Access system employing dynamic badges

• US 9,652,910 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FMR LLC
• Original Assignee: FMR LLC
• Inventors: McDonough, John, Tholen, Laura W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foxx, Chico A
• Application Number:
  US14/751,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20160379426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0088 centrally
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/21 having a variable access code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

Techniques pertaining to management of and construction of a dynamic badge having at least one display device on the badge are described. A computer receives a message that identifies a user to which the badge is assigned, receive geographic location information that indicates a current location of the badge, access a database that stores information associated with the user; determining by the computer based on the accessed information and the current location of the badge the specific information to display on the display device; and forwards the determined information over a network to a communication node for delivery to the badge.

Claims

1. A method of managing a badge having at least one display device on the badge and a badge identification (ID), the method comprising:

receiving by a computer, a message that identifies a user to which the badge is assigned, the message being received over a network from a network access point having a network IP address;

establishing, by the computer, in response to receiving the message, a communication channel between the computer and a processor device on the badge to enable the processor device to retrieve the badge ID and provide the badge ID to the computer;

executing by the processor device instructions for connecting to a uniform resource locator (URL) once the badge is detected by the network access point, with the URL being an address of a resource at which update packages are downloaded, with the URL being pre-programmed in the processor device and provided to the computer via the message;

receiving by the computer an IP address of the access point that received the message to provide geographic location information that indicates a current location of the badge;

accessing by the computer a database that stores information associated with the user;

executing by the computer a rule to determine an update package to send to the badge, with the rule selected from a rule set of a plurality of rule sets, and the rule set selected according to the IP address of the access point, and the rule selected based on the accessed information from the database, and the current location of the badge, with the update package comprising specific information to display on the display device of the badge; and

forwarding by the computer the determined update package over the network to a communication node for delivery to the badge.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, upon establishing the communication channel, constructing by the computer the determined update package.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the selected rule further comprises:

accessing by the computer the database to retrieve current status information of the user; and

selecting the rule from the rule set based on the physical location of the badge at the time that the message is received and current status information of the user.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing by the computer the rule set;

selecting by the computer, the rule from the rule set, the rule selected according to the current location of the badge and the time that the message was received by the computer; and

wherein executing the rule is further based on a location of the access point.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting by the computer establishment of a communication channel by circuitry on the badge; and

determining by the computer whether an update to the badge is required by executing one or more rules from the rule set.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining whether an update is required, further comprises:

accessing by the computer a record that is associated with the badge;

reading by the computer whether the record contains an acknowledgement message of a previous update being applied by the badge; and

determining whether there is a new update for the badge that is later than a timestamp associated with the acknowledgement message.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

sending by the computer the new update when the acknowledgement message has a timestamp later than a timestamp of the new update.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein executing by the computer the instructions to determine an update package, further comprise:

receiving by the computer from NFC tags on the badge encoded information including the badge ID;

determining by the computer the source address of the access point that read the encoded information;

determining by the computer, whether the access point is within a company'"'"'s network; and

selecting by the computer from the rule set, the rule according to whether the access point is within or outside of the company network.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the rule is selected from a set of on-company premises rules that comprise:

a company events rule that when executed determines whether the badge ID is authorized to be at a specified event, by the computer;

accessing a list of attendees; and

determining whether the badge ID is an authorized ID for the event; and

sending an update to the badge, where the update is selected according to the execution of the company events rule.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the rule is selected from a set of off-company premises rules that comprise:

an employee termination rule that when executed determines whether the badge ID is a terminated badge, by;

receiving from any access point that is connected with the badge from the NFC tag the encoded badge ID;

accessing by the computer a list of terminated employees by badge ID; and

sending by the computer an employee termination update package ID when the identification of the badge is on the list.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the employee termination update package includes instructions that when executed by the badge, automatically wipe off all data from the display and disable the processor device in the badge from receiving any further updates, by at least deleting the URL stored in the badge.

12. A system for managing dynamic badges each dynamic badge have at least one display device supported on the badge and a badge identification (ID), the system comprising:

a computer system comprising;

a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the system being configured to;

receive a message with the message identifying a user to which the badge is assigned, the message being received over a network from a network access point having a network IP address;

receive from a processor device on the badge the message which is a request to establish a communication channel between with the computer and the processor device to enable the processor device to retrieve the badge ID and provide the badge ID to the computer, the processor device configured to execute instructions for connecting to a uniform resource locator (URL) once the badge is detected by the network access point, with the URL being an address of a resource at which update packages are downloaded, with the URL being pre-programmed in the processor device and provided to the computer via the message;

receive an IP address of the access point that received the message to provide geographic location information that indicates a current location of the badge;

access a database that stores information associated with the user;

select a rule with the rule selected from a rule set of a plurality of rule sets, and the rule set selected according to the IP address of the access point, and the rule selected according to the current location of the badge and the time that the message was received by the computer;

execute the selected rule to determine an update package to send to the badge, with rule execution based on accessed information from the database, the current location of the badge, and the IP address of the access point, with the update package comprising specific information to send to the badge for display on a display device carried by the badge; and

forward the determined, update package over the network to a communication node for delivery to the badge.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a near field reader coupled to a server to establish by the processor device on the badge, a communication channel with the computer system.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising the system configured to:

access a record that is associated with the badge;

determine whether the record contains an acknowledgement message of a previous update being applied by the badge; and

determine whether there is a new update for the badge that is later than a timestamp associated with the acknowledgement message.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising the system configured to:

send the new update when the acknowledgement message has a timestamp later than a timestamp of the new update;

otherwise

determine whether a new update should be generated based on the time, day, and current location of the badge.

16. The system of claim 12 further comprising the system configured to:

produce an update package for the badge;

receive from NFC tags on the badge the encoded information including the badge ID;

determine the source address of the access point that read the encoded information;

determine whether the access point is within a company'"'"'s network; and

select from the rule set, the rule according to whether the access point is within or outside of the company network.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the rule is selected from a set of on-company premises rules that comprise:

a company events rule that when executed by the system determines whether the badge ID is authorized to be at a specified event, by the system configured to;

access a list of attendees; and

determine whether the badge ID is an authorized ID for the event; and

send an update to the badge, where the update is selected according to the execution of the company events rule.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the rule is selected from a set of off-company premises rules that comprise:

an employee termination rule that when executed by the system determines whether the badge ID is a terminated badge, by the system configured to;

receive from any access point that is connected with the badge from the NFC tag the encoded badge ID;

access a list of terminated employees by badge ID; and

send an employee termination update package ID when the identification of the badge is on the list.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the employee termination update package includes instructions that when executed by the badge, automatically wipe off all data from the display and disable the processor device in the badge from receiving any further updates, by at least deleting the URL stored in the badge.