Access management and reporting technology

• US 9,514,584 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• 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: Burge, Gregory Le, Earnshaw, Stanley Reed
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US14/987,200
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• 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 communication module configured to grant access to a building and perform two-way communication over a short-range wireless communication protocol, comprising;

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

a processor that operates the communication module to grant access to the building based on receipt of a proper passcode by the user input device;

a security system configured to monitor the building and collect sensor data;

a communication system located within the building, configured to perform two-way communication with the communication module and generate a report that indicates that the communication module has granted a user access to the building and the passcode input by the user to the communication module that caused the communication module to grant the user access to the building; and

a server that is located remotely from the building and the communication module, configured to;

perform two-way communication with the communication system located within the building;

manage a set of proper passcodes and to handle reporting related to access of the building;

receive the report, from the communication system, indicating that a user has been granted access to the building through the communication module and the passcode input by the user to the communication module;

analyze sensor data from the security system collected over a time period of the report by comparing the sensor data from the security system with a set of one or more access rules that define security system events that are expected when the building is properly accessed through the communication module; and

verify whether access using the communication module was proper based on the analysis by determining whether the building was properly accessed through the communication module based on the comparison of the sensor data from the security system with the set of one or more access rules.

2. The access management and reporting system of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more access rules comprises one or more permitted areas of access within the building.

3. The access management and reporting system of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more access rules comprises one or more off-limit areas of access within the building.

4. The access management and reporting system of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more access rules is specific to the user.

5. The access management and reporting system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to analyze sensor data from the security system collected over a time period of the report by comparing an access location determined from the report with the set of one or more access rules, wherein the set of one or more access rules comprises one or more off-limit areas of access within the building.

6. The access management and reporting system of claim 5, wherein the server is further configured to determine that access using the communication module was improper based on the analysis by determining that the access location is in the set of one or more off-limit areas of access within the building.

7. The access management and reporting system of claim 5, wherein the server is further configured to determine that access using the communication module was proper based on the analysis by determining that the access location is not in the set of one or more off-limit areas of access within the building.

8. The access management and reporting system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to analyze sensor data from the security system collected over a time period of the report by comparing an access location determined from the report with the set of one or more access rules, wherein the set of one or more access rules comprises one or more permitted areas of access within the building.

9. The access management and reporting system of claim 5, wherein the server is further configured to determine that access using the communication module was proper based on the analysis by determining that the access location is in the set of one or more permitted areas of access within the building.

10. The access management and reporting system of claim 5, wherein the server is further configured to determine that access using the communication module was improper based on the analysis by determining that the access location is not in the set of one or more permitted areas of access within the building.

11. 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.

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

13. 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 granting access to the building by controlling, based on the detection that the proper passcode has been received by the user input device, the security system to change from an armed state in which opening of a physical door of an 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 granting access to the building by changing from the armed state to the disarmed state based on the controlling.

14. The access management and reporting system of claim 1, further comprising multiple communication modules for multiple buildings,

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

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

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

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

16. 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 communication modules for multiple buildings, the multiple communication modules being associated with multiple users;

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

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

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

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

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 communication modules, the user related to the request by identifying, from among multiple vendors associated with the multiple communication modules, the vendor related to the request;

wherein the server is configured to identify, from among the multiple communication modules, the subset of the multiple communication modules associated with the identified user by identifying, from among the multiple communication modules, the first subset of the multiple communication modules 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 communication modules based on the request by adding, to each of the first subset of the multiple communication modules serviced by the vendor, the new employee passcode.

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

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 communication modules, the user related to the request by identifying, from among multiple vendors associated with the multiple communication modules, the vendor related to the request;

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

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

19. 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 communication module, and

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

cause storage of the new, limited-use passcode for the communication module 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 communication module allows access to the building 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 communication module is configured to, after storage of the new, limited-use passcode with the restriction that defines when the new, limited-use passcode is valid, allow access to the building 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.

20. 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 communication module opening by controlling the security system to begin operation of a video camera located at the building based on the valid communication module opening; and

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