Electronic lock authentication method and system

• US 9,437,062 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2013
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Original Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Inventors: Ahearn, John Robert, Baumgarte, Joseph Wayne, Focke, Gabriel Daniel, Henney, Michael Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US13/968,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20140049362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00412 the transmitted data signal being encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• 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

Abstract

An electronic lock authentication system and associated method including an electronic lock and a cellular phone in communication with a network and in wireless communication with the electronic lock. The electronic lock has a lock identification and is configured to transmit the lock identification wirelessly to the cellular phone. The cellular phone has a phone identification and is configured to transmit the lock identification and the phone identification to the network. The network is configured to make a decision in real time whether the cellular phone is permitted access to the electronic lock based on the lock identification and the phone identification, and is further configured to transmit a grant/deny message to the cellular phone based on the decision, and the cellular phone is configured to transmit the grant/deny message to the electronic lock.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating a lock system, comprising:

issuing via an electronic lock an advertisement indicating a presence of the electronic lock to a cellular phone, wherein the issuing is performed while the electronic lock is in a low power sleep state;

scanning via the cellular phone for the advertisement, wherein the scanning is performed when the cellular phone is in a low power scan mode;

initiating wireless communication by the cellular phone with the electronic lock, wherein the initiating is performed in response to the cellular phone determining that the electronic lock is in a specified range;

transmitting an encrypted lock identification from the electronic lock to the cellular phone after initiating the wireless communication;

transmitting the encrypted lock identification and an encrypted phone identification from the cellular phone to a network;

requesting via the network additional credential information from the cellular phone;

transmitting the additional credential information from the cellular phone to the network;

determining via the network whether the cellular phone is permitted access to the electronic lock based at least in part on the encrypted lock identification, the encrypted phone identification, and the additional credential information;

transmitting an encrypted grant/deny message from the network to the cellular phone based upon the determining; and

transmitting the encrypted grant/deny message from the cellular phone to the electronic lock.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting the additional credential information into the cellular phone in response to the requesting.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional credential information includes data relating to at least one of a pin code, a passphrase, a gesture with the cellular phone, facial recognition, and voice recognition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a network cloud.

5. An electronic lock authentication system, comprising:

an electronic lock, wherein the electronic lock has a low power sleep state;

a cellular phone in communication with a network and in wireless communication with the electronic lock, wherein the cellular phone is operable in a low power scan mode and the electronic lock is configured to advertise its presence to the cellular phone while in the low power sleep state, and further wherein the cellular phone is configured to scan for the electronic lock in wireless communication range while in the low power scan mode and to initiate wireless communication with the electronic lock that are determined to be in wireless communication range;

wherein the electronic lock has a lock identification and is configured to encrypt the lock identification and transmit the encrypted lock identification wirelessly to the cellular phone after the cellular phone initiates wireless communication with the electronic lock;

wherein the cellular phone has a phone identification and is configured to encrypt the phone identification and transmit the encrypted lock identification and the encrypted phone identification to the network;

wherein the network is configured to make a decision in real time whether the cellular phone is permitted access to the electronic lock based at least in part on the encrypted lock identification and the encrypted phone identification, wherein the network is configured to transmit a message to the cellular phone indicative of a requirement for additional credential information in order to make the decision;

wherein a user of the cellular phone is prompted to input the additional credential information into the cellular phone in response to the message from the network;

wherein the network is further configured to determine whether the additional credential information is correct and transmit an encrypted grant/deny message to the cellular phone based on the decision; and

wherein the cellular phone is configured to transmit the encrypted grant/deny message to the electronic lock.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the network comprises a network cloud.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the cellular phone comprises a smartphone.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the electronic lock comprises a smart lock.