Virtual key ring

• US 9,467,859 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corbin Russwin Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Yale Security Incorporated (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Moss, Mary, Kraus, Kevin, Caterino, Mark A., Waters, Alicia, Serman, Logan, McCracken, James, Unger, Ronald, Johnson, Christi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier, Benjamin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WADE, SHAQUEAL D
• Application Number:
  US14/026,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20140373111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit
• 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: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A virtual key ring is disclosed. A graphical representation of a key ring or keychain having a plurality of keys is displayed on a computing device, and a pre-determined gesture input from a user indicative of an interaction with the key ring or chain, or one of the keys is received. The wireless operation of a lock can be managed by then accessing stored information associated with a virtual key or the lock in accordance with the pre-determined gesture. Pre-determined gestures can include, for example, movement along a predefined path on a touch screen in order to select a virtual key from among the plurality of virtual keys. The computing device can be a wireless mobile computing device such as a smartphone. The computing device can use any wireless communication technology, NFC and Wi-Fi being examples.

Claims

1. A method of managing wireless operation of a lock using a computing device, the method comprising:

displaying by a processor in the computing device on a display, a graphical representation of a key ring having a plurality of virtual keys as a skeuomorph of keys on a key ring, wherein each virtual key appears as or is a skeuomorph of a pin and tumbler key;

receiving a pre-determined gesture input from a user of the computing device by detecting haptic contact on a touch screen, the gesture input being indicative of an interaction with the skeuomorph of keys on the key ring and/or at least one of the skeuomorphs of the pin and tumbler key;

presenting to the user on the display an impression that the user is sliding the keys along the key ring or rotating the key ring; and

accessing by the processor in response to a selection by the user of a virtual key on the graphical representation of the key ring, stored information associated with at least one of the virtual keys and the lock.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the gesture input comprises at least one of movement along a predefined path on the touch screen in order to select a virtual key from among the plurality of virtual keys;

and touching a pre-defined area of the touch screen.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the accessing of the stored information further comprises at least one of accessing, altering, modifying, enabling, disabling, revoking, deleting, adding, and updating stored data corresponding to the virtual key.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the stored data comprises a representation of at least one of a color and a shape as a distinguishing graphical characteristic assigned by the user.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the accessing of the stored information further comprises accessing stored data describing the lock.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the accessing of the stored information further comprises at least one of accessing, altering, modifying, enabling, disabling, revoking, deleting, adding, and updating a digital credential corresponding to the virtual key and associated with the lock.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the digital credential further comprises a setup key.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising opening the lock.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising assigning the digital credential to another user.

10. A computer program product for managing wireless access to a lock including computer program code in a non-transitory medium, the computer program code comprising:

non-transitory instructions for displaying a graphical representation of a key ring having a plurality of virtual keys as a skeuomorph of keys on a key ring, wherein each virtual key appears as or is a skeuomorph of a pin and tumbler key;

non-transitory instructions for receiving a pre-determined gesture input from a user of the computing device by detecting haptic contact on a touch screen, the gesture input being indicative of an interaction with the skeuomorph of keys on the key ring and/or at least one of the skeuomorphs of the pin and tumbler key;

non-transitory instructions for presenting to the user on the display an impression that the user is sliding the keys along the key ring or rotating the key ring; and

non-transitory instructions for accessing by the processor in response to a selection by the user of a virtual key on the graphical representation of the key ring, stored information associated with at least one of the virtual keys and the lock.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the computer program code further comprises non-transitory instructions for detecting movement along a predefined path on the touch screen in order to select the virtual key from among the plurality of virtual keys.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the instructions for accessing the stored information further comprise non-transitory instructions for at least one of accessing, altering, modifying, enabling, disabling, revoking, deleting, adding, and updating stored data corresponding to the virtual key.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the stored data comprises a representation of at least one of a color and a shape as a distinguishing graphical characteristic assigned by the user.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the instructions for accessing the stored information further comprises non-transitory instructions for accessing stored data describing the lock.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the instructions for accessing the stored information further comprises non-transitory instructions for at least one of accessing, altering, modifying, enabling, disabling, revoking, deleting, adding, and updating a digital credential corresponding to the virtual key and associated with the lock.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the digital credential further comprises a setup key.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the computer program code further comprises non-transitory instructions for opening the lock.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the instructions for at least one of accessing, altering, modifying, enabling, disabling, revoking, deleting, adding, and updating the digital credential further comprise non-transitory instructions for assigning the digital credential to another user.

19. A mobile computer system comprising:

at least one wireless subsystem;

a touch screen display to detect haptic contact;

a processor operatively connected to the at least one wireless subsystem and the touch screen display; and

a memory comprising at least one stored digital credential for a lock and stored data corresponding to at least one virtual key, wherein a virtual key appears as or is a skeuomorph of a pin and tumbler key, the memory also comprising computer program code executable by the processor to cause the mobile computer system to display on the touch screen display a graphical representation of a key ring including the at least one virtual key, appearing as a skeuomorph of keys on a key ring, receive a pre-determined gesture input by detecting haptic contact on the touch screen display indicative of an interaction with the skeuomorph of keys on the key ring and/or the skeuomorph of the pin and tumbler key, present to the user on the display an impression that the user is sliding the keys along the key ring or rotating the key ring, and access in response to a selection by the user of a virtual key on the graphical representation of the key ring, at least one of the stored digital credential and stored data.

20. The mobile computer system of claim 19 wherein the gesture input comprises at least one of movement along a predefined path on the touch screen display in order to select the at least one virtual key from among a plurality of virtual keys;

and touching a pre-defined area of the touch screen display.

21. The mobile computer system of claim 20 wherein the stored data comprises a representation of at least one of a color and a shape of the at least one virtual key as a distinguishing graphical characteristic assigned by a user.

22. The mobile computer system of claim 20 wherein the digital credential further comprises a setup key.

23. The mobile computer system of claim 22 wherein the processor is operable to open the lock using the at least one wireless subsystem.

24. The mobile computer system of claim 23 wherein the at least one wireless subsystem comprises at least one of a near field communication (NFC) subsystem and a Wi-Fi subsystem.