

wherein the server is located remote from each of the multiple buildings, is configured to manage access to each of the multiple keysafes, and is configured to handle reporting related to access of each of the multiple keysafes.

12. The access management and reporting system of claim 11:

wherein the server includes a passcode database that maintains passcodes valid at each of the multiple keysafes, and

wherein the server is configured to synchronize the passcode database with passcode storage associated with each of the multiple keysafes such that valid passcodes in the passcode storage at each of the multiple keysafes matches valid passcodes in passcode database for each of the multiple keysafes.

13. The access management and reporting system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to:

receive a request for managing passcodes;

determine that the request relates to an entity that has multiple keysafes for multiple buildings, the multiple keysafes being associated with multiple users;

identify, from among the multiple users associated with the multiple keysafes, a user related to the request;

identify, from among the multiple keysafes, a subset of the multiple keysafes associated with the identified user; and

perform an operation directed to managing passcodes for the identified subset of the multiple keysafes based on the request.

14. The access management and reporting system of claim 13:

wherein the server is configured to receive the request for managing passcodes by receiving, from a vendor that services a first subset of the multiple buildings of the entity, a request to add a new employee passcode, the first subset of the multiple buildings comprising at least two, but less than all of the multiple buildings;

wherein the server is configured to identify, from among the multiple users associated with the multiple keysafes, the user related to the request by identifying, from among multiple vendors associated with the multiple keysafes, the vendor related to the request;

wherein the server is configured to identify, from among the multiple keysafes, the subset of the multiple keysafes associated with the identified user by identifying, from among the multiple keysafes, the first subset of the multiple keysafes serviced by the vendor; and

wherein the server is configured to perform the operation directed to managing passcodes for the identified subset of the multiple keysafes based on the request by adding, to each of the first subset of the multiple keysafes serviced by the vendor, the new employee passcode.

15. The access management and reporting system of claim 13:

wherein the server is configured to receive the request for managing passcodes by receiving, from the entity, a request to delete a vendor;

wherein the server is configured to identify, from among the multiple users associated with the multiple keysafes, the user related to the request by identifying, from among multiple vendors associated with the multiple keysafes, the vendor related to the request;

wherein the server is configured to identify, from among the multiple keysafes, the subset of the multiple keysafes associated with the identified user by identifying, from among the multiple keysafes, the subset of the multiple keysafes serviced by the vendor, the subset of the multiple keysafes serviced by the vendor comprising at least two, but less than all of the multiple keysafes; and

wherein the server is configured to perform the operation directed to managing passcodes for the identified subset of the multiple keysafes based on the request by deleting, from each of the subset of the multiple keysafes serviced by the vendor, employee passcodes for all employees of the vendor.

16. The access management and reporting system of claim 1:

wherein the server is configured to;

receive input to program a new, limited-use passcode for the keysafe, and

based on the input to program the new, limited-use passcode for the keysafe, send, over the long-range communication protocol to the communication system located within the building, the new, limited-use passcode for the keysafe with a restriction that defines when the new, limited-use passcode is valid;

wherein the communication system is configured to;

receive, from the server over the long-range communication protocol, the new, limited-use passcode for the keysafe with the restriction that defines when the new, limited-use passcode is valid, and

cause storage of the new, limited-use passcode for the keysafe with the restriction that defines when the new, limited-use passcode is valid such that entry of the new, limited-use passcode at the user input device of the keysafe allows access to the physical key secured within the housing of the keysafe when the entry occurs during a time period when the restriction defines the new, limited-use passcode as being valid;

wherein the processor of the keysafe is configured to, after storage of the new, limited-use passcode with the restriction that defines when the new, limited-use passcode is valid, control the housing to allow access to the physical key secured within the housing based on entry of the new, limited-use passcode through the user input device at a time when the restriction defines the new, limited-use passcode as being valid.

17. The access management and reporting system of claim 1:

wherein the processor of the keysafe is configured to monitor an amount of battery power available to the keysafe, detect when the amount of battery power available to the keysafe falls below a threshold, and, based on detection that the amount of battery power available to the keysafe has fallen below the threshold, send, over the short-range wireless communication protocol to the communication system, an alert indicating that the amount of battery power available to the keysafe has fallen below the threshold;

wherein the communication system is configured to receive, from the communication module of the keysafe over the short-range wireless communication protocol, the alert indicating that the amount of battery power available to the keysafe has fallen below the threshold and relay, over the long-range communication protocol to the server, the alert indicating that the amount of battery power available to the keysafe has fallen below the threshold; and

wherein the server is configured to receive, from the communication system over the long-range communication protocol, the alert indicating that the amount of battery power available to the keysafe has fallen below the threshold and send, to an entity responsible for the building, an electronic message indicating that the amount of battery power available to the keysafe has fallen below the threshold.

18. The access management and reporting system of claim 1:

wherein the communication system is configured to control the security system to perform an operation related to a valid keysafe opening by controlling the security system to begin operation of a video camera located at the building based on the valid keysafe opening; and

wherein the security system is configured to perform the operation related to the valid keysafe opening by beginning operation of the video camera located at the building.

19. The access management and reporting system of claim 1:

wherein the communication system is configured to control the security system to perform an operation related to a valid keysafe opening by controlling the security system to disarm and turn on a lighting device based on the valid keysafe opening; and

wherein the security system is configured to perform the operation related to the valid keysafe opening by disarming and turning on the lighting device.

20. The access management and reporting system of claim 1:

wherein the security system is configured to send, to the server, sensor data collected by the security system; and

wherein the server is configured to;

compare the sensor data from the security system with a set of access rules that define permitted areas of access within the building and off-limit areas of access within the building; and

determine whether the sensor data from the security system only includes events that suggest access of the permitted areas of access within the building without events that suggest access of the off-limit areas of access within the building.